Leadership and Management in Nursing Essay

Nursing is a very demanding and dedicated profession and the current shortage is a serious problem at all levels of nursing and is the dearth of leaders among nurses. Leadership and management are essential skills for all qualified healthcare professionals and have a pivotal role in ensuring a delivery of high standards of care. Developing future nurse leaders is one of the greatest challenges faced by the nursing profession, (Mahoney, 2001). The author is currently working as a midwife in one of the big hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The average deliveries per month are 500-600. There are 22 midwives in this unit and there are eight vacant posts for midwives . Due to the shortage of midwives, these professional staffs are subjected to personal and work related stress. Preston et, al. (1981) defined stress as an adaptive response, mediated by individual characteristics or psychological processes. The negative effects of stress could be evident in staff absenteeism, hostility, and aggression. This will impair the provision of quality care and the effective functioning of the organization. (Healy & McKay, 1999). The adverse effect of workload and stress in the author’s placement has lead to an alarming high staff turnover. Apparently, the increased workload has affected the staff performances and the quality of nursing care. When the staff feel that they are not cared for, then they find it difficult to care for patients ( Atwater & Bass 1994, Lancaster 1999). In this assignment, the author will explore the various leadership styles and their theories and also distinguish the functions between leadership and management. The author will also critically explore the manager’s leadership practice in labor and delivery suite, thus creating a culture of reducing stress. The link of leadership style from the aspect of work, environment, communication, empowerment, delegation, implications, conclusion and recommendations will be discussed further. Leaders are not someone who holds top position but also able to give assistance to others, (Mahoney, 2001). Whereas in my placement, the head nurse, who is the leader, never gives a helping hand during the deliveries. She anticipates the midwives to conduct and manage the deliveries, even though there’s shortage of staff. The nurse manager has to prepare the correct number of staff on each shift with the credentials to do the job and must be aware of the policies regarding overtime, floating from one unit to another. She must form a competent team and manage them to carry out the plan for reaching the goal of excellent patient care. Effective leaders are not merely someone who is skillful but they must acquire good attitudes, (Cook, 2001). The nurse manager must understand the factors surrounding the current situation in the unit and have the knowledge of various approaches to leadership that will help to understand and determine the best leadership approach to create a positive work environment to reduce stress. Leadership is defined as the ability to influence, inspire and motivate a group of people towards the achievement of its goal, (Yuki, 2002). Management is a process of getting things done effectively through planning and organization of services which is one of the basic function of management whereas the leader is an intermediary between work group and the top management, (Marquis and Huston, 2006). The manager uses a formal and rational method whilst the leader uses passions and stirs emotions. Without enabling and empowering nursing leadership, efforts to improve the quality and safety of healthcare will be limited and short-lived, as said by Kelly (2008). For a leader to achieve the goal, she must have the three essential things which are power, authority and influence to act in a way that will stimulate a positive respond from the staff (Tomey, 2009). Leaders will emerge when nurses feel valued and inspired to strive for excellence. They aim to improve patient care via a cohesive work force by focusing on interpersonal relationships between leaders and subordinates, (Malby 1997). A nursing leader should have a distinctive set of personal qualities, integrity, courage, initiative, ability to handle stress, think critically, able to resolve problems without conflicts, skillful communication and must be empathetic. They are not those who control others but they act as visionaries who help staff to plan, lead, control and organize their activities, (Jooste,2004). There are many types of leadership. Autocratic type of leaders are those who make all decisions and expect others to follow without questioning and never seek advice from others, (Sullivan & Decker 2005). This situation had made some of the midwives to leave for greener pastures. The current health system has advanced in technology and improved in care giving services (Cook, 2001). The author feels that this leadership style is no longer tenable and fits into the contemporary nursing practice and a consumer responsive culture. Democratic leaders encourage the participant of staff and use a consensus for decision making, (Sullivan & Decker 2005) whereas bureaucratic leadership occurs when a leader rigidly adheres to rules, regulations and policies of the organization, (Jenkins and Henderson, 1984). Instead of providing sufficient support and consideration, my nurse manager demonstrates these leadership qualities because she uses rules and policies thus expecting strict compliance from the midwives. . By following the organizational hierarchy’s influence, she puts herself in a high position but never use her power constructively (Masquis & Huston, 2006). Due to top management instructions, she adheres to the current policies, making no changes in them but gives verbal instruction and changing policies to her likes and dislikes. This swifts away trust and open communications between the manager and the midwives. Due to unvented stress and high expectations from the nurse manager, the midwives burnout level have been exacerbated . Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment, as said by Maslach &Jackson (1981). Reports have proved that in this kind of environment, patient’s safety is at risk (Institute of Medicine, 2004). Participative leadership allows staff to participate in decision making and actively seek out the participation of those involved. This type of leadership allows staff to feel more committed to the goals they were involved (Faugier & Woolnough, 2002). The author feels that the head nurse should have these qualities so that the unit will run smoothly, and the staff will be appreciated and acknowledged so that good nursing care can be rendered. Transformational leadership is especially well suited for today’s fast changing healthcare environment where adaptation is extremely important (Welford,2002). It starts with the development of a vision that will excite and convert potential followers, (Outhwaite, 2003). To achieve organizational success, this style advocates for strong leadership qualities and these leaders use motivation in their approach than use rewards and punishment as said by Kouzes & Posner (2002). In the author’s point of view, this leadership is proposed as empowering leadership style which well suits in my unit and to be recognized by the nurse manager. According to Bowles & Bowels (2002), transformational leaders create a leadership culture for all team members nurturing empowerment, increase their autonomy and open communication for inclusive decision making. The nurse manager takes responsibilities for discussing care related matters with the midwives which makes them to be motivated and work more effectively to contribute to the development and provision of the unit, (Murphy. 2005). The ability of the leader to articulate a shared vision is an important aspect of transformational leadership (Faugier & Woolnough, 2002). Another leadership style is transactional leadership which focuses on providing day to day care between leaders and their employee. It aims to maintain equilibrium and harmony by using incentives to enhance staff loyalty and performance (Bass and Riggio, 2006). Laissez faire leadership is another style that leaves the staff alone to work with no directions or facilitations and is a highly risky form of leadership, (Sullivan & Decker 2005). Since the author’s placement is labor and delivery, it’s not advisable to have this kind of leader in this unit as it will increase the mortality rate. The high level of burnout and increased workload due to shortage of midwives and less rest days has resulted them to leave. This disequilibrium may trigger the risk of physical and mental health of these midwives. The manager has depleted the nurses basic psychological needs which are rest and sleep and at the same time reducing their self- esteem, as said in Maslow’s theory of human motivation. The leader should explore barriers and identify conflicts when they arise and collaborate with the team and be able to understand the employee’s perspective (Outhwaite,2003). A more effective form of leadership maybe situational leadership where the leader switches the style depending upon the situation at hand and upon the competence of the staff, (Faugier & Woolnough, 2002). The nurse manager must be good clinician and have judgment skills to handle any problem that cannot be handled by the staff. By doing so, the staff will listen to her as she guides them. Communication also plays a vital role as this can prevent conflict and smoothes the progress of team building in the unit Calpin-Davies, (2000). A good communicator gives the staff detailed instructions to perform tasks that are necessary to reach the goal. The nurse manager uses a communication book to provide important information to all the staff in the unit, as supported by Sullivan & Decker (2005). By reading and acknowledging with a signature, she assures the message has been reached effectively. As a leader, the nurse manager has to be a good listener. It provides the opportunity to receive valuable feedback that is used to avert some problems and resolve others and also giving greater understanding of the issues being discussed. When there are incidences in the unit, the nurse manager gives a listening ear to the staff and tries to solve the problems. She puts aside preconceived ideas or prejudices when listening to staff. Being a leader, the nurse manager delegates some of the tasks to the staff to focus on more complex aspects of running the unit. She delegates the right task to the right person, for example sending and collecting of narcotics by the midwife as these drugs used are cautioned in Saudi Arabia. A good leader fosters a congenial work environment by coaching, praising and training the staff to perform an excellent job and also by conducting continuous nursing education. Supervision goes in the observation of staff and to evaluate in the yearly performance appraisal. The author would recommend that the nurse manager in this unit has to change her leadership style to She should resources for proper quality care Conclusion Today, healthcare environment requires leaders to be skillful and knowledgeable and have strong inspirational leadership qualities across the health care organization. In this millennium, nursing must make a dedicated effort to nurture its young nurses to grow into effective and motivating leaders.

Korean Wave

The Influences of Korean Wave on Vietnamese Youth During the first two decades of the 21st century, the Korean wave has spread to many countries around the world, including Vietnam. The Korean wave had a profound influence on the psychology and interests of the Vietnamese people, especially the youth. Therefore, the study titled â€Å"The Influences of Korean Wave on Vietnamese Youth† will find out the effects of the Korean wave on young people’s behaviors.On the other hand, the study also helps Vietnamese enterprises gain more experience about the success of this phenomenon so that they are able to take advantage of these effects on their business, which targets Vietnamese customers. Overview about Korean Wave In the last two decades, the Korean wave has earned a very huge popularity in many countries around the world. Following the initial surge of interest in Korean television dramas and popular music, nowadays all things made in Korean ? from food, movies and dances to fashion and language ? are quite the rage.The Korean wave is establishing itself as a global phenomenon that has already washed over East Asia and is now reaching the shores of Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Korean Wave in the World The Korea Tourism Organization conducted an online survey of 12,085 non-Korean visitors from 102 countries on its website from May 11th to May 31st, 2012. The questionnaire, which included seven questions related to Korea, had been provided to the interviewees in different languages to see what makes the foreigners interested in the Korean wave.The survey conducted asked the interviewees to select an item of the Korean wave that interested them the most. The results showed a little more than 53 percent of 6,447 respondents picked K-pop. This was followed by TV dramas with 33 percent, films with six percent and others with seven percent. By age group, 49 percent of the respondents were in their twenties, followed by those in their thirties at 18 percent, teenagers at 17 percent and those in their forties at eight percent.The survey showed that, nowadays the Korean wave has been spread not only in Asia but also around entire world: from Asia to Europe, from America to Oceania and it is continuing to spread worldwide, where it is being consumed by an increase in global audiences. More importantly, most of the attracted people are in their 20s and teenagers who are enthusiastically consuming the images and messages offered by the Korean wave. Korean Wave in Vietnam Since the government of Vietnam and South Korea established an official diplomatic relationship, the Vietnamese audiences have more chances to enjoy Korean dramas.Especially, during the final years of 20th century, many Korean television series were introduced in Vietnam through the exchange culture programs or promotional products offered from huge economic Korean groups. These films like â€Å"Yellow Daisy† (1997), â€Å"First Love† (1999), â €Å"Winter Sonata† (2002), â€Å"Jewel in the Palace† (2003), brought a fresh feeling to the Vietnamese audiences and were also the first step of the Korean wave beginning in Vietnam.Moreover, this stage also saw a rapid development of information technology and mass media that made this wave closer to the audiences, especially the youth between 13 and 22 years old who were attracted easily more than other age groups. In the recent years, taking advantage of dramas’ fame, the Korean wave has been expanding to Korean music and fashion that has become an overwhelming cultural tendencies up to now. Three Main Aspects of Korean Wave on Young Generation Korean DramasDuring the last five years of 20th century, the Vietnamese dramas became boring because they were influenced strongly by the traditional viewpoints in society. In contrast, at this time, the first appearance of the Korean dramas with romantic love, complication in family relationship help the Vietnamese a udiences be more satisfied with their entertainment needs. In addition, with the similarities in culture as well as the development of the mass media, Korean dramas have been accepted easily and have become more popular in Vietnam.From the finding of our survey about the favorite movies, which was researched from 75 young people belonging to the 13-21 year olds in Ho Chi Minh City, the data was described by the pie chart below: [pic] As the chart shows, more than 30% of the interviewees pick Korean drama as their favorite film that also occupies the largest part in the chart. Following that, Chinese drama and European & American movies account for 23% and 25% respectively. The two last sectors are Vietnamese drama and the others with the figures being 11% and 10% respectively.From the information above, it can be clearly observed that Korean drama is now dominating major attention of young Vietnamese audiences and it leaves strong influences on their lives. One of the most important reasons making the youth interested in Korean dramas is the beautiful appearance with the familiar formula being the handsome boys and beautiful girls with their perfect make-up. In addition, most of the characters always dress in fashionable clothes with hairstyles that not only attract the young generation to the content of the film but also create the fashion waves in reality.Another side, Korean dramas are generally consistent with the psychology of young people. To be more specific, instead of some love stories with unhappy endings, the recent Korean films such as: â€Å"Boys over flowers†, â€Å"Dream High†, â€Å"You’re Beautiful† focus on the honest emotions of high school students with many funny and interesting details but not less romantic. Finally, an important point of Korean television series is the introduction of Korean culture, especially cuisines. According to Huang â€Å"Kim Chi, one of the traditional Korean foods, has become a [sic] accompaniment of the acceptance of Korean TV dramas† (2009, p. 26). In this way, these films lead young viewers to the content of the films as well as make the curious about them. Korean Music After the significant success of dramas, the Korean wave has continued expanding its influences on the young Vietnamese generation by the appearance of Korean music, also known K-pop as Shin Hyunjoon (2009) states â€Å"As the danceable rhythm and catchy melody performed by good-looking singers and groups swept across East- and Southeast Asia, Korean pop music has become one of the main components of the so-called Korean Wave† (para. 2).According to our finding in a survey of 75 young people in Ho Chi Minh City, it can be clearly seen that the interest level in Korean music occupied a minority of the total interviewees. [pic] As regards details, 35% of young respondents picked K-pop as their favorite music. This was followed by European & American music with 27%, Vietnamese music with 21%, Japanese music with 11% and others with 6%. The results above shows that K-pop dominates the music market of the Vietnamese youth due to some reason below: Firstly, Korean songs always satisfy the tastes of young audiences with their dynamic melodies.In addition, with the joyful voices and ear-catching rhythms, these songs overcome the barriers of language in order to become closer to young listeners. Secondly, Korean songs also attract young people’s attention to their perfect images. To be more detailed, handsome boys and beautiful girls who have professional dancing skills perform most of the music videos. Besides, these clips are carefully combined with the effects from the colorful lights to create the bright picture. That is also the reason why the song Gangnam Style by PSY becomes famous and creates a new Korean wave up to now.According to the BBC, PSY became the first South Korean artist to hit number one on the UK music charts and his song became the first Korean song to reach No. 1 on YouTube (October 31st ,2012) Finally, an important element contributing to the success of Korean songs is the content or message from the video clip. Actually, these stories affect the Vietnamese music market because they may be so colorful and full of energy or may be so sad with a lot of tears by some love stories which the main actor or actress gets cancer.Take the Single â€Å"Chuyen Nhu Chua Bat Dau† of well-known singer â€Å"My Tam† as an example of this. This song is also a sad story following the Korean style and it touches the hearts of the youth lightly. My Tam is very smart when choosing this song to register with Youtube and she became the first Vietnamese to be an official partner of YouTube (Tuoitrenews, August 2nd, 2012) Korean Fashion Fashion, which affects everybody’s lives by getting them involved in something has become an inevitable part of young people.Gradually, Korean fashion is one of the strongest elements , which affects remarkably to the youth. According to survey about the fashion styles from the poll of the youth, Korean fashion was the most popular style, accounting for 93% of the overall interviewees. It was followed by Vietnamese fashion with 34%. Obviously, overcoming the culture barriers in modern society, the upward trend of Korean fashion has penetrated deeply into the lives of many young Vietnamese. A reality has shown that â€Å"in the streets of Ho Chi MinhCity and Hanoi, fashion conscious young Vietnamese have adopted the darker makeup colors, thinly shaved eyebrows, body-hugging clothes, and square-toed shoes of Seoul fashion† (The Russia Journal, Jan. 25th 2002, p. 33). [pic] Besides, the youth seem to  be more fashionable and want to please each other, â€Å"stars of such dramas have become shining idols in those nations and fans there emulate the fashion, hairstyle or makeup of Korean stars† (â€Å"Hyundai heavy industries report on pop culture†, 2004).To clarify, most of young people love the Korean fashion style due to its popularity and current fashion trend. Moreover, another reason that convinces the level of explaining the fashion choices is that the Korean fashion style suits their styles and helps them express their personalities. In addition, Korean fashion has many similarities with Vietnamese fashion with 40% and 28%, respectively. Subsequently, 10% of young people are interested in the Korean fashion style because they want to be like their Korean idols. [pic] The Positive and Negative Influences of Korean WaveObviously, these analyses above indicate that nowadays, the Korean wave leaves significant impacts on the Vietnamese people in general as well as the young generation in particular including both positive and negative aspects. Positive Influences Through admiring the Korean stars in dramas and music as well as for their fashion styles, Vietnamese youth can not only satisfy their own entertainment needs but also learn beautiful and fashionable dressing styles, smart and educated behaviors from their Korean idols in the films. Another positive effect is a number of Korean stars will be able to ecome shining mirrors for the Vietnamese youth due to their efforts in both entertainment and education. Take Kim Tae Hee, a beautiful actress is famous not only for her professional performance but also her admirable academic achievements, as an illustration of this. She always topped the class with a perfect G. P. A during the period of high school. After graduating, Kim Tae Hee continued her studies at Seoul University, the most prestigious University in Korea. Negative Influences The Korean wave has spread rapidly throughout Vietnam without selecting to be suitable for the Vietnamese tradition.This means that through this wave, the majority of young generation gradually forget Vietnamese culture. In recent years, many young couples prefer wearing â€Å"Hanbok†, the Korean traditiona l dress in their weddings, to â€Å"Ao dai†, the Vietnamese traditional dress, for example. In addition, they also try to memorize the information about their favorite stars rather than the celebrities of our country Another significant drawback that should be noted is that a group of young people have an excessive devotion to their idols, which exceeds the acceptable limits of Vietnamese culture.Moreover, a large number of young people spend too much time and money on dressing up and applying make- up like the Korean style, and hunting for clothes, which are rather similar to their idols. The consequence is the appearance of inappropriate fashion styles and hairstyles everywhere, especially in the big cities. Opportunities from Korean Wave in business The Korean wave brings positive images that become a transporter of other Korean products such as technologies, fashions, cosmetics, tourism and entertainment services.Based on the influences of the Korean wave, Vietnamese ente rprises can apply some effective strategies in Vietnam. The first strategy is the collaboration with Korean stars for marketing and development of the products in Vietnam, using Korean idols as models for advertising products, for example Lee Min Ho playing a role in advertising Lotte Pie and Jang Dong Gun modeling for Close Up toothpaste. By holding some events in Vietnam and connecting stars’ images with product concepts, producers can increase the demand and interest of Korean fans, then they can increase the consumption and revenue.The SoundFest Music Festival on April 14th, 2012 was a very successful event sponsored by Samsung and Coca Cola. Instead of buying tickets at a high price to satisfy their passion for seeing Big Bang – a well-known South Korean pop band, fans also had chances to go to the festival free if they won the promotional prize from Samsung and Coca Cola. Korean fans found a code under Coca Cola bottle caps or sent the IMEI number of Samsung phon es to get the tickets. Besides increasing the revenue, producers also upgraded their image and value in their market.The second strategy is that companies can take full advantages of this wave to trade on fashion and cosmetic products because the image of Korean actors and singers significantly affected the youth’s consumption tendencies. The local distributors can import Korean fashion and cosmetic products to put up for sale in the Vietnam market. Besides that, they should also consider designing and producing fashion products with the Korean style so that they can match the youth’s taste. The third strategy is to develop tourism packages designed for Korean fans.Tour packages that combine concerts, shopping and sightseeing help tourist not only understand the Korean entertainment industry well, but also can visit the wonderful places and studios in the dramas, such as the snow mountain in Sonata Winter and the palaces in Dae Jang Geum. The reality has shown that Vie travel Company cooperated with Korean Air to make the Korean tour package in August 2012, which combines some special activities on music festival and travelling tour. This is a shinning signal for cooperation between Korea and Vietnam in tourist industry.The forth strategy is designing restaurant and coffee shop with Korean styles. Although the prices at the restaurant are expensive, the youth willingly spend their money on enjoying special Korean food. The youth can find Korean entertainment, such as movies and music discs, posters of famous singers and actors and the lasted fashion magazines, in these coffee shops. This is also a place to exchange cultural things, the Korean fans can share information and open a club for practicing the Korean language.The Korean wave may bring many opportunities to Vietnamese enterprises so that if they can catch the chance and understand the wave well, they can have wise strategies to develop their businesses in the future. Conclusion The result of our survey of 75 young people in Ho Chi Minh City about the influences of the Korean wave on Vietnamese youth proves again that the Korean wave not only spreads around the world but also has a direct impact on Vietnamese youth, especially from three elements: drama, music and fashion.Besides that, we can also find out the concrete psychology and interests of the Vietnamese youth for business strategies. Therefore, the Vietnamese policy makers are able to make reasonable policies to encourage the development of the Vietnamese entertainment industry. This creates the dynamic to propagandize Vietnamese art and culture around the world to bring more profits for the Vietnamese entertainment industry. On the other hand, the Vietnamese entertainment industry can benchmark the Korean wave to reach around the world so that we are able to create a same phenomenon in the near future.

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).

Persuasive Essay on Astrology

The study of astrology may seem like a world full of mysticism and uncertainty. It is natural to question how someone’s personality traits can be determined by planetary alignments; after all it does seem far-fetched. Astrology and the zodiac are a lot more complex than the average person realizes. Until you take the time to fully research and understand astrology, it’s impossible to get the most accurate zodiac profile.In ancient times, astrology was closely linked to fields such as astronomy, philosophy and medicine. Astrology is a broad topic with deep roots in history that must be broken down in order to fully understand it. The average person is only aware of their sun sign; this is only the beginning of one’s zodiac profile. Each planet in our solar system is representative of a certain aspect of life. In order to get the most precise reading of your zodiac, you have to know which sign was affecting each planet on the date and time you were born. This can b ecome as specific as to what degree the planet is influenced by its respective sign. If you weren’t aware of how in depth a study astrology is, I encourage you to find out.Daily and even monthly horoscopes simply aren’t specific enough. No two people’s zodiac profile is the same (unless you were born on the same day, time and at the same place), so in essence no two people’s horoscope can be the same. Magazines and websites grouping whole zodiac signs into one small group and giving a general horoscope is why there is a drastic decrease in accuracy. You can’t blame people for becoming skeptics because the horoscopes they have been exposed to aren’t the product of â€Å"real† astrology.There are a number of different ways to discover your â€Å"true† zodiac, the easiest of these being through the internet. By simply typing in â€Å"zodiac calculator†, numerous websites will pop up. You want to choose one that requires you r date, time and place of birth. The results you get should be overwhelming, after all there’s a lot that goes into your zodiac. Most websites provide you with a diagram that shows the symbols for each planet and sign as well as how they correspond with each other. You may find you have a lot of the same signs in different planets, a variety of signs in the same planets or a mixture of both.Different websites offer different  explanations. Some are very detailed and not only explain what your sign and planet combination means but also, the â€Å"house† the combination is in. For a beginner who doesn’t know what all that means, I suggest just sticking to the basics, the sign, planet and degree. I can almost guarantee you this will be an enlightening experience. You’ll read something and think to yourself â€Å"oh my god, that’s me!† You may even feel like you’re privacy is being invaded and you’ll question how your zodiac can know so much about you, sometimes more than you know about yourself.I can’t explain how or why the zodiac is valid, but I encourage you to at least give astrology a chance. It will take less than five minutes to enter your information into a website and read the information it gives you. Whether you are a total skeptic of astrology or read horoscopes every now and then out of curiosity you should take the time to learn a little bit more about yourself through astrology.

Ethical Issues in International Business Case Study

Ethical Issues in International Business - Case Study Example In a computer-driven age, Keith has not shown the foresight to see that his actions on Facebook could be used against him even though he more than qualifies for the position in Big Company, a multinational organization. When Keith applied for a position in Big Company's financial planning department, he put himself under scrutiny because this company searches social network sites when evaluating prospective employees. The company lost clients when staff members acted inappropriately under the influence of alcohol. Therefore, Keith does not even get an interview with the company based on his image on Facebook. The reason given Keith when he asks why he has not been given an interview is that he lacks sufficient financial planning experience. He is not told the real reason and therefore has no opportunity to redeem himself (Schaffer 2006). Determining the ethical issues raised in this situation is complicated. Keith apparently does not realize how damaging his presence on Facebook has been, and he unfortunately he has no legal recourse to challenge the decision. The cost-benefit analysis places a dollar value on the benefits and ... An individual should not have the power to make a decision without contacting other members of the organization as well as stockholders and Board of Directors. A commitment to human rights has become a major focus in the 21st century, with multinational companies (MNCs) attempting to generate an ethical approach theory inside and outside the organization (Ethical Issues n.d.). Even though so far there are no globally accepted legal or ethical standards for business operations and activities, certain human rights must be considered regardless of cultural standards (Schaffer 2006, 44). According to Schaffer, conomic aspects of globalization must also include social and ethical dimensions(64). There is, therefore, a growing link between social responsibility and profitability, and in MNCs, decisions should not be made based on the understanding of one person. In the case study under discussion, it appears that the HR Director made his own arbitrary decision not to interview Keith. Ethical Issues When two sets of standards exist, it is sometimes unethical to apply the lesser set. International companies are faced with ethical choices that do not exist in a national company in which ethics follow the policy of the country in which it is located. Some third-world companies, for instance, have lower standards than the United States. If the lower standards harm people or environment, it would be unethical for MNCs to use lesser standards. Bad ethical practices are more apparent in today's global economy (Schaffer 2006). Some of the ethical human rights issues arising from internal and industry practices are lack of concern for customers, lack of loyalty to employees, and unfair employment practices (Executive Team n.d.) as well as privacy

Why did Capitalism first appear in Britiain rathen than any other area Essay

Why did Capitalism first appear in Britiain rathen than any other area in the world - Essay Example To know why it started in England also gives us an insight on the many factors that made it successful there despite early misgivings about this system. Although England already had characteristics of the rudimentary form of capitalism by 1815, it did not immediately take hold because the wealth and power structure of the country had not changed yet. This simply means the old feudal system was not yet completely erased in which peoples wealth were measured by an amount of land they possessed. In other words, the country at that time was still largely anchored on an agricultural economy. The majority of people still depended on the produce of the land for their sustenance as income source. The other countries on continental Europe were largely weakened by frequent wars. It was only England which had remained largely untouched because it was separated from the continent by the English Channel and was therefore insulated from its ill effects. However, it must be conceded that other factors conspired to make England especially favorable to large scale developments in terms of capital and labor. The first big industries of coal mining and its related iron and steel industries were located in close proximity in England (SÃ ©e 139). England was a major sea power at the beginnings of the nineteenth century and it gave the country undisputed dominion of the high seas. With its tremendous sea dominance, it gave England unfettered access to much of the import and export trade in agricultural commodities such as cotton for its burgeoning textile industry, back then a key element in modernization of any country. France, which was the sole European power to seriously challenge England, was weak from the big wars of the Napoleonic era and then convulsed by its own revolution which followed to establish the first French republic. England was uniquely positioned to take some advantage of this turmoil. A study of the early economic history

A Counter Claim to the Malthusian Theory on Food Production Research Paper

A Counter Claim to the Malthusian Theory on Food Production - Research Paper Example Malthus argues that the society needs to act to prevent such a thing from happening to the human race. He therefore states that people should be encouraged to come up with systems and practices that will ensure that population growth is checked (Malthus 72). He proposes 'positive' population growth checks like increase in death rate and preventive checks like low birth rate (Malthus 72). Although his argument might have been relevant in his time and might still be relevant in this generation, there are many flaws in his argument that are going be explored in this paper. This is in line with the connection of Malthus' ideas with modern day societies, particularly the societies most at risk of the claims he made – the developing world. This paper argues that Malthus' theory is NOT relevant to today's society because there are many ways that the problem of he raises can be dealt with in our modern era. The paper makes a claim that developing countries are NOT at risk of extinctio n or harmful practices because of population growth. Rather, developing countries today can maintain a steady population growth with corresponding improvements in technology, national structures and global interdependency. With these arguments, the paper seeks to prove that the threats of population growth are not applicable to today's society. Critique of Malthus' Position In the book, An Essay on the Principle of Population Malthus drew the attention of Britain and Europe to the dangers of population growth. It was in line with what became known as the Malthus Iron Laws which suggests that when population increases, there will be a large supply of labor and employers will exploit workers by offering lower wages, thereby increasing poverty. To an extent, I agree with this in the present world, because in a nation like China, wages are extremely low because there is a high population and there are no wage regulation laws (Cooke 152). However, this claim puts the independence of Malt hus into question. Right after the claim of the Iron Wage Laws come into prominence, Malthus comes up with this theory that population grows geometrically and food production grows exponentially? Was he writing this essay on the basis of empirical facts, or was he just being pessimistic to put fear into the people of Britain so that they controlled the population. Before Malthus wrote this book, there was no official census in Britain. It was this book that Malthus wrote which made Britain begin to count its people in 1800, two years after Malthus wrote this book (Davey XX). This suggests that Malthus only penned down this model on the basis of his personal sentiment without checking the population of any group of people. This is because Britain was one of the most advanced nations in the world. So if there was no system of taking populations on a regular and accurate basis, where did Malthus draw the conclusion that populations increase geometrically? And which farms did he study t o identify that food production is exponential. This therefore suggests that the conclusions of Malthus were based on personal sentiments and had little facts to back them. Another issue is about the way agriculture was carried out in the time of Malthus. Most people were involved in subsistence farming. Walters state that in the 1700s, 95% of people in England fed themselves through subsistence farming (36). This, again suggests that the proposition put forward by Malthus was based on a world where there