Running Head THE CULTURAL NORMS OF POVERTY .docx

Running Head: THE CULTURAL NORMS OF POVERTY
1
THE CULTURAL NORMS OF POVERTY
5
Essay Outline
1) Introduction
a) Author names and titles regarding the readings
b) Background information and summary
c) Thesis statement
2) Body Paragraphs
a) Topic sentence
b) Proof of thesis with examples
c) Direct quotes from readings
d) Indirect quotes from readings
3) Conclusion
a) Thesis analysis
b) Summary of the essay
c) Conclusion of the entire analysis
The Cultural Norms of Poverty
Introduction
The topics "How I Discovered the Truth about Poverty" by
Barbara Ehrenreich, "Seeing and Making Culture: Representing
the Poor" by bell hooks and "The Rise of the Working Poor" by
Richard Reich, all are discussing about the poverty in our
culture and the reasons of people who are poor. Why are they
poor? What made them think they are poor and also who exactly
are the ones working this society? The truth about the poor
people is that they do their best to earn and work for this
society, in which the people with status eat on their hard work

and efforts.
Body
Poor people are not mostly welcomed by the rich people in their
rich standards and stylish lives. They aren't even allowed to sit
with them or have the same dish. Because of these norms, kids
in schools are also doing the same deeds with other kids which
is a never ending chain. When these kids grow up from schools,
there are institutes that are further categorized in the domain of
expensive institutes that are specifically for rich people and
government institutes where all the poor people re supposed to
go. According to these standards, the poor students aren't even
assigned higher ranking jobs.
Barbara is discussing her life in her readings on how she came
to know who is poor and why is she thinking herself as poor
too. She is an author who worked hard for herself to accomplish
the standards in a difficult way by not giving up. She made her
way through education even though she was told that she’s not
meant to be where she wanted to be (Ehrenreich).
“To be impoverished is to be an internal alien, to grow up in a
culture that is radically different from the one that dominates
the society.” (p.16)
In this quote, she is trying to inform how a poor person feels. It
is obvious he grew up in a poor family, now he is criticizing
and thinking what if he had been born in a rich one? A poor
person's dreams and fantasies are never coming true. They
dream of knowing that fact. They don't try too hard because
they know that if they have to try hard, then it means they have
to do more than their abilities just to fulfil one of their wishes.
This is why the majority doesn't do anything about it. They
know they don't belong in the rich people's lives. To them, they
are street rats or aliens. Children have to grow up in such
circumstances doing labour daily.
Bell hooks are supporting Barbara's truth and talking about
society with their pre developed culture and school of thoughts.
He is discussing why a poor person remains poor even in the
end and those of them who are trying hard; they get nothing but

miserable and demotivating remarks from the society (Hooks).
Even the new generation thinks about the poor in a bad way.
They don’t consider them people who are worth talking about,
which is utterly wrong (p.486-488). These factors are just mere
thoughts that are being passed onto people. Hook states that
“Value was connected to integrity, to being honest and
hardworking.” (p.488)
Indeed those who work hard are the ones who are truly valuable.
The rich people are simply the bread eaters of this society who
do nothing and who nothing about how things are actually done.
They have hands with soft palms. They have no experience of
hardships or sweating to earn. Instead, wealth is simply handed
over to them. Richard is not showing the poor as the poor
people, though. He is stating the facts of our lives. People who
are rich are not exactly rich. He is claiming that the poor people
are the ones who are the breadwinners and the workers of the
society we live in. They are the ones who are earning in reality
(Reich).
Robert is of the view that the Americans are more into this
cultural norm. He states that Americans had their ancestors
gather all the wealth which has been distributed among their
children and grandchildren. After that, it is simply being used
by them, and they don't even have to work. He says that the
non-working rich of the society were paying taxations up to 30
per cent in the late 1908s but now that has further reduced to 20
per cent. This means that 80 per cent of the taxes are paid by
the people who are working hard day and night for themselves
(p.740-749).
Conclusion
The society we live in has a predefined and pre-outlined step of
procedures already. We are simply following or being led by the
higher ups. They are controlling us from the schools of thoughts
that are engraved in our minds. Because of this, our culture is
mainly based on two categories. The rich rule and the poor
work. The rich aren't rich because they made efforts; rather,
they are rich because they are living on the efforts made by the

poor.
The poor consider themselves low lives or aliens. They think
they live in a society where they have no worth. Because of
this, most of them don't make efforts to change their lifestyles.
The bitter truth of being poor is that wherever they go, they
won't be accepted by the rich. However, they are the ones
running the society. If they stop working, the rich will be
devastated because they have no idea of how something is done.
References
Ehrenreich, Barbara. How I Discovered the Truth About
Poverty. n.d.
https://herculodge.typepad.com/critical_thinker/2015/11/how-i-
discovered-the-truth-about-poverty-by-barbara-ehrenreich.html.
11 march 2015.
Hooks, Bell. "Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the
Poor." Pichpanharath, 2018.
https://prath37420052.wordpress.com/2018/04/30/seeing-and-
making-culture-representing-the-poor-by-bell-hooks-486-492/.
Reich, Robert. The Rise of the Working Poor and the Non-
Working Rich. 30 march 2015.
https://robertreich.org/post/115067624170.
BREITT, STARR, & DIAMOND LLC
Case Study #2 (pg. 368-369)
Discussion Questions:
1. Assume that hiring a General Manager of Operations was a
good idea. What leadership style would be most effective in this
position (General Manager of Operations)? Why?

2. What leader behaviors did Brad Howser exhibit? How well
did they fit the needs of the ad agency?
3. Consider your own leadership style. What are some of your
tendencies, and how might you change your perspective?
368 Part Four Leading: Mobilizing People
bat27644_ch12_340-369.indd 368 11/14/17 06:29 PM
you would be willing to work two extra days per week for a
month. After you explained that you could work only your
usual three days per week due to college and other commit-
ments, your boss threatened to cut your hours indefinitely.

Given how much you need the money, you grudgingly
agreed to work the two extra days per week.
Your manager is using _____ power to persuade you
to work the two extra days per week.
Scenario #3:
Assume you were recently promoted to assistant man-
ager of the bank in your hometown. You are friends with
the employees who now report to you. You notice that they
still treat you like a buddy and do not seem to respect you
in your new role. You decide that it will be in everyone’s
best interest if you assert yourself by reminding them that
you are now their manager (and not their buddy). This is a
challenging transition, but you feel the need to have their
respect now that you are the manager.
You are using _____ power to encourage employees
to respect you in your new role as assistant manager.
Scenario #4:
Assume you are an experienced marketer of outdoor
adventure trips. You recently changed jobs. While working
for your previous employer, Outdoor Adventures, you cre-
ated several successful marketing programs that resulted
in a 30 percent increase in sales over a three-year period.
Now that you recently joined Eco Tours & Adventures, none
of your co-workers knows the extent of your marketing
knowledge. Your goal is to increase your power within the
company. You decide to develop a really impactful and cre-
ative marketing campaign unlike any used by Eco Tours &
Adventures in the past.
You are using _____ power to increase your influence
at Eco Tours & Adventures.

Scenario #5:
Assume you are a salesperson and just found out that your
organization’s largest client is thinking about moving its busi-
ness to one of your competitors. If this happens, you will lose
about 30 percent of your commission this year, not to men-
tion the loss of revenue to your company. You decide to rush
over to see your contact at the client company. You spend
two hours listening to why the client might leave and ask
repeatedly what your company can do to make things right.
You are nervous, but still use your charm and sense of humor
to convince your contact that you and your company deserve
one more chance. Your contact agrees to get you a meeting
with the CEO and to put in a good word for your company.
She says she is doing this because she likes you (profession-
ally) and doesn’t want to see you lose the business.
You are using _____ power to convince your contact
that you and your company deserve another chance.
Josh Breitt, Rachel Starr, and Justin Diamond started an
advertising agency to serve the needs of small businesses
selling in and around their metropolitan area. Breitt contrib-
uted clever ideas and a talent for writing scripts and woo-
ing clients. Starr brought a wealth of media contacts, and
Diamond handled the artwork. Their quirky ad campaigns
soon attracted a stream of projects from car dealers, com-
munity banks, and a carpet store. Since the agency’s first
year, these clients have kept the bills paid while the three
win contracts from other companies. Breitt, Starr & Diamond
(BS&D) prospered by helping clients keep up with the times,
and the agency grew to meet the demand, adding a book-
keeper, a graphic artist, a web designer, two salespeople, a
social media expert, and a retired human resource manager,
who works 10 hours per week.

As the firm grew, the three partners felt they were con-
stantly being pulled away from their areas of expertise to
answer questions and solve problems about how to coordi-
nate work, define jobs, and set priorities. They realized that
none of them had any management training—and none of
them had ever wanted to be a manager. They decided to
hire a manager for a position they would call general man-
ager of operations. That person would be responsible for
supervising the employees, making sure expenses didn’t go
over budget, and planning the resources (including people)
needed for further growth.
The partners interviewed several candidates and hired
Brad Howser, a longtime administrator for a four-physician
medical office. Howser spent the first few weeks quietly
studying BS&D’s financial data and observing employees
at work. Then he became more outspoken and assertive.
Although the partners had never cared to monitor what
time employees came or left, Howser began requiring
all employees to start by 9:00 each morning. The graphic
artist and one of the salespeople complained that flexible
hours were necessary for their child care arrangements, but
Howser was unyielding. He also questioned whether the
employees had been shopping carefully for supplies, indi-
cating that from then on, he would be making all purchases,
and only after the employees submitted their requests on a
form of his design. Finally, to promote what he called team
spirit, Howser began scheduling weekly Monday-morning
Concluding Case
B R E I T T, S TA R R & D I A M O N D L L C
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bat27644_ch12_340-369.indd 369 11/14/17 06:29 PM
Leadership Chapter 12 369
staff meetings. He would offer motivational thoughts based
on his experience at his previous job and invite the employ-
ees to share any work-related concerns or ideas they might
have. Generally, the employees chose not to share.
Initially, the partners were impressed with Howser’s vigor-
ous approach to his job. They felt more productive than they
had been in years because Howser was handling employee
concerns himself. Then the top salesperson quit, followed
by the social media expert. The bookkeeper asked if she
might meet with the partners. “Is it something you should be
discussing with Brad?” Rachel asked her. The bookkeeper
replied that, no, it was about Brad. All the employees were
unhappy with him, and more were likely to leave.
D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S
1. Assume that hiring a general manager of operations
was a good idea. What leadership style would be most
effective in this position? Why?
2. What leader behaviors did Brad Howser exhibit? How
well did they fit the needs of the ad agency?
3. Consider your own leadership style. What are some
of your tendencies, and how might you change your
perspective?
Design elements: Lightbulb icon that indicates innovation:
©McGraw-Hill Education; Money icon that indicates cost:
©McGraw-Hill

Education; Recycle icon that indicate sustainability: ©McGraw-
Hill Education; Human head with headset that indicate service:
©McGraw-
Hill Education; Letter Q icon that indicates quality: ©McGraw-
Hill Education; Sand dial that indicates speed: ©McGraw-Hill
Education`
Final PDF to printer
Running head: BREITT, STARR & DIAMOND CASE STUDY 1
Breitt, Starr & Diamond Case Study
Tony Archuleta-Perkins
New England College

BREITT, STARR & DIAMOND CASE STUDY
2
Abstract
Transformational leadership approach would be the best
solution for Breitt, Starr & Diamond
LLC. The three founders never wanted to be leaders, they
wanted to focus on their creative
expertise. The four behaviors that define transformational
leadership exemplify the culture need
at Breitt, Starr & Diamond LLC. The newly hired general
manager, Brad Howser followed an
authoritarian leadership model. This approach was upsetting
with the existing team, as they were
not included in paradigm shift of leadership and strategy of the
company. Howser’s approach to
leadership was also transactional in nature. This approach was
very efficient financially and was

the first to launch internal controls. In the beginning of my
own career, I would consider myself
a Country Club Manager, as I wanted to please everyone. Over
the years, I have to learned to
transform into Team Management approach.
Keywords: leadership, culture shifts, paradigms, behaviors
3
Transformational leadership would be the best approach for the
case study of Breitt, Starr
& Diamond LLC. The company was formed with the three of
them, each bringing their
specialized creative expertise. The agency had grown so much
that it required hiring of seven
new employees to help sustain the growth of the business. The
foundation of the business is that
of small, creative, open, trustworthy work environment.
“Transformational leaders transform the personal values of
followers to support the

vision and goals of the organization by fostering an
environment where relationships can be
formed and by establishing a climate of trust in which visions
can be shared” (Stone, Russell, &
Patterson, 2004). In 1991 it was established by Avolio four
primary behaviors that constitute
transformational leadership (Avolio, Waldman, & Yammarino,
1991):
1. Idealized influence.
2. Inspirational motivation.
3. Intellectual stimulation.
4. Individualized consideration.
“Leaders are being driven into unfamiliar territory where
change remains the only
constant” (Sarros & Santora, 2001). This was the exact
predicament that Josh, Rachel & Justin
found themselves in before deciding to hire Brad Howser, their
new General Manager.
Regarding the leadership grid, Howser followed the Authority
Compliance (Bateman,
Snell, & Konopaske, 2019). This methodology proved to be
good for the firm regarding
efficiencies, operations and potentially cost savings.

Unfortunately, the negative impact upon
the firm was the lack of regard, or empathy towards the
employees. Two confirmed
resignations and one more on the way is a sure tale sign of
potentially not the best leadership
move.
4
Transactional leadership would be another methodology that
Howser followed. This was
show by his actions of keeping to strict schedules, controlling
the manner in which supplies
were ordered by his custom designed form. All signs of good
internal controls, but at what
costs?
H. James & Voehl describe the required essentials needed to
move forward with a
cultural change management (CCM) process:
• Change should be embraced as the all employees’ culture and
not only the top

management’s vision or desire.
• Change should be considered in terms of corporate culture and
business needs
simultaneously.
• The core part of any CCM effort is to have a management
transformation strategy.
• People will not change unless and until they are
psychologically ready to
withdraw from their current daily habits (H. James & Voehl,
2015).
In the case of Breitt, Starr & Diamond, these crucial steps were
not taken. Howser was being a
good leader, but perhaps was acting in a silo and was not
getting the leadership team involved,
nor was he getting the team involved. Thus, created a hostile
environment between the founders
and their employees.
“In becoming a leader, it is essential that you take on the role
in ways and practices that
you can be comfortable with” (Canning, 2016). These words sit
very personally with the author
of this case study. In my career, I have been able to mold my
leadership style to one that is more

effective. In the beginning, I would certainly classify myself as
the Country Club Leader
(Bateman, Snell, & Konopaske, 2019). As of now, I have been
able to transform my style to that
of Team Management (Bateman, Snell, & Konopaske, 2019).
Per Rego, Pereira Lopes &
5
Volkmann Simpson the Leadership Grid they established would
mimic of Bateman et al. The
categories I would certainly classify as under Rego et al would
be Authentic and Machiavelically
Authentic, respectively (Rego, Pereira Lopes, & Volkmann
Simpson, 2017). Essentially, my
style is one that I will get the global strategic picture
accomplished, but able to guide the team to
get the details delegated appropriately.

6
References
Avolio, B., Waldman, D., & Yammarino, F. (1991). Leading int
he 1990s: the four Is of
transformational leadership. Journal of European Industrial
Training, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp.
9-16.
Bateman, T. S., Snell, S. A., & Konopaske, R. (2019).
Management: Leading & Collaborating in
a Competitive World. New York: McGraw Hill Education.
Canning, B. (2016). Define Your Leadership Style.

MotorAge.Com, pp. 8-9.
H. James, H., & Voehl, F. (2015). Cultural Change
Management. International Journal of
Innovation Science, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 55-74.
Rego, P., Pereira Lopes, M., & Volkmann Simpson, A. (2017).
The Authentic-Machiavellian
Leadership Grid: A Typology of Leadership Styles. Journal of
Leadership Styles, Vol. 11
No. 2, pp. 48-51.
Sarros, J. C., & Santora, J. C. (2001, July). The
transformational-transactional leadership model
in practice. Leadership & Organization Development Journal,
Vol. 22 No. 8, pp. 383-
393.
Stone, A., Russell, R. F., & Patterson, K. (2004).
Transformational versus servant leadership: a
difference in leader focus. Emerald Insight, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp.
349-361.

Running Head THE CULTURAL NORMS OF POVERTY .docx

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