Strategies Of The Sangguniang Bayan Members Of Pakil Politics Essay

Strategies Of The Sangguniang Bayan Members Of Pakil Politics Essay The strategies of elected officials at the municipal level in attaining good governance. The strategies of the Sangguniang Bayan members of Pakil, Laguna in attaining good governance. In the history of our government, we can be certain that over centralization is one of its most prevalent characteristics. Even before the Spanish era up to the American period, centralization is an established part of our administration and bureaucracy, together with hierarchal distinction which is one of our customary practices which is part of the behavioral characteristics engraved in our culture and tradition. Conversely, we can also be certain that local autonomy is a century-old vital part of our government. The barangay or barrio system of governing remained, which was later merged with the foreign system of government, although this was not thoroughly learned and accepted by the people. Thus, different laws were formulated and enacted to indigenize methods of governing along with the objective of promoting decentralization of the national government. This decentralization has become a major trend to address the publics assertive reaction to the irresponsiveness and ineffectiveness of the government in providing basic public services. The Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 was enacted following the provision in the Article X of the 1987 Constitution which declares that, the State shall ensure the autonomy of local governments (Brillantes, 2003). The key features of the LGC were presented by Tom S. Villarin in an introduction on the book BEYOND GOOD GOVERNANCE Participatory Democracy in the Philippines (Estrella Iszatt, 2004): grant more powers, resources, authority and responsibility to Local Government Units (LGUs) to enable them to function with limited national support; transform LGUs into local planning units for development and innovative governance; institutionalize people power in local governance; promote the interface and collaboration of Peoples Organizations (Pos), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and the private sector with LGUs through sustained partnerships; promote ventures and undertakings between LGUs and POs-NGOs/private sector; and provide measures to enhance fiscal automy of LGUs. Furthermore, LGUs plays a key role in bringing about not just good but better governance to the people. This better performance is necessary because nowadays, elected officials in their respective LGUs are the ones who are responsible in providing solutions for the better implementation of health, livelihood, agricultural policies, etc. For this reason, innovative strategies for the development and progress of a certain province/city/municipality/barangay should be maintained and enacted by elected officials who are competent, accountable, and transparent together with the empowered citizens that are actively participating in the implementation of these strategies. Strategizing may connote competitiveness, an attribute that speaks of striving to get the most out of given conditions, and is an attribute which is rarely found in the local government (Sajo, Santiago Joaquin, 1998). But nowadays, strategizing for the development of the community has become a trend in LGUs. This process works in the viewpoint of involving everyone who is part of the dynamic organization known as government. Also its main objective is the reformulation of new sets of strategies that will apply in LGUs purposes established on a specific vision and mission, which also considers the external and internal conditions of its environment, and works with the commitment to all the stakeholders in the LGUs (Sajo, Santiago Joaquin, 1998). By doing so, this study will be able to examine or reexamine the grassroots of good governance in LGUs which will try to elaborate the governance that the national and local level have been executing. Hence, LGUs as part of the broad politic al spectrum is as dynamic as the national government, and focusing on this small but vital part of the society can direct us to a concrete understanding of governance with politics. The locus of the strategies to be included in this paper is on the LGUs basic and second most numerous component-the municipality. A typical municipality provides basic services for its citizens. Some of these basic services are maintenance of law and order, establishment and monitoring of health centers, providing of livelihood programs for the citizens, and above all, the power to tax. Municipalities are also categorized in terms of income class which will determine certain rules regarding some policies from the national government like the number of councilors it can elect and the designated amount of honorarium or salary the elected officials in the area (Wit, 1967). Moreover, the occurrence of the overshadowing of the Local Chief Executive (LCE) or the mayor to the other elected officials serving in a municipality is very noticeable, which is similar to what is happening in the national government. The LCE overshadows the authority of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) presided by the V ice-Mayor which consists of the municipal councilors, the Association of Barangay Captain (ABC) president, and the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation president. Nevertheless, a municipality can directly present policies that need reformation, reevaluation, reengineering and worst, obliteration for the development of the entire Philippine state. To illustrate further the dynamics of LGUs and its elected officials strategies, this paper include some actual events which is happening or has happened in a particular municipality in Southern Luzon known as Pakil. This can be ideal illustration which will be a great help in tracing the roots of governance in the LGUs, and it can also reveal some real strategies that were being used by elected officials. Pakil is a 5th class municipality which is part of the 4th district of Laguna. The status of being a 5th class municipality means that it has a minimal source of income, with just an appropriate land area occupied by its small population. This municipality is basically an agriculture-based semi-urban district located between the Sierra Madre mountain range and Laguna de Bay. Also, this municipality is subdivided into 13 barangays, 6 in Poblacion (Silangan) while the other 6 are part of the Barrio (Kanluran), and a small barangay located at the Sierra Madre mountain range. Moreover, a part of the Laguna de Bay separates the Barrio into the town proper (Poblacion) of Pakil, and that separation of Pakil between Silangan and Kanluran usually results in disputes among the elected officials who are part of the SB. Alliances of members residing in those two different places is present in the SB. These disputes are can be rooted from the voting behavior of the people from both parts of the municipality. Silangan has less population of voters than Kanluran, and those voters from Kanluran always do block voting. This collective behavior had been viewed as one of the basis of SB members in dealing with issues for the development of the two Pakil. Also the support from the LCE is a significant factor that can determine the outcome of the issues that will be address by the SB. For this reason, the strategies of SB members for the development and progress of the municipality have been visibly or subtly affected by the dichotomy of their interests, the voting behavi or of the public, and pressure from higher authority. The elected officials at the municipal level primarily focus on their duty and function in the coordination and delivery of basic, regular and direct services and effective governance of the inhabitants within its territorial jurisdiction (Sajo, Santiago Joaquin, 1998, p.12). The coordinating and delivering of basic public services is already a given function that needs to be accomplished by those elected officials. However, being an elected official in a certain area, a person is not just accountable in performing the duties attributed with his job, but there is also a need for an actual and public association with the inhabitants of that area to directly address their problems, issues, and concerns. Also an elected official is required to be familiar with the territorial jurisdiction of the municipality. Every streets and sitios together with all the inhabitants of place within its jurisdiction must have a certain impact on the officials plan of action for the overall improvement of the municipality. Anything that the elected officials decide upon that involves any municipal subject matter will definitely affect the municipality as a whole. In the case of the municipality of Pakil, a certain SB member although from Silangan, apart from serving and doing his duty in the municipal hall as the officer of the day and aside from conducting committee meetings, also see to it that he has a time to visit and coordinate with the people on both places. By being able to do so, he would need to travel almost 10 kilometers to reach out to the people in Kanluran. Although time-consuming, through this strategy, that SB member promotes an innovative and direct information gathering strategy which is part of the participatory democracy system of governing. By hearing out the needs, concerns, and suggestions of the people, the SB members can prioritize a certain problem they should address. They can conceptualize and create a very comprehensive and specific solution for the improvement of the situation of the people. This SB members strategy is a very effective and innovative way of involving citizens in local governance. Through this ki nd of information gathering, the elected official opens a new way approaching and answering the needs of the people, which can help them analyze a certain problem or crisis and come up with a good plan of action that will lead to the development and progress of the municipality. Aside from implementing participatory democracy, SB members should have learned and mastered the importance of the skill of good structural planning for community development. This strategy is a requisite that should be broadly understand by the elected officials. Planning is the part where you can discover the strengths and weaknesses of a project, and most importantly, planning can also provide the elected official a chance to have a backup in case that unexpected circumstances happened. In the municipality of Pakil, meetings that were conducted by the SB members under their respective committees usually involve the planning part of the projects they want to initiate. The SB members need to have a good structural planning combined with a comprehensive plan of action which is an appropriate foundation in directly addressing issues and problems of the citizens from both Silangan and Kanluran. The attribute mentioned is a skill-oriented type of strategy. Strategic planning method also involves: 1) evaluating the feasibility of the project, 2) envisioning the results of the project, 3) reviewing of other related project or projects implemented, and 4) speculating the feedback of the stakeholders. The evaluation of the feasibility part of the project includes the budget assessment part. The budget has been the always the first thing to be considered before conducting a certain project. SB members have been able to control funds as committee heads, but the 5th class municipality status of Pakil is always faced by financial limitations which caused delays in projects implementation. To be able to initiate projects, although there is the never ending lack of funds problem, SB members have no choice but to knock on the doors of the office of Governor and office of the Congressman. They just have to wait for the staffs to acknowledge them, and they just need to see to it that they will not get tired to get back and forth to the office to follow up their requests, because these two offices will definitely provide financial assistance for their project, but the assistance has a charge, the political gratitude needs a valid payment in the form of support for the next elections. Another important factor involved in the feasibility of the project is the calculation of the time frame. Time frame considers both the length before and after the projects implementation. The period of time of the project and its characteristic of being a long-term or a short-term solution to a certain problem can also determine a projects success or failure. An appropriate timetable should be followed expansively to avoid disruptions in its duration. The time frame in public works project (e.g. farm to market road) and in a project that follows a fixed schedule (e.g. livelihood seminars and sports leagues), should be comprehensively calculated so that the funds that were intended for the benefit of the people would be efficiently consumed. The second factor that is involved in the strategic planning is the envisioning of the results of the project. Cost-benefit analysis of what would be the outcome of the project is a must. The result of the project must guarantee the improvement of the situation of the people. The envisioning part should also be a determining factor of what is the more important project to be initiated. Another factor of planning is the review of related project which is closely connected with the second factor. By reviewing a related project that was implemented before in a nearby town or area, the project initiator can visualize the outcome he wants to achieve. He can also modify some portion or portions of the related project for its improvement and so that it can apply and be appropriate to the municipality setting. Lastly, speculating the feedback of the stakeholders in the said project is an important factor that should be considered in the part of the planning strategy. Although the planning part is a strategy that is set aside to be done by the elected official, the reaction of the stakeholders is the first thing to consider before implementing a certain project. They are ones who would benefit and gain from the project, which is why assessment of their reaction is important. Stakeholders are individual or group of individuals that the elected officials have to serve, collaborate and work with, deal and bargain with, even compete with, or simply any entity that expects something from the LGU (Sajo, Santiago Joaquin, 1998). They are always expecting something from the elected officials way of governing; they have power that can relatively affect the decisions for a certain program, also they can influence the strategic plans of the officials which will serve for their own purposes and intere sts. These four strategic planning methods can be applied by a certain SB member on the projects for the development and progress of Pakil. Evidently, the strategic planning to implemented in Silangang Pakil or Kanlurang Pakil should have different techniques but should be similar in nature. This strategy is certainly a proficient way of performing the duties and functions as SB members who practice authority and power in a manner which show the attributes of a good leader who have mastered the art and science of public management. Another requisite that is considered as an important strategy in the municipal level of governance is the capability of the elected officials as policy-makers in the local legislative process. The Philippine state and our Constitution vested the authority to the Sangguniang Bayan the power to enact laws known as ordinances. These ordinances are made to apply only in their territorial jurisdiction. But still local government has achieved its territorial powers based on the division determined by the national government. Juan F. Rivera included in his book a section from the article in the Lawyers Journal by Mr. Justice Laurel which explains: A municipality cannot be set up in the position of an imperium in imperio. The municipality, even if it so desires, cannot completely emancipate itself from the central government. An autonomy, partial, sound and constructive, is the most that it can aspire for. Sangguniang Bayan or the Municipal Council is the legislative body in the local government. Its legislative duty is to deliberate and enact ordinances for the efficiency of the governance in the municipality. It is also the counterpart of the Congress of the national government. The legislators in the Congress author house bills, while the SB members as the local legislators authors ordinances. An ordinance is defined as an authoritative decree specifically employed in a municipality or a city to be regulated, implemented and followed in the area. An ordinance also varies its purposes and functions depending on the issue or problem in the subject matter it will going to address. Also, the local legislators, as mentioned earlier, is composed of the Vice Mayor who acts as the presiding officer of the SB, eight councilors (the number of councilors depends on the income and district of a municipality), the SK federation president, and the ABC president. Moreover, an ordinance could only be enacted if it passed a deliberation conducted by the SB members which includes a voting process that needs two-thirds of the vote of the council members. This voting process should take place in a SB regular session. If the vote results allowed an ordinance to pass, then ordinance can be send to the office of the LCE to be approved or vetoed. Typically, a SB member who heads a certain committee authors an ordinance that would directly address issues that involves his committee. Improving the competence of the SB members in making ordinances are made so that they would not waste their time, effort, money, and energy in the process. Probably, this legislative part of municipal governance is the factor that would require formality in its strategies. Thus, SB members should develop their competence in ordinance drafting to ensure its approval from both the people they are governing and the people who have higher authority on them. Furthermore, an elected official as a good policy-maker should consider the following strategies in ordinance drafting and its implementation which consist of: 1) the technical knowledge of the elected official on the drafting of an ordinance, 2) the clarification of the purpose of the ordinance, 3) the validity and effectiveness of the ordinance. A complete ordinance consists of parts which are: 1) the title or caption; 2) the preamble; 3) the ordaining or the enacting clause; 4) the command to do or not to do, and designation of subjects and objects of operations; 5) the penal if a penal ordinance; and 6) the naming of time when ordinance is to take effect. This is the formal methodology of an ordinance, which is usually taken for granted by the elected officials in the municipality. The technical knowledge in ordinance drafting is important because, to implement a certain policy to the people and the place one governs, that elected official should already know and mastered the law he made. By doing so, the elected official is making sure that the content he had included in the policy would be enforced effectively. The elected official should also lead by example in order to make the citizens follow the ordinance he have authored. As mentioned earlier in this paper, ordinances have different purposes and functions which depends in the conditions of the subject matter it will address. Ordinances can be generally classified into five classes namely: police ordinances, financial ordinances, administrative ordinances, franchise or contract ordinances, and improvement ordinances (Rivera, 1956). This is why clarifications on the purpose of the ordinance should be comprehensively explained. The different conditions or circumstances regarding the ordinance should be listed or enumerated, so that the drafted ordinances similarity and distinction to the other laws could be properly presented or modified, if needed. Moreover, the ordinance should be concise, exact, simple, and consistent (Rivera, 1956). Consistency in the words used in the ordinance should be properly observed. Ambiguous and vague terms should be deleted to avoid perplexities in its context. Also, the ordinance is in its best form if it is written in the language understood by most of the citizens in the place where it would be implemented. This attribute is present in the municipality of Pakil, where almost all of the ordinances, memorandums, and resolutions made by the local government are written in Filipino. Lastly, the validity and effectiveness of the ordinance should be clearly presented. A valid and good municipal ordinance is a positive, general and equal in its operation as a law and reasonable in its terms (Rivera, 1956 p. 221). The authority of the municipal ordinance is effective when the LGU and the SB members who make it are organized. The power of the ordinance should also conform to the different laws that were implemented by the national government, the provincial government and other higher government authorities. Most importantly, substance of the ordinance is more important than its form. The strategies on ordinance drafting that were presented will most probably result to a comprehensive ordinance that can be easily passed, enacted and implemented. However, a certain SB member in the municipality of Pakil stated that although an ordinance has been well-craftedly made, other factors could determine its approval. Lack of alliances with the other SB members to achieve the vote of two-thirds is a huge factor that can affect the outcome of the drafted ordinance. If the ordinance will not be approved it can either be set aside for further motion or it can be ignored as if no one considered its content. And the most crucial determining factor is the approval of the mayor or the LCE on the said ordinance. In Pakil, there had been disagreements between the LCE and some members of the SB, resulting to the disapproval of certain ordinances although comprehensively made which can certainly provide beneficial things for the citizens. For this reason, patronage politics is shown as concept that can be a subtle but a very powerful factor that is involve in the governance at the municipal level. Although competence in doing their duties and fu nctions is considered an advantage of elected officials as policy-makers in ordinance drafting, there are still many determinants of what would be the outcome, the approval or disapproval of an ordinance, which can set a huge impact in the development and progress of the LGU. In addition to the strategies of the elected officials as good decision-makers and policy-makers, they must also be familiar or at least have knowledge on good fiscal management. Fiscal policies greatly affect the economic stability of the LGUs, which is why political influence and lack of serious analysis regarding their economic implications should be properly suspended (de Guzman, 1973). Also, the tax of the citizens serves as the bloodline of the LGUs, which is why the elected officials should strategize on how to use it efficiently. The financial and material resources in a municipality are usually very limited. Subsequently, the capacity to use these resources economically is necessary. The elected officials should still know the basics of local budgeting although they are not the ones who will administer the funds. This is necessary because budget estimates are made by the elected officials as part of the projects they are initiating. If the mentioned strategies will be proper ly followed and applied, the improvement and progress of the municipality can be truly achieved. Although the strategies of the elected officials are indicator of progress in the way of governing a certain municipality, in general, good governance in the municipal setting is not just solely determined by their responsiveness in doing their duties and functions. The reactions and feedbacks of the citizens, whether good or bad, affect the strategies they are using for the development and progress of the municipality. As stakeholders, the citizens have the capacity to bargain and lobby policies implemented to them. They have the resources, which is not limited financially or materially, that influenced the strategies of their elected officials. Yet, there is also another influential institution which is the one behind some strategies that were being applied by the elected officials in the LGUsthe Department of Interior and Local Government. Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) is basically the national governments institution assigned in taking care of the affairs of the LGUs, and other attached agencies in the local government. Its powers and functions includes, assisting the president in the general supervision of LGUs which also consists of the promulgation of policies, implementation laws for public order, security and safety, provides assistance with the local government legislations, the training of police force with civil and nationalistic character, and most importantly, the promotion and monitoring of LGUs local autonomy (DILG Website). Usually in a municipality, a DILG officer is assigned to monitor and guide elected officials in their governance. The DILG officer is the one who organizes seminars and trainings that are needed especially by newly elected officials. DILG provides strategies for the elected officials in the seminars and training they conduct, but these strategies are being modified and indigenized so that it could be applicable in the certain places the elected officials govern. The DILG also checks the ability and competence of all the government officials in the LGU he is assigned to. DILG sees to it that the officials in the local government, especially the elected officials, who is part of the government temporarily, will give their best in providing the basic services for the citizens in their jurisdiction. To achieve good governance in the municipality of Pakil, the DILG is also trying their best to link the gap between the LCE and the SB. To the end the disputes between the two branches of the LGU, the DILG organizes dialogues between these two factions. The SB members stated that they are being viewed as an opposing party to the LCE which concentrates the power and authority on the municipality with its office. This kind of misunderstanding between the LCE and the SB is not yet settled, but the DILG still see to it that the two groups, although have their opposing positions will continue to do their duties and functions to deliver basic services to the people. Although the local government is established for the people and by the people, to directly deliver regular and basic services, the people, as part of the government, must also do their duties and responsibilities as good citizens. Their active participation is needed by the LGU in the monitoring and implementation of programs. This attribute is the most distinguished characteristic of participatory democracy. The system of participatory democracy is also a trend that is better than the traditional representative democracy which limits the responsibility of a citizen to just voting and paying of taxes. It also includes the people in the actual participation in the system of LGUs with the goal of attaining good governance. Through this kind of participation, the people are becoming empowered, which promotes the strict observance in the accountability and transparency of the officials they have elected. Affirmation

Emotional Intelligence Essay

The pursuit of knowledge through education entails the many manifestations and progressive procedure of one’s emotion. Human nature previously regarded intelligence as the primary component of learning and eventually as the main source of success. In the modern educational or learning setting, however, a person’s emotional intelligence is now supposed to be of equal authority and even better than intellect as far as its benefits are concern. Hence, based from its advantageous implications to the filed of education or teaching particularly in contemporary schools, emotional intelligence is not to be ignored as a vital requirement of education. The principle concerning the significant nature and value of emotional intelligence in today’s learning is depicted with various circumstances where one’s emotions play very notable part and effect. Considering a person’s varying feelings in response to different life events and realities, it can now be noted that the level of emotional aptitude of a person measures his strength and ability to handle a situation. Most importantly, an individual’s emotional intelligence determines the eventuality of failure and attainment of success. Thus, this is where emotional intelligence apparently matters more because it is able to provide people with success as compared with intelligence quotient. Nowadays, emotional intelligence is subjected to the requirements and challenges of the teaching field. Since people and the society have acknowledged the undeniable positive impacts of emotional intelligence to education, it is then just empirical to pursue further this concept. This is because an increased awareness and involvement by the people as regard the quality and implications of emotional intelligence will definitely work to the advantages of the majority of the population and the communities where they belong. Since learning is determined by how people manage their emotions, then it can be implied that one’s feeling is a factor in determining success or that it can even be considered as a tool to improve education among students. It is, in fact, essential to assist students identify how their respective emotional intelligence will lead them to success or not. Lastly, it is also fortunate that considerable fresh perspectives about how the intellect creates human emotions were already realized. This is for the reason that the brain now creates ways on how emotional intelligence influences, affects and works to the benefit of student’s education. â€Å"Emotional Intelligence† Book, an Overview The above-mentioned hypothesis was clearly illustrated in the 1995 book of Daniel Goleman entitled â€Å"Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. † The author provided the public with apparently compelling proofs that the emotional intelligence quotient or a student’s level of emotional intelligence is equally valuable in achieving educational success as what cognitive intelligence, as gauged by IQ or SAT percentages, provide (Goleman, 1995). The book opened with an account of how brain functions in relation to one’s emotions. Thereafter in the middle part of the book, Goleman supplemented the rationale behind how to wisely handle emotion and eventually revealed the benefits derived from such thereby proving that it has more substance than IQ. In conclusion, Golemen provided the public with true-to-life manifestations which established the value of emotional intelligence as it performs a more fundamental function in human’s search and eventual attainment of success (Goleman, 1995). Intelligence quotient was previously regarded as the major deciding factor in one’s accomplishment. In the book, this was disputed by Goleman who stated that human’s perspective on IQ is, in fact, a distant and slender version of reality. The book instead stressed the principle of emotional intelligence as the ultimate determinant of a person’s success. Goleman discussed emotional intelligence based from the aspects of one’s consciousness, selflessness, motivation, understanding as well as power to offer love and other endearing emotions while at the same time being loved by people around him (Goleman, 1995). Additionally, the book presented various incidents which proved how people, who exemplified high levels of emotional intelligence and who nurtured their existing emotional strengths, were able to achieve success in their respective areas. In Goleman’s view, emotional intelligence is not inherited or already innate at birth but it can be developed as person matures and its benefits are eventually attained (Goleman, 1995). Focusing on the field of education, the entire book evidently centered its discussion on the emotional intelligence among the students of the young generation. It is at this point that Golemen called on educators and other concerned people in the area of learning to clearly explain to students the nature of emotional intelligence and its evidently positive implications as far as the education of the young ones (Goleman, 1995). In imparting the value of a student’s emotional literacy, the Goleman book also requested the parents to pay attention to the emotional necessities of their children. Adults, on the other hand, need to immediately educate themselves to deal with their respective interpersonal affiliations in a wise manner. Ultimately, the book heightened the beneficial implications of emotional intelligence in the field of education as manifested by the accounts of success which were attributed to the said Goleman concept (Goleman, 1995). â€Å"Emotional Intelligence,† a Critical Analysis The Goleman book is worthy to be examined by presenting the worth or impacts of emotional intelligence as it is compared with IQ and applied in the several stages of human development. Initially based from the characteristic of the human brain, the principle of emotional intelligence as provided by the book concretely challenged that one’s intellect is subjected to limitations. The said position of the book has a sense because in reality, a person is considered intelligent and has a well-defined logic or reasoning aptitude yet this does not holds true as far as decision-making is concern. The book is to be commended with the said stand that the worth of the human brain should not be the determining factor of aptitude but rather one’s emotional intelligence which provides the logic behind every decision. In short, this position is best explained wherein people experience various situations and promptly decide by conforming to what their emotions dictate or simply based from how they feel at the moment and definitely not according to what their mind think. The book specifically illustrated the said position with its initial discussion about the complicated system of the human brain. In particular, the portions of the book where a person’s reaction to a snake as well as the presentations made by Goleman concerning several subject matters such as depression, nervousness, post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, drug dependency and misuse, teenage pregnancy and issues on human relationships are all corroborating facts which confirm the principle that emotional intelligence really matters more than IQ (Goleman 1995). While Goleman was criticized for his apparent inclination towards the promotion of emotional intelligence only among children, he is nonetheless acclaimed for such effort. This is because the book has, in fact, succeeded in imparting the beneficial implications of emotional intelligence especially in the field of education of the young students. In particular, the author is to be credited for his suggestion about several procedures of how to improve the emotional intelligence of children, which he proposed to be done from their schools into their respective homes. Hence, the author is correct with his observation that children particularly students turn out to manifest an increased degree of depression, sadness, hostility and rowdiness as they mature or are provided with more academic information. The book is logical when it attributed the said blunders to children’s limited or even lack of emotional intelligence. The pieces of evidence provided by the book regarding the effects of emotional instability among children need to be concurred by the public. This is because an aggravated level of emotional predicament is possible if the issue is not immediately addressed, if not solved. Emotional intelligence as the book implied, on the other hand, is of similar benefit to the adults. That is why the criticisms, which the book got for it reportedly fell short in discussing emotional intelligence among adults, are not justified. In fact, Goleman has comprehensively discussed the importance of adult’s emotional aptitude and stability because it is perceived that logic or the appropriate level of reasoning of an adult is adequately needed for human relationships. The book is truthful with its revelation that an adult is required to be stable with his emotional intelligence in order to achieve well-accepted interpersonal relations with others. This position was appropriately supported with portions of the book which explained the reason behind the emotions’ creation of several reactions and how an adult gets used to such incidents. In particular, a reader may even feel that Goleman is directly addressing the issues by providing his personal insights about life realities which require the application of emotional intelligence. Other issues discussed by the book are of equal significance in the author’s efforts to explain the value of emotional intelligence in adult’s life. Goleman was rational when he wrote that emotional urges usually surpass the procedure of applying logical thinking. This is primarily what his principle of emotional intelligence suggests. That is, in specific incidents in human life, a person is likely to respond in a way what his emotions dictate as correct reaction rather than what the mind implies to assume and reason out. Simply put, emotional desires supersede the course of logical and coherent thinking. While the public apparently regarded that the book resulted into an unusual debate when it stated that emotional intelligence has a higher percentage of status and applicability than IQ, Goleman should not be totally blamed for neglecting the value of academic abilities. This is because his emotional intelligence principle was in accordance to what the results of his studies implied as well as what his observations suggested. Although the disapproval against the Goleman book may have its justification, it is still fair to note that the author did not totally set aside the worth of IQ or intellectual capabilities in general. What Goleman just did was to destroy the incorrect declarations of IQ testing that it is the ultimate determining factor of success and one’s proficiency. Goleman, through the book, just put the issue in its right perspective. When Goleman claimed that emotional intelligence possess around 80 percent while IQ only has 20 percent as their respective contribution to one’s success, what he really tried to impart is that the said due significance of the two elements was based from what people portray as they respond to life eventualities. Based from the accumulated facts by the author, the book was able to illustrate a more transparent image when a person has to react to an incident wherein, while human both considers both his mind and feeling, he is still inclined to decide over a situation based from what he feels and this is where emotional intelligence sets in. The book was also justified in its suggestion that it is not the human IQ percentage which eventually determines one’s triumph or failure. Thus, what the book and its author presented as components of success, such as the manifestations of emotional intelligence, are things which should not be out rightly disregarded. Goleman was able to support his emotional intelligence principle by providing studies which showed that people with high IQ percentages did not eventually succeed in life or attained any substantial achievements. Instead, the book succeeded in proving that even people with low IQ percentages succeed in the end precisely because they possess an impressively high level of emotional intelligence. Implications in Contemporary Education As previously stated, emotional intelligence is not an inherent ability. One way of emphasizing this idea is the effort made by the Goleman book that people can nurture such principle from the educational system. In fact, the author emphasized that it is critical that emotional intelligence is cultivated as children are introduced to formal learning until they reach their adulthood. This was made known by the book because of the apparent beneficial implications that emotional intelligence provide to people and the society in general. It is in this aspect that both educators and students benefit from reading the book primarily due to its main objective which is to impart the value and advantages of adhering to the nature of emotional intelligence. With learning institutions existing naturally wherein the students and the information derived from such field interact and are connected with each other, it is just practical that it is the proper venue where emotional intelligence may effectively manifest its value and usefulness. This is because it is in schools where students, while learning, are subjected to various incidents which test their respective emotional intelligence capabilities. Appropriate and acceptable responses to these situations are then considered to be as concrete manifestations of the power of emotional intelligence among students. The issue whether emotional intelligence fits the educational system is based according to the implications of the said philosophy to contemporary learning. Given the modern academic standard, it is logical to state that emotional intelligence directly affects how students are taught with various topics and that their specific responses to every situation depict how a high level of emotional intelligence really matter more as far as making decisions are required. While Goleman indicated that it is not totally easy to impart emotional intelligence in today’s school particularly to the level of young students, there are specific ways where the said ability can be used and eventually achieve its purpose of leading the young one into the eventuality of achieving success in the future. Through the guidance of the book and the suggestions offered by Goleman, the public was provided with the idea on how to have emotion-based incidents and emotional intelligence best suit the field of learning. Implications of incorporating emotional intelligence in educational programs are, in fact, existing and are proven in the formulation of curriculum in various learning facilities. Once the principle of emotional intelligence is imparted in education, students manifest self-awareness wherein they monitor and acknowledge their own emotions and they eventually are able to identify the link between ideas, emotions and responses. Additionally, the decision-making ability of students is enhanced by emotional intelligence because they are able to study their actions and the effects of the decision to a particular incident. Above all, emotional intelligence when put into the educational structure ultimately develop one’s overall personality as the students are able to manage their emotions, deal with stress, enhance interpersonal relationship and most importantly develop their individual accountability and ability to correctly resolve problems. Conclusion The principle of emotional intelligence is by itself can be considered as valuable in today’s education. Goleman and his book made it more clear, acceptable and beneficial to the public hence I personally like and commend it. Above all, the book succeeded in its main argument that emotional intelligence is definitely more important than IQ based from the advantageous implications it provided to today’s students. Beyond the controversy, the book ultimately served its very purpose of offering the students and educational system an alternative learning principle which is better or has more substance than what already exists. Reference Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. New York, NY: Bantam.

Business Ethics Essay

INTRODUCTION There are decisions made every day in the business world, some big, some small. The biggest struggle professionals face when making these decisions are the ethical consequences they face. Every decision that is made is going to have an impact on at least one person, no matter the size of the decision. And there are ethical consequences to all decisions. In the following paper I will be comparing Maslow’s Stages of Behavior and Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development with ethical and unethical behaviors of businesses and society. Both Maslow and Kohlberg have established a hierarchy of either behavior or moral development. I will take both of these hierarchies and apply them to the behavior of business and society, as well as including service-to-self and service-to-others concepts. BACKGROUND (MASLOW & KOHLBERG) Before we can discuss how Malsow and Kohlberg play a role in ethical and unethical behaviors in business and society, it is necessary to understand the values of these theories, beginning with Maslow’s Stages of Behavior. Malsow presents these stages in a hierarchical format, beginning with the lowest order, up to the highest level. The first level is physiological needs, followed by safety, love/belonging, esteem, and finally reaching the highest level of self-actualization. 1 In this hierarchy the first level is usually achieved before reaching the second level, and this continues along the hierarchy. Therefore, the ultimate level of reaching self-actualization isn’t usually achieved until all lower levels have been reached and in a sense, conquered. Similar to this theory is Kohlberg’s stages of moral development. Kohlberg’s theory also states that the stages are reached in an order and one must be reached before the next, but can stop at any point, so that the highest level is not attainable by everyone. 2 Kohlberg’s stages of moral development consist of three levels and six stages. The first level is Pre-conventional morality (stages 1-2): Obedience and Punishment, Individualism and Exchange. The second level is Conventional morality (stages 3-4): Good Interpersonal Relationships, and Maintaining the Social Order. The third level is Post-conventional morality (stages 5-6): Social Contract and Individual rights, and Universal principles.3 FOCUS ON UPPER LEVELS For both Maslow and Kohlberg there is a heavy emphasis on reaching the final stage or level. Reaching the self-actualization stage of Maslow’s stages shows that one has fully developed behavior, and moral behavior. Reaching the final stage of universal principles of Kohlberg’s stages shows that one has fully developed morally, very similar to Maslow. For Maslow’s stages a person is capable of reaching this final stage and then regressing back to lower stages.4Usually reaching this higher stage is only temporary and is seen as peak experience.4 This could be in a sort of out of body experience. But once someone has reached this stage, it usually impacts them for the rest of their life, and they do not immediately go back down to lower levels. This stage could also be called, or is known as having integrity.5 This integrity is for oneself and for others, including â€Å"a total commitment to the highest standards of behavior†. 5 This is where ethical and moral reasoning and behavior comes into play. People who have reached or have experienced the highest level of Maslow are going to act morally and ethically in their behavior. The last stage of Kohlberg is universal principles. This stage â€Å"defines the principles by which we achieve justice†. 6 To me this stage entitles treating everyone with dignity. This reminds me of the integrity involved in the highest stage of Maslow. In this stage every human being is given equal respect and is treated with the highest dignity. People who have reached the highest stage of Maslow would not vote for a law or agree with anything that causes some harm to others while helping the majority.6 ETHICAL AND UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR Now that the theories and stages of Maslow and Kohlberg have been discussed, it is necessary to see how these stages play a part in making either ethical or unethical decisions in the workplace and in society. The first example to take a look at is the behavior of students cheating in school. This is a common example, but it could easily be applied to employees stealing from a company, or anyone taking shortcuts in life to get ahead. Many people would agree that cheating would correlate to students with less moral and ethical values. During a study by Kohlberg, it was seen that 70% of the students on the pre-conventional level have been found to cheat.7 The pre-conventional level indicates that people are not fully morally developed. These people seem to lack moral development, and therefore will act unethically. The people at these lower levels do not have the respect and dignity for others that the upper level people do. Because this is the case they are more willing to cheat, and don’t feel guilty for what they are doing. This can easily be transpired into the business world. People cheat and steal money because they have no respect or dignity for the people that they are affecting. They will not take into consideration all of the stakeholders at risk because of their actions. Take for example, Bernie Madoff and the scandal at Enron. This is a case famous across many business environments, for unethical behavior that caused harm to many stakeholders. No one would disagree that Madoff was a very savvy and smart business man. But, because of his actions he would fall into a lower level of Maslow. SERVICE TO SELF AND OTHERS People who have reached the highest level of Maslow (peakers, we will call them), and those who have achieved the highest level of development Kohlberg presents will have a service-to-others attitude. These people are less materialistic, and are more socially concerned.8 There seems to be a correlation between people in upper level Maslow who have higher levels of ethical development, and those who are in the upper stage of Kohlberg and have higher levels of moral development.8 This correlation also relates to how these people treat those who are around them. They are not self-centered and are instead focused on the well being of everyone around them. As mentioned before, they seem to be concerned with giving every human being the respect and dignity that they deserve. If someone is concerned with the way that they are treating others, this is seen as a moral consideration. And if they are concerned with how well they are treating themselves, it is seen as a non-moral consideration.8 So, those who are focused on service-to-others instead of service-to-self are more likely to belong to the higher levels of Maslow and Kohlberg. Those who are more concerned with themselves and have a service-to-self attitude; they are stuck in the lower levels. They are still trying to achieve the basic needs that Maslow sets out. HOW IT ALL FITS INTO AN ORGANIZATION The most difficult part about these two theories, are what they have to do with an organization, how employers can utilize this information to better motivate their employees, and people are going to treat themselves and others within the levels of Maslow and Kohlberg. One of the biggest examples of this, are how these theories can be incorporated into a non-profit organization. These organizations would be more known for their ethical behavior than most other companies. These companies can obtain an ethical culture by following and paying attention to the hierarchy of values that Maslow proposed.9 Maslow noted that in order to achieve the highest value the previous needs have to have been met. If a company takes this into consideration than they should make sure the lower needs of the employees are being met, if they expect them to behave ethically. This leads to an ethical culture. In the article that discusses this they translate the individual levels of Maslow into levels that an organization should achieve. These levels or needs are financial competence, accountability, reciprocity, respect, and integrity.9 They feel that in order to employees to attain the ethical values and culture that is wanted, the lower needs must first be met. This may include wage benefits and giving employees more responsibility to begin with. Eventually employees will feel a sense of respect from the employer and will work their way up to level 5. If all of the employees at this company are at the level 5, then they have an ethical culture. This is a way to apply the theories of Maslow and Kohlberg into an organization, even if is a for profit company, and achieve the ethical culture that is desired. CONCLUSION To sum up, Maslow and Kohlberg have developed a hierarchy of needs and stages of moral development, respectively. It is possible to use these models to understand the ethical and unethical behavior of people in businesses and in society. There is a focus on achieving self-actualization and universal principles. If someone has reached this level of self-actualization it transforms their identity, and they are more apt to act morally and ethically. In the same sense, those who are in the universal principle level of Kohlberg, treat all humans with the respect, integrity, and dignity that they deserve. The people in these upper levels are also known to have a service-to-others attitude, instead of service-to-others. Lastly, companies can use this information to make sure the basic needs of their employees are being met, in order to achieve an ethical corporate culture. ENDNOTES 1. SADRI, GOLNAZ, and R. CLARKE BOWEN. 2011. â€Å"Meeting EMPLOYEEE requirements: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is still a reliable guide to motivating staff.† Industrial Engineer: IE 43, no. 10: 44-48. 2. Walker, Lawrence J. 1982. â€Å"The Sequentiality of Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development.† Child Development 53, no. 5: 1330-1336., 1330-1336. 3. W.C. Crain. (1985). Theories of Development. Prentice-Hall. 4. Christopher, John Chambers, Guy J. Manaster, Robert L. Campbell, and Michael B. Weinfeld. 2002. â€Å"Peak Experiences, Social Interest, and Moral Reasoning: An Exploratory Study.† Journal Of Individual Psychology 58, no. 1: 35 5. Strickland, Ruth Ann, and Shannon K. Vaughan. 2008. â€Å"The Hierarchy of Ethical Values in Nonprofit Organizations.† Public Integrity 10, no. 3: 233-235 6. W.C. Crain. (1985). Theories of Development. Prentice-Hall. 7. Emerci, Çetin. 2006. â€Å"THE OPINIONS OF MEDICINE FACULTY STUDENTS REGARDING CHEATING IN RELATION TO KOHLBERG’S MORAL DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT.† Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal 34, no. 1: 41-49 8. Christopher, John Chambers, Guy J. Manaster, Robert L. Campbell, and Michael B. Weinfeld. 2002. â€Å"Peak Experiences, Social Interest, and Moral Reasoning: An Exploratory Study.† Journal Of Individual Psychology 58, no. 1: 35 9. Strickland, Ruth Ann, and Shannon K. Vaughan. 2008. â€Å"The Hierarchy of Ethical Values in Nonprofit Organizations.† Public Integrity 10, no. 3: 233-235

Problems With Drinking Water Supplies in Kenya Essay example

Water is a bare necessity both for the survival of an individual and a nation. Freshwater scarcity has become a global concern as the projected worldwide demand on water exceeds supplies. Less developed countries in particular are currently suffering from severe water shortages and water contamination. #8230;half the population of our civilized world suffers today with water services inferior to those of the ancient Greeks and Romans#8230;In many developing countries, cholera, dysentery, and other water related diseases are on the upswing. (Gleick,1999) Kenya, Africa is one such case. Kenyas population is approximately 105,000, with a high infant mortality rate and an average life expectancy of 58. Average water conditions†¦show more content†¦Most crops are harvested in poor soil and produce low yields, providing inadequate nutrition and food supplies. Poverty and poor education contribute to the problem. 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