Understanding Leader Emotional Intelligence and Performance

Understanding Leader Emotional Intelligence and Performance Literature Review The situational leadership style can be used to solve problems on what a leader can do if group members disagree with newly introduced changes (Spector, 2005, p.3). The situational leadership style is based on a combination of task behavior, active listening, relationship behavior, constant interactions, leadership flexibility, and communication to find the best possible solutions to problems (Tang, 2007, p.5).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Leader Emotional Intelligence and Performance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other hand, behavioral leadership focuses on the behavioral traits of a leader to stimulate certain behavioral responses by people who are led by the leader to develop quality, dedication to duty, and talent enhancement to stimulate and enhance employee performance (Walker et.al, 1998, p.1). Here, behavior can be conditioned to achieve the anticipated response. P sychologist agree that leadership capabilities of men of old was due to their masculine traits and innate personal qualities which inherently influenced the most effective group (Watson, Hubbard Wiese, 2000, p.2-9). Born leaders are characterized by innate drive, motivation, ambition, self-confidence, creativity, integrity, charisma and flexibility. On the other hand leadership can be promoted, because leadership can be taught (Vrba, 2007, p.3-5). The transactional leadership style defines a leader who focuses on task responsibilities, motivates followers by their own self-interest, strives to fulfill goals based on a system of contingence rewards, and exchanges wages for the work done (Wong Law, 2002, p.2-9). Such leaders lead by reward and punishment, issuance of directives. The leaders are action oriented, think inside the box to solve problems, very passive, and practice management by exception (Sosik Megarian, 1999, p.5). Methodology The methodology used in this study was to gather qualitative data based on a survey, interview, and personality test on Thomas Vo. Thomas was selected to represent the class because of his diverse leadership experience in different settings. Preparations were made early and the interview started at 10:00 am. Surveys were conducted online and questionnaires were administered to the respondents directly. The qualitative research method was used based on the interview which focused on the situational, great man and transactional leadership questionnaires to collect objective answers. The class ensured Thomas provided credible explanations by providing holistic explanations with class’s consensus in the natural setting of the class. The findings could be made transferable because the results could be generalized in any leadership situation based on judgment by the class and the professor, dependable because the results on the interview and the questionnaires on leadership theories could be replicated, and confirmed beca use each member of the class contributed to the findings. The personality test was conducted to identify the critical characteristics of Thomas as a leader draw on psychoanalytic study of introverts and extroverts.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Resource Analysis Results due to the situational leadership questionnaire showed Thomas to a proactively listener to team members’ opinions, and used the results after careful evaluation to maintain and control implementation of decisions if team members disagreed with the action imposed. That was in agreement with Thomas’s statement in the interview where he actively listens keenly to others before making decisions. That was also consistent with the situational leadership theory. In addition, Thomas’s option in the case of a member who tried to skip a meeting by taking a sick leave confirmed that he c ould have to talk with the member and explain the importance of the meeting, a trait consistent with the situational leadership style. Thomas’s response to self-evaluation showed the behavioral leadership style components, which were elements consistently found in the survey, questionnaire, and interview statements. However, not all the elements that define behavioral leadership were present; implying the kind of leadership traits characterizing Thomas’ leadership style is a combination of different leadership theories. The great man’s leadership theory characteristics lacked because the basis of the theory is that leaders are born. Thomas acquired his leadership skills through training and experience, which refuted the presence of the traits of the great man theory. Thomas agreed that he was not born a leader, but made a leader, which implies leadership can be learnt and made. The interview and survey showed that transactional leadership traits were inherent in Thomas, who agrees that bonuses were given to members at the end of the year based on their productivity, a situation that is defined on a reward and punishment basis. Thomas agreed that imposing the maximum penalty corresponding to the severity of a mistake further showed the inherent characteristic of the transactional leadership element. Personality test showed Thomas’s leadership style to combine both extrovert and introvert characteristics. Thomas conducts self-evaluation on a daily basis in the evening after work to identify areas of improvement. Conclusion An analysis based on the evidence from different leadership theories, survey data, interview data, and personality test showed that Thomas to be an extrovert in combination with some introvert personality traits. That was because Thomas alludes to be energetic, reflective, intuitive, talks much, is lively, and is patient. Further analysis of the sources of information revealed Thomas to widely borrow leadership trai ts from different leadership theories.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding Leader Emotional Intelligence and Performance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Ardichvili, A. Kuchinke, K. P. (2010). Leadership styles and cultural values among managers and subordinates: a comparative study of four countries of the former Soviet Union, Germany, and the US, Human Resource Development International, 5 (1). Sosik, J. J., Megarian, L. E. (1999). Understanding leader emotional intelligence and performance: The role of self-other agreement on transformational leadership perceptions. Group Organization Management, 24, 367-390. Spector, P. (2005). Introduction: Emotional intelligence. Journal of Organizational  Behavior, 26, 409-410. Tang, H. V. (2007). A cross-cultural investigation of academic leaders’ emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness in Taiwan and the United States Unpublished d issertation, Texas AM University–Kingsville and Texas AM University– Corpus Christi. Vrba, M. (2007). Emotional intelligence skills and leadership behavior in a sample of South African first-line managers. Management Dynamics, 16, 25-35. Walker, H. M. et.al. (1998). Macro-Social Validation: Referencing Outcomes in Behavioral Disorders to Societal Issues and Problems, Behavioral Disorders, v24 n1 p7-18 Watson, D, Hubbard, B. Wiese, D. (2000). Self-other agreement in personality and affectivity: The role of acquaintanceship, trait visibility, and assumed similarity.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 546-558. Wong, C. Law, K. S. (2002). The effects of leader and follower emotional intelligence on performance and attitude: An exploratory study. The Leadership Quarterly,13, 243-274

Will the New SAT Close the Education Gap

Will the New SAT Close the Education Gap SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Big changes are coming to the SAT this year, and the impact that they will have on students is a topic of fierce debate. Will they provide a leg up to students who are put at a disadvantage by the current test format? Or will they make disparities between the scores of high and low-income students even more pronounced? In this article, I'll go over both sides of the argument and provide my own take on how the changes to the SAT will affect the education gap. What Is the Education Gap, and How Does It Relate to the New SAT? When we talk about the â€Å"education gap," we mean that disparities in income (and race, as a related factor) continue to mirror disparities in access to educational opportunities and overall quality of education for students.Many people have argued that tests like the SAT only serve to widen this gap between poor and wealthy students.It has been proven time and again that higher parental income correlates with higher SAT scores. In making these new changes to the SAT, the College Board aims to combat this issue by creating a test that puts students on an equal playing field regardless of income. The most significant changes that will take place on the new SAT include: the elimination of Sentence Completion questions in the Reading section a shift in focus on the Math section with less geometry questions and more questions dealing with algebra, fractions, and trigonometry grammar questions in the Writing section that reference larger passages rather than individual sentences. There will also be questions on the Reading section that ask students to interpret data in charts and graphs.Overall, questions will be more directly related to real-life scenarios and less confusingly worded. Some with a more cynical view of the changes say that while this is the College Board’s public rationale behind changing the test, its real reason is business-related.Since the ACT is now more popular than the SAT, the College Board is changing the SAT to align more closely with the ACT so that it can reclaim its standardized testing market share.While the College Board says that their changes will combat the education gap by testing what students actually learn in schools and making the test less â€Å"puzzle-like†, some people think that it will either exacerbate existing problems or change nothing about the current system. In the next section, I’ll go over the arguments presented by both sides. My alternate plan for the new SAT: change tactics completely and make the test so puzzle-like that it's actually just a giant jigsaw puzzle. You only get a perfect score if you can finish the puzzle without flipping over the table in frustration because all the sky pieces look the same. Will the New SAT Close the Education Gap? There are valid arguments from each camp on this, and we won't know for sure who is correct until the new SAT has been out for a few years. I'll present both sets of ideas so you can get an idea of the logic behind each point of view. Theory 1: Yes, It Will Close the Education Gap Some people (such as spokespeople for the College Board) argue that the new SAT will remedy many problems that plagued the old testing format. Onemajor difference is that students won’t have to face Sentence Completion questions, which test obscure vocabulary words that students with from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to know. The elimination of these questions might allow underprivileged students who have a great deal of potential to score higher on the test. The new version of the SAT will focus on knowledge of the nuances in meaning of more common vocabulary words in the context of larger passages. Arguably, this is a more logical way of testing vocabulary when considering what students will need to know to be prepared for college academics and careers. The College Board is also partnering up with Khan Academy to offer free SAT prep services.They argue that this will allow low-income students to gain access to some of the same advantages that were once only available to wealthy students.They have also streamlined the process for obtaining fee waivers for low-income students. The College Board will provide four automatic college application fee waivers for students who were eligible for fee waivers on the test. The new test will also incorporate questions that are founded in real life scenarios and contain less confusing wording.The new SAT focuses on questions in context rather than in isolation (which is why reading and writing are now all passage-based).This means that students without preexisting knowledge of specific grammar rules or vocabulary words might have the potential to succeed on the test if they can infer wisely from the context of a question. This new formatting also means that there are less learnable â€Å"tricks† on the test that could trip up students who don’t have the opportunity to use test prep services. Students who aren’t familiar with the format of SAT questions will be put at less of a disadvantage.The more predictable content on the new test in the form of specifically outlined passage subject matter will give students a better idea of what to expect even if they haven’t been able to prepare extensively for the test. Yeah! No education gap! Party! Theory 2: No, It Won't Solve the Problem of the Education Gap (and Might Make It Worse) Others have argued that the new SAT will exacerbate existing problems with the test and widen the education gap.The College Board says that the new SAT will level the playing field by testing what students actually learn in schools, but this new testing format could make existing differences in high school quality all the more obvious in score results. The purpose of the SAT is to provide a common metric to measure student academic ability apart from the subjective determinations of each high school.If the new SAT tests what students have learned in school more directly, won’t that just lead to more disadvantages for low-income students who attend poorly resourced public high schools? Although questions on the new SAT will focus more on interpreting meaning in context rather than vocabulary and grammar skills in isolation, this probably won’t eliminate an advantage for wealthier students who attended better high schools.These students’ inference skills and knowledge of how to interpret arguments and words in context will be better developed through a higher quality education.Also, the fact that the new essay asks students to analyze the author’s argument rather than formulate their own opinions means that low income students might be put at more of a disadvantage if they haven’t been given proper instruction on how to read analytically in their high school classes. Even though the SAT will now offer fee waivers to all low-income students and is partnering up with Khan Academy to offer free test prep for all students, this doesn’t mean that wealthy students will lose their advantages.The fact that free test prep is being offered means that it's still possible to prepare for the test.With the new test, a market for specialized test prep services that are more individually tailored and more expensive will continue to exist. Wealthy students will still have the potential to access advanced test preparation services and potentially be able to improve their scores more drastically than students who only have access to free materials. All this could potentially lead to increased inequality in the college admissions process as a result of greater differences in scores. Low-income students may be put at an increased disadvantage on the new test due to a lower quality education overall, creating even greater class divisions in terms of access to higher education and career opportunities. I don't know what this guy is so upset about; he gets to wear a silly hat while we all sit here contemplating the flaws in the American educational system (presumably while either hatless or wearing comparatively boring and joyless hats). SMH. Conclusion Now that we’ve heard both sides, what’s the verdict?It’s hard to tell because we don’t have reliable score data on the new SAT yet. In my opinion, there are compelling arguments made by both sides of the debate.I think that the changes to the SAT will have a minimal impact on the education gap that currently exists between high and low-income students.It’s great that the College Board is committing to offering free prep services and fee waivers for low-income students, but as long as it’s possible to prep for the test, there will be a market for prep services that cost more and provide better results. It is reasonable to argue that making the test more straightforwardcould help put lower income students at less of a disadvantage, but sometimes I have to wonder if this is a case of a â€Å"race to the bottom† in the standardized testing market. The SAT is trying to compete with the ACT to offer the "fairest" testing model, but in doing so they may be compromising the test's value as an assessment of academic ability. Since it’s too hard to actually improve the quality of the educational system, companies are creating less challenging tests to make everyone feel better about these basic inequalities. Students who go to good high schools and come from wealthier backgrounds will most likely earn higher scores on the SAT regardless of how unbiased the format of the test is. It’s possible that everyone will get slightly higher scores on the new SAT, but the income gap will remain the same. Until we commit to combating the root of the problem - poorly funded high schools with overwhelmedteachers- on a large scale, I don’t see the education gap changing much,regardless of the introduction of the new SAT. What's Next? Wondering what your SAT scores might mean for your future? Check out this article that goes into detail on whether SAT scores can predict success. What do your SAT scores say about you? Find out what your SAT scores actually measure. Are you unsure of whether you should take the new SAT or the ACT this upcoming year? Read more about which students should take which test. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: