CTM 1 Flashcards
Critical thinking def
“Critical thinking is the disciplined art of ensuring that you use the best thinking you are capable of in any set of circumstances.” (Paul & Elder, 2014)
Characteristics of critical thinkers (8)
Intellectual humility Intellectual justice Intellectual perseverance Intellectual fair-mindedness Confidence in reason Intellectual courage Intellectual empathy Intellectual autonomy
Intellectual humility
aware of knowledge limitations
Intellectual justice
Evaluation of two sides fairly
Intellectual perseverance
Working with complex problem instead of simple solution
Intellectual fair-mindedness
To apply same standards to all view points
Confidence in reason
Belief that reason is the best way to go in decision making
Intellectual courage
face and fairly assess ideas, beliefs and viewpoints in which others have strong negative reactions
Intellectual empathy
Putting yourself in the place of others to understand them
Intellectual autonomy
Thinking for ourselves, rather than uncritically accepting the views of society
benefits to learning logic and arguments
- it helps you make good decisions
- it helps you justify your decisions, especially to critics
- it helps you to evaluate the strength of other people’s arguments
- It helps you become a better writer
contention
the argument that someone wants you to accept eg. Jim is a strong candidate for the role
premise
any reason that supports our conclusion eg. Jim is highly experienced
objection
counter argument against conclusion eg. Jim does not have all the required skills for the job
rebuttal
an objection to the objection eg. Jim does not have all the required skills for this job but Jim is a fast learner
Deductive
Conclusion guaranteed to be true if the argument is valid and sound
Inductive
The premises (and evidence offered) support the conclusion, but do not guarantee it
Valid
Conclusion is guaranteed to be true if the premises are accurate
Sound
Argument is valid
Premises are actually true
about Argument map 7
representing what the arguer is trying to do
ideas at the heart of the argument
filter out what is not important to us
figure out conclusion
Next step
Isolate and give a number to each premise
each premise is a single idea give number
Sense-making
is the process of interpreting the world around you, and finding meaning in what you perceive
7 characteristics of sense making
Ongoing – it’s happening all the time, and our understanding is constantly being updated
Retrospective – we process past experiences and make guesses about the future
Plausible – our understanding is never perfect, but is usually good enough to be believable to us
Images – we try to relate experiences to mental maps and things that we already know
Rationalise – if something is unclear, we often make a judgement to make it clear
People – sense-making occurs in our heads, but it’s often not done alone (e.g., with co-workers)
Doing – sense-making occurs not just through thinking and observing, but doing (e.g., working alongside your manager)
Why should we care about sense-making? 2 -5
Having a realistic understanding of our situation helps us to make good decisions
If I work hard, is my effort likely to be recognised and rewarded?
Should I remain with this organisation?
What kind of work would make me happy?
You are unlikely to benefit from a simplistic worldview that:
Fails to account for new facts and information
Is biased; for example:
Too optimistic (failure to recognise legitimate problems, lack of self-reflection)
Too pessimistic (cynicism, hopelessness, depression, anxiety)
What is evidence-based management?
Evidence-based management (EBM) is the practice of making organizational decisions that incorporates the conscientious use of both scientific and organizational facts combined with the development of professional expertise and ethical judgment
Results of evidence-based practice are improved decision quality through more consistent use of practices that work, and as a result higher financial performance
6 components of evidence-based management
Asking: translating a practical issue or problem into an answerable question
Acquiring: systematically searching for and retrieving the evidence
Appraising: critically judging the trustworthiness and relevance of the evidence
Aggregating: weighing and pulling together the evidence
Applying: incorporating the evidence into the decision-making process
Assessing: evaluating the outcome of the decision taken
Why should we care about multiple perspectives?
To take you beyond personal experience; enhance creativity
Theories of management give us different insights into employees and what motivates them, and methodologies for approaching problems
To avoid tunnel vision (e.g., focusing only the company’s financial bottom line)
To take into account the needs, wants and interests of important stakeholders when designing a solution
To become aware of alternatives, by exposing ourselves to the opinions and suggestions of other people
To gain greater acceptance for a proposed solution (Earley & Lind, 1987)
Scientific Management (Taylorism) legacy4 and problems4
Legacy Pay-for-performance systems Job / training needs analysis Workplace R&D, and best practice implementation Performance benchmarking Problems Assumptions of rationality Shifts in performance benchmarks Simplistic economic view of the relationship between pay, motivation and performance Micro-focus on line managers
Administrative principles (Henri Fayol) key management activities 5
Planning, organising, command, coordination, control
Administrative principles (Henri Fayol) 14 principles of management
Division of labour, authority, discipline, unified command, unity of direction, subordination of individual interests, fair remuneration, centralisation, hierarchy, order, fairness, job security, initiative, staff morale
Administrative principles (Henri Fayol) legacy3 and problems2
Legacy
All 7 management activities still have relevance
Management can be taught
Emphasis on all parts of the organisation working together
Problems
Division of labour can be rigid
Some of the 14 principles less relevant today (e.g., centralisation and job security)
Bureaucratic organisation (Max Weber) Innovations 4
Bureaucracy: an organisation founded on principles of logic, order, and legitimate authority
Clear division of labour; hierarchy and authority
Formal rules and procedures applied to all
Career advancement based on merit
Bureaucratic organisation (Max Weber) legacy3 problems3
Legacy
Meritocracy in rewarding high-performing employees with career advancement
Fairness in the treatment of employees
Role clarity and clear authority
Issues
Excessive regulation (“bureaucracy” now a dirty word)
Slowness in handling problems and adapting
Labour inflexibility
Hawthorn studies Elton Mayo
Innovations
The Hawthorne Studies – a series of experiments that examined differences in working conditions (lighting, working hours, rest breaks, clean work stations, clearing floor of obstacles)
Human relations / human resource approach Elton Mayo Legacy 2 problems5
Criticisms
Ambiguous as to the cause of increased performance
Was it the changes themselves?
The fact that workers knew they were being watched?
Because they were now working in sociable teams?
Because management cared about their conditions?
Legacy
Greater focus on social and human concerns
Experimentation with new approaches at work; R&D
Maslow legacy3 issues3
Legacy
Can be used as a way to help leaders to prioritise organisational changes
Emphasises importance of human aspirations and fulfilment, not just economic concerns
Employee assistance programs; career counselling
Issues
Managers may be unable to address some issues
Evidence for the hierarchy is lacking (e.g., sex at the bottom)
Ranking is different across cultures (Hofstede, 1984)
Contingency approaches
Situational Leadership Theory (Hersey & Blanchard, 1977) Innovations
Provided guidance on the best type of leadership to use in different situations
Directive leadership for low maturity employees, supportive for mature employees
Contingency approaches
Hersey and Blanchard model exp
Low supportive behaviour and low directive behaviour = delegating for high competence and high commitment
High supportive and low directive = supporting for moderate-high competence and variable commitment
Low supportive and high directive = directing for low competence and high commitment
High supportive and high directive = coaching for low-some competence and low commitment
Contingency approaches legacy3 issues1
Legacy
Emphasised the importance of the situation, rather than universal principles
Provides insights into the most appropriate action for specific situations
Implies that adaptive leadership is essential to success
Issues
Overgeneral categories (e.g., low/high maturity employees); there are many shades of grey
Chester Barnard – a major proponent innovations 4
Innovations
Viewing organisations as open systems (consisting of components that interact with the outside world)
Emphasised role of managers in:
Managing sub-systems (e.g., finance, marketing) to ensure they are performing well
Coordinating interactions between sub-systems
Systems approaches
legacy3 issues1
Legacy
The importance of having a clear organisational vision and a common language
Establishing channels of organisational communication and feedback
An approach to understanding complex problems by examining relationships between different parts of the system
Issues
Very much a macro-level approach; not much of a focus on individuals
