Keywords

8.1 Introduction

The word of “adult” was derived from the past participle tense of “grow up” verb (adolescere) in Latin, so an individual who is an adult has been assumed that an individual who is grown up and mature physically and psychologically [5]. Because of wideness in adults’ age range and differences in all ages’ characteristics, and difficulty to measure psychological necessities of being an adult, there have been different definitions and classifications on adults in literature according to age range generally, and also making different classifications are possible. In this conceptual study, we made an adulthood classification. We made group discussions, brainstorming, focus group studies, and observations to conceptualize a unique classification on adulthood. We did not handle adulthood according to physical characteristics of adults. We handle the subject on emotional, behavioral and thought dimensions. Aim of the study is that initiate a discussion on the subject; draw attention on the point of being an adult does not mean that growing up physically. So in this study, adults have been classified in three groups as;

  • Adult-children

  • Adult-adolescents

  • Adult-adults

Adult-Children

Adult children are adult as physical but they show child characteristics in cognitive, spiritual, emotional and psychological dimensions in one of them, more or all of them

Adult-Adolescents

Adult adolescents are adult as physical but they show adolescence characteristics in cognitive, spiritual, emotional and psychological dimensions in one of them, more or all of them

Adult-Adults

Adult adults show adult characteristics in physical, cognitive, spiritual, emotional and psychological dimensions. Adult-child, adult-adolescence and adult-adult individuals’ characteristics are shown in Tables 8.1–8.3 and these individuals’ characteristics are given comparatively.

Table 8.1 Characteristics in feeling dimension
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8.2 Adult-Children, Adult-Adolescence and Adult-Adult Profiles

Peoples can carry one or more of the features in Table 8.1, this does not mean that individual is adult-children, adult-adolescence or adult-adult. For example;

  • “They can say everything come into their mind. There are no bad intentions. They believe what they hear without questioning.” (Adult-children)

  • “They like hurt people around them. They object everything.” (Adult-adolescence)

  • “They do not say empty promises; they do not hurt people around them.” (Adult-adult)

Individuals generally have “do not like hurting people around them” but sometimes can hurt; it does not mean that he/she is an adult-adolescence. An established finding of research Robinson et al. [6] is that adults prefer to guess before rather than after a chance event has happened like children. Human can show characteristics from all categories time to time. Furthermore, to define an individual as adult-children, adult-adolescence or adult-adult, is not necessary that individual always to carry related category’s all features. Individual’s profile has indicated according to how often to elicit behavior. In this sense, first of all, features of individuals divided into three dimension as feeling, thought and behavior into three categories; adult-children, adult-adolescence and adult-adult (Tables 8.1–8.3).

Table 8.2 Characteristics in thought dimension
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Table 8.3 Characteristics in behavior dimension
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8.3 “Adult-Child, Adult-Adolescence, Adult-Adult”: Different Perspective on Leadership and Chaos

Leaders are backbones of organizations. Leadership and personality are related [2]. Personal characteristics of leaders and effective management of organizations are interrelated concepts. According to Erçetin et al. [2], social constructs like societies, organizations and leadership are chaotic, inter-dependent, non-linear systems that are closely tied to initial conditions and leadership and chaos can be considered fundamentally interconnected, topics of chaos and leadership have been classified, unitized and graded in a variety of ways [2]. In this mean, leadership has been evaluated in terms of chaos in the context of adult-children, adult-adolescence and adult-adult classification;

  • In the organizations managed by adult-children leaders;

Because of adult-children leaders cannot take effective and right decisions alone, management of organization is not expected to be in the management of leaders. A leader should be able to find different solutions to different problems [1] but when any problems has been living in organization, these leaders’ management these problem situations effectively and strategically is very difficult. Creating organizational communication, organizational culture by leaders is also difficult. Therefore, leaders cannot manage organization effectively, frequency of experiencing chaotic situations may be increased. In addition, coping strategies with chaos is developed and applied by leaders are also difficult.

  • In the organizations managed by adult-adolescence leaders;

Taking appropriate decisions by adult adolescence leaders is difficult because adult-adolescence leaders generally behave emotionally. Because of their level of tolerate criticism is low, when they take wrong decision in organization, it is difficult to decide to change the rotation for them. When any problems have been living in organization, leaders’ toleration to take decision with other members of the organization and apply together is low but they assume that they manage the organization effectively about themselves. Organizational communication and organizational culture is leader-centered in these organizations. They cannot manage organization effectively and organization-centered, so neglecting chaotic situations, blaming others for this chaotic situations and/or not making self-questioning by leaders is probable. In fact, coping with chaotic situations are teamwork for organization, so in the organizations managed by adult-adolescence leaders, coping with chaos is difficult.

  • In the organizations managed by adult-adult leaders;

Adult-adult leaders can take right and effective decisions and can manage the organization effectively, so when any problems have been living in organization, leaders’ toleration to take decision with other members of the organization and apply together is high. Organizational communication is healthy and organizational culture is powerful in these organizations. Chaos is a source of life and also a reality for organizations and people as living and self-organizing systems [3] that order is a transient state that can lead to problems if it persists [2]. So adult-adult leaders by the characteristics of them can manage chaos effectively so organization overcome chaotic situations with the least damage.

When the organization envisions the future and possible probabilities, it will challenge change and uncertainty, and will make the chaos an opportunity to success [4]. Chaos can be lived in all organizations in everywhere, but if chaos can be managed by adult-adult leaders, that organizational system can function in an healthy way in future.

8.4 Future Trends

This study is a conceptualization study about adults. In the following study, political leaders’ leadership profiles will be analyzed based on this different adult classification. Although dimensions of leaders’ interventions in chaotic situations have been differ in challenging, moderate, destructive, positive circle, political leadership attitudes have been placed even more chaotic to chaotic situations or have been transformed chaos to cosmos. In this context, finally, political leaders’ profiles and coping strategies in chaotic ambiance will be evaluated on the base of adult-child, adult-adolescence and adult-adult classification model.