Journal Assignment on Motivation and Leadership

Journal Assignment

What kind of work do you do?
Subject is part owner to a computer T1/T2 provider.
How long have you been doing it?
Subject has being working there for 17 years.
Can you describe a typical work day?
Subject states that she is on the board and that she overlooks board’s requirements, check incoming and outgoing contracts, mediator, and she sets up all the rules and regulations for the cooperation.
Why did you end up doing this work? What kind of person often does this sort of work? (And would they consider themselves typical?)
Subject stated that she wanted to do this because she wanted to start her own business so that they could help financially stabilize friends, family members, and partners. The sort of person who often does this sort of work is an A typical person who is controlling and strives to have more out of life than what is typical.
What do you like about this work?
Subject states that she likes the diversity which is incorporated through dealing with other companies and also the staff at the company.
What is difficult about this work?
The difficulty is how people bond to easily which brings their personal life into their work life and how they are not able to separate friendship and work relationship. This open doors to issues like sexual harassment, misconduct, and theft.
How do (customers, others in the company...) treat you? What do they think about the job you do? [Adapt this question to fit your particular interview--try to get at how they think they are treated based on their work.]
Subject states that others are afraid of her and extremely intimidated. Subject states that they do not want the job that she does but they enjoy working for the company.
How does being a (fill in the blank with a salient cultural category: man, older person, African-American, 20-something, etc.) play into the work you do?
Subject states that initially there were barrier because of the stuffy suits that could not with having a woman in charge. There was open defiance, rudeness, and vulgarity. Subject states that she fired member’s board due to their insubordination.
Has this work changed the way you think about yourself, about the world?
Subject states that she has the ability to separate her work life and personal life. Subject states that she is now a cold, calculating, malicious, and deviant individual due to the desire to have more money and more business for the company as whole. Subject states that personally she is a caring, loving individual but as far as the world goes she believes that there are too many lazy individuals that don’t want to take responsibility for ensuring that task are completed. Subject feels that everyone wants a handout and does not want to earn their livelihood.
What are some cultural values that are important to you (can be family, work, or interpersonal)? Do you think these are similar to or different from mainstream American culture? Please explain your ideas.
Subject states that the business world is so much more complicated and unsympathetic to race, religion, politics, and sexuality. Subject states that they really don’t care about cultural values as long as you can perform your job. She also stated that in the business world they are aesthetic creatures who use whatever means necessary to get to the next level. She believes that this is very different from mainstream American culture, almost to the point of being anti-social.
What do you like best about American culture? What do you like least? (Even if the person is American, they will have an opinion about this question that gives you some insight about how they view things from their perspective.)
Subjects like the fact that the American culture has a huge melting pot of candidates who are brilliant and talented in the profession that they choose. Due to this fact when the company is in need of candidates with a specific talent it is easier to find a candidate who fits the mold for that position.

Analysis

Think about your interview, the person, and their work. Please consider these questions as you write your journal assignment:

What aspects of this person's work determine or indicate their status relative to others?
The subjects work environment is one which a wealth of knowledge is extremely necessary in order to be successful. The subject is in the process of completing 4 doctorate degrees. Due to the fact that she is head of the board of directors she is looked up to by her subordinates and is expected to be knowledgeable in all areas of the company. She is a bit anti-social yet still remains professional and approachable to the lowest ranking individual at the company.

What are some of the connections between this person's work experience and gender, race, age, and /or ethnicity (etc.)?
The actual subject was of Cherokee Indian heritage and this heritage seemed to be at the center of how the subject intertwines her work and still remains true to her culture and tribe. Most of the subject’s knowledge is in large part of how she was raised on the reservation coupled with her age which helps to emphasize the important of maturity when making sound decisions.

What kinds of attitudes, values, and behaviors does this person's work culture encourage? The attitudes, values, and behaviors that are displayed at their work culture is that of an air of self-motivation. The individual employee is held accountable for their own success or failure. Excuses are unacceptable. Their also seems to be a nonchalant attitude about their employees values. From what I gleaned from the interview what you believe in does not matter to the employee as long as you are doing your job to the best of your ability.
What attitudes and values, held by this person, were similar to your own, and which were different?
The attitudes and values of the subject were much in line with mine. The subject believes in receiving reward for hard work done and if you do not do the work you do not receive compensation. I did not like the fact that the subject refused to consider the cultural needs of the employee. I believe this may cause problems for them later on down the line.
From this interview, what can give us insight into communicating across cultures or across work cultures?
In my opinion communicating across cultures or work cultures takes a combined effort. Everyone in the company has to be open to the idea of using their talents which may have manifested due to elements from that individuals culture. Communication is not a one-sided instrument. In order for it to be effective the employer has to take steps to ensure that there are open lines of communication no matter what an employee’s background may be. In the end I believe that organizations only conform to the idea of culture because they are forced to.