Gender Stereotypes in Early Years

Gender Stereotypes in Early Years The purpose of this research project is to investigate whether gender stereotypes existing in todays society affects childrens choices in play. The research will focus mainly on children around the ages of 2 3 years as this is when gender identity and the adopting of gender specific behaviour begins to show (Hughes, 2010). For many years society has been full of gender stereotypes and children have regularly learnt to adopt to gender specific roles as a result of this (REF). The research will also explore whether bringing children up in their set genders will have any effects on their later development. Aims and objectives The aim of this research is to discover whether gender stereotyping has an effect on the choices children make in their play, particularly looking at toy selection and areas the children gather in, in an early years setting. A discussion of how gender identity is formed and as to how gender roles are learnt and adopted by children will be a main focus in this study. The research will also explore how children being steered towards playing and behaving gender specific can hinder their development and what practitioners can do to avoid this. Rationale Past research that I have done has widened my understandings of how many children in settings adopt gender specific behaviour, for example not to cry if youre a boy and to be innocent and pretty if youre a girl. After doing placement in an early years setting and experiencing children playing in traditional ways for example boys with cars and girls steered towards playing with dolls and dressing up, I am extremely interested in finding out why children play in this way and as to what kind of an effect playing to a specific gender can have on childrens later/overall development. Although many of us believe in giving children as many opportunities and policy is in place to make sure this happens we still subconsciously treat boys and girls differently (REF). Therefore gender stereotyping appears to create many barriers to children receiving all the opportunities to play equal and personally I believe that this will have significant effects on their later life choices. Research Questions I will centre my research around these four main research areas: How do children develop gender role behaviour? What is the policy context around equality for girls and boys? Does gender stereotyping hinder childrens overall development? How can practitioners support inclusive practice for both sexes in the early years setting? 2. Literature Review 1,500 There has been extensive research carried out on gender stereotyping in children and many ideas have been formed as to how children develop gender specific roles. However before we begin looking into this topic it is fundamental that we define what is meant by gender. How do children develop a gender role behaviour There are many ways in which it is said children learn and adopt gender specific roles such as, paretns, peers, media, literature and practitioner interaction.. there is much discussion on whether it is nature or nurture side. According to Yellend (1998), gender development is a systematic process beginning at birth and frequently reshaped thoughtout life depending on the sex of the child. There are many studies which have been carried out with the social learning perspective in mind which propose that parents contribute to sex-typed behaviours in children and are a great influence to shaping their childs sex role development (Golombok, 2004). This is done through the different types of toys they buy and the way in which they respond to their children for example a positive response would be given to a girl playing with domestic type toys and likewise a boy playing with cars (Bee, Boyd, 2010). Socialisation Parents are key to gender roles as imitation is a vital part of young childrens lives and they learn many things through imitation especially around the ages of 2 3 years( REF) it has been said that children learn their gender roles by coping their same sex parent e.g. girl watching her mum do the cooking will then maybe assume that that is a role to be carried out by the female. Family are key when it comes to toy selection as they are generally the first people who buy for their children/grandsonsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦adults selection of toys for their children/grandson are likely to be gender specific as society is so full of stereotypes we automatically separate boys and girls toys as it has become a subconscious motive? Many magazines will have toys under toys for girls and toys for boys having product such as dolls for girls and trucks, cars..for boys Peers can then continue the already existent believes children have about what should be played with if a girl or boy. Interaction with practitioners also contributes, use words such as pretty, boys discouraged from crying (touch gender). What is the policy context around equality for girls and boys? The equality act 2012 EYFS/ECM will have wrote something on opportunism Each setting will incorporate many policies within their setting The Early Years Foundation Stage, unique child states that children inclusive practice. Does gender stereotyping hinder childrens overall development? Does gender stereotyping have an effect on childrens academic achievents and later career choices? It is likely that traditional gender roles (stereotypes) will continue to limit both boys and girls academic opportunities little girls discouraged from leaderships tasks, and maths steered towards nurturing roles persistent adult beliefs about typical behaviour for boys or girls affect childrens experiences (Lindon, 2012, pg. 7). The ways in which children careers choices are relayed to children can be subtle but consistent, sending a clear message about the academic domains in which girls and boys are supposed to excel, for example giels are steered away from maths. Can be shown through the later academic achievements of children eg, girls do better in english? How can practitioners support inclusive practice for both sexes in the early years setting It is important that children receive as many opportunites as possible in the early years Hard cause we are so used to it we do it subconsciously Follow policy Gender neutral environment Challenging stereotypical thoughts within your setting. If a boy tells a girl she cant be a doctor, ask him why, and show him pictures of female doctors. If a girl tells a boy he cant be a ballet dancer have resources to hand that show a different story Role play is a great way to show gender equality Showing pictures of women firefighters, women builders etc. 3. Methodology 3.1 Sample The sample type I have chosen is a convenience sample, which refers to the collection of information from members of the population who are conveniently available to provide it (Sekaran Bougie, 2010, pg.276). Therefore I have chosen to interview practitioners in early years settings in the Northumberland area, I have chosen this area as firstly I know the area which means I will save on time as I wont have to find my way around a new place and secondly I have visited these settings before meaning they are easy accessible. 3.2 Research method Interviews I have chosen to use face to face interviews for my research. Interviews are a method whereby one person asks questions of an individual with the expectation of getting answers to a particular question (Mukherji Albon, 2010). Interviews are the best suited method for my research due to the in depth collection of data, allowing for exploration of issues (OLeary, 2010). I will be carrying out a semi structured interviews meaning I will be able to explore around the topic and not just collect responses to set questions. Interviews are a research method that provides us with qualitative data (REF). I have chosen a method that collects qualitative data rather than quantitative as the topic I have chosen to research requires in depth understandings and practitioners opinions and not just simple yes and no responses. 3.2(iii) Semi-structured approach There are many types of interviews however I have chosen to use semi structured interviews, often called a conversation with a purpose (REF). Semi structured interviews are where the interviewer has a checklist of topics and questions to explore however the way in which these are explored will vary dependant on the flow of conversation with each individual (Holmes, 2005). By using this type of interview I will be able to explore around the topic as there will be area for on the spot questions. The role of the interviewer is important to know to conduct an effective piece of research. The interviewer will probe the interviewee however will know when they need to be quiet (REF). The interviewer knows the areas he or she wants to cover with the interviewee, but allows the interviewee the options to take different paths and explore different thoughts and feelings. All interviews will be recorded and transcribed verbatim and this will contribute to the reliability of the research (Royse, 2008). After having transcribing the data I will analyse the data through content or discourse. 3.2(i) Advantages of method Interviews are an excellent qualitative research method meaning they allow for in depth rich data to be collected about key themes (REF). One to one interviews allow for a rapport to be developed between the interviewer and the interviewee (Matthews Ross, 2010). This could potentially lead to more information being expressed as the participant is likely to feel comfortable and therefore this gives reliable/valid data. Face to face interviews have traditionally been seen as the most effective method in regards to the response rate (Vaus, 2002 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) The response rate is always achieved as interviews are scheduled meaning answers are gurantueed Another advantage of using interviews is the way in which the interviewer is able to observe the interviewees facial expressions and body language which in turn will give the interviewer a clearer indication of the interviewees true feelings. This will add to the validity of the research. 3.2(ii) Disadvantages of method Although there are many advantages of using the research method interviews there are also many disadvantages. Firstly interviews are time consuming, scheduling the interview, conducting the interview, and transcribing recordings takes up a lot of time (May, 2011). Secondly the interviewers presence can have a great deal of an effect on the participant, factors such as tone of voice, the way a question may be rephrased, voicing an opinion, inadequate note taking, even the gender and appearance of the interviewer may lead to errors and bias (Fontana Frey, 2000). Thirdly achieving reliability is challenging because each interview is unique in some way (Conway,Jako Goodman, 1995). This can be because there are differences between the way each interview is conducted, difference in the way questions are asked due to there not being standardised responses, and the data collected. Fontana, A. Frey, J. H. (2000) The interview: from structured questions to negotiated text iin N.K. Denzin and Y.S. Lincoln (eds), Handbook of Qualitative Reasearch. 2nd ed. London: SAGE Conway, J. M., Jako, R. A., Goodman, D. (1995). A meta- analysis of interrater and internal consistency reliability of selection interviews. Journal of Applied Psychology, 80, 565-579. 4 Ethical considerations Before carrying out any research it is crucial that ethical considerations are taken into account (May, 2011). Informed consent is essential, and should ensure that the participants are fully informed prior to participation and are aware that their involvement is completely voluntary (McLaughlin, 2007). Therefore in advance to carrying out the research it is vital that I receive informed consent from all participants, this will be achieved by obtaining a signed consent form from each participant (See Appendix). It is fundamental that participants know who is doing the research, the aims and objectives, what is being asked of them, how the data will be used and what steps will be taken to ensure confidentiality (Walliman, 2011). Another ethical consideration to consider is confidentiality, thus meaning we are obliged to protect the participants identity (Silverman, 2011). Information will be treated with respect and the participants would remain anonymous; both of which are extremely important to the ethics base (Hobart, Frankel, 2004, GSCC, 2002) Therefore all participants names will be changed so as to protect them; participants will be informed of this. All participants have the right to withdraw themselves and their results fromthe research. Interviews will be recorded so that they can be transcribed, this means the data will be kept for some time (Matthews Ross, 2010) therefore it is important that this data is klept in a secure place. (data protection) Beneficence is another ethical issue that will be key in this study. Beneficence relates to the Non maleficence, the principle of not doing harmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦must be applied to all participants Although my research would have benefited from me carrying out observations of children in their early years environment unfortunately due to the University ethics statement I am prohibited from doing this and therefore unable to observe children in their environment as part of my research. Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach Uma Sekaran, Roger Bougie 5, illustrated John Wiley Sons, 2010 Surveys in Social Research Social Research Today Series Research methods/Sociology David A. De Vaus 5, illustrated, reprint Routledge, 2002

Crisis Management Communication Plan Essay

A crisis is defined as a time of intense difficulty, trouble or danger. This situation can come in the form of an important decision must be made in one’s health. Everyone deals with a crisis in a differently. In order to manage a crisis appropriately the proper communication must be used. Health care professionals need to learn how to effectively communicate in any type of crisis. Dynamics of communication used during a crisis can make a difference in how someone will react and respond to a high stress situation. Stress Reduction There are many ways to reduce stress during a crisis. Implementing a way to reduce stress can influence the outcome of the situation, or the people involved. Having a proactive approach to managing stress means there needs to be a solid, responsible leader. There also must be a plan, team support and goals to uphold. During a crisis it is important to take charge of the situation, recognize what is happening, and communicate effectively. This means monitoring our verbal and nonverbal communication. When we are conscious of our communication it can help decrease the stress during a crisis. The verbal communication should be congruent with our nonverbal communication (Managing Stress During a Crisis, 2014). Nurses should also remember not to overload clients with too much information. Short sentences that are direct and to the point are the best way to communicate during a crisis situation. Resolution of Communication Issues In times of crisis many communication challenges can arise. Resolving the challenges takes training, open communication and good listening skills. There is a need to work collaboratively and clarify the communication between all parties involved. Potential challenges can come from  miscommunication and becoming defensive. It is possible that the person making the statement may have meant one thing and the person they are talking to understands it as something else. This can further complicate the crisis and create more challenge. Active listening skills, clarifying information and being aware of nonverbal communication are specific ways to avoid miscommunication. If the health care professional is not approachable, has poor verbal and nonverbal communication skills and appears defensive when spoken to, the communication challenges will continue or even become worse (Arnold & Boggs, 2011). It is essential to understand what it will take to resolve communication challenges or spot po tential challenges. Health Care Setting Health care professionals find themselves in the line of crisis quite frequently. Sometimes it is something that we can predict. Other times the crisis happens upon us suddenly and without warning. In departments such as the Emergency Department (ED), crisis can generally be expected and the ED staff can safely believe that there will be a crisis during their shift. The outcome of the crisis can depend on how it is approached and dealt with. A patient’s rapid deterioration of their state of health or arrest in front of the family is a common crisis situation that occurs where I work. This puts the staff as well as the patient and patient’s family in crisis mode. I feel that my job as the patient’s nurse is to make sure that the situation flows as efficiently as possible. Crisis communication needs to be initiated immediately. My verbal and nonverbal communication can affect the situation. I also need to pick up on the verbal and nonverbal cues of the family. It is also important to collaborate with the team, listen to both staff and families and communicate in a professional manor. Active listening is a prominent quality of a leader, along with how they lead the team. A positive approach is always best while maintaining clear and concise communication. There are times when it is necessary to use assertive communication. This is true when dealing with a difficult person, staff or family member. The nurse needs to be a leader, professional and assertive in order to work with these types of individuals in crisis situations. When approaching a patient, family member or staff, it is important to remember that how the crisis is handled can make the situation better or worse. Knowing how to  manage crisis can be one of the most beneficial aspects. This knowledge comes through furthering your education, experience on the floor, planning and the art of active listening. Conclusion Every nurse should expect to be put in a crisis situation sometime in their career. It is in the nature of the situations that we handle in our profession. How these crisis situations are managed can determine a good or bad outcome for the patient and the patient’s family. Dealing with any crisis can be challenging but achievement is possible. The nurse should be an active listener, solid leader, and continually work on his or her communication skills. These qualities lead all those involved down the path to successful management of the situation and the best outcome or resolution of the crisis. References Arnold, E., & Boggs, K. (2011). Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses (6th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Managing Stress During a Crisis. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/crisis

The realm of arts in itself can be perceived as a...

The realm of arts in itself can be perceived as a paradoxical and subjective one, causing struggle for people to come to a universal agreement on what art symbolizes and where its purpose lay. Despite this, we may draw a vague generalisation from the understanding of the majority population that art is a man-made/interpreted existent form, with purpose of communication - such as through words or paintings, to evoke some kind of mental response from an audience, meanwhile some kind of intrinsic quality should be achieved through technique and ideas etc (Lagemaat pg.330 – 333). Yet in the eyes of an artist, Picasso states that the purpose of art is â€Å"a lie that brings closer the truth†. To evaluate this claim, further exploration of what a†¦show more content†¦It is obvious we cannot fly on broomsticks as in Harry Potter, nor (hopefully) are mice conducting experiments on the human race as in The Hitchhiker’s Guide†¦ The vivid imagery and tension of well-written novel can give the illusion of living in another world; this in a way is being periodically deceitful, or essentially, just altering the circumstances. However, even if we follow this rigid definition of a lie, there is still a fine proportion of literary works overlooked. The factual based non-fiction, which includes polemical works, biographies and more, simply does not fit. For example, The Diary of Anne Frank and If this is a man all give a true (if not unbiased) account of the concentration camp, and since skill and interpretation all remain essential in their writing, we cannot dismiss non-fiction as ‘non-artistic’ literature. This suggests Picasso’s quote is somewhat exclusive to the fictional world of literature in art. Nevertheless, the line between art and a lying is a fine one. The qualities for an object to become art in itself may imply lying to a certain extent – lying may even be art, albeit of a lower moral order. Both liar s and authors craft stories so they are worthy of belief—a skill requiring intellectual sophistication and emotional sensitivity. Such parallels are hardly coincidental. Picasso’s claim and the seemingly apparent nature of fiction both appear paradoxical. The latter, ‘paradox of fiction’ emphasizes theShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagestraditions that contribute to our understanding of organizations. Professor Tomas Mà ¼llern, Jà ¶nkà ¶ping International Business School, Sweden . 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Ethical Culture Analysis - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 12 Words: 3694 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/09/12 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Javier Sprella Ethics Business Professional Professor Kenny 23 July 2010 Ethical Culture Analysis My ethical culture analysis will be on the company Waste Management. While researching companies for this analysis, I found that as of 2009, Waste Management is in the top 99 most ethical companies in the world (https://www. ethisphere. org). I already have interest in this company because one of my best friend’s father, Robert Biggs, is the chief financial officer for Waste Management’s Northeast division. His parents have always been like a second family to me. Robert Biggs came from nothing, worked his way up to CFO, and is very successful. Having said that, Waste Management has always been a company that interests me. I would love to get a job with them once I get my bachelors in Business Administration. They treat their employees exceptionally well considering the field and nature of the business they run and manage to be a top ethical company. Their commercials are always promoting recycling and â€Å"going green†. Their website has a â€Å"did you know† blurb on the home page that says, â€Å"Waste Managements subsidiary, Wheelabrator Technologies converts municipal solid waste to energy, saving nearly 7. million barrels of oil and generating enough clean, renewable energy to power 700,000 homes each year (or nearly 2 million tons of coal)† (www. wm. com). That speaks volumes on what they are about and their goals as they move forward into a world in need of conserving energy and finding new energy. Aside from that , they offer a lot of different services from residential to commercial needs. They offer waste collection from single households to large national customers. They have 22,000 collection and transfer vehicles, which is the largest trucking fleet in the industry. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ethical Culture Analysis" essay for you Create order They collect about 74 million tons of solid waste a year (www. wm. com). Much of the waste that is collected by Waste Management goes into their own landfills, which is the largest network in the industry. The landfill operations go beyond the regulations. â€Å"Waste Management is focused on solutions that impact the future of solid waste management, including Next Generation TechnologySM, which accelerates the decomposition of organic waste so that it occurs within years instead of decades (www. wm. com). † They are testing the benefits to the environment using this process right now to make sure that they are doing the right thing. Along with Waste Management’s efforts to reduce waste and use it for energy, their recycling program is the largest in the nation. They process 8 million tons of recyclable materials a year due to their cost-efficient recycling program that is offered to households and businesses in North America. They also have a renewable energy program that makes use of landfill gas. This gas is natural and comes from landfills as the waste begins to decompose. This gas can be used for industries needing it that can produce other energies. Waste Management is involved with current events that happen as well. They have a â€Å"Green Team† that consists of any employees that are willing to volunteer in a disastrous event. They have a whole section on their website dedicated to their efforts in helping along the cleanup process in BP’s oil spill disaster. Waste Management was actually hired by British Petroleum to assist in the massive cleanup. This involves using their employees and equipment to clean up the shoreline and also collecting and transporting the waste collected along the shore. BP asked Waste Management to help because they know that it is a company that can handle the task and is willing to go above and beyond to complete it. Their ethics about their operations is what got them to be the largest disposal company in the nation. They are also the most responsible. The ethical culture in this company must be high to have so many employees volunteering to clean up the oil spill. The company itself volunteered many of its resources. They have a contract with BP, but it is a noble thing to even want to be involved with that kind of immense undertaking when it has nothing to do with them. The leaders have instilled a strong ethical culture in the company in order for it to be so successful and dedicated to improving operations in every way. Consider the fact that Waste Management is the only one who is involved in this cleanup when America has several disposal companies that could join in. They have demonstrated a willingness to change the environment, as we know it and make it much better. With more and more people populating America, the waste we are producing is a true problem that needs a solution in a hurry. Waste Management saw that problem coming and has already developed their own technologies to reduce the landfills and make them as efficient as possible. Their cultural change efforts have been very successful as they lead the nation in recycling. Their renewable energy program demonstrates their willingness and ability to change the ethical culture of America. They have developed a strong foundation and continue to improve their procedures in order to advance in this climate further. In California, about 500 of Waste Management’s vehicles are running on the liquefied gas that is made from the landfills they have in Oakland and San Francisco (www. scpr. org). The fuel is earth-friendly and cleaner than diesel. Waste Management has even bigger plans. Other natural gas facilities are being planned by Waste Management at some of the 270 active landfills nationwide, and the number could grow quickly as communities seek to reduce greenhouse gas pollution (www. scpr. org). † Their efforts to be ethically earth friendly continue, as they are constantly researching and building toward cleaner operations. It is amazing how they ha ve found a way to use waste to run their trucks. I hope that through more research and development they will be able to extend this to all of their diesel trucks. It would be another source of income as well for the company. They have a lot of possibilities with this new source of energy and I hope they are able to build upon it. Like most companies, Waste Management is not perfect. The workers are unionized which usually means there will be contract disputes and how they are handled will depend on the company more so because unions tend to not bend. In 2007, Oakland Waste Management Workers Union agreed to a new contract after a twenty-six day lockout that left customers with piles of garbage (Kuruvila). As usual, the dispute was over health care that ended up being preserved. The workers were on strike for almost a month in which garbage piled up in the area to a point where legal health issues were at stake and enormous pressure was on Waste Management. This is more business than ethics, but ethically a problem like that should not have gone on for such a long period of time. Waste Management should have come to terms more swiftly and been more proactive to resolve the dispute. In the end, it is their responsibility to pick up the trash. By leaving it for so long, it made them act unethically to their loyal customers. They should have applied one of the ethical decision making formats and the ethical communications strategies in our book. They could have come up with a strategy and solution to the lockout and communicated it to at least keep the workers working. Another matter of ethics in this situation is that they are trying to cut back on health care. Being a garbage disposal company, health care is a big issue for their workers as they are exposed to crude bacterial conditions. The waiting game can work with some companies, but Waste Management had too much on the line. Workers were even relieved because they were losing money. Workers were interviewed about the situation. â€Å"Several workers said they were reaching their financial limits during the lockout. Mortgages and bills continued to arrive, and union stipends didnt make up for the lost paychecks (Kuruvila). † Waste Management was hoping for them to break first, but the legal pressure was too strong. This is the game most companies play. Sometimes business gets in the way of ethics and causes companies to perform in such ways. Contrary, Waste Management does have plenty of proof of their ethical practices. In Gloucester County, The county incinerator has been recognized by the Wildlife Habitat Council with a new Wildlife at Work certification (www. nj. com). † Waste Management was awarded 24 of these certificates that mean they have been outstanding in native habitat management and environmental education programs (www. nj. com). This program allows the locals and their kids to come to the site and get a real education through their observations of the site. It is important for companies to demonstrate their ethical commitment to their communities. Even though Waste Management is a national company, it is always important to remain focused on the actual cities you serve. The fact that they are educating children in the future of managing solid waste shows that they care and want to grow and improve the future. When a company is recognized for doing something positive like this, it is a victory for everyone. These awards are not handed out with ease and require strict guidelines that must be surpassed in order to acquire this achievement. Having this support from the Wildlife habitat Council means a lot for the ethical beliefs of Waste Management. Values make up the core of the code of ethics possessed. Without values, there would be no way to follow a certain ethical path. Values are a set of rules that decide what is right and wrong. Ethics are a set of rules or values that are adopted by a person or company. Waste Management’s website states their set of values that they instill in their employees. Employees are expected to follow the code of ethics they have in place. I find that Waste Management’s values are similar to my expectations of a company’s ethics. I even share some of their values and live by them. Their first value, which is also mine, is honesty. They define honesty as being truthful and having a high level of integrity and fairness (www. wm. com). This is a well-defined description of honesty. It is exactly what I would expect someone that is honest to be and the standard I try to hold myself to. Their next value is accountability defined as taking full responsibility for actions, conduct, and decisions (www. wm. com). If you hold honesty as a high value in your value system then accountability should be right next to it. The values go hand in hand because if you are honest, you will own up to your mistakes and be honest about them. A lot of companies pretend to do this, but you see a lot of companies that will side step blame and accountability and make excuses. From the articles I have seen and the actions Waste Management has taken with being responsible, they follow the value of accountability because they have not had many problems in this area. Safety is a value that every company should have. Waste Management goes beyond saying that they take care of themselves and employees and go on to say they look out for the safety of their neighbors. This is why their landfills and other sites have surpassed regulations. They have done everything possible to make their facilities safe and efficient. The dedication Waste Management has to improving the environment makes the entire planet safer. Professionalism, respect, and inclusion all are closely related values that Waste Management has. They trust one another to follow through on their commitments, treat everyone with dignity and consideration, and are open to other’s ideas (www. wm. com). These values are important to keeping employee morale high and happy. My friend’s dad is very happy with the company and he does not have a lot of stress because of other people. The employees are happy with the company, which is why Waste Management is able to accomplish the things they do and receive awards. Combining these values makes for an open forum of ideas that can better the company. This has to be part of the reason for Waste Management’s success and popularity. Employees feel like an asset to the company and will have the feeling of self worth in conjunction. Diversity is a value they hold and won awards for it. This year they already won the Diversity Leader award from Diversity Journal. Waste Management is partners with many diversity outreach programs. Diversity has been a big issue over the last couple of decades. Companies were hiring based on race and gender more than anything was. Over the years, the push to equalize has been strong and successful. It has made companies more ethically responsible for their hiring’s because they have to hire based on credentials. The company makes sure that all employees understand diversity and accept and respect one another. This is important to the function of the company because a company cannot operate smoothly if its employees do not respect each other. Recently, the President and COO of Waste Management, Larry O’Donnell, did a show called â€Å"Undercover Boss† on CBS. This show takes company presidents and has them work alongside their employees to see what it is like. The president does this anonymously and then reveals his identity to the employees at the end of the show. It is a very unique show that is a really great idea for presidents to do. There is no better way to find out how your employees feel about the company than to actual be with them. I watched the episode on www. cbs. com and noticed a comment on the show. It is by a Waste Management driver and I want to quote him because it accents how this company treats its employees. â€Å"I am a WM employee and have always been proud to work for this company. I have always said this is the best company I have ever worked for and now the rest of the world knows why. I have already seen a positive shift in the way middle management treats its employees. What the show doesnt tell you is that Waste Management employees are the highest paid in the business and they have one of the best benefit packages around. This company gives continuous improvement a new meaning. Think Green !!!!! by Trashdrvr. (www. bs. com)† This is why they are in the top 99 ethical companies in the world. I hope that when I get my degree that my friend’s dad might be able to help me get a position at Waste Management. It is obvious that the company treats their employees well. They give people every reason to want to work for them and their employees every reason t o work hard for them. I decided to watch the â€Å"Undercover Boss† episode to understand more about the company and its operations. Being in a position where I have a bottom rung job where I feel the upper management does not fully understand what goes on, I was able to relate to this episode so much. I have not watch any other episodes and I should have watched this when it came out in February. I really enjoyed watching it. I have always thought the core problem with most places and their management has been that they do not get out with their employees enough. They just sit in their office and hand down policies without any knowledge of the effects of them. In the episode, it was just that case. Larry realized the effects of his policies and what he has done. He immediately felt bad and took action on every problem he saw. The funniest thing about the whole thing was Larry was not able to perform any of the jobs well. He was overwhelmed by the amount of work involved. One of the bosses even fired him because he was so bad. All the jobs he has done sound like anyone can do them, but there is a lot of labor behind it. The end of the show he gets to introduce himself as the president and talk to each boss he dealt with. He made promises to change every problem he saw to boost morale. A female garbage truck driver showed him her bathroom, which was a coffee can. He was disappointed with the ethics behind that. He was further disturbed when she said that they have route managers that spy on the drivers. Larry’s post interview explained how unethical it is to have employees treated like this. Managers often forget how important it is for them to interact with employees. I was amazed that even when he revealed himself to the employees, they didn’t recognize his name. Larry completely changed his attitude after this. He realized how not visiting facilities and getting a feel for the average employee has disconnected him from his employees. That also contracted down to middle management where he had a talk with two of them because he was not happy with the way they were operating things. He vowed to change the ethical culture and policies of the company. He rewarded the employees he met because their work ethic was extremely positive. He asked them how they keep such a positive attitude. He was in disbelief at that because their jobs are not fun and very hard to do. Work ethic and personal ethics can be very different. They can be similar when a worker is happy and wants to work for the company. Then they will use their personal ethics to influence their personal ethics in order to perform better for the company. When you care about the place you work for then you will give a good effort every day to do your job the best you can. When a worker is unhappy then their work ethic and separate from personal ethic. For jobs that do not have much satisfaction behind them such as some of the jobs at Waste Management, it is hard to keep your personal work ethic together. These workers are happy with how they are treated so they keep a positive attitude and will perform for the company. Increasing the working conditions is the best way to improve employee performance. This is what Larry O’ Donnell is hoping to accomplish and I get the impression that he will. After doing â€Å"Undercover Boss,† he realized this and also saw how to fix it. Very important for a COO to understand the problems within the company first hand instead of how they usually see problems. That is how you can transform a company ethically into a top 99 internationally ethical company. In conclusion, Waste Management is an ethically transformed organization because of the above reasons. They keep in my mind their entire employee base and their customers as well as the earth. A solid waste disposal company would not be expected to perform to the ethical level that Waste Management has. The fact that they are in the top 99 most ethical companies means they are doing a lot of things right. They demonstrate this by always having a plan for the future to help reduce waste. Their work on finding renewable energy has improved the company itself and the planet by producing cleaner fuel that their own trucks run on. Their recycling facilities perform beyond expectations as they lead the nation. My impression of this company through my interview with CFO, Robert Biggs, and the feedback from other employees is that they are treated well and happy working for Waste Management. As always, there is room for improvement. Waste Management is a very good company and they do not need to improve much. They have had issues in the past that have proved to be unethical on their part. They have fixed these problems. The company has come a long way to be where they are as a company ethically. I would have said that there are things deep inside the company that need to be improved ethically, but after watching â€Å"Undercover Boss,† it was clear the COO and president, Larry O’Donnell, will and has fixed these issues. By him doing that, he experienced the flaws in the company that you don’t see firsthand. Every company would benefit by doing such an experiment. They seem to strive to keep moving forward and getting better as a company. They are constantly planning and preparing for the future. I could not find any recent flaws in this company and Im sure the reason is because they fix them as soon as they come up. They take pride in their rank ethically and in their performance. Would I work for this company? Absolutely. I wanted to before I did this research paper, but this has solidified my opinion on Waste Management. I would not want to do the dirty jobs there, but they make it worth it as well. I could see that by the attitude of the workers. The ethics Waste Management possesses passes on to their employees to make it into a culture you want to work for. I would also recommend someone to work for them if they could. After all the awards they have received along with their accomplishments, it is a company that makes progress and gives a chance to be promoted. Works Cited 2 July 2010 https://www. ethisphere. org/wme2009/. https://www. wm. com/index. asp. 5 Janurary 2010. 8 July 2010 https://scpr. org/news/2010/01/05/trash-gas-landfill-energy-projects-increasing/. 12 Novemeber 2009. www. nj. com. 21 July 2010 https://www. nj. com/gloucester/index. ssf? /base/news-13/1258012512148680. xmlcoll=8. 7 February 2010. www. cbs. com. 23 July 2010 https://www. cbs. com/primetime/undercover_boss/video/? pid=eeih_jUDpC4RUe_O4m88dgi91p_wErmdvs=homepageplay=true. Kuruvila, Matthai Chakko. 29 July 2007. www. sf gate. com. 20 July 2010 https://www. sfgate. com/cgi-bin/article. cgi? f=/c/a/2007/07/29/GARBAGE. TMP.