Social Sciences Relate to Organizational Behavior

Organizational behavior is basically studying the way people behave in organizations.  These organizations exist in many different fields of social science.  What are those fields?  1) Psychology, 2) Sociology, 3) Anthropology, 4) Economics, 5) Education, 6) Human Geography, and 7) Political Science. 

Edgar Schein created a model for organizational behavior.  By using this model, leaders can understand the three elements of an organization, artifacts, values, and assumptions.  For example, a leader may try to change the underlying assumptions of an organization.
  
Artifacts are the tangible items that people can observe.  "Artifacts can be dress codes, furniture, art, work climate, stories, work processes, organizational structures etc. (Schein, 1992). 

Values are those that are expressed by the leadership of the organization.  The values of the organization can be the mission, the goals, and the philosophies of the company (Schein, 1992). 

"Assumptions reflect the shared values within the specific culture. These values are often ill-defined, and will oftentimes not be especially visible to the members of the culture. Assumptions and espoused values are possibly not correlated, and the espoused values may not at all be rooted in the actual values of the culture" (Schein, 1992).

He also published a third edition of the book called Organizational Culture and Leadership. "Edgar Schein shows how to transform the abstract concept of culture into a practical tool that managers and students can use to understand the dynamics of organizations and change." (Amazon.com Review)

Author: Dr. Andree Swanson 

Reference

Schein, E. H. (1992). Organizational culture and leadership. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

The Citric Taste of Sterling Vitner’s Sauvignon Blanc Collection

If citric, fruity, and honeydew melon flavors with a touch of lemon glass is what you are looking for you might want to check out Sterling Vintner’s Collection of Sauvignon Blanc. At the total discount price of $9.00 a bottle you would be surprised by the vividness of the taste.  Certainly not the overwhelming impressive bottles you might find in more expensive brands but this is not their market. 

I wasn’t in the market for white wine but the scruffy kickboxing coach offered me a free bottle- who is to argue? At a total cost of $0 to me I thought it would be worth a try. Pleasantly, I was surprised that it was appealing and full of flavor. Certainly I can envision the use of such a wine for hosting larger events and social gatherings. It may also work well for a general table wine.

Sauvignon Blanc originally started in the 17^th century in the Gironde area of southwest of France. Austria, New Zealand and California have adopted the wines for commercial development.  Vines that produce the wine are vigorous and upright in its growth with small bunches of berries with hard skins.

Such wines are often offered as a desert wine.  Generally their temperature is around 45 degrees F which amounts to around 20 minutes in an ice bucket.  White wines should be served with white meat which includes seafood, chicken and pork. Dishes with leafy greens also work as well with this type of wine. 

The Sterling Vineyards are located in Napa Valley. They have tours for around $25 per person and include a leisure tour, five wine tasting choices, and a Sterling glass. Visitors can take the tram up to the winery while having a panoramic view of the area. It is a one of the kind tour for the area. The winery is designed after the Greek island of Mykonos. 

Price $9.00 per bottle (Website offers different qualities and prices)

Blog Ranking. 3.7/5

Website:  http://www.sterlingvineyards.com

Business Communication Courses and Strategies of the Top 50 Schools

What did you say? Today is the time of massive communication that spans the globe over. From presenting a concept to stakeholders to sending an email the ability to communicate effectively in business makes a huge difference in the successful completion of goals. To write and speak clearly is to use the medium of thought transference effectively so as to ensure that others both understand and process messages accurately. Such important communication concepts are becoming more important as business school graduates seek ways of influencing their environment and gain recognition.

Business schools are an important avenue of learning about communication and how to effectively communicate important concepts and principles. The majority of business communication courses were taught by the business department versus other departments (Wardrope and Bayless, 1999). It is through this content that students can learn about how, when and where to effectively communicate in the modern business context.

Times have changed. A hundred years ago people spoke face-to-face and didn’t move far away from their social networks. Once the telephone was offered on every desk it became easier to pick up the phone and call upstairs than to trek the staircase. Soon after email was introduced in the market transference of information grew at unprecedented rates. In today’s world we are using videos, text, and streaming to communicate. Such changes are forcing colleges to adjust the way they teach communication and the classes they offer.

Even if the medium has changed the essential elements of communication have not. A thought leads to images or pictures that are then transferred through some medium and these are decoded by the receiver who makes meaning out of the information. The sender-medium-receiver sequence stays the same regardless of the medium that is employed. As technology becomes more sophisticated, so does the amount of information transference and the vividness of the messages.

Helping students understand how to write and speak well is important for their career success. Likewise, it is important to help such students use communication principles and adapt them to modern communication mediums. Through effectively communication methodology such students can better influence their environment and improve upon the innovative abilities of their organizations. Research helps highlight how business communication courses are becoming more important at the top 50 business schools.

The study by Sharp and Broomberger (2013) was conducted as a repeat of Knights (1999) research on the business communication offerings of the top 50 undergraduate business schools. The study only used those courses that were listed as communication courses within business schools. All of the schools are AACSB accredited and maintained comprehensive websites and information. The schools were chosen because they were listed in Bloomberg Business rankings for 2011 (Bloomberg, 2011).

Results: 

-102 business communication courses at 42 schools. 

-7 schools did not mention any communication courses. 

-For the 42 total schools that offered business communication courses 32 schools offered such courses within the business department when compared to English departments, media, etc…

-Out of the 102 business communication courses 76% were within the business department which indicates an increase from 69% found in Knight’s study.

-Out of the 42 schools that offered business communication 10 did not anchor their classes to a particular content area.

-27% of business communication courses offered was lower level courses.

-73% of business communication courses were upper division.

-Of the 44 courses required for a degree 29 were part of the business department.

-Out of 44 courses required 32 were optional and could be swapped out.

-Written and oral communication took precedence.

Analysis:

There was not much change between Knight’s 1999 study and Sharp and Broomberger’s 2013 study. Smaller changes were associated with an increase in business communication as part of curriculum. Some of the schools may have been inadvertently requiring duplication of similar content through different courses hosted in different departments. Greater preference appears to be on written communication which is growing in the Internet age as well as verbal communication needed to effectively work with others. 

Sharp, M. & Brumberger, E. (2013). Business communication curricula today: revisiting the top 50 undergraduate business schools. Business Communication Quarterly, 76 (1). 

Bloomberg. (2011). Best undergraduate business schools 2011. Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/bs_ugrank_tab_0303.html

Wardrope, W. J., & Bayless, M. L. (1999). Content of the business communication course: An analysis of coverage. Business Communication Quarterly, 62(1), 33-40.

Emotional Intelligence and Realtors

Doing a Google search for Goleman’s statement on Emotional Intelligence resulted in finding 2570 sites that had this quote exactly or a variation of it.  McCoy (1997) quoted Goleman as saying, “That IQ contributes 20% to the factors that determine life success, which leaves 80% to other forces, ranging from social class to luck.  People who cannot control their emotions fight inner battles that sabotage their ability for focused work and clear thought” (p. abstract) .  So, what controls the 80% of these other forces?  Kraus (2008) states that “Researchers have found evidence that emotional intelligence as measured by the MSCEIT relates to the personality constructs defined by the Big Five” (p. 4).  Perhaps it is our personality and emotional intelligence, eh?

McCoy (1997) shows that people often become enraged over trivial events.  Goleman calls an emotional hijacking where your emotions take over the entire experience and make a mountain out of a molehill.  Oftentimes real estate decisions are made based on elements out one’s control, such as the economy or the fiscal cliff.  Clients turn to you for answers and may get emotional when considering these items that are beyond their control, thus creating an emotional meltdown or an emotional hijacking.

Kidwell, Hardesty, Murtha and Sheng (2011) discovered the EI definitely relates to a positive performance with real estate agents.  Tasso (2009) discussed a sensitive trust that related to emotional intelligence.  Much like emotional intelligence, the ability to sell is not innate or inherent.  A successful realtor truly understands the needs of the client and the clients themselves.  Drucker (1973) stated, “The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. The aim is to know and to understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him/her and sells itself" (Kotler, 1999).  Connect with this knowledge and connect it with the importance of emotional intelligence.  Mayer and Salovey (1997) calls it, "The ability to perceive, integrate, understand and reflectively manage one's own feelings and other people's feelings."

Research shows that there is connection between emotional intelligence and performance.  In future writings, we will delve into what the combination of emotional intelligence is the in the field of real estate.

Author: Dr. Andree Swanson

References

Kidwell, B., Hardesty, D. M., Murtha, B. R., & Sheng, S. (2011). Emotional intelligence in marketing exchanges. Journal of Marketing, 75(1), 78. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/853271093?accountid=32521

Mayer, J., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is emotional intelligence? In P. Salovey & D. Sluyter (Eds). Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence: Implications for Educators (pp. 3-31). New York, NY: Basic Books.

McCoy, B. H. (1997). Emotional intelligence provides key to life success. Real Estate Issues, 22(1), 1-III. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214010223?accountid=32521

Tasso, K. (2009). A professional approach to selling. The Estates Gazette, 97-97. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223770650?accountid=32521

A Sunday Afternoon by Georges Seurat

1884-1886

Georges Seurat spent two years painting A Sunday Afternoon through constant observation. Such a painting took a considerable amount of effort and he spent many hours sitting in the park drawing sketches, making preliminary paintings and perfecting his craft. He used a concept called pointalism which is painted in small dots to enhance the colors and make them more vivid to viewers.

He is the perfect example of how many years of practice make perfection with one’s work. This is a very different concept than many people view today through the instant television impressions of success. Even our modern day heroes of sports players recognize the amount of time and effort they put into their own crafts.

The painting was created as a representation of Ile de la Jatte which is an Island at the gates of Paris. Locals would bring their families to the park and lounge on Sunday afternoon. Such patrons would play games, fish, have meaningful conversation, and do other socializing with Paris residents.  It is a painting representing the social classes of the time. 

Goerge Seurat was born in 1859 and is considered a French post-impressionist painter. Such painters used bright colors, thick paint and distinctive styles. He was born in Paris and became wealthy by speculating in land. He spent some time in the French military and later years with a young model that bore him a son before his death. 

Seurat took a scientific approach to painting. He believed that one could use painting to elicit emotion in much the same way as a musician could through the arrangement of notes. By using color he could create a language through heuristics. Emotion such as gaiety can be achieved through luminous hues, warm colors and upward directed lines. Likewise, calm can be developed through light and dark, balance of warm and cold colors, and horizontal lines. Sadness comes through dark colors and pointing lines downward.