here is the file

One of the biggest complaints among managers is the huge amount of time they have to spend in meetings. Ideally the purpose of meetings is to put everyone’s heads together to solve a problem or make a decision. But far too often they can lead to unproductive, time-wasting conversations and even conflict. For this assignment, think about some recent meetings you’ve attended where a significant decision had to be made. Think carefully about how some of the problems regarding group decision making that were discussed in the background readings apply to what you’ve experienced. Then write a 2- to 3-page paper addressing the following issues: Are all voices equally heard, or are some people afraid to speak up? Are participants in the meeting afraid to contradict senior management?Is time spent at the meetings productive, or is a lot of time wasted?Are the decisions that are made solid ones? Or do they suffer from problems mentioned in the background materials such as groupthink?Are ideas expressed at meetings creative and original, or are original ideas discouraged?Based on what you’ve described in Questions 1–4 above, what kind of group decision-making process would you recommend be used in meetings you attend? Base your answer on readings from the background materials such as Sims (2002). SLP Assignment Expectations Follow the assignment instructions closely and follow all steps listed in the instructions.Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.Make sure to cite readings from the background materials page. Rely primarily on the required background readings as your sources of information.Include both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 13 and 14 on in-text citations. REF: Anderson, D. R. (1990). Increased productivity via group decisionmaking. SuperVision, 51(9), 6. [ProQuest] Braintools (2017). Brainstorming: Generating many radical, creative ideas. Retrieved on 18 March 2017 from www.mindtools.com/brainstm.html CDC (2017). Gaining consensus among stakeholders through the nominal group technique. Retrieved on 18 March 2018 from www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief7.pdf Haughey, D. (2017). Delphi technique: A step-by-step guide. Retrieved on 18 March 2017 from www.projectsmart.co.uk/delphi-technique-a-step-by-step-guide.php Sims, R. R. (2002). Chapter 8: Decision making. Managing Organizational Behavior. Westport, CT, USA: Greenwood Press, pp. 205-210. [eBook Academic Collection. Note – you don’t have to read the whole chapter, just the section on group decision-making]

Part 1Hofstede's cultural dimensions are used to characterize the differences between cultures. Hofstede's (1980) study explored work-related values. He collected data from business employees in numerous countries and used factor analysis to see the outstanding variables that emerged. He originally identified four dimensions, one of which was power distance. This concept has been applied for practical purposes. For example, Malcom Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success discusses how the power distance index relates to safety in the airline business.In your response, address the following:Using the Internet, research the term “power distance.” Research power distance in different cultures. Are there any surprising results? Compare countries that are often lumped together under one title. For example, people from Japan, China, and India are all called Asian. When such countries are compared, what differences emerge?Given that Hofstede's cultural dimensions inventory was designed for a work environment and that the data were collected from the employees who fall into specific demographic categories, can the findings be generalized to other settings? What about generalizing the findings for the groups that were not in the study? Do you think that it is appropriate to apply the data to the airline business?Do you think that the study is valid for all countries? When was the study initially conducted? Do you think that the findings would be the same if the people in the countries were assessed again?References:Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The story of success. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.Hofstede, G. H. (1980). Culture's consequences: International differences in work-related values. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Part 2Large cultural groups within a geographic region often share similar subjective cultural elements. However, these groups are rarely homogenous and can be divided into distinct subgroups. For example, Africa is made up of different countries, and within those countries, there are numerous distinct cultural groups. Although many of these subcultural groups are dissimilar with regard to particular beliefs and practices, there are times when an overriding issue makes another common group identification more salient and important. For example, in 2003, Christian and Muslim women from different subcultures in Liberia banded together to fight back against oppression and stop the civil war. There were widespread killings; the survivors were deeply traumatized and abused; the children were robbed of their childhood, with many being recruited to fight; and women had been dominated and raped. The women's movement was featured in the documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell. This discussion question focuses on the cultural subgroups that often supersede the familial cultural groups.In your response, address the following:Do you think that clusters characterized by gender are valid subcultures? Do you self-identify with gender before your ethnic group? If you could design a study to investigate an issue related to women and culture, what would you study and why?What caused the women of Liberia to ignore their familial cultural inheritance and band together? Do you think that biology and environment interact to create a women's subculture? What did the women do to force the men to change in Liberia? Explain your answers