W7 : Group Think and Working in Groups

Class, road trips, space exploration, and teams, what could go wrong? Another forum to explore some concepts, please make sure to complete both parts.

Part 1:
Have you ever gone along with a bad decision and tried to figure out later why you did? Well, don’t be so hard on yourself, it is a phenomenon called Group Think or the Abilene Paradox. Our text covers it well but attached to this forum you will find two great links that discuss each. Please read them in preparation for this forum.

After reading viewing the links answer the following questions.

Group Think Article: See attached PDF

Abilene Paradox: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_82.htm

1. What is the difference (in your words) between groupthink and the Abilene Paradox?
2. Which do you think it is easier to fall into and why?
3. If you were leading a group and saw signs of Groupthink how would you handle it?
4. Are there any personal examples of any of these (Groupthink, Abilene Paradox, etc) decision blunders that you have been a part of and realize now?

Part 2:

A large portion of our working lives is spent working in Teams. How we communicate with our team members is crucial to the success (or failure) of the team. In this week’s lesson, we looked at the Ego states (parent, adult, and child). We all know that effective teams operate in the Adult-Adult realm of conversation and feedback, however, sometimes a rift can occur and cause us to operate from a higher or lower level with each other. Then there are other ways to look at team dynamics.

In the video below Charles Duhigg discusses how Google builds the most effective teams.

How Google Builds the Perfect Team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2PaZ8Nl2T4

Think back to some teams that you have been on that were especially dysfunctional or effective. Did they follow the team dynamics favored by Google or were they more directive in nature? What made them work (or not work)?

What roles do religions play in Appiah’s analysis? Do you agree or disagree to his approach towards religion?

After reading your classmates’ responses and considering your initial response in Part 1 of this assignment, read the article The Case for Contamination” by Kwame Anthony Appiah
Actions
again. Write a well-structured essay that answers the questions: “What roles do religions play in Appiah’s analysis? Do you agree or disagree to his approach towards religion? How does it differ from your individual approach towards religion?”

stats

If you wish to watch your score increase as you complete assignments, especially extra credit assignments, please UNcheck the “Calculate based only on graded assignments” when viewing Grades in Canvas. If you refuse to UNcheck this option, your grade calculation is a weighted average of ATTEMPTED assignments rather than the weighted average of ALL assignments. The weighted average of ATTEMPTED assignments is NOT your grade in the course and may set your expectations incorrectly.
Flag question: Question 1
Question 1
2 pts
Quiz scores of statistics students were obtained by a teacher and listed below. Construct a frequency distribution beginning with a lower class limit of 0 and use a class width of 2. What is the upper class boundary of the fifth class?
10, 3, 8, 4, 5, 6, 7, 2, 4, 7
Flag question: Question 2
Question 2
2 pts
The data represents the body mass index (BMI) values for 20 females. Construct a frequency distribution beginning with a lower class limit of 15.0 and use a class width of 6.0. What is the upper class limit of the fifth class?
49.7, 34.1, 16.9, 20.2, 18.7, 34.9, 44.2, 29.3, 54.3, 29.1, 22.3, 51.7, 23.4, 47, 41, 22.3, 26.9, 20.2, 27.8, 44.9
Flag question: Question 3
Question 3
2 pts
The frequency table below shows the number of days off in a given year for police detectives. Construct a histogram. What is the lower class boundary of the fifth class?
Days Off / Frequency
0-2 / 5
3-5 / 6
6-8 / 8
9-11 / 2
12-14 / 1
15-17 / 9
Flag question: Question 4
Question 4
2 pts
The data represents the body mass index (BMI) values for 20 females. Construct a frequency distribution beginning with a lower class limit of 15.0 and use a class width of 6.0. What frequency is listed for the third class?
18.9, 23.2, 27, 36.4, 43.7, 50, 54.5, 37.6, 31.9, 44.5, 52.5, 19.1, 42.1, 37.3, 18.5, 28.8, 47.3, 39.1, 28.5, 26.4
Flag question: Question 5
Question 5
2 pts
A frequency table of grades has five classes (A, B, C, D, F) with frequencies of 11, 16, 11, 3, and 9 respectively. Using percentages, what are the relative frequencies of the A class? (Express the answer as a percentage rounded to the nearest hundredth.)

Discussion Thread: Variable Costing & Segment Reporting, Activity Based Costing and Master Budgeting

For each thread, you must support your assertions with
3 sources, including the course text, the Bible and at least 1 other scholarly
source. You should include a Christian Worldview perspective in the thread. The
reference section is not included in the minimum word count. Everything must be
in current APA format. All references must include an in-text citation to give
credit to the source of the information.

Select one of the following questions to answer in your discussion:
Discuss a self-imposed budget as well as
the advantages and disadvantages of the same.

Recruiting Employees

Assignment There are numerous ways to recruit employees: internal searches, advertisements, employee referrals, public employment agencies, private employment agencies, school placement, temporary help services, etc. You will research three (3) active job postings using different recruitment methods and describe the posting and their potential for success. What are the pros and cons of each type?
Guidelines
Essay assignments should conform to MLA format (Links to an external site.)(or) APA format (Links to an external site.), and cite the associated reading/resource.
Use a 12-point font.
Use double spacing, so there is room for me to write comments.
Include your last name in the filename (example: Unit-1 AS1 Smith.)
It should be a Word (.doc or .docx) format file.

History of rock and roll

Concept
Reviews and other types of journalism, historically, have played an important role in rock music, including acting as a way of forming communities, artistic standards, and expectations, and creating aesthetic unity for genres and subgenres. For this essay, you will choose an album that represents rock or an adjacent genre, and construct a thorough review that addresses genre, musical characteristics, and context- your analysis will demonstrate knowledge of historical, political, or technological contexts that surrounded your album’s creation.
Late submissions will be subject to the course’s late policy (see the syllabus).
Note that this essay is longer and has multiple steps. Your review should reflect a significant amount of work and preparation on your part. I recommend that you start well in advance.
Due dates for each step are listed in the course calendar and included in the appropriate modules.
Steps:
Submit three album choices to the “Albums” forum. Albums will be assigned first come, first serve. Albums must be approved. Albums most come from rock or a related genre examined in the course.
Spend a significant amount of time researching using UTK libraries, databases, and quality rock journalism, and submit a bibliography to the “Bibliography” forum that includes at least five print/published sources. Two must be scholarly sources, such as peer-reviewed articles, music database entries, or scholarly books. The other sources should be from journalistic sources, biographies, interviews, etc. (see below)*. Recommended databases for scholarly sources include JSTOR, Grove Music, and Oxford Music, which you can access via UTK Libraries (https://libguides.utk.edu/databases (Links to an external site.)). Also utilize the general library search to reveal online-access items. You may use digital versions of published items.

*Important note: Websites without a history of print/publication and without a strong editorial tradition are not appropriate for this course. Wikipedia, Britannica, fan blogs, bibliography.com, history.com, and other casual, tertiary source websites are not acceptable as sources.

The following are the accepted “website only” sources allowed in this course, as they constitute recognized rock journalism outlets with a history of publication/editorial oversight outlined above. Websites not included on this list do not count as appropriate sources. Ask if you have any doubts.
Rolling Stone, NME, XXL, Billboard, Paste Magazine, Vanity Fair, and other older magazines that have websites.
Practice journals like Modern Drummer, Guitar Magazine, Bass Player, etc. that have websites.
Critics and reviews in outlets like The Guardian, NY Times, The New Yorker, LA Times, The Atlantic, etc.
Pitchfork, AV Club, Rock and Roll Globe, and Consequence of Sound
Teachrock.org

Review course material that covers music in module 1. Read “Writing about Music” and “Metal as Discourse” sections (pp. 39 – 51) from Walter’s Running with the Devil (1993). Read over a couple of Rolling Stone or NME articles. These will help you get in the correct mindset to write this review.

Submit your album review.
Paper Requirements
The review should run 600-750 words.

Structure your responses into paragraphs with topic sentences that flow in a logical order.

You must have in-text citations and a bibliography (see step 2). Use APA or Chicago style (w/footnotes). Review the citation examples under Module 0 for assistance. See examples HERE.

Write an introduction and conclusion, with main points in between. Draw on your album and sources to support your main points.

Submit your assignments using Canvas by 11:59PM on the due date.

Your writing should demonstrate in-depth familiarity with the music as well as thoughtful responses based on the topics (below). Refer to a few key songs, instruments, recording techniques or technology, and historical context as you make your points. Use specifics and appropriate music terminology. Avoid redundant and irrelevant information.

Check your writing carefully for errors in spelling, grammar, and style. Avoid passive voice and overuse of “to be.” Grammar and style errors can significantly diminish your grade. Please consult the University’s Writing Center if you need assistance with these elements.
Topics
Your review should address the following prompts. As always, you should make your writing flow. Depending on your album and your responses, some of these topics may overlap with one another.
As an introduction, give a brief overview of the artist you are covering that contextualizes your album’s release. The keyword here is brief; keep the album the central point of your review.

What specific genre(s)/subgenre(s) does the album contain? Name specific sounds and musical traits that inform your assessment. Reference key songs or song sections and refer to your sources/course materials to help support your review. Note: “Rock” and “classic rock” are too broad for this project – use more precise terms (country rock, jazz rock, acid rock, punk rock, disco, reggae, blues, swing…).

Discuss how your album fits within the history of rock and roll: For example (these are suggestions; feel free to think creatively for this prompt): Did the album help establish a new genre? Did a new technology appear on the album that impacted other genres/artists?

Contextualize the album further by relating it to historical events, politics, or subcultures that informed the creation of the album. Search the lyrics, interviews, and the album art for clues.

As a conclusion – What do you think about the album? Which musical moments were most meaningful to you and best embodied the key themes you included in your analysis?