According to Baack, “Ideas from the field of organizational behaviour can pave the way for success in any firm, whether for-profit or fulfillment. This links the human component with the operational aspects of a business by creating an environment conducive to success indicators like profit and growth “(2017). One of the essential components of a well-balanced business is its employees. In other words, the company’s employees are highly moral and thus highly motivated to succeed. When we need to come together as a firm, we celebrate with awards and potlucks. Both morale and drive are boosted in such settings.
Currently, I am employed by a firm that has a very diverse workforce. There are a wide variety of people and cultures represented here. Our clientele ranges widely, and we serve them all. Several factors must be taken into account within such a multifaceted organization. Managers should be aware that the same approach can affect different employees differently. So, we all must be able to communicate effectively with one another and with our clients.
My organization has had many years to build the culture they want throughout our company and within teams. We have an open-door policy where we can always raise a complaint or issue with our management without it being a problem. Even the company’s vice president drops by to say hello and circulate a snack cart as a gesture of gratitude to the staff. We also hold quarterly awards ceremonies for those who put in extra effort and achieve success. Members of the squad may also be nominated for honorary awards in recognition of particularly noteworthy acts of kindness, virtue, or extra effort. This significantly boosts team and corporate morale. It lays the groundwork for us to feel appreciated and benevolent for our efforts, inspiring us to continue our excellent work and strive for tremendous success.
In my company, you can find representatives from all walks of life and worldwide. Our country is incredibly diverse, and reflected in our company’s staff similarly. There are various approaches to communication within each society and culture. Knowing our audience requires us to put ourselves in their shoes so that we can speak to them in a way that is both respectful and effective. My organization has a history of finding an even keel from which to negotiate. Expressed, “working or consulting in international or multinational corporations, organizations, and educational institutions” and “communicating with people from diverse cultural backgrounds” (Velasco, 2015)
Various cultures have quite varied ideas on how to participate in a conversation. Maintaining eye contact during a conversation is a sign of interest at my workplace. Some of the folks who work with me come from multiethnic backgrounds or even foreign countries. Some believe making eye contact during a discussion is impolite since it comes out as gazing. We must consider the audience and the shared objectives when communicating with people from diverse cultures. “Depending on the country’s culture, business is conducted in diverse ways. Those that are successful in business look into these variations before ” (Baack, 2017). My organization does a superb job of “reading the room” and determining the best course of action in any situation.
Once again, we have a diverse set of folks on my team. Some of us were raised Catholic, Muslim, or merely consider ourselves spiritual. Some of us had a good upbringing, while others struggled. Whether communicating with, mentoring, or correcting me, my boss needs to consider the context of my unique circumstance. “Successful international managers are aware of the variations in communication styles. They then adjust to make doing business more pleasant while lowering the likelihood of conflict and misunderstanding ” (Baack, 2017).
We frequently communicate using technology at my work. Goals and production updates are sent out by my manager every day. Every morning, he gives us a word of encouragement and stops by each of our desks to see what he can do to set us up for success that day. Making space for conversations or opportunities for engagement with everyone in the firm is essential in the business environment. Managers need to be able to listen intently and show interest in the conversation when these possibilities present themselves. Then, throughout the day, he checks in with our team members, who help check on the productivity of our clients to make sure we are all aware of what is needed from each client; as Fienzig and Raisbeck state in their article, “listening without acting will quickly lose the support of your employees”(2017, p21).
Every week, top management sends us an email updating us on the company’s progress toward its goals and providing us with any additional information we need to do our jobs well. Our managers and customers communicate primarily via email. We also spend much time on the phone explaining necessary paperwork to clients. Through our methods, we require our technological expertise.
There are numerous factors to consider because our company’s communication is centred on technology. “The capacity to communicate successfully in the modern business environment is the determining factor to the total success of a professional in the corporate sector” (Shrivastava, 2012, p.51). The advent of modern technologies has facilitated the quickening of the pace at which a company can expand. To avoid the common problems that occur from misunderstandings in digital communication, we must be careful to be precise and explicit in our communication. According to Rodgers and Allbritton, “the fact that the communication technology is of a networking type allows the user a greater level of control over communication than in the traditional scenario of top-down organizational communication” (1995)
In my organization, we know the internal organizational structure and who is above and below us in the production hierarchy. “Lineal authority, staff authority, and functional authority are the three authority categories. The vertical lines of an organizational chart represent the lines of authority, which are direct and formal. The ability to counsel or offer counsel is a function of staff authority. Functional authority is the ability to guide, not punish ” (Baack, 2017).
All three forms of authority are used in my organization. Our direct managers and directors establish line authority. They can impose rules and provide incentives in whichever way they deem appropriate. Colleagues and managers inside the organization are the ultimate authorities when it comes to leading and guiding us through tasks. Our team leaders and mentors have the functional authority to give us additional one-on-one assistance with what we are doing well and what we need to work on.
My organization excels at inspiring its employees. A company’s success depends on its ability to inspire its employees. “According to the hypothesis, which was first proposed by Edwin Locke in 1968, people who have clearly defined objectives tend to outperform those who don’t. According to Locke, values and value judgments determine emotions and intents. Behavior is heavily influenced by feelings and goals ” (Baack, 2017).
There is frequent appreciation in my firm for work well done or a significant effort in your job details. Even if your figures do not match your goals and targets, acknowledgment is still given for your hard work and business acumen. The organization makes sure that everyone’s goals are realistic and within reach. There are a wide variety of methods by which we can identify one another, whether going above, helping a coworker out, or even making a dedicated effort at work. Recognizing people’s worth helps them feel respected. When employees appreciate their work’s significance, they are more likely to be committed to their job and succeed at it.
My company does not use a standardized exam to determine an applicant’s emotional stability. However, they have questions they ask during the interview process that analyze these various situations. They ask you, “what would you do if a problem arose between you and a coworker?” and “can you think of a time when you had to engage management in a workplace dispute?”
The business must know and understand how each employee would respond to potentially volatile or problematic circumstances. If you are working with a diverse group of people, emotions may inevitably surface at some point. When people contemplate significant life decisions, the emotional content of conversations can readily surface. We primarily work remotely in my firm. We maintain open lines of communication with our clients by telephone and email. Understanding how to communicate our company’s standards virtually is crucial. We must ensure that we are understood effectively and that we communicate appropriately. Even if we are thousands of kilometres apart, the people we work with must feel our support. We will support and sympathize with each of them as needed. Our clients should feel supported in their journey and know they can turn to us for assistance in achieving their objectives. They establish their objectives, and our job is to ensure they are carried out effectively.
Numerous moving pieces cooperate to achieve a common objective within a corporation and its organizational structure. Like the gears in a clock, each component must cooperate with the others to complete the circuit. Those above us are responsible for analyzing the market and setting reasonable objectives for us to work toward. In order to pick up where they left off and help us develop a seamless strategy for our clients, we rely on the individuals below us to assist us in carrying out their tasks. The organization’s success depends on everyone’s ability to communicate effectively, motivate, and carry out its plans. According to Pan, Chen, Hao, and Bi, “Employees’ positive organizational behaviour is not only to promote organizational function but also to increase individual and organizational performance.”
References
Baack, D. (2017). Organizational behaviour (2nd ed.). Retrieved from https://ashford.content.edu
Pan, X., Chen, M., Hao, Z., & Bi, W. (2018). The effects of organizational justice on positive organizational behaviour: Evidence from a large-sample survey and a situational experiment. Frontiers in Psychology, 8doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02315
Rogers, E. M., & Allbritton, M. M. (1995).Interactive Communication Technologies in Business Organizations, Journal Of Business Communication,32(2), 177-195
Shrivastava, S. (2012). Identifying the Major Components of Business Communication and Their Relevance: A Conceptual Framework. IUP Journal Of Soft Skills, 6(4), 51-66
Velasco, D. (2015). Evaluate, Analyze, and Describe (EAD): Confronting Underlying Issues of Racism and Other Prejudices for Effective Intercultural Communication. IAFOR Journal of Education, 3 (2), 82–93.
Prevention Of HIV Among The African American Population In Georgia Free Sample
The HIV situation in the United States is complex and Multifaced. As per the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1.2 million people in the U.S. were living with HIV as of 2019. HIV disproportionately affects certain populations, such as Hispanics/Latinos, African Americans, and gay and Bisexual men. In the U.S., HIV affects the African American (A.A.) population at a higher rate compared to other ethnicities. While A.A.s represent around 13% of the U.S. population, they account for 42% of new diagnoses and people living with HIV (Fauci et al., 2019). The gap in testing and treatment is attributed to stigma, substance abuse, and lack of quality health insurance.
Despite current public health campaigns, Black Georgians, specifically those living in Metro Atlanta, still represent a disproportionate number of new HIV infections. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, African Americans also make up 32 % of the state’s population, but 71% of the 2500 Georgians were diagnosed with HIV in 2019 (Georgia Department of Public Health, 2021). Hence, policy focussed solutions targeting HIV in the Black community are essential. Barriers such as poverty, systemic inequalities, residential segregation and social and economic marginalization, homophobia, HIV stigma, and racism are among the longstanding barriers to health access and opportunities among Black or African American communities (HIV and Black/African American people in the U.S., 2022). These barriers create profound negative impacts which are pervasive and deeply embedded in society, including inequalities in access to employment, wealth, quality education and housing, and other social and economic benefits (Nosyk et al., 2020).
(Egede et al., 2020). Hence, the best plan of action to tackle HIV in Georgia is a state prevention approach that deals with the structural, social, and contextual environments that cause health disadvantages among African Americans.
Policy Recommendation
Georgia should allocate more funding and resources for programs led by community-based organizations to the Prevention of the virus, significantly because the unavailability of access to HIV testing and healthcare, as well as cultural AIDS stigma, has increased the rate or delay of treatment and diagnosis within the A.A. population (Airhihenbuwa et al., 2018). Georgia state legislators can pass a bill that supports more allocation of resources and funding to the A.A. communities through community-based organizations to do more outreach and testing. This will have a great impact on the A.A. population as it will increase access to treatment upon diagnosis, help save the state money, and reduce death and stigma through mass media awareness conducted by the community-based organization. Strategic campaigns to increase testing, abstinence, and pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis access. Effective prevention measures campaigns by community-based organizations should align with the National HIV/AIDS strategy goals, including; Prevention of new HIV infections, Improving HIV-related health outcomes of people with HIV, reduce HIV related health inequalities and disparities, and attaining coordinated efforts that address the HIV epidemic among stakeholders and partners (National HIV/AIDS strategy 2022-2025, 2023)
In addition, this policy would help address the structural and social environment as resources and funding would help initiate support from medical professionals, leaders, the public health sector, and the community at large on reviewing the many factors related to HIV. The current barriers in Georgia which affect the Prevention and treatment of HIV among the A.A. include the lack of culturally competent care, socioeconomic factors such as unemployment and poverty, limited access to prevention methods, stigma and discrimination to access HIV prevention and treatment service, and the lack of success to healthcare. These barriers can result in delayed diagnosis, inadequate care, and poorer health outcomes.
Georgia has implemented a number of prevention and treatment programs to address the issue. The state offers free HIV testing and counseling services at public health clinics throughout the state. It also has a syringe services program that provides clean needles and other harm-reduction services to people who inject drugs. The state also has programs that provide support and treatment to people living with HIV, such as the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) and the state’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS program. These programs provide free medication and medical support services to people from low-income households. However, these programs are not effective in addressing the issue of HIV. However, the current CBOs in Georgia, such as AID Atlanta and Someone Cares Inc only handle HIV among all populations, but my policy aims to liaise with organizations dealing with marginalized communities such as African Americans. Effective prevention programs and initiatives focused on A.A. have the potential to greatly reduce the financial burden of the HIV/AIDS pandemic as well as create balance in health equity.
Overall, the policy could help analyze the current primary status of HIV/AIDS and create a fundamental understanding of the African American community issues. Adequate and appropriate resource allocation will help meet the community at the root, and this will help implement more culturally appropriate solutions. This can help create health equality as all stakeholders, including public health practitioners, policymakers, community leaders, and the public health sector, work towards assessing the stigma and access underlying the disease and encourage safe practices among the patient population.
A Major Policy Alternative
A major policy alternative would be to expand Medicaid. Currently, Georgia has not yet expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (Michener, 2021). This means that the eligibility criteria for Medicaid in Georgia are more restrictive than in other states with Medicaid. A policy on the expansion of Medicaid would help ensure the eligibility of HIV patients guaranteed. This policy can be aimed at lowering the disproportional impact of HIV on African Americans but would require extensive engagement by Georgia Legislators, which could be tedious and costly. However, the implementation of this policy is not as effective as it requires that the state sends State Plan Amendments to Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services for review and approval. This means that it would take a longer period of time and probable political interferences within the process. Hence, it is the least-recommended policy.
Conclusion
Expanding the prevention measures for the spread of HIV among the African American population will support the efforts towards achieving health equity among the disproportionate rates of Blacks in Georgia. HIV continues to be a national and international public health issue. It further causes health disparities in America, and everyone should be part of the solution to fight against the spread of HIV. The racial HIV and health gap is highly correlated with the racial wealth gap, a direct outcome of historical and systemic issues of segregation in employment, education, healthcare, and housing. These factors intersect with sexuality, gender, and poverty, among others, embody sexual exclusion and standard health inequalities. HIV/AIDS distribution indicates that race is a social index for impoverishment, isolation, and health inequalities. The current health system was established when racial segregation and other forms of discrimination based on disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity were sanctioned by custom and law. This widespread discrimination led to structural health disparities for racial groups, which can only be solved through affirmative action.
References
Airhihenbuwa, C. O., DiClemente, R. J., Wingood, G. M., & Lowe, A. (2018). HIV/AIDS education and Prevention among African-Americans: a focus on culture. AIDS Education and Prevention. Economically disadvantaged | HIV by group | HIV/AIDS
CDC. (2022, April 1). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/poverty.html
Egede, L. E., & Walker, R. J. (2020). Structural racism, social risk factors, and Covid-19—a dangerous convergence for Black Americans. New England Journal of Medicine, 383(12), e77.
Fauci, A. S., Redfield, R. R., Sigounas, G., Weahkee, M. D., & Giroir, B. P. (2019). Ending the HIV epidemic: a plan for the United States. Jama, 321(9), 844-845.
Georgia Department of Public Health, HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Section HIV Epidemiologic Profile, Georgia, 2021 https://dph.georgia.gov/epidemiology/georgias-hivaidsepidemiology-section/georgia-hiv-surveillance-data, Published September 2021, [Accessed: date]
HIV and African American people. (2022, June 28). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/racialethnic/africanamericans/index.html
HIV and Black/African American people in the U.S. (2022, August 25). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/fact-sheets/hiv/black-african-american-factsheet.html
Michener, J. D. (2021). Politics, pandemic, and racial justice through the lens of Medicaid. American Journal of public health, 111(4), 643-646.
National HIV/AIDS Strategy 2022-2025 (NHAS). (2022). HIV.gov. https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/national-hiv-aids-strategy/national-hiv-aids-strategy-2022-2025/
Nosyk, B., Zang, X., Krebs, E., Enns, B., Min, J. E., Behrends, C. N., … & Montaner, J. (2020). Ending the HIV epidemic in the USA: An economic modeling study in six cities. The Lancet HIV, 7(7), e491-e503.
Yancy, C. W. (2020). COVID-19 and African Americans. Jama, 323(19), 1891-1892.
Analyzing A Public Speaker Writing Sample
Organization
I virtually attended a public speaking event on the most famous public speaking platform, TED. The video’s title is “How to speak so that people want to listen,” and it was delivered by the famous Julian Treasure. Its organization can be divided into an introduction, a middle, and a conclusion. The speaker starts with an attention-grabbing introduction that acquaints the audience with the topic and explains the importance of effective communication. The middle contains various things people can do to ensure their speech is powerful enough to change the world. Finally, the speaker concludes by addressing the impact of effective communication on the world. I would not organize the speech differently because it is easy to follow, has clear transitions between sections, and has a strong conclusion that leaves the audience with steps necessary to improve their communication skills.
The speech is well structured, in four parts: introduction, the impact of what you say, vocal warmup exercises, and a conclusion. After introducing the topic, Julian Treasure discusses the seven deadly sins of speaking (the things people should avoid): gossiping, judging, negativity, complaining, excuses, lying, and dogmatism. He then suggests four elements that create a foundation for a powerful speech and goes ahead to explain four tools that audiences can use to improve their speech. After explaining how each tool can be used effectively, the speaker asks the audience to stand up, and they practice vocal warmup exercises that he does before going to the stage to deliver a public speech.
Moreover, the speaker used visual aids, which were very effective in grabbing the audience’s attention. Julian Treasure used an overhead projection showing very clear images that everyone could easily see. He also used a remote control to advance to the next picture or description, which helped audiences retain more information and focus better.
Delivery
The delivery was not perfect, but it was 95 percent good. First, the volume was right but a bit low at the start. Some people were still applauding the speaker when he gave his opening statement, and they might have missed what he said. The speaker could have been a bit louder or could have said something that would grasp their attention first. The rate changed severally throughout the speech, and his poise showed that he was composed and confident about his delivery. He maintained eye contact with the audience and made hand gestures that flowed naturally. It seemed like he had memorized the entire presentation because he barely looked at the projection or his computer, but he explained everything he projected perfectly. In addition, he interacted with his audiences by telling them jokes and through an exercise that involved warming up their breath, lips, and tongue.
Speaker Improvement
I must acknowledge that the speech was very educative and provided ideas worth spreading to the world. The author did so well opening with something that all audiences know, “the human voice.” Also, his timing and rhythm were good, and the speech was relatively short (9:58 minutes), hence could hardly bore the audience. Furthermore, the speaker did not use filler words but used transitions to combine various sections of his speech and show how they are related. However, although Julian Treasure is one of the top-rated international speakers on sound and communication skills, there is always room for improvement. First, some people probably did not hear the speaker’s opening statement. The crowd was still applauding when he said, “The human voice.” In my stance, the speaker would have said something like “Thank you” or wait for people to stop clapping. He could also have said it with a higher volume to ensure everyone heard clearly. Second, he could have given his audiences a chance to answer one or two of his several rhetorical questions. Nevertheless, I have learned a lot about how to speak to people effectively, and I am confident that the 36.9 million people who have viewed the video have also gained significantly.
Work Cited
Treasure, Julian. “How to speak so that people want to listen.” TED, 27 June 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIho2S0ZahI.