Jellyfish Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jellyfish - Essay Example Jellyfish have no head, spine, heart, eyes, or cerebrum. Rather than having a mind, the animal has a sensory system additionally alluded as the nerve net that comprises of receptors that identify the smell, light, and different reactions. Moreover, Jellyfish has tactile organs known as Rhopalia that helps in looking after parity. They have a crude sense that comprises of the neural net and eye spots normally used to detect dim and light. Jellyfishes’ body is included three layers. The external layer alluded as epidermis, the internal layer known as the gastrodermis, and the center layer alluded as the mesoglea. The epidermis is the most significant layer that covers the outer body of this animal. The epidermis shields the skin from the intrusion of destructive substances in the body. The gastrodermis ensures the inward layer of the jellyfish. Commonly, Jellyfish has a straightforward stomach related cavity alluded as the coelenterons that are utilized as the stomach and excret ory organ. The coelenterons work like a neck, digestion tracts, and stomach through the mouth. By and large, the length of jellyfish limb is two to ten meters and the length can develop hugely. An investigation directed by King (22), demonstrates that the longest jellyfish to have lived was 120 feet. Jellyfish are carnivores and they will in general increment quickly when the food is abundant. These animals feed on little scavangers and zooplankton just to give some examples. Jellyfish are nonaggressive, free-swimming, and encompassed by arms with harming and stinging cells. The arms contain sacs loaded up with poison that can be hazardous. In view of its seriousness, specialists have given realities and data on the most proficient method to treat this sting. To expel the sting, one should utilize tweezers, thick garments, gloves, or sticks (Lindeen 33). As per this examination, one ought not contact the sting with exposed skin since the sting is harmful and can seriously influence the skin. One should discard the thing utilized for evacuating the sting to abstain from stinging yourself later. To completely deactivate the harmful sting, one ought to pour vinegar on the stung for

The Contemporary Art Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Contemporary Art Market - Essay Example The exposition The Contemporary Art Market discusses the Market of Contemporary Art. The effect of enhancement and augmentation of workmanship showcase into an open global market has slowly saturated into the craftsmanship advertise with significant changes being felt in activity of the deals. Such changes incorporate the utilization of significant closeout outfits, for example, Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Giving a speedy output of the procedure of the 2010 market, a portion of the above disclosures come into light, for example the way that some of craftsmanship pieces by a portion of the previously mentioned contemporary craftsmen overwhelmed the market. It is additionally a watched certainty blended responses delineate the market circumstance while 2010 is taken into correlation with 2008, not long before the ongoing financial emergency. While prior expectations showed that the effect of the ongoing financial droop would take at any rate three years to full recuperation , an alternate response would not be precluded sooner than that. As per the creator, the effect of financial execution was extreme to the workmanship advertise and an extensive length time would be anticipated to recoup. Notwithstanding, 2010 signs are acceptable that commonality will quickly return in 2011 if all elements are held steady. Earthy colored delineates one of the evaluating examples not out of the ordinary in 2011, with effect of 2008 emergency step by step being recouped. A portion of the significant deals recorded in 2010 at Christie’s incorporate Jasper John’s Flag was sold at more than 28 million US dollars. Rehs likewise reports that Liz went fro more than 18 million US dollars.

How to Use Acts of Service in Your Relationship

How to Use Acts of Service in Your Relationship Relationships Spouses & Partners Print How to Use Acts of Service in Your Relationship By Sarah Sheppard Sarah Sheppard is a writer, editor, ghostwriter, writing instructor, and advocate for mental health, womens issues, and more. Learn about our editorial policy Sarah Sheppard Updated on February 07, 2020 Performing Acts of Service. Unsplash More in Relationships Spouses & Partners Marital Problems LGBTQ Violence and Abuse Growing up, my father would cut up pineapple and leave little pieces in the fridge, a toothpick poking out of each, because he knew that pineapple was my favorite fruit. I didn’t know it then, but my father showed his love through Acts of Service. He’d take my car, unannounced, and fill it up with gas. He’d spend hours washing windows, cleaning leather shoes, running to the grocery store. This was his way of showing me his love and affection. Love Languages Defined Dr. Gary Chapman’s The 5 Love Languages?? dives into the power of communicating love in relationships, both intimate and platonic. He explains that each of us gives and receives love differently. Of the five languages (Acts of Service, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, and Receiving Gifts), we often prefer one more than the others.   Everything You Need to Know About the Five Love Languages In terms of intimate relationships, Acts of Service is a language that can best be described as doing something for your partner that you know they would like, such as filling up their gas, watering their plants, or cooking them a meal. When you give Acts of Service, you give up your time. This non-verbal form of love can be time-consuming and exhausting, but if it’s what you partner needs, then its worth the effort. Giving Acts of Service If you have identified that your partner prefers to receive Acts of Service, then you’re one step closer to making your partner feel loved (and assuming you love your partner, you should want to make them feel this way). Whether it’s in your nature to give Acts of Service, or not, know that anyone can learn this love language. When it comes to performing Acts of Service, here  are four things you can do: Pay attention to the small things: what your partner wants to do on your next trip together, how much sugar your partner adds to their morning coffee, what time your partner’s favorite show is on, etc. Take notes, if you can’t remember.Consider the things your partner doesn’t enjoy doing. If you’re partner complains about taking out the trash, researching financial terms, cleaning the space between the wall and the dresser, or walking the dog, then you can do these tasks for your partner. If your partner doesn’t like dealing with the cable company, offer to take on responsibility for the monthly cable bill.Focus on acts that are easy for you to accommodate into your schedule. Pay attention to your partner’s calendar each week and see if you can add in Acts of Service. Maybe your partner has limited time between their workout in the morning and their first work meeting. Plan to have coffee and breakfast ready and waiting.Utilize your strengths. If you understand something your partner doesn’t, offer your services. If you’re more handy than your partner, for example, focus on handyman tasks like changing your partner’s oil, or fixing the broken lightbulb in the bathroom. Even if your partner prefers another love language, Acts of Service can be beneficial for every healthy relationship. According to a 2016 study conducted by the Pew Research Center,??? more than half of all married couples believed that sharing housework was a major importance in a successful marriage. Whether it’s part of your love language or not, it’s important to make sure that you and your partner are both satisfied with how much work you do around the house. Receiving Acts of Service   If you prefer to receive Acts of Service above all other love languages, then it’s important to tell your partner this. Just make sure you are kind and patient, as you ask for the things you want. Acts of service arent always easy to do, and you shouldnt  assume that your partner will do everything you ask simply because you prefer Acts of Service. Your Partner Cannot Fulfill All Your Emotional Needs Many times, Acts of Service can be a difficult love language to implement, because it requires so much time, and often, preparation. Maybe your partner is studying for their PhD and unable to focus on any acts. Maybe your partner returns home late from another long day of work, only to give you thirty-minutes of quality time without a TV or smartphone. Try and cherish these efforts, recognizing that your partner likely loves you, even if they cant perform Acts of Service that day or week. Understanding Your Partner’s Love Language     If your preferred  language is Quality Time, but your partner keeps focusing on Acts of Service, then you may feel slighted when your partner spends time cleaning your car instead of giving you undivided attention. Make sure you and your partner are up front about your preferences and find a way to work together to achieve the mutually-desired results. If your partner likes when you cook, for example, maybe you can start by preparing a weekly breakfast for them. A Word From Verywell You don’t have to speak the same love language to have a lasting, fulfilling relationship. You just have to know how to communicate your needs with your partner, whatever those may be. Communication is a key component of every healthy relationship and it’s especially important if you wish to achieve a long-lasting relationship with your spouse--or with any loved one. Are You In a Healthy Relationship?

Stereotypes- Definitional Essa Essay - 751 Words

Dumb jocks;, Women dont belong in a professional setting, they belong in the kitchen;, He must be a Jew, just look at his nose.; Our society is based solely on face values where we tend to place someone in a category because of his or her actions. Prejudicial notations used to define members of a social or ethnic group are called stereotypes. We stereotype various groups of people, but none like women, different ethnic groups, and athletes. We typically stereotype women on the job. Women normally are associated with jobs such as nurses, secretaries, and tailors. These are jobs in which most people would label as a tender loving care job, which requires a womans touch. Women are rarely associated with the titles of a Doctor,†¦show more content†¦The most common stereotypes are those that are aimed towards different racial or ethnic groups. We often stereotype young black males as being involved in a gang because of the use of ghetto; slang terms and the particular style and presentation of their clothes. The media constantly portrays most gang activity as a result from the inner city black community; however, they seldom discuss white and Asian gang activity. We also believe that most of the African Americans make up the largest group of people on welfare, when in reality; it is whites that are the largest group requiring public assistance. Caucasian athletes have stereotyped blacks as being a superior athlete a nd competitor. African Americans supposedly can jump higher and run faster then their fellow athletes. The viewing public would agree with the previous statement, because it seems like it is true when watching sporting competitions on television, but it is, nonetheless due to stereotypes. Professional Basketball, Football, and Baseball players have been the victims of some harsh stereotypes in the past few years. Hearing the public stereotype professional athletes as being dumb is not uncommon. It is a misconception, to many people, that athletes are uneducated. The majority of professional athletes have been educated at well-known colleges and universities, before they ever made it into the professional teams. A popular misconception is that the

The Effects Of Drug Abuse On The Body And Mind - 1271 Words

Parents have always said to their young to stay away of drugs because they are â€Å"bad† what they do not say is that drugs can become a serious addiction and cause serious complications. Drug abuse is a serious concern in today’s society; at this day and age just about anyone is doing or has been near drugs in their lifetime. People should be more educated on the subject of how drugs can seriously affect the body and mind. Addiction is often defined by continuing the compulsive nature of the drug use, they are ignoring the physical and/or psychological harm to themselves. In some cases the user may not just be a single person, but a mother carrying her future child. Drug abuse among mothers has tripled in the U.S., and so has the count of†¦show more content†¦It is a widely known fact that medical science can improve the mother [and] child’s health status only when supported by an effective program of social actions† (Broscauncianu, 140). A perin atal infection is an infection caused by a virus that can be transmitted from the mother to her child during pregnancy or during the delivery (Broscauncianu, 140). Perinatal infections can also be caused by many other factors rather than drug abuse. For example, having a sexually transmitted disease can be passed from a mother to the child by contact with the mother’s blood during the delivery. Due to the fact that perinatal infections is caused by transition within the womb as well, the child becomes addicted to the drug like its mother. Do to perinatal infection the child is growing addicted in the womb to whatever opiate the mother is taking at the time. During any time of the pregnancy, the mother’s behavior and actions affect the baby’s development. Addiction can badly affect the child in any stage of the pregnancy, from the child’s growth, to health, and their mental stability. Chiara Domenici, et al. explains how, â€Å"The consequences of drug ad diction during pregnancy vary depending on the kind of drug, dose, and moment of intake†¦ [Also if it is a] premature birth. Furthermore, when the pregnancy is over, after the delivery, the direct link between mother and fetus stops, but the negative influence of the drug assumption continues on the newborn†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (788). The child’s risk

The use of advertising strategy on men Free Essays

string(90) " that she has all what is needed in a practical world which is actually totally opposite\." Since the time communication process came into being, role of both electronic and print media has increased where they communicate all sorts of information to people across the globe. In the nineteenth and the twentieth century media has gone to unattainable heights and now in our times it is accessible to almost all parts of the globe. It introduces new trends, brings changes in the present culture of a society and tells about happenings around the world and this is how it also shapes opinions of people. We will write a custom essay sample on The use of advertising strategy on men or any similar topic only for you Order Now Thus we can say that media plays a vital role in our lives and keeps us informed. But sometimes media takes a negative turn and shows such stuff which has a negative effect in different parts of societies. In ads, they portray women as thin, beautiful, sophisticated human beings and men as wealthy robots which have led to a reduction in self-acceptance of people. Beautiful bodies shown in those ads have increased the desire of common women to go on severe diet plans, go for the latest whitening products and to go to such extremes which has also led to such disorders as anorexia, bulimia along with emotional disorders. Think of a beautiful woman and think about the definition of a beautiful woman for a second or two; we will realize that the only words that come to our mind, even if we are females, are big eyes, good height, perfect physique, beautiful hair etc instead of a good friend or colleague, perfect mother and a perfect wife etc. Even unconsciously we refer to women by the former words instead of the latter ones. Women are always appreciated by how they appear instead of who they really are, and the society has accepted it. Many factors are responsible for this wrong image projection which includes media as well as the gender discrimination. There are some aspects as to why females are facing such problems and are always cast in those roles that undermine their status and affect the entire female population negatively. One of books written on this subject is â€Å"Beauty Myth† by Naomi Wolf. This book was published in 1991. It focuses on female beauty, how it is used to project the wrong side of a â€Å"real woman† and how this beauty is creating problems for the modern women who want to be perfect by having cosmetic surgeries, or want to be size zero and are developing eating disorders and how this beauty contest is responsible for their jobs etc. Naomi wolf, in her book basically emphasizes that women in their culture are mostly projected as beauty symbols; the more lovely and delicate a woman more appreciation she gets from the members of society. In 1990s many women rose to prestigious positions, they expanded themselves in terms of education, careers along with managing their families but they also became self-conscious and their youthfulness and focused more on ways of retaining it. Our communication and print media has spread a lot in the past two decades and this has lead to an increase in the advertisements. The women of modern times; are constantly bombarded with the images of a perfect girl; who is flawless, she is not a day over 25 years, elegant and smart. Women now judge themselves according to these standards set by the people who undermine women and who are responsible for low self-esteem and low self-confidence in women. They have started to spend more money on surgeries, on diet food and medicines that they think can give them a good body. In the past women were not allowed to educate themselves, they were thought not suitable partners if they read too much. Most of the female population doesn’t need to face this problem now instead they are faced with a more gruesome problem of being pretty and perfect as portrayed in many advertisements that are shown on media. There are many advertisements that portray this beautiful and perfect woman image while undermining rest of the female population. One of the ads is of a skin whitening cream â€Å"Fair and Lovely† which has caused severe racial problems in South Asia especially in India. Over there majority of the population has a dark complexion and they are always trying to lighten it by going for the latest whitening products launched in their markets or for bleaching their skins. The ad of this beauty product that is on air nowadays in South Asian countries is of a young girl wanting to be an anchor on television. The ad is not in English but one can understand the meaning instantly by watching it. The auditions are in one month and her only hurdle is her dark skin. The ad not only claims skin lightening in one month but also mentions that the girl’s dreams are fulfilled as she secures the job once she uses the product. A similar kind of ad was on air in India some time ago. In this ad they were showing that a girl wanted to be an air-hostess and the same theme was repeated that she became one by using those specific products. All these products project the same thing; fair complexion can help you to do anything and that with fair skin all the dreams are going to be fulfilled. Now if we look into these advertisements closely what they are actually trying to portray is that women are nothing without a fair complexion. They can’t achieve their goals and think high. Beauty is what is needed in today’s world; most of all a light complexion is what is really needed to take a female to higher positions and get her employed in her desired area. In South Asian regions such ads are very common and are watched by thousands. So they are continually affecting the mentality of girls and women. A white complexioned girl thinks that she has all what is needed in a practical world which is actually totally opposite. You read "The use of advertising strategy on men" in category "Papers" Then such ads are also constantly making these women self-conscious in a wrong way. These are crushing the confidence of girls. They think that to succeed in life they need to have a fair complexion and have to be the image of a â€Å"perfect woman†. The other advertisement that I will take up are the advertisements that show women smokers. These ads are mostly Western but the trend of smoking is also coming to other regions causing a negative image. These ads basically try to show that women who smoke are more powerful, affluent and are considered a threat to men. They also mention that if you want to finish this hushed discrimination and become equivalent to men you have to smoke. That is how they are going to add you up in their circle. The other negative affect of such ads is that if a prominent and popular person of a group smokes maybe her peers will follow suit. They find it fashionable and think that they are desired to do this to be accepted by that person. Such ads can also become favorites of teenagers and they are more likely to start using such just by being impressed by these ads. Naomi Wolf ; the writer of the book; â€Å"Beauty Myth† has not only mentioned the negative effects of beauty and how it is used to undermine women and the role of media in it but she has also written about how media plays a role in making men conscious of the things they lack. Media can’t portray men as beautiful because men who are mostly successful can be short or of dark complexion. So they give the image of a very successful man, living in a luxurious apartment, surrounded by the most expensive items and mostly beautiful women as well; meaning that all his desires are fulfilled. So in a way men have gotten away rather easily than women. They don’t have to have a beautiful bone structure or a pretty face or a good height. The only thing that they really need is bank balance to be attractive, a house in an elite area, most prestigious golf club membership and there you have the most eligible and perfect man. There are also many ads which have a negative image on men. Men are mostly faced with the big problem of baldness. No doubt that this is a serious problem faced by men of both the West and the East but not to an extent to cause depression for the male population. Hair loss is one of the main worries of male population after aging and memory loss. Those who are suffering from hair loss are more likely to feel unattractive and aged as hair loss is directly related to aging. For some men hair is given more priority. They also think that they become less noticeable and are made fun of. Hair loss is a worry for men of all ages but it causes serious concern in young men. Media takes advantage of the above mentioned problem of men and creates a negative effect on them. Nowadays it has become customary of the electronic as well as the print media to show ads of men losing their hair and then getting hair transplants. Advertisement may start off with a before and an after scene. Before: bald man goes somewhere and women don’t give him any attention. After: he goes to that place again after having a hair transplant and he is accepted as a young person. These ad’s cause a very depressing and negative image for the men since not all are born with great hairs. These ads are somewhat similar to the whitening cream ads made for women. As they tell us the same thing that men are not eligible, successful and liked by the females and their own colleagues if they are bald, now how many of us think that there is some truth in this sentence because life isn’t about looking great all the time. Hair transplants may be necessary for men working in electronic media and have to be attractive to get more roles and to have a younger look but common people don’t need to have hair transplants. The other category of advertisement which effect men negatively are the ads of energy drinks. They usually say that a person will become super active and will perform all the tasks that he had not been able to do in the past. Some of the other ads are of steroids; which tell men that they can become more competent by using them. Most athletes/sports men tend to use steroids against the law for winning the specific game and to make world records. The thing that they don’t know is that the steroids also have many side effects which can be mild or severe. Men who use steroids have hormonal imbalances. If they are more aggressive than their growth is also affected. There were some of the ads which affect both men and women negatively making both of these genders extra conscious of their outlook. These advertisements have awakened the human primitive instincts of being likened and cherished by everyone. Now instead of being happy in their lives, success and fortune, both the genders are focusing on how to improve themselves in order to look like the TV models. And if they fail to accomplish this goal, they become depressed and feel that they aren’t worth anything. Other such advertisement includes the ads of new technologies and the new fashions in clothing, accessories etc. are being introduced which is increasing extravagance among people. Looking good is everyone’s right as it also leads to a boost in self-confidence. Maintaining oneself comes in the same category and using products which aid that maintenance program is appreciated and is good. But we should remember to use them within the tolerable limits and not overuse them. Unless and until something is done to stop such kind of advertisements both the genders along with many other parts of society are going to suffer. Men and women may find it easier to relate to ads that show normal people with their normal problems. God has made people beautiful because He also likes beauty which we can see in this world and have a proof. But to use beauty to portray negative images is wrongly done by media. I totally agree with the way ‘Naomi Wolf† has described the way women are used in ads to undermine their personalities. As long as advertisements of such products continue to appear on print and electronic media we will constantly watch pretty faces making our lives miserable and increasing our personal suffering. Bibliography Etcoff, N. L. (1999) Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty. Doubleday Weiss, S. I. (2002) Coping with the Beauty Myth: A Guide for Real Girls. The Rosen Publishing Group Lakoff, R. T. , Scherr, R. L. (1984) Face Value, the Politics of Beauty: The Politics of Beauty. Routledge Bell, E. , Haas, L. , Sells. (n. d. ) From Mouse to Mermaid: The Politics of Film, Gender, and Culture. Indiana University Press Freedman, R. J. (1986) Beauty Bound. Lexington Books How to cite The use of advertising strategy on men, Papers

Racist speech free essay sample

On Racist Speech: A Critical Analysis Introduction Charles R. Lawrence Ill, a professor of law at Stanford University, wrote the article On Racist Speech against the growing incidence of racial violence, especially in University campuses in the U. S. A college campus has the status of a home for the students residing therein, and as such any racist aggression or violence in general and racist speech in particular have the potential to disturb the law, order, and harmony in the social environment, apart from causing injury to the victims of such racial behavior. This paper attempts to analyze the reasons and arguments mooted y Lawrence to demand that racist speech must be regulated, more so in a college campus environment. It also examines how such regulation will impinge upon, or impact, the rights assured under the First Amendment. Summary Lawrence begins his article with a focus on the unmistakable message that racial speech sends a destructive message to minorities that they are inferior and are in turn second class citizens. We will write a custom essay sample on Racist speech or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (Lawrence). He further feels that the problem of racist speech has been framed as one in which the liberty of free speech is in conflict with the elimination of racism. He continues: l believe this has placed the bigot on the moral high ground and fanned the rising flames of racism. Above all, I am troubled that we have not listened to the real victims, that we have shown so little understanding of their injury, and that we have abandoned those whose race, gender, or sexual preference continues to make them second-class citizens. (Lawrence). The essayist laments that libertarians in civil society who stoutly oppose the plea for clamping down on racist speech have turned away their ears from the cries of the real victims as they do not really understand or appreciate the ature and extent of harm suffered by the victims. Exposing the reality of how championing the cause of free speech for its own sake comes in conflict with efforts to eradicate racism, Lawrence makes an impassioned case for eliciting support from the powers-that-be. A major support that the essayist relies on to drive home his point is the now famously known Brown v. Board of Education case that finally drew curtains on the segregation of students in schools on racial lines. He held this up to show that the government took its awareness of the problem of racism to its next ogical step of legal intervention with a view to getting rid of the system of signs and symbols that signal the inferiority of blacks. (Lawrence). Later in his essay, Lawrence takes a strident view that the goal of ending racial oppression and racist speech would remain an empty dream unless and until the regulation of free speech becomes a reality. He argues that under the cover of free speech, racist elements tend to take a moral high ground and go on to add fuel to the fire of this burning issue, thus fanning the rising flames of racism. (Lawrence). He thus feels that those ho blindly oppose the plea for bridling of free speech in order to halt racial oppression only help in rendering racial animosities grow stronger by the day. Writing Techniques Charles Lawrence has a gifted style of narration that is lucid and flowing. He writes hard-hitting and honest in his exposition of the realities of life as he sees it, and makes forceful pleas to eradicate the evil of racist speech. Critical Analysis The strong plea for regulation of free speech made by Lawrence aims at eliminating racist oppression and racist speech even at the cost of legal restrictions to the rights ndowed under the First Amendment. The writer thinks that if society has not been successful in this direction for so long, then it would be futile to imagine that free speech should continue even as the fght against racism goes on. He does not buy the argument that free speech empowers all people, including the victims of racism, to express their views and problems freely. To support his view, he cites the Supreme Court, which ruled that the First Amendment could not be construed as protecting words, which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace. (Lawrence). I am inclined to agree with the views of the author inasmuch as unbridled freedom of speech might rather help in entrenching racist attitudes deeper than in eradicating the evil.

Metes, Bounds Meanders - Platting the Land of Your Ancestors

Metes, Bounds Meanders - Platting the Land of Your Ancestors In the original thirteen colonies, plus Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Texas, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and parts of Ohio (the state land states), land boundaries are identified according to the indiscriminate survey system, more commonly referred to as metes and bounds. The metes and bounds land survey system relies on several different items to convey a property description: General Location - details on the propertys location, possibly including the state, county, and township; nearby waterways; and acreage.Survey Lines - describes the boundaries of the property using direction and distance.Boundary Descriptions - details on natural features found along the property boundaries, such as creeks and trees.Neighbors - names of neighboring property owners whose land shares a line or adjoins at a corner. How the Land Was Surveyed Surveyors in early America used only a few simple tools to measure direction, distance, and acreage of a parcel of land. Distance was usually measured with an instrument called a Gunters chain, measuring four poles (sixty-six feet) in length and consisting of 100 linked pieces of iron or steel. Indicators hung at certain points to mark important subdivisions. Most metes and bounds land descriptions describe distance in terms of these chains, or in measurements of poles, rods, or perches - interchangeable units of measurement equaling 16 1/2 feet, or 25 links on a Gunters chain. A number of different instruments were used to determine the direction of survey lines, the most common being the magnetic compass. Since compasses point to magnetic north, rather than true north, surveyors may have corrected their surveys by a particular declination value. This value is important when trying to fit an old plot on a modern map, as the location of magnetic north is constantly drifting. There are two primary types of systems used by surveyors to describe direction: Compass Degrees - the standard system used in most locations, compass degree headings specify a compass point (North, South, East or West), followed by a number of degrees, and then another compass point.Example: N42W, or 42 degrees west of north Compass Points - Found in some early colonial land descriptions, compass points, or compass card directions, refer to the 32-point compass card. This system of describing direction was, by its very nature, imprecise and, luckily, was also rarely used.Example: WNW 1/4 N, or the compass point midway between west and northwest by one quarter point north Acreage was usually determined with the aid of tables and charts and, due to meanders and strangely shaped, non-rectangular parcels of land, could often be fairly inaccurate. When a boundary ran along a creek, stream, or river, the survey often described this with the word meander. This usually meant that the surveyor did not attempt to pinpoint all of the changes in directions of the creek, instead noting that the property line followed the meanders of the waterway. A meander can also be used to describe any line noted in a survey which does not provide both direction and distance - even if there is not any water involved. Deciphering the Lingo I still remember the first time that I saw a metes and bounds land description in a deed - it looked like a lot of confusing gibberish. Once you learn the lingo, however, youll find that metes and bounds surveys make a lot more sense than they appear to at first glance. ...330 acres of land lying in Boufort County and on the East side of Coneto Creek. Beginning at a white oak in Michael Kings line: then by sd [said] line S[outh] 30 d[egrees] E[ast] 50po[les] to a pine then E 320 poles to a pine then N 220 poles to a pine then by Crisps line west 80 poles to a pine then down the creek to the first station.... Once you look closer at the land description, youll notice that it follows a fairly basic pattern of alternating calls, consisting of corners and lines. Corners use physical or geographical markers (e.g. white pine) or the name of an adjoining land owner (e.g. Michael King) to describe an exact location on the parcel of land. Lines are then used to describe the distance and direction to the next corner (e.g. South 30 degrees East 50 poles), and may also be described using physical markers such as a stream (e.g. down the creek), or the names of adjoining property owners. A metes and bounds land description always begins with a corner (e.g. Beginning at a white oak in Michael Kings line) and then alternates lines and corners until returning to the starting point (e.g. to the first station). Next Page Land Platting Made Easy One of the best ways to study local history in general, and your family in particular, is to create a map of your ancestors land(s) and its relationship to the surrounding community. Making a plat from a land description may sound complicated, but it is actually very simple once you learn how. Land Platting Supplies Tools To plat a tract of land in metes and bounds bearings i.e. draw the land on paper the way the surveyor originally did you need only a few simple tools: Protractor or Surveyors Compass - Remember that half-circle protractor that you used in high school trigonometry? This basic tool, found in most office and school supply stores, is an easy-to-obtain tool for land platting on the fly. If you plan to do a lot of land platting, then you may want to purchase a round surveyors compass (also known as a land measure compass), available from specialty supply stores.Ruler - Again, easily found in office supply stores. The only requirement is that it is marked in millimeters.​Graph Paper - Used only to keep your compass aligned perfectly north-south, the size and type of graph paper is really not important. Patricia Law Hatcher, an expert in land platting, recommends engineering paper, with four to five equally-weighted lines per inch.Pencil Eraser - Wood pencil, or mechanical pencil - its your choice. Just make sure its sharp!Calculator - Doesnt need to be fancy. Just simple multiplication and division. Pencil and paper will work too - just takes longer. As you can see, the basic tools required for land platting can all be found at a local office supply store or discount mass merchandiser. So, next time youre on the road and run across a new deed, you dont have to wait until you get home to plat it out on paper. Land Platting Step-by-Step Transcribe or make a copy of the deed, including the full legal land description.Highlight the calls - lines and corners. Land platting experts Patricia Law Hatcher and Mary McCampbell Bell suggest to their students that they underline the lines (including distance, direction, and adjoining owners), circle the corners (including neighbors), and use a wavy line for meanders.Create a chart or list of the calls for easy reference as you play, including only the pertinent information or facts. Check off each line or corner on the photocopy as you work to help prevent errors.If you plan to overlay your plat onto a modern day USGS quadrangle map, then convert all distances to USGS scale and include them on your chart. If your deed description uses poles, rods, or perches, then divide each distance by 4.8 for an easy conversion.Draw a solid dot on your graph paper to indicate your starting point. Next to it write down the description of the corner (e.g. Beginning at a white oak in Michael K ings line). This will help you remember that this was your starting point, as well as including the markers which will help you possibly match it up with adjoining plats. Place the center of your protractor on top of the dot, making sure that it is aligned with the grid on your graph paper and that north is on top. If youre using a semi-circular protractor, orient it so that the circular side faces toward the east or west direction of the call (e.g. for the line S32E - align your protractor with the circular side facing east).

Breathtaking Facts about Fisher Effect

Breathtaking Facts about Fisher Effect The Fisher Effect is a macroeconomic concept developed by the early American economist Irving Fisher (1867-1947) that predicts that the real interest rate is equal to the nominal interest rate minus the rate of inflation, and that in order to hold the real interest rate constant, the nominal interest rate must be adjusted by an amount equal to the rate of inflation. What Is the Fisher Effect? The Fisher Effect is a macroeconomic concept developed by the early American economist Irving Fisher (1867-1947) that predicts that the real interest rate is equal to the nominal interest rate minus the rate of inflation, and that in order to hold the real interest rate constant, the nominal interest rate must be adjusted by an amount equal to the rate of inflation. BLACK ECONOMY The importance of this prediction is that it suggests that over a long term period, changes in monetary control measures, such as adjustments in interest rates or the money supply, have no real effect on real interest rates or economic output. In order to understand the Fisher Effect (which should not be confused with the similarly-named International Fisher Effect, which deals with currency values and was also developed by Dr. Fisher), we need to understand two basic economic ideas: the difference between real and nominal interest rates, and the quantity theory of money. The nominal interest rate is the stated interest borne by any sort of investment instrument – a savings account, bond, interest on a loan, and so on. For example, if you were to purchase a 30-day certificate of deposit at 5% interest for $1,000, the nominal interest at the end of those 30 days would be $50. Because of price inflation, however, the new balance of $1,050 is worth less than that relative to the $1,000 it was worth 30 days ago. If the inflation rate is 2%, then the real value of the balance is $1,030 – 5% minus the 2% inflation rate equals 3%, which is the real interest rate. The Quantity Theory of Money The quantity theory of money relates prices to the supply of money in the economy; as the supply of money increases, so do prices. The theory is expressed by a simple, well-known equation M x V = P x Y, where M represents the money supply, V represents â€Å"velocity† or the number of times in a specified period the money is exchanged for goods or services, P represents an overall price level in an economy, and Y represents economic output, i.e. the real GDP. The equation can also be written in a form in which growth rates are substitutes for whole values for the variables; it functions in much the same way in either form. In the quantity theory, so long as the â€Å"velocity† of money and the economic output do not change, prices have to change according to the money supply. Over long periods, the velocity of money does, in fact, remain fairly constant. Economic output does change, but other parts of economic theory demonstrate that changes in economic output are attributable to technology and factors of production, not changes in the money supply. In other words, increases in economic output automatically increase the velocity of money by a corresponding amount, canceling these two factors out of the equation, or making them constant in relation to the M and the P. Enter the Fisher Effect Now we return to real and nominal interest rates. The constant (or if you prefer, equivalent) nature of the velocity of money and economic output over long periods of time is an indication that real interest rates do not change. Think of it this way: at any given point in time, a dollar purchases a dollar’s worth of goods or services. In a short term, of course, we notice the lag in the value of our dollar due to price inflation, but over a long period, the relative value remains approximately the same; prices go up, but so do wages and earnings on investments. That long-term consistency is the Fisher Effect. As inflation progresses, nominal interest rates are adjusted upward to compensate and keep real interest rates more or less constant. It’s â€Å"more or less† constant because the effect is not a smooth curve. When interest rates are set, the anticipated rate of inflation is taken into account; in reality, the rate of inflation usually differs slightly in magnitude and rate of change, meaning that from one interest-setting period to the next, the nominal interest rate either lags or leads to a small degree with respect to the inflation rate. The effect, however, averages out over a long period. The Fisher Effect in the context of the quantity theory of money also explains why efforts to stimulate an economy through adding money to the financial system – the so-called â€Å"quantitative easing† – usually has little to no effect. In theory, increasing the money supply increases the velocity of money; there is more money to spend, therefore, more exchanges of money occur. Thus, in the quantity theory equation, the left side of the equation, M x V, increases. If prices, P, on the right side of the equation do not immediately increase, or do not increase by a necessary amount, then in order for the equation to remain equal economic output, Y, must increase. HOW TO SAVE MONEY IN COLLEGE? The problem with this thinking is that first of all, economic output has the slowest rate of change of the four variables; prices will always change more quickly, and that keeps the equation equal. Second, nominal interest rates affect the velocity of money; when inflation rises, nominal interest rates are raised according to the Fisher Effect, and when interest rates increase, the velocity of money decreases. Interest on loans, for example, is raised because lenders are very aware of their real interest rate, and act to prevent it from decreasing. When loan interest is higher, fewer loans are made. For investors, higher interest rates encourage maintaining investments and accessing new ones, rather than liquidating them and spending the money on something else; the net change in the value of V is then zero, or close to it. The Fisher Effect is essentially an explanation for the relatively constant, cyclical nature of the economy over a long period of time. It is a fairly basic economic concept and can be seen in action if one looks at the economy from a historical perspective. It does not appear in the short term, which is perhaps why government economic managers seem to forget about it; if they would keep it in mind, however, they would realize that much of their effort towards â€Å"stimulating the economy† or â€Å"managing the exchange value of the currency† has no real impact and that their time might be better spent on other activities.

Diversity in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Diversity in the Workplace - Essay Example Circumstances sometimes create peculiar conditions which bring to the fore the inherent weaknesses prevalent in our society. There are rules and regulations which provide broad guidelines for keeping a delicate balance in dealing with such matters so that mutual harmony is maintained amongst the workforce. The guiding principle behind this thought is that the world is a rich and diverse place, full of interesting cultures and people who should be treated with respect. Skirmishes arising out of 'discriminatory' behavior often result in tensions amongst colleagues. Though there are federal laws in place, it is the human character and nature which has to do the implementation part. One such incident recently took place in the corporate office of a multinational company located on the 4th floor of a multistory office complex. Since the complex more than one office, so there are many employees working for different companies. On a Friday afternoon, when a young executive of one such company was working her way to get into her car, she had a peculiar experience, which highlighted the inherent fear is us. As she swiped her car card inside the garage, she found a tall guy speedily approaching her from behind. When she noticed him, she was scared and hurriedly sat into the car and started the car. But thereafter the lady gathered some courage and as she passed the tall man, she asked him the reason for his being at the place and asked him to furnish his id proof. The incident would appear to be a trivial one, but it became a big issue, hotly discussed in the corridors of the office complex and the media. The reason, the lady happened to be a 'white' lady while the g entleman was a 'black' American. The incident took racial overtones and the black gentleman complained in his office about the ill-treatment meted out to him. He questioned the very motive for being asked for the id proof. His contention - he was being insulted and discriminated against for his being 'black'. This incident highlights two basic issues; One, howsoever hard we may try to appear as liberal; there remains an element of presumption in most of us. In this incident, perhaps the lady got scared more because she noticed the tall 'black' man running towards her. And just to show that she is not scared, she asked for the identity proof from the gentleman. Similarly, the 'black' gentleman too lodged a formal complaint, perhaps only because he encountered the 'white' lady, and took it as a discriminatory policy, when the lady asked for his identity card.  Secondly, the media might not have taken any note of it, had it not been a case of 'black' Vs 'white'. Even for that matter, we might not be discussing it, had it been an all-white affair. Organizations need to handle such issues with the utmost caution, without allowing them to flare up in big controversies. Diversity consists of visible as well as non-visible factors, which require to be handled with care.  

You should choose the topic about Hitler Term Paper

You should choose the topic about Hitler - Term Paper Example Adolf Hitler was born on 20th April in the year 1889, in Braunau, a small town in Austria. His father, named Alois, was a strict and short tempered person, brutal by nature. It had been stated that Adolf Hitler, in his young days, was frequently beaten up by his father. He was brought up by his father in a very strict manner. He wanted to be an artist in his early days but due to the disapproval of his father, he could not pursue his dream of being an artist. His mother Kara was an affectionate lady and used to support Adolf Hitler whenever he was depressed. As a student, he was not friendly by nature and had only few friends. He used to be very lazy. As he was not a good student and so he was not much interested to pursue the higher studies. He left his school at the age of 15 (Historylearningsite. â€Å"Adolf Hitler†). Adolf Hitler was a person with no much qualification. He did not even complete his 10th standard. He always wanted to be an artist. But his application was not accepted by the Vienna Academy of Art, as he did not have any ‘school leaving certificate’ or even till 10th educational background. His pieces of work had few human characters in them and the examining board did not entertain a landscape artist. His mother died when he was 18 years old, which was considered to a very miserable period for him. Without any source of earning or any other financial support, he was to lead a miserable life, thereafter. His only means of earning income was then through clearing the pathways of snow and by selling his painting. It was in this stage of his life when he tended to develop hatred for Jewish people which encouraged him to be against them which was in the year 1908. He wrote a book dedicated to his own life named ‘Mein Kampf’ where he mentioned this part of his life in Vienna as ‘five years of hardship and misery’. In this same book he

House Of The Seven Gables :: essays research papers

How does an author’s personal history or cultural background influence what he or she writes about? Are history and literature related? I believe that many authors a very influenced by their own background and the subjects they write about. Authors write about what is familiar. Authors write about something that they feel strongly about or love. I also feel that history and literature are closely related. Many great novels of this world have their basis in stories of the past, true stories taken from history. For one thing, authors usually write about what they already know about or what they see, or what they experience in life. They often write about the history of their family, town, or whatever place they live in. Books where the author understands his subject and feels comfortable and passionate about it are the most interesting. When an author’s writing has been influenced by his or her personal history and cultural background, the writer understands it. It’s also much easier for an author to write about something having to do with their personal history or cultural background. If we are familiar with a subject it is much easier to convince our reader of the ‘experience’ or ‘story’ that is being written about. Although Nathaniel Hawthorne’s allegory, The House of Seven Gables, was not entirely true, the incomparable part of it had to do with his personal history and his cultural background. His relation to the house was from his cousin Phoebe and the ideas about the witch trials were because he was living in the very time they were taking place. Therefore, I do think that the personal history and cultural background affect what the author writes about whether the book be fiction or non-fiction, but most of the time, non-fiction. An example of an author I can come up with where I strongly think their personal history and cultural background significantly influence what she writes about is Amy Tan. I have read two of her novels, The Joyluck Club and The Kitchen God’s Wife. She wrote about Chinese Americans living in San Francisco. A subject she knows much about and has lived through. Her books are so fascinating because she knows her subject well. They are novels yes, but we can trust that in many ways this is what a Chinese mother living in San Francisco may have behaved like or said. History and literature are also linked by way of story.

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.