Centro Escolar University An Undergraduate School Essays

Evaluation of Macroeconomic Performance Australia †Free Sample

Question: Talk about the Evaluation of Macroeconomic Performance Australia. Answer: Presentation As per the article posted in The Economic Times Macroeconomics is the part of financial aspects that reviews the conduct and execution of an economy all in all. It centers around the total changes in the economy, for example, joblessness, development rates, total national output, and expansion. From the given articulation one can without much of a stretch comprehend that macroeconomics goes about as the technique to dissect the entirety of the gross markers just as the microeconomic parts that influence the economy. In the contemporary economy, Macroeconomics models have become a fundamental instrument for Government just as partnerships in the detailing of monetary approaches, methodologies and dynamic. Today, Australia is one of the most extravagant Asia-Pacific countries and has delighted in over two many years of financial enlargement. Australia is one of the nation which is globally exceptional and forward nation in regards to its administrations, innovations, and high worth included made merchandise. As per the Australian Economy, the monetary development of Australia has become 2.4% till the assessment done on seventh May 2017. All the data are obvious from the photos above. In general, Macroeconomics comprise of rundown of bit of financial information of large scale which are utilized by investigators to decipher and settle present or future the general wellbeing of the economy. The financial pointers incorporate Gross Domestic Product(GDP), Inflation rate, Unemployment rate, Exchange rate, Interest rate, Balance of exchanges, Fiscal and Monetary approach, and the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Key Macroeconomic Indicators Net Domestic Growth Rates (GDP) The proportion of total yield in the national pay accounts in national pay is GDP. The computation of GDP in Australia is made by Australian Bureau of Statistics which makes two kinds of amendments one quarterly and other one every year. There are two kinds of GDP in particular ostensible GDP and genuine GDP. Ostensible GDP total of the amounts of definite merchandise created times their present cost though genuine GDP is built as the total of the amounts of the last products time steady costs. Source: (Trading Economics, 2017). The above picture shows the advancement of yearly GDP of Australias economy from January 2014 where we can find that the development rate is higher in 2016 yet them GDP of Australia has not changed its status from downturn hindered by short downturns more than scarcely any years. The figure shows the arrangement of developments that Australian economy has experienced. The normal development rate from January 2014 to January 2017 is 2.7. As we realize that GDP is a significant number which mirrors the monetary size of the nation. Australia has a decent monetary condition till date followed by the great GDP development rate. Expansion Rate The expansion rate is known as the rate at which the cost level increments. Expansion influences economy both positive and negative ways. On the off chance that expansion increment the expansion opportunity cost which may prompt demoralization in speculation and reserve funds. Beneficial outcome is that it national banks get opportunity to alter financing cost to settle the economy and decreasing joblessness because of ostensible pay unbending nature. Source: (RBA, 2017). The swelling pace of Australia is diminishing contrasting with recent years till date .According to the ongoing audits from specialists of the UBS financial matters group Australias expansion to the US, Canada, and Europe it is regularly 1 percent quicker in pretty much every part on an annualized premise. This announcement demonstrates that Australia has less serious market structures in contrast with other created nations, for example, America, Canada, and Europe over the best piece of not many years. Joblessness Rates Joblessness rate can be characterized as the proportion of the quantity of jobless individuals to the all out number of individuals in labor power. The joblessness rates is straightforwardly relative to the quantity of individuals who are jobless, bigger the jobless people groups number bigger the joblessness rate. Source: (ABS, 2017). The above figure mirrors that the joblessness rate in 2016 has reached to 6 percent while earlier year it was 5.5 percent. The purpose for the expansion in joblessness rate perhaps the high number of human asset yet less opening for work accessible. Joblessness rate shows whether an economy is working above or beneath its ordinary degree of movement. Joblessness has significant social results. Lower joblessness rates is additionally an issue as it shows that the economy not utilizing a portion of its human asset effectively. Remote Exchange Rates Conversion scale is viewed as the estimation of one countrys cash comparable to another countrys money. In outside trade rates, the cost of unit of local cash is communicated as far as the remote money. Outside cash rate has base money, on account of Australia and numerous different nations they use US dollars as their base money. The conversion standard vacillation have compositional impacts, making a few businesses extend while some to contract. The deterioration in Australian dollar energizes the usage of local products as imported merchandise gets costly. A lower trade rates likewise makes Australian fares increasingly serious as sent out products and enterprises become less expensive in outside cash terms. From the charts above we can find that the swapping scale of Australia is not quite the same as year to year yet in recent years, it has been low. According to the last record made 0.7 was the swapping scale of Australia. Loan cost A loan cost is the expense of acquiring cash. The variety in financing cost influences numerous businesses, yet the land and banking are the most influenced zone among them. At the point when the financing cost rises advance taking turns out to be increasingly costly, credit items gets influenced while negative effect in private land costs happens. The low-loan cost is the side effects for falling expansion. The loan fees in Australia is diminishing in best scarcely any years which prompts less expensive obtaining, empower spending and speculation, because of this, there will be high total interest and monetary development which is acceptable from the financial possibilities of the nation. On the off chance that loan fee decreases than it will likewise deteriorate the trade rates. Parity of Trade (BOT) BOT is a factual instrument that guides in understanding the general quality of a countrys economy contrasting with different nations economy and the progression of exchange between countries. In another word, it can likewise be characterized as the distinction between countrys imports and its fares for the given timeframe. A nation which imports a greater amount of its products and ventures than its fare than it has exchange deficiency. Then again, if the nation sends out a greater number of products and enterprises than the merchandise and ventures they imports, it has an exchange excess. By taking away the acknowledge things, for example, sends out, remote interests in residential economy to import things, for example, imports, outside guide, local speculation abroad we will know it is possible that it is exchange deficiency or exchange surplus for a given nation given timeframe. Source: (Trading Economics, 2017). The charts above unmistakably shows that the exchange overflow of Australia has 0.55 billion from the earlier years as the fare rose not as much as imports in 2017. In February 2017 Australias exchange surplus hopped to the second most significant level on the record. Purchaser Price Index (CPI) Fundamentally, CPI is a measurable gauge that investigations the costs of an essential items inside a country. Mostly, it is gotten by ascertaining changes in the cost of chosen wares. Hence, any adjustments in the CPI reflects changes in costs in the economy related with the average cost for basic items. It merits calling attention to that the degree of CPI in Australia has been rising significantly in the course of recent years. In the primary quarter of this current year, the CPI expanded to 110.50 file focuses, contrasted with the 110 list focuses recorded in the final quarter of a year ago (Australian Government, 2017). Since 1950 as of not long ago, the normal degree of CPI is evaluated at 43.20 file focuses. During this period, the most elevated CPI level is the 110.50 list focuses experienced in the primary quarter of this current year (Trading Economics, 2017). Contrariwise, the most reduced CPI was accomplished in 1950 at 4.20 file focuses (ABS, 2017). Financial and Monetary Policy Financial approach in Australia In financial matters, monetary approach relates to the utilization of government income assortment in structure expenses and government spending as open uses to impact the total economy. Overwhelmingly, financial approach in Australia is attempted by the Australian government, through the congress. Keynesian financial matters recommend that adjustments in the degree of spending and tax collection brings about changes in the total interest of the economy just as animates monetary action in the total economy. In a general sense, the turn of events and execution of financial strategy in the nation is consistent to the Charter of Budget Honesty Act 1998 (RBA, 2017). Eminently, this demonstration forces a proper commitment on the state to detail and report its medium-term financial procedures. Note that the Australian government utilizes expansionary financial strategy to invigorate the economy during times of diminished development. Then again, it utilizes contractionary arrangements to slow the degree of monetary development if the economy is encountering overabundance development. Essentially, instigated changes in the creation and level of government spending and tax collection in Australia influences different macroeconomic factors, among them the total interest, reserve funds, ventures and the level of pay dispersion. Typically, when the administration accepts that there isn't sufficient business action and spending in the economy, it instigates an upgrade spending by expanding the sum it spends. Similarly, if the duty receipts from t

Losing Weight and Saving Money

Losing Weight and Saving Money Losing Weight and Saving Money Losing Weight and Saving MoneySaving money and losing weight are two of the biggest challenges a person can face. And they definitely tie into each other. Fatty, fast foods are often the cheapest and quickest options available.And gym memberships? Don’t even get us started. Are those weights made out of diamonds? Are the treadmills lined with gold? Do the showers spray fresh beluga caviar?As difficult as it may be, it is indeed possible to lose weight while saving money. And living a healthier life can be more affordable in the long run. That’s why we spoke to The Experts to find out the best ways to keep your body and wallet in tip top shape.Plan your menuYou barely have time to do one job. How are you supposed to become your own private chef? But cooking for yourself can actually save you time in the long run! As registered dietitian Kim Melton  told us:“Plan your menu, make a list of groceries according to what healthy recipes you chose for meals and snacks for a week and st ick to your plan. Not only does this save you time because it means you have everything on hand and dont have to make any surprise trips to the grocery store, but it saves you money as well. You are less tempted to eat unhealthy foods when you think about what youre eating and cooking. Another suggestion would be to download a meal tracking app on your phone. These apps are usually free. We often eat more than we think and this will help you to be more aware of how much youre actually eating throughout the day and will keep you on track with your specific calorie/energy needs.”And you can use that phone to listen to food-themed music or podcasts as you cook. Or whatever it is you like to listen to.Making your own food at home also means you won’t have to eat out, which isn’t only expensive, but tends to be less healthy.“A study published last year in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics discovered that the average restaurant meal contains between 1,205 and 1 ,496 calories,” Dr. Apovian, director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at the Boston Medical Center, told us. “This applies to both chain and independent restaurants. The only way you can be certain of what you are consuming is to prepare your meals at home. You’ll save money too!”Drink more waterYou’re already paying for water, so you might as well drink it. And Dr. Apovian recommends it: “Drinking water keeps the metabolism running, helps us to feel full throughout the day, encourages us to eat less at meals without deprivation, and saves you money you would have spent on other beverages.”And water isn’t the only liquid you can drink to lose weight and save money. Dr. Apovian suggests trying out a smoothie lunch with whey and casein protein.Don’t forget to sleepLosing weight isn’t just about what you do while you’re awake. It’s also important to try and get a good night’s sleep. But don’t take our word for it. Here’s what best-selling nut rition author Yuri Elkaim  had to say:“Consistent, high-quality sleep is the most underestimated aid to help you lose weight without exercise, hands down. It starts with establishing a regular sleep schedule; go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. Your natural daily rhythm (known as your circadian rhythm) is probably the most important determinant of the health of your hormones and your body’s ability to lose weight and keep it off. If you get that all out of whack, you can kill yourself in the gym and eat green salads and grilled chicken breasts all you want, but none of it will help you lose weight. Seven to nine hours every night is what you’re aiming for. About seven and a half is the magic number for me.”Try alternative exerciseAs we said earlier, joining a gym tends to come with some pretty outrageous fees. But there are a lot of other options out there to burn calories.Melton suggests turning to apps and the internet rather than gym memberships. Or as she puts it: “I recommend certain apps that can help them track their food, portion size and calorie level such as MyFitnessPal. This app will allow certain calories based on personal information you enter into the app. Also, there are several good home workouts that you can access on YouTube if you have internet.   Many of these exercises use body weight or very simple dumbbells, resistance bands or similar inexpensive equipment. The workouts are free and all can be done in the privacy of your home without the expensive gym membership.”You can even move those muscles without leaving your chair (though you should also leave your chair). Elkaim offers this unique tip: “The next time you sit down to eat, try priming your body to receive those nutrients by contracting your muscles for 30 seconds. You’ll feel heat generating in your body, which means your muscles are generating heat as a by-product. Your breathing will also increase. It may feel silly , but you’re essentially producing some of the same effects you’d experience during a workout. We know that the biggest meal of your day should come after your workout, and that’s because exercising makes your muscle cells open up like a flower to the sun. This is exactly when you want to give them the nutrients they need. Eating at any other time of the day increases the likelihood that the nutrients you’re taking in will be stored elsewhere in your body, like in your fat cells. You don’t want that, so prevent it by turning your muscles on before each meal; you’ll decrease the potential damage of whatever you’re sitting down to eat.”Even if you are willing to spend some money on your exercise routine, there are still far cheaper options than a monthly gym membership. Fitness expert Amie Hoff  created one such option, called the FitKit, that she sees as the perfect affordable gym replacement:“I created FitKit to offer people an affordable workout solution, a way to lose weight and get in shape without the pricey gym fees. As a personal trainer based in NYC, I work one on one with clients which can be costly, so there are a ton of free resources that come with the FitKit: a 6-week workout and nutrition plan, workout videos, 24/7 email access to our trainers and dietitians to ask any questions. Its like having me as a personal trainer without the hefty price tag! Working out, losing weight and staying fit also make you more productive, which in turn allows you to work harder, get ahead and ultimately make more money.”FitKit costs $39.99, which is what you’ll pay for just one month at a lot of hoity toity fancy gyms.There’s no magic bulletAt the end of the day, there’s no one solution to losing weight and saving money. That’s why you have to focus on multiple methods. And it’s all the better if you can work multiple methods into single activities. That’s why health and wellness expert Audrey Christie  told us you should “make sur e the things you do serve double duty.“For example, if your errands are within a 10-mile radius, ride your bike… this burns calories and saves on gas plus wear and tear on your ride. Gardening provides you with fresh veggies and calories. There are lots of double duty things you can do.”Christie says these tips have helped her and her clients drop many pounds without losing too much money, which, if they were British, would also be called pounds.Take all of the tips listed here to heart, and you too can lose weight while saving money. It may not always be easy, but if it’s important to you, the results will be worth it. You’ll feel more fit, and you’ll have money to pay your bills so you don’t end up in a bad credit situation.Visit OppLoans on YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedINContributorsDr. Caroline Apovian  has worked in weight loss and nutrition for over 25 years.   She currently serves as Director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at the Boston Me dical Center, a professor of medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine, and vice president of The Obesity Society.  She lives in Boston, MA.Audrey Christie (@Audrey_C_Mcl) is a holistic wellness practitioner that helps to empower her clients to wellness. Her richly developed background and training includes Registered Nurse, Reiki Master, Certified Clinical Master of Aromatherapy, Yoga Teacher, Homeopathics and Epigenetics. She draws on all of this (plus infinite universal knowledge) to work with her clients via one-on-one sessions or group classes and courses. Recently Audrey has began sharing her how her lifestyle allows for major financial savings too.Yuri Elkaim (@yelkaim) is a fitness and fat loss expert, holistic nutritionist, and NYT bestselling author of The All-Day Energy Diet and the All-Day Fat Burning Diet. A former professional player turned health crusader, he’s most famous for boosting your energy and helping you burn fat and get lean faster by training s marter, not harder, and eating healthy foods that actually taste great. Hes on a mission to transform the lives of more than 10 million people by 2018. Visit yurielkaim.com for more clear, science-backed advice that makes fit and healthy simple again.Amie Hoff  is an internationally recognized fitness expert, dedicated to improving the lives of people everywhere. As a personal trainer, media contributor and public speaker, Amie thrives as a motivator and role model, sharing her expert fitness and health knowledge around the globe.Kim Melton  (@NutritionPro_1) is a consulting and media Registered Dietitian specializing in health,   fitness and weight management. She has a passion for teaching others how to implement sound nutrition and healthy lifestyle principles into their lives.     Check out her website nutritionproconsulting.com for recipes and articles that can help you reach your health goals!

What Is the Right Response to Terrorism Essay - 1810 Words

Terrorism response, like any issue concerning domestic politics and international affairs, can be faced analyzing either causes or effects. Terrorists are usually motivated by political beliefs. Even if terrorists can take advantage of other particular situations such as economic difficulties and religious beliefs, the main purposes are always political. That being said, the right response to terrorism is prevention. Solving the problem at the root cause is achievable through stable political regimes and open and functioning democracies. As long as terrorists do not need to resort to violence because they have other means to make their voices heard, they do not represent a threat anymore. Since this process might be quite long lasting, an†¦show more content†¦He proposes to legalize and regulate the use of torture to avoid any further abuse caused by uncontrolled actions. Stating that torture is allowed for the benefit of the whole population, in some extreme situations, it is much less hypocritical as well as successful to address such a big problem like terrorism. In contrast, first, torture would not improve the international threat of terrorism; second, the arguments proposed by A. Dershowitz appear biased by public opinion feelings. Right after the 9/11 attack, foreign and defensive policies of the United States of America and public opinion have become very aggressive, openly addressing and trying to wipe out any menace. People, reacting instinctively to impulses without even thinking about them, easily accept inhuman methods for particular cases. Torture acceptance stems from a feeling of revenge rather rational choices; as a result, emotionally decisions can never be considered the best way to face big problems. In addition, looking into history, even only overcoming the idea of torture took centuries. Democratic and civilized societies claim to have outdated primitive and natural instincts. The trend to reaffirm past customs endangers high values, achieved with difficulty and perseverance. For example, accepting to reintroduce past habits simply to fulfill certain goals, (counterterrorism in this case) also the death penalty could be put in use again. As explained in the introduction, the effects of terrorism canShow MoreRelatedWhat Is the Right Response to Terrorism?1685 Words   |  7 PagesTerrorism is an actual and relevant threat to national security that requires an incisive strategy to fight it. Along this paper, I demonstrate that torture is not the right solution to respond to terrorism, whereas surveillance might be a better and acceptable proposal. Several scholars and politicians have either widely sustained or contested both issues. In my opinion, torture does not ensure success in fighting terrorism while it inflicts unbearable sufferance. I provide six arguments to demonstrateRead MoreThe Construction Of The War On Terrorism1103 Words   |  5 Pagessociety is characterized as â€Å"terrorism.† In the context of international relations, terrorism is one of the most challenged definitions. The term â€Å"terrorism† is politically and emotionally charged, which has made it difficult for the international community to develop a universally agreed upon definition. In a general sense, terrorism can be expressed as the use or threatened use of force against civilians to provoke political or social change. Shared elements of terrorism also include that it is politicalRead More Terrorism and the Effects on Security Policies Essay1558 Words   |  7 Pageshence society itself, even if only slightly,† Stephen Sobieck states in his chapter on Democratic Responses to International Terrorism in German y. Politically motivated terrorism struck the heart of both Germany and Italy in the 1970’s and 1980’s causing each state to do exactly what Sobieck stated. Both countries, unfortunately, suffered severe casualties, infrastructure damage, and threats from right and left wing terrorist organizations triggering these countries to adopt policy changes. ThisRead MoreTerrorism And Terrorism : Terrorism1231 Words   |  5 Pages Terrorism is a common term used in the media and news everyday, especially in the United States. We are in a constant battle against ‘terrorism’, â€Å"Counterterrorism has to be woven into the everyday workings of every department. It should be included on the agenda of every meeting†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kelling Bratton, 2006). Terrorism and How to Respond All terrorism is criminal but not all criminals are terrorists. Terrorism unlike most crimes has a political agenda behind it. Many terrorists are involved withRead More The True Meaning of Terrorism Essay813 Words   |  4 PagesThe True Meaning of Terrorism Think of the word terrorism. What is the first thing that comes to mind? One might think of kidnapping, assassination, bombing, or even genocide and guerrilla warfare. Because it is such a broad and complex issue, an all-encompassing definition is hard to formulate. The United States Department of Defence defines terrorism as†¦ The calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societiesRead MoreAfter The 9/11 Attack, Many Agencies DidnT Know What To1630 Words   |  7 PagesAfter the 9/11 attack, many agencies didn t know what to do with the situation of the towers been blown up by airplanes and that terrorism was the cause of it, that s why President Bush created a new defense called Homeland Security to prevent that from happening again. 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It is the existence of Terrorists attacks in America that has changed the way people travels both domestic and foreign and also now viewed as an issue and conflicts that exist within the nation’s borders and domestically (Shemella, 373 ). The United States has since be a country with ideal ability to protect the many citizens from attacks and live in peace, but the infiltration of terrorist has kept a change in Americans heartRead MoreTerrorism : Terrorism And Terrorism1279 Words   |  6 Pagesmany people is, terrorism. This word brings images to people’s minds that will haunt them forever. There has been a lot of terrorism throughout history, but most of it is domestic terrorism and not destructive terrorism that is brought from outside forces. 9/11 is an example of destructive terrorism. It not only caused chaos amongst those who were affected, but also caused disruption of the government. We could see a rise in legislation that was brought to the table to combat terrorism hoping to eliminateRead MoreThe Department of Homeland Security782 Words   |  3 PagesHomeland Security (DHS) covers a variety of topics including: academic engagement, border security, citizenship and immigration services, civil rights and civil liberties, cybersecurity, disasters, economic security, homeland security enterprise, human trafficking, immigration enforcement, international engagement, working with law enforcement, preventing terrorism, and transportation security (Hom eland Security, g). DHS works with all law enforcement partners at federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial

The Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty - 703 Words

I feel that the death penalty was and is a very effective form of punishment. The death penalty is the punishment of execution, administered to someone legally convicted of a capital crime. I also feel that the death penalty should be practiced in all fifty states and be the punishment for more crimes.Since 1976 there has been over fourteen hundred deaths caused by the death penalty. I also feel that if we see the ability to get the punishment at lower standards such as for rappings or for harder drug cases, then we will see that the crime rate will drop. I feel that this would be worth it even though each death penalty case cost about three million dollars a piece. We reserve the death penalty in the United States for the most heinous†¦show more content†¦I also feel that if the case is not fully complete then they should not be sentenced to it however if they are given the death sentence they should be forced to become donors and give there bodys to science. The rapist sho uld be given the sentenced depending on the case because they ruined someones life and they are sum that doesnt need to be on the earth. Although I feel that the death sentence is effective I understand there are many other things that come into play such as cost. Defense costs for death penalty trials in Kansas averaged about $400,000 per case, compared to $100,000 per case when the death penalty was not sought. (Kansas Judicial Council, 2014). In Texas, a death penalty case costs an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years. (Dallas Morning News, March 8, 1992). Also, they wait so long to have the punishment go into action because they need to wait and see if any new things come into play on the case which could affect whether they are innocent or guilty. So I respectfully agree with these points but still believe that my opinion will overpower the issues. I feel that the death punishment is the most effective way to deal with convicts and repeat offenders. With all the convicts beingShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of The Death Penalty789 Words   |  4 Pages Death Penalty The death penalty has been a debated topic for decades. Many people believe that it serves justice to the person being executed, while others think that it does no good for either party. However, I believe the three most outstanding topics surround the death penalty are the cost of death vs. life in prison, attorney quality, and irrevocable mistakes. The first topic surrounding the death penalty is the cost of death vs. life in prison. This is a bigRead MoreDeath Penalty Pros and Cons1636 Words   |  7 Pages Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty The death penalty is a legal process whereby a person is put to death as a punishment for a crime. The death penalties are usually carried out for retribution of a heinous murder committed, such as aggravated murder, felony killing or contract killing. Every state handles what method they want to use to put a person to death according to their state laws. The death penalty is given by lethal injection, electrocution; gas chamber firing squad and hanging areRead MoreDeath Penalty Pros Cons2512 Words   |  11 PagesTop 10 Pros and Cons Should the death penalty be allowed? The PRO and CON statements below give a five minute introduction to the death penalty debate. (Read more information about our one star to five star Theoretical Credibility System) 1. Morality 2. Constitutionality 3. Deterrence 4. Retribution 5. Irrevocable Mistakes 6. Cost of Death vs. Life in Prison 7. Race 8. Income Level 9. Attorney Quality 10. Physicians at Execution PRO Death Penalty CON Death Penalty 1. Morality PRO:Read MoreDeath Penalty Pros And Cons1501 Words   |  7 Pagesthe death penalty. What laws have the Supreme Court recognized that warrant the death penalty as being cruel and unusual punishment. What are the pros and cons of the death penalty, death penalty vs. life incarceration from a financial standpoint, the death penalty is it a deterrent where crime is concerned, states that have the death penalty, the state with the highest number of death row inmates the state with the lowest, mentally ill and mental retardation, juveniles, women and the death penaltyRead MorePros And Cons Of The Death Penalty1435 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The Death Penalty (DP), being also known as capital punishment, capital offence and corporal punishment, is a sentence of death imposed on a convicted criminal (1); this essay will use all the terms interchangeably. The DP breaches two fundamental human rights, namely the right to life and the right to live free from torture; both rights are protected under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted by the United Nations in 1948, which contains a list of each human rightsRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty915 Words   |  4 PagesThe Death Penalty is the punishment of execution to someone who legally by court of law convicted a capital crime. In the United States of America this is mainly used for aggravated murder. Additionally this means that the murder has circumstances that are severe. For instance it was planned murder, intentionally killed below the age of 13, killed someone while serving term in prison, killed a law officer, and killed someone or ill egally terminated a person’s pregnancy while in the process of committingRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty1331 Words   |  6 PagesThe death penalty has always been an issue or debate in the United States, typically being asked if it should be illegal or not. As of right now there are thirty-one states, including Ohio in which I live, that still use the death penalty as it is illegal in the rest. There are many supporters of it, there is also a huge amount of opposition. There are things included in both sides that can make the argument harder to be one-sided but I believe that the death penalty should be legal throughout theRead MorePros And Cons Of The Death Penalty1348 Words   |  6 Pagesmost shocking, the death penalty. The death penalty, also referred to as capital punishment, was first introduced in the form of hanging hundreds of years ago when America was first established. Now, the most common way of execution proves to be death by lethal injection . For hundreds of years, people have argued over whether or not the general idea of capital punishment stands morally correct. Many have also debated if anyone holds the right to end another’s life. The death penalty, morally wrong andRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty844 Words   |  4 PagesThe death penalty takes the saying of â€Å"An eye for an eye† to a whole new level. From a very young age, everyone has been taught the undeniable truth that murder is wrong. So what makes capital punishment alright? Just because someone did something wrong, that doesn’t mean that person can legally be killed, as we are all human, and we all make mistakes. In the United States, 31 states allow this punishment (Sherman). Christopher Wilkins, Terry Darnell Edwards, and Rolando Ruiz are some of the manyRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of The Death Penalty1939 Words   |  8 PagesThe death penalty is a serious problem that has the United States very divided. While th ere are many supporters of it, there is also a large amount of opposition. Currently, there are thirty three states where the death penalty is legal and seventeen states that have abolished it . I believe the death penalty should be legal throughout the nation. Crime is all around, Wherever we look we find criminals and crime. Criminals have become a part of peoples daily lives,Some criminals commit a crime

Brave New World vs. Gattaca Free Essays

Brave New World vs.. Cataract BY Killing We all expect the near future to have advance technology and flying cars. We will write a custom essay sample on Brave New World vs. Gattaca or any similar topic only for you Order Now Well, genetic engineering Is Indeed advance technology but there are negative effects that come along with it. In both â€Å"Brave New World† by Allots Huxley (1932) and Cataract (1997) is based on how genetic engineering is taken over the world. Everyone was created by science instead of being born and having both parents’ genes. Intelligence an personality are very minor In these societies, but the Important thing that matters is where you belong in life. However, the film Cataract is in the future but has a dated style to it. From the clothing and hairstyles to the cars and buildings, it all reminds you of the style in the ass’s or ass’s. The director intended it to be that way just to view how our style could go back to how It used to be In the past. The setting of the movie sets the mood to be somewhat serious and thriller like. The mood of professional business would be a good example of this film. The theme of the novel is generally saying are we all headed to where our genetic code defines what we do and owe we live. Although the film does not have a futuristic feel to It, the plot still shows you that the future is not that distance. The mall character, Vincent Freeman, wanted to fulfill his dreams and travel into space. The initial problem that occurred was that his gene was not genetic superior to accomplish his goal. Vincent had a heart problem that prevented him from doing big Jobs. He came up with an idea to become a valid person. He decided to use someone else’s Identity and DNA to be able to travel in the stars. Vincent uses an athlete, Jerome Marrow, who was paraplegic from a car crash. Freeman changed his looks, style, and even had surgery to become the same height as Jerome. He made sure that people would discover whom he really Is. Later on In the movie, Vincent brother tries to find the murderer of an Important person but was really trying to find Vincent. They didn’t know they were brother because a while back when they were younger, Vincent brother was lost at sea and he haven’t seen him ever since. They reunite and realize on how different they were from each other. In a way, this film has a genre of mystery and thriller that is served. On the other hand, the book â€Å"Brave New World† also does not really have that futuristic feel, but you can tell it is based on the future when you read it. The book is older, so when it was written, it did not have the modern day style that we use. The year is actually in 802540, which is way past the year future. The mood of this book Is satirical and bitter. At some points. It was funny but had a serious meaning to It as well. As you read the book, you could notice that there would be more than one thing owing at once where the point of view turns from first person to third person omniscient. The theme of this book Isn’t anything compared to Cataract, but it’s saying that the community Is sterilized and we are headed for the end if the community we live in continue. In addition to, the movie Cataract is similar to â€Å"Brave New World†. Humans predict other humans lifestyle by making tests and observations to determine where they are placed. This world seeks stability in each society but it most likely doesn’t work on everyone. Having a family Is not allowed to be applied In he future. Therefore, the people are separated on what defines them Like being a Delta or an upsilon. In which why the character Bernard is not happy with the order 1 OFF such as having a family. Bernard tries to find the meaning of life but everyone thinks he is crazy from exploring his curiosity. I believe that the both the writers of the film and the book intended on including such an intense view of the future. These views of the future are actually believable and actually could be where we are all headed at to the near future. All though we all imagine the future being a new and high tech setting, in Cataract we can actually see the style of the ass’s and unlike â€Å"Brave New World† we can only read what it could be and visualize it. All in all, both of the Cataract and â€Å"Brave New World† are engaging and interesting. I would recommend reading â€Å"Brave New World† first and then watching Cataract because you can get an older point of view of the future and a more modern point of view. Genetic engineering could be our future if technology becomes bigger than it already is. How to cite Brave New World vs. Gattaca, Papers

Writing Essays (702 words) - Communication Design, Writer, Diary

Writing Reasons Let's look at the question, "Why write?" There are many reasons in which people choose to write, too many to list here. However, in the following pages you will find a categorization of the main reasons authors choose to transfer their thoughts from their mind to paper. To begin, we will start with writing to record a memory. This is one of the most common motives for people to write. There are two types of recording memories, keeping a journal and writing a memoir. Both accomplish same purpose, preserving the memory for future reference and bringing some sort of order to the experience. The act of keeping a journal is for personal reflection. Many refer to a journal in the same manner they refer to a diary, but they are two separate forms of writing. A diary is a daily accord of the events that happened, whereas a journal will include reflections and observations of the events. Journals give somewhat of a snapshot into the time in which it was written. Memoir appropriately comes from the Latin word for memory. The focus is usually on the writer's experiences with a person, place, or event. In comparison to a journal, the main difference lies in the intended audience. A journal is for the writer only, while a memoir is written with the purpose of communicating the memory to others. In 'Finishing School' by Maya Angelou, she writes a memoir to tell of her upbringing as a black child being taught white female etiquette. Here, her intentions of the piece is to give an understanding of what it was like for her as an underprivileged slave child to interact with her white peers in the 1930's. Writers write to explore the self. To most, this is the easiest form of self-discovery. While this purpose is somewhat similar to writing to record memories, the emphasis is different. The writing is produced to give a medium to look into your past, present, and even future. You can mediate on your feelings or examine relationships. In the end, it will provide the writer a deeper knowledge and understanding of themselves. Writers write to explore an idea. Here, the work is written only for personal uses, to aid the writer in discovery of yet unobtained thoughts and ideas. It is much like thinking out loud, just without the oral effort. Usually, the writing is without structure. It resembles Freud's free association in many ways, you start at nothing and a chain of thoughts will lead you to a conclusion. Writers write to interpret information. It is used to tell the why's and the how's. Information is presented within the work to reveal what isn't readily apparent to the audience. Why is Africa a desert? How did it become a desert? These are the types questions in which the answers will be explained to the audience in a descriptive, analytical way giving facts, interpretations, and definitions. Writers write to amuse others. The purpose is to bring pleasure others, making them laugh or smile. Humor, the most often used form of amusement, is a great tension breaker poking fun at things we all make fun of but would greatly miss if abandoned. Satire is another form of amusement, and personally my favorite. It is used to point attention at the flaws of society through a sometimes comical, sometimes cruel reference. One of my personal favorite satirical works is 'A Modest Proposal' by Jonathan Swift. In this, he solves the burden of the growing number of Irish children by suggesting the more affluent population eat them. Writers write to persuade others. This persuasion can range from simple advertising to scholarly arguments. Whether you are applying for a job, trying to sell personal items, or maybe placing a personal ad, you are trying to convince others to do something you want. With all situations, and probably the reason you are writing to persuade rather than to explain, you will face opposition. Whether you are writing to respond or attack, the focus of the paper will remain the same, to make people do what you want. What I have outlined is just a large categorization of writers reasoning to put thoughts to paper. A guideline as to why someone writes hasn't been created, and definitely will never be. A writer writes for numerous reasons ranging from making a convincing argument to making a shopping list. All do one thing. The work created serves the purpose the author intended to. So write, I say.

Redundancy Hrm Essays

Redundancy Hrm Essays Redundancy Hrm Essay Redundancy Hrm Essay Abstract Downsizing has been a common cost-cutting activity for organisations in the last 25 years. Literature in this area has focused mainly on the effects that redundancy may have on people leaving the organisation. However, some research has investigated the effect it may have on the employees who were not made redundant, and from this the concept of Survivor Syndrome was created. It has been established that redundancy processes result in negative emotions being felt by survivors, such as less job satisfaction, mistrust in the organisation, less pride in the organisation and they feel that the organisation is not supporting them as much. These are just a few of the symptoms that have been associated with the syndrome. However, some research has suggested that Survivor syndrome is a myth, or can be prevented. This study presents the findings of a company-based study, in which employees opinions and emotions were investigated prior to and post-redundancies. It argues that symptoms of survivor syndrome are present in employees after the downsizing process has occurred, and that it is more prominent in non-managerial employees than in managers within the organisation. The study suggests that the way in which the organisation rolls out the process of redundancies, and the way in which employees are treated, both those remaining within the company and those leaving, can result in these negative emotions being felt. This suggests that effective management of employees during the process and after can decrease the likelihood that survivor syndrome will be present within the organisation, and Corus and other organisations going through similar situations should utilise methods that are recommended in order to help avoid the syndrome occurring. 1 1. Introduction There has been an increasing amount of research in recent years examining the effect of downsizing and redundancies on those employees who remain within the organisations after redundancies have taken place. Downsizing is defined as a deliberate organisational decision to reduce the workforce size and to change working practices, in order to improve the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation (Freeman Cameron, 1993), and has been described as probably the most pervasive yet understudied phenomenon in the business world (Cameron, 1994). This is a particularly relevant subject due to the current economic climate, and the large number of organisations that have had to partake in downsizing due to the recession. The number of organisations and jobs affected by redundancy in Britain is staggering according to Campbell, Worrall and Cooper (2000), and this figure will have only increased since the start of the recession, as evidenced by the 22 million people in Europe who were unemployed in July 2009, 5 million more than the year before and it is highly likely that the full force of the recession has yet to fully impact on the labour market (Hurley et al, 2009). The statistics that are available are behind the situation slightly, due to the time it takes to collect the data, and the fact that the situation is constantly changing. A Quality of Working Life Survey conducted by UMIST and the Institute of Management measured the extent of organisational change occurring in the UK over three years, and it found that there had been a 8% increase in organisational change, and a 3% rise in redundancy because of this (Campbell, Worrall and Cooper, 2000). An increase in redundancies can also be due to the constant technological advances (Rifkin, 1999). Britain was found to suffer more job losses than any other country in the EU in 2008, according to Eurofound (Hurley et al, 2009). In a study of 1000 human resource and finance professionals conducted by Mercer in 2008, it was found that 35% of the organisations were expecting to make large-scale cuts in their workforce (Pitcher, 2008). Pitcher (2008) found evidence showing that the production and manufacturing sector were the hardest hit by downsizing, with 48% of the organisations who said they would be making 2 redundancies being in that sector. The Labour Force Survey (2001) found that the rate of redundancies per 1000 employees was highest in the manufacturing sector (16 per 1000 employees). A study conducted by Eurostat intimates that employment in the metal industry went from 2. 8% between 2007 and 2008 to -4. 2% between 2008 and 2009 in the UK. A pattern that has been identified is that the majority of those people being made redundant are skilled, semi-skilled and low skilled manual workers. Possibly because of this, there have been a much higher number of men identified as being made redundant compared to women in this recession (Eurostat, 2009, as cited in Hurley et al, 2009). Wolfsmith et al (cited in Farias Johnson, 2000) estimate that the success rate of large-scale change interventions average 50%, suggesting that downsizing may not have the positive effects for an organisation like they may have hoped. A large amount of research has found redundancy causes a number of negative effects for the organisation, such as loss of skills, and it can result in victims of redundancy feeling emotions such as anger and frustration (Sahdev, 2003; Reynolds-Fisher White, 2000). However, there has not been as much of a focus aimed at the survivors of redundancy, those employees who remain at an organisation after downsizing has occurred. This may be because people make an assumption that the survivors of redundancy feel relief, happiness and security. Literature that has looked at this topic has resulted in some interesting findings that put into question the above. Since the theory of the Survivor Syndrome was founded, the amount of research into this topic has grown, and researchers have attempted to investigate the affect that organisational downsizing has had on survivors in terms of their emotions and their performance using a range of methodologies. The term Survivor Syndrome in general describes a set of shared reactions and behaviours of people who have survived an adverse event (Baruch Hind, 2000). This term has then been borrowed by Brockner (1992) and put in to a management context, in order to give a picture of the impact of redundancies on survivors, which are those who remain within an organisation after significant downsizing of the workforce. The theory of survivor syndrome within organisations that have undergone downsizing occurred over 20 years ago. Schweiger Ivancevich (1985) discovered that the way redundancies are conducted affect the wellbeing and health of survivors. Similarly Sutton et al (1986) found that in a computer game manufacturing company 3 here large scale redundancies were poorly executed, many of the survivors quit a short time after the downsizing occurred. However, there has also been studies conducted that have found that survivor syndrome has not occurred within a recently downsized organisation (Baruch Hind, 2000; Latack Dozier, 1986). The debate about whether survivor syndrome actually exists is still ongoing, and there are results to support both sides of the argument. In a way to explain the difference of opinion, some researchers believe that redundancies have different effects on survivors, depending on a number of demographics. For instance, the age of the employee can affect their response (Baruch Hind, 2000). In the last two decades, since these results were founded the amount of research exploring the idea of survivor syndrome, and examination of the emotions and attitudes of employees remaining at organisations once redundancies have taken place has increased dramatically, and it has become a key focal point in redundancy research. This is especially true in the current economic climate, where downsizing is more prominent. Conducting a study to examine if survivor syndrome is existent within an organisation that has had to partake in large scale downsizing in the past is an extremely topical and interesting subject at any time, but even more so due to the current recession and the fact that the redundancies have occurred fairly recently, within the last two to three years. This piece of writing aims to identify the presence of Survivor Syndrome within a large manufacturing company, by identifying specific symptoms, in order to give some insight into the argument of whether survivor syndrome exists, or of it is a myth. If the syndrome is found to be in existence, then the study will be extended to discover which employees tend to be more affected by the syndrome, and explanations for this. Whether the analysis shows that Survivor Syndrome is or is not present within the organisation, this study will look in-depth at the methods used by the manufacturing company when conducting the downsizing programme, in order to see if the programme put in place is the reason for the presence / lack of presence of survivor syndrome in employees remaining with the company post-downsizing. 2. Literature Review Research into the effects of downsizing has increased in prominence since the increase in redundancies in the last two decades. As previously mentioned, the research has focused on the people who have been made redundant, and the outcomes for them. However, early research has mentioned briefly the effects that downsizing has on employees remaining within the company. Astrachan (1995) state that employees rema ining within an organisation experience adverse effects of change as profoundly as those ho have left the company, and there has been growing popularity in research looking at this theory of survivor syndrome, dating back to the 1980s. This literature review will look at redundancies in the UK, redundancies specifically within the manufacturing industry, why survivor syndrome occurs, and then look more in depth at specific symptoms that have been identified and investigated. 2. 1 Redundancies Since the mid-1990s the number of people being made redundant has remained at a low and fairly stable level. But with the economy experiencing what is at best expected to be the sharpest economic downturn since the recession of the 1990s, redundancy is again on the rise (CIPD, 2009). The table below shows the pattern of redundancies prior to and straight after the beginning of the recession, according to the Labour Force Survey from the Office of National Statistics (2008). As can be seen from figure 1 above, the redundancy figures were low from 2005 to quarter 3 in 2008. However, the number of redundancies more than doubled between quarter 2 and quarter 4 in 2008, going from 126,000 people to 263,000 people in less than 6 months. This coincided with the announcement of the UK recession in October 2008. The table shows that redundancy figures have reduced towards the end of 2009 and during 2010, but between quarter 4 of 2008 and quarter 3 of 2009, redundancy figures were very high. 2. 1. 1 Overview of redundancies within the Steel Industry With regards to the manufacturing industry, the ONS Labour Force Survey shows that it suffered from the highest percentage of redundancies in 2008 and 2009, 5 although this has decreased slightly. In 2008, quarter 4, 22. 1% of redundancies were accounted for by the manufacturing industry. Figure 1. Table showing Redundancy levels and rates Year 2005 Quarter Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Level of People (000s) 131 132 163 145 138 140 144 133 141 121 136 110 106 126 164 263 284 272 213 168 161 155 Rate of people 5. 3 5. 3 6. 5 5. 8 5. 5 5. 6 5. 7 5. 3 5. 6 4. 8 5. 4 4. 3 4. 2 5. 0 6. 4 10. 3 11. 2 10. 8 8. 6 6. 8 6. 5 6. 3 2006 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2007 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2008 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2009 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2010 Q1 Q2 Source: ONS Labour Force Survey According to Stuart (2005), this sector has been subject to ongoing periods of restructuring over the last 30 years, due to the forces of increased competition and technological advancement. During this time period, the number of people employed within this sector has declined significantly, and it is thought this pattern will continue to be seen in future years (Stuart, 2005). 6 2. 1. 2 Corus The organisation that is being investigated in this study is Corus Distribution UK Ireland. Corus, as a whole, are the second largest steel producer in Europe, and became a subsidiary of Tata Steel Group, one of the worlds top 10 steel producers, in April 2007. Previous to this acquisition, the origins of Corus began in 1999, when British Steel and Dutch based company Koninklijke Hoogovens merged, creating a much larger company, operating all over Europe, and employing about 37,000 people. When announcing the merger, Corus stated that the basis for the merger is to provide a platform for growth, not retrenchment and that the hope was to minimise job losses (Corus, 1999). However, this merger was the start of a number of redundancy programmes run by Corus. The area of the company being looked at in this study, Corus Distribution UK I, announced a downsizing programme in November 2008, which involved a number of redundancies throughout the organisation. Further redundancies were then announced in January 2009, as the organisation had taken the decision to close a number of sites, and reduce the number of employees at nearly all other sites as well. The time period where these redundancies occurred coincide with the period of time in figure 1 that had the largest amount of redundancies. Within Corus Distribution UK Ireland, 400 employees were expected to be made redundant. However, by the end of the downsizing process, this figure had been reduced to 380 redundancies being made in total. The redundancies were announced a few months prior to the actual job cuts, and were announced via the local manager or director of that area of the business, depending on how many redundancies were being made within that business area. The communication during the process was both verbal and via formal letters, and this was the same when telling the employees that they were being made redundant. Corus offered support to those employees being made redundant, including redeployment support and help and advice from outside organisations such as Job Centre and PACE. However, there was no formal programme put into place to aide those employees who were not being made redundant. Instead, the Employee Assistance Programme was advertised as a helpline, and communication between managers and employees was encouraged y senior management. 7 2. 2 Survivor Syndrome an overview – Schweiger Ivancevich (1985) discovered that the way redundancies are conducted affect the wellbeing and health of survivors. This may have been the basis of further research into this topic, along with research conducted by Sutton et al (1986) that investigated the large scale downsizing of a computer game manufacturer, and found that it was poo rly executed, resulting in many of the survivors leaving the company only a short while later. Brockner leads the way in research on survivor syndrome. In one early experiment, students participated in a layoff simulation, and were then asked to fill in a questionnaire. The experiment found survivors to feel increased remorse and negative attitudes to their co-workers (Brockner, 1985). These results helped to encourage the theory of survivor syndrome, but the responses were immediate, and so it was questioned if this experiment actually represented real feelings when facing job loss, and what the long-term effects were. In order to respond to these criticisms, Brockner (1986) followed up this research with a field study, where the results served to emphasise his earlier findings, and found common emotions suffered by survivors were anger, anxiety, guilt and relief. In further research conducted by Brockner (1988), he went on to discover that stress results in changes in survivors work attitudes and behaviours, for example less commitment to the organisation they work for, decreased job satisfaction and a higher turnover at the organisation. Noer (1993) also conducted research into emotions common amongst those employees remaining within an organisation after downsizing has occurred. He found symptoms of survivor sickness prominent in his subjects, including fear, anxiety, guilt, depression, anger, risk aversive and defensive. He found that these symptoms were influenced by the level of injustice perceived in the redundancy process, and the extent to which the survivors psychological contracts are changing. Noer (1993) created the Emotional Clusters of Redundancy Survivors, shown in figure 2. 8 From figure 2, the common negative emotions felt by survivors of redundancy can be identified, and this has been supported by research conducted in the more recent past (Doherty, Bank Vinnicombe, 1996; Bordia et al, 2004). Another reaction that has been identified is that employees tend to become more loyal to their own careers than to the organisation (Reilly, Brett Stroh, 1993). It has also been shown that survivors who have not experienced redundancy before exhibit more negative reactions than those who have been a part of the process previously (Armstongstassen, 1993). When analysing previous research looking at the effects of redundancy on survivors, similar symptoms have been noted. Tait (2010) investigated a plethora of research and found the most common symptoms of the syndrome include lower motivation and morale, reduced loyalty to the organisation, higher stress levels, lower trust, increased scepticism about the organisation, feelings of guilt about surviving the cutbacks and sometimes even jealousy of those who have been made redundant, perhaps because of the redundancy packages they have received. Campbell, Worrall Cooper (2000) conducted research that involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and supported this by following up with a questionnaire, looking at variables including loyalty, commitment and stress. The most frequent emotions identified from the interviews included unfairness, mistrust, shock, low morale, worry, stress, and feeling overworked and unmotivated amongst others. The questionnaire included 15 different emotions measuring the levels of threat, challenge, harm and benefit, with responses measured on a likert scale. The results of the questionnaire supported the findings from the interviews, finding the most popular feelings were tiredness, stress, anger, worry and disappointment. These results are evidence that Survivor syndrome is in existence. Organisations need to be aware of these symptoms, and should attempt to avoid, or reduce the prevalence of symptoms of survivor syndrome, as it can have detrimental effects on the organisation in question. A firms post-layoff success is contingent upon the reactions of the people in its surviving workforce (Shah, 2000) and so it is crucial that survivors are looked after, in order for an organisation to perform successfully in the aftermath of the downsizing programme. 9 Figure 2: Noers (1993) Emotional Clusters of Redundancy Survivors Job Insecurity Depression, Stress Fatigue Unfairness Risk aversion and reduced motivation Survivor Syndrome Emotions / Concerns Lack of management credibility Distrust and betrayal Lack of Strategic Direction Dissatisfaction with planning and communication Lack of reciprocal commitment Anger over redundancy progress If this sickness is present within an organisation, lower productivity, higher absenteeism and higher turnover can be observed (Clarke, 2010). Travaglione Cross (2006) state that the emotional after-effects of fear, anger, frustration, anxiety and mistrust pose a real threat to performance and productivity and this is thought to be in part down to the increase in workload that employees will face due to there being a smaller workforce, according to Mirabel De Young (2005). A general outlook on this subject states; It is commonly asserted that so-called survivor syndrome has a negative effect on workplace productivity and thus increases the cost to employers of redundancy. A reduction in employee engagement might also result in a higher rate of voluntary labour turnover (CIPD, 2009). 10 This basic explanation clarifies that organisations will suffer from lower productivity if survivor syndrome is present within the company. Therefore it is crucial to understand why some employees may feel these negative emotions, and how this can be avoided. . 3 Theories offering explanations for the existence of Survivor Syndrome Theories have been developed to explain different reactions, for instance Side-bet theory (Becker, 1960) and Identity theory (Burke, 1991). These theories offer different explanations for why employees may feel some negative emotions subsequent to the redundancy process. 2. 3. 1 Side-bet theory Side-bet theory was created by Becker (1960) and is a calculative approach, focusing on structural relationships. It is where over time, the cost of leaving increases, and becomes more than the cost of moving to another organisation, and this is thought to result in negative job attitudes. If Side-bet theory is to be relied upon, middle aged survivors feel more severe negative effects, and see the downsizing in general as a violation of their psychological contract. Younger employees are better equipped to struggle through the restructuring, as they have a new psychological contract. . 3. 2 Identity Theory Identity theory is more of a moral approach and is focused on role identity in an organisation for self-identification (Burke, 1991). The more important the job role is to a persons self-identification, the stronger the impact of job stressors on the employees wellbeing and job attitudes will be. Based on this theory, the most affected by the downsizing are older employees, who feel that they have invested time and effort and are being betrayed. The least affected, according to identity theory, are middle aged employees, as they believe that because they have survived, they are recognised as a contributor (Baruch Hind, 2000), and therefore they have better attitudes and enhanced performance once downsizing has occurred. In terms of younger workers, they will not have formed organisational commitment or an 11 identity and therefore their involvement with the organisation will decrease significantly due to the threat they perceive. 2. 3. 3 Equity Theory Equity theory, created by Adams (1963) can be used to explore survivors guilt. The general overview of the theory suggests that a fair balance must be reached between an employees inputs, such as enthusiasm and hard work, and an employees outputs, for example pay and benefits, and how these compare to the colleagues around them (Fowler, 2006). If an employee believes that a colleague has worked equally as hard as them, and yet that colleague has been made redundant, then the employee is likely to feel negative emotions associated with survivor syndrome, including guilt. 2. 3. Justice Theory Brockner Greenberg (1990) developed the Organisation Justice Theory, which is the theory that some feelings will only be present in survivors if the redundancy programme is not a fair process. For instance, if random lay-offs occur, then survivors are more likely to feel guilty than if the redundancies are merit-based. If survivors have remained within the organisation based on their performance, they are less likely to feel guilt towards the people made redundant as they w ill understand that they have performed better than those who are leaving the organisation. This can also result in survivors feeling more confident. Another outcome of merit-based redundancies is that productivity increases (Brockner et al, 1985). The level of compensation, and the presence of clear explanations as to why redundancies are occurring, and why some people are being laid off and others are not will result in less damaging effects for survivors, according to the justice theory. Campbell (1999) conducted research to look at how organisational justice theory is a means to understand the potential effects on survivors of redundancy (Campbell, 1999). 12 2. Differences in Survivors reactions to Redundancy Research into survivor syndrome has exhibited similar results in general, finding similar symptoms being expressed by the employees within organisations that have had to make redundancies. It has also been found that redundancies and downsizing affect different people in different ways. For example, for some people, they observe the fact that they are still within the company as the start of enhanced career development (Latack Dozier, 1986) whereas for others it results in stress and they view it as a crisis (Cooper Payne, 1990). Some research has shown that the negative emotions that have been identified in previous research could be mainly felt by the managerial staff, as they may realise once the redundancies have occurred that the best staff have been let go, and organisational performance is poor (Mirvis, 1997). However, little research into this specific topic has been conducted, and so this study intends to investigate this very theory, and identify if managers feel more negative emotions than other employees remaining within he organisation. The Survivor Syndrome is not a universal concept, and does not necessarily affect all business situations or industry sectors (Wolfe, 2004). The negative effects associated with survivors of redundancy can be in part attributed to the mafia model of downsizing (Stebbins, 1989), which is defined as the desire to have done with the redundancy quickly and then forget about it, which generally leads to ignoring even the most basic human resources practices (Fay and Lu hrmann, 2004). 2. Avoiding Survivor Syndrome Baruch Hind (2000) conducted research that concluded that survivor syndrome may not actually exist, or that there may be a personality-driven predisposition to survivor syndrome. The study involved analysis of employee opinion surveys over 3 years, during which large scale redundancies took place. The results of the analysis were expected to show deterioration in the scores of feelings of satisfaction, trust and morale for instance. However, this was not what was observed, rather the opposite was discovered. Employees perceptions of the companys openness, job satisfaction and morale all improved over the years. The theoretical models of identity theory and side-bet theory do not provide a clear 13 rationalisation for the finding (Baruch Hind, 2000). Further investigation was done in order to explain the lack of survivor syndrome, by conducting in-depth interviews, and then a questionnaire, asking open questions about their feelings following the redundancy programme. The results of the interviews showed that the company was conscious of preventing fear and anxiety, and so ensured that there was open communication with both employees and their representatives, such as trade unions, and a fair selection process, which was conducted quickly and as openly as possible. Managers had also received training on how to deliver the news, to make them more able to cope with the situation. The organisation also offered support to leavers in finding a new job. The way in which the company conducted the redundancy programme has been shown to be one of the main explanations for the non-existence of survivor syndrome within this organisation. These findings are supported by previous research that shows that how fair the redundancy process is effects the survivors emotions (Brockner, Wiesenfeld Martin, 1995; Brockner et al, 1993). The theory that the way in which a redundancy process takes place can affect mployees feelings may be extremely relevant in the case of Corus, and the methods used by Corus to implement the redundancies should be looked at in-depth in order to understand the emotions that will have been found to be present in Corus employees. Another explanation suggested by Baruch Hind (2000) is that throughout the 1990s, people became more accepting of redundancy, compared to in the 1980s when it was a new phenomenon, and people felt betrayed by the organisation. In more recent years, people view it as the new way of working life. This could be especially true of Corus employees, as it is a company that has gone through a number of downsizing processes. It is also suggested that survivors see themselves as the chosen ones, and felt appreciated, which helped create a positive attitude (Baruch Hind, 2000). The general conclusion to take from this study and from other studies that have found similar results (Brockner et al, 1992) is that if downsizing is managed effectively, and through using good practice, negative effects on survivors can be controlled and minimised, avoiding the existence of survivor syndrome, and therefore it cannot be assumed that survivors of redundancy within an organisation will suffer from 14 survivor syndrome. Cross Travaglione (2004) found that downsizing can be successful if the least valuable employees leave the organisation. In a study conducted by Sahdev (2003), a manufacturing company, similar to that of Corus was investigated. The company has a history of downsizing but maybe surprisingly the survivor issues found were positive overall, having a sense of pride, drive to enhance the companys profitability, job security, and trust in the organisation. This could be because the reasons for downsizing were proactive, in order to maintain their competitive edge, and that the survivors gained from the restructuring via training enhancing their skills levels. There wasnt evidence of survivor syndrome because of the methods the manufacturing company used during the downsizing. The process was seen as fair and open, and so survivors did not feel negative emotions after. In the same experiment, Sahdev also looked at Barclaycard and Bedfordshire City Council. The study showed employees from both Barclaycard and BCC suffered the effects of survivor syndrome, feeling emotions such as low morale, a lack of trust, decreased commitment to the company and job insecurity. Barclaycard had not had a downsizing exercise prior to this, and although BCC had been downsizing for a decade prior to this, this had not been via redundancies only. BCC were downsizing as a reaction to the government agenda, but at a high frequency, which is thought to result in increased cynicism and low trust (Sahdev, 2003), whereas Barclaycard were downsizing to be proactive in enhancing competitiveness, but this was a rare occurrence, and so it is expected that there will be a mixture of emotions, such as anger at the violation of the psychological contract, and excitement at the opportunities to develop that will occur due to the downsizing. Therefore this evidences that the reasons for redundancies and history of downsizing within the specific organisation are other factors affecting the outbreak of survivor syndrome. Other research conducted looking into this subject has found that interactional justice is crucial for survivor syndrome to be prevented. According to Campbell (1999), survivors reactions depend on the amount of interpersonal communication between the employee and the line manager, as this can effect organisational commitment, job satisfaction and job insecurity. The study also found that the work environment and work colleagues can affect survivors emotions, and if 15 the atmosphere at work is negative, or colleagues are negative, this can result in surviving employees suffering from negative emotions. Leana Feldman (1994) discovered that if an organisation made their employees aware that redundancies would be taking place early, there would be no / limited negative outcomes for the organisation. This is thought to be related to the level of trust in the organisation, due to being well-advised. Evidence in support of this also comes from Applebaum Donia (2001), who have found that the main factors affecting survivors responses to downsizing include the knowledge and understanding the employees have about the situation occurring, the fairness of the decision making process, the fair treatment of the employees being made redundant, and feeling that the managers are aware of the problems that may arise due to the redundancies. Some organisations create help groups which tend to lower the prevalence of survivor syndrome, as does the involvement of trade unions, as this reemphasises the fair treatment of employees and the fairness of the process. Continued communication between the management team and survivors helps avoid negative emotions, as does consideration from management to employees for the changes in their day-to-day jobs, such as increased workload. If management show appreciation towards the survivors for their commitment and effort throughout the difficult periods, this will help the employees feel more valued and respected, and so they will feel less negative emotions associated with survivor syndrome. The final factor that is thought to lead to the presence of survivor syndrome is if a company uses redundancies as a first resort in difficult times, rather than attempting other methods of cost reduction or to improve productivity (CIPD, 2010). Some organisations attempt to save money by introducing flexible working, such as only working 4 day weeks, and taking the equivalent pay cut, or banning overtime. By introducing one of these methods first, an organisation may find that they could even avoid redundancies, but if not, employees will be able to see that the company tried other methods first, before having to resort to redundancies. By observing the attempt to avoid redundancies, employees will feel more positive towards the organisation. These findings suggest that survivor syndrome is avoidable within an organisation conducting large scale redundancies, and the incidence of survivor 16 syndrome is dependent on the actions of the organisation in how they conduct the redundancies, how they treat the employees leaving the organisation and how they treat the survivors remaining within the organisation. Therefore, for an organisation to have the desired outcomes from making redundancies, such as increased productivity and effort, an organisation must put into place a realistic downsizing preview (Applebaum Donia, 2001), that includes some of the methods mentioned above. . 6 Reasons for conducting research into Survivor Syndrome Research into this topic is beneficial for organisations undertaking similar downsizing programmes, as finding symptoms of survivor syndrome in employees, and discussing why these negative emotions may be present will aide future redundancy programmes, as organisations will be able to avoid certa in behaviours and prevent survivor syndrome occurring within their workplace. By preventing this syndrome becoming a pandemic within the organisation, the organisation will find that the levels of productivity and performance are affected less negatively, as employees will be feeling more positive towards the company, and so will not let their work-ethic become less emphatic. Research investigating Survivor Syndrome is also crucial in order to identify what the symptoms, if there are any symptoms, of survivor syndrome actually are. 2. 7 Hypotheses After in-depth research into previous research, and considering the information and resources available, two hypotheses have been developed. Hypothesis 1: A decrease in pride in the organisation, trust in the organisation, perceived organisational support and job satisfaction will occur for those employees that remain in the organisation after downsizing. Hypothesis 2: A lower amount of pride in the organisation, trust in the organisation, perceived organisational support and job satisfaction will be identified in managerial survivors of redundancy than non -managerial survivors. The aim of this study is to investigate and attempt to prove or disprove these hypotheses, by conducting analysis of case-specific data, and making generalisations from the results of this analysis. 7 3. Methodology 3. 1 Organisation Setting As the main focus of the research was to investigate the prevalence of Survivor syndrome, a case-based study seemed to be the most appropriate method. Corus, a major private sector manufacturing organisation was chosen for this study. This organisation produces steel for a range of different sectors, and is a large, decentralised organisation that has undergone organisational restructuring a number of times throughout its relatively short history, mainly because of the volatile industry it belongs to. It is important to note that a number of the employees taking part in this study were part of the organisation throughout the previous redundancy programmes, as well as the most recent downsizing that occurred. 3. 2 Procedure Corus conduct Employee Opinion Surveys annually, in order to analyse the attitudes of employees to a range of aspects of the business. This study will analyse the results of the employee opinion surveys completed in 2007, prior to the redundancy programme, and the employee opinion survey results from 2009, conducted a few months after the redundancies took place. The surveys were designed by two different companies, and so are not identical, although they are very similar, and the majority of the questions are repeated and worded the same. Some of the questions in the surveys are not relevant to the subject matter being discussed in this report and so only certain questions from the surveys will be analysed. The decision for which of the questions in the two surveys should be analysed was based on how relevant they were to certain emotions associated with Survivor Syndrome. For instance, in both surveys there was the statement I feel proud to work for Corus. This is strongly associated with pride, which has been shown to be affected in survivors after largescale redundancies, and so will be included in the analysis. The statement Overall, I am satisfied with my job is directly related to job satisfaction, which again has been shown to negatively affect survivors after redundancies, and so that statement will also be included in the analysis. There are some questions within the surveys that are not as obviously linked to an emotion related to Survivor Syndrome, and so the decision to include or exclude questions from the survey for analysis included looking at other research focusing on these specific emotions, for example, emotion 18 specific questionnaires were analysed to see if any of the questions were similar to those within the Corus employee opinion surveys, and if so, they could be included in the analysis. For example, a number of the items in the employee opinion surveys were similar to or the same as the questions used on a survey conducted by Bordia et al (2004), such as I am satisfied with my job and My business keeps me informed. Some of the items in the surveys were included on a purely subjective basis, as they seemed to be associated to a specific Survivor Syndrome emotion. An example of this is My immediate supervisor helps me do my work well which seems to relate to Perceived Organisational Support as a measure. 3. 3 Participants The Corus Employee Opinion Survey is sent out to all employees in the UK. However, not everyone responds. The survey from 2007 had 1580 responses, and the 2009 survey had 1075 responses. The employee opinion surveys do not include demographic variables, and so there is little information on the age or gender of the participants. Because the respondents from the two employee opinion surveys are employees at Corus, although the participants may not be exactly the same, as there is a larger sample size in 2007 than 2009, this study is a within groups analysis. 3. 4 Questionnaire Measures The survey contained scales measuring specific variables seen as important to Corus. However, as explained above, some easures are hidden within the questions, and so have been found subjectively or via other research, in order to identify whether certain negative emotions associated with Survivor Syndrome are present within employees who completed the employee opinion surveys. The measures being investigated in this study have been decided upon through analysis of previous r esearch. By identifying the key emotions that have been recognized in other survivor syndrome research, and conducting thorough examination of the employee opinion surveys to see what emotions the questions relate to, a list of measures has 9 been decided upon. Below are the measures being analysed from the employee opinion surveys: Job Satisfaction- the Employee Opinion Survey asks specific questions relating to job satisfaction, including Overall, I am satisfied with my current job, Considering my responsibilities and the work I do, I am paid well, I believe I am rewarded well for my work compared with others outside our organisation and I am sufficiently trained to do my job well. There are also some items within the questionnaire that are less obviously specific to job satisfaction, but are linked to this measure. For instance I have opportunities to achieve my potential, There is cooperation within my team and I am involved in decisions related to my business. Overall there are 11 items focusing on job satisfaction. Organisational Pride- There are 2 items measuring employees pride at working for the organisation, and these are I feel proud to work for Corus and I would recommend CDUK Ireland as an employer. Perceived Organisational Support- This measure is represented by a number of items on the employee opinion survey, including I receive timely thanks for work well done, My immediate supervisor gives me enough attention, My immediate supervisor helps me to do my work well and I often find the pressure of work too much. The items being used to analyse this measure are spread over a number of the different sections in the employee opinion survey. These sections are Work environment, Quality of Leadership, Learning and Growth and Reward and Recognition. This measure is represented by 13 items in the employee opinion surveys. Trust within the organisation This is a measure that has been prominent in – previous research, and so it was important to ensure that it was included in this study. From the employee opinion survey, 2 items can be used to measure employees trust in the organisation and their colleagues, including I have faith in the managers in my business and I have faith in the management team of CDUK Ireland. All of the items on the questionnaire were measured using a 5-point likert scale, except for the first question, Do you hold a management position, which is a 20 es / no question. This item will be used after the first analysis has been done, in order to investigate the data and identify any differences in the emotions of managers and non-managers. This is in order to see if survivor syndrome is more prominent in those with a managerial position, who are more involved in conducting the redundancies, or more prominent in employees who have a non-managerial position, such as the factor y workers, who see members of their team leaving the organisation during downsizing. The first statistical analysis will compare 2007 survey results and 2009 survey results, to see if the emotions have changed significantly between preredundancies and post-redundancies. 21 4. Analysis 4. 1 Analysis of data Before redundancies vs After redundancies – Table 1 provides the means and standard deviations, computed from both the 2009 employee opinion survey results and the 2007 employee opinion survey results, for all of the items representing each variable being measured. Table 1. Means and standard deviations for 2007 / 2009 Employee surveys Employee opinion survey question 2009 Survey Mean 1. 37 1. 48 1. 55 0. 97 1. 23 1. 64 1. 37 1. 99 1. 85 1. 88 1. 87 2. 49 2. 31 2. 03 1. 13 1. 41 1. 47 1. 77 1. 85 2. 07 1. 78 1. 58 1. 45 1. 56 1. 67 1. 4 1. 5 1. 13 1. 41 Std Deviation 0. 847 0. 912 1. 063 0. 664 0. 916 1. 035 0. 821 1. 201 1. 188 1. 166 1. 064 1. 028 1. 011 1. 014 0. 858 0. 991 0. 994 1. 071 1. 079 1. 147 1. 06 1. 049 0. 966 1. 07 0. 57 0. 995 1. 003 0. 912 0. 863 2007 Survey Mean 1. 17 1. 38 1. 37 0. 95 1. 25 1. 53 1. 35 1. 86 1. 83 1. 98 1. 71 2. 41 2. 39 1. 56 1. 1 1. 53 1. 34 1. 3 1. 24 1. 5 1. 65 1. 46 1. 36 1. 48 1. 47 1. 41 1. 16 1. 31 1. 29 Std Deviation 0. 886 0. 912 1. 049 0. 75 1 0. 944 1. 039 0. 826 1. 193 1. 013 1. 061 0. 973 1. 057 1. 068 0. 661 0. 867 1. 045 0. 929 0. 971 0. 889 1. 054 1. 029 0. 953 0. 877 0. 979 0. 974 0. 95 0. 83 0. 881 0. 99 Do you feel proud to work for Corus? I am satisfied with my current job The surroundings in which I carry out my work are pleasant I know what is expected from me at work My work gives me an opportunity to use my skills and training At work my opinion is taken seriously My colleagues value me In the last 6 months I have had training to help me do my job I have sufficient development opportunities within my business There is sufficient attention for my personal development There are opportunities for me to achieve my potential Considering my responsibilities and the work I do, I am paid well I believe I am rewarded well for my work compared with others outside our organisation I often find the pressure of work too much I am sufficiently trained to do my job well I am involved in decisions relating to my work My supervisor gives me enough attention My supervisor is a good leader My supervisor tells me how I am performing I receive timely thanks for work well done My supervisor organises sufficient job appraisals and asses sments for me My immediate supervisor helps me to do my work well My business keeps me adequately informed of key issues I have faith in the managers in my area I have faith in the managment team of CDUK I I feel involved in my business What the company wants to achieve with the has been communicated to me There is cooperation within my team I would recommend my organisation as an employer 22 As can be seen from the table, the mean for each question is higher in 2009 than in 2007 for the majority of items. The responses included in the employee opinion survey were strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree/dont know, disagree and strongly disagree. For the analysis, these responses were converted into numbers e. g. 0 = strongly agree up to 4 = strongly disagree. The standard deviation, representing the spread of the results around the mean, is quite low for all items, showing that the majority of the results are close to the mean. The means for 2009 are generally slightly higher than 2007, which denotes that more people disagreed and strongly disagreed with items in the surveys in 2009 than in 2007. For instance, when analysing the results for the variable Pride, the item Do you feel proud to work for Corus has a mean of 1. 7 (SD = 0. 886) in the 2007 survey, showing that most people agree with the statement. In 2009, the mean increased to 1. 37 (SD = 0. 847), and although this still means the average answer was agree, it also means that more people responded with neither, disag ree or strongly disagree than in 2007, showing that employees opinions of how proud they are to work for Corus have changed between the two surveys being conducted. The same pattern has been found with the other item representing Pride, I would recommend my organisation to others. The mean answer in 2007 was 1. 29 (SD = 0. 99), and in 2009 it was found to have increased to 1. 41 (SD = 0. 63), again showing that in 2009 more people gave the responses neither, disagree and strongly disagree. This pattern is persistent in most of the items. For the variable Job Satisfaction, the first item to be investigated was I am satisfied with my current job. The mean answer increased by 0. 1 between 2007 (m = 1. 38, SD = 0. 912) and 2009 (m = 1. 48, SD = 0. 9 12), which signifies that more people gave negative responses in 2009 than they did in 2007. Another item representing the job satisfaction variable is Considering my responsibilities and the work I do, I am paid well, and a similar differen ce in means for 2007 (m = 2. 41, SD = 1. 057) and 2009 (m = 2. 49, SD = 1. 028) was found for this. Perceived organisational support in the organisation is a variable being analysed through a number of items in the employee opinion survey. The item My supervisor is a good leader shows a disparity of 0. 47 between 2007 (m = 1. 3, SD = 0. 971) and 2009 (m = 1. 77, SD = 1. 071). Another large difference between means was found for the item I receive timely thanks for work well done, as in 2007 the mean answer was 1. 5 (SD = 1. 054), and in 2009 it increased to 2. 07 (SD = 1. 147). 23 There were some anomalies, where the difference in means between years diverged away from this pattern. The items My work gives me an opportunity to use my skills and training, There is sufficient attention for my personal development, I believe I am rewarded well for my work compared to ther organisations, I am involved in decisions relating to my work, I feel involved in my business, and There is cooperation within my team all have means that are higher in 2007 than in 2009, which indicates more positiv e responses were recorded in 2009. In order to identify if the differences between means are significant, a statistical test called the Mann-Whitney U test has been conducted, to investigate if the null hypothesis for each question i. e. the item is the same across both years of the employee opinion survey. Table 2 shows the results of this statistical analysis. From Table 2 below, it can be seen which of the items had significantly different responses between 2007 and 2009. The items have been split into the different measures they represent. By rejecting the null hypothesis, this means that the distribution of responses for a specific item in 2007 is significantly different to the distribution of answers for the same item in the 2009 survey results. For instance, Considering my responsibilities and the work I do, I am paid well was shown to have a significance level of 0. 000, and therefore it can be said that the difference between the responses in 2007 and 2009 are significant (p 0. 05). When looking at the means for the two years for this item, it can be seen that in 2007 the mean was 2. 41, and in 2009 the mean was 2. 49, this means more people responded with a negative answer such as disagree or strongly disagree, and the increase in these negative responses was significant. This means that in 2009 significantly more people felt that they were not paid well for the work that they did. Another example of this is for the item My immediate supervisor helps me do my work well. The significance value for this item is 0. 003 (p 0. 05) and therefore it can be said that there is a significant difference in the distribution of answers to this item between 2007 and 2009. The null hypothesis is therefore Table 2. Mann-Whitney U results for Hypotheses relating to year of survey Null Hypothesis PRIDE Sig. Decision 24 The distribution of *I feel proud to work for Corus is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *I would recommend CDUK Ireland as an employer is the same for all categories of *year of EOS SATISFACTION The distribution of *I am satisfied with CD UK Ireland as a place of work is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *Considering responsibilities the work, I am paid well is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *I am rewarded well compared to Employment packages from other organisations is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *I feel involved with my business is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *I am involved in two-way communication with my manager is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *I am sufficiently trained to do my job well is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *My current job gives me the opportunity to use my skills training is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *There are opportunities for me to achieve my potential is the same for all categories of *year of EOS Th e distribution of *My colleagues value me is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *There is co-operation teamwork in my area is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *I am involved in decisions relating to my area of work is the same for all categories of *year of EOS PERCEIVED ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT The distribution of *At work my opinion is taken seriously is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *My business keeps me adequately informed about key issues is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *CDUK Irelands Vision has been clearly communicated is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *In last 6 months I have had training that helped me to do my job better is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *There is someone at work who encourages my development is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *The su rroundings in which I work are pleasant is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *I often find the pressure of work too much is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *I know what is expected of me at work is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *My immediate supervisor gives me enough attention is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *My immediate supervisor helps me do my work well is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *Supervisor organises sufficient appraisal assessments is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *Supervisor regularly tells me how they believe I am performing is the same for all categories of *year of EOS The distribution of *I receive timely thanks for work well done is the same for all categories of *year of EOS TRUST The distribution of *I have faith in the managers in my area is the same for all catego ries of *year of EOS The distribution of *I have faith in the management team of CDUK Ireland is the same for all categories of *year of EOS .000 . 000 Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Accept Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Accept Null Hypothesis Accept Null Hypothesis Accept Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Accept Null Hypothesis Accept Null Hypothesis Accept Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Accept Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Reject Null Hypothesis Accept Null Hypothesis .000 . 000 . 000 . 000 . 003 . 757 . 007 . 070 . 053 . 221 . 008 .124 . 901 . 411 . 005 . 000 . 000 . 000 . 000 . 000 . 003 . 035 . 073 . 000 .000 . 639 rejected. The mean answer in 2007 was 1. 46, and in 2009 it was 1. 58, and therefore the Mann-Whitney U analysis indicates that there is a significant increase in the amount of employees giving more negative responses in 2009 from 2007, in relation 25 to the sample size. This therefore connotes that significantly more people are not of the opinion that their supervisor helps them to work well after redundancies in 2009, than before the redundancy programme took place, in the 2007 survey. From Table 2 above, it can be seen which of the items had significantly different responses between 2007 and 2009. The items have been split into the different measures they represent. By rejecting the null hypothesis, this means that the distribution of responses for a specific item in 2007 is significantly different to the distribution of answers for the same item in the 2009 survey results. For instance, Considering my responsibilities and the work I do, I am paid well was shown to have a significance level of 0. 000, and therefore it can be said that the difference between the responses in 2007 and 2009 are significant (p ; 0. 05). When looking at the means for the two years for this item, it can be seen that in 2007 the mean was 2. 41, and in 2009 the mean was 2. 49, this means more people responded with a negative answer such as disagree or strongly disagree, and the increase in these negative responses was significant. This means that in 2009 significantly more people felt that they were not paid well for the work that they did. Another example of this is for the item My immediate supervisor helps me do my work well. The significance value for this item is 0. 003 (p ; 0. 05) and therefore it can be said that there is a significant difference in the distribution of answers to this item between 2007 and 2009. The null hypothesis is therefore rejected. The mean answer in 2007 was 1. 46, and in 2009 it was 1. 58, and therefore the Mann-Whitney U analysis indicates that there is a significant increase in the amount of employees giving more negative responses in 2009 from 2007, in relation to the sample size. This therefore connotes that significantly more people are not of the opinion that their supervisor helps them to work well after redundancies in 2009, than before the redundancy programme took place, in the 2007 survey. It can also be seen from the table that some of the null hypotheses can be accepted. This means that even if a difference in the means has been found, it has not been shown to be a significant difference, and therefore the distribution of answers for an item can be taken to be the same over both 2007 and 2009. The nine items on 26 the survey that are shown to not be significant and the null hypotheses accepted are represented on Table 2 with lilac shading. Taking each measure eparately, the results of the items can be investigated in order to find evidence that that particular measure has been found to have been affected since redundancies have taken place. For Pride, the two items, Do you feel proud to work for Corus and I would recommend CDUK Ireland as an employe r, were both found to have significant differences between the responses from 2007 and the responses from 2009. The mean answers for both items were higher for 2009 than 2007, and so this means significantly more respondents answered these items negatively. Therefore it can be said that employees of Corus were less proud of the organisation in 2009 than in 2007. Job Satisfaction has been measured through 11 items on the survey. From Table 2, it can be observed that the null hypotheses of seven of the items were rejected. Six of these items were shown to have higher mean responses in 2009 than in 2007, which signifies that the responses became significantly more negative after redundancies took place. However, there is one item where the opposite has been detected. When analysing the item I believe I am rewarded well compared to employment packages from other organisations the significance value computed via the Mann Whitney U test was 0. 000 (p ; 0. 05). However, the mean response for 2009 was 2. 31, and in 2007 it was 2. 39. This means that in 2009 there were more positive responses (e. g. agree / strongly agree) in relation to sample size than in 2007. From these results it can be denoted that employees were more satisfied with their employment package in 2009 than in 2007. The responses for four of the items under the Job Satisfaction measure were not significant in terms of the dispersion of the answers in 2009 and 2007. This means that the responses for all four items have not varied between before the redundancy programme took place in 2007, and after it took place, in 2009. When looking at the overall results from the analysis for Job satisfaction, it is difficult to say whether or not employees are less satisfied with their job and the organisation since redundancies took place, as there are mixed results. What can be deducted from the results is that from the general, and possibly most representative of the satisfaction measure, item I am satisfied with CD UK Ireland as a place of work it 27 an be seen that levels of satisfaction have decreased between 2007, before redundancies, (m = 1. 38, SD = 0. 912) and 2009, after redundancies, (m = 1. 48, SD = 0. 9 12), as the significance value is . 000 (p ; 0. 05). Nine of the items measuring Perceived O rganisational Support were shown to have significant differences in the survey responses from both years. Again, the general pattern was shown to be that employees responses were found to be more negative in 2009 than in 2007. There were four items where the responses were not found to be significantly different. For example, the item There is cooperation and teamwork in my area has a Mann-Whitney U significance value of 0. 221 (p ; 0. 5) and so it cannot be said that there is a significant difference between the two surveys, but rather the responses were more or less the same. The mean for 2007 was actually higher than 2009 (1. 31 and 1. 13 respectively), which would indicate that responses became more positive in 2009. This result would have been unexpected, but since it has not been found to have been a significant difference, it is irrelevant. The majority of the items indicate that employees opinions of perceived organisational support are more negative in 2009 than in 2007. Th e final measure was trust, and the statistical analysis found that of the two items measuring employees trust in the organisation, only one was found to have changed significantly since the 2007 survey. The item I have faith in the managers in my area had statistical significance of . 000 (p ; 0. 05). The mean response had become more negative in 2009, and therefore this means that a larger proportion of the employees disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement in 2009. Interestingly, the responses to the statement I have faith in the management team of CD UK Ireland did not change significantly between the two surveys. 4. 2 Analysis of data Managers vs Non-managers in 2009 – Table 3 provides information of the means and standard deviations for managers and non-managers who responded to the 2009 employee opinion survey, after the downsizing programme had taken place. This analysis was conducted in order to see if there was a significant difference in the emotions felt by managers and the emotions felt by non-managerial employees, such as factory workers. Table 4 contains the Mann-Whitney U results, that identify if any differences in the mean 28 answers are significant. Table 4 is split into the different measures being investigated. The tables below show that that for all items except two, there was a significant difference between the responses given by managers and the responses given by non-managers. In all cases except three, the mean response from the nonmanagers was higher that then mean response from managers, which insinuates that employees with a non-managerial position have more negative opinions than managers. This is because of the scale the answers are given on (e. g. = strongly agree, 4 = strongly disagree), and so the higher the number representing the response, the more strongly the statement is being disagreed with. For instance , under the Trust heading in table 4 is the item I have faith in the management team of CDUK Ireland, which is shown to have a significance value of . 000 (p ; 0. 05). The mean answer for non-managers can be seen from Table 3 to be 2. 67 (SD = 9. 448) and the mean answer for managers was 1. 8 (SD = 6. 947). The mean for the non-managers is significantly higher than the mean response from managers and so this means that that non-managers had significantly more negative responses in relation to the sample size. For the Pride measure, both items can be seen to have higher mean scores for nonmanagers than managers. This means that managers gave more positive responses to the items than non-managers did. For the item I am proud to work for Corus the mean for non managers was 2. 01 (SD = 7. 188) and the mean for managers was 1. 43 (SD = 6. 962), and the Mann Whitney U test showed this to be a significant difference (p ; 0. 05). A similar difference in means was observed for the item I would recommend Corus as an employer and this also had the same signif