Social Media Essay Research Paper Example

Social Media Essay Paper Social media can do wonders for people such as let them communicate with family and friends that are across the oral, be an extremely convenient news outlet, and gives a businesses another place to advertise. This is an extremely short list of opportunities that have come with social media. With this being said, the recent spike of popularity in social media has positively impacted society by enhancing communication, creating a convenient and efficient news outlet, and providing unlimited advertising not only for business, but for you and I too. There are unlimited possibilities when It comes to the Internet and social media demonstrates that. Communication is important in every persons life. Social media has enhanced communication aspect of everyones lives by offering many different services that can help you meet new people, connect with family or friends across the world, or even follow celebrities, pollutants, and athletes in their everyday lives. For example many college and university students move away from home to attend post-secondary and an inexpensive way of seeing their families through video chats or online messengers. People are becoming busier and busier In their lives and sometimes find It hard to search for a significant other. Thanks to inline dating websites and smartened APS, being a busy person does not mean that you are unable to find your significant other. Social media gives celebrities, athletes, politicians, etc. A place to view and communicate with their fan base and share a more personal side of themselves. The enhancement to communication through social media has given mankind a few giant steps in technology. Social media has created a massive news outlet within its lifespan so far. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Social Media Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Social media is the fastest way to spread news (Goby) due to how many people use it. However, this Isnt the only reason for news spreading so fast within social media. Websites such as Faceable and twitter (these arent the only ones) allow you to share your own or other second hand news, but the reason for the news being able to be spread so quickly is peoples constant use of social media and the feeling of needing to share it with your friends and followers. Social media has put news In an even more accessible place than newspapers and magazines as nearly everyone has a smartened or laptop within their household, office, or school. Not only has social media been able to keep users up to date with current news but also shows historical news such as the 9/1 1 Incident or Obama becoming the president of the united States. Today It Is Just as easy to scroll through a social media app or website and find 5 news stories as It Is to send a fifteen word text message. Not only is social media an efficient way of getting news, It Is usually ten TLS place Tanat ten news comes tongue. News provokers sun as CNN and TTS have even begun posting small (2-8 minutes) video clips on what they had covered at certain events on their Twitter and Faceable pages. It is social media that allows for such a convenient and efficient news outlet. Social media allows users to create and Join pages that are separate from their profiles based on the users interest. This is especially helpful in the business world as it allows companies and local businesses to advertise at little or no cost at all. By using social media, businesses are able to show their consumers content. Social media is also a place where larger companies tend to reveal new products. For example, Apple first revealed their phone 6 through Twitter. Social media isnt always about the larger or even local companies though. Advertisement is not the only tactic that is valuable to genuineness, feedback is also very important and social media makes it extremely easy to access. This helps tell a business what they are lacking and what and how they can improve through the eyes of a customer. Plenty of larger businesses also have online stores that are advertised through social media as many deals and sales are placed in an online store only category. Faceable is flooded with buy and sell or swap and shop pages created by the community which serve the purpose of individuals being able to buy, sell, swap, and advertise to other users who have also Joined the group. Business and advertising is Just one enhancement of the very many that social media has brought to society. The recent spike of popularity in social media has positively impacted society by enhancing communication, creating a convenient and efficient news outlet, and provided unlimited advertising for not only businesss, but for you and I also. Have a cousin you havent connected with in a while? Try a social media site, they have you covered. Maybe youve became too busy to find a significant other? It shouldnt be hard to find a dating site or even an app on your smartened to help you out.

The importance of health assessment in understanding patients The WritePass Journal

The importance of health assessment in understanding patients The importance of health assessment in understanding patients IntroductionCase scenarioAdvanced nursing health assessmentHealth historyPhysical examinationBody mass indexCOPD assessment testMedical Research Council( MRC) Dyspnoea ScalePhysical examination of ChestInspectionPalpationPercussionAuscultationMental stateConclusionReferenceRelated Introduction As stated by Weilitz Potter (2007), â€Å"Health assessment is the process of gathering, verifying, analyzing, and communicating data about a patient.† (p. 5). This sentence shows that health assessment is essential for fully understanding the situation of a patient. In the following passage, there is a case study to discuss which kind of health assessment can be used in order to provide a better nursing care for a patient. Case scenario Mr Wong, aged 58, arrived at my ward with his wife. He was sweating and coughing. He had a difficulty of breathing and a wheezing sound was heard. After 15 minutes of rest, he felt better. He explained that while he was chasing a bus with his wife, he felt breathlessness and dizzy. He did not recovered after resting for awhile on the street so his wife brought him to the hospital. Mr Wong was a retiree for a year and he was a constructive worker before. He explained that retirement was because of not enough energy for daily work. He had smoked for over 30 years, one and half pack of cigarette per day, and had 5 cans of beer every week. He was obese and had medical history of hypertension for 5 years with own medicine. He was married and lived with his wife in an old building. He was fatigued when climbing up the stairs as well as walking for awhile. Due to the fatigue, he reduced the social activities and stayed most of his time at home. He complaint of not having a good sleep because of night cough (on-and-off for a year) and kept coughing with production of sputum for a year. Besides, he had respiratory track infection more frequently in this year. In recent 2 months, he had poor appetite and lost 8 pounds. During the conversation, Mr Wong usually needed a rest for answering every 3 questions. He looked tired and had deep circles under his eyes. His lip was dry. He was upset about the fatigue and felt useless of himself. He said that his quality of life was affected and lost interest of his previous hobbies. He did not have any social activities in this year nearly. Mr Wong had a low grade fever and blood pressure was around 145/90. His pulse was around 110. He had taken a chest X-ray after admission and the result was pending. He took the test of spirometry and FEV1 was between 40-50%. His 12-lead ECG was normal. 2-liters of oxygen was given through nasal cannula. He always sat up and seldom leaving the bed. Mr Wong was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). When Mr Wong arrived, I took vital signs of him as a baseline. His weight as well as height were recorded. Then I took the health history by an interview. The interview was started with the main complaint of Mr Wong. After that I took the past health status. They were medical history, done surgery, medication history, food and drug allergy. The lifestyle and health practice of Mr Wong were also asked. It included different areas. Smoking and drinking must be included as both were the risk factors of COPD. From his diet, hobbies and activity level, I needed those information for discovering the reasons of weight loss and obesity of Mr Wong. I also asked Mr Wong if he had constipation while if he felt breathless during passing stool and bathing. After the interview, I held a physical examination for Mr Wong. There were 2 parts, inspection and auscultation. I measured the respiratory rate and rhythm and observed the shape of his chest and any central or peripheral cyanosis. Auscultation was followed. I recorded the abnormal sounds like wheezing. Advanced nursing health assessment In the case of Mr Wong, a very simple and brief health assessment was done. It was unsatisfied because the health assessment was not completed and informative. The following passage is going to provide more health assessment and methods which can improve the case of Mr Wong. Health history The interview of Mr Wong was too brief. More questions should be asked. First of all, Mr Wong’s family history should be reviewed as COPD can be inherited (CMP Medica, 2007). More information of his blood relatives such as patients, grandparents and children has to be obtained. Nurse can find out any rare illness among the families which may relate to respiratory disease (Barnett, 2006). Secondly, Mr Wong work history should be also assessed. Since he was a constructive worker, he usually exposed to the chemical irritant. The nature and the environment of his work directly regard to COPD. Nurse needs to identify any personal protective equipment he used as well (Weilitz Potter, 2007, p.157). Thirdly, information regarding home conditions is important to establish how Mr Wong coped at home. As he was living in an old building, the building may be without a lift or with many stairs. It is possible for Mr Wong having difficulty to go out or it may be the reason of reducing social activities (Barnett, 2006). Fourthly, nurse has to question Mr Wong’s sleeping pattern as he did not sleep well because of night cough. Nurse should document how many hours he slept and why he could not sleep well. Sleeplessness or limited sleep may lead to tiredness and inability to cope with daily activities. By knowing the cause, doctor and nurse can treat the night cough of Mr Wong to deal with the insomnia. And they can prevent giving treatment with night sedative due to the side effects, which may depress the respiratorycentre(Barnett, 2006). Physical examination The physical examination includes different parts which can give a complete picture of Mr Wong’s condition. They will be introduced one by one, from simple to complicated. Body mass index From the article of Shepherd (2010), it states that â€Å"Nutritional depletion in patients with COPD is common and has negative impact on respiratory and peripheral muscle function.†(p.559). As Mr Wong had poor appetite and lost 8 pound in 2 months, the body mass index (BMI) should be recorded for follow-up. Nurse has to find out causes of weight loss and deals with those problems efficiently. COPD assessment test COPD assessment test is a simple questionnaire. It is used to measure the impact of COPD on the life of patient, and how this changes overtime. By this test, nurse takes it as a reference to improve the treatment. The test contains 8 questions. They are the frequency of coughing, if he feels any mucus in his chest, if his chest feels tight, if he feels breathless when climbing up hills or stairs, if he is limited doing any activities at home, if he is confident leaving his home despite his lung problem, if he sleeps soundly, if he has lots energy(GlaxoSmithKline, 2009). Medical Research Council( MRC) Dyspnoea Scale Measurement of breathlessness is essential for a COPD patient. The Dyspnoea Scale of MRC allows patients to grade their breathlessness on a scale of 1-5 according to activity carried out. The degree of breathlessness related to activities is from grade1-5 which means from mild to severe. It acts as a baseline and is useful for monitoring purposes for nurses and doctors (Barnett, 2009). Physical examination of Chest Through the process mentioned in above passages, nurse can receive higher proportion of basic information about Mr Wong’ condition. In the coming passages, several techniques which focus on chest are going to introduce. There are 4 physical respiratory examination, inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation. Although inspection and auscultation were applied in the case of Mr Wong, they were imperfect. Inspection Inspection consists of several parts. For the case of Mr Wong, nurse mainly focus on the inspection of breathing pattern, use of accessory muscles and positioning (Weber Kelley, 2010). Nurse needs to observe the rate, depth and rhythm of respiration. If these factors are abnormal, they represent the increasing workload of breathing. The pattern of respiration should be recorded if there is any special such as tachypnoea, hyperventilation, Cheyne-Strokes respiration, Biot’s respiration†¦etc. It allows the doctor giving particular treatment (Massey Meredith, 2010). Abnormal posture shows the patient may have difficulty in breathing. Mr Wong always sat up or leaned forward because he can better tense the respiratory muscle and contractility (Massey Meredith, 2010). In addition, using of respiratory muscles (trapezius, or shoulder) helps inspiration especially chronic airway obstruction (Weber Kelley, 2010). Nurse should pay more attention and provide suitable nursing care (such as oxygen supply, suction, removing tight clothes†¦etc) when above symptoms occur. Palpation Palpation for tenderness and sensation can determine whether there is inflammation, muscle sore or infection. It can be performed by one or both hands following the sequences. It should be started towards the midline at the level of the left scapula then the nurse moves her hand from left to right. The moving is systematically downward and out to cover the lateral portions of the lungs at the bases. The nurse should compare the finding bilaterally. The nurse can also check if there is mass or tumor (Weber Kelley, 2010). During the palpation, a crackle sensation may be sensed which means crepitus. This sensation is because of air passing through fluid and exudates in the lungs. Fremitus should be assessed. It is a vibration of air movement through the chest wall. It can be increased, decreased or absent which represent different lung problem like consolidation or bronchial obstruction, pulmonary edema, pneumothorax†¦etc (Weber Kelley, 2010). Percussion Percussion has 2 main functions, determining the tone as well as the diaphragmatic excursion. When nurse percusses the chest wall, the sound produced can show whether lung tissue is filled with air, liquid or solid. Same as palpation, a sequence of percussion should be followed. The process is started at the apices of the scapulae then across the top of both shoulders. Next, nurse percusses the intercostals spaces across and down. Finally, she moves from the lateral aspects at the bases of the lung (Weber Kelley, 2010). By comparing the sound of percussed areas, nurse may discover the lung mass or other respiratory problems (Weilitz Potter, 2007). Measuring the diaphragmatic excursion is also important. Emphysema may be a cause of limited diaphragmatic descent. Auscultation For auscultation, breathing sound is not the only element to assess. The voice sound can also be assessed. It is easy that nurse auscultates the chest wall while she asks the patient to repeat pronouncing â€Å"ninety-nine†. This is the way to identify if there is consolidation from pneumonia, atelectasis, or tumor (Weber Kelley, 2010). Mental state For the patient with CODP, they usually reduce the daily activities like Mr Wong did. The patient may not use to the changes of the quality of life( é† «Ã©â„¢ ¢Ã§ ® ¡Ã§ â€ Ã¥ ±â‚¬,2010). Closely observation and listening to the patient are the easiest and useful ways to assess the mental state of the patient. If there is any abnormal, the condition should be recorded and report to the senior nurse. Conclusion In this article, some health assessment tools and techniques are suggested for a CODP patient, Mr Wong. There is no traumatic procedure involved. However, the results of different examination can give large amount of information of the patient’s body condition. And this is essential for the clinical staff to improve the clinical decision making in order to provide better treatments for the patient. Reference Barnett, M. (2009). An overview of assessment and management in COPD. British Journal of Community Nursing, 15(5), 195-201. Retrieved March 12, 2010, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ouhk.edu.hk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=104sid=ada13567-52a0-4268-b952-fd290eadc7a3%40sessionmgr104vid=3 Barnett, M. ( 2006). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care. United Kingdom: New York John Wiley Sons, Ltd. CMP Medica (2007)。《ç„ ¡Ã¨  ²Ã§Å¡â€žÃ¦ ® ºÃ¦â€°â€¹Ã¥Å¡ ´Ã©Ëœ ²Ã¦â€¦ ¢Ã©Ëœ »Ã¨â€š ºÃ§â€"…》〔å ° Ã¥â€ Å Ã¥ ­ Ã£â‚¬â€¢Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ© ¦â„¢Ã¦ ¸ ¯Ã¯ ¼Å¡CMP Media Pacific Limited。 GlaxoSmithKline. (2009). COPD assessment test. Retrieved March 12, 2010, from catestonline.co.uk/test/index.htm Massey, D, Meredith, T. ( 2010). Respirator assessment 1: Why do it and how to do it?. British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, 5(11), 537-541. Retrieved March 12, 2010, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ouhk.edu.hk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=17sid=ada13567-52a0-4268-b952-fd290eadc7a3%40sessionmgr104vid=4 Shepherd, A. ( 2010). The nutritional management of COPD: an overview. British Journal of Nursing, 19(9), 559-562. Retrieved March 12,2010, from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ouhk.edu.hk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=104sid=ada13567-52a0-4268-b952-fd290eadc7a3%40sessionmgr104vid=3 Weber, J, Kelley, J. (2010). Health assessment in nursing(4th ed.). New York: Lippincott Williams Wilkins Weilitz, P. B., Potter, P. A. (2007). Pocket guide for health assessment(6th ed.).Missouri: Mosby Elservier.

West Chester University Admissions Data

West Chester University Admissions Data West Chester University is a somewhat selective school, with an acceptance rate of less than 60 percent of those who apply. Learn more about their admissions requirements and what it takes to get into this college. About West Chester University Founded in 1871, West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public, four-year university located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. With about 14,500 students, WCU is the fourth largest college in the Philadelphia region. It offers over 80 undergraduate and 70 master’s degree programs across its colleges of Education, Health Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Business and Public Affairs, and Visual and Performing Arts. Academics are supported by an 18 to 1 student/faculty ratio. On the student life front, WCU is home to a host of student clubs and organizations such as the Fencing Club, the Tai Chi Arts Club, and the Breakdancing Club, or Heavy Reign Crew. WCU also has 25 fraternities and sororities and intramural sports such as Wallyball, Wiffleball, and Squash. WCU is a member of the NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with 24 mens and womens varsity teams. Will you get in if you apply? Calculate your chances of getting in with this free tool from Cappex. Admissions Data (2016) West Chester University Acceptance Rate: 64 percentGPA, SAT and ACT Graph for WCU AdmissionsTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 480 / 570SAT Math: 490 / 580SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 21 / 25ACT English: 20 / 25ACT Math: 20Â  / 25What these ACT numbers mean Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 17,005 (14,397 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 41 percent Male / 59 percent Female89 percent Full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $9,720 (in-state); $20,812 (out-of-state)Books: $1,200 (why so much?)Room and Board: $12,860Other Expenses: $2,520Total Cost: $26,300 (in-state); $37,392 (out-of-state) West Chester University of Pennsylvania Financial Aid (2015-16) Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 80Â  percentPercentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 38 percentLoans: 72Â  percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $6,064Loans: $8,450 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors: Accounting, Business Management, Elementary Education, English, Health and Physical Education, History, Liberal Studies, Marketing, Nursing, PsychologyWhat major is right for you? Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 86Â  percentTransfer-out Rate: 21 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 46Â  percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 70Â  percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports: Football, Swimming, Tennis, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Golf, Track and Field, Cross CountryWomens Sports: Gymnastics, Soccer, Lacrosse, Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Field Hockey, Softball, Swimming Interested in West Chester University? You May Like These Universities Temple University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphPennsylvania State University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphDrexel University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphLock Haven University: ProfileUniversity of Delaware: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Pittsburgh: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphArcadia University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphRowan University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAlbright College: ProfileIndiana University of Pennsylvania: ProfileWidener University: ProfileKutztown University of Pennsylvania: Profile West Chester University of Pennsylvania Mission Statement mission statement from wcupa.edu/president/ West Chester University, a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is a public, regional, comprehensive institution committed to providing access and offering high-quality undergraduate education, select post-baccalaureate and graduate programs, and a variety of educational and cultural resources for its students, alumni, and citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania. Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

Midterm Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Midterm Questions - Essay Example The potential improvement of the US-China relations in the future would be achieved using the neoliberal approach of international relations theory. The specific approach is based on the idea that international relations can be promoted through international institutions (Van de Haar 2009). These institutions would set as a priority the achievement of peace between the states involved in the relevant plan (Van de Haar 2009). Still, allowing these institutions to develop critical initiatives is not always easy. In the case of US-China relations the above view would be explained as follows: China is a country based on a centralized political system, meaning that the government has a non-controllable power to define the terms related to the country’s social, political and economic life. In this context, it would be rather difficult for the country’s government to agree to the use of an international institution for improving its relations with US. For the Chinese governmen t providing its consent to such plan could be possibly interpreted as a partial resignation from its rights. This perspective could prevent the Chinese government to agree to the use of the neoliberalism approach for resolving its relations with US. ... for improving states’ relations in the context of the international community: the WTO (World Trade Organization) is an example. The above organization is quite expanded globally and has critical experience in managing such issues. WTO could suggest schemes of cooperation between the two countries, in addition to existing ones, so that the US-China relations are improved. For example, a scheme of lower taxation in imported goods or a scheme for the exchange of knowledge on new products. US and China are already members of this organization for promoting their trade interests. This means that the two countries would not have to set their powers as critical players of global politics and economy. It should be noted that the use of such plan by US for improving its relation with China would be aligned with another approach, the commercial liberalism, a view that it is presented below. (b) The measure suggested above, i.e. the use of an international institution, for preventing co nflict can be characterized as quite effective. This view is verified using another approach, the commercial liberalism. In fact, this approach could be combined with the one mentioned above, i.e. the neoliberalism, for securing that the conflict between US and China will be prevented. The commercial liberalism is based on the idea that freedom in commerce can secure peace (Ralston 2013). This means that the delete of any trade restrictions between US and China could lead to long-term peace between the two countries. In practice, this approach could be considered as non-applicable, taking into consideration the strong competition that already characterizes

Paolo Freire's as a Great Educator Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Paolo Freire's as a Great Educator - Essay Example Paolo Freire was born in the Northeastern port of Recife, September 19, 1921. His parents were not rich and their family can be related more to a middle-class family. It should be mentioned that the life of middle class was greatly influenced by historical events that took place in Brazil that time. The Great Depression has made a great impact on their way of living in Brazil. Family’s financial status was also shaken after death of Paolo’s father. Paolo was prevented from his proper education at school and when family has sustained after the crisis, he managed to finish his school education and entered the University of Pernambuco to study law and philosophy. In 1944 Freire got married. He married an elementary school teacher Elza Maia Costa Oliveira and they gave birth to five children. Parenthood of Freire contributed much to his further development: â€Å"As a parent, Paulo’s interests in theories of education began to grow, leading him to do more extensive reading in education, philosophy, and the sociology of education than in law. In fact after passing the bar he quickly abandoned law as a means of earning a living in order to go work as a welfare official...† (Faundez, p. 22). ... There was a great percent of illiterate people at that time and it reached 75%. Freire began his career in a challenging cultural environment and his role as a great educator and a philosopher cannot be denied. Freire and his Ideas Poor people of Recife were Freire’s audience. He worked in the slums of Recife. He thought that authoritarian relationship between teacher and pupil was inefficient. Freire underlined that the process making an individual literate was the first step on the way of dealing with poverty. Freire tried to improve his experience while working as a teacher of poor people. He expanded his work and the results were successful: "The results of this experiment were impressive. Three hundred workers learned to read and write in forty-five days† (Elias, p. 4). An urban teacher has turned into a national expert in the issue of adult literacy. In spite of the phenomenal success of his programs there were some challenges. He was a great educator and he made p oor people believe in themselves and after that he provided them with information and knowledge. He inspired those people who seemed to be never restored to reinstate their minds and self-esteem again. He tried to prove that the first step in dealing with poverty was the economic justice, reform and opposition to repression. It is known that â€Å"Freirean-based literacy programs involve an examination of society’s hidden economies of power and privilege and how these help to inform students’ subjectivities" (McLaren & Leonard, p. 53). The underclass has been often challenged in terms of political and economic oppression. Freire tried to expand his ideas across the nation. He thought about a nation-wide implementation of educational programs. â€Å"This national

Carroway Clothing Essay Example for Free

Carroway Clothing Essay Re: Current accounting issues, employment benefits and financing options. Thank you for the opportunity to address the current accounting issues, employment benefits and financing options facing Carroway Clothing Limited (CCL) 1. SR ED and Development costs treatment: In reviewing the financial statements it appears that the development costs and SRED treatment may not have been recorded appropriately. The SRED are tax credits to be used towards taxable income and should not have been recorded as government grants. Since CCL may not have needed them in the initial years, it can use SRED tax credits against taxable income in the future. It is necessary to identify all SR$ERD activities for proper recording practices so that the credits generated by the SRED can be used against future income. The $975,000 development costs can be expensed or capitalized depending on if the following criteria are met The project is technically feasible CCL intends of complete the project CCL has the ability to use or sell the product There is probability of future economic benefit will be generated Availability of adequate technical and financial recourses CCL has the ability to measure reliably the expenditures attribute to it. Since the Walton Work Wear line is in the production stage, its accumulated development costs should be capitalized. The Carroway Cool Top has not started it commercial production which would allow the development costs not to be amortized yet. Also interest costs on loans to generate financing for the RD activates of a product can be capitalized rather than expensed. The capitalization of interest would allow CCL to reduce taxable income in the future when it is more profitable. I would recommend that CCL make the above changes immediately so that the financail statements are not incorrect. These changes would help CCL reduce its future taxable income when it may be more profitable. 2. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. CCL currently has no allowance for bad debts. Even though CCL does not have issue with uncollectible, having an allowance account will provide CCL with the ability to write off debts such as the disputed shipment. Without being able to write off the shipment, will leave the Accounts Receivables overstated, which in turn leads to misstated financial statements. Having an AFDA would allow CCL to record the sale but also recognise that they do not expect payment from the client. Leaving this account on the accounts receivable would be misleading to CCLs stakeholders as it would lead them to believe that CCL is expecting to receive the cash in the near future. IF in the future, the dispute is resolved and the payment is received, CCL can recover the bad debt at that time. I would recommend that CCL create a policy regarding Accounts Receivables immediately. The method for determining the bad debt amount should be determined by CCL management. Methods such a percentage of sales or a percentage of Account Receivables can be used. Whichever method is chosen, it should be consistent from year to year and the amount should be reasonable. 3. Long Term Debt or Initial Public offering. CCL is currently looking at an initial public offering (IPO) and long term debt as two options to help finance the new research and development (RD) of new products. The bank loan can provided financial stability but will have the interest repaid over a longer time is higher and would be tax deductible. Banks may require financial statements that are audited. CCL will need to be able to prove that it can repay the loan as well as the interest. It may also be required to maintain a debt to equity ratio that may prevent it from taking advantage of other opportunities in the future. An IPO offering has the potential to increase capital which would improve financial rations such as the debt to equity. The increased cash flow will help CCL pay it current payables and reduce debt by negotiating better interest rates in the future. The disadvantage to an IPO would be the potential to lose control over the company and having to be more accountable to other investors. The IPO would also require the financial statement and note disclosure to conform to more stringent requirements, which increase the cost of producing the financial statements. Financial statements will need to follow IFRS and securities regulators generally require 3 years of annual audited financials. It should also be noted that there is a significant cost to offering an IPO and it can be difficult to evaluate the stock price of the shares. I would recommend that CCL consider the IPO as a viable on to its financing issue as it will be more beneficial in the long term. The change from ASPE to IFRS will be a short term challenge but can be overcome with appropriate professional assistance. I would highly recommend that CCL seek the opinion and assistance of a professional who deals with IPOs. 4. Employee Stock Options. CCL is considering providing employees stock options as a way to reward its employees. As a CCPC, CCL will have no tax consequence for the employees receiving the stock options until they dispose of the shares. The amount taxed as employment income in the year of disposal is the difference between the option price and the FMV of the shares at the time of the option was exercised. The employee may be able to claim a deduction from taxable income equal to half this amount if the shares were worth less than the exercise price when the option was issued or the employee hold the shares for at least two years before selling the shares. There are many alternatives to rewarding employees besides cash bonuses and stock options. Options can range from published recognition to merchandise such as shirts that the company makes. Time off with pay can also work to  motivate employees for hard work. I would recommend that CCL consider alternatives such as free products and time off as these will be less costly to provide than the stock options. Doing an employee survey would provide feedback to the rewards that the employees would value most. 5. Legal issues CCL is currently facing a pending lawsuit regarding a chemical leak and the non-compliance with environmental regulations. When both of the following conditions are met the amount of the contingent loss must be accrued. Disclosure will be need if the following conditions are met: The likely hood that the verdict will be against CCL A reasonable estimate of the amount o f the lawsuit can be made. The lawsuit may also lead customers and the public to believe that CCL acted negligently. This will reflect poorly on CCL and may lead to decreased sales and a damaged reputation If there is no accrual, there should be disclosure in the financial notes, stating the nature of the contingency, estimate of the amount or that an estimate cannot be made and exposure to loss in excess of the amount accrued. If CCL does not disclose, it would be misleading to the financial statement user. I would recommend that CCL consult with their legal advisors immediately to determine the likelihood of a lawsuit and the potential liabilities. Also, CCL should be prepared to address the negative publicity that the lawsuit may create. Should you require further clarification on any matters, please do not hesitate to contact me.

My Philosophy of Teaching :: Philosophy of Education

Philosophy of Education As a young girl, I would come home from school and pretend to be a teacher. I would sit my younger cousins at small tables and ask them to complete various assignments, such as reading a book or writing the alphabet. We even had lunch in our pretend cafeteria, the dining room, and then we would venture outside for recess. Being a teacher has almost always been a goal of mine. I went through a phase in junior high school where I wanted to become a doctor in order to receive their large salary. One class of biology is all it took for me to realize that my weak stomach could not handle being a doctor. Once, I wanted to become a lawyer for the very same reason; however, after hearing exactly what classes were needed, I quickly changed my mind. I want to become a teacher because of the rewarding experiences, the interacting with young children, and the gaining of new knowledge. With teaching comes many rewarding experiences. Seeing a child’s face light up when they see that they have received a big â€Å"A+† on their assignment can brighten up anyone’s day. During my senior year in high school, I participated in the School to Work Program which allowed me to mentor a first grade teacher for at least three hours a week. At first, I thought that I would sit in the back of the room and watch her teach; but I was wrong. I was basically her teaching assistant for those few hours. She gave me a list of students and had me take one student at a time to have them read a short story or complete a worksheet. The worksheets included math problems, spelling words, and writing. Helping the students with skills that adults take for granted was very rewarding for me. Seeing a child smile because of something I did or said made me so happy. During my last week of mentoring, I was allowed to plan the class’s end of the year party. After all of the planning and a little bit of stress, seeing how much fun the students were having made it all worth it. I know that future teaching will have both pleasant experiences and not so pleasant experiences.

Workplace Bullying Activists

Gary Namie, PhD, Ruth Namie, PhD & Pamela Lutgen-Sandvik, PhD In S. Einarsen, H. Hoel, D. Zapf, & C. Cooper (Eds. ) Workplace Bullying: Development in Theory, Research and Practice (2nd edition). London: Taylor & Francis 2009, in press Challenging Workplace Bullying in the USA: A Communication and Activist Perspective Introduction The goals of the multi-faceted 12-yearold campaign have been to raise awareness, and to reverse acceptance, of workplace bullying in the United States. In this chapter, we discuss the Workplace Bullying Institute’s (WBI, workplacebullying. rg) efforts with three principal constituent groups and report the current state of progress as well as the barriers we continue to face in meeting those goals. The organization has a long history of assistance for bullied workers, legislative advocacy and collaboration with academics (e. g. , Lutgen-Sandvik, Namie & Namie, 2009; Neuman, 2000; Yamada, 2008; Yamada, 2002). Prior to detailing the state of U. S. aware ness regarding the bullying phenomenon, we outline the central ideas behind communication campaigns that focus on public health issues, such as workplace bullying, and persuasion theories relevant to the work.We then review the current state of this campaign in the United States focusing on efforts directed at three groups: the public [e. g. , bullied workers (targets), witnesses, nonbelievers], lawmakers, and employers. We close with work yet to be done and future directions to continue these U. S. endeavors. Public Health Campaigns Communication campaigns focused on reducing threats to public health have four essential elements (Salmon & Atkin, 2003). First, they are intended to generate specific outcomes. In the anti-bullying campaign, these goals are to raise awareness and reverse acceptance of workplace bullying in the United States.Second, campaigns seek to meet their goals with a variety of constitu- ent groups or stakeholders. The key stakeholders in the anti-bullying campai gn are persons suffering because of bullying, organizational decision makers responsible for work environments, and lawmakers who have the power to mandate worker protections against psychological violence at work. Third, public health campaigns meet these goals with stakeholder groups through â€Å"an organized set of communication activities† (Salmon & Atkin, p. 450).  How can the families of the veteran better understand what to expect and how to deal with their loved ones suffering from PTSD?An important aspect of public health campaigns is segmentation of stakeholder audiences and crafting messages specifically targeting particular audiences. Message efficiency is maximized when the intended audiences are ordered according to importance and effectiveness is maximized when messages are tailored for specific audiences. There are three constituent groups addressed by the U. S. anti-bullying campaign. First, we strive to mentor targeted workers directly through coaching an d indirectly through websites, speeches, and the self-help book for bullied workers and their families, The Bully at Work (Namie & Namie, 2009a).Another campaign focus is the national, grassroots-lobbying project to enact anti-bullying legislation (authored by law professor David Yamada, see his chapter in this volume) in the states. The third focus is devising interventions for employers who voluntarily adopt bullying prevention policies and procedures. Applicable Persuasion Theories Two theoretical models of persuasion derived from social psychology are also applicable to the goals of convincing Americans that workplace bullying is a negative societal phenomenon deserving mitigation and eventual eradication.The first is social judgment theory (SJT) (Sherif & Sherif, 1968). SJT posits cognitive processes that explain attitude change. Opinions tied to one’s self-identity are said to be anchored and resistant to change. So when a message is formulated to change one’s op inion toward bullying, the degree of personal (or ego) involvement initially determines how the person will evaluate the persuasion attempt. In practice, personal or vicarious involvement with bullying incidents is a good predictor of a lawmaker’s willingness to sponsor legislation.Pre-existing categories by which new information is judged are (1) the latitude of acceptance for acceptable positions (with an egoassociated anchor opinion setting the size of the latitude, i. e. , tolerance); (2) the latitude of noncommitment are those positions which are neither accepted nor rejected; and (3) the latitude of rejection for positions actively opposed. Incoming information is distorted to fit those categories. According to SJT, people are most persuaded when not predisposed to favor the communicated position if they are initially on-committal or indifferent about the issue. In order to for a person to understand and concur with the anti-bullying activists’ positions, the mes sage recipient, regardless of constituent group, must be able to assimilate the position because the difference between the person’s anchor (starting) opinion and the activists’ argument is small to moderate. People indifferent about bullying can also be convinced to adopt the activist’s position if the individual’s anchor position is close to her or his acceptance zone. Large discrepancies do not lead to change.Rather than assimilation of disconfirming messages, they are rejected out of hand. SJT does partially explain the inflexibility of both the targeted worker and employer representative who often find themselves entrenched in adversarial roles, each unwilling or unable to understand the other’s attitudes toward bullying. A more nuanced theory of persuasion that can apply to anti-bullying activism is the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). This cognitive process model derives its name from the likelihood that a person thinks deeply (elaborates) about a message when exposed to it.The basic premise of this model is that the route by which a message persuades its recipients depends on their involvement with the message – an aspect shared with the SJT. Two routes exist: the central route and the peripheral route. In the former, people have both the motivation (strength of desire to process the message, love of cognitive engagement) and the ability to critically evaluate the message. According to ELM, people with both motivation and ability will diligently process information via central route processing.They will look for and respond to strong arguments in favor of the message and counter what they perceive as weak arguments. When people lack the motivation or ability to evaluate the message, they are more likely to respond to cues associated with the message (peripheral route processing), such as entertainment value or association with a celebrity spokesperson, rather than the content of the arguments. In short, high involvement leads to central processing resembling traditional hierarchy models; low involvement leads to peripheral processing.Petty and Cacioppo (1986) considered attitudes which are the product of central route processing to be more accessible, persistent, resistant to change, and a better predictor of behavior than when the peripheral route is taken. Conditions that promote high elaboration can also affect the extent to which a person has confidence in, and thus trusts, her or his own thoughts in response to a message (Petty, Brinol, & Tormala, 2002). After one invests time and cognitive effort to weigh the merits of persuasive arguments, adoption of those positions serves a self-validating role.However, high elaboration is difficult to achieve for different reasons for the three constituent groups in the campaign against workplace bullying. First, targeted workers in an emotional, aroused and negative state often lack the ability to take the central, m ore mentally demanding route to learn about the bullying phenomenon. Most targets learn initially about bullying on the internet, on television or from a newspaper article. Contemporary website design incorporates peripheral cue complexity (moving images, multiple columns, colors, embedded videos, lots of graphics) to pique the attention of minimally involved web browsers.Targets strained by the stresses of bullying are capable of little more than minimal involvement. The WBI web designer changed the site from its original voluminous, content-rich, but barely navigable, version to a newer one with augmented attention to peripheral details so as to not burden targets searching for answers to fundamental questions. The ELM offers sophisticated explanations for Google’s efficient, text-based, targeted advertisements resulting in clickthrough rates 10 times more effective than banner advertising (McHugh, 2004).The low peripheral cue complexity of text-only ads is precisely what t he central route processor is seeking — concise information directly related to the economic or social outcome sought, allowing them to process significant amounts of information efficiently and thoroughly. On the other hand, the high degree of peripheral cue complexity designed into banner ads with splashy colors and motion graphics entices the casual, low involvement web surfer. This information complexity variable is important to anti-bullying activists because initial interactions with bullied individuals are primarily through website contacts.There is one other variable that interacts with effectiveness of web content for bullied individuals – the phase of the bullying episode when the visitor discovers the website. In the beginning of bullying episodes, targeted workers are consumed with stabilizing and sensemaking tasks to cope with the uninvited assault that disrupted their psychological comfort (Lutgen-Sandvik, 2008). Bombardment with information (central rout e processing in the ELM model) during acute phases is ineffective. Next, targets begin to respond to the trauma and stigma ttached to bullying by neutralizing and countering accusations purported by the bully. Repairing one’s reputation comes next as shame is gradually reversed. In the post-bullying phase, when targets are no longer vulnerable to bullying, grieving over the losses (e. g. , belief in justice) and major life and career restructuring take precedence. At this point, targets may be able to incorporate information necessary for recovery. The lesson for communicating effectively to bullied targets is that when they are able to be involved, e. g. calm enough to digest more than a couple of paragraphs, and sufficiently motivated, e. g. , to want to understand the complexity of their bullying problem, comprehensive, substantive resources should be available for them. Bullying website designers have to consider the different phases through which bullied targets pass in order to optimize the utility of the site for emotional visitors who demand immediacy as well as visitors capable of contemplative, in-depth information processing. A majority of U. S. lawmakers have difficulty incorporating the message that a law should be enacted.Applying ELM theory to their receptivity, we conclude that few are sufficiently motivated. A lawmaker’s likely motivation to advance workers’ rights is blocked by a counter-campaign to protect and enlarge employers’ rights by business lobbyists who outspend labor activists by a 40:1 ratio in election campaign contributions. Further, the ability of lawmakers to attend to the details of the persuasive arguments in favor of anti-bullying legislation is undermined by their hectic schedules during short legislative seasons in most states (varying from 60-180 days per year). Few have time to study any issue in depth.Lawmakers are swayed more by vivid, televised tales of egregious crimes for which laws are h astily crafted. Prevalent phenomena like bullying are considered routine, thus, relatively benign and not covered daily in the media. Therefore, when lobbying for legislation, we are careful to devote most face-to-face meeting time to descriptions of horrific experiences (emotionally-charged tales enhance attention through pe- ripheral cue complexity) told by individuals. The less compelling prevalence statistics and reports are left behind with lawmakers for subsequent perusal (and hopefully for elaboration and incorporation).Employer motivation and ability to address workplace bullying in America are both lacking. There is no inherent executive curiosity about the phenomenon that is learned through internal complaint channels. When bullying is reported, 44% do nothing and 18% worsen the situation for the targeted worker (Namie, 2007). The employer record of inaction is revisited in the Employer section of this chapter. A Bullying-Tolerant Society A societal explanation for America n employer indifference is the preference for individualistic, aggressive, and abusive responses to interpersonal problems is commonly accepted.It is normative when all types of interpersonal mistreatment are rationalized as necessary because â€Å"it’s just business† as if there were no personal consequences for the actions taken. For instance, Levitt (2009) wrote for a financial sector publication â€Å"In a competitive environment, an assertive and ‘take charge’ style is usually rewarded. If a manager exhorts and pushes subordinates to perform †¦ while those people who are laconic by nature, may view the exhortations as bullying. † From this perspective, bullied workers are evidently the rude, discourteous and unsuccessful ones.A Tennessee appellate court decision stated in a 2007 case that without proof of discrimination, â€Å"the fact that a supervisor is mean, hard to get along with, overbearing, bellig ¬erent or otherwise hostile and abusive does not violate civil rights statutes. † (Frye v. St. Thomas Health Services, 227 S. W. 3d 595. as cited in Davis, 2008). The decision implies that anything goes if the conduct is not explicitly illegal. Corporate employment law attorneys frequently defend bullying perpetrators in cases and are their best apologists.Mathiason and Savage (2008) told a revealing story about a bully in their own law office. â€Å"Clearly there is a type of abusive treatment that exceeds the standards of our firm. Yelling at staff for no reason, blaming associates for perceived errors in such a demeaning manner that their self-confidence is lost and turnover is out of control, are examples of conduct that destroys teamwork and office morale †¦ we do accept and value an individual teaching style that is very demanding of new associates. † In other words, abuse is an allowable difference in â€Å"style† that trumps â€Å"out of control† turnover.Another legal writ er discounted the bullying experience by blaming targeted individuals as â€Å"employees who can’t handle valid criticism from supervisors [and who then] interpret it as harassment or bullying† (Baldas, 2007). Jeff Tannenbaum, a lawyer formerly at the San Francisco Littler Mendelson office, agreed with the courts’ general rejection of the argument that U. S. workers should be free from abusive treatment at the hands of bosses or coworkers (Bess, 1999). Tannenbaum asserted that America not only has more laws than it can handle, but that bullying has its benefits. This country was built by mean, aggressive, sons of bitches,† said Tannenbaum. â€Å"Would Microsoft have made so many millionaires if Bill Gates hadn’t been so aggressive? † Tannenbaum said that inappropriate bullying was in the eye of the beholder. â€Å"Some people may need a little appropriate bullying in order to do a good job. † He asserts that those who claim to be bulli ed are really â€Å"just wimps who can’t handle a little constructive criticism† (Bess, 1999). In short, American employers exert unilateral control over most work conditions with only 7. 5% of the non-governmental workforce represented by a union.Unlike other countries where workers enjoy constitutional protections of personal rights, American workers are â€Å"at will† employees facing immediate termination without a just-cause requirement. The confidence that business dominates society and the political world was illustrated by a boast from Tom Donahue, president of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, arguably the most powerful and best funded of all the business lobbying groups. He said, â€Å"I’m con- cerned about anti-corporate and populist rhetoric from candidates for the presidency, members of Congress and the media.It suggests to us that we have to demonstrate who it is in this society that creates jobs, wealth and benefits – and who it is tha t eats them† (Hamburger, 2008). To challenge bullying is to defy societal norms. Bullying is not the exception. Bullying is not yet taboo here. It is an acceptable operational tactic in the under-regulated corporate world, which takes pride in its ability to dominate labor. Workers dare not complain. This is the context of unbalanced employer-employee power facing the U. S. campaign against workplace bullying. Despite the hurdles, we have enjoyed modest success with goal attainment.We next report progress in the U. S. campaign with respect to each of the three involved constituent groups – the general public, lawmakers, and employers. Group 1: The General Public The benefits of an informed public are twofold. First, familiarity with the topic helps remove its stigma. Second, people will feel empowered to challenge bullying’s current acceptance. Starting the Movement We began with a traumatic bullying experience that affected our family. Dr. Ruth Namie’s ta le was the inaugural story for the movement. Her mistreatment came at the hands of a fellow woman professional in a psychiatry clinic.Approximately one year after resolution of the case, we discovered the British term â€Å"workplace bullying. † In 1997, we started the Workplace Bullying Institute (originally the Campaign Against Workplace Bullying) to help individuals. WBI originally provided three paths for bullied individuals to find support: (1) a toll-free telephone crisis line, (2) a dedicated website with a growing collection of articles about the phenomenon and the posting of online surveys to complete and dissemination of research findings, and (3) a self-help book published one year after our start. In January 2000, we staged the first U. S. orkplace bullying conference in Oakland, California. It was an unfunded two-day event. Many of the international speakers and presenters who graciously attended at their own expense are authors of several chapters in this book à ¢â‚¬â€œ Michael Sheehan, Charlotte Rayner, Ken Westhues, David Yamada, and Loraleigh Keashly. In September 2000, Suffolk University Law School hosted a second conference in Boston that focused on the legal challenges facing the workplace bullying movement. The crisis line was publicized first in two national newspapers. We coached over 5,000 emotionally wounded people 1 hour at a time in three years.We learned that it is important to establish limits for telephone counselors because the risk of vicarious trauma is high. We had to stop the inordinately expensive service. Charging a fee for coaching reduced significantly the number of callers. WBI founders brought to the movement prior academic preparation in social and clinical psychology; experience in treatment for family systems therapy, chemical dependency and domestic violence; years of university teaching management and psychology; business consulting; corporate management; combined with experience in behavioral research method ology, survey design and statistical analyses.Legal expertise was provided by colleague, David Yamada, soon after the organization began. Future advocacy groups should not rely solely on veterans of the bullying wars. Expertise is needed from individuals who did not personally experience bullying. These experts can learn about all aspects of bullying. They are less likely than bullying victims to be adversely affected from working with, and on behalf of, traumatized individuals. Website visitors expect information to be free. Bullied workers often lose their jobs (Namie, 2007) and cannot afford to pay for necessary legal or mental health services.Groups desiring to emulate our nonprofit organization’s commitment to helping bullied workers are advised to secure funding to sustain the effort. Consulting and training services for employers and fees for professional speeches support WBI’s work. In 2009, Britain’s pioneering organization, the Andrea Adams Trust, clos ed its charitable operation after 15 years due to lack of funding. The Media as Communication Partners Thanks to 800+ media interviews and appearances, workplace bullying in the U. S. is now publicly recognized. Our relationship with media is mutually beneficial.Media get a popular story; WBI is able to reach Americans at no cost via television, radio, newspapers and magazines sometimes with a national broadcaster or publisher, at other times local. The burgeoning blogosphere on the internet also helps carry the message that workplace bullying is a common, unconscionable, but legal, form of mistreatment. film The Devil Wears Prada, in which a powerful woman magazine publisher repeatedly berates and humiliates her female assistant, is the prototypical opening for the segment which follows with a real-life tale told by a woman who worked for, and suffered under, a woman boss.The Bully Boss The American public, if not the business media, seems ready for candor about destructive people who make work life a living hell for others. An example was the best seller, The No Asshole Rule, a book related to bullying written by Stanford Business School professor Robert Sutton (2007). The public embraced its frankness and simplicity. It was a cathartic venting of pentup frustrations with bullies. Business media like the statistic that 72% of bullies outrank their targets (Namie, 2007). Thus, the alliterative stereotype of â€Å"bully boss† is an accurate headline.Of course, bullying originates at, and affects, individuals at most organizational levels. Executives experience the least amount of bullying (5%). The portrayal of exploitation by bullying is more vivid when it is managerial rather than internecine to the work team. The media spotlight is on the quirky or aberrant boss as an individual (without interviewing actual perpetrators) absent reportage on the work environment that sustains him or her. Questions to WBI about what individuals can do when faced with a bully boss outnumber questions about why and how employers should deal with systemic bullying.The burden for finding a solution tends to fall on the victimized target. When media experts are management consultants or executive coaches, they give poor advice to workers to subordinate themselves, to not attempt to change the toxic work environment that fosters bullying. Some business reporters doubt the targeted workers’ accounts of their bullying. A few television interviews of bullied individuals did not air because producers were reluctant to believe the target’s account or a lawsuit was threat-Workplace bullying has begun to take its rightful place among better-known topics like domestic violence, PTSD and other forms of abuse in the U. S. A typical media story begins with the â€Å"human interest† angle. A targeted worker (prescreened by us to ensure psychological stability and referred to the reporter) describes her or his bullying experience. It is then ed ited to 1 to 2 onair minutes or short paragraphs in print. In the early years, stories focused almost exclusively on anecdotal stories. In recent years, the media love a womanon-woman bullying story (Meece, 2009) to the exclusion of covering other forms of bullying.However, in the U. S. , only 29% of all bullying is between a woman perpetrator and woman target; men represent 60% of the bullies (Namie, 2007). The coverage enrages advocates for women’s rights. Despite the narrow focus, newspaper articles prompt 300-500 reader comments per article and televised segments on woman-on-woman bullying garner high ratings. The 2006 theatrical ened. It was â€Å"only one side† of the story. Bullying stories feature workers fighting uphill battles. Media most frequently side with Goliath, the employers.Research Bolsters the Message Since 2000, we were able to supplement anecdotal tales with empirical study data. WBI conducted descriptive large-sample surveys of website visitors ( n=1,335; Namie, 2000, & n=1,000; Namie, 2003). The self-selected sample studies were not extrapolated to describe national trends or national prevalence. However, several metrics did approximate estimates from the large representative study WBI conducted later (Namie, 2007). The first credible estimate for U. S. bullying prevalence was 1 in 6 Michigan workers (Keashly, 2001).The study’s sampling techniques afforded external validity. But there were only approximately 100 individuals who reported â€Å"very bothersome† mistreatment. This estimate was the best one available until 2007. In 2007, WBI, with support from the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention, commissioned polling firm Zogby International to conduct the first U. S. survey of workplace bullying. The stratified sample was large enough (n=7,740) to represent the experiences of all adult Americans. The 20-item survey (Namie, 2007) used the WBI definition of bullying without explicit inclusion of the term â €Å"bullying. Instead, it was defined as â€Å"repeated mistreatment: sabotage by others that prevented work from getting done, verbal abuse, threatening conduct, intimidation, or humiliation. † The WBI-Zogby survey found 12. 6% of U. S. workers were either being bullied currently or had been within the year, 24. 2% were previously but not currently bullied, 12. 3% witnessed it but never experienced it, and 44. 9% of respondents reported never witnessing and never experiencing it. Of 7,740 survey respondents, only 22 people admitted being a perpetrator despite the anonymity granted by the survey (Namie, 2007).Thereafter, media quoted the finding that 37% of the population has been bullied representing 54 million Americans. The media took a keen interest in the finding that women bullies choose women as targets in 71% of cases. Men bullies choose women targets (46%) less frequently than they target men. Women are the slight majority of targeted individuals (57%). It is common in the U. S. to blame victims for their fate. This denigration is an example of the fundamental attribution error committed by observers (Ross, 1977). However, targets themselves underestimate the negativity of their situation.The mischaracterization of targets as whiners or complainers is not warranted. We know this anecdotally; one study provides empirical support. Lutgen-Sandvik, Tracy & Alberts (2007) discovered a disparity between the researcherdefined prevalence of bullying based on an operational definition (28%) and the survey respondents’ self-identification as a bullied person (9. 4%). This was true for a group of Americans as well for a Danish sample group in the same study. Framing the Message Commercial media reflect the values of American business culture as seen from the top rather than as lived by subordinate workers.It will be interesting to see if CEO credibility diminishes in light of the global economic crisis that is partly blamed on CEO failures. Any an ti-CEO sentiment during tough times presents the opening for populist stories about the plight of trapped workers who face a nearly certain escalation of cruelty because few employment alternatives exist. Bullying cannot exist without tacit approval from executives and owners. WBI surveyed 400 respondents in 2009 asking whether bullying escalated after the recognized start date of the worldwide economic recession in September 2008. For 27. % of the respondents the bullying became â€Å"more abusive/ severe/frequent†, 67% reported no change, and 3. 4% reported a decrease in bullying since the onset of recessionary times (Namie, 2009). Workplace bullying activists often char- acterize the movement as â€Å"anti-abuse. † Whereas, defenders of individual bullies and the practice of systemic bullying describe the movement as â€Å"anti-corporate. † The pejorative mischaracterization makes the activists’ public education goals harder to accomplish. Activists ne ed to emphasize that bullying hurts business in addition to hurting people. Bullying presents a tautological predicament for the media.If media fill airtime and print space with hard-luck, but always popular, bullying stories, they can validate targeted workers’ experiences, letting people know they have experiences in common with others. On the other hand, negative stories such as bullying are not happy stories that please advertisers. In most cases, advertisers rarely tolerate social criticism. That explains the paucity of criticism of capitalism in mainstream U. S. media. Nevertheless, anti-bullying activists should be prepared to help media illustrate how abstract economic crises concretely affect the lives of real working people, if asked.Persuasion Theory Applied to Media Commercial television is the ultimate forum for persuasive appeals employing peripheral cues, according to ELM (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). Soap is not sold by listing ingredients, which would require cen tral route processing by viewers. Instead it is sold as an indispensable route to a desirable lifestyle with distracting emotionally evocative images. News stories are also created to be visually stimulating. News has evolved (descended) into â€Å"infotainment. † Producers demand pictures, â€Å"B roll,† and moving on-screen graphics.Production of the 3-minute segment that focuses solely on content or â€Å"talking heads† is unacceptable, reserved for documentaries and non-commercial television. There is pressure to make bullying stories entertaining. TV screens now literally force the depiction of the principal story being broadcast into a frame within a frame. Surrounding it are station and network logos, wide top and bottom borders with colorful changing backgrounds, and text crawls along the bottom competing for attention with cryptic headlines, and if on a business channel, a crawl showing contemporaneous stock market activity.The actual story is only one of three or four fields competing for the viewer’s attention. A low involvement viewer can hardly be expected to remember anything about stories and their associated content being reported in the middle frame. Print media have limited space as page design has evolved into crowded, colorful spaces that emulate a TV screen or newspaper’s website. Limited space translates to short 500-700 word accounts rather than a lengthy (for newspaper) 2,000 word in-depth story. Bullying is a complex phenomenon with multiple aspects.The compromise we made is to reduce our advice to targets to an admittedly over-simplistic three steps. Similarly, we answer the â€Å"why do bullies bully? † question with a threefactor model. To optimize the likelihood that a reader or viewer will remember something about bullying from an interview, activists should adopt slogans. We use Bullies Are Too Expensive to Keep; Work Shouldn’t Hurt; and Good Employers Purge Bullies, Bad Ones Promo te ‘Em. Dealing with media is not an academic exercise. The academic activist, in particular, can benefit from media training. It is through the media you can reach the public who need to know about bullying.Group 2: Educating Lawmakers Rationale For A Law All social movements that sought to stop psychological violence – child abuse, domestic violence, discriminatory harassment (gender, race, etc. ), schoolyard bullying – were able to eventually pass state or federal legislation to negatively sanction misconduct. These types of mistreatment continue, but laws compel negative consequences for offenders. The workplace bullying phenomenon most closely resembles domestic violence (Janoff-Bulman, 2002) with respect to the interaction between abuser and the abused, witnesses’ non-intervention, and societal-institutional denial nd rationalizations to excuse it. For legal purposes, however, bullying falls under the rubric of employment law, akin to anti-discrimina tion laws for the workplace. Regarding employment law, existing civil rights laws compel employers to create policies to prevent future occurrences. In addition, they must have procedures in place to correct discrimination once reported, investigated and confirmed. If there were no laws in effect, would employers voluntarily stop the mistreatment of women workers with internal procedures? Evidence suggests that they did not do so before the Civil Rights Act of the 1960’s.After enactment of laws, employers took steps to comply. The sequence is clear. Laws drive internal policies. Enforcement of those policies is most likely when there exists a threat of punishment for negligent employers. Credible policy enforcement results in prevention and correction. The power of a law derives from employers’ internal preventive actions that protect workers. Perusal of Suffolk University Law Professor David Yamada’s chapter in this book reveals that, in 2009, there are no stat e or federal laws in the U. S. to satisfactorily address workplace bullying.Therefore, bullying is nearly always legal. The Anti-Bullying Healthy Workplace Bill In 2000, David Yamada wrote the text for the original Healthy Workplace Bill (HWB). It addresses workplace bullying by prohibiting an â€Å"abusive work environment. † The proposed legislation does not mandate employer actions. It gives employers multiple opportunities to escape liability for a bully’s abusive conduct. The requirements to file a lawsuit using this bill are strict. Malice is required in addition to documented physical or psychological health harm. There is no government intervention or enforcement.Individual plaintiffs must find and pay for private legal counsel. Though the HWB provides redress for people where current laws do not, its ultimate purpose is to convince employers to stop bullying proactively. The Legislative Campaign WBI expanded its efforts by adding a separate division in 2001. T he Workplace Bullying Institute-Legislative Campaign (WBI-LC) goal is to enact state laws. It was decided from the outset to focus on the 50 states rather than to seek a federal law with significantly different features. Congress and recent presidential administration in the last 30 years have not expanded labor rights.So, the WBI-LC mobilizes citizen lobbyists in the states with the help of a network of volunteer State Coordinators. To date, 28 of the 50 states are represented by at least one Coordinator. In 2003, after two years of lobbying by amateurs, California was the first state to introduce the HWB. To date, 16 states through 183 state legislators have introduced 55 bills representing some variation of the HWB. No state has yet passed any bill into law. The HWB website (healthyworkplacebill. org) is the repository of the bill’s history and current activity. Unpaid Coordinators compete with professional advocates for employers.Coordinators include attorneys, a physicia n, mental health professionals, professors, nurses, teachers, social workers, community organizers, and advocates who worked for other social causes. The WBILC provides Coordinators with all necessary materials to customize a lobbying campaign, an information kit for their state legislators, a private listserv, a private website, copies of the HWB, training tapes, and periodic teleconferences for the group to stay current. Whenever possible WBI leaders give expert testimony at public hearings for HWB. It is a collaborative creative group that grows in size and effectiveness every year.At the public website, citizen lobbyists from all states willing to support the bill can volunteer. Coordinators then work with those volunteers to mount writing, telephoning, and e-mailing lobbying campaigns. Coordinators orchestrate one or two in-person lobbying days at their respective state capitals. Some Coordinators have formed in-person groups and maintain websites in addition to ongoing virtual communica- tion with volunteers in their state. When organizing a group of activists such as the WBI-LC Coordinators, it is important to screen members for personality disturbances attributable or not to their bullying experience.Experience is valuable, but lobbyists must represent the thousands or millions of bullied workers in their state or province. They cannot use the lobbying platform to tell their personal story or to vent to a lawmaker. We incorporate a rule that Coordinators must be at least two years postbullying to participate. Also, with a group of veterans of bullying, some of whom suffer periodic re-traumatization, there is a risk of group dysfunction from emotional flare-ups. It is helpful to establish an intra-group code of conduct to prevent bullying from within.HWB Supporters Bullying at work ignores political party affiliation. Targeted workers have not reported personal politics as a reason for being targeted. The HWB is non-partisan. Sponsors of the HWB include members of both major political parties – Democrats and Republicans. However, Democrats were more likely than Republicans to report direct and witnessed bullying in the U. S. survey (Namie, 2007). Coordinators solicit support and endorsements for the HWB from local and state groups. Unions for state government workers, teachers, and nurses have backed the bill. Endorsements have come also from women’s groups.The Illinois Association of Minorities in Government identified the sponsor for the first Illinois bill. The HWB enjoys the support of one national group – the NAACP, the largest U. S. advocacy organization for the rights of African-Americans. According to the WBI-Zogby survey, 91% of African-Americans want additional workplace protections to supplement existing anti-discrimination laws. Data show that the group suffers a higher rate of ever being bullied than the combined groups, second only to Hispanics (Namie, 2007). HWB Opponents Membership in industry trade associations gives employers access to professional lobbyists who oppose the HWB.Opposition is based on one or more of these grounds: (1) in times of economic crises, businesses should not be regulated, government’s only role is to help business operate freely and profitably, (2) employers can control bullying voluntarily, let them alone and they will do what is best for their business, (3) whining employees will file frivolous, baseless, expensive-to-defend lawsuits that will only clog the courts, (4) current laws provide sufficient protections, and (5) bullying or abusive conduct cannot be precisely defined, it is too subjective.The WBI-LC counters with the following reasonable propositions. (1) Business leaders’ decisions led to the financial calamity. The global crisis is arguably due in part to rampant speculation and paucity of governmental controls. (2) Employers have the chance to voluntarily stop bullying whenever they become aware of it. They historical ly respond inappropriately. (3) Financial and emotional hurdles to file private lawsuits overwhelm aggrieved workers. The reality is that only 3% of mistreated employees file a lawsuit in the U.S. (Namie, 2007). On the other hand, employers routinely carry employment practices liability insurance to provide legal defense in the event of a harassment or misconduct lawsuit. HWB provides sufficient affirmative defenses for good employers who take steps to prevent bullying. (4) Law professor David Yamada concludes that current U. S. laws are inadequate. We trust his legal expertise. (5) Prior to the 2007 WBI-Zogby survey, lobbyists for employers argued that bullying did not exist in the workplace.Since the survey is indisputable, they now complain that bullying cannot be precisely defined. HWB requires that the plaintiff’s health harm from malicious conduct be proven. The high standard rebuts the subjectivity objection. The fundamental question about legal reform for bullying is whether or not it will take a law to compel compliance or employers will voluntarily choose to abandon abuse as routine prac- tice. The nascent intolerance of the assault on an employee’s dignity at work in the U. S. may force an answer.Persuasion Theories Applied to Lawmakers The criticality of personal involvement in social judgment theory (Sherif & Sherif, 1968) as predictor of a positive attitude toward the antibullying activists; position is borne out by our legislative campaign experience. For HWB bill sponsors, bullying is not an abstraction. They agree to champion the bill because family members, legislative aides, or they themselves have been bullied. For the sake of others they want it to stop. For early adopting lawmakers, the introduction of their bill is personal.Facilitating the personal connection to bullying spells the difference between successful and failed lobbying efforts. The elaboration likelihood model, ELM, (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986) applies well. One wo uld expect that the lawmaking process is deliberate, based on facts and reasoning, and message content-dependent. That is, lawmaking should tap central route processing with reduced susceptibility to peripheral cues. Marshalling facts to support your position is the underpinning of amateur citizen lobbying.WBI-LC Coordinators refer constantly to the scientific U. S. survey showing that 13% of workers are currently bullied with an additional 24% having been bullied at some time in their careers (Namie, 2007). Its use marked a sea change in lawmakers’ reactions to workplace bullying. They stopped denying that bullying happens. Credible surveys are an essential tool for communicating with public policy makers. So, we have facts on our side and also use the power of compelling anecdotal tales told by bullied individuals (peripheral cues).Unfortunately, HWB opponents also bring forward facts. With multiple lobbyists, lawmakers hear the rationale for employer opposition to our bill repeatedly from different sources. Because of their ongoing presence of full-time paid lobbyists throughout the year in a lawmaker’s life, not just when the legislature is in session (varying from 60-180 days per year), opposing arguments are likely better remembered. WBI-LC Coordinators act primarily during the legislative season and work their regular jobs the remainder of the year. In the U. S. the tradition of giving money to politicians (the courts have defined it as the expression of a corporation’s free speech right, treating corporations as persons) leads to access and influence. WBI-LC Coordinators do not give money to elected officials. It comes as no surprise that no state has yet passed our bill into law. To augment Coordinators’ efforts, the WBI-LC has begun to form coalitions of supporting and endorsing group that do have full-time lobbyists advocating for labor and human rights. Perhaps those groups will lend their lobbyists to the campaign again st workplace bullying.Group 3: Convincing Employers Employers determine the size and composition of the workforce, the workplace culture and every aspect of the work environment. The responsibility for the correction and prevention of bullying lies with the top management because they shape the culture of the organization through decisions made (Liefooghe & Davey, 2001). Empirical studies established an association between leadership, or its absence, and workplace bullying. For example, Leymann (1996) and Einarsen, Raknes and Matthiesen (1994) found that bullying among colleagues was often associated with ‘weak’ or ‘inadequate’ leadership by the most enior managers. Similarly, Hoel and Cooper (2000) showed that bullying was associated with high scores on a laissez faire style of leadership. A lack of organizational coherence (integrated, functioning production procedures), only token accountability (few consequences for wrongdoing), low security (apprehensi on about layoffs) all combine to foster a chaotic workplace climate that gives opportunistic abusers of authority the chance to harm others (Hodson, Roscigno, & Lopez, 2006). Conversely, Cortina, Magley, Williams and Langhout (2001) found that in a workplace climate in which fair, respectful treatment prevailed, bullying was rare.Employers’ Reactions to Bullying When bullying incidents are reported to employers, the most frequent response is to do nothing in 43. 7% of cases (Namie, 2007). Doing nothing is not a neutral response when an individual asks for relief. Matters were made worse for targeted workers in 18. 4% of cases. Thus in 62% of cases the response inadequate from perspective of witnesses and targeted workers. A more complete description of employer responses comes from another WBI online survey (n=400 respondents) (Namie, 2008).Employers predominantly did nothing to stop the reported mistreatment (53%) and actually retaliated against the person who dared to repor t it (71%). In 40% of cases, targets considered the employer’s investigation to be inadequate or unfair with less than 2% of investigations described as fair and safe for the bullied person. Filing complaints led to retaliation resulting in lost jobs (24%). Alleged offenders were punished in only 6. 2% of cases. A NIOSH research team (Grubb, Roberts, Grosch, & Brightwell, 2004) assessed employers’ perceptions about the prevalence of bullying within their own organizations.Researchers used a pair of nationally representative federal government surveys of non-institutionalized U. S. residents age 18 and older and a second representative sample of U. S. organizations in which the unit of analysis is the workplace. Some residents were asked to name their employers. Then, a single contact person was identified as the representative for each of 516 organizations, typically human resources professionals or company owners. The employer representatives were asked about a variet y of organizational factors.Most relevant was their response to the question: â€Å"How often in the past year has bullying occurred at your establishment, including repeated intimidation, slandering, social isolation, or humiliation by one or more persons against another? † The majority of employer representatives (75. 5%) said bullying never happened at their site. Only 1. 6% said it happened frequently. The second most frequent response was that it was rare (17. 4%) with 5. 5% acknowledging that bullying happened sometimes. Employees were seen as the most frequent aggressor (in 39. 2% of cases) as well as being the most frequent victim (55. %). Two assessed measures of workplace climate were associated with increased levels of bullying – lack of job security and lack of trust in management (Grubb et al. 2004). Remarkably, in Sweden where the regulatory ordinance has been in effect 15 years, only one of out of nine businesses had voluntarily implemented policies and procedures against bullying (Hoel & Einarsen, 2009). The lack of employer initiative in the Scandinavian anti-bullying pioneering nations suggests modest expectations about American employers’ attitudes toward bullying, even if laws are passed.Not only do employers do very little to stop bullying, co-workers who witness bullying are similarly ineffective. From an online study (Namie, 2008) we know that self-identified bullied individuals reported that in 46% of bullying cases, co-workers abandoned them, to the extent that 15% aggressed against the target along with the bully. Co-workers did nothing in 16% of cases. In less than 1% of cases, co-workers rallied to the defense of an attacked target and confronted the bully as a group. There are several potential explanations that are explored elsewhere in detail (Namie & Namie, 2009a).Suffice it to say that fear, real or imagined, prevents co-workers from getting involved most of the time. The ‘Business Case’ For Bu llying Because of employers’ costs associated with bullying — productivity loss, costs regarding interventions by third parties, turnover, increased sick-leave, workers compensation and disability insurance claims and legal liability – employers should logically be motivated to stop bullying (Hoel & Einarsen, 2009). One healthcare industry intervention that improved employee perceptions of trust and fair treatment was estimated to potentially save $1. million annually for a single organization (Keashly & Neuman, 2004). WBI partnered with a Canadian disability management firm that determined 18% of the short-term disability claims were based on bullying. Those workers missed an average of 159 days of work per claim. The â€Å"business case† approach emphasizes the financial impact of bullying and assumes that employers are rational actors and will pursue their own best financial self-interest when made aware of bullying’s cost. Logic recommends term ination of costly offenders. But bullying is often an irrational and illogical set of circumstances.In spite of ascertainable loss patterns, offenders are retained while targeted workers who reported mistreatment to the organization often lose their jobs. Alleged offenders were punished in only 6% of cases (Namie, 2008). But because of bullying, 40% of targets quit, 24% are terminated and 13% transfer to safer positions with the same employer (Namie, 2007). Finally, to whom should the business case be made? Bullying is typically perceived as a human resources (HR) department problem because anti-discrimination compliance officers in HR receive the majority of bullying complaints.Eighty-percent of those complaints do not require employers to respond; they are legal actions (Namie, 2007). One WBI study found that HR either did nothing in 51% of cases when approached for relief or made the situation more negative for the target in 32% of cases (Namie, 2000). In HR’s defense, wit hout laws to compel employers to adopt internal policies, HR lacks the tools to reverse bullying even if it wanted to. HR also lacks the credibility with executives who otherwise might grant HR the autonomy to effect organizational changes. Bullying is the responsibility of executive leadership (Einarsen, Raknes, & Matthiesen, 1994).Executives feel responsible to support bullies within their organizations. According to Namie (2007), sources of a bully’s support are: executive sponsors (43%), management peers (33%), and HR (14%). How can this be? Why prop up the cause of significant financial losses? No anti-bullying intervention can be suc- cessful without executive endorsement and participation. Workers in one division of a government client organization suffered heart attacks, stroke, panic attacks, and nearly every one of the 24 were prescribed anti-depressant medication.Seventeen workers filed workplace discrimination complaints. Our recommendation, with which the bully h imself agreed, was to prohibit his future contact with employees. The director thought otherwise and rejected the recommendation. He called staff â€Å"feckless ingrates† and refused to allow the perpetrator to step down because the bully was â€Å"a great conversationalist and lunch buddy. † Many employers would rather absorb known financial losses than confront a hyper-aggressive bully or sever a prized personal friendship.The â€Å"business case† pales in comparison to ingratiation, aggression and pride in winning at all costs. Employers’ Motivation to Act Because there is no law to compel U. S. employers to act, when an American employer requests help with bullying, it is a rare event. WBI principals were consultants to employers 12 years prior to the starting the nonprofit organization. Since 1997, the consulting focus is exclusively the refinement of a comprehensive, proprietary approach to preventing and correcting workplace bullying (Namie & Namie , 2009b) (workdoctor. com).Based on our American and Canadian clients, here is a sampling of positive, proactive reasons employers voluntarily address bullying. Some are early adopters wanting to be first, cutting-edge, industry leaders. They are pioneers and proud of their risk-taking tendencies. Some clients seek congruence with espoused organization values of respect and dignity for all, to â€Å"do the right thing. † Though every corporate mission statement includes â€Å"Respect for all individuals,† few firms actually adhere to the lofty pronouncement. Mission statements do not hold organizations accountable; policies can.Some clients seek media coverage and notoriety for their willingness to address bullying. Some CEOs want to leave a positive legacy at the end of their careers. One executive wanted to rectify his prior mismanagement of a senior manager bullying case. It was personal guilt mitigation. In 2009, the Sioux City, Iowa public school district implemen ted our comprehensive anti-bullying system for teachers and staff in the schools – becoming the first in the nation to do so. Schools are the single class of employer with experience, however limited, with bullying.In 38 states, there are laws mandating that schools address bullying among students. Most laws specify that a policy be written for children. Therefore, many schools and their staffs are familiar with bullying and its harmful effect on children. It is a logical step to see that the quality of interpersonal relationships among the adults is the context for student behavior or misconduct. This National Demonstration Project includes a policy, procedures, impact assessment, education, peer support, peer fact finders, and community education.The project was made possible by the rare co-occurrence of a new superintendent, a compassionate human resources director, union presidents concerned with employee health, and funding from a local foundation. We hope that schools b ecome the first American industry to seriously address workplace bullying. The majority of anti-bullying interventions are prompted by risk aversion or loss prevention. A high profile, revenue-generating â€Å"rainmaker† commits illegal or unethical acts. A repeat offender’s legal costs finally exceed the CEO’s tolerance.Turnover of highly skilled workers undercuts productivity. Healthcare institutions must comply with an extra-legal industry requirement to craft a policy to address intimidating and disruptive physicians and staff. (JCAHO, 2008). Dispositional vs. Systemic Solutions After the decision is made to start an intervention, a second important question presents itself. Is the problem the fault of a few â€Å"bad seeds,† a dispositional issue? Or is the problem entrenched in the work environment (that includes leadership who fostered past and current bullies and will sustain new ones when personnel change)?When the preferred explanation is the of fender’s personality, solutions may include skillsbased training — anger management or constructive criticism — mental health counseling, or executive coaching. Regardless of the selected solution, and even if the person gains insight, bullying will resume if the workplace to which she or he returns remains unchanged. Recidivism is predictable when bullying-prone work conditions are not addressed. For long-term success, the organization needs a new behavioral standard (policy, code of conduct) to which alleged misconduct can be compared to determine whether or not a violation occurred.Procedures to enforce the standard must be created. Weak procedures predict failed anti-bullying initiatives. The rules must apply to everyone at all levels to be fair and credible. Executives must defer to the process to justify purging a friend for the good of the organization. Medium and large organizations often establish one or more peer groups to serve various functions †“ as internal resource experts, as peer fact finders for investigations, as trainers within the organization. Education throughout the organization publicly launches the commitment to a new way of doing usiness. The best interventions include healing activities for targeted workers and witnesses who have been vicariously traumatized. A hybrid approach is to first create the policy and procedures. Then, when a high-profile person’s offense is confirmed as a violation, devise a personalized change program for her or him. Upon return to work, behavioral monitoring starts. Interviews of German consultants who specialize in workplace bullying (Saam, 2009) yielded three approaches were moderation/mediation, coaching, and organization development (OD).Moderation is a clarification process to allow the parties to move beyond misunder- standings or misperceptions. Mediation refers to the traditional conflict resolution process. Moderation/mediation works only when conflict does not escalate to a level for which only a power intervention is appropriate. Coaching necessarily develops solutions on a case-by-case basis. Coaching is support – tactical, emotional, career development, personalized skills education and rehearsal. The organization development (OD) approach is the third intervention strategy.Culture change is its primary goal (Saam, 2009). From an OD perspective, the source of the bullying problems can be found in attributes of the organization – the reporting relationships, layers in the hierarchy, transparency of decisionmaking processes, timeliness in responding to employee concerns, personal accountability for destructive interpersonal conduct, equitable processes that match rewards to performance, trust, reciprocated loyalty, clarity of roles, incorporation of collaborative processes, and performance expectations.An OD strategy sets new standards for doing things differently and altering performance-consequence contingencies. The OD c onsultant defines problems as systemic. Solutions must necessarily affect all people at all levels of the organization (Saam, 2009). The preferred tool of the OD bullying consultant is the proscription of bullying behavior via a new policy and accompanying set of enforcement procedures (Namie & Namie, 2009b).Based on her clinical practice with severe cases of bullying, Ferris (2004) contends similarly that helpful, responsive organizations do not see bullying as a merely personality issue to be solved by the parties through mediation. Instead, bullying is seen as an organizational problem that needs to be addressed through coaching for the bully, counseling, performance management, and policies that clearly define unacceptable conduct. Predicting Success We identify several factors to avoid failure, while increasing the likelihood of successful interventions: if HR initiates contact with the consultant, insist on executive team approval to move forward †¢ do not incorporate tra ditional conflict resolution strategies (mediation, arbitration) into the systemic program to address bullying (though informal, pre-complaint resolution processes can and should be crated) †¢ at the start, articulate how the prohibition of bullying will positively impact the delivery of services, quality of production – i. e. will benefit the end user †¢ describe the engagement as proactive and preventive, resolve extant crises before launching the project †¢ clarify executive team roles: awareness and acceptance, pledge of non-interference, authorization for policy writing group, commitment to participate in launch †¢ emphasize the seminal importance of implementation procedures over the policy alone †¢ policy and procedures are to apply to every employee at all levels, no exceptions †¢ Governing Board receives advance notice of project to schedule policy approval †¢ the internal champion/future policy director must have budget control â⠂¬ ¢ inclusion of unions, where present, is mandatory †¢ select a pool of employee-volunteers screened for compatibility to serve in one or more functions †¢ policy writing, internal resource experts, fact finding, training †¢ build-in continuity and succession of participants in the various groups responsible for sustaining the organization’s commitment to the anti-bullying initiatives showcase success stories in the media Persuasion Theory Applied to Employers Social judgment theory (Sherif & Sherif, 1968) is the theory most compatible with understanding the challenges posed by employers for activist-consultants.An ingratiating bully who spends years successfully cultivating a fawning relationship with an executive does so for the sake of self-protection. If the executive eventually learns that his friend’s tactics are undermining legitimate business interests, the executive’s dissonance will probably drive him to discount the complaint, accuse the complainant of â€Å"troublemaking,† and reinforce the bond with the bully. Recall that according to SJT, anchored opinions linked to a person’s self-identity are the least likely to change. The executive’s allegiance to the bully feels spontaneous to him. There is a high degree of ego involvement because it was the executive’s ego that the bully was stroking in Machiavellian fashion (Paulhus & Williams, 2002).The bully carefully cemented the bond over time. So, all evaluative opinions held by the executive about the bully fall well within the executive sponsor’s latitude of acceptance. Any disconfirming evidence presented – that the bully terrorizes peers and subordinates – is rejected reflexively. The target reporting the mistreatment cannot believe the denial of facts. The executive cannot believe his beloved friend could be accused of heinous actions. Executive denial that bullying operates in the organization at all is rooted in the same process. Consider the executive’s ego involvement in beliefs about the characteristics of the organization for which he wishes to take credit.From analysts, shareholders and a sycophantic inner circle of advisers, the executive only hears positive reports about operations.