The Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

The Vietnam War - Essay Example In their attempt to prevent Vietnam from being a Communist country, the United States opted to help France in defeating Vietnam and its revolutionaries. US, therefore, sent military aid to the French in 1950. US troop’s quantity continued increasing over time until April 1969, when they reached a climax of 5434000. There were a total of 2.7 million Americans serving in South Vietnam. 58000 of them died or went missing, while 300000 others were wounded. It has been documented that the American government spent over 140 billion dollars on this war. Despite this gigantic military effort by the US, its objectives were not achieved by the end of the war. That failure has led, to date, searching answers to why the war was actually fought, and whether better military and diplomatic outcome was possible for America (Lawrence 129). After suffering a significant defeat at Dien Bien Phu in 1954, French decided to leave Vietnam. A number of countries met at the 1954 Geneva Conference in t heir effort to determine how French would have withdrawn from Vietnam peacefully. From the conference, came an agreement that has been referred to as the Geneva Accords. It stipulated a composed extraction of French forces and a momentary splitting up of Vietnam across the 17th parallel (Wiest 23). This 17th parallel ended up splitting Vietnam into non-communist South Vietnam and communist North Vietnam. In addition to this, the conference agreed that a general independent election would be held in 1956 in order to bring back together the nation under a single government. Fearing that the communists would win during the election, the United States was against the election. South Vietnam, with the help of America, carried out the election within South Vietnam, rather than the entire country. Ngo...As the war between the South Vietnamese and the Viet Cong progressed, the United States, on the other hand, sent more guides to South Vietnam. On August 2nd, 1964 the North Vietnamese fired straight on two American vessels in global waters. This firing has been known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. The Congress acted in response with what has been referred to as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. US president, President Johnson’s intention for the US taking part in the Vietnam War was not for America to prevail in the war, but for the US to reinforce South Vietnam’s defenses so that South Vietnam would take over leadership. Critics have argued that by getting involved in the Vietnam War without a goal to come first, President Johnson set a weak foundation for later open and military troop disappointments for America. This is one of the greatest impacts that the Vietnam War had on the Cold War, as far as American’s success was concerned. The Vietnam War was a turning point for the Cold War, as Americans realized that their military troops were not comparable to others in strength and not able to win in any war. They needed better modus operandi and org anization. Between 1965 and 1969, the Americans were majorly involved in a restricted war in Vietnam. Even though aerial bombing was still present at the North, President Johnson intended the fighting to be limited only to the South. This limitation ensured that the United States troops would not perform severe ground physical attacks at the North to directly attack the communists.

The Truth Behind Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” Essay Example for Free

The Truth Behind Hitler’s â€Å"Mein Kampf† Essay Have you ever wonder what is the driving force behind the killing of million of Jews in the regime of Hitler? The idea or the concept behind it came from a deeper belief that was supported by the history. â€Å"Mein Kampf†, which means â€Å"My Struggle†, is an original work of Hitler where his autobiography and his ideologies about life specifically its relation to politics were discussed. This book is particularly about the childhood days of Hitler in Nazi, his future plans in Germany and the struggle for conquering the world in the sense that it would affect the political science and the different human cultures of the world. The existence of the dominating mind was based in the concept of Aryanism which is considered by Hitler as the supreme form of culture. He was stating that the master race of all human culture is a Germanic man who has the physical appearance of fair skin, blond hair and blue eyes. Through this idea, he divided human to types and he established orders which can be classified into a higher or lower form. It also sets boundary that made the Northern Europeans exclusive. This principle was based on the idea that the Aryans are the only ones who can lead the world. Their place was considered as living space and these will lead in accordance to Hitler’s plan. Like the country Russia, Hitler planned that it would be the place for the source of food for the Northern Europeans. To support his principle, he cited that like the British Empire, who conquered the quarter of the world, he would plan and organize the domination for the supremacy among the others. These are some ideas which Hitler espoused in the book. Considering the concept of cultural organization, it sounds irrational for the thinking of other diplomats. It is the racism that it became very exclusive to their race. The subordinates were established because Hitler believed that it would be an advantage for the others to be subjugated because others will come in contact with the supreme ones and will be given or will be shared with what the Aryans have. Hitler also compared the other races like the Slavic and Jews people as the Untermenschen who are racially inferior. He assigned this idea to Jews because he believed that the Jews are related into conspiracy. Hitler uses a lot of descriptions to the cultural form of the Jews as the unscrupulous and the parasites and not only the Jews but also the Czechs, Russians and the Poles. This was supported by his idea that the Aryans are culturally superior. The culture of the Aryanism as part of the struggle for domination is believed to be the outcome of the high level of arts and sciences and technology of the German people. Hitler believed that the Jews are the ones who manipulated the press and control the world finances, utilizing culture to scatter chaos to other cultures and inventing a liberal form of government like the democratic form. The political battle between the Aryans and the Jews are continued in many years. Even in the military aspect of Germany, the Aryanism was applied. This was strengthened when Germany was defeated in the World War I by France that made France as Germany’s major aim to be conquered. This Nazism became one of the foundations in arranging the ways on how the society should work as planned by Hitler. The invasion was then regarded as part of the schemes of Aryanism to established their race as the supreme ones. This would be their concrete example of being the highest form. The differences between the Aryanism, as related to Nazism as a form of government, and the Jews concept of what should be the human culture, were showed in their endless cultural battle to dominate the world. Like the concept of white supremacy, it can lead to a very threatening tone to other races. Today, the different principles about the way on how should the culture adapt to a new one could be a threat to the original culture. Hitler’s idea and his plans about being the supreme is a big threat to the constructive forms of government. This can be based on the concept of ethnocentrism where that race considers their selves as the center and the most knowledgeable among others. To sum this up, â€Å"Mein Kampf† gives the idea of being the supreme like in the form of dictatorship where only one could lead and should be followed. WORK CITED â€Å"Mein Kampf†. July. 1925. http://www. historyplace. com/worldwar2/timeline/kampf2. htm

Strategies to Prevent Cyber Crime

Strategies to Prevent Cyber Crime Andrew Rayner Cyber Crime: Preventing the Horrific Crimes on the Internet In today’s society, there are many aspects of crime committed on a regular basis. Civilians take advantage of people using online resources such as a fraudulent website requiring credit card information to get a free monthly trial. Other venues that may contain a potential for cyber crimes are online chatting websites, full of predators or websites requiring a downloadable program that contains a hacking virus. Sadly, there are many cases of cyber crime populating the internet. Acts of cyber crimes are considered violent acts like any other. Every day, citizens are constantly losing money and being victimized due to a variety fraudulent activities. Cyber crime, including fraud, identity theft, stalking, and hacking, is a growing problem which can be prevented by taking the proper precautions. The biggest case of cyber crimes are cases of fraud. â€Å"Online fraud comes in many forms. It ranges from viruses that attack computers with the goal of retrieving personal information, to email schemes that lure victims into wiring money to fraudulent sources† (What is â€Å"online fraud†). When browsing the internet, people will stumble upon websites offering a free trial. Some of these websites are real, but many are fake. Real examples can include ones like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. A fake website, such as one offering too great of a deal often contains attempts of fraud, to gain access to credit card information. Another way of committing fraud is by sending fake emails to Craigslist advertisers make the victim think that he/she is getting a great deal. This type of fraud has to do with shipping. Criminals respond to Craigslist advertisements pretending to be a company such as PayPal, saying that the money is being held until the victim replies to the email with a valid tracking number. When the victims gives the requested information, the criminal ignores the victim and takes their money. Protection against offenders requires cautionary steps. â€Å"Perpetrators act as hackers who intercept personal information while victims are online, either through website entry or through phony [emails] in which they disguise themselves as legitimate firms attracting victims to do business with them† (Dyke 3). Keeping personal information secure on the internet is vital for any person’s safety. Never give out credit card information online to any company unless the company is verified. One way of checking for authenticity is to see if the websites has a verification certificate. These certificates cant be given to any website unless it is approved to take vital information. This is a safe way of making sure credit card information is not given to anyone who might steal it. Although they don’t take credit cards, when dealing on Craigslist, never ship anything, for any reason, as this is a scam; instead, the deal should be handled in person. There is no safe way on the internet to ship any item between private parties, so it is best to avoid anyone wanting to work with shipping or money shipments. Anyone can use a credit card number online without a tangible card. Keeping credit card details safe is important when dealing online. Only give credit card information to a website if that the website is certified to take a card. Almost any credit card will have bank protection when purchasing virtual goods, but it is important to make sure card information is not given to an unknown or untrusted website. Many scam websites will have a fake certification seal to verify that the website is real, the seal should link to a valid certification location. A form of cyber crime involving personal information is identity theft. When browsing the internet, people often come across ads that supposedly allow the user to win an iPad or other expensive device when completing a survey. This is a scam and is never a valid offer. These surveys require the user to input personal information such as an address, email, phone number, and name. This is a common method to steal identities. People may also come across a practice of identity theft such as Free-Credit-Score websites. These websites will ask for every bit of personal information including a social security number. A common victim pool is false advertising on Craigslist such as a fake job offer. Social engineers are predators who prey on victims to get personal information resulting in a scam, or even worse, identity theft. Do not deal with anyone on Craigslist when trying to find a friend to chat with. They often are cyber thieves wanting every bit of information to use to their advantage. To prevent identity theft, never give personal information to any website or any person unless that website can is trusted. Some common websites that are trustable are PayPal, Amazon, Squirll, and verified bank websites. These sites all have approved certifications seals. Normally this is checkable by looking to the left of the URL (Website Address) for a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) installation, which is indicated by a lock icon. Having stalkers outside of the web is dangerous, but because of advancements in technology, the internet is full of cyber stalkers as well. â€Å"A cyberstalker only needs access to a computer and a modem. Due to the enormous amount of personal information available through the internet, a cyberstalker can easily locate private information about a potential victim with a few mouse clicks or key stokes† (Cyberstalking). Many websites on the internet offer instant messaging. A few examples are Omegle, Craigslist, and teen chat rooms. These rooms are normally a hangout for predators. The predators will act as someone they arent to try and convince victims to like them, resulting in giving them personal details. Chatting sites are extremely dangerous, and it is imperative that chat rooms are avoided to prevent a perpetrator finding you outside of the internet. Social sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter are also websites that require caution when using. Creating an account on these websites require no identification possibly resulting in the predator disguising as someone they arent such as a relative or friend. Never give information to anyone online in a chatting program such as Skype or instant messaging system. Putting information online having to do with personal information is never a good idea even if it is Facebook or other websites such as Google+. Cyber stalkers are normally found on chat websites and social media websites. It is important to always exercise caution for protection when speaking to anyone online, no matter the situation because of the dangers. â€Å"Cyberstalking is just as frightening and potentially dangerous as a stalker at the victim’s front door† (Cyberstalking 2). The biggest form of cyber crime is hacking for malicious reasons or personal gain. â€Å"There are some career criminals who steal by electronic means. This small group poses a large problem for society, but it’s not a new one. Thieves are thieves† (Harvey 2). There are thousands of people on the internet trying to hack for gain on a daily basis. This is done through key loggers, Remote Administration Tools (R.A.T.S), and other types of malicious software. These are normally found within an executable file (.exe). These viruses will infect computers and try to steal information such as logins to websites, credit card information in files, or any type of person information. Many kids and some adults fall for this scam on a daily basis. When trying to find a premium code for a service such as Xbox Live or Spotify, people will come across a multitude of websites that give them instruction to complete a survey to unlock a premium code. These are not real. Do not download anything from a survey. Surveys will ask for permission to download a program to unlock the file which supposedly contains the free premium code for such service. Normally these programs are prone to contain an infected type of file, forcing advertisements and malicious software onto a computer. The last major type of virus is a phony antivirus program. When attempting to download a program to help fix an infected computer, normally the user results in having more remotely downloaded viruses. Instead of stealing information or logging computers, these viruses are typically used to force people to purchase the antivirus software to make the annoying virus go away. These are also used to lock ones computer and make him or her pay to have it unlocked. These viruses normally are the worst kind because they are so hard to remove from an infected machine, and scare the unknowing victim. Trustworthy programs are normally anything from trusted developers, such as Microsoft or Adobe. However, there are plenty of trustworthy ones on the internet. To determine if the websites/programs are trustworthy, check the SSL on the website from which the program is being downloaded, which means it is certified. If ever unsure about a program, websites such as Virus Total can scan the program for infections. These websites scan files for anything malicious. If any sort of malicious viruses are found, it will notify the user before the computer decides to run the file. Most of the time anything having to do with a bot, survey, free cracked program contains a virus. There is no reason to download any program having to do with a free item, which will completely prevent someone from being infected. These crimes are a few of the dangers on the internet. To provide full safety, never give personal information to dubious-looking website, download programs that are not trustworthy, speak to anybody on the internet unless positive of their identity, and never for any reason, try to get something for free that costs. These things are the most common type of cyber crimes people see on a daily basis. Although the internet is a great source for making money in legal ways, it can also be used for plenty of malicious black market money scams. It is imperative to carefully browse the internet when downloading programs, and talking to people online. Works Cited Cyberstalking. Marshall University. Marshall University, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. Dyke, Van, and Albrecht W. Identity Theft. U of NEBRASKA–LINCOLN. U of NEBRASKA–LINCOLN, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. Harvey, Brian.Computer Hacking and Ethics. Ed. Paul Goodman, P.G. Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. U of California, Berkeley, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. What is â€Å"online fraud†? National Crime Victim Law Institute. Lewis Clark, 27 July 2010. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.

Jury Nullification and Its Effects on Black America Essay -- Criminal

Jury Nullification and Its Effects on Black America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is obvious that significant improvements have been made in the way that the criminal justice system deals with Blacks during the history of the United States. Blacks have not always been afforded a right to trial, not to mention a fair one. Additionally, for years, Blacks were unable to serve on juries, clearly affecting the way both Blacks and whites were tried. Much of this improvement has been achieved through various court decisions, and other improvements have been made through federal and state legislatures. Despite these facts, the development of the legal system with regard to race seems to have become stagnant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Few in this country would argue with the fact that the United States criminal justice system possesses discrepancies which adversely affect Blacks in this country. Numerous studies and articles have been composed on the many facets in which discrimination, or at least disparity, is obvious. Even whites are forced to admit that statistics indicate that the Black community is disproportionately affected by the American legal system. Controversy arises when the issue of possible causes of, and also solutions to, these variations are discussed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although numerous articles and books have been published devising means by which to reduce variance within the system, the most recent, and probably most contentious, is that of Paul Butler, Associate Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School, and former Special Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia. Butler's thesis, published in an article in the Yale Law Journal, is that "for pragmatic and political reasons, the black community is better off when some nonviolent lawbreakers remain in the community rather than go to prison. The decision as to what kind of conduct by African- Americans ought to be punished is better made by African-Americans themselves."1 The means by which Butler proposes for Blacks to implement these decisions is termed jury nullification. By placing the race of the defendant above the facts of the case, and thus producing either an acquittal or a hung jury, Butler hopes that Blacks will be able to keep a large portion of Black males out of prison.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although several commentators have voiced criticisms with the ideas of Professor Butler, most ... ...11 See Coramae Richey Mann, Unequal Justice (1993) at 202-3. 12 Morris, supra note 3. 13 Morris, supra note 3. 14 Butler, supra note 1. 15 Michael R. Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi, A General Theory of Crime (1990), at 152. 16 Butler, supra note 1. 17 See William Julius Wilson, The Truly Disadvantaged: the inner city, the underclass, and public policy (1990), at 91. 18 See Kate Stith, The Government Interest in Criminal Law: Whose Interest Is It, Anyway?, Public Values in Constitutional Law (Stephen E. Gottlieb ed., 1993), at 137, 158 19 Randall Kennedy, The State, Criminal Law, and Racial Discrimination: A Comment, 107 Harvard Law Review (1994), at 1262. 20 Morris, supra note 3. 21 Morris, supra note 3. 22 See Douglas S. Massey, America's Apartheid and the Urban Underclass, Social Service Review (December 1994), at 480. 23 Butler, supra note 1. 24 Michael Vitiello, Reconsidering Rehabilitation, 65 Tulane Law Review (1991). 25 Benjamin A. Holden, Laurie P. Cohen, and Eleena De Lisser, Does Race Affect Juries? Injustice with Verdicts, Chicago Sun-Times (October 8, 1995) at 28. 26 Butler, supra note 1. 27 Butler, supra note 1.

Interpersonal Communication Essay

The capability of every individual create effective and efficient communicative mechanisms can help prevent the further escalation of a conflict. Each action, movement, speech is important in establishing such idea. Thus, proper facilitation of interpersonal communication can bridge the gap between two parties and help create possibilities for cooperation. Analyzing the problem critically, there are certain communicative lapses present between the parents and the owner of the day care. These lapses tend to create different perceptions and ideas that in the end result into conflict among members of the group. Another issue that can be argued revolves around the responsibility of the owner of the daycare. It has been elaborated that there are only certain parameters of care that the organization has to offer which is mandated by the handbook of DHA. These contending of ideas of how responsibility of care is administered also bring about struggles and conflict that can further impede and deteriorate the process of interpersonal communication. With these, solutions must be created to administer proper changes and facilitate communication. One important aspect to consider is to be sensitive to the situation and cultural background of the individuals. â€Å"A stereotype, a fixed impression about a group, may influence your perceptions of individual members; you may see individuals only as members of the group instead of as unique individuals. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 4’, p. 1) The next thing to consider is the importance of creating effective listening skills both to individuals and groups. However, there are many factors that affect the way people listen and comprehend things. â€Å"Members of different cultures vary on a number of communication dimensions that influence listening: speech and language, nonverbal behavioral differences, and preferences for direct and indirect styles of communication. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 5’, p. 1) In addition, individuals must be gender sensitive when it comes to listening. â€Å"Men and women may listen differently; generally, women give more specific listening cues to show they’re listening than do men. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 5’, p. 1) Thus, different strategies must be created to facilitate better avenues for listening. The next possible solution can be characterized how people perceive and interpret communication by means of verbal and non-verbal messages. The way to creating effective interpersonal communication is the advancing and merging of both listener and speaker. â€Å"Meaning is more than words and gestures; meaning includes what speaker and listener brings to interpersonal interaction. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 6’, p. ) With this, words, gestures and other meanings given are important in establishing interpersonal communication. â€Å"Meanings are context-based; the context heavily influences the meanings that words and gestures are given. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 6’, p. 1) Thus, these ideas prove to be a main catalyst in achieving interpersonal communication. The last process in trying to resolve this conflict is the communication process itself. The conversation between the listener and speaker plus the mechanisms that were used can be a vital tool in shaping the outcome of interpersonal communication. â€Å"Maintaining conversations depends on the principle of cooperation; the maxims of quantity, quality, relation, and manner; the principle of dialogue; and the principle of turn taking. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 9’, p. 1) With mechanisms in place, conversation may be able to bridge the communication gap brought about by conflict. â€Å"Preventing conversational problems may be aided by the disclaimer, a statement that helps to ensure that your message will be understood and will not reflect negatively on the speaker. † (DeVito, ‘Chapter 9’, p. 1) In the end, giving solutions to the problem of communication revolves around the capability of an individual to harness and foster efficient and effective mechanisms that will create an environment of understanding, collaboration and sensitivity among the group/s. References DeVito, J. A. (2005) ‘Chapter 4:Perception in Interpersonal Communication’ in Pearson Education. [on-line] Retrieved December 9, 2007 from http://wpscms. pearsoncmg. com/ab_devito_intrprsnl_11/43/11047/2828208. cw/index. html DeVito, J. A. (2005) ‘Chapter 5: Listening in Interpersonal Communication. In Pearson Education. [on-line] Retrieved December 9, 2007 from http://wpscms. pearsoncmg. com/ab_devito_intrprsnl_11/43/11047/2828276. cw/index. html DeVito, J. A. (2005) ‘Chapter 6: Universals of Verbal and Non-verbal messages’ in Pearson Education. [on-line] Retrieved December 9, 2007 from http://wpscms. pearsoncmg. com/ab_devito_intrprsnl_11/43/11048/2828345. cw/index. html DeVito, J. A. (2005) ‘Chapter 9: Conversation. ’ in Pearson Education. [on-line] Retrieved December 9, 2007 from http://wpscms. pearsoncmg. com/ab_devito_intrprsnl_11/43/11049/2828563. cw/index. html

Stranded On A Desert Island Essays - Desert Island, Symbols

Stranded On A Desert Island Essays - Desert Island, Symbols Stranded On A Desert Island Many people would say that if they went to a deserted island they would probably say that they wouldnt go to one. I would say the opposite if I had to go to one. If I went to a deserted island I would probably bring with me a CD player with CDs, three or four girls and one of my friends, and I would also bring supplies to build a large house. When I get to the island we start to build a very large house before we start to populate the island. After about five years we would have a large population of children. We will cut down trees and build a tree house for the children, and we also would make clothes out of animal skin and leaves. Many people would still say that living on an island like that is barbaric, but it is a way of life. This is a question to ponder, if you were the founder of America like the Pilgrims, what difference would there be except for no Native Americans? Would there be a difference? I dont think there is but it is a good question to ponder. I feel that I should try it sometime, go to a deserted island and stay there for a week, and see how it feels. My feelings on this is that you do not have to be brave to do anything you just have to have the courage and will. I recommend that you try it sometime, it will feel exhilarating.

Misery-----Night by Elie Wiesel essays

Misery-Night by Elie Wiesel essays The autobiographical novel Night, by Elie Wiesel, describes his horrifying experiences and his physical and mental misery throughout the true event of the Holocaust. The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word misery as prolonged or extreme suffering. This word fits this horrible tale of murder and inhumanity to man perfectly. Elie suffers physical misery by starvation and certain types of tortures. Prior to his placement into the concentration camps, Elie always had food to eat everyday. Talking about his hunger, he says At about noon they brought us soup: a plate of thick soup for each person. Tormented though I was by hunger, I refused to touch it. I was still the spoiled child I had always been. My father swallowed my ration(39). During the transporting of the captives to Buchenwald, German workmen throw pieces of bread into one of the prison cars for entertainment. The prisoners become barbaric, trying for the scarce amount of nourishment. One man, desperately hungry, kills his own father for a piece of bread. The prisoners seemed to transfer into a pack of savage wolves, fighting each other for survival. One example of the heinous acts of the Germans that stands out occurs at the end of the war, when Elie and the rest of the camp of Buna is being forced to transfer to Gleiwitz. This long, arduous, and tiring transfer seemed like a journey for all of those involved. The painfully cold weather and snow falling heavily did not make the trip much easier. The distance that most people today would not even dream of walking does not even compare to the extensive distance that the prisoners traveled. The Kapo officers, whom controlled the prisoners, often forced the huge mass of people to run, and if one collapses, gets injured, or just simply can no longer bear the pain, they are shot or trampled without pity. In his novel, Elie says Beneath our feet someone let out a rattli ...

The future of warfare essays

The future of warfare essays Nuclear Deterrence and The Future of Warfare Throughout my life and in all of my history classes, I have heard about the Cold War. I would hear people talk of it on the news or would watch movies that took place in that specific era. I never had a course that was aimed to specifically teach national security or give organized lectures about the Cold War. Generally speaking, all I knew up to this course, was that the Cold War was a time when the United States and USSR were threatening each other by the action of using nuclear weapons. I was aware that there was much tension and citizens in this country were preparing for the worst. Not until I took this course did I learn about how much nuclear capability there was between the two countries and how close we actually came to a nuclear holocaust. The concept of deterrence is the most impacting and significantly interesting concept I have learned in this course. To say it was an effective defense policy is an understatement. The fact is, deterrence was the most effective a nd successful way to deter the use of nuclear weapons to this date. This paper will go in depth to explain the concept of nuclear deterrence; its effect in the Cold War and in the future, will it still work against the threats of today? The first nuclear explosion and the dawn of the nuclear age was born on July 16, 1945 in New Mexico when the Manhattan Project (name for atom bomb development) was tested. General Lesley Grove, commander of the Manhattan Project, was heard to say, This is the end of traditional warfare. This statement is false because traditional warfare still continued even after the new destructive capability was introduced. What did come about from the birth of the atom bomb was that this technology was going to dictate all wars in the future. The clear difference however, is that wars are now conducted under the shadow of the mushroom-shaped cloud, especially ...

Harvard MBA admission essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Harvard MBA admission essays - Essay Example Although I was successful in setting standards on paper; however, creation of a practical roadmap was something that made me contemplate further. Since Saudi Arabia has neither unions nor work councils, I seized at the opportunity to mold the new ‘Organization Excellence’ department into a platform as an internal employee work council, as well as an intermediary between the company and employees. After conducting employee interviews, reading extensive P&G archives on performance management, and seeking out thought leadership resources, I designed a completely new system for mobilizing and motivating human assets. Not only did strategy of unifying workers and developing a more-positive working environment pay off; however, also my approach to ‘Organization Excellence’ touched off productivity gains throughout the P&G facility. During a short period of two years, I facilitated the department in its expansion, and it set indexed performance and rising job satisfaction standards throughout the organization. P&G sites across Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and beyond are now replicating my model, and subseq uently, the companys reputation, in terms of its human resources management, has also strengthened dramatically, and winning Saudi Arabia’s Employer of the Year Award is just an example of the accomplishment. After completion of the top-to-bottom redesigning of ‘Rewards and Recognition incentive system’, it was an understanding that the system was transforming into a global benchmark for P&G sites worldwide. For this reason, my inspiration stemmed from identifying performance gaps, and at that time, during the training of 350 employees on P&G success drivers and another batch on ‘High Performance Organizations Overviews’, I felt strongly that everyone should be able to take ownership initiative and feel valuation of their contribution. Simultaneously, I sought to transform trainings from a passive information transfer to an interactive experience

Transaction cost theory and resource-based theory to explore the Essay

Transaction cost theory and resource-based theory to explore the argument that big business has lost some of its competitive advantage in recent years - Essay Example In the context of globalisation, the ability of firms to compete their rivals has been related to their size; indeed, large firms have been often considered as having a competitive advantage towards the small and medium enterprises.Transaction cost theory and resource-based theory to explore the argument that big business has lost some of its competitive advantage in recent years.In practice, the above view seems to be invalid; more specifically, the expansion of large firms geographically is not an indication of these firm’s financial strength or highly competitiveness; on the contrary, these firms are often exposed to high operational costs and to increased risks regarding the management of their resources. The above issue is examined in this paper; the transaction cost theory and the resource-based theory are used for exploring and justifying the potential limitation of the competitive advantage of large firms in recent years. Both these theories indicate that the potential s of big businesses to compete in the global market have been limited; this outcome has many different aspects, which are explained and critically discussed used the transaction cost theory and the resource-based theory, at the level that these theories can be used for the evaluation of competitiveness of big business. The understanding of the potential role of the transaction cost theory and the resource-based theory in the identification and evaluation of the loss of competitive advantage of big business requires the reference... Through the views presented above it is made clear that the involvement of the transaction cost theory in the identification and the evaluation of the loss of competitive advantage of big business can have different aspects: a) as noted above, the transaction cost theory is based on the view that all organizational activities are based on a specific cost; therefore, the lack of funds for covering these costs would lead to the limitation of organizational activities – at the level that they cannot be fully funded by the organization; in this way, the firm involved can lose its competitive advantage towards its rivals, b) the precise estimation of costs in large firms is a challenging task; since the operations of these firms are expanded the estimation of the cost involved can be quite difficult; this problem could be effectively resolved by using the organization’s reports – in which the activities and the resources of the firm are analytically described; c) larg e firms can be differentiated from firms of other sizes in regard to its potentials to promote and support its products/ services; regarding the level of costs also, a large firm is highly differentiated from small/ medium firms; however, under certain cases, the financial status of a small/ medium firm can be quite satisfactory allowing the development of various organizational projects – which in large firm may not be feasible because of the lack of the relevant funds, d) transaction costs in large firms – as also in small/medium firms are not standardized; they may change under the influence of the market pressures; this fact could lead to the following problem: a large firm which has no financial problem might become liable to

Intellectual property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Intellectual property - Essay Example ecognizes the intellectual property right and offer protection in order to nurture creativity by ensuring the owner is in full control of who uses that property and enables the owner to charge other users in order to raise income.2 In the case of Rihanna against Topshop, the plaintiff raised the issue of passing off since there was legal protection for the images. The study explores how justice Birss approached the case and what led him into a conclusion that the plaintiff had a legal claim against Topshop, and examine the appeal process as well as merits for the appeal. The defendant was given a chance to petition for an appeal either against the charges or against prohibition of sale of the merchandise. In Robyn Rihanna Fenty and others v Arcadia Group Brands Ltd (t/a Topshop) and another [2013] EWHC 2310 (Ch), the case was about Robyn Rihanna Fenty (â€Å"Rihanna†) and Arcardia Group Brands Ltd (â€Å"Topshop†) the world renown pop star and fashion dealer respectively. The defendant started producing and selling t–shirts with plaintiff’s image on it. The defendant had obtained permission to use the image on the t-shirts from an independent photographer, but they did not obtain permission from the plaintiff. The independent photographer had taken those photos with the permission of the plaintiff in one of the Plaintiff’s video shooting for single from her â€Å"Talk That Talk album.† Rihanna sued the Topshop against passing off for using her image to market their products without her permission. The claim in her legal suit against the defendant was that the conduct of the defendant was an infringement of plaintiff’s rights.3 In the p assing of judgement, the plaintiff had the onus to prove that she had public goodwill, the defendant’s conduct portrayed misrepresentation and that the plaintiff suffered some loss as a result of defendant’s conducts according to the ruling in the case Reckitt & Colman Ltd v Borden Inc [1990] 1 All E.R. 873. The laws

Saudi Arabia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example government has used the oil wealth of the country for the benefit of its people and it has put a lot of investment not only in infrastructure but also in education (Khatib, 2011). In fact, it can be said that some of the infrastructure in Saudi Arabia is better developed than that in the United States. The cities of this country are also very well planned and built and these are designed in very modern architecture. It is actually a breathtaking site when one approaches a Saudi Arabian city from a distance; it is truly an image of a beautiful oasis in the desert. This country has a very extensive social welfare system that caters for all its citizens and one could dare argue that the Saudi Arabian social welfare system actually functions better than the one in the United States (Wiley, 1999). Many in the United States believe that since Saudi Arabia is a traditionalist society, it does not have the necessary development to be in the modern world. The American image of Saudi Arabia is one of nomadic Arab tribesmen moving from place to place in the desert with nothing better to do than breed religious fanatics (Kamran, 2000). This image of Saudi Arabia is a very bad stereotype of the people of this state because most of the population of this country stopped their nomadic lifestyle more than half a century ago and in fact, many today live in the urban areas. The people of Saudi Arabia have adopted many of the ways of the Western world and this include the use of cars to travel instead of camels, many wear Western clothing (especially the men), and most of all, they live in houses which have been built in the modern style. The popular opinion in the United States is that Saudi Arabia is an extremely fanatical society when it comes to religion (Harris, 2003). This image only applies to a few of the people in this society because the majorities are surprisingly very liberal in matters concerning religion. Moreover, they only appear to be fanatical because of their

Corporate strategy assignment for pepsi co. company

Corporate strategy for pepsi co. company - Assignment Example From a strategic perspective, it could be observed that PepsiCo is the global leader in convenient snacks, foods and beverages market. According to Ansoff Matrix, PepsiCo has been using the growth strategy of product development. It has been observed that the company is constantly introducing new products into existing market and this has been the strategy that has helped Pepsi to grow. Some of the popular brands that have been introduced in the existing market i.e. food and beverage includes Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Lays, Doritos, Tropicana, Gatorade and Quaker. The aim of such constant development is to remain ahead of competitors in the market and to enhance the market share by providing the customers with variety of products. In order to create value, the core strategy of PepsiCo is to enhance the product offering in the same market. This has been continuously observed that PepsiCo has introduced several brands in its existing market to create value and to tackle its competition. According to a research conducted, it has been that in emerging markets like India, 25 percent of the sales volume comes from juices and water. Similarly, 60 percent of the volume in North America comes from non-carbonated drinks. The TWOS matrix has focused on providing recommendations for the future strategy of PepsiCo. TWOS matrix is an important tool to formulate strategies (De Wit, & Meyer 2004). In order to do so, the strategies for the company have been analyzed and identified using the strengths and opportunities of the company, using the weaknesses and opportunities, using the strengths and threats of the company and then using the weaknesses and threats of the company. 2) To revamp sales in the market, PepsiCo should focus highly on the changing demands of its customers in the market. Additionally, the company should enhance its products in

FINANCE STRATEGY- EXAM REVISION QUESTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

FINANCE STRATEGY- EXAM REVISION QUESTION - Essay Example This means that the repayment of the principal exceeds one year. The following are types of long-term debt Bonds – negotiable instruments that can be bought and sold like common stock, usually at units of $1,000 which is called its face or par value. It has a specified interest rate called coupon rate. Interest payments are usually paid at the end of each interest period, while the principal is paid at maturity. Debentures – This is a bond the only collateral of which is â€Å"the full faith and credit† of the company. The loan is made only on the basis of the creditworthiness and credit rating of the debtor. Debentures are thus a form of unsecured credit and command a higher interest rate because of the higher risk. Mortgage Bonds – This is also a bond like the debenture, but it is secured by a specific collateral, usually a piece of real property. Mortgage bond lenders are thus secured lenders. Because of the security, interest rates are usually lower than debentures. Convertible Bonds – A type of debenture that may be converted to a share of stock at a later date. This special feature allows for a relatively lower interest rate, because of the lower risk of default (the lender may elect to convert to common stock) i. Stock – An instrument that signifies an ownership position (the stock holder owns a portion of the company). A stockholder is entitle to rights of ownership of a business, such as the right to receive a portion of the profits, and the right to vote for the company’s board of directors, or for certain issues in the governance of the company. i. Efficient market hypothesis – Theory of Eugene Fama formulated in the sixties. It states that the prices of stocks in the stock markets have taken all relevant information into consideration already – that is, prices discount all information – so that it is impossible to beat the market by trying to buy stocks at undervalued levels. Stock

Saudi Arabia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example government has used the oil wealth of the country for the benefit of its people and it has put a lot of investment not only in infrastructure but also in education (Khatib, 2011). In fact, it can be said that some of the infrastructure in Saudi Arabia is better developed than that in the United States. The cities of this country are also very well planned and built and these are designed in very modern architecture. It is actually a breathtaking site when one approaches a Saudi Arabian city from a distance; it is truly an image of a beautiful oasis in the desert. This country has a very extensive social welfare system that caters for all its citizens and one could dare argue that the Saudi Arabian social welfare system actually functions better than the one in the United States (Wiley, 1999). Many in the United States believe that since Saudi Arabia is a traditionalist society, it does not have the necessary development to be in the modern world. The American image of Saudi Arabia is one of nomadic Arab tribesmen moving from place to place in the desert with nothing better to do than breed religious fanatics (Kamran, 2000). This image of Saudi Arabia is a very bad stereotype of the people of this state because most of the population of this country stopped their nomadic lifestyle more than half a century ago and in fact, many today live in the urban areas. The people of Saudi Arabia have adopted many of the ways of the Western world and this include the use of cars to travel instead of camels, many wear Western clothing (especially the men), and most of all, they live in houses which have been built in the modern style. The popular opinion in the United States is that Saudi Arabia is an extremely fanatical society when it comes to religion (Harris, 2003). This image only applies to a few of the people in this society because the majorities are surprisingly very liberal in matters concerning religion. Moreover, they only appear to be fanatical because of their

FINANCE STRATEGY- EXAM REVISION QUESTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

FINANCE STRATEGY- EXAM REVISION QUESTION - Essay Example This means that the repayment of the principal exceeds one year. The following are types of long-term debt Bonds – negotiable instruments that can be bought and sold like common stock, usually at units of $1,000 which is called its face or par value. It has a specified interest rate called coupon rate. Interest payments are usually paid at the end of each interest period, while the principal is paid at maturity. Debentures – This is a bond the only collateral of which is â€Å"the full faith and credit† of the company. The loan is made only on the basis of the creditworthiness and credit rating of the debtor. Debentures are thus a form of unsecured credit and command a higher interest rate because of the higher risk. Mortgage Bonds – This is also a bond like the debenture, but it is secured by a specific collateral, usually a piece of real property. Mortgage bond lenders are thus secured lenders. Because of the security, interest rates are usually lower than debentures. Convertible Bonds – A type of debenture that may be converted to a share of stock at a later date. This special feature allows for a relatively lower interest rate, because of the lower risk of default (the lender may elect to convert to common stock) i. Stock – An instrument that signifies an ownership position (the stock holder owns a portion of the company). A stockholder is entitle to rights of ownership of a business, such as the right to receive a portion of the profits, and the right to vote for the company’s board of directors, or for certain issues in the governance of the company. i. Efficient market hypothesis – Theory of Eugene Fama formulated in the sixties. It states that the prices of stocks in the stock markets have taken all relevant information into consideration already – that is, prices discount all information – so that it is impossible to beat the market by trying to buy stocks at undervalued levels. Stock

College Debate Essay Example for Free

College Debate Essay In Katherine Porter’s essay, â€Å"The Value Of a College Degree†, Katherine answers the question to whether continuing education beyond high school is worth it or not. Since college costs are increasing radically every year, many students and parents aren’t considering a two- or four-year college education a necessity. Her essay is reaches out to those parents and students who are in doubt, with the use of cited evidence and her many research studies, she is determined into convincing those who question attending college to pursue further education. Although the question of whether continuing education beyond high school is worth it or not remains unsettled by many, it should definitely be considered. First off, a valuable college education brings out the best in a person; it makes them stronger and builds an immense amount of confidence. Some may consider pursuing a college education as something that’s completely out of reach, but I might just have to say that you’re wrong. A college education not only builds strength and confidence, it also helps you grow. College students are situated in different types of situations, environments and or settings in which they encounter all kinds of people. To explain much further, as said in a source found in Google: â€Å"College education has a profound effect on a person and his or her life. It helps people choose their careers more wisely and the college experience makes people become more confident and can make better and well judged decisions. † (Google. com, Value of College Education) A College education develops growth in terms of adulthood and maturity, built from experience. Many high school students believe that doing well academically would be enough. That is only somewhat true; most colleges consider well-rounded students, like those who participate in extra curricular actives, activities such as being involved in sports, volunteering, and community work. Keeping an open mind when considering college selections is a very important factor when it comes to decision making. Parents and students should not allow money or locations limit their thinking when researching schools. By attending college fairs, and purchasing college guide books they’ll learn about colleges that ‘fit’, in an overall aspect. Scheduling interviews, preferably on-campus interviews, will allow students to demonstrate genuine interest and allows him or her the opportunity to make a valuable link. All in all, the key factor isn’t getting a college degree itself but the degree owner. A college education is now a necessity, and the average American couldn’t possibly make it through these times and those that are to come without one. â€Å"Get in(worry about the money later. †

Accounts of Evacuees in WW2

Accounts of Evacuees in WW2 When and how did evacuation happen? Introduction Evacuation was a key wartime strategy to protect the civilian population and minimise panic in areas that would likely be enemy targets, but the plans for evacuation were started well in advance of World War II. Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor, and the devastation of aerial bombing campaigns during the Spanish Civil War, served to alert the British government to the threat on war and particularly the need to be prepared for air strikes on major cities (Ross, 2001). The Anderson Committee served to divide Britain up into areas based on risk of air strike, designating areas as being for evacuation, neutral, or reception areas. In September 1938, the British government announced its plans to evacuate 2 million people in the event of war and had found accommodation for up to 4 million people. The official evacuations started in earnest in September 1939, with ‘Operation Pied Piper’. The objective was to evacuate priority groups (children, mothers and children, the pregnant, the disabled, and teachers – as outlined in source 2) from the major cities. During this phase, 3.5 million people were relocated to reception areas, mainly by train, and often on a first come first served basis. The haphazard nature of the evacuation meant that groups were sometimes split, reception areas over-subscribed, and evacuees placed with families who were expecting to receive a different priority group or evacuees of the same social class. After the fall of France, and the onset of the Blitz, further waves of evacuations continued until September 1944. The priority groups now included the elderly and people were also relocated from coastal towns and ports. In this phase of the evacuations, approximately 200,000 children were relocated including children who had been earlier evacuated to these areas from the major cities. The government also provided free domestic travel to those who wished to make their own arrangements (Brown, 2005). Experiences of the evacuees From our knowledge of the evacuation process, particularly with regard to the haphazard nature of the allocations to reception areas and host families, we might infer that the experiences of evacuees could be quite traumatic. This is the case for Mrs Preedy, who recounted her experiences of being an evacuee over 45 years later in her book based on her wartime diary (source 7). She was evacuated with her close friends but was separated from them on arrival at the designated reception area. She was billeted with another girl who was not a friend and â€Å"foisted† upon an older and childless couple, which tallies with our understanding that evacuees were often placed with hosts who were expecting a different priority group – in this case, possibly an adult. The household that Mrs Preedy describes is working-class, with the woman having previously been in service, and the house lacking in heat (as well as emotional warmth), and dimly lit. We can infer that Mrs Preedy is most likely from a middle class background, unused to assisting regularly in household chores, and used to a warmer and brighter environment. This experience again tallies with our understanding that many evacuees were mismatched with host families on the basis of social class. Mrs Preedy’s account of her wartime experiences is useful as she has based her account on her own contemporaneous diaries. The diaries will, however, likely be dominated by the discomforts she experienced (being separated from her friends, with ‘cold’ hosts, in their cold home). We are not told how old Mrs Preedy was at the time of her evacuation or how long she was evacuated for but her unhappiness with the experience is palpable. For one 10 year old (source 11), the contemporaneous account we are given is very basic. After enquiring as to her mother’s health, she says that she doesn’t like her hosts’ faces but refers to not having seen the lady in daylight. We might infer from this that the letter was written soon after a night-time arrival and these first impressions are from a child searching for signs of friendliness in her hosts, and only finding it in their dog. While the letter is not detailed, there is significant value in this child’s immediate response to her new environment. Mr Kops’ autobiography, written almost twenty years after the end of the war, recounts his awe at the cleanliness and lavishness of his new surroundings (source 10). Mr Kops was evacuated from a poor district of London to a Buckinghamshire village, making the transition from a poor working class household to a middle class home. Mr Kops does not describe his hosts, or the other evacuees he was billeted with; his recollections are solely on the material benefits of his new environment (such as hot tap water and an indoor loo!). While Mr Kops’ autobiography is not based on notes he made during the war, his account reads as though the unadulterated joy of discovering this new lifestyle is still very much fresh in his mind. Further, his transition from a working class to a middle class home appears to have been as wondrous as Mrs Preedy’s transition from a middle class to working class environment was traumatic. Experience of the host families Having seen two very different reactions from evacuees to their experiences, we shall now turn our attention to the experiences of the host families who, as with the evacuees, could be expected to find the haphazard allocations system to have been traumatic. For many, there was a feeling of horror about the condition and behaviour of the children who had been placed with them. One extract from a contemporaneous report published in 1940 (source 14), describes in detail the concerns about the children’s lack of hygiene, poor health, poor clothing, and also describes both mothers and children being in the habit of soiling their beds. While this extract undoubtedly describes the views of some, it has been taken from a wider report and it is unclear if the rest of the report is in the same light. Some of the comments made appear almost hysterical, such as the assertion that â€Å"one child was suffering from scabies and the majority had it in their hair† [this could have simply been itchiness due to nits] and that the â€Å"school had to be fumigated after the reception†. While the veracity of some of the comments may be disputed, the excerpt is useful as social commentary as it gives a good insight into the reactions and possibly prejudices of people towards the influx of children and some of their mothers from the inner cities. For one boy (source 16), having two evacuee children sharing his home didn’t appear to be such a traumatic experience. In an interview in September 1939, the boy describes being disappointed that the evacuees were girls, as he’d expected boys, but sounds relaxed and cheerful about â€Å"showing them around†. The billeting of girls rather than boys to this home may have been a mismatch in the allocation or the child (and his family) may simply have assumed that other boys would be placed in the household. The interview with the boy was made by the BBC in the first month of Operation Pied Piper and was presumably intended to reassure the families of the evacuated, the prospective evacuees, as well as possibly encouraging further host families to come forward. The radio interview is also accompanied by a photograph of the boy, leading a small child on a donkey; as it is unlikely that all radio interviewees were routinely photographed, we might infer that the there w as a propaganda aspect to this interview and that the photograph was reproduced to promote both the interview and the evacuation programme. In considering the impact of evacuees on host families, some historians writing almost fifty years after the end of the war noted the disparity in the living conditions between the urban poor and the rural middle-classes (source 18). There is a sense in this account that there was a strong class divide in Britain during the war and that the rural middle class had been oblivious to the living conditions of those in industrial areas. The exposure to the evacuees was considered to be a shocking experience, but one that had united people into a commitment to improving living conditions after the war. Conclusion In our consideration of this topic, we have accessed only a few accounts, representing the experiences of child evacuees and their hosts. That said, we are still able to conclude that evacuation had a profound effect on both evacuees and their host families. For the evacuees, there was undoubted upheaval as they were wrenched from their families and placed in unfamiliar surroundings. Being placed with host families who may not have been expecting a child (but rather an adult), or were from a different social class may have been added to the stress of the evacuation. For the host families, evacuation brought an insight into urban and industrial life that was unexpected and in some cases unwelcome. The condition of the children was for many quite shocking, with wide-ranging concerns about the children’s health, attire and conduct. Historians have access to a wide range of evidence in order to find out about the effects of the evacuation. There is contemporaneous evidence, reflective accounts, and also the works of other historians. Assessing the value of these sources is a matter of judgment as most material is produced with a purpose in mind: determining whether that purpose enhances or undermines the credibility of the source is one of the tasks of the historian. Bibliography Assignment sources 1-18 (as provided by client) Mike Brown (2005) Evacuees: Evacuation in Wartime Britain 1939-1945. Sutton Publishing Stewart Ross (2001) Evacuation (At Home in World War II). Evans Brothers Limited.

War Essay -- essays research papers

The first issue to be considered is what is war and what is its definition. The student of war needs to be careful in examining definitions of war, for like any social phenomena, definitions are varied, and often the proposed definition masks a particular political or philosophical stance paraded by the author. This is as true of dictionary definitions as well as of articles on military or political history. Cicero defines war broadly as "a contention by force"; Hugo Grotius adds that "war is the state of contending parties, considered as such"; Thomas Hobbes notes that war is also an attitude: "By war is meant a state of affairs, which may exist even while its operations are not continued"; Denis Diderot comments that war is "a convulsive and violent disease of the body politic;" for Karl von Clausewitz, "war is the continuation of politics by other means", and so on. Each definition has its strengths and weaknesses, but often is the culmination of the writer's broader philosophical positions. For example, the notion that wars only involve states-as Clausewitz implies-belies a strong political theory that assumes politics can only involve states and that war is in some manner or form a reflection of political activity. 'War' defined by Webster's Dictionary is a state of open and declared, hostile armed conflict between states or nations, or a period of such conflict. This captures a particularly political-rationalistic account of war and warfare, i.e., that war needs to be explicitly declared and to be between states to be a war. We find Rousseau arguing this position: "War is constituted by a relation between things, and not between persons†¦War then is a relation, not between man and man, but between State and State†¦" (The Social Contract). The military historian, John Keegan offers a useful characterization of the political-rationalist theory of war in his A History of War. It is assumed to be an orderly affair in which states are involved, in which there are declared beginnings and expected ends, easily identifiable combatants, and high levels of obedience by subordinates. The form of rational war is narrowly defined, as distinguished by the expectation of sieges, pitched battles, skirmishes, raids, reconnaissance, patrol and outpost duties, with each possessing their own conventions. As ... ...ine war not just as a conflict between states (i.e., the rationalist position), but also a conflict between non-state peoples, non-declared actions, and highly organized, politically controlled wars as well as culturally evolved, ritualistic wars and guerrilla uprisings, that appear to have no centrally controlling body and may perhaps be described as emerging spontaneously. The political issue of defining war poses the first philosophical problem, but once that is acknowledged, a definition that captures the clash of arms, the state of mutual tension and threat of violence between groups, the authorized declaration by a sovereign body, and so on can be drawn upon to distinguish wars from riots and rebellions, collective violence from personal violence, metaphorical clashes of values from actual or threatened clashes of arms. Back to Table of Contents 2. What causes war? Various sub-disciplines have grappled with war's etiology, but each in turn, as with definitions of war, often reflects a tacit or explicit acceptance of broader philosophical issues on the nature of determinism and freedom. For example, if it is claimed that man is not free to choose his actions (strong

Essay --

One of the most loved Disney movies of all time, the 1991 animated movie Beauty and the Beast directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale features talking teacups, enchanted castles, gorgeous animation, catchy songs, and large helping of traditional gender roles. The countless favorite of many children and adults, many people know the story well. Belle, the bookish, dreamy, and beautiful daughter of an inventor is the talk of the town and the fixation of the most handsome guy around, the pushy and egotistical Gaston. After sacrificing herself for her father, Belle becomes imprisoned in an enchanted castle. Everyone in the castle is under a spell due to the selfish prince who lived there due to his failure to see what was inside of people. As a result, he is turned into a hideous beast and all of his servants are turned into household objects. To break this spell, he must fall in love with a girl and have her love him in return, despite his hideous exterior. But unfortunately for the Be ast it’s not only his exterior that’s hideous. He treats Belle with no respect, even going so far as to threaten and yell at her. He eventually changes her heart with the help of his enchanted friends and she changes his through her kindness. Gaston tries his utmost to make Belle his own, entrapping her and fighting the Beast, but eventually he is unsuccessful, the good guys win, and the whole castle and its inhabitants are transformed by love and everybody lives happily ever after. The primary female character, Belle, is introduced in the beginning scenes with her nose in a book, rolling her eyes at the continual advances of the most handsome man in town as the background chorus sings about how odd she is. She then talks about how she yearns for adv... ...he full scope of what a character can do. Every story needs a villain, and Beauty and the Beast’s is Gaston. Gaston is a handsome, strong, and powerful member of the community. He's also, in Belle's words, "rude and conceited" and is shown frequently injuring his sidekick due to negligence, checking his reflection in the mirror and talking about how wonderful he is. Interestingly, unlike other Disney villains who are evil due to a thirst for power or violent behavior, Gaston is considered a villain because of his poor treatment of women. His evil deeds such as attempting to sell Belle's father to the asylum or stabbing the Beast are done in the name of his conquest; his main objective is to win Belle like a prize for the taking. By showing a misogynistic character in a negative light, the film attempts to define what is and isn’t an acceptable way to treat women.

Advertising Statement Essay

Rosser Reeves was the one who invented the term â€Å"USP†. The Unique selling proposition is sometimes referred to as â€Å"product difference.† In rare cases, some products or services have a unique and impressive proposition/benefit. A unique selling proposition is the ultimate proposition because its one that no other competitor can claim. It has to be something that you could also sell from. The concept of a unique selling proposition, or USP, is based on a benefit statement that is both unique to the product and important to the user. The heart of a USP is a proposition, which is a promise that states a specific and unique benefit you will get from using the product. If the product has a special formula, design, or feature, particularly if protected by a patent or copyright, then you are assured that it is truly unique. This is why a USP is frequently marked by the use of an â€Å"only† statement, either outright or implied. There are various methods that c an be used to find a USP as it is demonstrated in advertising strategies and ideas. Strategy in Advertising In advertising, â€Å"strategy† refers to the overall marketing or selling approach. It is the thinking behind the concept/idea. (The thinking behind the thinking, if you like.) Decisions about selling premises are central to the overall advertising strategy. The strategy (or strategic thought) can come from a proposition/benefit of the product, how it used, the market background, the choice of target audience, or any combination thereof. Every strategy should have an element of distinction ( small or large ) from the competition’s strategies, as should the proceeding concept and campaign. All strategies should be written in the form of a strategy statement, also known as â€Å"creative brief†. However, there are several questions we should seek to answer to cover the area of strategic analysis. Competitor, best prospects, and what buying appeals have the greatest leverage. At the corporate level what takes place in the advertising department would be seen as tac tical whilst in the advertising department this would be seen as strategic. * Corporate strategies are concerned with the major functions of the company, and cover finance, human resource management, production, administration, and marketing. * Marketing strategies are concerned with ANSOFF’s matrix and the marketing mix. * Promotional strategies are concerned with the promotional mix options (advertising, sales promotions, PR, publicity, selling, sponsorship, exhibitions). Effective Advertising Advertising that is effective creates the message that best expresses the product-prospect relationship. In addition, the message has to be intrusive enough to battle through the clutter in the contemporary media marketplace. To reach the effectiveness in advertising, a creative strategy should be involved in the process. It has to sell the product effectively by promoting them through smart and well designed advertisement. Creative Brief When forming a strategy from which to create ideas, it needs to be written down in a black and white. This helps to focus and steer the formation of ideas from the onset. When people suggest that an idea is â€Å"off strategy,† they mean that it doesn’t relate back to the defined strategy, and will therefore be much harder to sell the idea to the client. By having a strategy statement at hand, you can keep referring back to it whilst generating ideas from that strategy. It is very hard, even if you are an experienced creative, to produce a great campaign idea (or even a single one shot) without a solid, tight strategy. In short, the better you are briefed, the easier your job will be. A poorly defined, vogue, â€Å"wooly† brief is no use to a creative person, nor is highly specific one that restricts the number of ideas. Below are the basic examples of the headings in a creative brief, * Client * Product/service * Product and market background (supposition) * Competition * Business/Advertising Objective (problem to solve) * Media * Target market/Group/Audience * Proposition/Promise/Benefit * Proposition Support Points * Tone of Voice * â€Å"Mandatories† (Inclusions/Exclusions) Media in Advertising The choice of media depends upon the type of product or service being advertised, the target market, and the client’s budget. Each campaign can be in one form of media, or multiple forms. Traditional advertising media includes print, TV, and radio. Non-traditional includes ambient and guerrilla concepts. In addition, there is direct media, and interactive media. In the UK, each type of media is defined by its relation to a hypothetical â€Å"line† that divides the two. Traditional media is â€Å"above the line,† whereas direct marketing and interactive advertising is â€Å"below the line.† Companies that produce work in all the forms are referred to as â€Å"through the line† agencies, or â€Å"full service.† Other divisions within advertising include sales promotion, and business-to-business. Whereas business-to-consumer advertising, once the skill is developed, the same creative process can easily be applied to these other forms of media an d advertising. Positioning All products and companies, as seen by the customer, occupy some kind of ‘position’ in the market whether they intend it or not. This might be, for example, high price-high value, low price-low value, high price-low value, good company-not-so-good company and so on, when compared with comparable competing products and competing organizations. Most modern organizations now attempt to actively influence this position in the market by matching product and corporate benefits with the needs of clearly identified segments. The managers have performed professionally, be integrated to match the identified needs of the target market. Positioning is how the marketer wants the consumer to view its product relative to the competition. Although product differentiation plays a role in creating a product position, product differences account for only part of a product’s position. A positioning strategy also includes the manner in which a product’s factors are combined, ho w they communicated, and who communicates them. The size (and value) of the advertising corporate and brand positioning is crucial to the well-being of any company and so should be left to the agency professional. Copywriting Copywriting is an essential part of the design communication mix, and those of us who do it for a living will tell you that crafting massages and telling stories is a rewarding mental process, even in the business context. You’ll find that being able to generate a response from your audience is a valuable and highly sought-after skill. Copy (or text, or words) used in design is a very particular type of creative writing that requires the inspiration of an artist and the control of a craftsman or craftswoman. In comparison to the rails on which the copywriter runs, the novelist or poet has no limitations. Poetry and storytelling are flights of the imagination, with no client or news editor to bear in mind. Whether the personality of the writer shines through directly or indirectly, this is the purest creative writing – it can take off in any direction, be as fictional as it wants to be, and go wherever it pleases. Writing copy, however, is all about sticking to brief, while paying homage to the creativity and style of the poet and storyteller. Journalists and copywriters are commercial writers, but the essence of the role is completely different. In most cases journalist have to create the story from the scratch, usually by following leads. They will have to research the facts to get to the heart of the matter, discover the different viewpoints and opinions, and bring this material together accurately and coherently. Articles are often written to a tightly defined structure, while features can allow more room for individual expression and the interweaving of the writer’s viewpoint. The message has to be factually correct, balanced, and fair, but the writer is allowed to take a stance, which could reflect that of the newspaper or, in the case of regular column, the writer’s opinion. Copywriting borrows from all other fields of writing in its quest for creative expression, but ther e is no room for your personality in the copy that you write; you are simply a scribe, a hired mouthpiece for your client, and it is the brand’s voice that must come through, loudly and clearly.

Organizational Change: the Effect on Employee Morale and Motivation

Abstract News of job losses (whether we label them as downsizing, layoffs, or restructuring) reaches us daily. And sometimes the reality hits close to home – loss of a job of a family member, a close friend, a valued coworker or someone you supervise. According to McKinley, Sanchez and Schick (1995), â€Å"This process of deliberate personnel reduction has been justified as a cost-cutting measure and as an incentive to increase productivity. However, evidence has shown that downsizing negatively affects employee morale and productivity. While people who lose their jobs can be strongly impacted by loss of financial security, fear for the future, and even decreased self-esteem, it’s important to recognize that people who survive job cuts face their own set of negative consequences. This group of â€Å"survivors† may experience stress as well as feelings of anxiety or depression. This paper examines these issues by reviewing the numerous organizational and leadersh ip changes that have taken place at WellPoint, Inc. within the last two years.In addition, a small sample of WellPoint associates was surveyed to assess the effects that the organizational restructuring and leadership changes have had on employee morale over the last two years. The results of that survey are presented in this paper. Introduction What single change causes the most consternation in the work place? The announcement of job cutbacks. With all the recent staff reduction announcements, this news is all too familiar. With it comes the immediate negative effect on employee morale, both for the laid-off employees and the remaining staff.Emotional turmoil resulting from an event such as organizational change can leave lasting scars on individuals and organizations. Disruption of normal operation can be short-lived if normal feelings of grief, loss, fear, and even guilt and anger are allowed to be expressed when the organizational change is being announced and/or is occurring. However, if these feelings are not allowed expression, they may be manifested later in more serious and damaging forms such as increased illness; absenteeism and turnover; decreased productivity and morale; and isruption in communication among employees and between employees and managers (Abbasi and Hollman, 1998). This can lead to massive chaos and interruption in the smooth flow of work activities? Abbasi and Hollman. (1998) emphasize the following, â€Å"There has been a clear change in corporate philosophy among American firms in the past two decades. Firms which once perceived employees as long-term assets to be nurtured, developed, engaged, and empowered by management, now see them as commodities. Workers are short-term expendable costs to be jettisoned at a moment’s notice when downsizing.The steady drumbeat of layoffs in recent years has made many workers feel that the days of career security are gone for good, no matter how dedicated they may be. † K. Mishra, Spreitzer and A. MIshra (1998) support this idea with the following, â€Å"Downsizing has become almost a way of life for U. S. companies. In fact, a first round of downsizing is generally followed by a second round a short time later. Sixty-seven percent of firms that cut jobs in a given year do so again the following year. †The outcome of these changes and the resulting impact on employees’ morale is discussed. This paper reviews literature that addresses corporate downsizing, what it is and why it is important. The literature review includes books and various articles. To assess the effect that these changes have had on employee morale, a 15-question survey was given to a small sample of WellPoint associates to measure their current feelings that impact their self-confidence. The results of the survey are offered, along with an analysis of the data, including conclusions. Literature ReviewCurrent business literature supports the idea that although managers implement downsizing to enhance profitability and productivity, research reveals that downsizing does not always result in higher earnings, improved productivity and better customer service and that workforce reductions often adversely affect employee attitude and morale. Abbasi and Hollman (1990) point out that throughout the early 1990s, the newspapers and airwaves were filled with stories of major American companies announcing layoffs of several thousand additional employees.Companies large and small were cutting jobs at a rate never seen before in American economic history. The trend toward downsizing is so pervasive, and its impact so profound, that it literally shapes the business strategy of many companies. In a study by Watson Wyatt Worldwide, it was reported that fewer than half of the companies it surveyed after the 1990 recession met profit goals after downsizing. Furthermore, study after study has challenged and often contradicted the long-term benefit of staffing cutbacks as a m eans to return to profitability.However, according to Carol W. Garnant, â€Å"The number one issue that companies immediately face when downsizing is employee morale. † She adds that â€Å"prompt resolution of staffing and organizational issues is essential to the first step in change. The longer the process takes, the more painful it becomes, and the greater the chance of losing key employees in the disruptive environment. † Abbasi and Hollman (1990) contend that today’s organizations no longer provide workers with a secure and stable workplace.It’s an unstable environment where workers work for managers who often find their compassion and concern for workers in sharp conflict with the pressures of relentless competition and investor expectations. Over the years, many employees stayed in their organization because the believed it was a good place to work. They believed in the organization, were loyal to it, and had expectations of periodic pay increases and regular opportunities for advancement. Their interests were aligned with those of management. The old paradigm is now gone.The myth that institutions will take care of their employees has been shattered. Lately, each round of organizational restructuring results in more bodies on the corporate scrap heap. Abbasi and Hollman (1990) agree that one of the biggest problems arising from workforce reduction concerns the devastating impact on employee morale and attitudes. A sense of foreboding usually pervades the workplace where downsizing is being discussed or is in progress. Employees often feel that their long years of work and dedication to the company are not reciprocated.They may perceive themselves as victims of some abstract management exercise which is outside their control and beyond their capacity to comprehend. Cutting staff doesn’t always work; in fact, it frequently has the opposite effect. The American Management Association surveyed 700 companies that had downs ized between 1989 and 1994. Employee morale plummeted in 83% of the companies. Employees who survive the unsettling and disruptive effect of downsizing also tend to experience a disproportionate amount of problems. They feel that management has put them at the very bottom of its priority list.According to Abbasi and Hollman, they feel betrayed, suffer ebbing morale, become dispirited and self-absorbed, submit a larger number of stress disability claims, become obsessed with layoffs and internal politics, and exhibit various behavioral problems. Many workers are forced to struggle with heavier workloads and become overburdened to the point of burnout. Others experience heightened anxiety as they wonder who will be next to go and if they will be able to make it safely to retirement before being forced out in a subsequent downsizing.After all, downsizing seems to beget more downsizing. Three out of four firms that downsize in one year plan to do it again in the next year. With some of the surviving employees having trouble getting to work on time and spending their day just going through the motions, no longer enjoying what they do, companies are finding that these employees are suffering from workplace depression. Corporate psychologists coined this phrase to characterize the feelings of suppressed anger and anxiety that are widespread in today’s workplace.According to Marjorie Whigham-Desair (1993), â€Å"The symptoms run form a general lack of enthusiasm and low productivity to high absenteeism coupled with a low rate of voluntary employee turnover. â€Å" This results in delays in projected deadlines and lackluster employees. Psychologists agree that the recent wave of corporate layoffs has taken its psychological toll on the nation’s workforce. When companies eliminate large numbers of workers, those who remain experience anxiety, says Therman Evans (1993), MD. , president and CEO of Whole Life Associates, a stress-management firm based in El kins Park, PA.This leads to higher workers’ compensation claims and extremely paranoid employees. â€Å"As companies downsize, responsibilities shift to those who remain, this can result in frustration, irritability, fatigue and ultimately burnout, adds Michael D. Cox (1993), Ph. D a psychologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. As authors and human resource consultants Kenneth N. Wexley and Stanley B. Silverman (1993) point out in their book, Working Scared: Achieving Success in Trying Times, organizations that downsize violate two fundamental factors that motivate workers; the need for security and the desire for justice.Not only do surviving employees distrust the company, they also become more cautious. As a result, innovation and creativity are stifled. People worry about the unknown and need time to prepare for it, says Cox. â€Å"They don’t like to be given bad news abruptly; they don’t want to feel out of control. † Those managers who mu st implement layoffs suffer too. Two researchers found that managers often become abrasive, narcissistic, withdrawn, alienated, apathetic or depressed. Mishra et al. 1998) found, â€Å"the irony is that downsizing companies are unwittingly destroying the very qualities they need for competitive advantage, namely their employees’ trust and empowerment. At the same time they are downsizing, many companies are advocating the implementation of high-involvement work systems and total quality management strategies. Yet employee trust and empowerment, often shattered in the process of downsizing, are the engines that make these initiatives work,† resulting in a decrease in employee motivation and increase employee absenteeism. Mishra et al. 1998) call attention to the fact that â€Å"trust between managers and employees is critical for effective work relationships, especially under conditions of high uncertainty and conflict. † Trust is defined as an individual’ s willingness to be vulnerable to another based on the belief that the other party is competent, open, reliable, and concerned about the individual’s own interests. Employee trust and empowerment decline considerably during downsizing. Survivors may no longer trust top management’s openness because communication is not credible or information is withheld.Survivors may not believe that management cares about employees’ needs if they see that their welfare has been sacrificed for top managers’ personal gain. Survivors’ sense of empowerment may suffer and their competency also may be threatened as they take on the jobs of laid-off coworkers, which often require different skills. Their sense of personal control may suffer because of unclear or constantly changing job responsibilities or frequent layoffs that leave them wondering if they are next. Not surprisingly, their willingness to take risks may decline, and they may become more resistant to change (Mishra et al. 1998). Isabella (1989) suggests, â€Å"Companies that downsize may be unprepared for the strong emotions, lengthy adjustment time, diminished morale, and lower productivity experienced by the survivors of massive restructuring. In fact, companies often have surprisingly little information about the adjustments and assessments of those ultimately responsible for revitalizing the company. † Isabella (1989) adds, â€Å"The downsizing also can trigger substantial uncertainty and concern for one’s professional and personal future.Feelings of security can be of significant concern because years spent in an organization can create a level of familiarity that is difficult to rebuild elsewhere. † Therefore, it is not uncommon to employees update their resumes and begin seeking employment elsewhere during these stressful times. This certainly has been the case for employees of WellPoint, Inc. Shortly after the Anthem/WellPoint Health Network merger in 2004 , when the company became known as WellPoint, Inc. , numerous attempts have been made to reengineer the company and minimize duplication wherever possible.Even after several rounds of layoffs, WellPoint, Inc. once again decided to trim more positions as it faces a still-sluggish economy and uncertainty from potential health-care reforms coming out of Washington. â€Å"As the economic environment changes, WellPoint reviews the size and skills of our work force and makes adjustments as necessary,† WellPoint spokeswoman Kristin Binns said in an email. Job reductions by businesses across the country during the downturn have caused shrinking membership in many of WellPoint’s employer-sponsored health plans.The company said it is looking for ways to operate more efficiently in 2010. Early this year, WellPoint trimmed about 1,500 jobs in a move that included about 600 layoffs (Lee, 2009). This leads to those who are left behind feeling very uncertain about their own job secur ity, wondering if they will survive the next phase of layoffs. Gibbons and Brenowitz (2001) acknowledge, â€Å"Only the luckiest businesses in any industry will survive their entire lifecycles without experiencing the wrath of corporate downsizing. In the aftermath of downsizing, fewer people are left to do the same or increased amount of work.The organization, once designed for and built around a greater number of people, is now left in a state of imbalance. While survivors usually move from denial to acceptance, they often struggle to get there. † They further state,† At a time when they’re feeling the lowest, middle management must perform at their best. Although the company appears to be in a state of chaos, managers must seem calm, confident and in control. It’s their job to begin allocating tasks, confirming work objectives, making sure people stay focused on appropriate tasks, and pulling together a new team. What many companies may not realize is t hat the design of an organization cannot withstand such turbulence without some degree of consequence. Senior management cannot assume to rebalance the company’s design by moving around a few boxes on the organizational chart. The fact is that organization design goes beyond the company structure. It addresses issues more systemic than the lines, boxes and arrangement of people and functions. It includes such factors as information and reward systems, management and decision making processes; mission, vision and values; business strategy and people (Gibbons and Brenowitz, 2001).In addition to impacting management, downsizing also has a profound effect on those who survive. Some of the most common challenges survivors of downsizing face include: guilt, some remaining employees may feel guilty that they were â€Å"saved† from the job cuts; stress, not only do employees have to cope with the stress of job insecurity, but they also have even more work to do with fewer reso urces; and anxiety, the anxiety engendered by job cuts doesn’t end with initial layoffs, survivors often live in a state of shock, wondering if the worst is over or still to come (Harris, Rothenberg International, LLC, 2008).In conclusion, as downsizing continues to become an increasingly normal business practice, managers need to find ways to improve their ability to manage the change. This includes motivating traumatized employees and getting operations back on track. It means addressing the drama of the situation, not denying it. Can-do attitudes are badly needed and understandable goals must be spelled out. Yet, nothing promises post-downsizing success like the practice of open, honest communications? Methodology To determine how the organizational changes have affected employee morale, a survey was administered to a small sample of employees.Twenty WellPoint employees were surveyed. About the same number of surveys was given to male and female employees. Eight State Spon sored Business and 12 Shared Services employees participated in the survey for a total sample size of 20. The survey was adapted from the 2008 WellPoint Associate Engagement Survey developed by Kenexa and the WellPoint, Inc. EAP website self-assessment tools. Although the original survey created by Kenexa and those found on the EAP website consisted of a number of additional questions, the questions for this survey has been reduced to 15 questions.Each of the 15 questions was rated according to a five-point Likert scale response, ranging from a numerical score of one, if the respondent strongly disagrees with, to five, if the respondent strongly agrees. A total score of 75 is the maximum possible for the survey. Quantitative results were placed into tables and the mean and standard deviation were calculated for each question. The results were analyzed and interpreted in the Analysis and Conclusion sections of this report. The survey follows. Associate Morale ObservationYou are invit ed to participate in this survey to help Pamela Forrest with a research paper for an MBA class project. Your participation is entirely voluntary and your responses will be kept strictly confidential. If you are willing to participate, please answer all of the questions and return this survey to Pamela by Monday, October 12, 2009. To complete this survey: In the space to the right of each statement below, please place a number from 1 to 5 indicating how true the statement is about your experience working at WellPoint, Inc. using the following scale: =Strongly Disagree 2=Disagree 3=Neither Agree nor Disagree 4=Agree 5=Strongly Agree 1. I feel that I am part of a team. _____ 2. I am involved in decisions that affect my work. _____ 3. My job makes good use of my talents and abilities. _____ 4. I feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with my responsibilities or with trying to please everyone. _____ 5. WellPoint provides me with the opportunity for learning and development. _____ 6. I have t he training I need to do my job effectively. _____ 7. I receive the coaching and feedback I need to do my job effectively. ____ 8. I feel that I have limited control over the outcome of my job. _____ 9. I am satisfied with my opportunities for career advancement. _____ 10. I am able to manage my work responsibilities in a way that allows me to maintain a healthy balance between work and home. _____ 11. I regularly receive appropriate recognition for my contributions. _____ 12. I am paid fairly for the work I do. _____ 13. I dread going to work, especially on Sunday night. _____ 14. I receive the information and communication I need to do my job effectively. _____ 15.My immediate manager does a good job communicating the reasons behind important changes that are made. _____ Thank you for your time and support for this class project! Questionnaire adapted from the 2008 WellPoint Associate Engagement Survey developed by Kenexa and the WellPoint, Inc. EAP website self-assessment tools. Results A total of 20 surveys were distributed to WellPoint associates. Twenty surveys were completed and returned, for an overall response rate of 100 percent. The average total score for the survey, calculated from all 20 respondents, is 51. 5 out of a possible maximum of 75. This equates to an average total rating of 68 percent. The mean was calculated for each of the 15 rating-scale questions. The mean for the results ranges from a high of 4. 25 to a low of 2. 85. The standard deviation was calculated for each of the 15 rating-scale questions. The results range from a high of 1. 459 to a low of . 7539. The results for each of the 15 rating-scale questions are given below. Question 1: I feel that I am part of a team. The mean for the total results is 4. 25 and the standard deviation is . 8507.The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 5, â€Å"strongly agree. † Question 2: I am involved in decisions that affect my work. The mean fo r the total results is 3. 6 and the standard deviation is . 9947. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 4, â€Å"agree. † Question 3: My job makes good use of my talents and abilities. The mean for the total results is 3. 45 and the standard deviation is 1. 191. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 4, â€Å"agree. Question 4: I feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with my responsibilities or with trying to please everyone. The mean for the total results is 3. 15 and the standard deviation is 1. 04. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 3, â€Å"neither agree nor disagree. † Question 5: WellPoint provides me with the opportunity for learning and development. The mean for the total results is 3. 4 and the standard deviation is . 9403. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 4, â€Å"agre e. † Question 6: I have the training I need to do my job effectively.The mean for the total results is 3. 6 and the standard deviation is . 7539. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 4, â€Å"agree. † Question 7: I receive the coaching and feedback I need to do my job effectively. The mean for the total results is 3. 45 and the standard deviation is . 9445. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 3, â€Å"neither agree nor disagree. † Question 8: I feel that I have limited control over the outcome of my job. The mean for the total results is 3. 35 and the standard deviation is 1. 1367.The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 4, â€Å"agree. † Question 9: I am satisfied with my opportunities for career advancement. The mean for the total results is 2. 95 and the standard deviation is 1. 099. The most frequently occurring r esponse given by all respondents for this question was tied between 3, â€Å"neither agree nor disagree† and 4, â€Å"agree. † Question 10: I am able to manage my work responsibilities in a way that allows me to maintain a healthy balance between work and home. The mean for the total results is 3. 4 and the standard deviation is 1. 39. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 4, â€Å"agree. † Question 11: I regularly receive appropriate recognition for my contributions. The mean for the total results is 3. 4 and the standard deviation is 1. 0463. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 4, â€Å"agree. † Question 12: I am paid fairly for the work I do. The mean for the total results is 3. 45 and the standard deviation is 1. 1459. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 4, â€Å"agree. Question 13: I dread going to work, es pecially on Sunday night. The mean for the total results is 2. 85 and the standard deviation is 1. 4244. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question was tied between 1, â€Å"strongly disagree† and 3, â€Å"neither agree nor disagree. † Question 14: I receive information and communication I need to do my job effectively. The mean for the total results is 3. 15 and the standard deviation is . 9333. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 4, â€Å"agree. †Question 15: My immediate manager does a good job communicating the reasons behind important changes that are made. The mean for the total results is 3. 8 and the standard deviation is . 7678. The most frequently occurring response given by all respondents for this question is 4, â€Å"agree. † Analysis The overall survey score of 51. 25 percent indicates that the employee morale for WellPoint associates is average. While th ese scores could be a little higher, they still are quite positive in light of the major organizational changes that recently have taken place across the company.In fact, WellPoint is doing better than one would expect considering all of the organizational changes it has experienced within the last couple of years. The survey question with the highest mean score overall (4. 25 mean) was number one, â€Å"I feel that I am part of a team. † This is largely due to the fact that the majority of associates who took part in this survey, work for a highly creative department whose direct management has fostered monthly team-building activities and encouraged collaboration when completing everyday tasks.The question with the lowest mean score overall (2. 85 mean) was number 13, â€Å"I dread going to work, especially on Sunday night. † Because this question had a negative spin on it, the fact that it received a low mean score actually is a positive indicator. Based on their re sponses, the majority of associates surveyed enjoy coming to work, even when the week is just getting underway. Consequently, the next lowest mean score overall (2. 95 mean), which actually indicates a considerable amount of discontent is number 9; â€Å"I am satisfied with my opportunities for career advancement. This has been a trouble area for quite some time, due, in large part to the fact that a majority of the associates within our department have realized little or no career advancement within the last few years. To further assess this study’s survey results, questions were evaluated based on the percentages of answers for each question, adding together the percentages for response #4, â€Å"agree† and response #5, â€Å"strongly agree. † These figures were compared to the sum of the remaining three percentages for response #1, â€Å"strongly disagree,† response #2, â€Å"agree† and response #3, â€Å"neither agree nor disagree. The fact t hat some of the questions had a negative spin, resulted in reversing the percentages for a more accurate representation. For question 1, â€Å"I feel that I am part of a team,† a total of 85% either agreed or strongly agreed as compared to 15% who either strongly disagreed, disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed. This shows that the team-building efforts initiated by management have had a positive affect on associates. For question 2, â€Å"I am involved in decisions that affect my work,† a total of 55% either agreed or strongly agreed as compared to 45% who either strongly disagreed, disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed.This shows that associates feel that they have a say in their daily decision-making tasks. For question 3, â€Å"My job makes good use of my talents and abilities,† 60% either agreed or strongly agreed as compared to 40% who either strongly disagreed, disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed. This shows that associates feel that they ar e utilizing their skills in their daily work routine. For question 4, â€Å"I feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with my responsibilities,† 65% either strongly disagreed, disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed as compared to 35% who either agreed or strongly agreed.This shows that associates feel that their workload is balanced and they are able to accomplish their daily tasks with a limited amount of stress. Question 5, â€Å"WellPoint provides me with the opportunity for learning and development,† primarily was split almost down the middle with 55% either agreeing or strongly agreeing and 45% either strongly disagreeing, disagreeing or neither agreeing nor disagreeing. This reveals the possibility that opportunities for learning and development may not be offered equally to all associates; some associates may be favored to take educational courses over other associates.For question 6, â€Å"I have the training to do my job effectively,† 65% either agreed or strongly agreed as compared to 35% who either strongly disagreed, disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed. This shows that most associates feel well-equipped to adequately handle their job duties. However question 7, â€Å"I receive coaching and feedback to do my job effectively,† predominantly was split down the middle with 45% either agreeing or strongly agreeing and 55% either strongly disagreeing, disagreeing or neither agreeing nor disagreeing.This shows that management may not be communicating effectively nor providing adequate coaching and feedback on a regular basis. And question 8, â€Å"I feel that I have limited control over the outcome of my job,† was split down the middle, 50/50, which shows that associates feel that external factors may have more direct impact on their job than the direct contributions they make on a daily basis. For question 9, â€Å"I am satisfied with my opportunities for career advancement,† 60% either strongly disagreed, di sagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed as compared to 40% who either agreed or strongly agreed.This demonstrates the belief shared by a majority of WellPoint associates, that there is little opportunity for upward mobility with the organization. For question 10, â€Å"I am able to maintain a healthy work-life balance,† 65% either agreed or strongly agreed as compared to 35% who either strongly disagreed, disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed. This shows that most of the associates feel that they are maintaining an adequate balance between their work responsibilities and their leisure time.And question 11, â€Å"I regularly receive appropriate recognition for my contributions,† was split down the middle, 50/50, which shows that appropriate recognition may not always be given equally to all associates; some associates may be favored over others. For question 12, â€Å"I am paid fairly for the work I do,† 65% either agreed or strongly agreed as compared to 35% who either strongly disagreed, disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed. This shows that most of the associates feel that they are satisfied with their rate of pay for the work that they do.For question 13, â€Å"I dread going to work, especially on Sunday night,† 65% either strongly disagreed, disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed as compared to 35% who either agreed or strongly agreed. This shows that associates feel content with their jobs and look forward to coming to work. For question 14, â€Å"I receive the information and communication I need to do my job effectively,† 60% either strongly disagreed, disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed as compared to 40% who either agreed or strongly agreed. This reveals that WellPoint needs to improve their channels of communication.And finally, for question 15, â€Å"My immediate manager does a good job communicating the reasons behind changes,† 70% either agreed or strongly agreed as compared to 30% who eit her strongly disagreed, disagreed or neither agreed nor disagreed. This shows that most of the associates feel satisfied with the way their immediate manager is communicating with them. Conclusion Depending on the scope and size of the organizational change and the number of staff affected, consequences can be disruptive. Employees may find even the act of reporting for work very stressful.They may have difficulty sleeping or eating. People respond differently and recover at different rates. For most people, the effects of the event will subside within a few weeks as people adjust to the changes. For others, the symptoms may become worse. However, surprisingly, the results of this study refute most of the literature on this subject. While downsizing is a workplace trend that is here to stay and that undeniably creates anger, stress, fear and even trauma for surviving employees, according to the findings in this survey, this has not proven to be the case for WellPoint associates.This study’s survey results indicate that WellPoint has been reasonably successful to this point. Employee morale and attitudes are at or slightly above national norms, which is rather commendable considering the recurring layoffs that have taken place over the course of the past two years. While the industry trend indicates otherwise, WellPoint associates who have weathered the storm by remaining gainfully employed with the company, increase their engagement while striving to achieve superior performance in their daily work activities.Evidence can be seen in the high survey rankings reported in this paper on questions such as â€Å"I have the training to do my job effectively† and â€Å"I am able to maintain a healthy work-life balance. † Even under the most extreme circumstances of additional impending layoffs, the morale of the surviving associates at WellPoint is surprisingly high. I am inspired by the fact that WellPoint associates have managed to hold onto emp loyee morale in spite of some tough economic conditions.Some of the survey results that support this include the high survey rankings reported in this paper on questions such as â€Å"Associates feel that they are part of a team† and â€Å"My job makes good use of my talents and abilities. † However, the common rationale that downsizing is necessary to financial health and that greater efficiency always follows job cuts is questionable. Therefore, WellPoint also must give attention to alternatives that may cause less turmoil and still achieve the desired economic results.There are numerous alternatives to downsizing that are far less demoralizing to employees. Some of these alternatives include gearing down to a four-day work week or using job-sharing techniques, where employees lose pay but keep their job. Other alternatives include pay reductions, taking vacations without pay, having fewer paid holidays, retraining or redeploying workers, or providing early retiremen t buyouts for workers past a certain age. Finally, some other ideas include imposing wage and hiring freezes, restricting the amount of overtime available to employees or cutting back on executive perks.The negative effects of downsizing can be eased by acknowledging the situation, asking questions and communicating honestly, listening to others and exploring new ideas and ways of doing things. Taking an active, positive role in reducing the trauma of downsizing can enhance WellPoint’s chances of being part of a creative, profitable company and enhance its professional growth and opportunity for the future. In addition, if there don’t seem to be any alternatives to layoffs, WellPoint can make the layoffs seem less arbitrary and cruel by keeping the lines of communication open and explaining with dignity the strategy behind them.In the opinion of this author, WellPoint needs to turn its attention to cultivating the staff that is ultimately responsible for revitalizing t he company by providing more opportunity for learning and development and career advancement as well as expanding the lines of communication. Questions in the survey show that WellPoint is weak in these two key areas. Evidence can be seen in the low survey rankings reported in this paper on questions such as â€Å"I am satisfied with my opportunities for career advancement,† and â€Å"I receive the information and communication I need to do my job effectively. Therefore, providing more opportunities for associates and improving the flow of communication, not only would be a worthwhile investment for the company, but also a vehicle for providing a worthwhile work environment for the associates. This in turn would result in a direct benefit to the organization by increasing associate engagement and providing the necessary tools for associates to do their job more effectively. This, in turn, would make the most of the human capital available in the 41,000 WellPoint associates.A ppendix A | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |SSB Survey Results | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Associate Morale Monitor | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Results for WellPoint, Inc. Associates 10. 9. 09 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Question | |Respondent # |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |11 |12 |13 |14 |15 |16 |17 |18 |19 |20 |Avg. |SD |Mode | |1. Part of a team | | |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |4 |4 |5 |5 |5 |4 |4 |4 |5 |5 |3 |5 |5 |2 |5 |4. 5 |0. 85 |5 | |2. Involved in decisions affecting work | |2 |3 |3 |3 |4 |3 |5 |5 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |5 |3 |4 |2 |2 |5 |3. 6 |0. 97 |4 | |3. Job makes good use of talents & abilities | |1 |1 |4 |2 |3 |3 |5 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |5 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |3. 45 |1. 19 |4 | |4. Feel overwhelmed trying to keep up | |2 |4 |2 |5 |4 |4 |1 |3 |3 |3 |3 |4 |3 |3 |2 |2 |4 |3 |5 |3 |3. 15 |1. 04 |3 | |5. WellPoint provides opportunity for develo p. | |4 |1 |3 |2 |4 |4 |4 |5 |4 |3 |3 |2 |3 |4 |4 |3 |4 |3 |4 |4 |3. 4 |0. 94 |4 | |6.Have training to do job effectively | |3 |4 |3 |4 |2 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |4 |4 |4 |4 |5 |4 |4 |3 |3 |4 |3. 6 |0. 75 |4 | |7. Receive coaching and feedback | |3 |3 |3 |3 |2 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |5 |5 |4 |4 |3 |4 |5 |3. 45 |0. 94 |3 | |8. Limited control over job outcome | |4 |5 |4 |4 |2 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |5 |1 |3 |3 |2 |4 |3 |4 |5 |2 |3. 35 |1. 14 |4 | |9. Satisfied with career advancement opportunity | |2 |1 |3 |1 |2 |4 |3 |3 |4 |4 |2 |2 |3 |4 |5 |2 |3 |3 |4 |4 |2. 95 |1. 1 |3 | |10. Healthy work-life balance | | |4 |4 |4 |3 |2 |1 |5 |4 |4 |4 |4 |1 |4 |4 |5 |4 |2 |5 |1 |3 |3. 4 |1. 1 |4 | |11. Regular recognition for contributions | |3 |2 |4 |2 |2 |2 |5 |3 |4 |4 |3 |2 |4 |5 |5 |3 |4 |3 |4 |4 |3. 4 |1. 05 |4 | |12. Paid fairly for work done | | |4 |1 |4 |4 |2 |5 |5 |3 |4 |3 |3 |1 |4 |4 |4 |4 |2 |4 |4 |4 |3. 45 |1. 15 |4 | |13. Dread going to work | | |3 |5 |3 |5 |3 |2 |1 |1 |1 |3 |4 |2 |4 |2 |1 |4 |5 |3 |4 |1 |2. 85 |1. 42 |3 | |14. Receive info. & communication to do job | |3 |2 |2 |4 |2 |2 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |4 |5 |3 |3 |3 |2 |4 |3. 15 |0. 93 |4 | |15. Mgr. effective communicator about changes |4 |3 |4 |3 |2 |3 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |5 |4 |5 |3 |4 |4 |3. |0. 77 |4 | | Appendix A | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Survey Scores | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Survey Scores | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Question | |Respondent # |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |11 |12 |13 |14 |15 |16 |17 |18 |19 |20 | |1. Part of a team | | |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |4 |4 |5 |5 |5 |4 |4 |4 |5 |5 |3 |5 |5 |2 |5 | |2. Involved in decisions affecting work | |2 |3 |3 |3 |4 |3 |5 |5 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |5 |3 |4 |2 |2 |5 | |3.Job makes good use of talents & abilities | |1 |1 |4 |2 |3 |3 |5 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |5 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 | |4. Feel overwhelmed trying to keep up | |2 |4 |2 |5 |4 |4 |1 |3 |3 |3 |3 |4 |3 |3 |2 |2 | 4 |3 |5 |3 | |5. WellPoint provides opportunity for develop. | |4 |1 |3 |2 |4 |4 |4 |5 |4 |3 |3 |2 |3 |4 |4 |3 |4 |3 |4 |4 | |6. Have training to do job effectively | |3 |4 |3 |4 |2 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |4 |4 |4 |4 |5 |4 |4 |3 |3 |4 | |7. Receive coaching and feedback | |3 |3 |3 |3 |2 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |5 |5 |4 |4 |3 |4 |5 | |8.Limited control over job outcome | |4 |5 |4 |4 |2 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |5 |1 |3 |3 |2 |4 |3 |4 |5 |2 | |9. Satisfied with career advancement opportunity | |2 |1 |3 |1 |2 |4 |3 |3 |4 |4 |2 |2 |3 |4 |5 |2 |3 |3 |4 |4 | |10. Healthy work-life balance | | |4 |4 |4 |3 |2 |1 |5 |4 |4 |4 |4 |1 |4 |4 |5 |4 |2 |5 |1 |3 | |11. Regular recognition for contributions | |3 |2 |4 |2 |2 |2 |5 |3 |4 |4 |3 |2 |4 |5 |5 |3 |4 |3 |4 |4 | |12. Paid fairly for work done | | |4 |1 |4 |4 |2 |5 |5 |3 |4 |3 |3 |1 |4 |4 |4 |4 |2 |4 |4 |4 | |13.Dread going to work | | |3 |5 |3 |5 |3 |2 |1 |1 |1 |3 |4 |2 |4 |2 |1 |4 |5 |3 |4 |1 | |14. Receive info. & communication to do job | |3 |2 |2 |4 |2 |2 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |4 |5 |3 |3 |3 |2 |4 | |15. Mgr. effective communicator about changes |4 |3 |4 |3 |2 |3 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |5 |4 |5 |3 |4 |4 | |Sum | | | |46 |42 |50 |49 |41 |45 |58 |53 |55 |56 |51 |39 |53 |61 |63 |49 |56 |50 |52 |56 | |Score (%) | | | |61% |56% |67% |65% |55% |60% |77% |71% |73% |75% |68% |52% |71% |81% |84% |65% |75% |67% |69% |75% | |Appendix A | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Survey Results Sorted by Mean | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Results Sorted by Mean | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Question | |Respondent # |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |11 |12 |13 |14 |15 |16 |17 |18 |19 |20 |Mean | | |1. Part of a team | | |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |4 |4 |5 |5 |5 |4 |4 |4 |5 |5 |3 |5 |5 |2 |5 |4. 5 | | | |2. Involved in decisions affecting work | |2 |3 |3 |3 |4 |3 |5 |5 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |5 |3 |4 |2 |2 |5 |3. 6 | | | |3. Job makes good use of talent s & abilities | |1 |1 |4 |2 |3 |3 |5 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |5 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |3. 45 | | | |4. Feel overwhelmed trying to keep up | |2 |4 |2 |5 |4 |4 |1 |3 |3 |3 |3 |4 |3 |3 |2 |2 |4 |3 |5 |3 |3. 15 | | | |5. WellPoint provides opportunity for develop. | |4 |1 |3 |2 |4 |4 |4 |5 |4 |3 |3 |2 |3 |4 |4 |3 |4 |3 |4 |4 |3. 4 | | | |6.Have training to do job effectively | |3 |4 |3 |4 |2 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |4 |4 |4 |4 |5 |4 |4 |3 |3 |4 |3. 6 | | | |7. Receive coaching and feedback | |3 |3 |3 |3 |2 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |5 |5 |4 |4 |3 |4 |5 |3. 45 | | | |8. Limited control over job outcome | |4 |5 |4 |4 |2 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |5 |1 |3 |3 |2 |4 |3 |4 |5 |2 |3. 35 | | | |9. Satisfied with career advancement opportunity | |2 |1 |3 |1 |2 |4 |3 |3 |4 |4 |2 |2 |3 |4 |5 |2 |3 |3 |4 |4 |2. 95 | | | |10. Healthy work-life balance | | |4 |4 |4 |3 |2 |1 |5 |4 |4 |4 |4 |1 |4 |4 |5 |4 |2 |5 |1 |3 |3. | | | |11. Regular recognition for contributions | |3 |2 |4 |2 |2 |2 |5 |3 |4 |4 |3 |2 |4 |5 |5 |3 |4 |3 |4 |4 |3. 4 | | | |12. Paid fairly for work done | | |4 |1 |4 |4 |2 |5 |5 |3 |4 |3 |3 |1 |4 |4 |4 |4 |2 |4 |4 |4 |3. 45 | | | |13. Dread going to work | | |3 |5 |3 |5 |3 |2 |1 |1 |1 |3 |4 |2 |4 |2 |1 |4 |5 |3 |4 |1 |2. 85 | | | |14. Receive info. & communication to do job | |3 |2 |2 |4 |2 |2 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |4 |5 |3 |3 |3 |2 |4 |3. 15 | | | |15. Mgr. effective communicator about changes |4 |3 |4 |3 |2 |3 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |5 |4 |5 |3 |4 |4 |3. | | | | Appendix A | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Survey Results Sorted by Standard Deviation | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Results Sorted by Standard Deviation | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Question | |Respondent # |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10 |11 |12 |13 |14 |15 |16 |17 |18 |19 |20 |St. Dev. | | |1. Part of a team | | |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |4 |4 |5 |5 |5 |4 |4 |4 |5 |5 |3 |5 |5 |2 |5 |0. 507 | | | |2. Involved in decisions affecting work | |2 |3 |3 |3 |4 |3 |5 |5 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |5 |3 |4 |2 |2 |5 |0. 9947 | | | |3. Job makes good use of talents & abilities | |1 |1 |4 |2 |3 |3 |5 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |5 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |1. 191 | | | |4. Feel overwhelmed trying to keep up | |2 |4 |2 |5 |4 |4 |1 |3 |3 |3 |3 |4 |3 |3 |2 |2 |4 |3 |5 |3 |1. 04 | | | |5. WellPoint provides opportunity for develop. | |4 |1 |3 |2 |4 |4 |4 |5 |4 |3 |3 |2 |3 |4 |4 |3 |4 |3 |4 |4 |0. 9403 | | | |6.Have training to do job effectively | |3 |4 |3 |4 |2 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |4 |4 |4 |4 |5 |4 |4 |3 |3 |4 |0. 7539 | | | |7. Receive coaching and feedback | |3 |3 |3 |3 |2 |2 |4 |3 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |5 |5 |4 |4 |3 |4 |5 |0. 9445 | | | |8. Limited control over job outcome | |4 |5 |4 |4 |2 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |5 |1 |3 |3 |2 |4 |3 |4 |5 |2 |1. 1367 | | | |9. Satisfied with career advancement opportunity | |2 |1 |3 |1 |2 |4 |3 |3 |4 |4 |2 |2 |3 |4 |5 |2 |3 |3 |4 |4 |1. 099 | | | |10. Healthy work-life balance | | |4 |4 |4 |3 |2 |1 |5 |4 |4 |4 |4 |1 |4 |4 |5 |4 |2 |5 |1 |3 |1. 3139 | | | |11.Regular recognition for contributions | |3 |2 |4 |2 |2 |2 |5 |3 |4 |4 |3 |2 |4 |5 |5 |3 |4 |3 |4 |4 |1. 0463 | | | |12. Paid fairly for work done | | |4 |1 |4 |4 |2 |5 |5 |3 |4 |3 |3 |1 |4 |4 |4 |4 |2 |4 |4 |4 |1. 1459 | | | |13. Dread going to work | | |3 |5 |3 |5 |3 |2 |1 |1 |1 |3 |4 |2 |4 |2 |1 |4 |5 |3 |4 |1 |1. 4244 | | | |14. Receive info. & communication to do job | |3 |2 |2 |4 |2 |2 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |2 |3 |4 |5 |3 |3 |3 |2 |4 |0. 9333 | | | |15. Mgr. effective communicator about changes |4 |3 |4 |3 |2 |3 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |4 |4 |5 |5 |4 |5 |3 |4 |4 |0. 7678 | | | |Appendix A | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Survey Results – Percentage of Answers for Each Question | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Percentage of Answers for Each Question | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Question | |Percentage for Each Response | | | | | | |% Ans. 1 |% Ans. 2 |% Ans. 3 |% Ans. 4 |% Ans. 5 |Total | | | | | | | | | | | | |1. I feel that I am part of a team. | | | | | | | |0 |5 |10 |40 |45 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |2. I am involved in decisions that affect my work. | | | | | |0 |15 |30 |35 |20 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |3. My job makes good use of my talents and abilities. | | | | | | |10 |10 |20 |45 |15 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |4. I feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with my responsibilities. | | | | |5 |20 |40 |25 |10 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |5. WellPoint provides me with the opportunity for learning and development. | | |5 |10 |30 |50 |5 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |6. I have the training to do my job effectively. | | | | | | | |0 |10 |25 |60 |5 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |7. I receive coaching and feedback to do my job effectively. | | | | |0 |15 |40 |30 |15 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |8. I feel that I have limited control over the outcome of my job. | | | | |5 |20 |25 |35 |15 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |9. I am satisfied with my opportunities for career advancement. | | | | |10 |25 |30 |30 |5 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |10. I am able to maintain a healthy work-life balance. | | | | | | |15 |10 |10 |50 |15 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |11. I regularly receive appropriate recognition for my contributions. | | | | |0 |25 |25 |35 |15 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |12.I am paid fairly for the work I do. | | | | | | | |10 |10 |15 |55 |10 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |13. I dread going to work, especially on Sunday night. | | | | | | |25 |15 |25 |20 |15 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |14. I receive the information and communication I need to do my job effectively. | | |0 |30 |30 |35 |5 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | |15. My immediate manager does a good job communicating reasons behind changes. | |0 |5 |25 |55 |15 |100 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Appendix B Charts of Results for Each Survey Question Sources Consulted Abbasi, Sami M. Hollman, Kenneth W. (1998). The myth and realities of downsizing. Records Manag ement Quarterly, 32. n2, 31(6). (Document ID: A20776055). Business Editors. (2000). Workforce Growth Averages 5. 9%, Annual AMA Survey Finds. Business Wire. Retrieved from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0EiN/is_2000_Oct_25/ai_6632 Canada and the World Backgrounder. (1996). Downsizing or dumbsizing? Canada and the World Backgrounder, 62. n2, 12(1). (Document ID: A18927954). Cummings, Thomas G. & Worley, Christopher G. (2005). Organization Development & Change. Ohio. Thomson South-Western. See pages 287-297. ) Garnant, Carol W. (2001). Who re-moved my cheese? Responding to staff reductions. Tax Executive, 53. 4, 283. (Document ID: A79052297). Gibbons, Tracy & Brenowitz, Randi S. (2001). The Impact of Downsizing on Corporate Culture. Data Center Management. Harris, Rothenberg International, LLC. (2008). Helping Employees with Organizational Change: A Guide for Managers. Retrieved from www. wellpoint. com. Harris, Rothenberg International, LLC. (2008). Managing in Uncertain Tim es. Retrieved from www. wellpoint. com. Harvey, Don & Brown, Donald R. 1996). An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Isabella, Lynn A. (1989). Downsizing: survivors’ assessments. Business Horizons, 32. n3, 35(6). (Document ID: A7739163). Lee, Daniel. (2009). WellPoint Says Economy Could Prompt It to Cut More Jobs. The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved from http://www. istockanalyst. com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3499717. McKinley, William, Sanchez, Carol M. & Schick, Allen G. (1995). Organizational downsizing: constraining, cloning, learning. The Academy of Management Executive, 9. 3, 32(13). (Document ID: A17452339). Mishra, Karen E. , Spreitzer, Gretchen M. & Mishra Aneil K. (1998). Preserving employee morale during downsizing. Sloan Management Review, 39. n2, 83(13). Retrieved from http://find. galegroup. com/ips/start. do? prodID=IPS. Noer, David M. Healing The Wounds: Overcoming the Trauma of Layoffs and Revitalizing Dow nsized Organizations. New York. Jossey-Bass Inc. , 1993. (See pages 3, 4, 10-12. ) Whigham-Desir, Marjorie. (1993). Strategies for coping with workplace depression. Black Enterprise, 24. n2, 77(4). (Document ID: A13287127).