You are to select two document excerpts as listed on the weekly lesson plan.
You write a 150-200 word summary of each document excerpt and a 150-200 word reaction comments for each excerpt. Your summary should include the title of the document excerpt. Also use the heading “COMMENTS” to denote your comments separately from the document summary. Save all as a Word document. Here’s the suggested format as a Word document:
Title of Document 1
Summary: summary of document in your own words; required length 150-200 words
Comments: personal thoughts, commentary, reaction to document selected; required length 150-200 words
Title of Document 2
Summary: summary of document in your own words; required length 150-200 words
Comments: personal thoughts, commentary, reaction to document selected; required length 150-200 words
EXAMPLE:
Lesson 5:
“Declaration of the Rights of Man, 1789”
Summary: This document is a translation of the “Declaration of the Rights of Man (Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen).” It is a collection of articles that was passed by the French National Assembly in August of 1789 and served as the core of the popular revolution. The lede paragraph acts as an introduction to the philosophy of the authors, as well as a statement of the document’s intent. From there it moves to the declaration of seventeen articles. The first is a statement that all people are born equal, and that discrimination is abhorrent. The second article promises them safety, possession, and freedom. The third prevents non-government actors from making or enforcing law. The fourth through sixth articles state that law is of the people, and that law should not forbid actions that have no victim. The next three promises due process, the presumption of innocence, and fair treatment. Articles ten and eleven amount to a promise of free speech and safe critique of the government. Article twelve though fourteen establish a national military under the sole control of the government, who’s funding is controlled by the public through their representatives. The final three state that the government must remain transparent and accountable to the public. Moreover, that the government has the right to relieve a citizen of their property when such action is justified.
Comments: At first this statement would appear to be heavily influenced by the events and commentary unfolding in America. Many of the same standards and promises are echoed in the Declaration of Independence. However, our text smartly links the common thread between the two movements: The Enlightenment. All of these ideas are the evolution of realist and experimentalist philosophy. The pursuit of the New Sciences fostered several generations of results-oriented society. These people came to realize that the most successful society was the one that balanced respect and demands. They found humanism to be as much a tool of commerce as one of moral action. It did not take the average observer long to dissect the power moves made by the crown and church. That disenfranchisement drove them to embrace these articles that are almost the antithesis of a monarchy. I say “almost” because the royalty were not caricatures of authoritarianism. They still had to work with the population to some degree if they had any interest of keeping their heads. I had known the basic statements of the revolution previously, but this was the first time I have read them fully. Yet again, the French set about dragging the rest of Europe into the future.
“Monroe Doctrine, Dec 2, 1823”
Summary: This document is an excerpt of U.S. President James Monroe’s seventh annual message to Congress dated December 2nd, 1823. The first paragraph announces to the governments of Russia and Great Britain that the Americas are now the ward of the United States only, and as such all European colonization activities are to cease. The message is respectful and has been passed to the relevant parties through appropriate channels. The second paragraph reveals that the previous message to Congress had made mention of Spain and Portugal’s troubles, then admitted that the US has only been a bystander to the plights of the Europeans. Every action that has been taken was done so only out of self-defense. Next, it warns that the US will not be as reticent to take action against aggressions close to its territories. The last part of the paragraph promises that the U.S. will not infringe upon the sovereignty of its neighbors. The third paragraph reiterates that the US has thus far been uninvolved in the internal struggles in Europe while also adding that it has no intent ever to do so. The fourth and final paragraph is a message directed at Congress reminding them to put America first in their minds.
Comments: It is certainly nice to get to the part of history where the English is similar enough to read easily. This declaration proved to be pivotal to the development of the Western Hemisphere. It would have been wonderful to be a fly on the wall when those messages were delivered to the Russians and the Brits. My extra reading has taught me that it has mostly survived to present day, excepting a few terrible decisions during the latter part of the 1900s. The only major challenge to it that I know of was the invasion of Veracruz by a European coalition force. However, once the US had recuperated from the Civil War, they made haste to expel the European forces. I suspect that removing the Americas from the picture forced Europe’s hand and made them deal with their problems at home. Monroe’s statement certainly set the tone of American foreign policy for nearly a century to follow. Moreover, even after that, the US still honored the spirit of the text at least publicly.
IME 4020 Case Analysis (Group Paper): Looking Forward, Looking Back This semester,
IME 4020 Case Analysis (Group Paper): Looking Forward, Looking Back
This semester, we have been studying the ethical decision-making process, which will culminate in the examination of a case study. Your group should begin by searching through the literature for a case in technology or engineering. It should involve a clear moral issue and have taken place within the past ten years (as far back as 2011). If the issue is too easily resolved, chances are it’s not really much of an issue. (For example, do we really need to do any analysis to determine whether or not we should exercise caution when dealing with nuclear energy?) My hope is that you will take this as an opportunity to explore a case of interest and see how moral theories may be applied. Some previously submitted paper topics include the following:
BP Oil Spill
BP Refinery Explosion
Columbia Space Shuttle
Crane Collapse Cases (New York)
Exide Technology (Toxic Battery Disposal)
Flint Michigan (Contaminated Water)
GM Ignition
I-35 Bridge Collapse
Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
New Orleans Levee System (Katrina)
Apple/Foxconn Work Conditions
Boeing 737 MAX
Toyota Acceleration Problem
PG&E Explosion
Hydraulic Fracturing Cases
Sriracha factory
TSA Body Scanner
VW Emissions Case
You will examine a single case (a specific instance, not a general issue) from the perspective of a decision-making person or entity (e.g., an engineer or company). In doing so, you should do your best to neutrally focus on the information available to the decision maker and avoid drawing premature conclusions about what is right or wrong—conclusions should be based on the application of moral theory.
As we learn moral theories, we will work towards developing decision procedures so that they may be more easily applied to cases. It is these decision procedures which will help us determine the morally permissible or morally correct course of action. Sometimes multiple moral theories may yield the same results; other times, they will diverge and force us to develop a reasoned consensus within a group.
Once you have determined the appropriate course of action, based on moral theories (i.e., the looking forward as the decision-maker), you will then step back and revisit the entire history of the case. Failure is often what allows engineers to become more innovative. So, as you look back [with hindsight], you might see if there is anything engineers should learn from the case. Were there any impediments to responsible action? It is also worthwhile to ask how well your moral decision making went. Would it have resulted in what would historically seem a mistake? If so, how do you account for that? (Mistake in application of moral theory, bad moral theory, or just unhappy consequences)
Finally, each group must select a different case. These cases with then be presented in Prof. Yazdy’s or Prof. Rodriguez’s module.
A discussion forum will be set up to allow you to see what others are doing and announce the case you’ve chosen.
REQUIREMENTS:
Papers must be typed and double-spaced, using standard fonts and margins (e.g., 1-inch margins, Arial 12) and should be roughly 16-25 pages in length for groups of 4 (roughly 4-5 pages per person). Be sure to cite your sources, whether using direct quotes or paraphrase. You should also include page numbers as part of your in-text citation (regardless of the citation style used).
Students should identify their contributions to the paper. Please create a table of contents and clearly label and detail who wrote/contributed to what section. In addition, use headings and subheadings throughout the paper which clearly indicate authorship.
ONE team member should be designated to submit the assignment via Canvas/Turnitin. That person and only that person should submit your work.
This paper is intended to be completed in stages, where earlier stages MUST be complete so the next stage may be undertaken. So, any student who fails to complete his or her contribution within the group’s deadline may be subject to penalty, including a failing assignment grade (and therefore failing course grade). NOTE: In order to effectively write a paper in stages, each stage must be complete when it’s submitted. This means that you may not go back to an earlier stage and make changes, as this would undermine your analysis. Any student who fails to complete his or her contribution by the course deadline will receive a FAILING course grade.
In addition to writing and submitting each stage of the case analysis, the group should review the similarity report and remove any plagiarized material. The previously designated team member will be responsible for resubmitting the corrected version of each stage of the paper.
Group review of each stage of the paper is NOT OPTIONAL. It will help ensure that you have properly cited your sources and give you a final opportunity to remove plagiarized material. So, submitting your paper without this review isn’t only imprudent, it’s a kind of academic fraud.
Remember, failing to cite sources is plagiarism. This and *any* kind of cheating is grounds for failing the course. This means that ALL members of the group will fail the course if a paper is submitted with plagiarized content. NO EXCEPTIONS.
As noted in the syllabus, failure to complete this culminating course project will result in a failing course grade.
NO late papers will be accepted.
CASE ANALYSIS – Section Breakdown
I. Introduction: Provide overview of case, state the moral tests that will be used to determine the morally appropriate action, and what that action is. [Hint: write this last]
II. Provide relevant details of case: Identify the person or entity who is the decision-maker; what obligations does this person or entity have? Explain.
Identify factual, conceptual, application, and moral issues. Select the central moral issue, which will then be the focus of the rest of the paper.
Identify and discuss any impediments to morally responsible actions AND blind spots. Remember, you’re still looking forward, so look for anything that would constitute an impediment to morally responsible judgment making. (If you prefer, you can instead include this section near the end of the paper. Your task, in that case, would be to use hindsight to determine if some impediment or blind spots led to poor decisions.)
**Each person must contribute research to this section, using a different source. No more than one person may cite Wikipedia. This is to make sure you’re in agreement as to the basic facts of the case. As a group, you should then integrate your research together, creating one cohesive, non-repetitive section.**
III. Test by Moral Theories: Select moral theories to be used. [Note: If a moral theory has multiple tests, you are expected to apply all tests associated with that theory.]
Remember, your goal is to put yourself in the place of the decision-maker and then use the moral theories (from the decision making procedures handout) to make a decision. In other words, the decision should be made without the benefit of hindsight.
Explain the moral theory being applied in your OWN words (e.g., what is utilitarianism and what tests may be derived from the theory). Your goal is to show that you understand the material. Then, explain the application of the theory and results.
ALL group members must apply a different moral theory from the list below, beginning with theories i, ii, and iii. All groups should apply theories i-iii, regardless of group size. Additional members should look to iv-vi for their theories to apply. Remember, your group members should not apply the same theories.
Available Moral Theories
Consequentialism: Utilitarianism
Deontology: Kantian Ethics (or Respect for Persons)
Virtue Ethics
Professional Codes of Ethics
Existentialist Ethics
Creative Middle Ways
**When explaining moral theories (i-iii), you must make reference to our text, A Concise Introduction to Ethics or The Fundamentals of Ethics, by the same author. You’ll need to use other sources to explain the other theories.**
IV. Interpretation of Results: Now that three or more tests have been applied, what may be decided? Do all the theories point to the same solution? If they differ, the group must decide how to handle the conflicting results. Doing so requires a reasoned argument which shows why it is reasonable, preferable, etc., to act as you decided. To do this, please note:
A. Each person in the group should provide a reasoned analysis of the results and draw a conclusion (i.e., based on what everyone has said, what should be done & why).
B. Then, as a group, you must review the individual analyses/interpretations and come to some agreement as to what ought to be done. All should contribute to interpreting the results of the analysis as well as the final editing and smoothing out of the entire paper. The paper should read seamlessly and not appear choppy (with the exception of the individual analyses).
V. Hindsight/Conclusion: You should not only recap the results of your analysis… you should also now use your understanding of the history of the case (what the decision-maker decided and what happened after the decision was made) to explain what you have learned and what other engineers should learn from the case. Was there a difference between the “want” and “should” self in this case? Would application of moral theory have averted the incident or avoided the problem? If not, any thoughts on how we need to modify our decision-making so as to avoid problems like this in the future.
Tasks to Complete Case Analysis
Stage One: DUE November 5
Group Selection/Assignment
Selection of Moral Theories each group member will apply
Case Analysis Topic Selection
Case Analysis Research
Moral Issue Selection
Complete Case Analysis Sections I-III
Review Similarity Report and Revise.
ONCE THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED, NO EDITS ARE PERMITTED TO STAGE
Stage Two: DUE November 19
Addition of Individual Analyses / Group Interpretation
Formulate Conclusion
Reflections: Hindsight
Complete Case Analysis Sections IV-V
Review Similarity Report and Revise.
ONCE THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED, NO EDITS ARE PERMITTED TO STAGE
3 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION 1 Running head: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION Interpersonal Communication Student Name
3
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
1
Running head: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Interpersonal Communication
Student Name
Cuyamaca College
Interpersonal Communication
Our world today is full of diversity and inclusion from different cultures. Understanding interpersonal communication will enhance and strengthen our communication with people. Interpersonal communication is a significant factor in creating relationships, especially in the workplace. There are many different cultures in the world, and there are many various forms of communication as well. It is necessary to understand the importance of interpersonal communication to avoid offending the message of others. The purpose of this paper is to analyze interpersonal communication in two parts: the first part reflects on eye contact, listening skills, and emotional intelligence, and the second part is how to improve these forms of communication to communicate effectively and successfully with others.
Part 1: Reflective Analysis
Eye contact is significant to communicate with others, and it is a part of body language. When we pay attention to the person who is speaking, this means that we focused and interacting with his speech. In Chapter 6: Nonverbal Communication, the author (Adler, 2011) explains how eye contact refers to trust, attention, credibility, and signals attraction. For example, I remember when I applied for a job; I did not use my eye contact when I did the interview. During the interview, I looked at the papers in my hand when the manager spoke with me. After that, I received an email from the manager and refusing me from the job. I was sad, but I knew it is my mistake. I did the wrong thing when I did not use my body language to speak with the manager. Eye contact is one of the main factors used to communicate with others effectively.
On the other hand, another factor of interpersonal communication is listening skills. Listening skills are essential between two people or teams because listening quietly to the other person leads to strengthening the relationship with him or her. Listening is defined as the active process of understanding the other person’s message (Adler, R. B., & Proctor II, 2011). If we do not focus on people who speak, we will misunderstand them. For instance, I remember when my friend came to talk with me about some problems she was having with her husband. When she was talking with me, I would interrupt her, and I spoke more than she did. She felt sad because I did not listen well to her when she tried to tell me about her husband. I felt frustrated because I was not a good listener, so this is one of my weaknesses. Listening skills are considered highly significant when speaking to other people and I desire to improve mine so I can avoid hurting the people I care about in the future.
In addition to listening skills, there is another part of interpersonal communication that is equally important, which is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the main factor in communicating better with people in order to establish good relationships with them. When we use emotional intelligence, we can positively understand the feelings of others to reduce conflict and overcome the challenges and problems that occur. Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand and respond the emotions of others, while at the same time understanding and managing our own emotions (Adler, R. B., & Proctor II, 2011). Thus, it helps us understand our feelings and the feelings of others and to work toward achieving a common goal. For example, I hurt my sister’s feelings when she asked me if I could help her with her Math assignments and I brushed her off and disregarded her request. I was so sad because I did not respect her. I was inconsiderate and selfish in my response and I should have used my emotional intelligence before acting negatively with her. Therefore, another goal of mine is to have better emotional intelligence when I communicate with other people to demonstrate that I respect them.
The three stages of interpersonal communication: eye contact, listening skills, emotional intelligence will make me feel better and enhance my relationships with others. If I follow and implement each aspect of interpersonal communication, I will have a better understanding of how to deal with people from a different culture. Dealing with people from different cultures will help me to discover what happens around the world. I consider these three aspects very important when I communicate with others. So, learning how I can improve these aspects of interpersonal communication will support me inside and outside the workplace.
Part 2: Plan for Improvement
Throughout this course, I learned a lot about interpersonal communication, and the three aspects of interpersonal communication that I want to improve are eye contact, listening, and emotional intelligence. I plan to improve my eye contact by paying attention to other people when they speak. I will use my eye contact before I start talking to someone else. Before I start communicating with others, I won’t let anything in my hand attract me to look. That means putting my phone down and avoiding my tablet during conversation. By avoiding looking at meaningless things, I will be able to make eye contact more effectively with the person speaking.
According to Schulz (2012), “Looking down can give the appearance that you lack confidence” (par. 6). So, looking down is likely what made me lose the job that I applied to because of my lack of eye contact with the manager. The manager may of thought that I could not do work effectively due to a lack of confidence. Therefore, when I establish eye contact with the speaker, it will make me feel and appear more confident.
Second, I plan to be a better listener by paying more attention, focusing on the speaker, not interrupting the speaker, setting aside distractions, and giving the speaker a chance to speak and wait until they finish speaking. By avoiding the things that keep me busy and not listening to the speaker while making the speaker feel sad since they are not being heard, I will be able to improve my listening skills. I have learned that poor listening will lead to misunderstanding while active listening will lead to better outcomes.
Lastly, I plan to improve my emotional intelligence to avoid hurting people’s feelings and to learn how to communicate with others effectively. By providing love, encouragement, and support, I will be able to communicate and show my emotional intelligence. I have learned that connecting with emotional intelligence is very important to prevent hurting other people’s feelings and understand what they need.
Overall, understanding these aspects of interpersonal communication, such as eye contact, listening skills, and emotional intelligence will help me to improve my communication and effectively mix with society. These three aspects of interpersonal communication helped me to understand how to improve using my interactions with others and reach more satisfying results in the process. After I master these three aspects, I will undoubtedly improve my communication. This class helped and supported me to reshape the way I communicate with people and improve my interpersonal communication inside and outside of the workplace.
References
Adler, R. B., & Proctor II, R. F. (2011). Looking Out, Looking In (13th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN: 9780495796213
Schulz, J. (2012, December 31). Eye contact: Don’t make these mistakes. Michigan State University. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/eye_contact_dont_make_these_mistakes
3 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION 1 Running head: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION Interpersonal Communication Student Name
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
1
Running head: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Interpersonal Communication
Student Name
Cuyamaca College
Interpersonal Communication
Our world today is full of diversity and inclusion from different cultures. Understanding interpersonal communication will enhance and strengthen our communication with people. Interpersonal communication is a significant factor in creating relationships, especially in the workplace. There are many different cultures in the world, and there are many various forms of communication as well. It is necessary to understand the importance of interpersonal communication to avoid offending the message of others. The purpose of this paper is to analyze interpersonal communication in two parts: the first part reflects on eye contact, listening skills, and emotional intelligence, and the second part is how to improve these forms of communication to communicate effectively and successfully with others.
Part 1: Reflective Analysis
Eye contact is significant to communicate with others, and it is a part of body language. When we pay attention to the person who is speaking, this means that we focused and interacting with his speech. In Chapter 6: Nonverbal Communication, the author (Adler, 2011) explains how eye contact refers to trust, attention, credibility, and signals attraction. For example, I remember when I applied for a job; I did not use my eye contact when I did the interview. During the interview, I looked at the papers in my hand when the manager spoke with me. After that, I received an email from the manager and refusing me from the job. I was sad, but I knew it is my mistake. I did the wrong thing when I did not use my body language to speak with the manager. Eye contact is one of the main factors used to communicate with others effectively.
On the other hand, another factor of interpersonal communication is listening skills. Listening skills are essential between two people or teams because listening quietly to the other person leads to strengthening the relationship with him or her. Listening is defined as the active process of understanding the other person’s message (Adler, R. B., & Proctor II, 2011). If we do not focus on people who speak, we will misunderstand them. For instance, I remember when my friend came to talk with me about some problems she was having with her husband. When she was talking with me, I would interrupt her, and I spoke more than she did. She felt sad because I did not listen well to her when she tried to tell me about her husband. I felt frustrated because I was not a good listener, so this is one of my weaknesses. Listening skills are considered highly significant when speaking to other people and I desire to improve mine so I can avoid hurting the people I care about in the future.
In addition to listening skills, there is another part of interpersonal communication that is equally important, which is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the main factor in communicating better with people in order to establish good relationships with them. When we use emotional intelligence, we can positively understand the feelings of others to reduce conflict and overcome the challenges and problems that occur. Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand and respond the emotions of others, while at the same time understanding and managing our own emotions (Adler, R. B., & Proctor II, 2011). Thus, it helps us understand our feelings and the feelings of others and to work toward achieving a common goal. For example, I hurt my sister’s feelings when she asked me if I could help her with her Math assignments and I brushed her off and disregarded her request. I was so sad because I did not respect her. I was inconsiderate and selfish in my response and I should have used my emotional intelligence before acting negatively with her. Therefore, another goal of mine is to have better emotional intelligence when I communicate with other people to demonstrate that I respect them.
The three stages of interpersonal communication: eye contact, listening skills, emotional intelligence will make me feel better and enhance my relationships with others. If I follow and implement each aspect of interpersonal communication, I will have a better understanding of how to deal with people from a different culture. Dealing with people from different cultures will help me to discover what happens around the world. I consider these three aspects very important when I communicate with others. So, learning how I can improve these aspects of interpersonal communication will support me inside and outside the workplace.
Part 2: Plan for Improvement
Throughout this course, I learned a lot about interpersonal communication, and the three aspects of interpersonal communication that I want to improve are eye contact, listening, and emotional intelligence. I plan to improve my eye contact by paying attention to other people when they speak. I will use my eye contact before I start talking to someone else. Before I start communicating with others, I won’t let anything in my hand attract me to look. That means putting my phone down and avoiding my tablet during conversation. By avoiding looking at meaningless things, I will be able to make eye contact more effectively with the person speaking.
According to Schulz (2012), “Looking down can give the appearance that you lack confidence” (par. 6). So, looking down is likely what made me lose the job that I applied to because of my lack of eye contact with the manager. The manager may of thought that I could not do work effectively due to a lack of confidence. Therefore, when I establish eye contact with the speaker, it will make me feel and appear more confident.
Second, I plan to be a better listener by paying more attention, focusing on the speaker, not interrupting the speaker, setting aside distractions, and giving the speaker a chance to speak and wait until they finish speaking. By avoiding the things that keep me busy and not listening to the speaker while making the speaker feel sad since they are not being heard, I will be able to improve my listening skills. I have learned that poor listening will lead to misunderstanding while active listening will lead to better outcomes.
Lastly, I plan to improve my emotional intelligence to avoid hurting people’s feelings and to learn how to communicate with others effectively. By providing love, encouragement, and support, I will be able to communicate and show my emotional intelligence. I have learned that connecting with emotional intelligence is very important to prevent hurting other people’s feelings and understand what they need.
Overall, understanding these aspects of interpersonal communication, such as eye contact, listening skills, and emotional intelligence will help me to improve my communication and effectively mix with society. These three aspects of interpersonal communication helped me to understand how to improve using my interactions with others and reach more satisfying results in the process. After I master these three aspects, I will undoubtedly improve my communication. This class helped and supported me to reshape the way I communicate with people and improve my interpersonal communication inside and outside of the workplace.
References
Adler, R. B., & Proctor II, R. F. (2011). Looking Out, Looking In (13th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN: 9780495796213
Schulz, J. (2012, December 31). Eye contact: Don’t make these mistakes. Michigan State University. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/eye_contact_dont_make_these_mistakes
3 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION 1 Running head: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION Interpersonal Communication Student Name
3
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
1
Running head: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Interpersonal Communication
Student Name
Cuyamaca College
Interpersonal Communication
Our world today is full of diversity and inclusion from different cultures. Understanding interpersonal communication will enhance and strengthen our communication with people. Interpersonal communication is a significant factor in creating relationships, especially in the workplace. There are many different cultures in the world, and there are many various forms of communication as well. It is necessary to understand the importance of interpersonal communication to avoid offending the message of others. The purpose of this paper is to analyze interpersonal communication in two parts: the first part reflects on eye contact, listening skills, and emotional intelligence, and the second part is how to improve these forms of communication to communicate effectively and successfully with others.
Part 1: Reflective Analysis
Eye contact is significant to communicate with others, and it is a part of body language. When we pay attention to the person who is speaking, this means that we focused and interacting with his speech. In Chapter 6: Nonverbal Communication, the author (Adler, 2011) explains how eye contact refers to trust, attention, credibility, and signals attraction. For example, I remember when I applied for a job; I did not use my eye contact when I did the interview. During the interview, I looked at the papers in my hand when the manager spoke with me. After that, I received an email from the manager and refusing me from the job. I was sad, but I knew it is my mistake. I did the wrong thing when I did not use my body language to speak with the manager. Eye contact is one of the main factors used to communicate with others effectively.
On the other hand, another factor of interpersonal communication is listening skills. Listening skills are essential between two people or teams because listening quietly to the other person leads to strengthening the relationship with him or her. Listening is defined as the active process of understanding the other person’s message (Adler, R. B., & Proctor II, 2011). If we do not focus on people who speak, we will misunderstand them. For instance, I remember when my friend came to talk with me about some problems she was having with her husband. When she was talking with me, I would interrupt her, and I spoke more than she did. She felt sad because I did not listen well to her when she tried to tell me about her husband. I felt frustrated because I was not a good listener, so this is one of my weaknesses. Listening skills are considered highly significant when speaking to other people and I desire to improve mine so I can avoid hurting the people I care about in the future.
In addition to listening skills, there is another part of interpersonal communication that is equally important, which is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the main factor in communicating better with people in order to establish good relationships with them. When we use emotional intelligence, we can positively understand the feelings of others to reduce conflict and overcome the challenges and problems that occur. Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand and respond the emotions of others, while at the same time understanding and managing our own emotions (Adler, R. B., & Proctor II, 2011). Thus, it helps us understand our feelings and the feelings of others and to work toward achieving a common goal. For example, I hurt my sister’s feelings when she asked me if I could help her with her Math assignments and I brushed her off and disregarded her request. I was so sad because I did not respect her. I was inconsiderate and selfish in my response and I should have used my emotional intelligence before acting negatively with her. Therefore, another goal of mine is to have better emotional intelligence when I communicate with other people to demonstrate that I respect them.
The three stages of interpersonal communication: eye contact, listening skills, emotional intelligence will make me feel better and enhance my relationships with others. If I follow and implement each aspect of interpersonal communication, I will have a better understanding of how to deal with people from a different culture. Dealing with people from different cultures will help me to discover what happens around the world. I consider these three aspects very important when I communicate with others. So, learning how I can improve these aspects of interpersonal communication will support me inside and outside the workplace.
Part 2: Plan for Improvement
Throughout this course, I learned a lot about interpersonal communication, and the three aspects of interpersonal communication that I want to improve are eye contact, listening, and emotional intelligence. I plan to improve my eye contact by paying attention to other people when they speak. I will use my eye contact before I start talking to someone else. Before I start communicating with others, I won’t let anything in my hand attract me to look. That means putting my phone down and avoiding my tablet during conversation. By avoiding looking at meaningless things, I will be able to make eye contact more effectively with the person speaking.
According to Schulz (2012), “Looking down can give the appearance that you lack confidence” (par. 6). So, looking down is likely what made me lose the job that I applied to because of my lack of eye contact with the manager. The manager may of thought that I could not do work effectively due to a lack of confidence. Therefore, when I establish eye contact with the speaker, it will make me feel and appear more confident.
Second, I plan to be a better listener by paying more attention, focusing on the speaker, not interrupting the speaker, setting aside distractions, and giving the speaker a chance to speak and wait until they finish speaking. By avoiding the things that keep me busy and not listening to the speaker while making the speaker feel sad since they are not being heard, I will be able to improve my listening skills. I have learned that poor listening will lead to misunderstanding while active listening will lead to better outcomes.
Lastly, I plan to improve my emotional intelligence to avoid hurting people’s feelings and to learn how to communicate with others effectively. By providing love, encouragement, and support, I will be able to communicate and show my emotional intelligence. I have learned that connecting with emotional intelligence is very important to prevent hurting other people’s feelings and understand what they need.
Overall, understanding these aspects of interpersonal communication, such as eye contact, listening skills, and emotional intelligence will help me to improve my communication and effectively mix with society. These three aspects of interpersonal communication helped me to understand how to improve using my interactions with others and reach more satisfying results in the process. After I master these three aspects, I will undoubtedly improve my communication. This class helped and supported me to reshape the way I communicate with people and improve my interpersonal communication inside and outside of the workplace.
References
Adler, R. B., & Proctor II, R. F. (2011). Looking Out, Looking In (13th ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN: 9780495796213
Schulz, J. (2012, December 31). Eye contact: Don’t make these mistakes. Michigan State University. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/eye_contact_dont_make_these_mistakes
IME 4020 Case Analysis (Group Paper): Looking Forward, Looking Back This semester,
IME 4020 Case Analysis (Group Paper): Looking Forward, Looking Back
This semester, we have been studying the ethical decision-making process, which will culminate in the examination of a case study. Your group should begin by searching through the literature for a case in technology or engineering. It should involve a clear moral issue and have taken place within the past ten years (as far back as 2011). If the issue is too easily resolved, chances are it’s not really much of an issue. (For example, do we really need to do any analysis to determine whether or not we should exercise caution when dealing with nuclear energy?) My hope is that you will take this as an opportunity to explore a case of interest and see how moral theories may be applied. Some previously submitted paper topics include the following:
BP Oil Spill
BP Refinery Explosion
Columbia Space Shuttle
Crane Collapse Cases (New York)
Exide Technology (Toxic Battery Disposal)
Flint Michigan (Contaminated Water)
GM Ignition
I-35 Bridge Collapse
Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
New Orleans Levee System (Katrina)
Apple/Foxconn Work Conditions
Boeing 737 MAX
Toyota Acceleration Problem
PG&E Explosion
Hydraulic Fracturing Cases
Sriracha factory
TSA Body Scanner
VW Emissions Case
You will examine a single case (a specific instance, not a general issue) from the perspective of a decision-making person or entity (e.g., an engineer or company). In doing so, you should do your best to neutrally focus on the information available to the decision maker and avoid drawing premature conclusions about what is right or wrong—conclusions should be based on the application of moral theory.
As we learn moral theories, we will work towards developing decision procedures so that they may be more easily applied to cases. It is these decision procedures which will help us determine the morally permissible or morally correct course of action. Sometimes multiple moral theories may yield the same results; other times, they will diverge and force us to develop a reasoned consensus within a group.
Once you have determined the appropriate course of action, based on moral theories (i.e., the looking forward as the decision-maker), you will then step back and revisit the entire history of the case. Failure is often what allows engineers to become more innovative. So, as you look back [with hindsight], you might see if there is anything engineers should learn from the case. Were there any impediments to responsible action? It is also worthwhile to ask how well your moral decision making went. Would it have resulted in what would historically seem a mistake? If so, how do you account for that? (Mistake in application of moral theory, bad moral theory, or just unhappy consequences)
Finally, each group must select a different case. These cases with then be presented in Prof. Yazdy’s or Prof. Rodriguez’s module.
A discussion forum will be set up to allow you to see what others are doing and announce the case you’ve chosen.
REQUIREMENTS:
Papers must be typed and double-spaced, using standard fonts and margins (e.g., 1-inch margins, Arial 12) and should be roughly 16-25 pages in length for groups of 4 (roughly 4-5 pages per person). Be sure to cite your sources, whether using direct quotes or paraphrase. You should also include page numbers as part of your in-text citation (regardless of the citation style used).
Students should identify their contributions to the paper. Please create a table of contents and clearly label and detail who wrote/contributed to what section. In addition, use headings and subheadings throughout the paper which clearly indicate authorship.
ONE team member should be designated to submit the assignment via Canvas/Turnitin. That person and only that person should submit your work.
This paper is intended to be completed in stages, where earlier stages MUST be complete so the next stage may be undertaken. So, any student who fails to complete his or her contribution within the group’s deadline may be subject to penalty, including a failing assignment grade (and therefore failing course grade). NOTE: In order to effectively write a paper in stages, each stage must be complete when it’s submitted. This means that you may not go back to an earlier stage and make changes, as this would undermine your analysis. Any student who fails to complete his or her contribution by the course deadline will receive a FAILING course grade.
In addition to writing and submitting each stage of the case analysis, the group should review the similarity report and remove any plagiarized material. The previously designated team member will be responsible for resubmitting the corrected version of each stage of the paper.
Group review of each stage of the paper is NOT OPTIONAL. It will help ensure that you have properly cited your sources and give you a final opportunity to remove plagiarized material. So, submitting your paper without this review isn’t only imprudent, it’s a kind of academic fraud.
Remember, failing to cite sources is plagiarism. This and *any* kind of cheating is grounds for failing the course. This means that ALL members of the group will fail the course if a paper is submitted with plagiarized content. NO EXCEPTIONS.
As noted in the syllabus, failure to complete this culminating course project will result in a failing course grade.
NO late papers will be accepted.
CASE ANALYSIS – Section Breakdown
I. Introduction: Provide overview of case, state the moral tests that will be used to determine the morally appropriate action, and what that action is. [Hint: write this last]
II. Provide relevant details of case: Identify the person or entity who is the decision-maker; what obligations does this person or entity have? Explain.
Identify factual, conceptual, application, and moral issues. Select the central moral issue, which will then be the focus of the rest of the paper.
Identify and discuss any impediments to morally responsible actions AND blind spots. Remember, you’re still looking forward, so look for anything that would constitute an impediment to morally responsible judgment making. (If you prefer, you can instead include this section near the end of the paper. Your task, in that case, would be to use hindsight to determine if some impediment or blind spots led to poor decisions.)
**Each person must contribute research to this section, using a different source. No more than one person may cite Wikipedia. This is to make sure you’re in agreement as to the basic facts of the case. As a group, you should then integrate your research together, creating one cohesive, non-repetitive section.**
III. Test by Moral Theories: Select moral theories to be used. [Note: If a moral theory has multiple tests, you are expected to apply all tests associated with that theory.]
Remember, your goal is to put yourself in the place of the decision-maker and then use the moral theories (from the decision making procedures handout) to make a decision. In other words, the decision should be made without the benefit of hindsight.
Explain the moral theory being applied in your OWN words (e.g., what is utilitarianism and what tests may be derived from the theory). Your goal is to show that you understand the material. Then, explain the application of the theory and results.
ALL group members must apply a different moral theory from the list below, beginning with theories i, ii, and iii. All groups should apply theories i-iii, regardless of group size. Additional members should look to iv-vi for their theories to apply. Remember, your group members should not apply the same theories.
Available Moral Theories
Consequentialism: Utilitarianism
Deontology: Kantian Ethics (or Respect for Persons)
Virtue Ethics
Professional Codes of Ethics
Existentialist Ethics
Creative Middle Ways
**When explaining moral theories (i-iii), you must make reference to our text, A Concise Introduction to Ethics or The Fundamentals of Ethics, by the same author. You’ll need to use other sources to explain the other theories.**
IV. Interpretation of Results: Now that three or more tests have been applied, what may be decided? Do all the theories point to the same solution? If they differ, the group must decide how to handle the conflicting results. Doing so requires a reasoned argument which shows why it is reasonable, preferable, etc., to act as you decided. To do this, please note:
A. Each person in the group should provide a reasoned analysis of the results and draw a conclusion (i.e., based on what everyone has said, what should be done & why).
B. Then, as a group, you must review the individual analyses/interpretations and come to some agreement as to what ought to be done. All should contribute to interpreting the results of the analysis as well as the final editing and smoothing out of the entire paper. The paper should read seamlessly and not appear choppy (with the exception of the individual analyses).
V. Hindsight/Conclusion: You should not only recap the results of your analysis… you should also now use your understanding of the history of the case (what the decision-maker decided and what happened after the decision was made) to explain what you have learned and what other engineers should learn from the case. Was there a difference between the “want” and “should” self in this case? Would application of moral theory have averted the incident or avoided the problem? If not, any thoughts on how we need to modify our decision-making so as to avoid problems like this in the future.
Tasks to Complete Case Analysis
Stage One: DUE November 5
Group Selection/Assignment
Selection of Moral Theories each group member will apply
Case Analysis Topic Selection
Case Analysis Research
Moral Issue Selection
Complete Case Analysis Sections I-III
Review Similarity Report and Revise.
ONCE THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED, NO EDITS ARE PERMITTED TO STAGE
Stage Two: DUE November 19
Addition of Individual Analyses / Group Interpretation
Formulate Conclusion
Reflections: Hindsight
Complete Case Analysis Sections IV-V
Review Similarity Report and Revise.
ONCE THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED, NO EDITS ARE PERMITTED TO STAGE