Essay on My Experience at the Bus 411 Course

The Baldrige core values were of great importance in the definition of quality in the course. The values entail visionary leadership; customer centered excellence, personal and organizational learning, systems perspectives, focus on creating value and results, management by fact, focus on the future, values workforce members and partners among others. The values were used as tools to empower the organization towards self-realization and maximization of the profits. My experience at the Bus 411 course imparted in me plenty of lessons essential in life. I gained a wealth of knowledge and understanding in the course of learning. The following essay is a reflection of all the lessons learned in the Buss 411 Course.

The course employed a range of methods to collect the data necessary for course. Non-probability sampling was used to select the sample of the course. Employment of different modes of data collection was an opportunity for me to learn how to make use of the data collected. Non-probability sampling is that sampling procedure which does not afford any basis for estimating the probability that each item in the population has of being included in the sample CITATION Jay15 \l 1033 (Jay M. Shafritz, J. Steven Ott, & Jang, 2015). Non-probability sampling is also known by different names such as deliberate sampling, purposive sampling, and judgment sampling. This therefore meant that the course was to select the people he sees fit to participate in the course and leave out those who he sees unfit.

The course employed various instruments of data collection to gather data to substantiate the claims made in the course. The instrument for data collection was the use of questionnaires. The questionnaires contained both closed-ended and open-ended kinds of questions for qualitative and quantitative data CITATION Kla12 \l 1033 (Klaus Weber & King, 2012). The questionnaires were divided into four sections: section A, B, C and D. Section A had had the respondents bio data, and section B to D contained the course questions. Some of the questionnaires were physically administered to the respondents for data collection and collected back afterward while others were mailed to the respondents.

The course faced various ethical issues in the course of carrying out the study. Some of the issues included the need to disclose to the subjects the intention of the course before handing them the questionnaire both physically and online. The questionnaire was introduced by a logo of the Malcolm Baldrige School of Business to prove its validity CITATION Pau15 \l 1033 (Paul Joyce, John M. Bryson, & Holzer, 2015). The course promised to keep all the information provided by the respondents strictly confidential and for academic purpose only. Analysis means ordering, categorizing, manipulating, and summarizing of the data to obtain answers to course questions CITATION Don102 \l 1033 (Lighter, 2010). The course analyzed both qualitative and quantitative data, and the results are represented using frequency tables, bar graphs, and pie charts. Both quantitative and qualitative data is triangulated to enhance validity and reliability of results.

The course administered questionnaires as the primary means of data collection. 150 questionnaires were administered to the respondents, 20 more than the desired sample size of 130 respondents, a strategy to deal with the preempted response challenges that face this course technique. This strategy proved its effectiveness as out of the 150 questionnaires 128 were returned and properly filled. Since the aim was to get back 130 properly filled questionnaires, 128 marks a 98% response rate. The very high response rate can be credited to the strategy used by the course; the questionnaire was constructed in simple English. The English questionnaire was short, simple, and straight to the point. This made it easier for the respondents to understand. The modes of distribution were also up to speed with modern means of communication and hence proved convenient for the respondents. Some of the questionnaires were sent to the respondents via mail for them to respond to them and mail them back for review.

All the respondents were drawn from the population of the Malcolm Baldrige School of Business. The majority of the properly filled and returned questionnaire came from the students pursuing their Diploma at the University. Postgraduate students recorded the lowest number of returned questionnaires due to their low population and time constraints as many of the postgraduate students pursue their Degrees on a part-time basis. Diploma students recorded 27% returns rate while the Post Graduate students recorded rate of 15%. Undergraduate students represented 23% of the respondents while the teaching and the non-teaching staff made up 19% and 16% respectively.

The teaching staff made up the majority of the highest levels of education at 24% while the non-teaching staff made up the majority of the lowest levels of education at 16% with some of them having acquired secondary education. Undergraduate students followed at 23% of the respondents. Regardless of the levels of education, however, all the respondents across the scope reported being conversant with some form of social media communication, and this factor was attributed to the fact that one needs not have a higher education to be able to communicate using social media platforms. Communication came out as an essential element in following up the core values of leadership within the organization.

The course used definitions like Very much, moderately, not so much, and not at all as the paradigms for defining the rate of core values influence on their lives. The majority of the respondents admitted to being moderately influenced by the core values of leadership. Of all the respondents, 53(41%) said they were moderately influenced by the values of leadership. 25 respondents said the core values influence their social interactions very much. Of all the respondents, seven said the core values do not affect them in any way representing 5%.

The course captured data representing encounters with visionary leadership by the respondents on social media. The question aimed to determine whether the respondents experienced any form of visionary leadership and the rate at which they experienced it during their various forms of interactions like social media interactions CITATION Pau15 \l 1033 (Paul Joyce, John M. Bryson, & Holzer, 2015). Of all the respondents, 60% reported experiencing it on social media on a regular basis and this represented. 21% said they experienced it weekly, 11% said they experienced it monthly while 8% said they rarely experienced it on any social media platforms. The term regular basis was used to mean experiencing leadership on a day-to-day basis.

The online community has emerged as part of contemporary society that is essential to the process of decision-making. The need to like and share huge chunks of our lives has completely changed the way the respondents communicate with friends, colleagues and loved ones. 43% of the respondents reported they used social media to get informed. 25% of the respondents said they look for friendship and association from social media sites like Facebook and WhatsApp. 22% said they look for fashion in clothing and technology and all things that trend at a particular time in the society. One percent of the respondents said they have nothing in particular in mind when they choose to visit social media sites. Respondents reactions to messages of social interactions are an essential part of the implementation of the Baldrige Core Values.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY Jay M. Shafritz, J. Steven Ott, & Jang, Y. S. (2015). Classics of Organization Theory. Cengage.

Klaus Weber, & King, B. (2012). Social Movement Theory and Organization Studies. Kellog School of Management, 10(2), 233-287.

Lighter, D. (2010). Advanced Performance Improvement in Health Care: Principles and Methods. Routledge.

Paul Joyce, John M. Bryson, & Holzer, M. (2015). Developments in Strategic and Public Management. IIAS Series: Governance and Public Management, 7(8), 1-17.