Evaluate various leadership styles and practices in the organization.

LO1. Critically Analyze the significance of Strategic HRM and it’s changing landscape in organizations.  LO2. Critically discuss the impact of HRM activities on the organizational Performance LO3. Evaluate various leadership styles and practices in the organization.  LO4. Plan how to implement change in an organization.

Discuss strategies you might take to break out of this “suit of armor.”

The purpose of this activity is to discuss the cognitive development stages of critical thinking.  You will review the stages and determine your own place within it. In Chapter 1 of your textbook, as presented in Highlights, carefully review the three stages of cognitive development in college students.  Examine the levels that Sheese and Radovanovic say represent our cognitive development.  Take notes on how these stages might be applied to developing your own critical thinking strategies. This assignment will be an integral component of your 4-part project for this course. This activity aligns with module outcome 1. These questions are adapted from Stop & Assess Activities. Answer one of the following discussion questions: 1.    College professor Stephen Satris maintains that the relativism of the second stage of development is not a genuine philosophical position, but a means of avoiding one’s ideas challenged. Student relativism, he writes, “is primarily a method of protection, a suit of armor, which can be applied to one’s own opinions, whatever they may be—but not necessarily to the opinion of others…. It is an expression of the idea that no one step forward and judge (and possibly criticize) one’s own opinion.” What is your “suit of armor”? Discuss strategies you might take to break out of this “suit of armor.” Consider your own stage of cognitive development, and share in your response, as you feel comfortable. 2.    Most college students do not make the transition to the third, or commitment, stage of cognitive development. Why do you think this is so? Discuss ways in which the college curriculum in general might be restructured to encourage cognitive growth in students. 3.    The first three questions of the “Self-Evaluation” in the Think Tank feature represent the three stages of cognitive development. Which stage, or transition between stages, best describes your approach to understanding the world? What are the shortcomings and strengths of your current stage of cognitive development? Develop a plan to improve your skills as a critical thinker. Put the plan into action. Report on the results of your action plan. 4.    Adopt the stance of the Buddhist “beginner’s mind.” Be attentive only to what is –happening in the now. After one minute, write down everything you observed going on around you as well as inside of you (your feelings, body language, and the like). Did you notice more than you might have otherwise? Share your observations with the class. Can you think of any ways that this activity could lead to higher levels of cognition? Could this activity be a practical pathway to higher level thinking? Discuss ways in which this practice of being more attentive to your present moment experiences might enhance your effectiveness as a critical thinker.

Discuss with the class how this exercise helped you to suspend your biases and to actively listen to views that diverge from your own.

In your reading this week, you learn that being an effective critical thinker means being well-informed and staying open-minded, among other traits. This means that you will have the ability to conduct your research to formulate an educated opinion about a topic, while also maintaining a flexibility in thought to alternative perspectives, as new information comes to light. Accordingly, as presented in Did You Know?, studies show that young people who have positive self-esteem “have more friends, are more apt to resist harmful peer pressure, are less sensitive to criticism or to what people think, have higher IQs, and are better informed” (p. 16). This discussion activity gives you the opportunity to think about how you stand up for your own beliefs, your willingness to consider the shades of gray of any given situation and to comfortably embrace ambiguity even if it means swimming against the tide. This activity aligns with module outcome 2. These questions have been adapted from Stop & Assess and Discussion Activities. Answer one of the following discussion questions below: Select a current event or news topic about which you are passionate. Adopt a stance of belief and –open-mindedness when listening to the other side’s position. Present that side. Now adopt the opposite position, your original stance, and take a position of doubt. Present that side. Discuss with the class how this exercise helped you to suspend your biases and to actively listen to views that diverge from your own. Think of a position that you held (or still hold) against all evidence. Compare and contrast Stephen Hawking’s action with how you respond when someone challenges your views or position. Discuss what extent resistance and/or narrow-mindedness is responsible for your reluctance to change or modify your position. Discuss a time when you deferred to the view of someone else and did (or failed to do) something you later came to regret because you were unable to give good reasons at the time for why you should not accept that person’s view. Discuss ways in which you might make yourself less prone to this behavior. A June 2004 article in Altermedia Scotland states: “America as a nation is now dominated by an alien system of beliefs, attitudes, and values that has become known as ‘political correctness’ It seeks to impose a uniformity in thought and behavior among all Americans and is therefore totalitarian in nature.” Do you agree that political correctness imposes “a uniformity of thought and behavior”? Come up with examples of political correctness to illustrate your answer. Discuss what role, if any, political correctness might play in increasing respect for diversity and enhancing the democratic process. Discuss Calvin’s claim that seeing the complexities of knowledge is “paralyzing.” Think back to a time when you felt, as does Calvin in the cartoon, that life is easier if you can think in dualist terms of black and white rather than “seeing the complexities and shades of gray.” Referring back to this and other similar experiences, what are some of the drawbacks of making decisions or taking action on the basis of all-or-nothing thinking? Be specific.

Discuss at least two (2) interventions that will support Mavis via a person-centred approach and justify these with reference to peer reviewed literature.

Criterion 1 – Succinctly discuss three (3) of Mavis’s health risk factors: one (1) behavioural risk factor, one (1) factor relevant for mental and social wellbeing and one (1) biomedical risk factor with reference to current peer reviewed literature. Criterion 2 – Critically evaluate three (3) best-practice assessment tools used by nurses that are appropriate to the risk factors identified, with reference to current peer reviewed literature. Criterion 3 – Discuss at least two (2) interventions that will support Mavis via a person-centred approach and justify these with reference to peer reviewed literature. Criterion 4 – Critically analyse how your chosen interventions relate to your obligations as a Registered Nurse with reference to peer reviewed literature. Criterion 5 – Write in a clear and succinct manner, with correct use of grammar, terminology and Harvard referencing style.