A631.9.2.RB - Shuck, Allison

The video “Steve Jobs Brainstorms with NeXT Team” briefly highlights Steve Jobs vision of creating a new company (NeXT) that will offer educational facilities a new and improved way for students to learn. However, like any startup company, Steve Jobs and his team run into problems that must be addressed before the product can be assembled and tested.  The video also highlights some additional information about the company, but does not provide much information about the inner workings of the company.

 

Based on my MA results, if I were a part of the NeXT Team, I would be out of my optimal working environment; I would be required to participate in a small business venture instead of a large rapid growing company. However, based on my ability to adapt and assess risk, I believe that I would able to successfully participate in a small business venture, only if the ROI was worth the risk.

 

From what I have seen in the NeXT video, each team member works independently from one another to complete his or her goals. This concept would be a great fit for me. I prefer to work independently, but I am not afraid to ask for help when needed. Therefore, I believe would be able to maintain and accomplish my goals while also achieving the goals of the team.

 

However, I believe it would be very difficult for me to sit by and allow myself be micromanaged by Steve Jobs; I am very assertive person and I am not afraid to speak my mind. In addition, I believe in empowering people to become leaders and lead themselves. Therefore, working for Steve Jobs might be difficult because we are so much alike.

 

Furthermore, it would also be difficult for me not to maintain a financial budget. I cannot understand how Steve Jobs and his team did not assess the cost associated with the products required to build the computer. One of the major problems the video addressed was the fact that the team purchased products without looking at the cost; this resulted in a lot negligent spending.  

 

Overall, I feel that I could work for Steve Jobs, but I might not be as happy as if I were working for a large rapid growing company.  

A631.8.4.RB - Shuck, Allison

After completing the Myers-Briggs personality test and seeing the results, I am amazed! I found the test results to be so true and accurate that it is almost frightening. The test classified me as an ESTJ (Extraverted Sensing Thinking Judging).

ESTJ Personality

ESTJ’s are very much in touch with their external environment. They know their community and usually are pillars of strength. ENTJ’s are outstanding at organizing orderly procedures and in detailing rules and regulations. They like to see things done correctly. In addition, they tend to be impatient with those who do not carry out procedures with sufficient attention to those details, prescribed by those with the most exerpience that will get the job done right.  

ESTJ’s are comfortable in evaluating others and tent to judge how a person is doing in terms of standards set for by the ESTJ. Furthermore, ESTJ’s may at times be abrupt with those who do not follow rules correctly. ESTJ’s are realistic and are curious about new devices and processes rather than principles and theories.

ESTJ Career

ESTJ’s are generally loyal to their organizations, works, and community and make excellent friends, employees and leaders. They see where their duties lie and are not likely to avoid the doing of those duties, even when this requires considerable sacrifice on their part. However, ESTJ’s may not always be responsive to opinions and emotions of others and may have a tendency to jump to conclusions. They may not always be willing to listen patiently to opposing views; they are especially vulnerable to this tendency when in positions of authority.  ESJT’s may need to make special effort to remain open to input from others who are dependent on them.

Furthermore, ESTJ’s are in tune with the established, time-honored institutions and ways of behaving within those institutions that they cannot understand those who might wish to abandon or radically change those institutions.  ESJT’s follow routines will at home and at work and tend to have a place for everything and prefer to have everything in its place.

Overall, I believe that the Myers-Briggs test has helped me gain better understand myself and my leadership style. Sometimes it is hard to really hard to understand who you are or why you believe the things you do. The Myers-Briggs test has helped me gain an outsider prospective, without constructive criticism. 

A631.7.4.RB - Shuck, Allison

The Future of Organizational Development

From what I have learned about organizational development, I do not believe it is a fad, or something that will become irrelevant, I believe that organizational development is rapidly changing and growing as needed; new models, techniques, and approaches to organizational development are being created daily, and old techniques are being discarded.

Organizational development is geared towards increasing organizational effectiveness; it involves the growth and development of the organizations goals through the needs of its members. Organizational development provides the organization with different strategies for adapting to change. As organizational development advances, so does its course. The future course of organizational development predominantly focuses on the issues of change management, global competence and organizational transformation. 

Change management – positive change towards organizational productivity and the involvement of enhanced training and technology awareness.

Global competence – organizational structure will be value driven in order to compete in a highly competitive market.

Organizational transformation - drastic, abrupt changes are needed in order for the organization to survive. Advances in media and communication technologies will aid in achievement of organizational change. 

However, theorists believe that further research should be conducted on the relationship of the intervention process to other organizational variables.

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