There is no such thing as a neutral question. Evaluate this statement Essay

There is no such thing as a neutral question. Evaluate this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge - Essay Example For example, when conducting research respondents can be asked, â€Å"how many pairs of shoes do you own?† This is a neutral question since the person asking is not interested in whatever answers the respondent gives. The questioner could be someone who does not even know the respondent and happens to interact with them (physically or virtually) basically owing to the research. If a researcher from the United Kingdom goes to the United States to carry out an interview and asks such a question, the answer does not affect them. A question can, therefore, be neutral. How, then, can it be said that such a question is not neutral? The questioner changes the neutrality of a question by either manipulating the answer to suit his objectives or phrasing the question to box the respondent into one corner. For example, the question â€Å"are you going to hit me?† is not neutral because the answer is likely to influence whatever action, or thought that comes next. This is because whether the respondent answers in the affirmative or the negative the questioner is likely to develop certain notions about them2. This is more like a statement or a judgment. One distinct attribute of questions that are neutral is that they raise more questions; non-neutral questions tend to end with an answer. More question marks and doubts surrounding whatever answer given are highly likely3. When a teacher confronts a student who has failed a test and asks â€Å"how did you fail this test?† the teacher is using the question to reprimand the student4. The teacher is concerned about the intricate details of what led to the student failing the test. The student, on hearing the tone of the question, is likely to get defensive, and the communication process will be interrupted. This is because the teacher comes across as angry and judgmental; he is stating a point and not asking a question5. On the other hand, if the teacher asks â€Å"did you study

Leadership & Ethics for Managers Research Paper

Leadership & Ethics for Managers - Research Paper Example Often organizations go through processes that redefine the way a company operates. The CEO of the company has the vision and the strategic plan to transform the organization. Companies in the 21st century do not longer seek individualism in the actions of its employees. Teamwork and cooperation have become a hot trend in the business world. The current approach and strategy of the CEO of the organization is to move to a team environment and to push many of the decisions to the lowest possible levels in order to achieve a team based empowered organization. The most valuable resource of any organization is its people because of the ability of humans to think, communicate and use judgment (Feinberg, 2012). The CEO is facing some resistance to change from the rest of the managerial staff of the organization. It is the duty of the leader to find a resolution to the problem. The first step towards finding an alternative solution to the dilemma is to open the lines of communication between the workers and the managers of the firm. The new plan that the CEO of the company wants to implement should be assessed by the entire organization. The managers should listen to the input of the workers about the proposed plan. Two concepts that many people visualize as similar, but in reality differ a lot are leading and managing. One of the purposes and visions of leaders is to inspire groups of people in organizations to aspire to achieve common goals (Entrepreneur, 2002). Leading involves motivating others to achieve a higher level of performance. Leadership can come from any person in an organization which implies that leadership abilities are not limited or exclusive of a managerial position. Sometimes companies gain the benefit of having strong leaders among the floor employees. Good leaders have excellent communication skills and are active listeners. Being an active listener can help an employee enhance his productivity and it improves a person’s ability to influenc e, persuade, and negotiate (Mindtools, 2012). One of the key differences between leading and managing is that managing entails complying with the basic managerial functions. Some of the basic managerial functions are planning, staffing, organizing, and controlling. Another difference between the two concepts is that managers are responsible for the actions of their subordinates. The CEO is trying to manage instead of leading this change initiative. Evidence that the CEO is using a managing approach is that the leader created a plan and provided a layout of the work structure that he expects the employees to follow. The managerial mandate of the CEO is to implement a team based work structure. One of the mistakes made is relying too much on managing instead of leading change. To lead change the corporate executive must convince others of the benefits of the change instead of imposing his will and vision on others and making unilateral decisions. The managers of the organization at fi rst glance did not like the plan of the CEO. It is highly possible that the managers felt threatened by the change management initiative because they felt their power and control would be diminished by the move. The CEO of the firm has to start a direct dialogue and negotiation process with the managerial staff. The use of formal meetings is a method that can be used to interchange ideas and opinions