Frances Perkins, First Woman in a Presidential Cabinet

Frances Perkins, First Woman in a Presidential Cabinet Frances Perkins (April 10, 1880 - May 14, 1965) became  the first woman to serve in a presidents cabinet when she was appointed the Secretary of Labor by  Franklin D. Roosevelt. She played a prominent public role throughout Roosevelts 12-year presidency and was instrumental in shaping New Deal policies and major pieces of legislation such as the Social Security Act. Early Life and Education Fannie Coralie Perkins (she would later adopt the first name Frances) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 10, 1880. Her family could trace its roots back to settlers in the 1620s. When she was a child, Perkins father moved the family to Worcester, Massachusetts, where he operated a store that sold stationery. Her parents had little formal education, but her father, in particular, read widely and had educated himself about history and the law. Perkins attended Worcester Classical High School, graduating in 1898. At some point in her teen years, she read How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis, the reformer and pioneering photojournalist. Perkins would later cite the book as an inspiration for her lifes work. She was accepted to Mount Holyoke College, though she was fearful of its rigorous standards. She had not considered herself to be very bright, but after working hard to pass a challenging chemistry class, she gained self-confidence. As a senior at Mount Holyoke,  Perkins took a course on American economic history. A field trip to local factories and mills was a requirement of the course. Witnessing firsthand the poor working conditions had a profound effect on Perkins. She realized that workers were being exploited by dangerous conditions, and came to see how injured workers could find themselves forced into a life of poverty. Before leaving college, Perkins helped found a chapter of the National Consumers League. The organization sought to improve working conditions by urging consumers not to purchase products manufactured in unsafe conditions.   Career Beginnings After graduation from Mount Holyoke in 1902, Perkins took teaching jobs in Massachusetts and lived with her family in Worcester. At one point, she rebelled against her familys wishes and traveled to New York City to visit an agency which dealt with helping the poor. She insisted on getting a job interview, but wasnt hired. The director of the organization thought she was naive and presumed that Perkins would be overwhelmed working among the urban poor. After two unhappy years in Massachusetts after college, Perkins applied and was hired for a teaching job at Ferry Academy, a girls boarding school  in Chicago. Once settled in the city, she began visiting Hull House, a settlement house founded and led by noted social reformer Jane Addams. Perkins changed her name from Fannie to Frances and devoted all the time she could to her work at Hull House. After three years in Illinois, Perkins took a job in Philadelphia for an organization that researched social conditions faced by young women and African Americans working in the citys factories. Then, in 1909, Perkins earned a scholarship to attend graduate school at Columbia University in New York City. In 1910, she completed her masters thesis: an investigation of undernourished children attending a school in Hells Kitchen. While completing her thesis, she began working for the New York office of the Consumers League and became active in campaigns to improve working conditions for the citys poor. Political Awakening On March 25, 1911, a Saturday afternoon, Perkins was attending a tea at a friends apartment on Washington Square in New Yorks Greenwich Village. The sounds of a terrible commotion reached the apartment, and Perkins raced a few blocks to the Asch Building on Washington Place. A fire had broken out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, a clothing sweatshop that employed mostly young immigrant women. Doors kept locked to prevent workers from taking a break trapped the victims on the 11th floor, where ladders of the fire department couldnt reach them. Frances Perkins, in the crowd on a nearby sidewalk, witnessed the horrible spectacle of young women falling to their deaths to escape the flames. The conditions in the factory cost 145 lives. Most of the victims were young working class and immigrant women. The New York State Factory Investigation Commission was formed within months of the tragedy. Frances Perkins was hired as an investigator for the commission, and she was soon leading inspections of factories and reporting on safety and health conditions. The job was aligned with her career goal, and it brought her into a working relationship with Al Smith, a New York City assemblyman who served as the vice-chair of the commission. Smith would later become governor of New York and eventually the Democratic nominee for president in 1928. Political Focus In 1913, Perkins married Paul Caldwell Wilson, who worked in the office of the mayor of New York City. She kept her last name, partly because she was often giving speeches advocating better conditions for workers and she didnt want to risk that her husband would be embarrassed. She had a child that died in 1915, but a year later gave birth to a healthy baby  girl. Perkins assumed she would ease away from her work life and devote herself to being a wife and mother,  perhaps volunteering for various causes. Perkins plan to withdraw from public service changed for two reasons. First, her husband began to suffer bouts of mental illness, and she felt compelled to stay employed. Second, Al Smith, who had become a friend, was elected governor of New York in 1918. It seemed to Smith that women would soon get the vote, and it was a good time to hire a woman for a substantial role in the state government. Smith appointed Perkins to the industrial commission of the New York State Department of Labor.   While working for Smith, Perkins became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, and her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt. As Roosevelt was recuperating after contracting polio, Perkins helped him keep in touch with labor leaders and began to advise him on the issues. Appointed by Roosevelt After Roosevelt was elected governor of New York, he appointed Perkins to head the New York State Department of Labor. Perkins was actually the second woman to be in a New York governors cabinet (in Al Smiths administration, Florence Knapp had served briefly as secretary of state). The New York Times noted that Perkins was being promoted by Roosevelt as he believed she had made a very fine record in her post in the state government. During Roosevelts term as governor, Perkins became nationally known as an authority on laws and regulations governing labor and business. When an economic boom ended and the  Great Depression began in late 1929, less than a year into Roosevelts term as governor, Perkins faced a startling new reality.  She immediately began making plans for the future. She took actions to deal with the impact of the Depression in New York State, and she and Roosevelt essentially prepared for how they could take action on a national stage. After Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, he appointed Perkins to be the nations secretary of labor, and she became the first woman to serve in a presidents cabinet.   Role in The New Deal Roosevelt took office on March 4, 1933, stating Americans had nothing to fear but fear itself. The Roosevelt administration immediately went into action to battle the effects of the Great Depression. Perkins led the effort to institute unemployment insurance. She also pushed for higher wages for workers as a measure to stimulate the economy. One of her first major actions was to oversee the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which became known as the CCC. The organization took young unemployed men and put them to work on conservation projects throughout the nation. Frances Perkins  greatest achievement is generally considered her work devising the plan that became the Social Security Act. There was great opposition in the country to the idea of social insurance, but the act successfully passed  through Congress and was signed into law by Roosevelt in 1935. Decades later, in 1962, Perkins gave a speech titled The Roots of Social Security in which she detailed the struggle: Once you get the ear of a politician, you get something real. The highbrows can talk forever and nothing happens. People smile benignly  on them and let it go. But once the politician gets an idea, he deals in getting things done. In addition to her work shaping  legislation, Perkins was at the center of labor disputes. In an era when the labor movement was approaching its peak of power, and strikes were often in the news, Perkins became extremely active in her role as labor secretary. Impeachment Threat In 1939,  conservative members of Congress,  including Martin Dies, the leader  of the  House Committee on Un-American Activities, launched a crusade against her. She  had prevented the speedy deportation of an Australian-born leader of the West Coast longshoremans union, Harry Bridges. He had been accused of being a communist. By extension, Perkins was accused of communist sympathies. Members of Congress moved to impeach Perkins in January 1939, and hearings were held to decide whether impeachment charges were warranted. Ultimately, Perkins career withstood the challenge, but it was a painful episode. (While the tactic of deporting labor leaders had been used before, evidence against Bridges fell apart during a trial and he remained in the United States.) Outbreak of World War II On December 7, 1941, Perkins was in New York City when she was told to return to Washington immediately. She attended a cabinet meeting that night at which Roosevelt told his administration about the severity of the attack on Pearl Harbor.   At the beginning of World War II, American industry was transitioning from producing consumer goods to the material of war. Perkins continued as secretary of labor, but her role was not as prominent as it had been previously. Some of her major goals, such as a national health insurance program, were abandoned. Roosevelt felt he could no longer spend political capital on domestic programs. Perkins, exhausted by her long tenure in the administration, and feeling that any  further goals were unattainable, planned to leave the administration by 1944. But Roosevelt asked her to stay after the election of 1944. When he won a fourth term, she continued on at the Labor Department. On April 12, 1945, a Sunday afternoon, Perkins was at home  in Washington when she  received an urgent call to go to the White House. Upon arrival, she was informed of President Roosevelts death. She became determined to leave government, but continued in a transition period and stayed in the Truman administration for a few months, until July 1945. Later Career and Legacy President Harry Truman later asked Perkins  to return to government. She took a post as one of three civil service commissioners overseeing the federal workforce. She continued in that job until the end of the Truman administration. Following her long career in government, Perkins remained active. She taught at Cornell University, and often spoke about government and labor topics. In 1946, she published a book, The Roosevelt I Knew, which was a generally positive memoir of working with the late president. However, she never published a full account of her own life. In the spring of 1965, at age  85, her health began to fail. She died on May 14, 1965 in New York City. Notable political figures, including President Lyndon Johnson, issued tributes to her and to her work that helped bring America back from the depths of the Great Depression. France Perkins Fast Facts Full Name:  Fannie Coralie PerkinsKnown As:  Frances PerkinsKnown For: First woman in a presidents cabinet; major figure in the  passage of Social Security; trusted and valued adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.Born:  April 10,1880 in  Boston, Massachusetts.Died: May 14,1965 in New York, New YorkSpouses Name: Paul Caldwell WilsonChilds Name: Susana Perkins Wilson Sources Frances Perkins. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 12, Gale, 2004, pp. 221-222. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Perkins, Frances. Great Depression and the New Deal Reference Library, edited by Allison McNeill, et al., vol. 2: Biographies, UXL, 2003, pp. 156-167. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Perkins, Frances. American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., vol. 5: 1940-1949, Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Downey, Kirstin. The Woman Behind the New Deal. Doubleday, 2009.

Fire & Rescue Leadership Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Fire & Rescue Leadership - Dissertation Example With an increase in the propensity for threats related to terrorism and a change in the urban landscape, the challenges confronting Fire and Rescue Service organisations are now far more complex than ever before. Emergent nations, including the United Arab Emirates, now confront new challenges with the construction of buildings like the Burj Khalifa, which is the tallest building in the world. However, despite the significance of leadership for all organisations, Fire and Rescue Service organisations around the world present an increase in the leadership gap that is of concern. Thus, it makes sense to try to understand better leadership within the context of Fire and Rescue Service organisations and to device ways to enhance the leadership potential of Fire and Rescue Service members at all levels. This dissertation presents a discussion about fire and rescue leadership, enhancing leadership in Fire and Rescue Service organisation and how Fire and Rescue Service organisations in emer gent nations, like the United Arab Emirates, can learn from the experiences of the more developed nations. Declaration I certify that, except where cited in the text, this work is the result of research carried out by the author of this study. _____________________________________________ Name and Signature of Author March 2011 This write - up is for a dissertation on Fire and Rescue Leadership. Biographical Sketch Acknowledgements Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 3 1.2 Objectives of study 4 1.3 Scope of study 5 1.4 Structure of dissertation 6 Chapter 2 Literature review 7 2.1 Leadership Theories and the Difference between Leaders and Manager 9 2.2 Leadership within the Context of Fire and Rescue Services 12 2.3 Training Leaders for the Fire and Rescue Services 15 Chapter 3 Research Approach and Methodology 21 3.1 General approach 22 3.2 Methodology Framework 24 3.3 Primary research 28 3.4 Secondary research 28 3.5 Data Collection Procedure and Analysis 29 3.6 Interp retation and Application of Results and Findings 30 Chapter 4 Findings 32 4.1 Conduct of Interviews 32 4.2 Findings of Interviews 33 4.3 Analysis of Leadership Courses for Fire and Rescue Services 36 4.4 Observations Derived from Research 37 Chapter 5 Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations 38 5.1 Summary 38 5.2 Conclusions and Recommendations 40 5.3 Limitations 41 Appendices 43 Appendix A – Questionnaire for the Semi-Structured Interviews 44 Appendix B – Consent Form for the Recording of Interviews 47 Bibliography/ References 49 (This page intentionally left blank) Chapter 1 – Introduction The Fire and Rescue Service in any nation confronts change based on the needs of an age that demands clear leadership from within its ranks (Communities and Local Government, United Kingdom, 2005, Pp. 1 – 5). As an example, the threat of terrorism has now placed new demands on fire service leaders who must now find new and innovative ways to meet new challenges and co mmunity expectations, while remaining committed to ensuring maximum safety for the Fire and Rescue Services employees (Weeks, 2005, Pp. 1 – 10). Terrorist attacks in Bali, Madrid, London, Mumbai, Sharm al Sheikh, Amman, Algiers and elsewhere amply demonstrate the need for a new strategy that will challenge Fire and Rescue leadership. In addition, tall structures in regions where they previously

Web applications development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Web applications development - Research Paper Example A web based application is a program which is used simply through an active web link and that uses HTTP as a medium of communication.Therefore we can say that web based applications are software products that allow website users to send and receive data or information to and from a database using a web browser. Additionally, the web based applications have been utilized as the web technology and achieved typical recognition. In addition, a web based application allows us to access our corporate data and information from anyplace across the globe at anytime. Thus, this feature of web application gives us the opportunity to spend less time, save finance and enhance communication with our business associates and clients (Acunetix), (Nations) and (Tarawneh, Elsheikh and Lahawiah). Moreover, a typical web based application works like three layer fashion. In this scenario, the initial layer is usually a user interface or some sort of web browser. The 2nd layer comprises the useful informat ion development technology based tool for instance Active Server Pages (ASP) or JSP. The 3rd layer holds the database part which is responsible for the information and customer data including credentials and credit card information (Acunetix), (Nations) and (Tarawneh, Elsheikh and Lahawiah). This report presents a detailed analysis of web based applications, their working frameworks, client-server architecture, advantages and disadvantages of client-server architecture. This report will also discuss web based application architecture and its importance in businesses.... It is a network arrangement wherein every computer on the network is either a server or a client. In this scenario, client systems offer an interface to permit a user to demand vital services residing on the server as well as show the results given back by the server. Additionally, servers offer different services to the clients like file services, printing services, and storage services. In addition, servers generally expect requests to come from clients and afterward answer them accordingly. Preferably, a server offers a consistent visible interface to their clients in order that clients don’t need to know about the information of the system (specifically, program and hardware) that is offering the required service. However, these days’ clients are frequently placed at PCs or workstations, whereas servers are positioned in a different place on the networking environment, typically on more dominant and reliable machines (Encyclop?dia Britannica), (Urgaonkar, Pacifici a nd Shenoy) and (Kioskea). 2-Tier Architecture 2-tier architecture is implemented to explain client/server arrangement. In this architecture a client sends requests for services and the server replies openly to the arrived request, by means of its personal resources and services. It implies that a server provides services on its own and will not ask an additional request in an attempt to offer the fraction of resources (Encyclop?dia Britannica), (Urgaonkar, Pacifici and Shenoy) and (Kioskea). Figure1. 2-Tier Architecture, Image Source: http://static.commentcamarche.net/en.kioskea.net/pictures/cs-images-2-tier.gif 3-Tier Architecture In 3-tier architecture, a middle level is distinguished. It implies that the architecture is usually divided

Healthcare management capstone by nikita brown Essay Example for Free

Healthcare management capstone by nikita brown Essay Weekly tasks or assignments (Individual or Group Projects) will be due by Monday, and late submissions will be assigned a late penalty in accordance with the late penalty policy found in the syllabus. NOTE: All submission posting times are based on midnight Central Time. Administrators must continuously seek opportunities to increase the profitability of their practice or facility. Throughout this course, you will develop a plan to integrate a current and emerging trend in health care in your organization. Your Executive Summary to integrate a current or emerging solution into your organization will include the following: †¢Week 1: Topic Research/Selection and Literature Review †¢Week 2: Organizational Assessment †¢Week 3: Project Plan †¢Week 4: Implementation Plan †¢Week 5: Evaluation Plan Week 1: Topic Research/Selection and Literature Review Part 1: Topic Research and Selection Begin this process by researching what health care organizations are doing or attempting to do to increase profitability. Remember, profitability can be improved from many different angles. A nonexclusive list of potential ways would be adding additional services, decreasing costs, increasing the amount of services that are provided, or implementing a quality improvement program that qualifies for incentive monies. Check trade journals or professional discussion boards, or reach out to existing health care managers. Part 2: Literature Review Perform a literature review of the solution that you have decided to apply to your organization. The review will encompass several articles, and at least 1 of the articles must be peer-reviewed. Look at current material (within the last 2 years). Remember, a literature review includes a summary of the information that you found that is relevant to your topic as well as an APA reference for each resource that you reviewed. Identifying what topic to perform research on should be accomplished quickly because you will need sufficient time to perform your literature review. Review a minimum of 10 documents. The review should be between 10–15 pages, including the bibliography. Use APA format.

Water Aerobics :: essays research papers

Physical activity is an important part of daily life. It allows for many benefits in health and well-being, just 30 minutes a day can reduce the risk of developing certain diseases and conditions. This includes water aerobics. Aerobic exercise in general is important because your body uses oxygen to produce energy for physical activity. Aerobic means with oxygen. This can be accomplished by participating in water aerobics. Water aerobics is a good way to achieve an aerobic metabolism. Aerobic metabolism occurs when the body breaks down fat and glucose by combining them with oxygen. During intense aerobic exercise, your body uses more oxygen and your breathing and heart rate increase. Over time, regular aerobic exercise will improve your health and fitness and reduce levels of body fat. There are many benefits that are gained from participating in water aerobics. Water Aerobics allow the expansion of physical range of motion, along with improved strength and flexibility. Another advantage is that resistance training feels easier because of the way the water controls the weight(s). Water displaces the stress that weight training (on land) can put on the body, especially joints, which is particularly beneficial for those with arthritis. It is also used to rehabilitate people who are recovering from injuries and accidents or just to heal muscles. Water aerobics is also used for people with disabilities to increase the speed of motor skills. Some other benefits are increased circulation, stronger heart, improved physique or figure, and increased energy. Other benefits that are gained from water aerobics relate to social interaction. One of the social benefits is, camaraderie, which occurs between many different types of people, because water aerobics benefits everybody, including athletes, those who need walkers to walk, and pregnant women. It teaches discipline due to the regularity of a weekly class. Water aerobics teaches time management skills because you learn that daily/ weekly exercise is important in maintaining good health. The last social benefit that happens during water aerobics is increased self-confidence and self esteem. For my water aerobic routine I’m going to use different types of water activities to meet the criteria for each specific section that includes a six minute warm up, some cardio, some toning exercises, and about five minutes of cool down. For the warm up I think we should use a mid paced song, I think Incubus’s clean will work well. The warm-up should consist of mostly stretches for six minutes.

Psychosis vs Neurosis

Brain disorders are commonly misunderstood due to the actions of the person living with it. Knowledge about brain disorders or mental illness should lessen the misunderstanding of the disorder, and increase the support for the people suffering with the disorder. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a mental disorder is a mental or behavioural pattern or anomaly that causes distress or isability, and which is not developmentally or socially normative.Mental disorders are generally defined by how a person feel, acts, thinks or perceives. I will be discussing two mental disorders in which, they are often misunderstood as the same. This essay is about Psychosis vs. Neurosis. Both mental disorders cause the person suffering from it some distress and their behaviour is not socially acceptable. Both disorders are mostly diagnosed based on the harm they caused. When these disorders become severe, it is difficult for people with these mental disorders or llness to carry out daily activities and do some social interaction.Psychosis however is a mental condition which is referred to as â€Å"a loss of contact with reality. † People suffering from this type of mental illness are called Psychotic. The symptoms of people with psychosis are suffering from hallucinations, delusions, catatonia or thought disorder. The psychosis of a person is usually triggered by a history of a traumatic event, and stress. Stress triggers a short-lived psychosis called brief eactive psychosis and people suffering from this usually recovers to their normal state within two weeks.In some cases, a full-blown psychosis could last a long time, and maybe have attenuated psychotic symptom (such as low intensity hallucinations) present at most times. Brief hallucinations are triggered by falling asleep and then waking, bereavement (hallucinations of a dead loved one) severe sleep deprivation, caffeine intoxication, and an extremely stressful event. There are also subtypes of psychos is. These are menstrual psychosis (in rhythm with menstrual cycle), ostpartum psychosis (which happens after childbirth), monothematic delusions, occupational psychosis, stimulant psychosis and shared psychosis.Neurosis, on the other hand, is a mental disorder involving distress, but people who are neurotic are not suffering from hallucinations or delusions. Signs of people suffering from neurosis have anxiety, sadness or depression, anger, irritability , mental confusion, and low sense of self-worth. There are also behavioural symptoms such as phobic avoidance, vigilance, impulsive and compulsive acts. There are cognitive problems such as obsession, disturbing thoughts, habitual fantasizing, negativity, cynicism, etc.There are many forms of neurosis. These are: obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety neurosis, personality disorders, hysteria, and an endless variety of phobias. Neurosis is simply defined as a â€Å"poor ability to adapt to one's environment, an inability to change o ne's life patterns, and the inability to develop a richer, more complex, more satistying personality † According to Carl Jung, â€Å"people became neurotic when they ontent themselves with inadequate or wrong answers to the questions of life. He said that the unconscious finds expression primarily through an individual's inferior psychological function, whether it is feeling, thinking, sensing, or intuition. For me, psychosis and neurosis are very different yet similar. The behaviour of psychotic and neurotic people are both not accepted or understood by the society. People with less knowledge about these illnesses often has a negative perception on people suffering with psychosis and neurosis.

Gap Within the Organization: a Case Study in Administrative Building

Communication Gap within the Organization: A case study in administrative building of SUST, Sylhet By Sato Barua Masters Student Department of Public Administration SUST, Sylhet Introduction Organizational communication as a discipline grew tremendously over the 20th century, but accompanying that growth was a struggle to establish a clear identity of the field. Today scholars still continue to define and redefine the focus, boundaries and future of the field (Thompkin & Wanka-Thibault, 2001).Why it is that organizational communication is such an interesting concept for researchers to study? Apparently, a great deal of the answer to this question can be found in the importance communication has been re-vealed having for the success of organizations. Open communication has for example been found to be positively correlated with employees’ satisfaction with the organization (Koike, Gudykunst, William, Lea & Ting-Toomey, 1989). Communication is the glue that holds a society toget her. The ability to communicate enables people to form and maintain personal relationships.And the quality of such relationships depends on the caliber of communication between the parties. Communication is the process of sharing ideas, information, and messages with others in a particular time and place. Communication includes writing and talking, as well as nonverbal communication (such as facial expressions, body language, or gestures), visual communication (the use of images or pictures, such as painting, photography, video or film) and electronic communication (telephone calls, electronic mail, cable television, or satellite broadcasts).Communication is a vital part of personal life and is also important in business, education, and any other situations where people encounter each other (Encarta, 1998). A study was completed within the organization to determine if there was an internal communication gap that existed between the supervisors and representatives. When there 1 is an internal communication gap within an organization there is usually a breakdown in the way information is been sent from the sender to the receiver. This is precedent in organizations that have a top down hierarchy.In this type of hierarchy it can be difficult for bottom level employees to obtain information regarding changes within the organization. Significance of the study Communication is described as one of the crucial fouls of management. It helps in handling the major managerial tasks of planning direction coordination motivating and controlling. We live in a world filled with other people. We live together, work together, and play together. In our personal lives, we need each other for security, comfort, friendship, and love.In our working environment, we need each other in order to achieve our goals and objectives. None of these goals can be achieved without communication. Communication is the basic thread that ties us together. Through communication we make known our needs , our wants, our ideas, and our feelings. The better we are at communication, the more effective we are at achieving our hopes and dreams (Alessandra, Hunsaker, 1993). Based upon conversations among the representatives, this study is important because there appears to be a lack of communication within the organization.Some of the representatives feel as though the supervisors have daily meetings, but no information is shared regarding the company changes and/or procedures. When there is an internal communication gap it becomes difficult for anyone to effectively achieve goals. Purpose of the study The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not there's an internal communication gap that exist between the representatives and the supervisors. The three objectives of this study were to: 2 1. Discover whether or not there is an internal communication gap between supervisors and representatives within the organization. . Determine the subject's perception of their immediate supe rvisor’s level of communication. 3. Identify the ways in which employees usually receive most of their information. Definition of terms Sender Someone or something that sends or transmits something. To establish yourself as an effective communicator, you must first establish credibility. You must also know your audience (individuals or groups to which you are delivering your message). Failure to understand who you are communicating to will result in delivering messages that are misunderstood (Fowler, 2005).Message A communication in speech, writing, or signals. Written, oral and nonverbal communications are effected by the sender's tone, method of organization, validity of the argument, what is communicated and what is left out, as well as your individual style of communicating. Messages also have intellectual and emotional components, with intellect allowing us the ability to reason and emotion allowing us to present motivational appeals, ultimately changing minds and action s (Fowler, 2005). Channel A course or a means of communication or expression.Messages are conveyed through channels, with verbal including face-to-face meetings, telephone and videoconferencing; and written including letters, emails, memos and reports (Fowler, 2005). 3 Receiver These messages are delivered to an audience. No doubt, you have in mind the actions or reactions you hope our message prompts from this audience. Keep in mind, your audience also enters into the communication process with ideas and feelings that will undoubtly influence their understanding. Your audience will provide you with feedback, verbal and nonverbal reactions to your communicated message.Pay close attention to this feedback as it is crucial to ensuring the audience understood your message (Fowler, 2005). Context The words or phrases or passages that come before and after a particular word or passage in a speech or piece of writing and help to explain it's full meaning (Encarta, 2005). Feedback Comments in the form of opinions about the reactions to something intended to provide useful information for future decisions and development (Fowler, 2005). A literature review was completed to determine the importance of internal communication within the work environment. Review of literatureIn every society, humans have developed spoken and written language as a means of sharing messages and meanings. The most common form of daily communication is interpersonal- that is, face-to-face, at the same time and in the same place (Encarta, 2005). Communication barriers can pop-up at every stage of the communication process (which consists of sender, message, channel, receiver, feedback and context) and have the potential to create misunderstanding and confusion. To be an effective communicator and to get your point across without misunderstanding and confusion, your goal should be to 4 essen the frequency of these barriers at each stage of this process with clear, concise, accurate, well planne d communications (Fowler & Manktelow, 2005). Communication, the heart of business, is the most important of all entrepreneurial skills. The destiny of the business depends on the quality of your relationships. Your ability to transmit information helps both clients and employees feel they can communicate with and ultimately trust you (Black Enterprise, Charles, 1998, pg 116). Internal communication is more important today than in previous years partly because the business and market conditions are more complex.There is a lot of information in the marketplace and it's crucial that employees understand it. The development of a strategic internal communication strategy and its implementation can provide a number of benefits to organizations, such as keeping employees motivated and engaged, and sharing clear, consistent messages with employees in a timely manner. Personal relationship is what organizations are all about -or should be. An organization, whatever its size, mission, or moti ve is merely a collection of people assembled to pursue a common objective.An organization functions through its people, who in turn function through communication (Brennan, 1974). Employees have their own sources, their own information system, separate from the management channels. These usually carry the news ahead of communications from management. Not that the employee network is flawless. That system transmits information indiscriminately- Fragments, Rumors, Gossip. It may not always operate in the best interests of the organization, but it does provide a check-point when management fantasies are disguised as information.Furthermore, it enables employees to participate in the communication process, and it fills their need for information which at least seems to come from a credible source: another employee (Brennan, 1974). Employees, like all people, require outlets for their thoughts and feelings. And they find them. So don't arbitrarily assume that the relative absence of emp loyee complaints is a positive sign. Employees may be expressing themselves through other channels: meetings with fellow employees, union representatives, government agents; or through passiveaggressive behavior such as work slowdowns, carelessness, tardiness, absenteeism, and apathy.These can be symptoms that employees feel other means of participation are unavailable to them (Brennan, 1974). 5 The skill of listening becomes extremely important when we talk about â€Å"upward communication. † There are many avenues through which management can send messages downward through a business organization, but there are few avenues for movement of information in the upward direction (Nichols & Stevens, 1999). Many popular theories on workplace communication focus on the differences between men and women, suggesting that the sexual divide causes communication to break down. Women are seen as being more empathetic and oblique than men.Other variables that cause people to mix their mes sages include differences in age, culture, and socioeconomic background. Some tips to help managers bridge any communication gap were (Fortune 1994): 1. Listen actively for the subtext of people's words. 2. Persuade rather than command. 3. Target your words to your audience. 4. React to content, not to people's manner of expressing themselves. 5. Let people know that criticism is welcome. 6. Make your intentions clear before acting. 7. Assume that people take responsibility for what they say. By successfully getting your message across, you convey your thoughts and ideas effectively.When not successful, the thoughts and ideas that you convey do not necessarily reflect your own, causing a communications breakdown and creating roadblocks that stand in the way of your goals-both personally and professionally (Fowler & Mankelow, 2005). In the workplace, supervisors and their employees have opportunities to develop nonthreatening, mutually rewarding relationships. These can be quite cond ucive to individual and corporate health. They are akin to what in our personal life we call meaningful relationships. Supervisors who attain such relationships with employees are said to practice â€Å"positive human relations. True. But it's done through communication. (Brennan, 1974). 6 Methodology of procedures Methodology can properly refer to the theoretical analysis of the methods appropriate to a field of study or to the body of methods and principles particular to a branch of knowledge. Methodology has been increasingly used as a pretentious substitute for method in scientific and technical contexts. â€Å"Methodology† is a system of precise rules and procedures on which research is based and against which claims for knowledge and evaluation. Research and DesignA quantitative research methodology was used for the research to determine if there was a communication gap within the organization. A multiple choice single answered survey was distributed to the lower-level employees. A survey can be a powerful tool to improve communication between different parts of an organization. Surveys are especially useful for establishing upward communication links from lower-level employees to management. Population The survey was distributed to lower-level employees who are within the organization. The participant's involved included males and females with 6 weeks to 20 years of experience within the organization.A total of 20 surveys were completed. The participants were informed per instructions on the survey and through face-to-face conversation that their participation was voluntary and the answers in which they chose would remain confidential, with the exception of the final results from all the participants. Sample The research was conducted within Administrative Buildings of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. The organization has an 7 estimated 300 staff which are located in three separate buildings. The adm inistration is divided into some units and each unit has one supervisor.The subordinates report to the supervisors. Instrumentation The survey consisted of ten multiple choices single answer questions and one open ended question. The participants were asked single answer questions to discover whether or not there was an internal communication gap between supervisors and the subordinates within the organization, to determine the subject's perception of their immediate supervisors level of communication and to identify the ways in which employees usually receive most of their information. The survey was distributed to the employees by the researcher via face-to-face contact.The researcher chose face- to-face contact because it gave the participants the opportunity to ask questions and to have a visual picture of whom and where to return the surveys. Data collecting and recording A Microsoft program, Excel was used to determine the percentage rate of each answer given by the participan ts. Limitations of the study The limitations of this study were that the researcher could not distribute the surveys to forty-three employees. Some employees were not available to complete the survey due to absenteeism (vacation, personal time, sick, etc). The employees are so much busy so they cannot provide me to give information.Time is not sufficient to gain practical knowledge and prepare a report. I have no proper experience to do this kind of report. So, inexperience creates obstacle to follow the systematic and logical research methodology. 8 Analysis Findings The present study was designed to determine whether or not there were an internal communication gap that existed between the subordinates and the supervisors. The three objectives of this study were to: 4. Discover whether or not there is an internal communication gap between supervisors and representatives within the organization. . Determine the subject's perception of their immediate supervisor’s level of com munication. 6. Identify the ways in which employees usually receive most of their information. The representatives responded to questions regarding the communication within their organization. To the contrary, the result suggests that 5% of the representatives were neutral regarding the overall satisfaction of communication within this organization, 80% were very satisfied, 15% were satisfied and no one indicated that they were dissatisfied.Although majority of the representatives were very satisfied so 60% thought the organization kept them fully informed and no one indicated that the organization gave them a limited amount of information, 35% thought that they were fairly well informed, 5% answer was unclear. When asked how would you rate your supervisor's communication skills, 80% indicated excellent and 20% marked that their supervisor communicated very good. Also, 35% indicated that whenever there was change within the organization their supervisors inform them most of the time . A 60% response was given to the supervisors informing them all the time.Like many organizations, the majority (90%) of the representatives indicated that they received most of their information through their supervisor. The overall result of the survey indicates that there does not appear to be a lack of communication between the subordinates and the superiors. 9 Results Table 1: Which best describes your impression of communications within this organization? Item Response Frequency % Keeps us fully informed 14 70 Keeps us fairly well informed 3 15 Keeps us adequately informed 2 10 Gives us only a limited amount of Information 0 0 Doesn't tell us much at all about what is going on 0 Answer was unclear 1 5 N=20 0% Figure 1: impression of communications within this organization. 10 5% Answer were unclear 0% Doesn't tell us what is going on 10% Adequately informed Fairly well informed 15% Limited amount of information 70% Fully informed 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Table 2: How do you feel about the information you receive? Item Response Frequency % I can almost always believe it 14 70 I can usually believe it 3 15 I can believe it about half the time 2 10 I usually can't believe it 1 5 Frequency % Strongly Agree 16 80 Agree 3 15 Neutral 1 5 Strongly Disagree 0 0 N=20Table 3: I have the information I need to do my job. Item Response N=20 11 Table 4: How would you rate your supervisor's communication skills? Item Response Frequency % Excellent 16 80 Very good 4 20 Good 0 0 Fair 0 0 Poor 0 0 Unclear answer 0 0 N=20 20% Excellent Very Good 80% Figure 2: Supervisor's communication skills. 12 Table 5: Overall, how satisfied are you with the communications within this organization? Item Response Frequency % Very satisfied 16 80 Satisfied 3 15 Neutral 1 5 Very dissatisfied 0 0 Unable to identify answer 0 0 N=20 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 80% 15% 5% Very Satisfied Satisfied NeutralFigure 3: Overall satisfaction of communications within the organizatio n. 13 Table 6: From which of the following sources do you usually receive most of your information? Item Response Frequency % Grapevine 0 0 Bulletin Board 0 0 My supervisor 18 90 Group meetings 0 0 Organizational Programs 0 0 Organizational emails 0 0 Multiple answers 2 10 N=20 Table 7: I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or concerns. Item Response Frequency % All the time 8 40 Some of the time 12 60 Undecided 0 0 Almost never 0 0 Never 0 0 N=20 14 Table 8: Whenever there is a change within the organization, my supervisor Item Response Frequency Always inform me 12 60 Inform me most of the time 7 35 Almost never informs me 0 0 Never informs me 0 0 Unable to identify answer 1 5 N=20 Table 9: The information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information received from other supervisors. Item Response Frequency % Strongly Agree 15 75 Agree 5 25 Neutral 0 0 Disagree 0 0 Strongly Disagree 0 0 N=20 15 What topics do you feel are important for you to know more about and would like the organization to inform you during future communications? Answer: ? Policy and/or procedural changes ? Future and/or general changes that are coming and how to prepare for it ?Correct procedures for completing work correctly ? Adequate training for job changes ? Training and/or how to use new programs ? Overtime and/or for special projects ? All information that can help improve goals and job skills ? New updates within the system ? Legitimate reasons why things cannot be updated or corrected ? More feedback on the quality and quantity of work completed. ? Information regarding promotions ? Information regarding other departments. 16 Conclusions Communication is very important in every aspect of our lives. In order for any relationship to work properly we have to learn to communicate effectively with each other.The fact still remains that in order for any business whether entrepreneur, partnerships or corporate offices to succeed we have to commu nicate with someone to voice our ideas and/or concerns. The literature review addressed the importance of internal communication. It provided the researcher with background information on the different ways and the different styles of communication. Needless to say, face-to-face communication seemed to remain the number one style of communicating within organizations. Based upon the answers given on the survey, most people were thought that the communication was satisfactory within the organization.Majority of the participants also felt that their supervisor communication skills were excellent. 17 Recommendations The researcher would recommend for future research that the survey exclude any neutral options. Although by eliminating this option it forces the participants to answer one way or the other. The researcher believes that you will get more precise answers. The supervisors can also following communication techniques can be used to increase the level of internal communication i n the organization and therefore the level of the organizational efficiency (Fishman, 2000). 1. Share information with employees whenever possible.One of the most sensitive areas in management involves how much company information should be shared with employees. Many feel that information should be given on a need-to-know basis. 2. Find out if those listening to you hear what you say and interpret it correctly. One way of doing this is to ask questions that will show the understanding level of those with whom you are speaking. 18 References 1. Alessandra, T & Hunsaker, P. (1993). Communication at Work. Fireside, Simon & Schuster, New York, NY. 2. Brennan, J. (1 974). The Conscious Communicator; making communication work in the workplace. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. Reading, MA. . MSN Encarta Premium (2005). Retrieved May 2005 from http:// www. msn. com. , accessed on 15. 12. 2011. 4. Retrieved from, http://www. communicationintheworkplace. net/, accessed on 15. 12. 2011. 5. Retri eved from, http://www. buzzle. com/articles/importance-of-communication-inthe-workplace. html, accessed on 18. 12. 2011. 6. Retrieved from, http://www4. ncsu. edu/~crmiller/Publications/ATTW03. pdf, accessed on 18. 12. 2011. 7. Retrieved from, http://www2. uwstout. edu/content/lib/thesis/2005/2005mallett hamerb. pdf, accessed on 20. 12. 2011. 8. Retrieved from,http://www. lisc. org/docs/resources/experts/2007/eo_2007_03_07. df, accessed on 22. 12. 2011. 9. Retrieved from, http://www. google. com/#sclient=psyab&hl=en&source=hp&q=communication+in+t he+workplace+ppt&oq=communicaton+in+the+workplace+&aq=3&aqi=g10&aql=& gs_sm=c&gs_upl=7599l8963l0l11145l8l6l0l0l0l5l766l3816l55. 1l6l0&bav=on. 2,or. r_ gc. r_pw. ,cf. osb&fp=55dcc7523cfd78c6&biw=1024&bih=577, accessed on 23. 12. 2011. 10. Retrieved from, http://www. managementskillsadvisor. com/effective-communicationin-the-workplace. html, accessed on 23. 12. 2011. 19 Appendix Survey Questions Please fill in the answer that best fit your ex perience when dealing with communication within this organization. . Which best describes your impression of communications within this organization? ? Keeps us fully informed ? Keeps us fairly well informed ? Keeps us adequately informed ? Gives us only a limited amount of Information ? Doesn't tell us much at all about what is going on ? Answer was unclear 2. How do you feel about the information you receive? ? I can almost always believe it. ? I can usually believe it. ? I can believe it about half the time. ? I usually can't believe it. 3. I have the information I need to do my job. ? Strongly Agree ? Agree ? Neutral ? Strongly Disagree 20 4.How would you rate your supervisor's communication skills? ? Excellent ? Very good ? Good ? Fair ? Poor ? Unclear answer 5. Overall, how satisfied are you with the communications within this organization? ? Very satisfied ? Satisfied ? Neutral ? Very dissatisfied ? Unable to identify answer 6. From which of the following sources do you usual ly receive most of your information? ? Grapevine ? Bulletin Board ? Company Newsletter (Intranet) ? My supervisor ? Unit leader ? Group meetings ? Company Programs ? Company emails ? Multiple answers 21 7. I feel confident that management considers my ideas and/or concerns. All the time ? Some of the time ? Undecided ? Almost never ? Never 8. Whenever there is a change within the organization, my supervisor ? Always inform me ? Inform me most of the time ? Almost never informs me ? Never informs me ? Unable to identify answer 9. The information that I receive from my supervisor is consistent with the information received from other supervisors. ? Strongly Agree ? Agree ? Neutral ? Disagree ? Strongly Disagree 10. What topics do you feel are important for you to know more about and would like the organization to inform you during future communications? 22