2D Design - Assignment 3 - (Monogram) Lecture

We are told by Miss Lisa to find some reference on the things we like using the library books and propose it to her in the class. For me, I focused on interior design as I'm going to major in that program after the foundation course. I found some lighting and interior which are modern and cool which describes my structured side. I borrowed the books and brought it to the class. All of us gather around the table and starts to propose about the things we like and our keyword. As I didn't get a chance to propose the thing I like, we gathered again in the next class.

Introduction to Business - Leadership styles

Leadership styles

• There is no particular leadership style that is considered as the best, since each of them can become useful under certain conditions.
• A leader can adopt more than one style while running an organization, so that he/she can handle  effectively the various situations that arise constantly in the organization. 

Autocratic Style

• Also known as the Authoritarian Style
• Concentrates most of the power in the hands of the leader, with very little say from the staff and team members. 
• Best suited for crises, where decisions must be made quickly and without opposition from others.

Advantages

• High efficiency 

Disadvantages

• Leader will ignore the valuable suggestions of the workers and thus the opportunities to benefit the organization, and low morale among the workers over the long term.

Bureaucratic Style

• Follow the rules strictly.
• Suitable in organizations that perform routine tasks or where safety risks is a huge concern.

Advantage 

• High efficiency since the rules are spelled out clearly for the workers to follow and the leader’s main job is to enforce them.

Disadvantages

• Works poorly in situations where creativity, innovation or flexibility is highly valued.

Democratic Style

• The leader gathers the inputs and opinions of his/her team members and staff before making the final decision.
• Suitable in organizations whereby the leader and his team need to make complex decisions. 
• Must be given sufficient time to discuss the decisions involved. 

Advantages

• Workers experience high job satisfaction and therefore remain highly productive.

Disadvantage

• May not work during a crisis or an emergency since there is insufficient time for the leader to discuss the issues or decisions in depth with his/her workers. 

Laissez Faire Style

• Allow their workers complete freedom in doing their work 
• Act as a facilitator by providing support such as resources and advice whenever it is needed by his workers, but otherwise he leaves them alone.
• Only work well if all the team members are skilled, experienced and highly motivated. 

Advantages 

• Workers may develop high job satisfaction and productivity as they have been given ample freedom and power to do their work.

Disadvantages

• If the workers do not have the proper skills and experience to direct their own work, then this could lower their morale and eventually productivity.

Transformational Style

• Guide his people by inspiring and challenging them to achieve their full potential.
• Adept in inspiring enthusiasm in their workers and energetic in motivating others to move forward.
• Inspire strong devotion and loyalty from their followers.

Advantages

• Can create high motivation, strong loyalty and good productivity from the workers.

Disadvantages

• Become inattentive to tiny but important details at times. 
• Therefore, they need the support of team members who are conscientious about every aspect of the tasks involved.

No particular leadership style is considered as the best for all situations as each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, a leader should adopt the relevant style, depending on the situation at hand, so that he can lead his workers better and handle the situation effectively.

Introduction to Business - Business Plan

Business Plan

We are told to form a group of maximum 4 people to do a business plan about a business which we desire. The business plan needs to be presented in a time limit of 10 minutes and we are encouraged to use various types of presentation aids.I teamed up with Seow Jie Yi and Ong Shukie and we decided to do a business plan on a themed hotel named Oneiro Cosmo. We used a Rilakkuma onesie and a wrist band as our presentation aid.

Below will be our group's presentation video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SbMCEKV1Y0&feature=youtu.be

Introduction to Business - Lead

Lead

Employee Behaviour
-Leading involves guiding and motivating your employees to behave in a certain manner towards achieving  the firm’s goals.

Types of Employee Behaviour:

• Performance Behaviour

-Behaviors that directly contributes to the employee’s work productivity.

• Corporate Citizenship Behaviour

-Enhance the performance behaviors of workers and thereby boost their productivity.

• Counterproductive Behaviours

-Behaviors that reduces work productivity.

Personalities, Attitudes and Motivation

Personality
A relatively stable set of psychological traits that a person is born with.

The Big 5 Personality traits:

• Openess
• Concientiousness
• Extroversion 
• Agreeableness
• Neuroticism

Work Attitudes

A person’s like or dislike towards a person, place, thing or an event. 

Job satisfaction:

•  Refers to how happy or unhappy workers are about their jobs.

Organizational commitment: 

• Refers to how committed and loyal a worker is to his/her organization and its mission. 

Benefits:

• Highly productive
• Take on hard work or big responsibilities willingly.
• See themselves as part of a family and stay long term at the organization.
• Overlook minor dissatisfactions at work.

A person’s attitude can change over time, whereas personalities are relatively stable.

Motivations and needs

A stimuli or need that moves a person into action.

Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchical Needs:

1. Physhiological needs
2. Safety needs
3. Social needs
4. Esteem needs
5. Self actualization needs

Class Activity

We did a sketch session in class regarding this topic. There were three groups sketching the personalitties, attitude, and motivations and needs.

Our group did a sketch about the effects of a teacher's teaching attitude towards the students. Our sketch is mainly focused in a math class. On the first day, everyone was doing their own things in the class. When the teacher came in they were still doing their own things, playing the phone, some of them are even sleeping. Nevertheless, there are always some good students which answers every question the teacher asked. However, when the teacher asks the students at the back of the class, they threw a joke on the teacher and she decided to change her attitude.

The next day, the students were still in their original state but the teacher came in with a dorky way. She started the class with lame jokes and got the attention of the students which likes to bully her. However, her lame jokes seems to annoy one of the students and he walked out of the class.

Introduction to Business - Organizing Your Business

Topic 4 - Organizing Your Business

Organizing is defined as dividing a business into subgroups to increase productivity and communication.

Organizing People

• Organizational Structure

-Clarifies the subgroups in the business, the people assigned to these groups, and their interrelationship.

• Organizational Chart

-Visual diagram of a business' organizational structure.

Types of Organizational Structure

• Functional structure 

Business is divided into departments and each are headed by a department manager. Suitable for small business.

• Divisional structure

Business is broken into divisions, with each headed by a divisional manager. Suitable for large business.

• Staff and Line Structure

 A variation of divisional structure. Some departments are under the control of the divisions whereas other departments are under the head office’s. 

The Comittee

A group, usually comprised of managers from different divisions and departments, whose purpose is work together to achieve a common business goal. Help the subgroups to focus on a single common goal, and thus eliminate rivalry and hostility amongst each other.

• Managing Committee 

1. Comprised of the top level managers only.
2. Has full authority and responsibility to act.
3. Deals with highly important decisions.

• Sub-Managing Committee 

1. Comprised of mostly middle level managers.
2. Deals with middle-level decisions.
3. Also advise to the managing committee from time to time. 

• Advisory Committee 

1. Its main purpose is to advise the managing and sub-managing committee.
2. It does not make any decisions.
3. Comprised of members who are experts in certain fields and are not necessarily managers.

• Ad Hoc Committee 

1. It deals with specific events (e.g. company crises, launching a new product).
2. Depending on the importance of the event, it could be comprised of high, middle or low-level managers.
3. It is dissolved once the event has concluded/resolved

• Conciliation Committee

1. To resolve various disputes that arise between workers; or between workers and managers

• Coordinating Committee

1. If coordination among different parts of a business is poor, this committee will resolve that problem.

Advantages:

Since the final decision is made by everyone in the committee, this avoids power concentration in the hands of a few people. Otherwise, power abuse, favoritism and stupid decisions may occur.

Disadvantages:

Committees usually operate via meetings. If the meetings are poorly managed, it can be a big drain on committees’ time and resources.

Class Activity

We are told to draw an organizational structure and our group chose the amusement park. 

Below will be our organizational chart.