Critical Thinking

Looking under the microscope at one simple problem and it will be apparent that there are countless appendages squirming around the nucleus. As in the movies "Analyze This" and "Analyze That" there was a problem that needed to be solved. This problem stemmed from the head of a mob organization and was solved adequately but in an unorthodox method. The similarities between analyzing this problem for the mob and analyzing a problem in a business setting, such as unprofessional behavior, is that there should be a procedure full of steps. These steps are both concrete and flexible given the stage of analysis. Management has the advantage of learning from past problems and mistakes to adapt to future problems. However, this flexibility should become concrete when the problem is under the microscope. The only way to effectively address the given problem is to ask the right questions and analyze them accordingly. These upcoming questions are used to obtain valuable insight and offer a clear and concise means of dealing with the problem.

Critical thinking is imperative to each and every question in the following paragraphs. Without this tool the business setting would be filled with unnecessary shortcomings and wouldn't have the proper amount of logic to ask the right questions. The eight questions are steps to identify the problem and give clear and concise insight.

People can tell when there is a problem by certain signs. In the business setting the same is true. Being aware of unmotivated, unproductive workers is a tell tale sign of problems. With unprofessional behavior the symptoms all point to one direction, and that is the lack of respect. Nancy Bono chimes her discord with "the common occurrence of disrespect in business is troubling." (2006) In the case of sexual harassment the signs could be the amount of male workers conversing with female workers about personal related matters. This should not be the case because professional relationships should only care about the business at hand. Another sign of an unwanted event is from the attire and individual wears and the type of attitude they have when wearing those cloths. Seductive clothing shouldn't be allowed in businesses because of the distractions it causes and the loss of time and profitability. In present day, many sales associates accentuate their bodily features to make a sale but ethically speaking the product should sell itself. In business there should be respect for coworkers, management, other companies, and most importantly for yourself.

The goal for all business is to have their employees to have 100% productivity and problems will be avoided by hard work. That would work in a fantasy land but not in reality. Every business has problems but the ways they counter them determines how the weeds will be rooted out. During the hiring process some of these weeds should be pulled out to avoid future disruptions in the organization. Sexual harassment briefings will be given to address the problem head on, and tell the prospect how this unprofessional behavior will be handled. If an inappropriate business relationship arises management should refer to the company ethic handbook to frame the problem and how to move forward. Having a standard set makes future punishment more of a black and white decision.

"Physics teaches us that for every action there is a reaction" (Schatz, 2004), and it is no different in business. Exploring the effects of unprofessional behavior leaves the undesired result of the loss of cash flow. From the business standpoint the bottom line is a commandment and anything that alters the bottom line in a negative way is a problem. Not only will the effects be in the monetary aspect but it will also tinker with the credibility of the business. This loss in credibility will only further make the financial figures dip lower. The court costs from sexual harassment hearings will dry up the profits once achieved. Once the media has scrutinized the situation other companies might not want to continually conduct business because of the scandal. When that occurs the original organization will loose clientele that has helped support the functions of business operations. The worst case scenario of effects that unprofessional behavior could obtain is a total loss of business because of these two factors. Let's hope management can cure the disease before the death of the company happens.

Unprofessional behavior happens at a personal level while management would like the employees to leave personal differences outside the work place. Sexual harassment can be solved with the cooperation of all individuals involved, but it is impossible to control people's actions. Through mentoring and seminars, management can give the affected parties the chance to learn through mistakes and begin anew. "Mentoring may combine affective support, such as offering a sympathetic ear, with instruction in professional behavior and tasks." (Barker & Cohoon, 2006) If this didn't work then the company could move the affected individuals to different work stations. This would work better in a large company because they could be relocated to different corporate buildings. When this isn't the case the best possible option for management would be to dismiss the accused and boost the morale of the existing workers. This brings back the idea of treating others with respect and keeping a professional attitude within the business.

This next issue is the base by which we can elaborate on the effects of unprofessional behavior covered in previous text. The causes of sexual harassment are the direct result of inappropriate relations at a professional setting. The most stigmatizing portrayal of unprofessional behavior happened in the White House when "the President of the United States tangentially admitted he had an "inappropriate relationship" with Monica Lewinsky." (Durst, 2000) Seductive clothing worn by females to flirting between coworkers inevitably attribute to these actions. Some of these petty infractions could be ignored, but that should not be the case. Having a firm standard within the business will help avoid