Psychology of a Cult

Psychology of a Cult Free Online Research Papers Jim Jones, Charlie Manson, David Koresh and Marshall Applewhite all were able to convince their followers to kill others and/or themselves. How were these men able to control full grown adults who had fully functioning minds? It wasn’t as hard as you might think. First look at the definition of a cult: a cult is a structured group in which most of its members have unquestioned loyalty to their leader. By this definition the military has cult like characteristics, so does the Catholic Church. Even organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) demonstrate some cult like characteristics. So why, when we think of a cult don’t we think of these organizations? A solider will follow his/her superior’s orders without a second thought and a good Catholic follows whatever the Pope decides. The key difference is the psychology of the organization. A non-cult organization may have cult like characteristics; however its main focus is outward, the well being of its members and even non-members; a cult’s main focus is itself. In addition, cults use deception to entice members to join and coercive influences to keep them in line. Government officials estimate that there are currently over 3,000 destructive cults in the US today with approximately four million members. These cults can be broken down into four basic categories: Religious organizations like The People’s Temple Psychological organizations offering enlightenment such as Heavens Gate or Scientology. Commercial pyramid and multi-level marketing groups like Amway or Mary Kay (These are typically the least destructive) Political organizations that are organized around dogma like Al Qaeda Why so many? According to psychologist and cult expert, Margaret Thaler Singer, cults thrive in times of political and social unrest. Times like now and in the 1960’s. Many people don’t understand how cult members can carry out such extreme acts of violence or socially abnormal behavior. They wonder if the members are psychological ill. The answer to that question would be yes and no. Cult leaders seek out members who are not psychologically ill, but people who are in crisis. Recruiters single out people who have key situational elements. Examples of these elements would be a young adult experiencing extreme loneliness, a man suffering from adjustment disorder stemming from his divorce, or new college graduates who are at a crossroads in his/her life and unsure what direction to turn. Recruiters are trained to listen and appear sympathetic and to offer assurances that their group can help ease the individual’s plight. Once inducted recruits may suffer psychological disorders such as dissociative identity disorder, adjustment disorder and major depression. These disorders, coupled with influential tactics that are used by cult leaders, can make members pliable to leaders’ demands. Studies show that cult leaders use about thirty influence tactics. Some of these tactics are used to attract members and another set is used to keep members under control. Influence tactics used to keep members under control are designed to target their psychological defenses. Some of these tactics are used by the military. One of these tactics is called â€Å"The Hot Seat Technique.† An example of this technique would be a member called out by the leader in front of the entire group. This member is forced to confess their transgressions in public. The leader then berates the member for their transgressions and once they have been humiliated the leader then offers a loving commendation for the member’s honesty and gives the member encouragement that they can keep believing in the leader’s message. The purpose of this technique is to lower self esteem. By keeping self esteem low, it has been proven that people are more persuadable than when they have high to moderate self-esteem. So, by keeping members minds pliable and working off the psychological studies which show that in times of crisis people will react uniformly rather than individually the leaders will be able to, with some certainty, ensure that the members will follow orders without question. It’s the same principle that the military uses to ensure that a solider will follow orders without question. And how do you know if someone may be under a cult’s influence? There are nine tell tale symptoms to be watchful for: Personality Change Dramatic shift in beliefs Diet changes Refusal to attend family functions such as weddings, graduations, ECT. Inability to make decisions without input of the groups leader Sudden and excessive use of ideology Simplistic reasoning Using complex vocabulary Attempted recruitment of you If someone you know is exhibiting these symptoms help is available. There are community resources available to help the psychological recovery of former cult members. You may also want to contact your local division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for further information on suspected cult activity. And remember that the next time you rush to judgment about the actions of a cult’s members, keep in mind that everyone can be susceptible given the right set of circumstances. References: www.workingpsychology.com/cult.html, Rhodes, Kelton Phd. Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology, www.gale.com Research Papers on Psychology of a CultThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseQuebec and CanadaCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Project Managment Office SystemResearch Process Part OneEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenBringing Democracy to AfricaThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2

Environmental Concerns About Neonicotinoid Pesticides

Environmental Concerns About Neonicotinoid Pesticides What Are Neonicotinoids? Neonicotinoids, neonics for short, are a class of synthetic pesticides used to prevent insect damage on a variety of crops. Their name comes from the similarity of their chemical structure to that of nicotine. Neonics were first marketed in the 1990s, and are now used widely on farms and for home landscaping and gardening. These insecticides are sold under a variety of commercial brand names, but they are generally one of the following chemicals: imidacloprid (the most common), dinotefuran, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and acetamiprid. How Do Neonicotinoids Work? Neonics are neuro-active, as they bind to specific receptors in the insects’ neurons, impeding nerve impulses, and leading to paralysis then death. The pesticides are sprayed on crops, turf, and fruit trees. They are also used to coat seeds before they are planted. When the seeds sprout, the plant carries the chemical on its leaves, stems, and roots, protecting them from pest insects. Neonics are relatively stable, persisting in the environment for a long time, with sunlight degrading them comparatively slowly. The initial appeal of neonicotinoid pesticides was their effectiveness and perceived selectivity. They target insects, with what was thought to be little direct harm to mammals or birds, a desirable trait in a pesticide and a significant improvement over older pesticides which were dangerous for wildlife and people. In the field, reality proved to be more complex. What Are Some Environmental Effects of Neonicotinoids? Neonics disperse easily in the environment. Liquid applications can lead to runoff, planting treated seeds blows the chemicals in the air. Their persistence and stability, an advantage in fighting pests, makes neonics last a long time in soil and water.Pollinators like bees and bumblebees come in contact with the pesticides when they consume nectar and collect pollen from treated plants. Neonic residues are sometimes found inside hives, inadvertently tracked in by bees. The pesticides’ indiscriminate effects on insects make the pollinators collateral victims.Neonics may affect pollinators effectiveness. A 2016 study revealed that bumblebees exposed to thiamethoxam were less effective at pollinating certain plants compared to control bumblebees.Domestic honeybees are already highly stressed by parasites and diseases, and their sudden recent decline has been a great cause for concern. Neonicotinoids are probably not directly responsible for Colony Collapse Disorder, but there is increasing evidence that they play a part as an additional, toxic stressor to bee colonies. Wild bees and bumblebees have long been in decline due to habitat loss. Neonics are toxic to them, and there are real concerns that the wild populations suffer from this pesticide exposure. Much of the research on the effects of neonics on bees has been done on domestic bees, and more work is needed on wild bees and bumblebees, which play a crucial role in pollinating both wild and domestic plants.Neonics are perhaps less toxic to birds than the older generation of pesticides they replaced. However, it appears that the new chemicals’ toxicity to birds has been underestimated. For many bird species, chronic exposure to neonics leads to reproductive impacts. The situation is worst for birds feeding directly on coated seeds: the ingestion of a single coated corn kernel can kill a bird. Infrequent ingestion can cause reproductive failure.Birds that are not seed-eaters are also affected. There is evidence that insectivorous bird populations are experiencing significant declines due to the effectiveness of neonicotinoid pesticides on a wide range of invertebrates. With their food sources thus reduced, the survival and reproduction of insect-eating birds is affected. The same pattern is observed in aquatic environments, where pesticide residues accumulate, invertebrates die off, and aquatic bird populations decline. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been approved by the EPA for many agricultural and residential uses, despite serious concerns from its own scientists. One potential reason for this was the strong desire to find replacements for the dangerous organophosphate pesticides used at the time. In 2013, the European Union banned the use of many neonics for a specific list of applications.   Ã‚   Sources American Bird Conservancy. The Impact of the Nation’s Most Widely Used Insecticides on Birds. Farmers Weekly. Study Suggests Neonics Impair Bees Buzz Polination. Nature. Bees Prefer Foods Containing Neonicotinoid Pesticides. Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Are Neonicotinoids Killing Bees?

Why do you think the way you think Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why do you think the way you think - Essay Example I do not prefer change when something is working fine for me. I do not analyze or evaluate when something is not clear or accurate to me. I believe that being a narrow minded person there is no harm. I enjoy being a narrow minded, and I have not faced any serious problems in my life yet. I think that everyone has the right in this world to learn or understand others. I have not been into any complex process which makes me think less critically. Being narrow minded I am not open to new ideas. At times, I am dependent on objects, tools and machines rather than ideas of others but sometimes I think the way other people think or have experienced in their life. There are some situations where I lack in gathering information. I do not communicate with others that much regarding the problems I face. I do not search for evidence when making decisions. I do not make analysis on ideas and sometimes lack in understanding the concepts, information and attitudes. I do not judge people extremely quickly. During reasoning, I sometimes make common mistakes and face confusions. My thinking is based on my emotions and as a result I sometimes involve myself in arguments on things which I do not know. Sometimes I face problems in making others clear about my ideas because of lack in confidence. I always get hooked up by the usual and safe things. I have always preferred a safe side. In my life, so far, I have not stretched my efforts towards critical thinking as I think that I am not in th at stage. I always prefer to explore and accomplish things on my own rather than relying on others. I always prefer working with tools, objects etc instead of depending on ideas, people and data. Being a realistic person I am more of a practical mind, aggressive in nature and conservative at times. However, my communication level might be low because I do not tend to get involved in social activities. At

Employment Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Employment Law - Assignment Example Subsequently, these employees had approached the Managing Director, who confirmed their dismissal, without making any further investigations into the case. He approved the dismissal by simply going through the available paper work relating to the issue. Thereafter, the company had received an ETI claim form and ET3 response form from the Employment Tribunal. Several basic and radical changes were effected to the law pertaining to workplace grievance and disciplinary issues, by the Employment Act 2002. These changes were implemented by the Employment Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004, and became effective from 1 October 2004 (Duncan, 2005). The advantage of employing the rules and procedures for addressing disciplinary and grievance issues lies in the fact this promotes fairness and transparency. Such rules and procedures have to be stipulated in a written and unambiguous manner. The development of rules and procedures should involve the employees or their representatives (Code of Practice 1 ACAS Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures, 2009). Analysis Under the present statutory provisions, in order to qualify for protection against unfair dismissal, an employee must have completed at least one year of continuous service with the same employer, if he had been appointed prior to 6 April 2012. For those appointed after this date, the qualifying period is 2 years. The sick leave period, holiday period and maternity leave period are also included in the period of service of the employee in the company (Compact Law, 2012). In our present problem, Janice Hall had been working with the company for more than a year. Hence, she is eligible for making a claim of unfair dismissal under the provisions of the Employment Rights Act. However, Kelsey Fields cannot make a claim for unfair dismissal, as she had been working for the company for less than a year. Although, employers are not required to adhere to any statutory disciplinary procedure, the Advisory, Concil iation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) code of practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures that specify the fundamental principles relating to a fair procedure. An unreasonable failure by an employer to adhere to the provisions of this code can cause the tribunal to enhance the compensation awarded by it to the extent of even 25% (Employment Law Advice, 2011). An employee is entitled to be provided with written notice of dismissal, provided that employee has worked for at least one year in the business establishment of that employer. This is with regard to employees who had commenced work prior to 6 April 2012. However, with regard to employees who had started to work after this date, they should have worked for at least two years (Citizens Advice Guide, 2012). Although Janice had worked for 2 years, no notice of dismissal had been served upon her by the company. This constitutes a gross violation of the statutory fair procedures by the company. At the very least, employers, wh ile addressing disciplinary issues, should carry the required investigations for establishing the facts; convey to the employees the root cause of the problem; conduct a meeting to enable employees to present their case; permit the employee to be accompanied at the meeting; and allow the employee to appeal the decision. In addition, there should be no unreasonable delay and

Prostitution Is a Problem Caused by Men Essay Example for Free

Prostitution Is a Problem Caused by Men Essay Prostitution is a problem caused by men. There arent any prostitutes for women. Its men who create the problem and men who make the laws. We have to admit that this is the reality. Although threr is a Gender equality law which was passed a long time ago (since the 1920s), women still have to suffer unequal treatment in many fields especially in creating the laws and prostitution is one of the most contraversial problems. We all know human beings have a desire for sex, except for sick or impotent people and cloisterers as well as monks. That is a normal physical demand. Sex is also the manifestation of love but in this case, we are just discussing a basic instinct. Men always have a stronger need for sex than women. That does not mean women do not, it is because of their shyness and social morality that keep them from expressing their desires. And men also keep the right to make the laws so that is the reason why prostitutes are for men only. I totally disagree with legalizing prostitution. It draws a guilt free road for men, especially married men. Some men vindicate that prostitutes help them clear out the stress that they get from work and meet their demands completely when their wives can not. But in fact, everything they do is worse. If prostitutes are just for fulfilling sexual needs, it is okay, but in many cases, men are addicted to prostitutes and spend most of their time relaxing with them. They do not care about what their wives think, give lots of money they earn to call-girls and treat their wives and children badly especially when their wives or children discover the bad things they do. And the two most dangerous consequences of prostitution are that men can bring sexually transmitted infections to their wives and many families might or have to cope with the breakdown when the wives can not stand their husbands’ behaviour any more. The other negative side of prostitution is the unequal field. There are just red light districts for men but not for women. Women and men have the same biological needs, so why do they not have their own playplace? Because of morality or the number of women in Congress and also the number of women holding a leadership position in a country is smaller than men? It is common even in the most developed nation The United States of America. In our history, only two queens have been able to control men and really spread equality all over their nations, they are Cleopatra of Egypt and Wu Zetian of China. I extremely admire them. If there were a person like them existing in this world, humanity’s history could change in another way and I am really sure it would be magical.

Anthropology and Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were Watching God and

Anthropology and Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and Jonah's Gourd Vine Zora Neale Hurston described the study of anthropology as a spy-glass, an illuminating lens (1). Anthropology is defined as the scientific study of the origin, the behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of humans (2). Through this study and with the aid of an essay defining human nature written by Cardinal Jean Daniello, we can take a closer look at the behavior of the characters in Hurston's novels Their Eyes Were Watching God and Jonah's Gourd Vine. Hurston uses her anthropological lens to create complex characters in these two works. Hurston began her study of anthropology at Barnard College in the 1920s where she concentrated on African American culture and folklore. Hurston became the first African American to chronicle African American voodoo and folklore (1). The publications Mules and Men and Tell My Horse are works that directly incorporate her anthropological field notes on Black folklore and tradition (1). Hurston’s background with anthropology was the foundation for her future fiction writings. The title of her first novel, Jonah’s Gourd Vine, reflects Hurston’s passion for storytelling and folklore because it is inspired by a biblical story. The story tells of Jonah, who has a beautiful plant growing around him. However, God destroys it because Jonah does not appreciate it and it leads to his fall. Therefore, the story becomes a metaphor for the fall of John Pearson. In the novel, Hurston utilizes the personal experiences with her family to create complex characters in the story. It centers on John Pearson, a man who lusts after many women. John’s desire for women at times appe... ... imply the fixity" that some people want it to. John's behavior is not a product of human nature. What is natural is not an excuse for a person's wrong-doing. No characters in these novels share the same imperfections. Everyone is flawed, but there is still control. Under Hurston's anthropological lens, one can better understand her complex characters and their motivations in these stories. Works Cited 1) American Feminist for Anthropology. "Zora Neale Hurston." April 10, 2005. http://sscl.berkeley.edu/~afaweb/Hurston%20Bio.htm. 2) www.dictionary.com 3) Danielou, Cardinal Jean. "Does Human Nature Exist?" April 10, 2005. http://www.ewtn.com/library/THEOLOGY/NATEXIST.htm 4) Hurston, Zora Neale. Jonah's Gourd Vine. HarperCollins Publisher: New York, 1990. 5) Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. HarperCollins Publisher: New York. 1998.

Experience Brings Success

Experience Brings Success Bonnie R. Humpherys Instructor: Carol Bartlo Daemen College April 24, 2012 Introduction After graduating college, many students are often confused about the next step in life. While the main goal is to achieve success, college students are faced with many different opportunities after graduation. Some of these opportunities include becoming and entrepreneur, pursuing more education or working for an existing business to gain experience.The cost of college tuition continues to rise and as a result we are asking ourselves whether it is really worth spending years working towards a degree when the same time could be spent earning money. Pursuing more education and working for an existing business promises and provides students with knowledge and experience needed to succeed. Generally, in this fast pace society both knowledge and experience are needed to succeed in the workforce. According to â€Å"Entrepreneurship and Development† Lazaer quotes â€Å"m any college graduates are unemployed due to lack of experience in their field of study. Instead of thinking of different options many students automatically believe that they will obtain a high paying job as soon as they graduate college. Gaining experience in their field of study while acquiring more knowledge in graduate school can prepare students for career advancement. â€Å"As new social groups enter higher education, socially privileged groups, whose reproduction was traditionally ensured by college degrees, increase their investments in education to stay ahead of newcomers. (Lazaer 2005) Being that more people are going to college every year the work force has become very competitive.Generally an undergraduate degree is no longer valued as an advanced degree in the work force. After conducting a survey of twenty-five college students and five professionals I was able to make inferences and draw statistical conclusions. Being that I surveyed a wide variety of majors and prof essions the results varied greatly. Generally 71% of the respondents, both graduates and undergraduates chose to â€Å"pursue more education† as a plan after graduation. In addition to pursuing more education 46% of respondents chose to â€Å"work for an existing business while pursuing more education. Though 71% of respondents chose to pursue more education it can be concluded that most undergraduate students do not have the financial ability to pursue an advanced degree. It can also be concluded that many college graduates do not pursue an advanced degree because they do not have the financial ability to attend. Being that many of the respondents who chose other graduation plans agreed to pursue an advanced degree if they had the financial ability, this conclusion can be deemed valid. Appendix AAccording to the results, many of the Undergraduate respondents that chose to work for an existing business want to gain experience. Being that 75% of the professionals responded to pursue more education while getting experience, it can be concluded that work experience is very important in your career. Along with gaining experience, over 75% of the professional respondents agreed that an advanced degree is very important to obtain a job and for career advancement. Being that many of these respondents are already in their career fields their opinion can be deemed valid because they have first hand experience in their daily lives.Over 50% of the student respondents agreed that there is a lot of competition to obtain job and an advanced degree is essential for career advancement. Overall, due to the results from the other questions and the charts below the overall conclusion of not having the financial ability is what limits students from pursuing an advanced degree. Appendix A Conclusions In the society that we live, having a college degree is very important. Most businesses and practically all government agencies require at least a bachelor’s degree for an entry-level position.In order to obtain these entry-level positions it is very important to have experience. Gaining experience while pursuing an advanced degree is very essential to career advancement. As more people go to college each year undergraduate degrees are no longer as valuable for employment and advancement. Although many college students do not have the financial resources to attend, investing in an advanced degree opens up a vast amount of opportunities. Generally, pursuing more education while working for an existing business helps students gain the necessary knowledge and experience for employment and advancement.Refrences Lazaer, E. (2005). Entrepreneurship and development. Journal of Labor Economics23(4), 649-680. Retrieved from www. jstor. org. daeme. iii. com/stable/10. 1086/491605 Leibebstein, H. (1968). Entrepreneurship and development. The American Economic Review, 58(2), 72-83. Retrieved from http:/www. jstor. org. daeme. iii. com/stable/ Pringle, C. (n. d. ). Perceived fulfillment of organizational employment versus entrepreneurship: Work values and career intentions of business college graduates. Journal of Small Business Management, 29, 23-56. Zemke, R. (2001).Where do leaders come from? . Training, 38, 44-48. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/203413677? accountid=10399 Appendix A The Future for College Graduates The purpose of this survey is to gain insight into advanced degrees and professional employment. What is your undergraduate major? __________________________________________ What are your plans immediately after graduation? * Become an entrepreneur * Become an entrepreneur and pursue more education * Go to work for an existing business * Go to work for an existing business and pursue more education * Pursue more education Other, please specify ___________________________ Why do you feel your choice in the above question will be best for you? ______________________________________________________________ _______________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Will your choice give you the immediate and future earnings potential you most desire? Definitely Most likely Not sure Unlikely What level of interest do you have for becoming an entrepreneur immediately after graduation?Much interest Some Interest Little interest No interest What level of interest do you have for pursuing an advanced degree immediately after graduation? Much interest Some Interest Little interest No interest Do you feel you have the financial ability to attend graduate school immediately after graduation? Yes No Page 1 of 2 If you did have the financial resources to attend graduate school immediately after graduation, would you then choose to go to graduate school? Yes NoWhat level of interest do you have for going to work for an established business immediately after college? Much interest Some Interest Little interest No interest What is the value of an advanced degree f or business professionals to obtain employment? Very valuable Valuable somewhat valuable Not very valuable What is the value of an advanced degree for business professionals for career advancement? Very valuable Valuable somewhat valuable Not very valuableWhat is the value of professional work experience for business professionals for career advancement? Very valuable Valuable somewhat valuable Not very valuable Do you feel you would be at a disadvantage entering the professional workplace without an advanced degree? Yes No How do you feel about the competition for obtaining employment? Very competitive Competitive Somewhat competitive Not competitive How much pressure do you feel about the amount of experience professional positions now require?Much Pressure Some pressure Little pressure No pressure Page 2 of 2 Appendix B The Future for College Graduates The purpose of this survey is to gain insight into advanced degrees and professional employment for college graduates. What shoul d college graduates do immediately after graduation? * Become an entrepreneur * Become an entrepreneur and pursue more education * Go to work for an existing business * Go to work for an existing business and pursue more education * Pursue more education Other, please specify ___________________________ Why do you feel your choice in the above question is best for college graduates? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Will that choice give graduates the immediate and future earnings potential they desire? Definitely Most likely Not sure Unlikely Do you feel new graduates have the financial ability to attend graduate school immediately after graduation?Yes No If college graduates did have the financial resources to attend graduate school immediately after graduation, do you think they would then choose to go to graduate school? Yes No What is the value of an advance d degree for business professionals to obtain employment? Very valuable Valuable somewhat valuable Not very valuable What is the value of an advanced degree for business professionals for career advancement?Very valuable Valuable somewhat valuable Not very valuable What is the value of professional work experience for business professionals for career advancement? Very valuable Valuable somewhat valuable Not very valuable Do you feel workers would be at a disadvantage entering the professional workplace without an advanced degree? Yes No How do you feel about the competition for obtaining employment? Very competitive Competitive Somewhat competitive Not competitive

Managing Diversity at Spencer Owens Essay

The definition of diversity: The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.1 Two corporations who have implemented diversity efforts and have dealt with the benefits and challenges of these efforts are Spencer Owens & Co. and Cityside Financial Services. When examining both diversity efforts, it is important to understand how well each company has done with previous and present efforts, the problems the companies are facing now and the root causes of these problems. While these companies have implemented their own efforts to diversify their staff, it is important to examine the similarities and differences in managing diversity. Spencer Owens & Co. How well has Spencer Owens done in its diversity efforts? Spencer Owens’ recent past shows a great deal of effort put into diversifying their workforce. In the mid-1980’s, Spencer Owens & Co. initiated a strategy to diversify the company’s employees from entry-level to executive ranks. Prior to this start date, the company had an all-white executive male team. From the start of this initiative, Spencer Owens did very well on its diversity efforts to hire people â€Å"on their merits and for their capacities to do what is expected or required of them. To implement  the plan, the company set hiring goals, communicating them to all employees and creating accountability.† Over the next ten years, this in turn created opportunities for women and people of color to become part of the team and establish career paths for them to be future leaders in various departments of the company. Following the start of this program (1985-1995), Spencer Owens was considered the most diverse staff in its industry accounting for 50% of the firm’s 150 managers and professionals were women, and 30% were people of color. Additionally, during this period, people of color that were hired into entry-level positions had been promoted and moved up into managerial positions. Four out of the12 member executive team were women and three were people of color. Extensive involvement in the efforts to attract, recruit and retain minorities and women in becoming managers, professional staff and directors were a key priority to the firm. Spencer Owens also knew that a key to internal diversity was to ensure the company’s policies and overall commitment to an equitable workplace by instituting affirmative action goals, along with, aggressive hiring and advancement practices that set high qualification and performance hurdles. 2  The team at Spencer Owens was proud of their company’s commitment to fairness and equality and to encourage the employees to be â€Å"colorblind† to gender and ethnic differences. Along with this strategy, the firm also initiated sensitivity training and held follow-up discussions. Multiple employees commented, â€Å"Everyone is the same and treated the same.† With feedback from these trainings and discussions, the firm went a step further to create networking groups for women and people of color. How well are they doing now? Why is the firm now having trouble? Recently, Spencer Owens diversity efforts have witnessed great changes while also encountering many issues and problems. In 2000, the firm hired Agnes Richards, their first woman executive in 45 years. Over the course of the next three years, Richards noticed that the diversity efforts were slowly unraveling and affecting the productivity of the company. For  example, Richards noticed friction among race relations, people of color were bringing charges of racism against the white workers, and there were new complaints made by the two networking groups. One of the first steps that Richards and her leadership team took was to reinstate the sensitivity trainings. However, it was noticed that there was poor attendance among the racial and ethnic minorities. In addition to these issues, Richards fired an African-American female manager due to tardiness issues and for portraying a bad attitude. At that point, employees became angry and frustrated. Due to the firm’s problems, Richards hired consultants to study the firm’s race and gender relations. The interviews revealed the following: †¢ Employees have concerns about the affirmative action initiative. †¢ White employees feel that the diversity program is adversely affecting the quality of the firm’s work. †¢ It is perceived that white male managers are opposed to new methods brought forth by newer employees. †¢ People of color are critical of affirmative action program, including superficial results and feel that they are tolerated and not accepted. †¢ People of color feel their ideas are easily dismissed. †¢ Perception that the network groups defend the minorities of the company. †¢ Overall feeling of retaliation and fear of being called a racist. What is the root cause (or causes)? Spencer Owens’s discrimination-and-fairness paradigm, which measures progress in diversity â€Å"by how well the company achieves its recruitment and retention goals rather than by the degree to which conditions in the company allow employees to draw on their personal assets and perspectives to do their work more effectively, had created a cognitive blind spot. As a result, the company’s leadership could not frame the problem accurately or solve it effectively.10 Instead, the company needed a cultural shift – it needed to grasp what to do with its diversity once it had achieved the numbers. Because of senior managers’ resistance to a cultural transformation, Spencer Owens continues to struggle with the tensions rising from the diversity of its workforce.10 The root causes of these problems is that the employees need to feel that the ways they may be different are understood and accepted.3 With the de-emphasis of sensitivity trainings and follow-up discussions, the team became isolated in their views on diversity versus affirmative action goals. The misunderstandings became apparent with the original mission â€Å"to consider people on their merits and for their capacities to do what is expected or required of them.† Many minority employees say they gain a sense of belonging in the workplace when their employers create opportunities for workers with diverse backgrounds to interact with others and to become involved as apart of a group. 3 The networks were a great idea for employees to feel connected to the company; however, the execution was not done properly. These diversity programs could have helped employees of different backgrounds by communicating feelings and experiences about climbing the corporate ladder or breaking through the glass celiling.3 However, these network groups became defenders for women and the other minorities due to the perception of treatment, opportunities, miscommunication between the minorities and the white employees. Additional root causes for the present problems include employees wanting fair treatment, a sense of belonging, understanding and acceptance, and a feeling that they are contributing. Cityside Financial Services How well has Cityside Financial Services done in its diversity efforts? Cityside Financial Services has done well in diversity efforts. In 1999, after 69 years of being in business, the company had become very much diversified with half of the employees in the company being females and 90% of the support staff was African American. In addition, 53% of middle managers, 42% of senior managers, and 25% executives were African American. Cityside operated as two units in their Sales Division: Retail Operations  and External Deposits. The retail operations unit was filled with mostly African American employees. The external deposits unit was made up of mostly white college graduates. Nearly equal numbers of managerial positions existed in each unit, giving whites and blacks similar advancement opportunities. Bank employees agreed that, â€Å"If you did your job well, you’ll be recognized and promoted for it.† 4 As stated in the article, â€Å"Over the years, Cityside Bank developed a reputation for being a high-functioning, multicultural organ ization.† While the bank itself was deemed to be a multicultural organization, the two sales units were founded on two separate and distinct models that it was described by one executive as â€Å"two different banks†. While the bank was diversified as a whole, these two units were very much specialized to their distinct client base. This separation of duties and ethnicities has led to some of the problems that the company presently is facing. While the External Deposit team was described as â€Å"white, smart, dedicated and loyal workaholics, it was also said that it’s not the perfect job for black staff that need a salary, may be hard-working, but not at that level.† In addition, some of the other red flags to the present problems included wealthy individuals complaining about the limited services being offered to them, other clients in Retail Operations feeling overshadowed by wealthier clients in External Deposits (and were leaving the bank), and the lack of understanding (no clear guidelines) by Retail and External as the best way to handle the new market segment. This lack of coordination compromised the bank’s efficiency and created trust issues between these two departments as to the best way to help clients. How well are they doing now? Why is the firm now having trouble? While the company continues to maintain an overall diversified work staff, they are now encountering significant issues in their diversity efforts. One of the main causes of the problems that Cityside is now facing is that they have sectionalized the company with African American employees  working in the Retail Operations department and the white employees working in the External Deposits department. Per the head of External Deposits, she commented that â€Å"the problem is what is expected of senior management here has a cultural bias towards whites. It’s not to say that African Americans aren’t also able to do all that. But because of historical racial issues, they have been limited.† According to one black officer in Retail, he commented that â€Å"white workers would not be able to handle the demands of the Retail unit.† He continued to say that â€Å"(whites) wouldn’t know what to do with people in this neighborhood.† This bias ties into ethnocentrism, which represents the feelings that one’s cultural rules and norms are superior or more appropriate than the rules and norms of another culture.5 In addition, poor career planning shows another problem that African American’s have faced as potential candidates in the External Deposit unit. When Ron Wilkens, one of the investors of the bank, wanted to learn more about how the black workforce viewed its career prospects, it was noted that the root problem was how they (African Americans) were perceived by the whites. Was he deemed as a decision maker and someone that understands the customer where his thoughts are taken seriously or is he someone that is viewed as good at operationally making things work? His black officer commented that he is respected by white colleagues, but questioned the value of his contribution to the firm seen by his white colleagues. While there is diversity in the company as a whole, there needs to be more diversity in each division to ensure that each employee is given an equal chance to grow and that customers are offered the best goods and services as possible. What do these cases have in common? There are some significant similarities between the two cases. First, both companies originally had an all-white staff. Both companies instituted programs to diversify their teams. For example, Spencer Owens adopted an  affirmative action plan while Cityside initiated an aggressive minority program. After these programs were implemented, both companies had double-digit percentages of their workforce made up of women and African Americans. It was noted in both cases that these companies were recognized in their industries as greatly achieving a multicultural organization. With that, both firms committed to a fair approach for advancing all employees. It was also noted that as the diverse programs were in action, both companies began to experience compromised efficiency as the staff began to have problems working together. At Spencer Owens, the affirmative action movement left some employees feeling alienated and unappreciated. The article states, â€Å"Many non-white professionals reported having their ideas routinely disregarded.† Furthermore, a Latino programmer staffer explained, â€Å"Until white people discover an idea, until they express it with their own words in their style, it’s as if it doesn’t exist.† This comment is similar to the quote made by one employee at Cityside who stated, â€Å"When a white man disagrees, he’s being strong. He’s taken with respect. When a black man disagrees, he’s being negative and whiny, militant and kind of like Malcolm X.† Both quotes show that while the companies made strides as far as diversifying their employee base, there is still a great difference in the way the ideas and contributions of white and minority employees are perceived. With this comparison summary, in both cases, the working environment involves how employees perceive one another. This is labeled as social cognition and social information processing. Social cognition is the study of how people make sense of other people and themselves. The perception process influences a host of managerial activities, organizational processes, and quality of life issues. 5 Additionally, stereotyping employees is also seen in both these case studies. At Cityside, African-American employees in the Retail Operations unit are deemed to be able to better relate to the â€Å"local community†, which is predominately African American. At Spencer Owens, there is a stereotype threat in which white managers are in fear of supervising people of color in  that â€Å"any constructive feedback could be perceived as being criticized and subsequently being called a racist.† Lastly, both companies conducted interviews and developed surveys to better understand the opinions of the staff in order to get to the root cause(s) of why tensions were on the rise. What differences do these two cases have? The main difference in the two cases is the approach the companies took to diversity. As previously stated, Spencer Owens used the discrimination and fairness paradigm, which has a â€Å"focus on equal opportunity, fair treatment, recruitment, and compliance with federal Equal Employment Opportunity requirements.† 10 This approach can make employees feel equal, but it can also lead to feelings of alienation and a loss of identity to the employees. This may be what led to the elimination of sensitivity training. In a sense, if we are all equal and are basically the same type of person, then there is no need to be sensitive to our differences, since this approach aims to eliminate the differences entirely. This approach is what led to the problems now being seen in Spencer Owens. Cityside used an approach called the Access and Legitimacy Paradigm. Supporters of this approach believed that you need â€Å"access to – and legitimacy with-a more diverse clientele by matching the demographics of the organization to those of critical consumer or constituent groups.† 10 Cityside put African-American employees in retail because they would be dealing with mostly clients of the same race and culture and this would give the company legitimacy in the community and increase sales. Where this approach went wrong is that it alienated African-American employees and clients. While the discrimination-and-fairness paradigm used by Spencer Owens aims to make all employees equal and the same, access-and-legitimacy, takes the opposite approach and separates employees by race, not allowing the two to work together or grow in their roles in the company. What approach to diversity might have been more effective in each of these cases? Diversity and Affirmative Action: Difference Affirmative action is selective in mandating changes that benefit previously disadvantaged groups. It is an outgrowth of Equal Employment Opportunity legislation.5 Diversity is inclusive, encompassing everyone in the workplace. It seeks to create a working environment in which everyone and every group fits, feels accepted, has value, and contributes.6 Managing diversity, while based on cultural change, is a pragmatic business strategy that focuses on maximizing the productivity, creativity and commitment of the workforce while meeting the needs of diverse groups. 7 Approaches to diversity that might have been more effective in these cases: Managing diversity entails recognition of the unique contribution every employee can make.5 Managing diversity also moves beyond valuing diversity in that it is a way in which to do business and should be aligned with other organizational strategic plans.6 Diverse employees offer an extraordinarily wide range of proficiencies for doing business in any marketplace. The following are different approaches that Wilkens and Richards could have taken to be more effective in their efforts (see footnote 8): 1. To attract young, new hires, college career fairs allow an employer to target people of color and women who may be good potential employees. 2. Employee referral programs: good employees typically associate with other good potential friends and associates. By implementing a program where employees refer other good candidates, employers can identify and reach out to others of the same race or background. 3. Recruitment: enlightened employers know that they need to take a hard look at their own tactics for generating diverse job candidates. These organizations take a serious look at their internal assessment around recruiting. With this, employers target key groups of employees and then mentor them so that they are able to navigate the system successfully. 4. Education/trainings: a successful diversity program will also educate all of a company’s employees to understand the business rationale behind their efforts. That way, the employees who don’t directly benefit from a company’s diversity efforts  understand that they still have a stake in the program’s success. In addition, encouraging employees to participate in skills-based volunteer projects can help unleash targeted skills.5 5. Mentoring programs: It is important to understand that a company cannot expect to change in corporate culture unless you get your full employee base involved. Partnering lower level employees with senior level employees, including diverse and promising professionals of color mentor-mentee sponsorships, may help facilitate the understanding of working together. 6. Merit systems: performance standards should be based on a thorough job analysis. Standards should be periodically updated. It is also suggested that the standards not be based on traits and personality factors; focus should be on behavior or performance – what the employee does.9 7. Company philosophy: seeking out practices that emphasize equality and teamwork in compensation and decision-making. What should Wilkens/Richards do to turn things around? In addition to considering the above seven items, Wilkens and Richards should contemplate the following actions: 1. Reinstate sensitivity trainings: this needs to be mandatory for all employees to improve the negative relationships between the team’s diversity as a workgroup, to help with conflict management and interpersonal dynamics.5 This training will help to encourage collaborative behavior and improve communication efforts amongst the groups. a. Diversity should be understood as the varied perspectives and approaches to work that members of different identity groups bring.10 2. Take steps to reduce negative effects of unconscious stereotyping and increase the use of group goals in heterogeneous groups. Rewarding groups to accomplish group goals might encourage group members to focus on their common objectives rather than on demographic faultiness that are unrelated to performance. a. The leadership team must understand that a diverse workforce will embody different perspectives and approaches to work, and must truly value variety of opinion and insight. 3. The leadership team must recognize both the learning opportunities and the challenges that the expression of different  perspectives presents for an organization.10 4. The organizational culture must create an expectation of high standards from everyone.10 5. The organizational culture must stimulate personal development.10 6. The organizational culture must encourage openness and make workers feel valued.10 7. The organization must have a well-articulated and widely understood mission.10 Conclusion: Wilkens and Richards must realize that increasing demographic variation does not in itself increase organizational effectiveness. They need to realize that it is how a company defines diversity –and what it does with the experiences of being a diverse organization – that delivers on the promise.10 These companies should develop an outlook on diversity that enables them to incorporate employees’ perspectives into the main work of the organization and to enhance work by rethinking primary tasks and redefining markets, products, strategies, missions, business practices, and even cultures. By instituting this learning-and-effectiveness paradigm for managing diversity, Wilkens and Richards will tap into true diversity benefits.10 References: 1. http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~asuomca/diversityinit/definition.html 2. Ely, Robin. (April 17, 2006). â€Å"Managing Diversity at Spencer Owens & Co.† 3. Grensing-Pophal, Lin, (May 2002). â€Å"Reaching for Diversity Efforts in the Workplace.† 4. Ely, Robin. (April 17, 2006). â€Å"Managing Diversity at Cityside Financial Services† 5. Kreitner, Robert & Knicki, Angelo. (9th Edition/2010). â€Å"Organizational Behavior† 6. Stonybrook University. â€Å"Diversity and Affirmative Action: Difference† 7. www.business-marketing.com/store/affirmvsdiv.html 8. www.boston.com/jobs/diversity. (May 9, 2004). â€Å"DiversityWorks: How all Employees Benefit.† 9. Hodge, John. (June 1, 1993). â€Å"Relationship between managing diversity and merit-based systems.† 10. Thomas, David A. and Ely, Robin A. (September/October 1996). â€Å"Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity.†

Ann Petrys Mrs. Hedges from The Streer essays

Ann Petry's Mrs. Hedges from The Streer essays Ann Petrys Mrs. Hedges: A Challenger Appears from the Confines of Disabled Femininity Throughout The Street Ann Petry thematically examines the possibility of coexistence between the maintenance of personal virtue and morality with the achievement of the capitalistic successes of the American Dream. This is evident in Luties vice grip onto virtue and her dualistic violent slaying of Boots, but is especially poignant the prostitution profiteer Mrs. Hedges. She is constantly portrayed in a dual manner, as she is the embodiment of the achievement of the American dream and the degradation of women, virtue and community. Remaining in Petrys neutrality as to the morality of prostitution, Mrs. Hedges presents herself as a denunciator and deconstructionist to the ideal that feminine success is reliant upon an overwhelming presence of corporeal beauty with an absence of strength and determination. Mrs. Hedges is presented from the onset of the novel as a persistent, resourceful, snake eyed, very black, and an enormous bulk of a woman.(Petry 5-6) She is the antithesis of the slim, European pedagogue of beauty of white America exposed through Luties former employer, Mrs. Chandler. Her lack of conformation to the unattainable and unmistakably white ideal of physical attractiveness is most tangible in the scene in which she reveals the history of her physical aberrations. In escaping though the window of her flame engulfed apartment Mrs. Hedges secured sever burns over most of her dark bulky body. During her plight she was however most concerned with protecting her beauty and attractiveness, as she tried to keep her face covered with her hands, so that she couldnt see what she was heading into, so that she could keep the flame from her face. (Petry 244) It is tempting to interpret her face covering as an attempt to keep smoke from her eyes, but it is apparent that...

Microsoft Word Tips Adjusting Paragraph Spacing

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