LCW Blog 5: My Vision of Leadership

Leadership is a process of building and sustaining a relationship between the person who aspire to lead and the people willing to follow. It requires multidimensional skills and orientations (Gallos, 2014). Blanchard and Hodges (2005) said leadership is a process of influence which means that you may not necessarily have an official leadership position in a company. You are taking a role of a leader whenever you look to influence the behavior, thinking or development of the people around you.

Personally, I would want to be a wise leader. According to Houston and Sokolow (2013), being a wise leader means that I am able to do the right things and also doing it for the right reasons. Myatt (2008) added that a leader that is motivated to do the right things tend to shake things up. However, they are not necessarily risk adverse, although they are rarely politically correct too. More importantly, this type of leaders is more likely the ones that will innovate, motivate, create and inspire.

Also, according to Williams (2008) as a leader I have to be able to keep my team committed and enthusiastic to achieve the target although we are encountering difficult and challenging circumstances. Walker and Miller (2010) also added that as a leader, it is important to have a good communication skill in order to develop a successful team.

These are the traits that I want to have when I become a leader one day. In the mean time, while honing these traits I am looking up to my role models as I try to be a role model to the people around me and later to my followers.

Usually a leader is entrusted with the responsibility to direct its team and achieve the goals that is set. The best way to achieve this is when leader becomes the role model through his/her action. The follower’s natural instinct would be to believe that the action of a role model is correct and justified (Bindra, 2014).

Business leaders have become role models for many people as their activities are increasingly becoming headlines in the media. Our culture has absorbed not only the language and perceptions but also their business values (Duska, 1998). In recent years, we have seen successful business leaders like the late Steve Jobs, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Sir Richard Branson, Bill Gates among others becomes a leadership role model for many people and to a certain extent me.

Figure 1: Famous Quote from Tan Sri Tony Fernandes. Source: http://www.paradisequotes.com/Leadership_Quotes/View/273

The quote by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes above gave some inspiration to me that as a leader the most important thing is to be able to make the company or team that you are leading stronger. Perry (2013) said, the most successful leaders are those who listen to all of his members but makes the decision alone.

Figure 2: Sir Richard Branson’s Leadership Quote.

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/explore/richard-branson/

Also, as quoted from Sir Richard Branson, I should create an environment where my followers are encouraged to ask questions about the advices I give.

Furthermore, let us look at many different types of role models through the framework by Luc (2009) below.

Figure 3: Types of Role Models (Luc, 2009)

The earlier mentioned business leaders would fall under the mediatized role-models.

However, personally I would prefer to look up to familiar role-models be it my parents and my previous managers. Through observation, listening to and imitating of these role models, aspiring leaders like me would be able to develop my talents, gain new knowledge and skills, then be my own leader self. That is easier to implement as I have them in my immediate and daily environment (Luc, 2009).

In conclusion, at this moment I generally have a baseline understanding of what kind of leaders I want to be based on what I studied and also by looking at the role models that I have. However, as mentioned by Cohn and Moran (2011), a good leader has to adapt their style to the different environment and demands of the position you hold. The perceived needs of the followers can encourage the leader to change its leadership style. There are times that I should be strict on people and financial decisions but there are also times that I should be inspiring and motivating (George, 2003). I would assume myself to be a situational leader which is a combination of many types of leadership styles. I would adjust my leadership style according to my followers’ capability and dedication (Murari, 2015).

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References

Bindra, V. (2014) Everything About Leadership [online] 1st edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=qs5UCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT19&dq=why+leader+has+to+be+role+models&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjMj7Wdl9fLAhUBUo4KHZoRBMUQ6AEIKzAB#v=onepage&q=why%20leader%20has%20to%20be%20role%20models&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Blanchard, K. and Hodges, P. (2005) Lead Like Jesus: Lessons For Everyone From The Greatest Leadership Role Model Of All Time [online] 1st edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=MUlbh5EC7MsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=leadership+role+models&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=leadership%20role%20models&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Cohn, J. and Moran, J. (2011) Why Are We Bad At Picking Good Leaders A Better Way To Evaluate Leadership Potential [online] 1st edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=OArHc342LM0C&pg=PT117&dq=good+leaders+adapt&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=good%20leaders%20adapt&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Duska, R. (1998) Education, Leadership And Business Ethics: Essays On The Work Of Clarence Walton [online] 1st edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=D7bdBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA68&dq=leadership+role+model+business&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=leadership%20role%20model%20business&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Gallos, J. (2014) Business Leadership: A Jossey-Bass Reader [online] 2nd edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=95BPAwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=leadership+gallos&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiA98Hqk-HLAhVPCI4KHWjhCeMQ6AEIGjAA#v=onepage&q=leadership%20gallos&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

George, B. (2003) Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering The Secrets To Creating Lasting Value [online] 1st edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=ekW5B8Cngt8C&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=There+are+times+that+I+should+be+strict+on+people+and+financial+decisions+but+there+are+also+times+that+I+should+be+inspiring+and+motivating&source=bl&ots=dPWuSDiGj-&sig=N6CIxXi3NI-fODVqeUeXdGjR-Po&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=There%20are%20times%20that%20I%20should%20be%20strict%20on%20people%20and%20financial%20decisions%20but%20there%20are%20also%20times%20that%20I%20should%20be%20inspiring%20and%20motivating&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Houston, P. and Sokolow, S. (2013) The Wise Leader [online] 1st edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=0SwLAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=leadership+doing+the+right+things&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=leadership%20doing%20the%20right%20things&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Luc, E. (2009) Unleashing Your Leadership Potential: Seven Strategies For Success [online] 1st edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=0kcsyJWWGtEC&pg=PA97&dq=leadership+role+models&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=leadership%20role%20models&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Murari, K. (2015) Impact Of Leadership Styles On Employee Empowerment [online] 1st edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=6-x7BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA115&dq=leadership+style+based+on+followers&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiu9tSg8NjLAhUCVo4KHR95B88Q6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=leadership%20style%20based%20on%20followers&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Myatt, M. (2008) Leadership Matters–: The CEO Survival Manual, What It Takes To Reach The C-Suite And Stay There [online] 1st edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=0lKbhg8jxZwC&pg=PA38&dq=leadership+doing+the+right+things&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=leadership%20doing%20the%20right%20things&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Paradisequotes, (2016) Leadership Quote | Paradise Quotes™ [online] available from <http://www.paradisequotes.com/Leadership_Quotes/View/273&gt; [24 March 2016]

Perry, W. (2013) Iteam: Putting The ‘I’ Back Into Team [online] 1st edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=sVQUAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT55&dq=leader+is+only+successful+when+the+team+is+successful&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=leader%20is%20only%20successful%20when%20the%20team%20is%20successful&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Pinterest, (2016) Richard Branson [online] available from <https://www.pinterest.com/explore/richard-branson/&gt; [24 March 2016]

Walker, J. and Miller, J. (2009) Supervision In The Hospitality Industry: Leading Human Resources [online] 6th edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=3L-p-mhPkN4C&pg=PA412&dq=successful+team+good+leader&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=successful%20team%20good%20leader&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

Williams, L. (2008) Ultimate Interview: Make A Great Impression And Get That Job [online] 2nd edn. available from <https://books.google.com.my/books?id=0a5cAfTgRMEC&pg=PA117&dq=successful+team+good+leader&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=successful%20team%20good%20leader&f=false&gt; [24 March 2016]

LCW Blog Theme 4: Leadership and Change

All types of organizations today have to deal with constant changes happening in the environment. It changes more often than most organization can keep up with (Burke, 2013).

The rapid advancement of technology, globalization, and hyper connectedness has caused the world to be a more complex, dynamic and unpredictable place. There are tons of data and knowledge for companies to analyze. Great and smart leaders will exploit this shift and look for opportunities to be successful (Pittampalli, 2016).

Dunphy, Griffiths and Benn (2003) suggests that more and more corporate leaders are putting a lot of effort and interest in making changes to gain sustainability for their companies.

However, the resistance to change is still very evident in today’s organizations. As mentioned by Randall (2004), a loss of security and a reduction in the worker’s sense of autonomy and self-control are the triggers of resistance to change. Moreover, according to Harvey and Broyles (2010) resistance to change is sane. To them, it is in fact unnatural for one not to resist changes. Lientz and Larssen (2004) also added that resistance of change is contagious in the workforce. Therefore, it is essential for managers and leaders to manage it well.

According to Palmer (2004), there will be changes in an organization whether someone like it or not. Therefore, it is much better to plan and manage the change systematically.

In most of the cases where manager can manage the change successfully, it is because they carefully analyze their organization’s needs, see the solutions available, and finally choose the best fir for their organization (Evard and Gipplle, 2011).

Figure 1: Kurt Lewin Change Model (1947) as cited in McNamara (2016)

As seen above, one of the first models for change was developed by Kurt Lewin back in the 1947. He is a pioneer of the theory of change (Biech, 2007)

There are three different stages in the Lewin’s model, unfreeze, movement, and refreeze. Unfreeze means creation of motivation and readiness to make a change in the organization. Moving means the process of evaluation of the change and then choosing the appropriate actions to make the change. Refreeze equals to the integration of the change within the organization and make the change permanent (Liu, Akram and Bouguettaya, 2011)

For a change to happen effectively, Lewin suggests that it will involve good management of competing forces and facilitate actively the driving forces of the desired change. Then, the restraining force has to reduced or eliminated (Russell and Russell, 2006).

Based on a research by Boohene and Williams in 2012, when making a change, it would be more appropriate for managers to use a participative change approach. Power or authoritarianism approach would not enforce compliance, instead it would evoke resistance.

Dan Akerson (former CEO of General Motors from 2010 to 2014) managed to lead General Motors out of bankruptcy into recording profits of $25billions in a four year span. He questioned the status quo and stated that past practices can be flawed. It is important to be able to define reality, and he even cut off some of the core principals of GM (Healey, 2013).

Employees of GM are urged by Akerson to embrace the change, perform with integrity and accelerate the transformation that the company’s culture going through. Akerson told his employees to move away from the traditional “fiefdoms” and bureaucracy and become leaders in their own way. GM have suffered for years because of this issue (Lichterman, 2012)

When looking at the world today, in many metropolitan cities there is a huge war between traditional ‘taxis’ companies versus Uber and other ride-sharing services. The traditional taxi companies do not see the change around them that is made possible due to innovation through technology. It is because they feel that their historic position in the industry guarantees success that is why they are resisting the change (Bouquet and Renault, 2014).

Uber’s Chief Executive, Travis Kalanick goes on to mention that a city that welcomes Uber will become a better city. However, most cab drivers are protesting because they feel like it is an unfair competition (Farrell, 2015)

Figure 2: Taxi Drivers Protesting Uber (Brush, 2015)

In Indonesia however, instead of trying to get the government to ban Uber, two of the country’s largest taxi companies Express Transindo Utama and Blue Bird have acknowledge that they need to improve their services in order to get their customers back. Blue Bird even created their own application for both iOS and Android platforms, similar to how Uber works (Al Azhari, 2016).

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References

Al Azhari, M. (2016). Taxi Operators Pledge to Improve Services After Losing Out to Ridesharing Apps. Jakarta Globe. [online] Available at: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/business/taxi-operators-pledge-improve-services-losing-ridesharing-apps/ [Accessed 20 Mar. 2016].

Biech, E. (2007). Thriving Through Change: A Leader’s Practical Guide to Change Mastery. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=cFJ3iwaE7MwC&pg=PA27&dq=kurt+lewin+change+model+year&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=kurt%20lewin%20change%20model%20year&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

Boohene, R. and Williams, A. (2012). Resistance to Organisational Change: A Case Study of Oti Yeboah Complex Limited. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: http://file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/2293-2913-1-PB.pdf [Accessed 19 Mar. 2016].

Bouquet, C. and Renault, C. (2014). Taxis vs Uber: A Perfect Example of Resistance to Change. [online] International Business Times UK. Available at: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/taxis-vs-uber-perfect-example-resistance-change-1463787 [Accessed 19 Mar. 2016].

Brush, C. (2015). Uber vs. the yellow cabs: Taxis descend on statehouse to protest new ridesharing services. [online] New Jersey News, Politics, Opinion, and Analysis. Available at: http://politickernj.com/2015/02/uber-vs-the-yellow-cabs-taxis-descend-on-statehouse-to-protest-new-ridesharing-services/ [Accessed 20 Mar. 2016].

Burke, W. (2013). Organization Change: Theory and Practice: Theory and Practice. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=_TcXBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=why+organisation+change&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

Dunphy, D., Griffiths, A. and Benn, S. (2003). Organizational Change for Corporate Sustainability: A Guide for Leaders and Change Agents of the Future. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=Hfk-xrAjmO0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=advantage+of+organisation+change&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=advantage%20of%20organisation%20change&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

Evard, B. and Gipple, C. (2011). Managing Business Change For Dummies. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=pTfbO3QkJ88C&pg=PT219&dq=how+managers+manage+resistance+of+change&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=how%20managers%20manage%20resistance%20of%20change&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

Farrell, S. (2015). Uber expansion meets global revolt and crackdown. The Guardian. [online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/26/uber-expansion-meets-global-revolt-and-crackdown [Accessed 19 Mar. 2016].

Harvey, T. and Broyles, E. (2010). Resistance to Change: A Guide to Harnessing Its Positive Power. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=qbC_AAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=resistance+to+change+managers&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=resistance%20to%20change%20managers&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

Healey, J. (2013). GM CEO Dan Akerson’s top 9 leadership lessons. USA TODAY. [online] Available at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/08/05/breaking-through-gm-ceo-akerson-leadership/2581041/ [Accessed 19 Mar. 2016].

Lichterman, J. (2012). General Motors’ CEO Dan Akerson Urges Employees to ‘Behave With Integrity’. [online] Workforce.com. Available at: http://www.workforce.com/articles/general-motors-ceo-dan-akerson-urges-employees-to-behave-with-integrity [Accessed 19 Mar. 2016].

Lientz, B. and Larssen, L. (2004). Manage IT as a Business. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=WNFpVzpkWTsC&pg=PA213&dq=how+managers+manage+resistance+of+change&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=how%20managers%20manage%20resistance%20of%20change&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

Liu, X., Akram, S. and Bouguettaya, A. (2011). Change Management for Semantic Web Services. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=Xspmfp6sbxYC&pg=PA89&dq=kurt+lewin+change+model&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=kurt%20lewin%20change%20model&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

McNamara, C. (2016) ODC2-SCC-NNU – 10 Org. Change Mgmt [online] available from <http://odc2-scc-nnu.wikispaces.com/10+Org.+Change+Mgmt&gt; [28 March 2016]

Palmer, B. (2004). Making Change Work: Practical Tools for Overcoming Human Resistance to Change. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=f1h8lCTWcqoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=how+managers+manage+resistance+of+change&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=how%20managers%20manage%20resistance%20of%20change&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

Pittampalli, A. (2016). Persuadable: How Great Leaders Change Their Minds to Change the World. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=gPDyCAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=ever+changing+world+leaders&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=ever%20changing%20world%20leaders&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

Randall, J. (2004). Managing Change / Changing Managers. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=5SAbhkdXX5oC&pg=PA60&lpg=PA60&dq=a+loss+of+security+and+a+reduction+in+the+worker%E2%80%99s+sense+of+autonomy+and+self-control+are+the+triggers+of+resistance+to+change.+nadler&source=bl&ots=HBV96fvQ3L&sig=wvY-HscSNBNH8Oy7kcYzAQHINXA&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=a%20loss%20of%20security%20and%20a%20reduction%20in%20the%20worker%E2%80%99s%20sense%20of%20autonomy%20and%20self-control%20are%20the%20triggers%20of%20resistance%20to%20change.%20nadler&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

Russell,, J. and Russell,, L. (2006). Change Basics. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=akBcoExPqgcC&pg=PT55&dq=kurt+lewin+change+model&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=kurt%20lewin%20change%20model&f=false [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016].

LCW Blog Theme 3 – Most effective Leadership & Management Styles & approaches

According to Locke (1999), there is not a single organization that does not have a leader. In conducting human affairs, leadership’s importance has been recognized since the start of recorded history.

Traditionally, when a manager direct and control their people, they may be considered as a good manager. Meanwhile, obedient subordinates are followers who follow orders. This is the understanding of leadership back in the olden days (Daft, 2014)

According to Lussier (2016), in the old workplace autocratic leadership is used by most managers. Usually, there is a slow change within the organization when autocratic leadership is in place.

The centralisation of power is the base for autocratic leadership style. An autocratic leader has the total authority in making decisions for its organization. Most of the time, there is a downward communication trend within the company whose leader is an autocratic leader (Ghuman, 2010).

When it comes to a company nowadays, the general consensus has moved away from ‘command and control’ management and leadership towards more consultative and participative approaches (CMI, 2013).

Firstly, let us look at the differences between “managing and “leading”. According to Tahir (2015), how someone motivates the people who work or follow them is the biggest difference between a leader and manager. He added by listing down the traits of a leader and a manager as well as the similarities as seen below.

Figure 1: Differences between Leading and Managing (Tahir, 2015)

It is essential to make a positive impact on the lives of their followers when someone is in the leadership position (Bonnici and Cooper, 2011)

In early years, leadership was about authority, power and position. However, now we have CEO’s that is no more than stewards for the company. It is more about what you do not the title you own (Owen, 2015).

According to Manning and Haddock (1989) as cited in O’Sullivan (2015), a successful leader has a full commitment to their organization and fosters the same level of commitment in their followers. Then, they make sure that these 5 traits below are in them

• Knows their job and field thoroughly
• Stays on top of the current developments, trends, and theories
• Knows their people, including strengths, weaknesses, hopes and goals
• Shares a vision, excellence and achievement with others
• Demonstrate by their words and actions that show strength of character.

Let us look at the different styles that famous leaders are adopting now in the 21^st Century. When a leader influence its followers to increase their self-awareness , instil sense of purpose and mission and get them to go beyond base expectations with a view of the long-term benefits of the whole group, it is called the transformational theory (Ingley and Lockhart, 2015). It is values-centred.

For example, back in 1963 Martin Luther King’s had a gift, he knows how to inspire people. He has the ability to attract huge number of people from different places across United States, from all types of races and colors to unite them together on the right timing. His famous speech “I have a dream” transforms United States forever (Sinek, 2011)

Figure 2: Martin Luther Jr’s Famous “I Have a Dream” Speech

Sources: http://quotesgram.com/i-have-a-dream-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes/

On the other hand, inspirational leadership is influence-centred. It is not only about being a leader, it’s about how someone inspire others and lead through a combination of heart, deeds, learning and being rather than doing (Tompkins, 2007). According to Carnegie (2009), in many ways inspirational leaders resemble rock stars. Huge popularity and success can be achieved by inspirational leaders. The highest highs can be reached but they can also fall very fast and hard.

Cutler (2010) suggested that to ensure a continuous success of you organisation in the 21^st century, a leader must not only apply the generic and enduring principles of inspirational leader, but also need to have the awareness to react on future industry and employment trends.

We have few examples, resilience and creativity allows him to be an inspirational leader. Warren Buffet is riding on his financial success to be an inspirational leader. Also, because Mary Kay Ash the founder of Mary Kay Inc. successfully encouraged women to be self-sufficient, she can be considered as an inspirational leader (Hughes, 2012)

Figure 3: Mary Kay Story

Sources: http://quotesgram.com/quotes-about-selling-mary-kay/

However, not all inspirational people are good people. Adolf Hitler inspires millions through his impassioned deliveries. But it is argued that leadership that degrades and detracts from people will not ultimately inspire people (Burke & Cooper, 2006).

In conclusion, as mentioned by Pride, Hughes and Kapoor (2013), there is no “best” managerial leadership style. Most management experts would agree to this. Therefore, it is recommended that a leader should choose a leadership style that will match the situation and circumstances of the organization.

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References

Bonnici, C. and Cooper, B. (2011). Creating a Successful Leadership Style: Principles of Personal Strategic Planning. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=1rfkugvFxFoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=successful+leadership+model&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=successful%20leadership%20model&f=false [Accessed 5 Mar. 2016].

Burke, R. and Cooper, C. (2006). Inspiring Leaders. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=vocqBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA115&dq=bad+inspirational+leader+example&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwisyeqtuK7LAhUCkY4KHYNnC7AQ6AEIGjAA#v=onepage&q=bad%20inspirational%20leader%20example&f=false [Accessed 3 Mar. 2016].

Carnegie, D. (2009). Leadership Mastery: How to Challenge Yourself and Others to Greatness. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=pO81Li8zEPwC&pg=PT125&dq=inspirational+leadership&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=inspirational%20leadership&f=false [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].

CMI, (2013) Understanding Management Styles Checklist 236 [online] 1st edn. available from <https://www.managers.org.uk/~/media/Files/Campus%20CMI/Checklists%20First%20Management%20Role/Understanding%20management%20styles.ashx&gt; [28 March 2016]

Cutler, A. (2010). Aspire to Inspire : Inspirational Leadership within the Hospitality, Leisure, Travel, and Tourism Industries. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=SfD8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA76&dq=inspirational+leadership&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=inspirational%20leadership&f=false [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].

Daft, R. (2014). The Leadership Experience. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=KOfKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA176&dq=autocratic+leadership&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=autocratic%20leadership&f=false [Accessed 3 Mar. 2016].

Ghuman, D. (2010). Management: Concepts, Practice & Cases. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=QfxemvtRxo4C&pg=PA398&dq=autocratic+leadership+style&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=autocratic%20leadership%20style&f=false [Accessed 3 Mar. 2016].

Hughes, C. (2012). Valuing People and Technology in the Workplace: A Competitive Advantage. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=MKGeBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA80&dq=steve+jobs+inspirational&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiI6MDttq7LAhWDT44KHdaTAE04HhDoAQgxMAQ#v=onepage&q=steve%20jobs%20inspirational&f=false [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].

Ingley, C. and Lockhart, J. (2015). The 3rd International Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=fgx2BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA58&dq=inspirational+leadership+2015&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=inspirational%20leadership%202015&f=false [Accessed 3 Mar. 2016].

Locke, E. (1999). The Essence of Leadership: The Four Keys to Leading Successfully. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=pptuHRbcLgwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=successful+leadership+model&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=successful%20leadership%20model&f=false [Accessed 3 Mar. 2016].

Lussier, R. (2016). Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, and Skill Development. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=qzhwCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT112&dq=autocratic+leadership+old&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=autocratic%20leadership%20old&f=false [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].

O’Sullivan, J. (2015). Successful Leadership in the Early Years. 2nd ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=B5mOCgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=successful+leadership+2015&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=successful%20leadership%20&f=false [Accessed 2 Mar. 2016].

Owen, J. (2015). The Mindset of Success: From Good Management to Great Leadership. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=JFbHBgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=successful+leadership+2015&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=great%20leadership&f=false [Accessed 3 Mar. 2016].

Quotesgram.com, (2016) I Have A Dream Martin Luther King Jr Quotes. Quotesgram [online] available from <http://quotesgram.com/i-have-a-dream-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes/&gt; [28 March 2016]

Quotesgram.com, (2016) Quotes About Selling Mary Kay. Quotesgram [online] available from <http://quotesgram.com/quotes-about-selling-mary-kay/&gt; [28 March 2016]

Pride, W., Hughes, R. and Kapoor, J. (2013). Business. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=5ZSxykh6Hx0C&pg=PA178&dq=no+most+effective+leadership+style&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwia-_7vwa7LAhWBC44KHRa-BdMQ6AEIMDAB#v=onepage&q=no%20most%20effective%20leadership%20style&f=false [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].

Sinek, S. (2011). Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=r2yCRUxo0EYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=successful+inspirational+leader+example&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].

Tahir, H. (2015). What is the difference between management and leadership?. [online] Researchgate.net. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_is_the_difference_between_management_and_leadership [Accessed 5 Mar. 2016].

Tompkins, J. (2007). Bold Leadership for Organizational Acceleration. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=DNapALwwmV4C&pg=PT31&dq=inspirational+leadership&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=inspirational%20leadership&f=false [Accessed 4 Mar. 2016].

LCW Blog Theme 2: The challenge of managing diverse teams

Diversity has been described as a “two-edged sword” when found in teams and organizations. Many believe that homogenous teams are likely to perform better and more effective because the team members share mutual attractions. On the other hand, a diverse team is likely to be more ineffective and less productive in its work because it is more likely to have misunderstandings and tensions among members (Aldag and Kuzuhura 2015).

As seen in the table below, Nelson and Quick (2012) gave us a summary of the benefits and problems faced when having a diverse team in an organization.

Table 1: Diversity’s benefits and problems (Nelson & Quick, 2012).

Companies nowadays do employ diverse team or even global team which consists of employees from many cultural contexts. Many companies prefer this kind of teams because they often perform better than “local” team consisting of employees exclusively from one country and same culture. The success of this kind of team was due to the ability to integrate different social, cultural, and business perspectives well to come up with key decisions (Steers, Sanchez-Runde and Nardon 2010).

Figure 1: Example of Diverse Team

Source: http://www.boyermanagement.com/tag/alignment

However, one of the challenges of a strategic leader when leading a heterogeneous team is to enable and integrate diverse opinions and behaviour into a similar way of thinking and behaving (Hoskisson et al. 2013).

Furthermore, according to Yoshid and Geller (2008) as cited in Stabryła (2012), when managing a diverse team leaders and managers must face these paradoxes below

Table 2: Paradoxes faced by leaders when managing diverse team (Yoshid and Geller 2008) as cited in (Stabryła 2012).

Let us look at the paradox of focus for some practical example of these 5 paradoxes. According to Frauenheim (2005) as cited in New Charter University (2016), Intel is an American company that very much embodied an individualistic culture. However, in their Indian branch they organize a “take your parents to work day” and even involve the parents of their employees in their recruitment process. This is done because in a collectivist culture like in India, Intel understands that families play an important role in understanding the working behaviour of their employees.

This type of event are very common in India, companies believe that if the parents support the work choice of their children, eventually their children will be more likely to stay in that company (Shaw 2014).

Employee training and team building are keys to a successful diverse team. For example, to promote understanding and appreciation between each team members can be done through team building activities. It is essential that “interpersonal congruence” is developed to make sure that each team members understand that their unique skills are in sync with one another (Scott & Byrd 2012).

Therefore, when one is planning to manage a diverse team, it is very important to have the skills and abilities to do so in order to unlock the potential that a diverse team brings and avoid the tensions that may arise within a diverse team.

For example, as one of the “Top 50 companies for Diversity”, Northtrop Grumman Corporation’s diversity goal is “to attract, develop, and retain the best and brightest from all walk of life and backgrounds”. To successfully achieve this, an organization would need to make sure that all the employee felt respected, treated fairly, given work-life balance, and being presented the opportunity to excel in their chosen career paths (Davidson 2011).

Moreover, in 2014 Mark Weinberger the CEO of Ernst & Young shared his views on diversity. He said as the leader, you have to set the right tone. He developed a strategy called Vision 2020 and at the heart of it is “high-performance teams”. It means Ernst & Young is looking to have the very best people and team them up across the world in the best way possible.

Figure 2: Ernst & Young Vision 2020

Source: http://www.ey.com/US/en/Careers/Fall-2013-edition-of-EY-Navigator—2—Vision-2020—our-plan-for-our-people—our-clients-and-our-future

It is right in line with the direction of Ernst & Young as a company, where their growth is going to mostly come from emerging markets. As of 2014, 12 percent of their revenue comes from emerging markets and by 2020 it is expected to be at 30 percent. Therefore, it is important to know how their potential customers and clients in these new areas think. For it to work, they need workforce who would have ties with culturally, some background and some experiences with these potential customers and clients. This shows how diversity is at the heart of companies operation nowadays and how being able to manage a diverse team is the key to company’s success (DiversityInc 2014).

Word Count: 772

References

Aldag, R. and Kuzuhara, L. (2015). Creating High Performance Teams: Applied Strategies and Tools for Managers and Team Members. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=Mz-hBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA112&dq=challenges+of+diverse+teams&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=challenges%20of%20diverse%20teams&f=false [Accessed 16 Feb. 2016].

Boyer Management, (2016) Alignment | Boyer Managment Group [online] available from <http://www.boyermanagement.com/tag/alignment&gt; [28 March 2016]

Davidson, M. (2011). The End of Diversity As We Know It: Why Diversity Efforts Fail and How Leveraging Difference Can Succeed. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=EoorRLfQgdgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=leader+failure+to+manage+diversity+example&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=leader%20failure%20to%20manage%20diversity%20example&f=false [Accessed 18 Feb. 2016].

DiversityInc, (2014). EY Global CEO Mark Weinberger: ‘High-Performance Teams Have to be Diverse and Inclusive’. [online] Available at: http://www.diversityinc.com/leadership/ey-global-ceo-mark-weinberger-high-performance-teams-diverse-inclusive/ [Accessed 19 Feb. 2016].

Ernst & Young, (2016) Fall 2013 Edition Of EY Navigator – Vision 2020: Our Plan For Our People, Our Clients And Our Future [online] available from <http://www.ey.com/US/en/Careers/Fall-2013-edition-of-EY-Navigator—2—Vision-2020—our-plan-for-our-people—our-clients-and-our-future&gt; [28 March 2016]

Hoskisson, R., Hitt, M., Ireland, D. and Harrison, J. (2013). Competing for Advantage. 3rd ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=-uH0CAAAQBAJ&pg=PT71&dq=advantages+and+challenges+of+diverse+teams+in+an+organisation&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=advantages%20and%20challenges%20of%20diverse%20teams%20in%20an%20organisation&f=false [Accessed 16 Feb. 2016].

Nelson, D. and Quick, J. (2012). Organizational Behavior: Science, The Real World, and You. 8th ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=rn6yh6Z7NNMC&pg=PT88&dq=advantages+and+challenges+of+diverse+teams+in+an+organisation&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=advantages%20and%20challenges%20of%20diverse%20teams%20in%20an%20organisation&f=false [Accessed 16 Feb. 2016].

New Charter University, (2016) New.Edu | MG641: Leadership And Organizational Behavior [online] available from <https://new.edu/resources/individualism-collectivism&gt; [28 March 2016]

Scott, C. and Byrd, M. (2012). Handbook of Research on Workforce Diversity in a Global Society : Technologies & Concepts. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=nH6WjbpeuzcC&pg=PA252&dq=advantages+and+challenges+of+diverse+teams+in+an+organisation&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=advantages%20and%20challenges%20of%20diverse%20teams%20in%20an%20organisation&f=false [Accessed 16 Feb. 2016].

Shaw, H. (2014) “Why You Should Go To “Take Your Parents To Work Day””. Huffington Post [online] available from <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/haydn-shaw/why-you-should-go-to-take_b_4222683.html&gt; [28 March 2016]

Stabryła, A. (2012). The Opportunities for and Constraints to Organizational Development in the Information Society. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=3PpSAkQ6i3wC&pg=PA101&dq=challenges+of+diverse+teams&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=challenges%20of%20diverse%20teams&f=false [Accessed 17 Feb. 2016].

Steers, R., Sanchez-Runde, C. and Nardon, L. (2010). Management Across Cultures: Challenges and Strategies. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=Qr12zT0syf4C&pg=PA261&dq=advantages+and+challenges+of+diverse+teams+in+an+organisation&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=advantages%20and%20challenges%20of%20diverse%20teams%20in%20an%20organisation&f=false [Accessed 17 Feb. 2016].

LCW Blog Theme 1: Leadership and Ethics

The traits of ethical leadership are shown through the humility of a leader to be supportive, participative, not afraid to ask for help, and also by moving away from acts that may be deemed toxic among other behaviors (Batmanghlich 2015)

De Hoogh, & Hartog’s 2008 study (cited in Rouco 2015) argued that as an ethical leader, one would direct members of the organization towards goals which are of benefits for the organization, its members, stakeholders, and the society. In a nutshell, the main focus of an ethical leader is to be effective. However, it is not as easy as it sounds because there would be challenges and diversities especially in today’s world where the work-force of an organization are usually a mixture of people from different backgrounds such as race, nationalities, and beliefs among others.

In 2015, at a recent Conference about Ethics and Leadership, the CEO of Australian Red Cross Robert Tickner delivered a speech where he mentioned that courage is an important value for ethical leaders to possess. It is essential because many times the situation will get complex and difficult, and as a leader one has to be courageous to do the right thing.  Often wisdom and discipline is required to avoid temptations (Tickner 2015).

Moreover, in the video below, Tim Cook the current CEO of Apple gave his view on ethical leadership. He said that the inner circle of a person like friends and especially parents is a compass for ethical leadership. For him, ethical leadership also means leaving things better than when you found them whether it is about environmental or how a company treats its suppliers and labours (Duke University – The Fuqua School of Business 2013)

Video 1: Apple CEO Tim Cook on Ethical Leadership (Duke University – The Fuqua School of Business 2013)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ygNKNaMv4c&feature=youtu.be

There are two relevant theories that need to be pointed out which are the Deontological ethics and Teleological ethics. The figure below simplified the main differences between the two ethics (MMM 2012).

Figure 1: Key difference between Deontological Ethics vs Teleological Ethics (MMM, 2012)

Deontologist ethics means that the morally relevant aspects of an act are the intentions. Leaders acts ethically when he or she acts according to his or her duty or on moral principles, regardless of the consequences after committing the actions (Day, and Antonakis 2012). This theory is used best when there is an exceptional breakdown of morality where it requires solution as opposed to when it is used to prevent unethical behavior from happening. Obviously, when it comes to law the threat of sanctions or punishment may deter breaches. However, it cannot be called ethical behaviour because the mere instrumental compliance is the main motivation (Knights and O’Leary 2006).

On the other hand, when we look at the teleological perspective, the most important thing is that something morally good or “the greatest good” comes as the result of the leader’s actions (Day, and Antonakis 2012). A two-step approach is usually taken by the believers of this approach. They have to decide what should be done first before searching for the means to achieve that end. “The end justifies the means“is a common expression used in the West to explain this process (Wibbeke and McArthur 2014).

Due to the recent tragedies of MH370 and MH17 on top of the fact that Malaysia Airlines had not turned profit since 2008 (totalled cumulative losses of $1.3 billion), they are forced to lay off 6,000 employees. It is about one-third of its workforce (Yan 2015)

On the other hand, in the case of Siemens their leaders paid bribery to get huge contracts from government officials worldwide. For example, to get the $1 billion contract to produce national identity cards in Argentina. They paid officials in Argentina $40 million. They also had similar cases in China, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Venezuela, Italy, and Israel among others (Schubert and Miller 2008)

.

Figure 2: Siemens Worldwide Briber Scandal

Source: http://www.chinahearsay.com/siemens-bribery-case-and-the-anti-corruption-new-world-order/

Firm believers of the deontological ethics will always choose to not pay the bribe because deontologists will always follow the law. On the other hand, a teleological person would probably pay the bribe with keeping the moral stability of its employees as the reason (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2013).

In conclusion, both deontological and teleological are relevant theories used to identify ethical leadership. As evidenced, the application of both theories will vary depending on the situations and circumstances. It is important to note that law always relies on the juries to determine whether the act is illegal or not. However, to determine whether an act is ethical or unethical is determined by the society (Lamb, Hair, & McDaniel, 2013). As future leaders/managers of a business operation, it is essential that we lead ethically as we are the role model not only in the company that we are working in but also to the society that we belong to.

Word Count: 799

References

Abrams, S. (2011) Siemens Bribery Case And The Anti-Corruption New World Order | China Hearsay [online] available from <http://www.chinahearsay.com/siemens-bribery-case-and-the-anti-corruption-new-world-order/&gt; [28 March 2016]

Batmanghlich, C. (2015). Why Leaders Fail Ethically. [online] Google Books. Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=G46aBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA5&dq=ethical+leadership+definition+2015&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=ethical%20leadership%20definition%202015&f=false [Accessed 26 Jan. 2016].

Day, D. and Antonakis, J. (2012). The Nature of Leadership. 2nd ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=kzgqPq0uQNgC&pg=PA520&lpg=PA520&dq=Teleological+leadership&source=bl&ots=n6Fhr-UCG5&sig=LJevURpw4Wcoqa_aPbImi8xE2qs&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Teleological%20leadership&f=false [Accessed 26 Jan. 2016].

Duke University – The Fuqua School of Business, (2013) Apple CEO Tim Cook On Ethical Leadership [online] available from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ygNKNaMv4c&gt; [28 March 2016]

Knights, D. and O’Leary, M. (2006). The Possibility of Ethical Leadership. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/management/documents/research/research-units/cppe/conference-pdfs/levinas/knights-oleary.pdf [Accessed 25 Jan. 2016].

Lamb, C., Hair, J. and McDaniel, C. (2013). Marketing. 12th ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=3X4JAAAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PT111&lpg=RA2-PT111&dq=deontology+ethics+laying+off+worker&source=bl&ots=h5Izv1h1xj&sig=ft3PnvzVcouzDWJ3aIU7VFqJx_g&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=deontology%20ethics%20laying%20off%20worker&f=false [Accessed 25 Jan. 2016].

MMM, (2012) The Unethical Church. Part I [online] available from <http://munsonmissions.org/2012/04/10/the-unethical-church-part-i/&gt; [28 March 2016]

Rouco, J. (2015). ECMLG2015-11th European Conference on Management Leadership and Governance. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=sYJmCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA81&dq=ethical+leadership+definition+2015&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false [Accessed 26 Jan. 2016].

Schubert, S. and Miller, T. (2008) “At Siemens, Bribery Was Just A Line Item”. The New York Times [online] available from <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/business/worldbusiness/21siemens.html?_r=0&gt; [28 March 2016]

Tickner, R. (2015). Ethics and Leadership Conference 2015 | Australian Red Cross. [online] Redcross.org.au. Available at: http://www.redcross.org.au/ceo-ehtics-and-leadership-2015.aspx [Accessed 26 Jan. 2016].

Wibbeke, E. and McArthur, S. (2014). Global Business Leadership. 2nd ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.com.my/books?id=offeAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA69&dq=teleological+leadership+ethics&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=teleological%20leadership%20ethics&f=false [Accessed 25 Jan. 2016].

Yan, S. (2015). Malaysia Airlines to lay off one-third staff as restructuring concludes. [online] CNNMoney. Available at: http://money.cnn.com/2015/05/25/news/malaysia-airlines-layoffs/ [Accessed 25 Jan. 2016].

Week 11 Analyzing How I Have Developed and My Priorities for Term 2

The first semester of my MBA Program here in INTI have flown by so fast, I did not realized it is about to finish. Although networking and communication skills have never been an issue for me, I felt that I could have created and bonded with more classmates beyond the usual interactions in class.

Academically, I realized that I was quite rusty when it comes to doing academic research and writing skills. Probably, better preparation by going through few journals and online research would have done the trick.

Nevertheless, by the end of the semester I was up to speed with the studying environment, although there are always rooms for improvement. For example, few lecturers have pointed out the fact that I can do better in terms of research to support and justify my points.

Perhaps, giving even more priority and effort to my studies seem necessary. It will only be another 6 or 7 months anyway, and before I knew it this MBA program will be over.

For term 2, I am focusing on gaining as many practical skills as possible for my future careers and not merely understand the theory taught in the lectures. I would have gotten more knowledge by speaking more to the lecturers not only on how to do the course-works, but also on knowledge and skills that I feel would be important for my future. The lecturers have always been very open and willing to share their experience, so might as well make the best of this chance.

Week 7 Analyzing My Experience of Presenting My Own Research

Presentation was done by group and all the members of the group will receive the same mark. It was going to be a group effort. I was confident about my ability to present as I am aware of my skills and what I am going to present about. However, I should not have been so confident because being able to present well does not mean that I will be able to get good marks. I need to help out my team members to be able to present as well as they can be too.

We did have some discussions on which part we should present and how the flow of the presentation is going to be. However, I was not able to translate some of the presentations skills to the other team members. Perhaps, with more time practicing together we could have presented a lot better than we did. We could have met four or five times instead of twice only.

Although, every meeting was quite long in terms of time. Many of it was used to decide about the content of the presentation. We did not allocate enough time to practice the presentation skills. I could have analyzed my team members better and be pro-active to suggest more time to hone everyone’s presentation skills while sharing my knowledge about presentation skills.

Our slides were also not consistent and not professional enough. We did not put a lot of emphasis on the slides thinking that as long as the content was good, it would have been enough to score good marks.

Week 6 Analyzing My Experience of Collecting and Analyzing Data

It was both fun and tiring part when I was distributing the questionnaire. Although I was there when my respondents were answering the questionnaire, I can feel that some of them are not 100 percent committed to do it properly, sometimes I have the feeling that they are answering it as fast as they can so they can leave immediately.

I was a bit forceful to ask for their help, so probably that is not the wisest thing to do. If I would give me more time, then perhaps I can be more patient with the respondents and get better quality answers from them. I was doing it last minute, so I do not have the luxury to wait for the respondents that really have time and would be willing to do the questionnaire the right way.

In terms of analyzing the data, it is not until I finished drafting the first draft that I realized that there are many things that needs to clarify further. I should have modified my writing styles as the one I am using now are to long-winded. I would not be able to write many points using that style of writing.

I was facing the issue of which are points that I need to elaborate more on. We have a word count limit of 500 and I could have prioritized the questions better. It does not mean that other questions was not important. However, some questions need more explanation as it is more significant for the objectives of the research.

Week 4 Analyzing My Experience from Designing a Questionnaire

In doing the questionnaire, I learnt that it was quite tough to design a questionnaire without having a long literature review and hypotheses. I should have created some hypotheses even in point forms, to be able to design a questionnaire that will consist significant questions. I was writing many questions and erasing them afterwards because I was not sure whether that question is necessary or not.

The flow of the questionnaire also poses an issue that I did not predict before. I could have discussed with my other classmates for some suggestion because everyone in the class was doing the same research. That would be more productive than looking at past questionnaire done by other researches done in other countries.

It is also important to write the questionnaire in a simple and understandable English because we are going to distribute the questionnaire to many different people who might not be aware of certain words that I used. I could have pass the draft to my friends and family to check if the questions are easy to understand or not.

Other than the issues above, it was quite easy because I am used to do a questionnaire. I was able to write the questions smoothly. I realized that having read and did many questionnaires of my friends these past few years help me a lot in this process.

The availability of my lecturer to help me through her feedback also helped me a lot. The feedback was given almost immediately, and without that I would think that I will have many issues designing the questionnaire.

Week 3 Analyzing my Experience Writing a Literature Review

While doing the Literature Review for the purpose of explaining the concept of opening a car repair shop in Subang Jaya, I find it quite challenging as the there are few research done on car repair shop industry in Malaysia. However, there many research about similar concept in other countries. While, there are equally great amount of research focusing on the market study and Malaysian customer behavior found, though those research was based on other industries such as the property and banking industry among others.

With these issues, it is very important to choose and integrate the findings of past research to make sure that it would be relevant for the research that I am planning to do. Also, knowing on which market segment the business is going to be in is essential to be used as the base of the whole research.

Moreover, because the questionnaire design will be based on the findings in the literature review, I always look for the content that would be related to the questions that I am going to ask my respondents later. I learnt that because a car repair shop would be a very customer centric service and there are a lot of competitions out there, having loyal customers that is satisfied with our service quality should be the main focus of the business.

Therefore, when I am going to design the questionnaire the focus would be to know whether customers would want to go to a new car repair shop and what would be reasons for them to keep coming back to the car repair shop.