Critical Analysis: The Loudest Duck - Book Report/Review Example

Critical Analysis: The Loudest Duck Book Summary Laura Liswood is Goldman Sach’s senior adviser on diversity issues. She is also the secretary general of the council of women world leaders. The council comprises of women heads of governments, prime ministers, and presidents. In her work, she examines the connection between diversity and financial success. The financial scope is projected by the fact that profit-and-loss systems do not capture benefits that diversity creates. For that reason, many benefits are not quantifiable. The Loudest Duck is a business-based book that investigates workplace diversity. The book profoundly analyzes practical stories that offer an alternate, nuanced approach to diversity. Justifiably, the book creates a practical approach to the workplace for all. Give that the book provides a contemporary approach to Workplace Diversity, the book champions the importance of Positive Corporate Image in supporting affirmative action programs. As well, the book justifies that companies that implement high-quality diversity programs benefits from positive publicity and public confidence, at least in the short term. The incoming research will critically analyzes the findings of the books alongside other studies conducted in class. Major Points The major points delineated in the book are women, the marginalized, leadership, empowerment and affirmative action. In particular, Liswood brings the point of gender equality especially as projected in education. In her argument, Liswood tries to justify that girls do not succeed since they lack practical motivations from top leadership. Justifiably, Liswood explains the difference in quality that deem the female character in a different way, that is listening and collaborative approaches. According to Liswood, the female intuition might be more about survival tactics in the face of dominant groups than an inherent gender trait. The book further investigates the minority racial and subservient groups. The book further analyzes the doctrine of failure as accorded to women. That is how especially there are minuscule numbers at the top and their joint destroying tendencies if they get there. As well, Liswood focuses on women in developing countries, who are impoverished, uneducated and facing a number of social challenges. Broadly, the book tries to empower these women on a possibility of challenging incubating leadership. The book focuses on equipping the women to participate in business activities from which they are historically excluded in their communities. As well, the book empowers women who are involved learning enough to understand the needs and the challenges they face due to their traditional social status. This required the skills of valuing and leveraging diversity, as the sponsor at feminine positions in the society. As such, the book quotes the Goldman programs, in which program leaders can target the assistance that they would be to most beneficial to these women. The book focuses on competency, sponsoring and naturally complements the first two. As such, sponsorship aids the success of an initiative or an individual. The book applies a wide range of contexts. Decisively, the book encourages women to sponsor their development agenda as a way of expanding their impact on the social advantage. In particular, the book encourages that the success can be evaluated by achieving the diverse perspectives as they increase the success that value can be achieved by practicing effective sponsorship. For that reason, the book sponsors the skills that decide on what and where to provide support for the growing number of willing and able women. The book draws a set of skills to effective coaches to demonstrate how to identify the gaps and performance inside a business context. The book coaches others to succeed and know when to take action on their behalf, which in this case does not come naturally to some executives who might have achieved their own success without being self-aware of how they got there. In fact, the book seems to justify that leaders do not always recognize their way of their actions to create or undermine other leaders. Hence, it is clear that in business leadership, the book recognizes humankind civilization, and not masculine dominion. Author’s concept Heavily, Liswood brings the concept that for development to occur there should be a consideration of both sexes. In fact, he develops Noah’s theory of both sexes. In particular, she heavily discusses the concept of leadership as applied to gender diversity. According to Liswood, the capacity to effectively understand and negotiate in a gendered environment includes the maximum utilization of knowledge, processing, motivation and cognitive processing. She, however, attempts to justify that many of the diversity initiatives have been successful on paper, but not in practice (IV). She, therefore, extends her campaign on the corporate arena where she seems to campaign that gender diversity adds value to the company operations. Liswood is compelled by the fact that the diversity points to differences along the dimensions of race, gender, ethnicity, social-economic status, physical abilities, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, and other ideologies in attempting to justify gender diversity. Concisely, Liswood seems to advocate that diversity performance might be attributed to the interaction between individual differences. In particular, Liswood is compelled by the fact that gender is the psychological differences and experiences attached to being male or female. For that reason, gender diversity brings to an organization multiple skills, backgrounds and knowledge perspectives. The combination of different knowledge skills encourages such diversity. As well, Liswood conceptualizes the concept of diversity as any characteristics that serve as a basis for social categorization, self-identifications, visible and no visible management. In this case, visible characteristics are those which include, sex, race, physical appearance, dialect, speech patterns and language. On the other hand, non-visible characteristics are those, which include differences such as religion occupation, national origin, club, or social group membership, sexual orientation or sexual orientation. From that justification, Liswood advocates that most organizations scholarship on diversity in the workplace focuses on visible social identities as gender, race, and age. From Liswood point of view, social identity is derived from the groups, statuses or categorization that the individual is socially recognized as being a member of Social categorization. As well, social identity theories that assert that individual classify themselves and other into social categorization using salient and available characteristics, for instance, age, sex, race and social interaction. The multiple analyses that Liswood introduces seems to advocate that workplace diversity mostly overlook the invisible social identities. As well, she analyzes the consequences of stigma in the workplace, which are readily quantified. That is the literature on organizational diversity, for instance, women or racial minorities. Justifiably, Liswood is seen to argue that the stigmatized identity have suffered job losses, limited career advancement, difficulty in finding a mentor and isolation at work. For that reason, Liswood argues that to avoid the negative consequences of stigmatization it is advisable to spread an extension to the stigmatized invisible social identifies that might struggle with whether or not as well to reveal their differences in an organizational setting. Accordingly, this causes stress and anxiety in the workplace social interactions. Hence, it is clear from the text that invisible social identities invoke some distinct issues, which cannot easily collapse under traditional organizational diversity. As such, Liswood explores synthetic thinking to emphasize on a development of ideas and insights from existing concepts. In her argument, she uses the theory of the Noah’s ark to explore the effectiveness of the collaborative leadership as particularly adept at building the ideas of others. In fact, she translates them into relative goals of a business division working with their counterparts. By applying diversity, organizations stand a greater position to maximize profit from the bloated sales ratios. Reflectively, Liswood believes that boardroom diversity has gained focus as the concept of corporate governance is gaining strength. There are many facets of boardroom diversity given that gender diversity in particular catches attention of various companies. Significantly, board composition should much the company through strategic needs. In fact, seems to justify if diversity is properly applied, the business environment will and the company will evolve positively. Reflectively, the shareholders and the key people will attach importance to the value diverse perspectives, which bring prosperity. Liswood advocates that boards should be sensitive to boardroom composition and diversity needs as well as concerns. She further argues that boardroom should consider whether their boardroom culture and processes would advocate for change. In fact, they should assess individual capacities and contribution to annual along with ensuring that company’s strategic directions are met while evaluating the board composition. In addition, she justifies that a gender diverse workforce can produce high-quality decisions given that men and women bring different perspectives leading to varied alternatives. Accordingly, these varied alternatives are then evaluated from multiple angles, leading to a better understanding of the influence on both soft and hard measures of organizational performance such as corporate reputation and financial performance. In particular, Liswood attempts to justify that resources such as market insights, creativity and innovation can only make a substantial impact if both sexes are involved in their provision. Creative ideas can lead to competitive strategies, which are rare. These resources are easily accessed and copied by homogeneous organizations. Liswood attempts to justify that in organizational gender perspectives could be associated with intangible and socially complex resources, which can provide the firm with sustained competitive advantages. To justify that, Liswood pulls her argument that changing times have highlighted the opportunity for aggressive, innovative competitors while threatening the strengths and survival of those too slow to respond. In other words, the turbulence in economic, technological and behavioral challenges companies any indifferent sectors of the economy. As a result, the historical record of industries faces major discontinuities. Supportively, leaders who bring about constructive change have a central message, which is heavily supported by carefully orchestrated drama and symbolism. What things are important to the Author Importantly, the author seems to explore the impact of gender equality on the quality of leadership and the prosperity of the organization. She believes that a single sex cannot produce the required results given that the need to balance with the opposite sex is present. As such, we would fit her specification in the organizational behavior largely in the context of leadership. The justifications being explored in the text present clear-cut evidence that leadership is a gender sensitive topic that requires balancing between the two sexes. Liswood is compelled by the notion that the difference between male and female practices is a challenging process that enables others to act. Significant evidence, from stories and studies in the book, justifies that gender positively influences leadership and work satisfaction. As such, is compelled by the nation that transformation leadership approach could help women to adopt both female and leadership roles. The outcomes of the survey justify that there are no significance differences in male and female managers. As well, it is important to the author to establish diversity-related goals. This conduct ensures that organizational diversity climate is properly assessed and can serve as needs of the assessment. From the text, it is clear leaders develop needs based on diversity initiatives, which are responsible for the implementation and are more likely to accept change. Accordingly, periodic assessment of the climate for diversity also enables leaders to learn about success, as well as areas for improvement. It is clear from the author that a properly gendered organization will have an opportunity to benchmark best practices within departments or function that could have utility for organization-wide approach. Additionally, it is clear from the author that developing needs based goals and initiatives, leaders should communicate about diversity in ways that positively frame it. For that reason, it is clear that strategic learning opportunities for the organization are achievable given that the effectiveness of the organization is achieved if top managers champion diversity as a tool for effectiveness that overcome internal organizational challenges. Precisely, the author can be said to argue that leaders should communicate that diversity creates an opportunity to learn about new practices and markets that can improve and expand the business. As well, the author attempts to justify crucial part of effective framing involves tying diversity goals to the business. By tying effective framing, it is possible for the organization to achieve goals of prosperity. In simpler words, leaders will consistently communicate the role of diversity in helping the organization to accomplish diversity at different learning points. Likewise, the author can be said to sponsor accountability. In this case, in a diversity conscious environment, it will be possible to ensure that human resources practices and decisions are applied effectively. Supportively, one criterion where managers are promoted to senior levels is the extent to which they have identified and developed effective working on race, gender, sexuality and physical ability. Besides, under the umbrella of organizational management, the author is seen to support readiness of both sexes. Justifiably, in a diverse conscious environment, readiness refers to understanding of complexities of diversity in the organization and the society. Likewise, readiness for leadership is seen as a means that leaders have explored diversity complexities for their lives. In this case, self-exploration and zeal of understanding how privilege and ethnocentrism operate within the organization and lives. Reflectively, leaders should establish diversity readiness by reflecting their own identities and the ways it has afforded the leadership advantages are achieved. Incorporating Approaches from class In relation to the approach we discussed in class, we note that the author heavily supports our approach as relevant, guided, important and contemporary. In our class, we affirmed the importance of gender equality in an organization setting the influence of gender equality in enhancing proper corporate governance primarily. Our studies have had specific statements, which understand the essence of gender equality and history or gender from a global perspective. Our efforts have been instrumental in producing an institutional environment for promoting and securing accountability of gender discussion. The course study involved establishing basic gender equality principles on which are applied to work out programs. In our findings, we have established that there are important links between gender equality policies and the organization itself. A gender-sensitive work environment and harassment issues within the organization, and hence the commitment to gender mainstreaming work programs. Subsequently, we established in class that organizations, which were a poor performance on gender equality within their organizations, could be assumed to perform poorly on gender mainstreaming. As well, we have established that organizations with poor records on open and flexible management styles are extremely hierarchical structures lacked a potential to do well on gender mainstreaming. That is in accordance with Liswood specifications. There have been calls for presentations and discussions, which are important in integrating women into critical decisions making. As well, our studies have been parallel to Liswood’s findings in that there are huge gaps between policy commitment to women’s empowerment and gender equality and the resource allocation to meet the goals set. As such, both the studies and the book seem to promote women’s equitable access to public resources and mainstreaming a gender perspective into national development frameworks. Our studies have also stressed the importance the issues of good governance. This has had a wide participation on transparency and accountability of resource management. The book stresses that it is advisable to empower women in relation to the development of understanding the budget process at national and local levels, which is in order to be able to initiate an informed dialogue within the budget and finance departments. Thus in contexts of what we have learned, the importance of incorporating a gender perspective into all the issues facing the organization’s key developments is paramount. The issues of investment, external debt management, trade, and development assistance will be approached in a diverse manner. Comparison of Recommendations and conclusion It is clear from the critique presented, that the success of the organization depends on the quality of gender sensitive approaches, alongside diversity concerns. The research has deeply explored the merits of gender sensitivity before passing critical justifications. Reflectively, it is clear from the research that incorporating gender sensitive approach encourages a higher output given that their personal contribution in a fair environment expands intrinsic contribution. As well, it is clear from the research that the fact that women alongside other marginalized groups play an equal role in the development process. Rightly, addressing gender disparity and the prevalence of gender stereotypes in the workplace will encourage incoming generations to be more productive. In summary, the gender sensitive topics being explored by the author expands positive inter-gender competition, hence, like the organization, societies and nations will stand a great deal of humankind success. Works Cited Laura, Liswood A. The Loudest Duck: Moving Beyond Diversity While Embracing Differences to Achieve Success at Work. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Internet resource. Read More