For every solution, a problem arises
Posted by Kayla Garcia on Saturday, February 12, 2011
The other day, I was sitting in my management class and the topic of discussion was how managers can improve ethical behavior in the workplace. Some of the strategies mentioned included: roleplaying in order to train employees how to handle various problems, having outside companies and higher management come in to see how well the company is doing, and surveying the employees about their experiences such as if they have seen anyone cheating or if they are happy with the management.
My professor used her daughter's school as the supporting example. A take-home survey about bullying was sent for each parent and child to fill out together. This is when my professor discovered that her 7th grade daughter went to the library every day during recess because the 8th graders were scary. She didn't give us any detail what exactly made the 8th graders scary but it's evident that there may be bullying involved. In response to the feedback from the surveys, the school will restructure the school day to make it so that there's no more recess and students will be allowed to take another elective instead.
Another elective can be beneficial in that students can take a class that they are interested in such as music or art, but unless the student chooses a class that requires adequate physical movement to get the heart pumping such as an athletic team or marching band, the student will still just be sitting for an hour. At this age, parents will have to make sure their kids are getting a workout outside of school hours in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Perhaps the school needs to rethink their decision and come up with a better solution to address multiple needs instead of only one. Make a requirement for students to take a physical education class each year or maybe schedule the recess on a rotating basis. This works well for if recess and lunch are back-to-back since while the 7th graders are eating lunch, the 8th graders will be at recess and then they can switch. In doing this, the school will be able to eliminate the bullying problem as well as actively helping students to live healthily. In this case, the management includes the school system supervisors. A manager's ability to analyze his solution, identify potential problems arising from that solution, and effectively adjusting the original solution to negate as many problems as possible can set the organizational environment up for success.
My professor used her daughter's school as the supporting example. A take-home survey about bullying was sent for each parent and child to fill out together. This is when my professor discovered that her 7th grade daughter went to the library every day during recess because the 8th graders were scary. She didn't give us any detail what exactly made the 8th graders scary but it's evident that there may be bullying involved. In response to the feedback from the surveys, the school will restructure the school day to make it so that there's no more recess and students will be allowed to take another elective instead.
Problem solved, right? Well, this problem is solved. But the solution has a problem of its own. If recess is cut out of the school day, where will kids get their daily dose of exercise? According to Centers for Disease Control, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years. 12.5 million Americans between the ages of 2 to 19 are obese. That's 17% of the population. Cutting out a time during the school day when students can relax and run about is only going to help increase that statistic. It is also a time when students can free their minds from academic stress and enjoy being outside. As a college student, and even during my high school years, the joys of recess were just a part of the past. Like naps, recess is something that kids enjoy for a limited time in their life, and the more that they are able to receive now, the better off they will be later on down the road in regard to leading a healthy lifestyle and having the time to do so. I'm sure plenty of adults would love to be given time during the middle of the workday for exercise and leisure. A 15-minute break just isn't enough time and some people have to try to fit in a workout during the lunch break instead of just enjoying their lunch.
Another elective can be beneficial in that students can take a class that they are interested in such as music or art, but unless the student chooses a class that requires adequate physical movement to get the heart pumping such as an athletic team or marching band, the student will still just be sitting for an hour. At this age, parents will have to make sure their kids are getting a workout outside of school hours in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Perhaps the school needs to rethink their decision and come up with a better solution to address multiple needs instead of only one. Make a requirement for students to take a physical education class each year or maybe schedule the recess on a rotating basis. This works well for if recess and lunch are back-to-back since while the 7th graders are eating lunch, the 8th graders will be at recess and then they can switch. In doing this, the school will be able to eliminate the bullying problem as well as actively helping students to live healthily. In this case, the management includes the school system supervisors. A manager's ability to analyze his solution, identify potential problems arising from that solution, and effectively adjusting the original solution to negate as many problems as possible can set the organizational environment up for success.