Today We Cried: An Example of Autobiographical Writing

Today We Cried

            It was a beautiful day outside. The sun was shining but the spring air was cold and brisk enough to warrant a sweater. Inside, the cheery, dusty blue and peach colors in the country style living room reflected off the shiny, freshly polished surfaces of the maple furniture. The perfection of the day seemed almost a grotesque contrast to the gut wrenching despair my husband and I were experiencing.  Would a death of body and soul be easier than this?  I contemplated this question as I waited for the knock at the door.  A knock to be made not by the proverbial grim reaper with black hood and scythe, but rather by a social worker with legal documents and an empty, infant car seat.

            The memories of a decade were flying through my mind, mocking the innocence of childhood expectations when Bob, my husband, was my high school sweetheart. In our teens, Bob and I spent almost every free hour together while annoying siblings would tease us with childish rhymes about two lovers sitting in a tree with love, marriage, and baby in a baby carriage in mind.  Although they were teasing, in reality, we spent a considerable amount of time sitting on the grass in the shade of a giant oak tree planning for our future.  We intended to get married straight after graduating and start a family right away.  We knew we wanted two children, daughters, and even had their names picked out: Heather Marie and Desiree Michelle. Sadly, or perhaps thankfully, neither Bob nor I knew that “baby in a baby carriage” did not happen for everyone.  In the near future the word “infertility” would become a shocking, unwelcomed addition to our vocabulary.

            Trying to get pregnant was fun.  So much so, in fact, that it took several years for reality to sink in.  Something was wrong.  My life became a series of doctors, tests, procedures, disappointment, doctors, tests, procedures, disappointment, round and round, in a seemingly endless circle.  Cold tables, embarrassing questions, bright lights, invasive instruments, all combined to push aside fond memories of adolescence under the oaks or early married days spent almost entirely in the bedroom. Eventually, we had to accept the reality that we would never see what the biological offspring, the physical manifestation of our love would look like.   Determined still to be a family of more than two, we turned our minds and efforts to adoption.

            Having very little money, there was no way we could afford to go through an adoption agency, so we decided to work with an adoption ministry at a church.  We filled out a massive amount of paperwork and then sat back to wait. And wait.  AND WAIT. After about two years, our wait appeared to be over, but in a manner we did not anticipate. 

            During a Christmas service at church I was singing a song about the birth and death of Jesus from the perspective of His mother, Mary.  The bright lights pointing at the stage practically blinded me to the three thousand or so people in attendance that day. I knew they were there, but I felt very alone on stage as I introduced the song.  The poignant lyrics of the chorus were guaranteed to touch the hearts of every mother in the building. “I rocked Him as a baby.  I held Him as a child.  I heard Him call my name out in the night. I helped Him take His first step.  I cried when I heard His first words.  I wish they all could see through a mother’s eyes.” I poured out my heart that Christmas morning as I revealed that it was very difficult for me to understand the perspective of Mary as I was unable to have children of my own and had never experienced the joy of motherhood.  Unbeknownst to me, in the auditorium that morning was a young, pregnant woman who was planning on putting her child up for adoption. After the service, she approached my husband and me about adopting her child. 

            Her name was Ada and she was only eighteen years old.  She was a beautiful Hispanic young woman with short brown hair and sad brown eyes.  Giggling, she revealed that the father of the baby was in prison and that her parents had kicked her out of the house.  She was living in the home of two sisters who sheltered women who found themselves in just the situation Ada did.  Ada wanted to find loving parents for her baby and, while attending the service that day, had decided that Bob and I were the ones. Thrilled, scared, grateful, and full of countless other emotions, we agreed to take the steps necessary to adopt Ada’s baby.

            During the next three months, we spent a lot of time with Ada.  We drove her to school, an adult education school where she was striving to get her high school diploma.  We took her to her doctor’s visits.  She even invited us to her Lamaze classes, although only I was to be allowed in the actual delivery room. It was awkward at times when people would look at the three of us, but Ada would cheerfully answer questions about her pregnancy by saying, “This isn’t my baby.  This is Bob and Donella’s baby.  God just put it in my womb.”  Sometimes doubt would creep in, as people warned us to reconsider, concerned that Ada’s plan to stay in the neighborhood and at our church afterwards would make the situation impossible.  On occasion I asked her, “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”  She would always reply, with a Madonna-like smile, “Absolutely.  God wants me to do this.” 

            Finally, a few days before Easter, we got the long-awaited call.  Ada was in labor.  We rushed to the hospital and were allowed in to see Ada.  In a soothing labor room of soft, pastel colors with pastoral prints on the wall, Ada reclined in conversation with her two caregivers.  In the quiet moments that followed, Ada was cheerful and talking to us about our plans for the baby.  During contractions, however, she was screaming, crying out the name of the baby’s incarcerated father, her brow sweating and her hair sticking to her face.   Six hours later, as the screaming moments far outweighed the quiet ones, Ada, one of her videotaping caregivers, and I entered the delivery room. 

            There was an odd contrast between the sterility, brightness, and plainness of the delivery room and the beauty of what was occurring.  With the doctor and nurses at Ada’s feet, the videotaping caregiver moving throughout the room seeking good camera angles, and Ada herself gasping, panting, and sometimes screaming in the bed, it felt rather surreal.  Ada gripped my hand so tightly that it hurt, but I said nothing other than the words of comfort and encouragement I was there to say.  “You can do it.  It’s okay.  Breathe, breathe.”  I felt very guilty because I was supposed to be Ada’s coach but what I really wanted was to be where everyone else was, watching for the first glimpse or her baby, my baby, our baby. Occasionally, I would stretch towards the foot of the bed and try to see what was going on, but Ada’s need, strength, and determination physically pulled me back close to her face. Moments, or perhaps years later, I heard crying and saw the hurried movements of the doctors and nurses as the baby, a girl, was born. 

            After she was cleaned up, tested, weighed, and wrapped, she was placed into Ada’s arms.  She was absolutely gorgeous, with a tuft of black hair, rosy complexion, and a perfectly formed body all wrapped in pink softness. My husband Bob was allowed into the delivery room then and we stood in the doorway, afraid to approach what appeared to be a sacred moment of mother and child, afraid to believe that she would be able to hand us the beautiful infant in her arms, afraid to hope.  From the bed, Ada moved the baby into the position that, had she been able to see that distance, she would have had a clear vision of us.  Ada then spoke to the baby, “This is your new mommy and daddy.  They are going to love you and take good care of you for me.  I will always love you, but this is the best thing for you.”  Both my husband and I cried as we heard those beautiful words.  Less than a week later, we would be crying together again, but for a very different reason.

            The sound of a car door slamming outside brought me back to the present.  My head and body shook as I watched the approach of the sad and compassionate woman whose job it was to return our beautiful baby, Amanda, to the care of the birthmother who had changed her mind and leave us with an empty crib, aching arms, and broken hearts. Neither the social worker nor I said a word as I opened the door and let her in.  Hearing a sound, we both turned and looked towards the couch where Amanda lay.  Tears poured down both of our faces as we watched my strong, macho, blue-collar, Italian husband on his knees sobbing while he used his body as a shield to prevent the woman from taking Amanda, the daughter who was conceived not in my womb mere months ago but in our hearts more than a decade ago under the shade of an old oak tree. Needing to be the strong one for the first time in our relationship, I carefully but firmly pulled Amanda out from under my husband’s shuddering form and handed her over to a future that did not include us, a future of first words, first steps, first birthdays, and other milestones that we would never see. As the door closed on our dreams of a family, I turned back to my husband and wrapped my arms around him.  In the months and years ahead we would see the positive effects of this day.  We would understand grief like we never had before.  We would comfort others who would welcome our words of encouragement, knowing we had personally experienced suffering. We would grow up.  All of that and more we would accomplish in the future, but for today, we cried.

           

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Planning Proposal for Improving Ashford Student Services: An Example of Technical Writing

Proposal for Improving Student Performance and Satisfaction through Reduced Timeframes for Instructor Feedback

Introduction

Statement of Problem

In traditional, 16-week college courses, students have a window of opportunity to study their professor’s unique styles, expectations, and backgrounds, all of which are factors in how instructors grade course tasks. However, due to the brevity of Ashford University’s five-week course structure, this window of opportunity is narrow at best. Delayed instructor feedback, particularly in the first two weeks of class, can negatively impact a student’s overall performance in the class and their satisfaction with the course, the instructor, and Ashford University.

Objective

This proposal analyzes instructor response times at Ashford by comparing it with the percentage of the total course completed as well as its equivalent at traditional, 16-week colleges.  It then offers a plan to improve these response times in keeping with both student and instructor preferences and suggested standards.

Sources

Due to the online nature Ashford’s courses, my primary source for instructor response times is my own experience at Ashford University.  Student and instructor preferences and suggested standards come from articles within the ProQuest database located in Ashford University’s electronic Library.

Body

Details of the Problem

Each day that passes in an Ashford University course is 2.857% of the total.  In a traditional, 16-week course, this would be the equivalent of 3.19 days. Several of the Ashford University instructors whom I have encountered have not posted grades for the previous week’s discussion posts and assignments until day seven of the following week.  Assuming that the instructor response clock starts ticking on day one of the next week, this results in 20% of the course passing without grading-feedback.  In a traditional university, this would equate to twenty-two days.  Incredibly, I have waited as many as nine days at Ashford before receiving the grades for the previous week’s tasks. Following the mathematical pattern, this resulted in more than 25% of the course passing without instructor feedback on the completed work, the equivalent of four weeks at a at a traditional university.  

            Although Ashford University provides grading rubrics to guide student’s efforts in the absence of regular instructor contact, these rubrics are open to individual instructor interpretation of what is and is not acceptable in each area. For example: Does this instructor want a final comma in a list of three or more things (The dog, cat, and elephant went for a walk vs. the dog, cat and elephant went for a walk). Does this instructor want the “nd” or “th” superscripted in numbers like 2^nd and 5^th?  Does this instructor have a fondness for semicolons?  These are just a few examples of instructor preferences for which I have had assignment points deducted at Ashford.

            As days are passing without instructor feedback, so are due dates for subsequent week’s assignments. This means that two or more week’s posts, assignments, and assessments (40% or more of the course) have been completed without the student having knowledge of the unique expectations of this instructor. The lack of knowledge of unique instructor expectancies or preferences affects grades. The potential loss of points in two weeks of a five-week course is staggering and irreplaceable. A student can easily drop to a maximum final grade of a B without ever having received any feedback from their instructor to prevent this.

            Even though Ashford University provides excellent tools for instruction such writing labs, grading rubrics and audio-visual aids, these aids cannot replace the knowledge of the instructor and the benefit to the student of the instructor’s timely feedback because “Interaction between the teacher and the taught, sharing of new concepts and ideas of the teacher with the students and clarification of doubts and problems of students by the teacher is the most important part of the learning process. The best of audio-visual aid can be no substitute for a good teacher” (Meena, 2005, para. 3). Instructors themselves appreciate timely feedback in their tasks.  When called upon to design online courses for a college program, 70% of the teachers who participated emphasized that regular, timely feedback was paramount to the success of their task (Oliver, Kellogg, Townsend & Brady, 2010, paras. 39 & 41). The similarity between instructor and student needs and preferences in this area is easy to ascertain.

Proposed Plan

Because of its online nature, Ashford University has thousands of instructors to draw upon for their courses. Vetting the applicants to ensure their ability and agreement to responding and grading student’s assignments within an acceptable time limit, no more than three days after a due date in my opinion, would enable Ashford to hire those who can best meet both the “Quality Matters” motto Ashford strives for and the tight timeframes required in a five-week course.

            The downside to this plan is that instructors will be forced to devote large portions of every Tuesday, Wednesday, and possibly Thursday to grading tasks. Although some current instructors may dislike this tighter timeframe, and some may even find it necessary to re-exam their commitment to Ashford University, the per-day statistics previously mentioned may help them see the negative aspects of the delay and the positive aspects of the change. To help reduce the Tuesday through Thursday burden, Ashford University might consider offering extra credit for early submissions of assignments. This seems to be a logical solution as deductions of 5 or 10% are common for late work.  Perhaps the same percentage increase could be offered for early submission of key assignments, allowing instructors the opportunity to get some of the grading tasks done before the Tuesday through Thursday rush.

Conclusion

Just as students must predetermine if they have the time it takes to participate in a five-week course and fulfill all of its requirements in a timely manner, so must instructors do the same. Those instructors who are able to make this commitment will likely find that they have played a large part in increasing student performance and satisfaction at Ashford University.

References

Meena, K. (2005). Web-based learning - how effective? The Hindu,p. 1.  Retrieved April 3, 2011, from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=943707561&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId= 74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD

Oliver, K., Kellogg, S., Townsend, L., & Brady, K.. (2010). Needs of elementary and middle school teachers developing online courses for a virtual school. Distance education, 31(1), 55-75.  Retrieved April 3, 2011, from  http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb? did=2074810911 &sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId=74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD

A Dusting "How-to" for Children: An Example of Technical Writing

Dust is minuscule particles, or really tiny pieces, of substances that float through the air and eventually land on surfaces within your house. Sometimes the dust particles are made up of material that can aggravate allergies and make those who have allergies feel miserable.  Allergies or not, dust makes a house look messy.  Dusting, which is the process of removing the dust, should be a regular part of household chores. Here is how to do the job right.

1.     First, figure out what room or rooms you are going to dust. Ask an adult to walk through the room with you and show you if there is anything they do not want you to dust such as electrical plugs, televisions, your Grandma’s nice china, and so forth.

2.     Get all of the things together that you need for dusting. These include dry and damp (slightly wet) dust cloths such as rags, washcloths, Swiffer wipes, etc.  Do not use a feather duster because all that does is make the dust float up for a while and then land back down somewhere else. Ask your mom and dad what cloths they want you to use so that you do not use their good stuff.  WARNING: Do not use a wet or damp rag on anything that has electricity running through it or to it such as electrical outlets, televisions, CD players, DVD players, laptops, computers, alarm clocks, and things like that.  Using wet or damp rags on these things can damage them and shock you.  Shocks can hurt you really bad.  Some shocks can kill you. If you are not sure if it is okay to dust something, ask an adult first.

3.     Choose one corner of the room to start your dusting.  Carefully remove everything from the surface of the area you are dusting. If an adult told you it was okay to dust the things that were on the surface, do this first, using a damp dust rag, and then carefully set them aside. 

4.     Next, using your damp cloth so that the dust clings to the cloth and doesn’t just fly up in the air, begin dusting at the top of whatever it is you are working on, such as a bookshelf or coffee table. This way, any dust that your cloth doesn’t pick up will settle on the lower parts that you still need to dust. WARNING: If the thing you are dusting is taller than you, only dust the parts that you can reach with both your feet flat on the ground.  Do not climb up on a chair, ladder, bookcase, table, or anything else.  Leave the high parts for an adult to do.

5.     Be sure to reach all the corners and the sides of your work area, trying to get all of the dust you see.  Then, use your dry cloth to rub the surface so that you can carefully put the knick-knacks back where they were before. 

6.     Go to the kitchen or bathroom and rinse your damp dust rags out frequently.  If you do not, you will soon find that you are just spreading dust and dirt around the room.  After you have rinsed the dust from the rags, squeeze the rags really hard so that you get as much water as you can from them and then continue dusting where you left off.

7.     Move around the room in one direction, dusting everything you see that an adult told you to dust.  Once you make it back to the area you started with, you have dusted the whole room. 

Dusting is an important job.  It makes the house look nice and helps allergic people sneeze less. When you help out with the dusting, you help make your mom, dad, or other adult’s life a little bit easier and you should be proud of yourself for that!

Improving Intercultural Communication through Virtual Reality

Our textbook offers very interesting and useful information regarding the way various aspects of nonverbal communication vary between cultures.  For example, in the area of proxemics, which is the understanding of the parameters of personal space, textbook author Fred Jandt (2010) explains that an Arab might enter an elevator and stand within touching distance of another person even if there is no one else inside (p. 114).  This would be considered rude, aggressive, or even flirtatious to an American when, in reality, the Arab just has a different concept of personal space. Another example Jandt (2010) uses is with the application of silence.  The Chinese remain silent if they agree with you while Americans remain silent primarily when they disagree but don’t want to be offensive (p. 119).  These and other cultural differences in non-verbal communication are important pieces of information for someone who desires to be an effective communicator with those of other cultures. While it is possible to gain knowledge about the non-verbal traits of others via formal means of information gathering, there exists another, informal channel: the world of virtual reality.

Through online gaming and virtual simulations, people of many cultures have a chance to interact electronically rather than physically. Whether these gatherings are for the purpose of temporary activities in online role playing or through the more time consuming, life emulating, immersive avenue of synthetic worlds, people from all over the globe intermingle in a non-threatening environment. They choose and/or create virtual representations of themselves in the form of an avatar. This animated character generally reflects characteristics that exist in or that are desired by the individual represented.  The avatar may look like any ethnicity, gender, body type, and so forth. It may be bold, shy, outspoken, reserved, aggressive, passive, or any number of other personalities depending upon the preference of the individual and the parameters of the game itself.        

In these “worlds” there are tools already in place for use by the avatars that could be easily adapted to promote better understanding of cultural variations in verbal and non-verbal communication.  For example, when a virtual character needs to select an object, an article of clothing, or even a physical gesture to use during play, it would be very easy to integration cultural generalities in the coding.  The game could be written in such a way that it “understands” the significance of proximity, touch, movement, silence, etc., to the cultures of the individual players.  The game itself would learn the culture, or professed culture, of the individual during the registration process when the player enters his or her personal information.  Then, when a player from one culture selects a gesture or a movement, chooses to move closer to another player, or chooses not to answer another player, the game could warn or advise the player as to meaning their selection has in the culture of their opponent.  The game could advise the player, “Warning – the forefinger-to-thumb gesture that you have selected, which you believe means ‘okay’, is more offensive than the raised middle finger in the culture of your opponent” (Jandt, 2010, p. 119).  Or, the game could ask, “You have failed to respond to the comment made by your opponent which your opponent will believe signifies disapproval or disagreement.  If that is not your intent, please type a response to your opponent now.” On the flip side, it could say to the opponent, “The other player has remained silent in answer to your comment.  In his culture, this indicates agreement.  If you wish to confirm this, click here....”

These types of messages in the virtual world may seem cumbersome and counterproductive to the intent of the game, however, the benefit they offer in improving communication between real worlds is invaluable.  With the misunderstandings, stereotypes, and outright prejudices that exist in this world, it can be dangerous to have tempers flare over perceived insults.  There are individuals who believe in shooting first (or cutting off a hand or head first) and asking questions later, if at all. Violence can erupt long before there is a chance to clear up innocent, cultural miscommunications. As the players learn the rules of non-verbal communication in the various cultures, the messages will become less and less necessary and the fun of the game can continue without the unintentional insults that would otherwise be present.

Just imagine the possibilities that exist for improved diplomatic relationships through the use of this type of technology.  Children could learn effective intercultural communication through the use of fun activities and would rarely have to face the same communication challenges that currently exist in our world.  The possibilities are endless, but there are limitations.  There will always exist those whose own prejudices or traditions make them less receptive and less respectful of the customs and traditions of other cultures.  There are also cultures which do not accept or have access to this type of technology.  However, these limitations should not hinder the use of the technology for the improvement of intercultural relationships.  Knowledge is power, and intercultural knowledge can have wide-reaching, positive impacts on our society and in promoting world peace.

References

Jandt, F. E. (2010). An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global community (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Retrieved March 6, 2011, from http://coursesmart.com/ 9781412970105/firstsection

Ethical Persuasion and the Golden Rule

The Free Dictionary (2011) defines ethics as “the moral fitness of adecision [or] course of action” (para 2.)  But what is moral fitness?  Understanding the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, is a quest that begins in toddlerhood and continues through old age. It is the topic of many conversations, business decisions, and educational studies.  Although the importance of ethics is universally accepted, there seems to be no one definition, practice, or theory that encapsulates it.   Because of the difficulty in pinpointing ethical behavior, its use in persuasion efforts is also deeply debated. In an effort to gain further understanding of ethics and its significance in persuasion, I have examined two ethical theories, the Kantian theory and the Utilitarianism theory, as well as aspects of the TARE test (truth, accuracy, respect, and equity) and determined that at the heart and soul of each of them is the biblical command to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

In the eighteenth century, philosopher Immanual Kant developed of a system of ethics that remains useful in ethical studies today. Kant believed that an individual was personally responsible for his actions and that the decision to act rightly should come from within and not from without (Messina, 2007, para. 23).  Further, he alleged that it was the duty of man to actively determine a “moral norm” and obey it (Ethical Theories, para. 11). One very interesting aspect of Kant’s theory is that he theorized that in order for an action to be labeled ethical, it had to deliberately decided upon out of a sense of duty and not happen by accident or mere inclination.   In other words, both animals and humans accidentally do things that might be considered good, but it takes a decision of the will, of reason, for the “good thing” to be labeled ethical (Kerstein, 2002, p. 114). In persuasion efforts, this defining criterion would require that an advertisement, sales pitch, sermon, college lesson, and so forth, would have to be written and presented with a conscious, deliberate attempt to be truthful and transparent in all of its aspects. Utilizing the Kantian theory in this way would match the definition of persuasive ethics suggested by Alex Messina is his document Public Relations, the Public Interest and Persuasion: An Ethical Approach (2007). In the document, Messina defines ethical persuasion as, “An attempt through communication to influence knowledge, attitude or behavior of an audience through presentation of a view that addresses and allows the audience to make voluntary, informed, rational and reflective judgments” (para. 21).  Deliberately choosing to present a view in such a way that the audience is given the information necessary to voluntarily and intellectually make a rational decision fits with both Kant’s and Messina’s theories.

A second ethical theory being examined in this paper is the Utilitarianism theory. This theory, introduced by philosopher Jeremy Bentham, has its foundation in Consequentialism (Messina, 2007, para. 56).  Consequentialism uses the outcome of a situation as a means of determining the morality of the actions taken to reach it (Messina, 2007, para. 56).  Going further, the Utilitarianism theory looks for the consequences that benefit the greatest number of people and determines that the “happiness quotient...the greatest good for the greatest number” is what makes a decision ethical (Messina, 2007, para. 57).  Although this theory has merit and, at times, must be used to make difficult decisions, it also has a high probability of misuse.  Deciding what the “greatest good” is must be determined by someone or some organization.  In selling an idea that one feels is in the best interest of others, vital information may be left out in order to be persuasive in a “the ends justifies the means” manner.  This violates the principle of informed consent being necessary in order for persuasion efforts to be ethical.

The final issue under consideration is the TARES test. Standing for truth, accuracy, respect, equity, and Social Responsibility, the TARES test is used as a means to determine whether an attempt at persuasion can be deemed ethical (Fawkes, 2007, para. 28). Being truthful (T) and accurate (A) are relatively easy to determine, but what does it mean to use respect (R) and equity (E) in persuasion efforts?  According to Alex Messina (2007), who devotes little time to the S in TARES, the R in TARES means “Practicing respect for what others need to know to make a voluntary, informed, rational and reflective judgment” while the E stands for “Achieving equity of access to information, or opportunity to respond” (para. 60).  The use of TARES, or more specifically the failure to practice the principles described in TARES, has caused a huge outpouring of public anger, commentary, and a change in congress in recent months.  Finding the real cost of the Affordable Healthcare for America Act of 2010 after its passing has left many Americans feeling like they were not given truthful and accurate information.  Many Democrats, Republicans, and Independents feel like they were disrespected by not being supplied what was needed for them to make a “voluntary, informed, rational and reflective judgment” about it, nor was there equity involved in their efforts to respond to their government officials prior to the hotly-debated healthcare bill becoming the law of the land.  This left a sour taste in the stomachs of voters whose antacid of choice was shown by the shifting of power from Democrats to Republicans in the House of Representatives during the recent elections this past November.

The study of ethics has been significant for centuries, but studying and understanding alone is insufficient.  Persian Gulf War General Norman Schwarzkopf is reported to have said, “The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it” (Goodreads, 2011, para. 1).  The choice between ethical and unethical behavior is often a matter of just a few inches, the distance from your head to your heart. Perhaps the answer can be found in a document that some see as divine while others see as a great piece of literature: the Bible.  Matthew 7:12 lists what is commonly referred to as the golden rule: “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”  If each and every communicator would offer the same level of truth, accuracy, respect, and equity that they would like to receive, ethical persuasion would soon become a lesson in history and not a goal for the future.

References

Ethical Theories. Retrieved from aerostudents.com/files/ethics/ethicaltheories.pdf .

Fawkes, J. (2007). Public relations models and persuasion ethics: a new approach. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1384728701&sid=2&Fmt=3&clientId =74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

The Free Dictionary. (2011). Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ethics.

Goodreads, Inc. (2011). Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/search?page= 10&q=ethics.

Kerstein, S. (2002). Kant’s search for the supreme principal of morality. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/docDetail.action?docID=10014586&p00=kant.

Messina, A. (2007). Public relations, the public interest and persuasion: an ethical approach. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1210421591&sid=1&Fmt= 3&clientId= 74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD.



Conflict Resolution: A Process View

The following is an assignment through Ashford University's Communication Studies Capstone Course...

Review the case study below and in 350 – 700 words explain how you would approach this employee, anticipate the employee’s response, and discuss which conflict resolution techniques you would use. Submit your response to your instructor through the Dropbox in your online course and add it to your Blog.

“You are a department manager in a mid-sized company that provides technology support services.  You have ten employees who are required to maintain a high level of technical expertise and deliver excellent customer service.  One of your employees, who has been with the company for two years, is performing at a substandard level and you have received numerous complaints from customers and coworkers.  In addition, this employee has displayed confrontational behavior which has created a hostile environment.  You must now meet with this employee and deliver an ultimatum regarding the need for immediate improvement or dismissal.”

Textbook authors Abigail and Cahn (2011) propose that conflict and conflict resolution are a process.  In the process view of conflict, they list six “confrontation steps” that should be followed for satisfactory conflict resolution (p. 35). 

1.     Preparation: Identify your problem/needs/issues.

2.     Tell the person “We need to talk.”

3.     Interpersonal confrontation: Talk to the other person about your problem.

4.     Consider your partners point of view: Listen, empathize, and respond with understanding.

5.     Resolve the problem: Make a mutually satisfying agreement.

6.     Follow up on the situation: Set a time limit for reevaluation.

Although these steps are for interpersonal conflict, they can be useful in organizational conflict as well, with minor modifications. Using these steps in the scenario described above, I would first prepare myself for the confrontation by making sure I clearly understood the situation, the ramifications of the unacceptable behavior, and the outcomes that I considered acceptable.  I would try and to anticipate the employees possible responses and be prepared with reasons and responses of my own. Once I felt prepared, I would approach the employee.

Telling the employee that we need to talk would be the first, difficult step.  Just the wording of “we need to talk” implies that I will listen as well as speak and is less intimidating than “I need to talk to you.” Preferably, I would want to have the conversation immediately.  Leaving the employee to ponder and worry about the conversation for any length of time increases the possibility of an escalated conflict situation. Regardless, I would refuse to discuss the situation with the employee until such time as we were alone.

Addressing the problem in detail would be the next step.  If the problems were minor, the options on how to address this would be greater.  I could use a “Let’s work together to solve this problem. What can we do to help you...?” Because the situation involves the employee’s performance level, customer complaints, and the creation of a hostile working environment, the discussion must take a more serious, firm tone. Perhaps the best way to deal with this would be to state the expectations of the organization for this employee’s position and the vision of the organization for internal and external customer relations and then explain to him or her that he or she was not meeting these expectations nor were was he or she behaving in a manner that exemplified the vision of the organization. Then, following up with the details of the undesired behavior and the specifics of the complaints, I would clearly and completely state the problem and express that it must be rectified.

The next step would involve listening to the employee’s side of the story.  Although Abigail and Cahn (2011) mention empathizing with the employee (p. 35), this may be difficult in a situation such as this.  The employee may have family or personal issues that were contributing to their poor behavior, but these issues could not be allowed to impact the organization.  It may be possible to empathize to the point of allowing the employee some time off to deal with situations, but it could not be to the point of allowing the behavior to continue.  This would need to be clearly communicated and goals specifically defined.

Resolving the problem may involve a verbal acknowledgement on the part of the employee that the behavior has been taking place and a promise to improve or it may involve the employee choosing to leave their position and find another employer. Even if the employee promised to improve, the possible consequences of releasing the employee from their position if the situation did not improve would need to be verbalized and documented in writing.

With the problem communicated, both sides of the story heard, and a plan of action agreed upon, a time limit would need to be set in which to accomplish specific goals and reevaluate the situation (unless the employee chose to quit). This time limit would need to be strictly adhered to and the reevaluation would need to take place, at which points the above steps would need to be repeated until a satisfactory outcome was reached.

Conflict is inevitable.  If a person interacts at all with other individuals or groups, there will eventually be an issue that needs to be addressed and resolved. To become effective at conflict resolution, whether it is within your family or within your organization, an individual needs to take the time to learn the necessary skills.  Positive outcomes are possible with proper preparation and practice.

Abigail, R.A. & Cahn, D.D. (2011). Managing conflict through communication (4^th ed.). Retrieved from http://www.coursesmart.com/9780205750559/firstsection# X2ludGVybmFsX1BGUm VhZGVyP3htbGlkPTk3ODAyMDU3NTA1NTkvMTI=.

Distance Education: How Your High School Student can get College Credit for Free or Almost Free Using Online Technology

Of all of the values we seek to instill in our children, it is doubtful that free-riding makes it into the top ten, or even the top 100.  However, it is time for parents of today’s high school students to go to them with hat in hand and say three of the most difficult words, “I was wr...wr...wr...wrong.”  Forgot all of those things we have said in the past.  Sometimes, just sometimes, there is such a thing as a free lunch.  Maybe it is okay to try and do two things at once.  And, every once in a while, long distance relationships do work. 

           

In today’s scary economy, when many parents are more worried about hot dogs and housing than Harvard, college has gone into the “other things to worry about” pot on the back burner. Newspaper headlines and television news stories are often bearers of the grim news facing California’s future college students. The Golden State may have to change its nickname to the “Iron Pyrite State” as we pan nearer and nearer to bankruptcy.  Cal-kids who get Cal-Grants can’t help but feel like they are on a Reality-TV show.  They need to keep their bags packed and at the ready in case they are “voted off” the college campus since “any Cal Grant award is tentative and subject to final approval of the State Budget Act.” The California University system has had to raise its tuition level to a point outside the financial reach of many.  And, private college tuition?...really?  All of these issues have combined to send students by the thousands flocking to California’s community colleges, making the campuses as impacted as a stadium full of teen-aged girls at a Justin Bieber concert. So, what is a concerned parent to do?

Before you start teaching your teens how to say “do you want fries with that,” take a moment to consider the idea of distance education, otherwise known as online college. The advent of the internet makes it possible for classrooms to accommodate e-learners by the hundreds as opposed to the physical limitations of a brick-and-mortar classroom. Most importantly, these mega courses are not in obscure subjects like elementary basket weaving. 

California community colleges, such as Coastline in Fountain Valley, offer internet, television, or other formats of distance learning courses in subjects that are required in high school and meet general education requirements in college.  Got a high school senior who needs American Government and Economics?  Take both courses online at Coastline Community College.  Their Political Science course has openings for 395 students.  Economics has space for 220 students. Generally speaking, this is enough room to accommodate college students and those high school students seeking a head start on college.  To spice things up a bit, these courses are often eligible for both high school and college credit at the same time, killing two birds with one stone (no offense intended to bird lovers). But wait, there’s more.  Many of these colleges, including Coastline, do not charge tuition (called registration fees) to high school students.  This is a win/win combination for all concerned. Moms love it because their high school student is safe from the influences of being on-campus with more adult learners.  Dads love it because they are saving money.  And kids love it because...well, they may not love it, but they will probably thank you for it later in life, when they finish their college a year or more sooner than their friends.

College registration dates are dependent upon the college credits that students have earned.  Eventually, your high school student will have earned enough credits to get an early registration date.  This will allow them the opportunity to grab some of those on-campus courses as they become available, although you don’t have to let your kids know that if you don’t want to. My own son, Michael, entered college at fifteen and started taking on-campus courses at sixteen, before he got his driver’s license. He thought it was pretty cool except for the part where he had to tell his fellow college students that his mommy was here to pick him up. Sometimes, you just have to take the good with the bad.

           

Early college graduation gives students an advantage when it comes to entering the job market. Flipping burgers is fine for a season, but eventually most young adults want to be able to make an income that gives them more than pocket change.  Michael received his Associate’s degree one week after his eighteenth birthday and two weeks before getting his high school diploma. Now, at twenty-one years old, he has completed his Bachelor’s degree and makes $4.00 more an hour at his part-time job than most of his fellow graduates. He has decided to continue taking courses for enrichment and loves it. And perhaps most importantly, he drives himself to college these days, although his registration fees now come with a price tag.  I guess free-riding only lasts so long.

One last word of advice, getting enough credit to graduate from college today is similar to what some people say about voting: apply early and apply often! Don’t be afraid to apply for admission at several colleges at once.  Teens may only be able to get a few classes at this campus and a few classes at that campus, but eventually, they can transfer their credits to the one campus they choose to get their degree from. That is the benefit of this type of long distance relationship: two-timing (or three, four or more) is okay and free-riding is a virtual virtue.

                                  Michael upon receiving his Bachelor's degree.

(Parents and students who want to know more about this subject can visit the websites of any California campus and look for information regarding concurrent high school and college enrollment as well as the details regarding the college’s distance education program.  They may also want to search www.assist.org or California’s virtual campus website at www.cvc.edu.)