Author: ashriqiskandar

The Case Study

Robert, a director and union member, has requested an 8 percent raise for his work unit. His request is based on recent finance reports showing that his department has substantially contributed to a 15 percent profit increase for the organisation. He feels that his team should be compensated for the hard work and long hours they have put in over the last few years to achieve this outcome.

Kay knows the value of Robert’s team and readily acknowledges their achievements. However, she knows that the company has plans to expand and diversify. This new project will use up the majority of the profit increase for at least the next five years. She is willing to sit down with Robert and talk about how his team can get involved in the new project. There could be new job opportunities, some overseas assignments, and possible promotions to various leadership positions within the new project. Kay has flagged this with Robert; however, he is adamant that his team needs to be compensated with a monetary increase. He went as far as threatening to get the union involved if his request is unsuccessful.

My findings

Conflict-Handling styles used

Kay is trying to Collaborate to a Win-Win situation. Kay is countering Roberts request for increment for his team raise. His team has dedicated their valuable time and effort for the company, resulting in a 15% profit increment for the organisation.Kay’s counter is that to expand Roberts team experience by holding new project, overseas attachment and leadership roles as the company is diversifying. But Robert still stand his ground by Competing but it might result in a win-lose situation. As he still stand strong and standing up for his team with that 8% raise.

In this case study, two different conflict-handling styles have been portrayed. Accommodating and Competing. Accommodating is a negotiation style trying to make one party adapt to new condition and hoping they are willing to oblige to the new agreement to then meet the needs of another party. However, this style does not necessarily comes out as a win-win situation. But for it to work both party need to try to be flexible to each agreement.

On the other hand, Competing is the exact opposite. It usually results in a win-lose situation. But sometimes it might turn out to be a lose-lose situation. Competing is when one party maximize their results in the expense of the other party. One example i experience is when i was still young. I wanted to stay up late because i had cousin over for supper. But i had school the next day. I was force to sleep when i wanted to stay up to eat supper. My parents did not allow me, and force me to bed. But now im old enough to account for me own actions.

Integrative Bargaining approach

As you can see. Kay used the integrative bargaining approach. Where she tried to identify interest of both parties. She offered Roberts team new experiences overseas and new positions. Where on the organisation side expansion is inevitable. So she tried to use her bargaining tools to satisfy Roberts party. Kay tried to focus on interest and not position, she also tried to persuade Robert to be open to new interests. Kay tried to use reasoning with giving new job scope and new experience and not apply pressure

What interpersonal communication contributed to the poor working environment

Emotional intelligence is contributing to the poor working environment. Robert had been working very hard with his team for the past few years and looking at the organization is growing mainly is because of their hard work and dedication, he felt that his team and himself should be compensated. However, he fails to see at a bigger picture of getting more opportunities and getting promoted which are also a form of rewards too and it is a long term rewards compared to a one time compensation. They long term reward also includes his whole team, not just himself

Robert’s Context culture (Hall’s Context model)

By using Hall’s context model, it is determined that Robert has a high context culture.

This can be shown as firstly, his department has substantially contributed to a 15 percent profit increase for the organization.

It is under high context culture as there is high sense involvement to the organization.

Secondly, achieving said profit increase, his team and him have put in long hours and hard work over the last few years.

This shows high context culture as they proceed things at their own pace.

Lastly,  Robert disregards Kay’s alternatives such as promotions and new job opportunities and insists on his team to be compensated with a monetary increase. This shows high context culture as the message he conveys are only limited portions of the meaning in what he said. His body language and how it is being said.

To me, the definition of Stereotypes refers to a set idea that people have about someone or something is like, especially an idea that is wrong.

To further elaborate, Stereotypes are characteristics imposed upon groups of people because of their race, nationality, and sexual orientation. These characteristics tend to be oversimplifications of the groups involved, and while some people truly do embody the traits of their stereotype, they are not necessarily representative of all people within that group. Stereotypes are not always accurate and even if positive, can be harmful.

Stereotypes, Prejudice or Discrimination?

Stereotypes are generalized beliefs about groups and their members.

Prejudices are prejudices are unfavorable affective reactions to or evaluations of groups and their members.

Interpersonal discrimination is differential treatment by individuals toward some groups and their members relative to other groups and their members, and institutional discrimination involves policies and contexts that create, enact, reify, and maintain inequality.

The ways people communicate through stereotyping

Racial Stereotyping. People often insinuate sarcasm when giving a remark that is stereotyping someone or a group. A common example is when you are an Asian, you are instantly assumed to ace all you subjects especially math. “A B+ is an Asian F”. Or, when you an Indian, you are immediately an IT god and you could take up any IT issue on the spot.

This are the common stereotyping ways that people do. Sometimes subconsciously sometimes consciously. It is because it has become such a norm that people say what they feel without thinking. On some occasion people find it funny and in some occasion some find it rude. It is important to read the atmosphere before saying such stereotypical comments regarding someones races or what they do for a living

A past experience i had witness and experience.

I currently work with Dell, and i am situated at Seletar Aerospace supporting Bombardier. I had just started working there right after my ORD. In my second month there, i had to solve an issue with an old Malay lady. She started of talking English with a weird Philippines sleng because Bombardier’s IT manager is from the Philippines. She assumed i was from the Philippines because of my Malay face. I spoke in Malay as a response to her. She was shock and said ” i did not know you were malay, i thought you were Philippines”. She also was not very friendly as usually the IT department is looked down on. The people in the office treats me differently. Hence an awkward situation after that remark.

Here is a small story board sketch of what had happen

Found a free online tool for my story board

What is the Johari window???

The Johari Window is a tool that looks exactly like a 2D window that determines your relationship with a specific person. It unfolds blind spots about what other think of you and not what you think of yourself. This tool will help your relationship grew stronger as an individual or as a pair, creating a better understanding of your personal relationship with someone.

Background Information to Johari Window Model

It was created in 1955 by psychologists, Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham. The term, “Johari Window” was formed using the combination of their names. Jo, an abbreviation of the name, ”Joseph” and Hari, an abbreviation of the name, “Harrington”.

A methodology created to encourage one’s self awareness and personal development of oneself and hereby helps the individual to relate better to one another., allowing better communication within the workplace and the social environment.

On the top left window, exhibits the public area/Open where characteristics that are known to yourself and others is mutual. The top right window on the other hand, exhibits characteristics that is only known by other an not you also known as blind spot./Mystery On the bottom right, exhibits characteristics that are hidden from yourself and others. Finally, bottom left, it does not exhibits characteristics about yourself to others but you know of them as known as Hidden self.

So i got people close to me to do the Johari Window with 56 adjectives about me and the results are

Reflection on the 2 different Johari

After comparing the two table made by two relationships i have. It was obvious that my younger sister would fill up the public area with more adjectives as i known her for a longer duration, on the other hand, my girlfriend gave a more equal distribution as i have only know her for about two years.

With this example, it shows that your relationship that has a longer duration would be more in the open/public area compared to someone whom you have know for less than three years. I feel that it is fair because over a long duration of time you will learn more about the person deeply against someone you know for lesser years.

I also find it interesting as my younger sister do not find me spontaneous but my girlfriend does. I believe it is because my Girlfriend is a spontaneous person and it grew on me. Which then brings out that characteristic in me when i am with her.

Is the Johari Window useful?

I find myself knowing myself better in others point of view. Now my sister know me as more of a spontaneous person as compared to before. It will make my relationship with my sister better where there are more characteristics in the Open area. But to a certain extent towards some people you might want to keep it different from others. It is good for self-awareness among different people. You will be in situation where u know which characteristic of yourself to exhibit to different people and knowing how they will react.

Hi, welcome to my blog.

I am Ashriq but I go by Ash for short as most people are not able to pronounce it very well. I will turn 24 in November and I am the eldest of 6 (3 of which are felines, as seen in the photo below).

I graduated from Nanyang Polytechnic with a Diploma in Multimedia Infocomm Technology and achieved skills such as programming.
I am currently an undergraduate at the University of Wollongong (UOW) enrolled in Bachelor of Cyber Security. I may only be in my first year but I am enjoying this course so far. What attracted me to this otherwise dull program is the flair I have for it accompanied by the passion I have.

Sports

I enjoy the occasional Sunday Soccer league and I play quite often… Before i enlisted for NS that is. I was usually an anchor for the defensive line. I played alongside trustworthy brothers that I grew up with playing football at the void decks, although there technically were signs that did not allow us to. We have always enjoyed playing with each other, rather than making it like a competition to see who is the better team or players. We did however, won a few Cups and league title though. We would then head out for a mandatory celebratory makan session. After enlisting for hell, aka, National Service we grew apart as we did not have much free time. But we do however meet occasionally to eat supper.

Music

I grew up with music which had a huge impact to my life. My father was a musician and he was in a band, as the lead singer during his teenage days. I am fond of the 80’s and 90’s music as my dad would blast Mr. Big, Eric Clapton, AC/DC, Journey and many more at the most randomness times like when was having sex. I spent my primary and secondary life in a band playing the trumpet for 11 years. Also learned other instruments myself while I was growing up. Today, I still fall back to music from the 80’s and 90’s as I feel that songs we made more meaningful and could relate to them well.

Game

Like any other ordinary teenager, video games were the best part about growing up. I believe that I have been playing video games since I was three. The first console that I ever owned was a PlayStation 1, playing Crash Bandicoot all the way to PlayStation 4 playing Assassin’s creed. I prefer playing Adventure games such as Assassin’s Creed and less fond of games such as Fifa or Tekken. I only enjoy playing it with friends or family as they are more fun playing cooperative mode. I also appreciate a friendly game of League of Legends and Blackshot on the PC. Today, I still play games at home to escape reality and to relax.

I’ll call you later. Don’t call me later, call me Dad! .

— DAD

Shannon and Weaver’s model of communications is a specific design to develop and improve the communications between a sender and a receiver. It was originally created in 1948, by and American Mathematician later came to be known as Shannon Weaver. It is considered to be the “Mother of all Models” for communication.

Example of Shannon and Weaver Communication Model

An Australia lecture extends a deadline for an Assignment to the Students in Singapore. The students then missed the deadline as the laptop on the students Time Zone is different from the lecturers Time Zone in Australia. the lecture did not take into account for the difference in Time Zone making it difficult for the lecturer as they have to make sure everyone has submitted and mark on time before the release of their promised results date.

• Sender: Australian Lecturer
• Encoder: Desktop/Laptop
• Channel: Email Server/Internet
• Noise: Confusion due to different time zones
• Decoder: Student’s Electronic devices/Laptop
• Receiver: Students
• Feedback: Students sending emails to the lecturer asking why they were penalized for late submission.

Advantages

• Noise helps in making communication an effective way by removing the noise or the problem cousin noise
• It a general communications model that is applicable to any process
• Communication is taken as quantifiable in Shannon Weaver model.

Disadvantages

• More towards interpersonal communications rather than group communication or mass communication
• Receiver is a passive past in the communication process as sender plays a primary role that sends the message
• Feedback is taken as a less important effect towards the sender but more towards the receiver
• Some take the model as a ‘misleading misrepresentation of the nature of human communication” as human is not mathematical in nature

In my opinion the 1954 Shannon and Weaver communication model is incomplete because as years passed on human adapt and evolve to showing more emotions and develop the ability to express themselves in a text. For example, teenagers in the 90’s or 80’s were already using the Smiley face or Peace signs amidst their message. People began to express themselves with emotion in their message and giving a better understanding of what the sender is trying to convey. It makes communication simple.

Improvement of the Shannon and Weaver Communication model

This model follows the basic sculpture of the original model from the Shannon and Weaver Communication model. But it includes more flexibility in the messages. The messages include human emotion, a point of view and freedom to express themselves. It will create a better understanding from the sender to the receiver and also receiver and to the senders as feedback.