How did the media shape Americans perceptions of the Vietnam War

Abstract American presence in Vietnam was due to perceived threat in spread of communism. However, it ended with a terrible defeat of both South Vietnam and America military. Many believe uncensored media contributed due to its influence on public opinion.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How did the media shape Americans’ perceptions of the Vietnam War? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper examines how the media worked in this period and gives a detailed account of the kind of reporting that was experienced. It develops a discussion by invoking historians’ perspectives and input from first hand information in the battle field. Eventually an argument develops that dispute the public perception was due to common myths. Introduction The entry of United States in Vietnam War was to stop the spread of perceived communism threat in Southeast Asia, a premise held under a foreign policy then called domino theory. Some of the influential people in America saw the need for taking military precautions by supporting South Vietnam to prevent spread of communism. Still a section of the Americans did not see any need for US involvement in the war. This group did not see any risk to American interests if Vietnam was to be converted to a communist nation. Further some felt that its involvement stopped the spread of communism to other Southeast Asia countries1. Arguments about the war have never been conclusive. However, one fact that emerges is that the war transformed American society. Some of the changes noted are that leaders must look for Americans approval before engaging in a war in another nation. Secondly people became doubtful of the real intention in their political leaders. At the heart of this war, the media is believed to have shaped the Americans perception about the war. It is reported that in early sixties over 80% homes in America owned a television. Kennedy Pa ra notes further that by 1968, over 68% followed television reports on Vietnam War2. Technology in this moment made it possible for television to film some incidents in the war that forged the public opinion in regard to Vietnam War.Advertising Looking for research paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This paper will assess the role media played in Vietnam War. Also an in-depth analysis on the coverage in regards to objectivity will be considered. This research will conclude by discussing other factors other than the media that shaped the public opinion during the war. Media technology before and during the war According to Hallin this war was the first war to be televised. Previous wars like the Korean conflict did not enjoy the same level of television power. Korean War and the World War II though also had military and media working very closely. The media therefore only broadcasted censored inform ation. Another thing, the number of viewers as well as technology level was very limited to make an impact during Korea conflict.3 Other historians also describe the war as the first to come closest to American’s living rooms. Some of the things that people were able to follow include dispatch of soldiers in helicopters. The media had a keen interest on this war and kept a significant number of crew in every minute to cover the incidences. In this period, photojournalism developed certain technological aspects that made it possible to document crucial instances and helped to shape public understanding of the war. Both photojournalism and television formed a mutual influence on the public opinion. Photographers like camera crew members were also on full-time employment by various agencies. News agencies such as united press International and associated press are some of the agencies that had permanent photographers. There were also other freelance photographers who also went t o Vietnam to do some work hoping they could have it broadcasted by any agency. Some of these were not trained but they obtained passes that guaranteed them rights from the military to cover the war. The outcome of having this great number of photographer was an economy of war images about Vietnam War. Most of these images covered dramatic action and spot news4. Media reports on the war Toczek Rosson discussed some of the articles emerging in this period and the nature of their reports. According to them, the terms used by some reporters had threatening words. A particular account of what happened at AP Bac as reported by Halberstam, indicated that the war was a terrible defeat of America.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How did the media shape Americans’ perceptions of the Vietnam War? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to him the Vietnamese failure was clear from the onset and due to th eir lack of surrender they suffered many casualties5. In another account the two discuss another article in United Press International that depicted Americans as infuriated by the Vietnamese lack of aggressiveness. Different accounts of the events by military commanders are also offered in this discussion. Of particular interest is position held by commanders that the media was giving both false and truthful information about the war. The president at the time also took offense with the media reports on Ap Bac war, claiming that the media was not accurately reporting the event. In addition the media also broadcasted some scenes of suffering and violence. For instance, CBS is said to have televised a Morley Safer report on august 1965, where marines were burning some houses in Cam Ne villages and also reported to have mistreated the villagers6. Other scenes of violence like prisoners being executed during Tet attacks were also televised in a different station. Scenes of suffering lik e a case where civilians were sprayed with bullets being mistaken for troops of North Vietnam by South Vietnam planes were also aired. Media reporting is also said to have changed at some point during the war. This was compelled by audience demand for airing of scenes as they happen on the war front. Previously their shots were on specific scenes as described. The new footage was a risky business for the reporters and tactical changes in coverage were inevitable. Journalist now started to develop doubts about the progress of the war. Reporting now revolved more on the cost in human life that was being experienced in the war. The reasons for these changes emanated from an increased division about the war that was taking place in American society. In Hallins work he discusses research evidence showing who the most trusted news anchor by Americans was in 1972. According to this work, Walter Cronkite was the man most trusted by Americans7.Advertising Looking for research paper on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Whether his influence is real or just a perception, his declaration that America could not win the battle in Vietnam and that the country must find a way out of the battle was followed by both public and political effects. On one hand, opinion polls indicated that majority of the public thought American involvement in Vietnam War was a mistake8. There was also the influence on political leaders who knowing the public was watching these news also believed the time to pull out of the war had come. Discussion What we have so far seen in the literature review is that there is a common believe that the media shaped public opinion. Specific accounts such as comments by famous television anchor Walter Cronkite are seen as instrumental in shaping this opinion. His comments are seen to have marked a climax in the war. It is also said to have had political implication by ending President Lyndon B. Johnson’s political career. A different account of how the press brought about the end of the war is also given as an outcome of press airing South Vietnamese defeat. These defeat aired straight through the media made Americans belief that the war could not be won. It is believed that lack of media censorship in Vietnam is responsible for American and South Vietnam defeat. The military was incensed by their failure to defeat northern Vietnamese communist as a result of both media and political influence9. Many historians dispute the claim that media helped to shape the public opinion. Wyatt added his criticism on the so called press role in Vietnam War. Through his work that included analysis of more than 1,800 articles, he discovered facts that he claims challenges the impression of a press that was so powerfully influential. His findings indicate that the press was not acting as independently as is commonly believed by many. That the military exerted some form of censor on what the press reported. Variations in coverage of similar events also existed that made differe nt people to have different accounts of the war. He also notes that the position of editors in the war also mattered a lot. For instance, those papers that were on government side in the domino theory policy did not challenge official information. As a result readers of the different papers that this work covered, formed different views about the war and also received different pictures of the war. Another claim that Vietnam War was influenced by the media emanates from popularity of television in the period. It is commonly accepted that television powers in shaping American public opinion emerged in middle of 1960s. In this period television was the main news source for a large number of Americans and therefore one of the powerful tools that forged their influence. The truth of this claim is verified by research conducted about what Americans considered as their main source of news, around this time. By the end of Vietnam war in 1972, research depicted that 64% of the public got th eir news from television as compared to 50% of the same public that said their news source are mainly newspapers10. Further research indicated that the public has a stronger trust for television, and that they would take television news as factual in case of a contrast in the media. Two reasons for this trust are given; first is the nature of medium being personal, and the second one the presence of evidence in form of pictures. Evidence is even given by these researches that people prefer television news on war to other medium. Although Hallins argues that it is not necessarily correct to say television has a powerful influence on the public opinion, he concedes it influenced politicians’ perception at the time. Evidence from what was happening in the period of sixties decade, also makes us to believe that there was more to the public opinion than we are commonly made to believe. Revolutions had already started to build in America with women rights groups and youths riots be ing witnessed. Americans were becoming skeptical of their political leaders or better members of the upper class. For instance, hurting them at the time was the fact that the country could withstand hostility in its foreign policy so as to continue exploiting resources from other nations. Movement for the youth calling itself New Lefty emerged in this period and committed itself to fight with discrimination and disparities in the society. Speeches delivered by youthful leaders at this time challenged the American real intention in the Vietnam War. They called for leader to accept defeat and wait for eventuality. This eventuality which is possibility of a communist Vietnam nation, they assumed was a decision of the local there11. Simply these speeches reveal that Americans were feeling that their leaders encroached other nation’s right, and thus violating principles of democracy. Sheehan coverage of the war gives another side of the story. His book which was awarded twice and gives a first hand account of what the perspectives the war took. In his work, readers are confronted with opinions held by some key leaders. Of particular value is John Paul Vann who was an advisor to Saigon regime. He criticized the tactics applied by South Vietnam government as well as some of the commands issued by U.S. military. According to him, some of the tactics employed by the military were counterproductive and therefore hindered realization of the U.S. goals12. What comes out clearly is that his advice in most cases did not make any influence on the military command. As an alternative he used the press corps to air his views and among those who were used is Neil Sheehan. Other journalist who documented the war and its atrocities includes Michael Herr. The journalist kept a day to day record of what was going on in the battle line. He went into the battlefield and demonstrated that it was a careless mistake to sacrifice human lives in this war. His book covers the life of the American soldiers and shows how these men put their lives in danger in that war. His artistic work paints a picture of terror during the war that he and the soldiers had to withstand. He demonstrates how soldiers careless died in the line as fatigue caught up with them making some of them forget basic protection13. Conclusion This paper has discussed several facts. The first one being that America’s decision to go to war was political. Second media was more technologically advanced than previous moment in history. Finally American opinions were also shaped by what they believed. Previous believe was that the media influenced the public perception and contributed to the end of this war. This has been challenged by historical analysts as this paper has demonstrated. Critics of the media especially government and the military as well as some editors complained that some reporters were inexperienced and lacked objectivity. However, from what we have discussed from the histor ian perspectives there is a good reason to believe that this might not be the true position. Furthermore even if this is the case other reasons for public disagreement with the war existed. Americans questioned the real reason for engagement in the war in particular. Therefore, according to evidence gathered in this research there is reason to believe that public opinions depicting American loss of faith in the war were more than it’s commonly believed. Bibliography Anderegg, Michael. Inventing Vietnam: The War in Film and Television. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1991. Braestrup, Peter. Big Story: How the American Press and Television Reported and Interpreted the Crisis Of Tet 1968 in Vietnam And Washington. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1977. Cohen, Steven. Vietnam: Anthology and Guide to a Television History. New York: Alfred A. Knoph, 1983. Fuller, A. James Lawrence, Sondhaus. America, War and Power: Defining the State, 1775-2005. New York: Routledge, 2007. Hallin, Daniel C. The Uncensored War: the Media and Vietnam. University of California Press. 1989. Hallin, Daniel. Vietnam on Television. (nd). 13 Nov 2004. Web. Herr, Michael Robert, Stone. Dispatches. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. Print. Kennedy, Lilian. Photojournalism and the Vietnam War. 12 Aug 2007. Web. Levy, Debbie. The Vietnam War. New York: Twenty-First Century Books, 2004. Print. Potter Paul, â€Å"Name the System† (speech, delivered to protestors to end the war, Washington, March 10-13, 1965). Sheehan, Neil. A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 2009. Print. Toczek, David W. B. Rosson. The Battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam: They Did Everything But Learn from It. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2007. Print. Wyatt, Clarence R. Paper Soldiers: The American Press in Vietnam, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995. Print. Footnotes Debbie Levy. The Vietnam War (New York: Twenty-First Century Books, 200 4). Lilian Kennedy. â€Å"Photojournalism and the Vietnam War,† UCD Website. 2007. Daniel Hallin. â€Å"Vietnam on Television. (nd)†. Museum TV. 2004. Kennedy. â€Å"Photojournalism and the Vietnam War.† 5. David Toczek W. B. Rosson. The Battle of Ap Bac, Vietnam: They Did Everything But Learn from It. (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2007). James Fuller, A. Lawrence Sondhaus. America, War and Power: Defining the State, 1775-2005 (New York: Routledge, 2007). Daniel C. Hallin,. The Uncensored War: the Media and Vietnam (Berkeley: University of California Press. 1989). Peter Braestrup, Big Story: How the American Press and Television Reported and Interpreted the Crisis Of Tet 1968 in Vietnam And Washington (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1977). Clarence R. Wyatt. Paper Soldiers: The American Press in Vietnam (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995). Michael Anderegg, Inventing Vietnam: The War in Film and Television. (Philadelphia, PA: Tem ple University Press, 1991). Paul Potter, â€Å"Name the System† (speech, delivered to protestors to end the war, Washington, March 10-13, 1965). Neil Sheehan. A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam (New York: Random House Publishing Group, 2009). Michael Herr Robert Stone. Dispatches (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009). This research paper on How did the media shape Americans’ perceptions of the Vietnam War? was written and submitted by user Amina Berg to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

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This indicates that increasingly more businesses are dealing with / managing changes in their organizations to stay ahead. At this point, one pertinent question that comes to our mind is what is change management? Change management, as defined in the Business and Management dictionary, is the coordination of a structured period of transition from situation A to situation B in order to achieve lasting change within an organization. Change management can be of varying scope, from continuous improvement, which involves small ongoing changes to existing processes, to radical and substantial change involving organizational strategy. Change management can be reactive or proactive. It can be instigated in reaction to something in an organizations external environment, for example, in the realms of economics, politics, legislation, or competition, or in reaction to something within the structures, processes, people, and events of the organizations internal environment. As a proactive measure, an organization might undergo change in anticipation of say, unfavourable economic conditions in the future. (Bloomsbury Business Library Business Management Dictionary 2007) Change management is a well-known and respected means to deal with budget cuts, volatile requirements, and other non stationary core reasons for project failures. The definition of change management includes at least four basic aspects: (1) the task of managing change, (2) an area of professional practice, (3) a body of knowledge, and (4) a control mechanism. Change can either be programmatic and planned or can be emergent, driven by unforeseen external events (Carl and et al, 2010). Boomer suggests that both academics and practitioners see change management capability as a strategic advantage and view change as a control mechanism, which typically results from standards, policies and processes. He goes further to define that as a body of knowledge, change management consists of methods, tools and techniques (Boomer 2008) to successfully manage the transition from one state to another. A lot of research work has taken place in this area, especially in the academic world. If one were to search for change management, in the past 20 years, in the business source complete, one could find that there are 2515 results in the category of academic journals out of a total of 4309. Moreover, the importance of the industry can be highlighted by the presence of the number of consulting firms with sophisticated tools and techniques to help clients manage change. However, even recent studies show that approximately 70% of all planned organizational change initiatives fail (Eaton, 2010). This leaves us wondering why The study done by Beer and Eisenstat in 2000, does talk about the top 6 silent killers of a change initaitive. 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Organizations Capacity to Change When an organization undergoes a change, new organizational solutions have to be decided upon; product programs must be modified; positions must be reallocated; routines and policies must be revised; employees training programs need to be planned and implemented; and so on (Meyer Stensaker 2006). This requires a lot of effort. As such, as highlighted by Meyer and Stensaker (2006), organizations that have a capacity for creating multiple change processes in order to create sustainable change must not only have the ability (resources and capabilities) to change the organization successfully, they must also have capability to maintain daily operations and implement subsequent change processes. They defined change capacity as the allocation and development of change and operational capabilities that sustains long term performance (Meyer Stensaker 2006). 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If it is so prescriptive then why does it happen that there are organizations that are better off at changing because of some unknown factors. The answer to this was found in the extension of the RBV and the intersection of the same with change management capability. Savory (2006) attempted at extending the RBV concept and distinguished the terms resource, competence and capability. He defined resources as factors that are owned and controlled by the organization or available through alliances and other external relationships whereas competence is the ability to use the resources to an acceptable level of performance towards a desirable purpose. Further, he defined capabilities as the ability to operate a specific configuration of an organizations set of resources and dynamic capabilities as the ability to reconfigure both the use and coordination of a specific configuration and the development of new configurations of resources, according to changes in the organizations environment and strategic direction (Butler, 2009). Dynamic Capability We know the key ingredients of a successful planned change comprise of leadership, visioning, teamwork and communication, but in dynamic environments on the other hand, change can hardly be planned ex ante in a detailed and distinct manner. The most severe disadvantages of planned change can be seen by large losses in the short-term, a high probability of a relapse, issues coming up as an result of limited foresight, unadjusted takeover of best practice from a different context, ignorance of key contingencies, a possible implementation lag that makes change already outdated before completion and a lack of suitability for large-scale change matters (Weick, 2000; Burnes, 2004). One especially severe drawback for hypercompetitive environments is that planned change represses innovative behaviour and, thus, rejects the important innovators, innovations and adaptive processes for this context (Weick, 2000; Biedenbach SÃ ¶derholm 2008). These drawbacks have encouraged us to think of the proactive, emergent change. Such an approach supports experimentation, is sensitive to local contingencies, open to shortened and tightened feedback loops from results to action, is comprehensible and managable. However, also within emergent change there are some drawbacks such as due to its incremental nature the speed of change which is slow, outcomes might be too small and, thus, more appropriate for exploiting opportunities than countering threats. Weick (2000) suggests that such an emergent change, in general, is most suited for operational level change than a major strategic change, which however can be built up incrementally through smaller emerging changes. Moreover it is because of the diffuse and less focused character of emergent change that it is less likely to deliver a transformational shift (Weick, 2000; Biedenbach SÃ ¶derholm 2008). When we talk about organizational change capacity, it cannot be an activity performed in order to improve operations or products once the change has been implemented. Instead, it is an inherent and continuous ingredient of the firms activities that need to be incorporated as a capacity of regular operations. Organizational change is thus upgraded from being a one-off and unique activity, to a strategic capability of the successful companies in hypercompetitive or turbulent environments (Nadler and Tushman, 1999; Meyer and Stensaker, 2006; Biedenbach SÃ ¶derholm 2008). Flexibility and creativity, as per rhe Mckinsey Quarterly (april 2009), are very important for a successful organizational change. These all lead us to think that there exists some kind of dynamic capabilities in an organization that would enable it to proactively change to the external environment. Teece et al. (1997) define dynamic capabilities as firms ability to integrate, build, and reconfigure internal and external competences to address rapidly changing environments. In other words, independent of the line of business, technology applied or markets served, dynamic capabilities point to the ability to constantly change in order to respond to environmental changes, to overtake competitors and to maintain competitive advantages (Biedenbach SÃ ¶derholm 2008). The dynamic capability is an extension of the static resource based view, which fails to explain firms competitive advantage in changing environments (e.g., Priem Butler, 2001). As a result, Teece and colleagues proposed the dynamic capabilities framework to fill that gap. Teece et al. (1997). It seems that the concept dynamic capabilities was the one most suited for developing a theory on organizational capacity to change because of the focus of the theory on the organizational processes that enable growth and adaptation in changing environments (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000; Teece et al., 1997). Moreover, such capabilities are grounded in organizational learning and managerial capabilities, the former, because organizational learning both leads to dynamic capabilities and is a dynamic capability (Zollo and Winter, 2002) and the latter as managers play crucial roles in developing organizational capabilities (Teece et al., 1997). The dynamic capabilities have actually taken up a strategic stage and subjugated the operational capabilities as zerolevel capabilities, being the how we earn a living now capabilities (Winter, 2003; Dixon, Meyer Day, 2010). Organization Capability for Change When we talk of a construct that would enable us to measure an organizations capacity to proactively change, one is lured to think of 3 antecedents, viz. organizational ambidexterity, environmental uncertainty and relative performance. Ambidexterity, which means doing 2 things at the same time, when extended to an organizational context, refers to the ability of organizations to achieve alignment in their current operations while also adapting effectively to changing environmental demands (Gibson and Birkinshaw, 2004). As conceptualized by Ghoshal and Bartlett (1994) ambidexterity builds on the 4 interdependent attributes, which are discipline, stretch, support, and trust. Discipline encourages individuals to voluntarily strive to meet all expectations generated by their explicit or implicit commitments. Stretch tempts members to voluntarily strive for more, rather than less, ambitious objectives. Support refers to the collective action of members to lend assistance and countenance to others. Finally, trust induces members to rely on the commitments of each other (Gibson and Birkinshaw, 2004). They argued that an organization needs to foster discipline and stretch to encourage individuals to push for ambitious goals, but it also needs support and trust to ensure that this happens within a cooperative environment. In terms of the yin and yang of continuous self-renewal (Ghoshal Bartlett, 1997): a balance between a pair of hard elements (discipline and stretch) and a pair of soft elements (support and trust) (Gibson and Birkinshaw, 2004). To understand the meaning of environmental uncertainty, another antecedent to the change capability, we need take each word at a time. Uncertainty, which is defined as an individuals perceived inability to predict something accurately because he/she perceives himself/herself to be lacking sufficient information to predict accurately or because he/she feels unable to discriminate between relevant data and irrelevant data (Gifford, Bobbitt, Slocum, 1979). The word environmental when attached to the term uncertainty, suggests that the source of the uncertainty is the organizations external environment. This uncertainty stems from the components of the environment (e,g, suppliers, competitors, government, distributors, consumers, etc) in which a company operates. Milliken (1987) said that the decision makers need to not only understand the particular source of environmental uncertainty, but also understand the type of environmental uncertainty. While specifying the source of uncertainty he refers to the domain of the environment which the decision maker is uncertain about (eg. competitors or suppliers). The type of uncertainty focuses on delineating the nature of the uncertainty being experienced. This could of 3 types, State uncertainty, Effect Uncertainty and Response uncertainty. State uncertainty refers to the inability in understanding how components of the environment might be changing. Effect uncertainty is defined as an inability to predict the nature of the impact of a future state of the environment on the organization. Response uncertaintys definition acknowledges the lack of knowledge of response options and/or the inability to predict the likely consequences of a response choice (Milliken, 1987). One of the reasons to construct a scale to measure an organizations capacity to change is to help the firm gain a competitive edge. This would mean superior performance. A firms performance depends on its strategy, but as per Bourgeois, (1980) the lack of consensus on means is more troublesome than disagreement on ends (final strategy). Also, a firms performance is affected by its organizational structures (centralised or decentralised), adaptive entities and decision problems (decomposable or non -decomposable) (Siggelkow and Levinthal, 2003). Based on the aforementioned 3 concepts, a new dynamic capability called organizational capacity for change (hereinafter referred to as OCC) was developed by Judge and Elenkov (2005). They conceptualize OCC as a dynamic organizational capability that allows the enterprise to adapt old capabilities to new threats and opportunities, as well as create new capabilities. More specifically, it is defined as the dynamic resource bundle comprised of effective human capital at varying levels of a business unit, with cultural predispositions toward innovation and accountability, and organizational systems that facilitate organizational change and transformation (Judge et al., 2009). OCC is defined as a meta-capability that enables an enterprise to regain or remain competitive with other enterprises through effective leadership, adaptive cultures, resilient employees, and an organizational infrastructure conducive to change. As suggested, it is different from Cohen and Leventhals (1990) absorptive capacity. Absorptive capacity focuses exclusively on organizational routines and processes while OCC focuses not only on the organizational routines and processes but also takes into account leadership talent and employee attitudes (Zahra and George 2002; Judge et al., 2009). Another construct that comes close to the OCC is the organizational readiness for change (Armenakis, Harris and Mossholder 1993),as both constructs deal with the organizations receptivity to change and organizational resilience. However, organizational readiness for change is focused exclusively on employee attitudes toward change, while OCC examines employee attitudes, leadership capabilities, and organizational infrastructure for bringing about change. In essence, OCC presents a comprehensive and as such, OCC is a bigger and more encompassing concept than absorptive capacity or organizational readiness for change (Judge et al., 2009). Having defined the Organization Capacity for Change, lets see how this has been developed as a construct in the organizational sciences that can be used by executives to prepare for and enhance their organizational change process, or for scholars to study the organizational change process. Building Blocks of the OCC Construct The construct was developed by an inductive process of assessing the works of several academics and practitioners in the area of organizational change over a period of 20 years. The construct has defined eight distinct but inter-related dimensions relating to the issues of human capabilities, formal organizational systems/processes and informal organizational culture (Judge and Douglas, 2009)*. [An earlier version of this paper was accepted for the 2006 Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings for the Organization Development and Change Division.] [Insert the pic here] Sl. No. Dimension of OCC What does it mean? Referred Work 1 Trustworthy leadership Ability of senior executives to earn the trust of the rest of the organization and to show organizational members the way to meet its collective goals (Barney and Hansen, 1994) 2 Trusting followers Ability of the non-executive employees to constructively dissent with and/or willingly follow a new path advocated by its senior executives (Kelley, 1992) 3 Capable champions An ability of an organization to attract, retain, and empower change leaders to evolve and emerge (Kanter, 1983) 4 Involved mid-management The ability of middle managers to effectively link senior executives with the rest of the organization (Floyd and Wooldridge, 1996) 5 Innovative culture The ability of the organization to establish norms of innovation and encourage innovative activity (Kotter and Heskett, 1992) 6 Accountable culture Ability of the organization to carefully steward resources and successfully meet pre-determined deadlines (Ulrich et al., 1999) 7 Effective communication The ability of the organization to communicate vertically, horizontally, and with customers (Oshry, 1996) 8 Systems thinking The ability of the organization to focus on root causes and recognize the interdependencies within and outside the organizational boundaries (Kilmann, 1991) Not only have Judge and Douglas (2009) designed the construct, interestingly they have found significantly positive relationship between OCC and financial performance of companies. This co-relation lends support to the contention that OCC is a strategically important organizational capability, and that it may be a source of competitive advantage. This capability assumes all the more importance when the perceived environment uncertainty is high (Judge and Douglas, 2009). Judge and Douglas (2009) have attempted to make OCC construct as robust and relevant as possible by refining it while surveying 3,725 employees within 161 organizational units in a wide variety of industries during the period of 1999-2005. While they do intend to help leaders in one of the most difficult aspects of leading organizational change initiatives, which is the ability to diagnose and develop the organizations capacity for change (Bossidy and Charan, 2002), their study is not void of shortcomings. Neither does it take into account the size of the change nor does it measure the effects of the specific nature of the environment changes. The study is not free of regional bias, as all the findings are validated in a North American context. Moreover the construct has references to studies that are out-dated, the oldest one done in 1983. A lot of research has been taken place in each of the dimensions in the recent years. It will be worth exploring / expanding the ideas of the construct in the light of latest works. New findings Trustworthy Leadership: The construct talks about trustworthy leadership, but it will be worth understanding what attributes make leadership trustworthy. Ingenhoff and Sommer (2010) identified the 4 different dimensions that influence the degree of overall of trust, namely ability, integrity, benevolence, and information quality. They also identified trust as being significantly important for a companys ongoing success, as it strengthens the long-term relationship between stakeholders and the company (Ingenhoff and Sommer, 2010). Trust, which is correlated with greater information sharing, has been identified to reduce transaction costs. It is unique as a governance mechanism and also creates value in the exchange relationship (Dyer and Chu, 2003). Croonen, 2010, through his studies strengthened the findings of Brockner and Siegel, 1996; Krishnan et al. 2006; Mishra and Spreitzer, 1998 who have considered fairness as an important element of trust and says that it should be shown more often. Trusting followers: When subordinates trust their managers, they are willing to provide benefits in the form of extra effort toward job performance and OCB and should have more favourable attitudes toward the exchange relationship and be more willing to maintain it (Dirks Ferrin, 2002; Konovsky Pugh, 1994; Mayer Gavin, 2005). Every leaders top priority should be to establish trusting relationships in order to drive productive working environments, as a study by the Institute for Organizational Performance has revealed that trust alone predicts 46% of the difference between low and high performers (Mercurio, 2005). For this, it is not only sufficient for senior managers to be able to demonstrate that they are trustworthy, but also they have to trust their subordinates. Such trust-building practices involve exchange of information and the empowerment of employees (Cummings, 1983; Deluga, 1994; Folger Konovsky, 1989; Whitener, 1997). This does puts the manager in a more vulnerable position and organizations should help managers learn to use these procedures wisely (Brower et.al, 2009). It has been identified that effective followers play significant roles in fostering leadership and organizational effectiveness. Trusting followers leads to very effective employees, but requires the leaders put forth leadership over their specific area of work and requires honest upward communication. Such followers need to be dependent, loyal and co-operative (Agho, 2009). Capable Champions When we talk of capable champions, what skills and abilities are we referring to? In his book, The Change of Champions Field guide: Strategies and Tools for Leading Change in the New Era, Ulrich says that the winners in turbulent times will be the ones who are good at understanding the environmental and technological contingencies and leveraging them to the advantage of the organizational performance and excellence. It has been found that good change managers are very good at envisioning. They can see the future they want to create, the short and long-term wins they want to achieve. They are completely aware of the dynamics involved in developing adaptability, team-learning and responsiveness within the organization to achieve the desired win (Khan, 2006). We all know that change in an organization takes in 3 phases and each phase requires specialized skills. The table below gives a summary of same and has been adapted from the study done by Warrick, 2009 and the book Exploring Strategic Change by Veronica Hope Hailey and Julia Balogun (2008). [Refer to book by Veronica .. ] Stage of Change Role played by the Change Champion Skills Needed Mobilise Initiating Developing a change mindset Providing visionary leadership Involving key stakeholders and building commitment Well informed and cognizant of the issues and opportunities and knows how to get things done Move Facilitating Working with teams Working with people Networking and getting the right people together Sustain Implementing Planning and managing the change process Making things happen Motivating people Developing feedback mechanism to evaluate and monitor progress Persevering until the change succeeds (Warrick, 2009) For a successful change, change champions are required to create a creative culture, manage diversity, empower employees, maintaining organizational integrity, establish a just and fair reward system, create an environment of trust and inclusion that will really empower leaders and proponents of change to deal with any change process. Some additional skills are the use of appreciative enquiry, intuition and creativity (Khan, 2006; Warrick 2009). Involved Mid Management When we talk about line managers, researchers say that they can be of 2 types, the realists and the humanists. Realists are goal orientated and focus on getting things done, which includes things like developing a plan and a budget for the work and ensuring that the deadlines will be hit. On the other hand humanists, as the name suggests, focus on the people aspects-for example, making sure everybody understands and is committed to the plan, and figuring out how to handle any resistance to the plan (Axelrod, 2007). Axelrod (2007) further suggests that to get things done in an organization, one needs to bring together both the perspectives in his / her thought process and make it an all encompassing approach by moving beyond the usual suspects to include people who care about or stand to be affected by the initiative, people with relevant knowledge and expertise, and people whose authority is touched by the work. All change efforts need some element of fresh thinking and ways to overcome resistance. It has been found that innovative solutions can be obtained by including people with diverse points of view. Also, by bringing resisters, detractors, and other troublemakers onboard, one can reduce the resistance as it reduces the chance of stirring up trouble and distrust from the outside and might even convert the detractor to an instrumental team member (Axelrod, 2007). Axelrod has suggested some steps, for an involved middle management in a change effort. They are Keep the vision for the project front and center. Remind people whats going to be different as a result of your collective efforts. Give them regular progress reports about whats been achieved so far. Listen and value to the subordinates inputs. Communicate and celebrate the closure is very important too. (Axelrod, 2007). Innovative Culture Change is intended, amongst other reasons, to foster innovation and as suggested by Judge et.al. (2009), it also is one of the pillars that supports and organizations capacity to change. How do we foster innovation in an organization? The answer lay in leaders ability in fostering and developing innovation among their followers by having a vision and mission that encourage ideas from their workforce and actively seeks input from all departments and across all levels. It means giving followers the freedom to make decisions. This act enables employees to try out new ideas in a conducive environment and challenge themselves with a new way of thinking. With the ability to add to the work process, employees will begin interacting in a way that supports innovative ideas and influences the future of the business. It has been prescribed that with proper leadership training, accountability, and daily communication about leaderships responsibilities to foster creativity and trust, mid-level managers can rise to the standards necessary to inspire innovation and grow the next generation of innovative leaders (Agin and Gibson, 2010). When we talk about a culture, what would attributes would define an innovative culture? Daniels, 2010, discovered that innovative workplaces share six cultural characteristics. They are Dimension Meaning Context rich Information feed innovation. It would lead to a culture which ensures free-flowing communication so that innovators can draw on a rich background and perspective. Customer close Key to innovation lies at

Essay --

Georgia Phinn Tommie Byrd ENG 101 November 23, 2013 Domestic Violence Against Children What is domestic violence? According to the Minnesota Statue 5181B.01, Domestic Abuse Act, defines domestic violence as willfully causing physical and bodily harm, assault and infliction of fear against a family member or partner within a household (Jau, Lina, 1998). Domestic violence is a serious societal issue and it does not matter the age, the ethnic background, or economic status of that family. This paper will explore the causes and effects of domestic violence against children and the impact on a child’s development through to adulthood and what can be done to rectify this societal issue. There are numerous causes of domestic violence against children. One of a main cause is excessive consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs by an adult within the family as a factor in provoking violent and aggressive behavior towards children. A terrifying case and point is the trial of Eric Pratt. According to â€Å"Lasting Wounds For Everyone But The Batterer† (2000), Eric Pratt was sentenced 10 to 30 years for throwing his 2 year old daughter in a brick wall, knocking her unconscious and using his fist to knock out his daughter’s mother due to drug and alcohol induced fit of rage. One of the saddest part of this case is he was in complete denial at his arraignment. After investigations, it was discovered that Eric Pratt had a drug problem and the mother was aware of this problem and refused to leave the relationship. Another major cause of domestic violence against children is the high risk violent environment in which a child resides. For example in Eric Pratt’s trial case, his wife Massie was aware of Pratt abusing alcohol and ... ... to domestic violence. The abusers need to be held accountable to the full extent of the law for their actions. Library Database Jau, Lina. "What is Domestic Violence?" Asian Pages: 11. Nov 14 1998. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2013 . Milloy, Courtland. "Lasting Wounds for Everyone but the Batterer." The Washington Post: 0. Mar 22 2000. ProQuest. Web. 23 Nov. 2013 . Shah, Nirvi. "Childhood Violence; 'National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence'." Education Week 22 May 2013: 5. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. McCarthy, John, and Angela Alsobrooks. "The Invisible Victims of Domestic Violence." The Washington PostFeb 17 2013. ProQuest. Web. 16 Nov. 2013 . Glazer, Sarah. "Violence Against Women." CQ Researcher 26 Feb. 1993: 169-92. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. Mantel, Barbara. "Domestic Violence." CQ Researcher 15 Nov. 2013: 981-1004. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.

The models For Organizational Diagnosis

Organizations undertake a diagnosis of their operation for purposes of checking the effectiveness and efficiency of their work processes. It is because they owe it to their stakeholders, stockholders and other interest groups to assure that their needs and expectations are met. When an organization is regularly checked and diagnosed, problems can be pinpointed and resolved and/or anticipated and avoided. Diagnosis and evaluation of the operation and management of an organization can pave the way for initiatives and innovations towards change and the betterment of the company.The different types of organizational diagnostic models are: Force Field Analysis: This model is a simple method designed by Kurt Lewin in 1951. It takes into consideration the two major forces affecting an organization: the restraining forces that are borne from the limitations of the company; and, the driving forces that are borne out of the effective and positive characteristics of the organization. In applyin g this diagnostic method, the desired balance in enhancing the driving forces to counter the restraining forces will be achieved.Leavitt’s Model This diagnostic tool model desgined by H. J. Leavitt in 1967 looks into the contributing variables in an organization. These variables are the tasks performed; the structure designed; the technology implemented and the human resources available.What this model checks are the changes in any and each of the variables and how they affect each other. In diagnosing an organization using this will pinpoint effectiveness of change that will benefit all the variables. Likert System Analysis R.Likert designed a diagnosis model in 1967 that addresses the motivation; communication; interaction; decision making; goal setting; control and performance aspects of an organization. These aspects of an organization are reflected in four different management systems such are the exploitative-authoritative type; the benevolent-authoritative type; the co nsultative type; and the participative group type. This model uses the questionnaire tool to assess an across the board opinion among the employees, thus, a true consensus can be derived at and better analyzed as the responses are graphed and plotted to see trends and transitions.Open Systems Theory Organizations are deemed to be a social entity and the open systems theory greatly considers the feedback from its environment and outside factors. This diagnostic model considers inputs; throughputs; outputs and renewed inputs in and out of the organization to achieve the desired dynamics towards efficiency. In diagnosing through the open systems theory, the organization has a wider leverage to really see the finer details of its function in the inside and in the outside that will lead to a more comprehensive identification of more factors towards change.Weisbord’s Six-Box Model This model as designed in 1976 by Weisbord outlines the categories in an organization that must be dia gnosed: its purposes; structures; relationships; leadership; rewards and helpful mechanisms. Everything that work and play around those categories must be identified and congruently be evaluated towards initiated and innovative, appropriate change. This will identify the â€Å"what is† aspect of the categories and then arrive at â€Å"what should be†. In applying this model, an organization can profoundly dissect its functions thru the very pinpointed questions to be asked.The Congruence Model for Organization Analysis This model is a dynamic combination of the principle of the Open Systems Theory; the Leavitt System Analysis and the Weisbord Six-Box Model. Nadler-Tushman developed this analytical method with the assumption that organizations are dynamic entities operating within a wider environment outside of its confines and that there are behaviors among its employees as individual and groups that transpire and interact and transact.This model is remarkable because it zeroes-in into the aspects of the functions in the organization in terms of whether they fit or they do not fit. It is a model that analyzes relevance and congruence in the interaction of the functions. McKinsey 7S Framework Within the framework of an organization as what the McKinsey Consultants identified in 1981 are the â€Å"7-S† that interact: style; staff; systems; strategy; structure; skills; shared values. These variables are illustrated as cells and molecules which makes them interdependent with each other.The framework therefore rationalizes that to achieve efficiency in an organization, all of those variables must be simultaneously, equally efficient. Any change on any of the variable must correlate with a change in the others. The benefit of using this model is that any initiatives towards change will be reflected in each and every variable of the organization and not just on only one. Tichy’s Technical Political Cultural (TPC) Framework This is a model that further analyzes the environment an organization is in, together with its history.It was designed in 1983. In this diagnosis, the cultural, political and technical dynamics of the organization are identified. The merit of this model is that it considers diagnosing to be very specific about every â€Å"strand† of the organization’s political, cultural and technical dynamics that they should be aligned, managed congruently for the organization to be efficient. High-Performance Programming This diagnostic model adopted the Likert System Analysis to work on the four levels in the organization.Level 1 is identified as the reactive level. The responsive level is the 2nd level. The 3rd level is the proactive level and the 4th is the high-performance level. It was in 1984 that Nelson and Burns designed this model to enable organizations to plan the right interventions towards the necessary transformation. Utilizing this model will enable an organization to truly empower e very individual in its employ that will lead to growth and development. Diagnosing Individual and Group BehaviorThis model specifically focuses on the individual behavior of employees in the organization. M. I. Harrison used in1987 the principles of the Open Systems theory in designing this model. This model takes into account the variable transpiring on the organizational level; the variables on the group level and the variables on the individual level. The distinctive premise of this model that is remarkable is that it considers the quality work life of employees. The Burke-Litwin Model of Organizational Performance & ChangeBurke-Litwin developed this diagnostic model in 1990, thus this is more modern method. This diagnosis process covers the 12 theoretical variables; the consideration of the variable effect of the climate and culture of an organization; the distinction between transactional and transformational dynamics of the organization; and, the specification of the nature an d direction of the effect of the variables. This diagnosis model is the most comprehensive method that will truly define an organization. A. T. &T. (merged with BellSouth Corporation)Going two notches higher because of its year 2008 revenue performance at US$124 billion –A. T. &T. ranked No. 8 amongst Fortune top 500 global companies. This is higher by 4. 3% from its 2007 revenue earnings. 2008 Profits is US$12 billion. Based in Dallas, Texas, A. T. &T. merged with BellSouth in the year 2006. At close of the last trading hour of the last trading day for the week, April 24, 2009 positioned A. T. &T. stock at US$. 25. 22 per share. At more than 100 years of corporate existence, A. T. &T.is the world’s largest communications holding company with most advanced, most innovative, most comprehensive telecommunication services from telephones, to internet, to multimedia services, to entertainment solutions meeting individual to multinational business needs of its 77 million cu stomers.Its research and development laboratories are the most advanced facilities in modern day technology. The leadership it has etched in telecommunication is due to the groundbreaking initiatives in innovations and inventions. Its technological advancements have merited seven Nobel Prizes and thousands of patents all over the world.A. T. &T. sustains its corporate governance by solidifying six strategic focus areas: through their commitments to the betterment of communities; through their meritorious investment in people; through their leadership with integrity, ethics and responsibility; through their environmental concerns for sustainable protection; through their efficient networking with people, businesses and customers; and through their consistently innovating technology. A. T. &T. has more than 300,000 employees worldwide. The career and work environment that the company offers its employees is holistic and comprehensive.Employees have a track opportunity to grow. They ar e made to be involved with the company’s advocacies. They receive above industry standard benefits and privileges. They are continually educated and trained. They dwell within the spirit of true teamwork and concern like a family.Due to the comprehensive global operation and services, the Burke-Litwin diagnostic model will dynamically ensure that continuity and sustainability of the excellence position and prestige that A. T. &T. pursues in the industry. The Burke-Litwin model has the tools and mechanics to analyze the very wide external environment of A.T&T.The many executive positions in the company together with its thousands of employees mandate a more astute conduct of interrelationship behavior plus a unifying culture, a conducive work climate and the alignment of skills, job and performance matching.The mission and strategy of the company together with its management practices can be very well checked by this model, together with the structure of the functions and the system of policies. A complex and dynamic A. T&T. will thrive further and better if they check and balance their organization with the Burke-Litwin model.References:Falletta, S.V., Ed.D.,   â€Å"Organizational Diagnostic Models:   A Review & Synthesis†. 2005. http://www.leadersphere.com/img/Orgmodels.pdf. â€Å"Fortune 500 of 2009† Fortune Magazine. CNNMone.com. http://www.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2009/full_list/. A.T.&T. Corporate Profile http://www.att.com/gen/investor-relations?pid=5711.

Free Essays on Theatre And Kabuki

Japan’s dances and dramas as they are seen today contain 1300 years of continuous uninterrupted history. This prodigious feat of conservation, theatrically speaking, makes Japan an extraordinary and unique country. In all of Asia, where tradition generally is sanctified and change eschewed, Japan stands as the only country whose theatre is its entirety has never suffered an eclipse nor undergone any drastic revivification or renovation. The most traditional form of Japanese theatre is kabuki. Its origin goes back to the latter part of the 16th century and, with extensive and continuous evolution, it has now been perfected into a state of classical refinement. Though not as flourishing as it once was, the kabuki theatre retains wide popularity among the people, and is in fact drawing quite large audiences even now. During the period generally referred to as the Edo Era, during which much of the development of kabuki took place, distinctions between the warrior class and the commoners was more rigidly observed than at any other time in Japan's history. Mainly the merchants cultivated the art of kabuki in those days. They had become increasingly powerful economically, but had to remain socially inferior as they belonged to the commoner class. To them kabuki was most significant as the artistic means by which to express their emotions under the prevailing conditions. Thus, the fundamental themes of kabuki plays are conflicts between humanity and the feudalistic system. It is largely due to this humanistic quality of the art that it gained such an enduring popularity among the general public of those days and remains this way today. A unique feature of the kabuki art, and possibly the most significant detail and in keeping with the kabuki spirit of unusualness, is the fact that it has no actresses whatsoever (Bowers 325). Male impersonators known as onnagata play all female parts. The players of the kabuki drama in its primitive stage ... Free Essays on Theatre And Kabuki Free Essays on Theatre And Kabuki Japan’s dances and dramas as they are seen today contain 1300 years of continuous uninterrupted history. This prodigious feat of conservation, theatrically speaking, makes Japan an extraordinary and unique country. In all of Asia, where tradition generally is sanctified and change eschewed, Japan stands as the only country whose theatre is its entirety has never suffered an eclipse nor undergone any drastic revivification or renovation. The most traditional form of Japanese theatre is kabuki. Its origin goes back to the latter part of the 16th century and, with extensive and continuous evolution, it has now been perfected into a state of classical refinement. Though not as flourishing as it once was, the kabuki theatre retains wide popularity among the people, and is in fact drawing quite large audiences even now. During the period generally referred to as the Edo Era, during which much of the development of kabuki took place, distinctions between the warrior class and the commoners was more rigidly observed than at any other time in Japan's history. Mainly the merchants cultivated the art of kabuki in those days. They had become increasingly powerful economically, but had to remain socially inferior as they belonged to the commoner class. To them kabuki was most significant as the artistic means by which to express their emotions under the prevailing conditions. Thus, the fundamental themes of kabuki plays are conflicts between humanity and the feudalistic system. It is largely due to this humanistic quality of the art that it gained such an enduring popularity among the general public of those days and remains this way today. A unique feature of the kabuki art, and possibly the most significant detail and in keeping with the kabuki spirit of unusualness, is the fact that it has no actresses whatsoever (Bowers 325). Male impersonators known as onnagata play all female parts. The players of the kabuki drama in its primitive stage ...

Definition and Examples of Senders in Communication

Definition and Examples of Senders in Communication In the  communication process, the sender is the individual who initiates a message  and is also called the  communicator or source of communication. The sender might be a  speaker, a writer, or someone who merely gestures. The individual or the group of individuals who responds to the sender is called the receiver  or audience. In communication and speech theory, the reputation of the sender is important in providing credibility and validation to his or her statements and speech, but attractiveness and friendliness, too, play roles in a receivers interpretation of a senders message. From the  ethos  of the senders rhetoric to the  persona  he or she portrays, the senders role in communication sets not only the tone but the expectation of the conversation between the sender and the audience. In writing, though, the response is delayed and relies more on the senders reputation than image. Communication Process Every communication involves two key elements: the sender and the receiver, wherein the sender conveys an idea or concept, seeks information, or expresses a thought or emotion, and the receiver gets that message. In Understanding Management, Richard Daft and Dorothy Marcic explain how the sender can communicate by selecting symbols with which to compose a message. Then this tangible formulation of the idea is sent to the receiver, where it is decoded to interpret the meaning. As a result, being clear and concise as a sender is important to start the communication well, especially in written correspondence. Unclear messages carry with them a higher risk of being misinterpreted and eliciting a response from the audience that the sender did not intend. A.C. Buddy Krizan defines a senders key role in the communication process in Business Communication as including (a) selecting the type of message, (b) analyzing the receiver, (c) using the you-viewpoint, (d) encouraging feedback, and (e) removing communication barriers. Senders Credibility and Attractiveness A thorough analysis by the receiver of a senders message is imperative in conveying the right message and eliciting the desired results because the audiences evaluation of the speaker largely determines their reception of a given form of communication. Daniel J. Levi describes in Group Dynamics for Teams the idea of a good persuasive speaker as a  highly credible communicator, whereas a communicator with low credibility may cause the audience to believe the opposite of the message (sometimes called the boomerang effect). A college professor, he posits, may be an expert in his or her field, but the students might not consider him or her an expert in social or political topics. This idea of a speakers credibility based on perceived competence and character, sometimes called an ethos, was developed more than 2,000 years ago in ancient Greece, according to Deanna Sellnows Confident Public Speaking. Sellnow goes on to say that because listeners often have a difficult time separating the message from the sender, good ideas can easily be discounted if the sender does not establish ethos via content, delivery, and structure.

Process of merchants Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Process of merchants - Essay Example The said process can be considered as the onset of the different processes that are needed to be undertaken which require a synergy of planning and strict decision making since critical assessment is required to determine what types of products can target the needs of the clients (Cant, Strydom, Jooste and du Plessis 128). The identification of the clientele for the particular upcoming season can be considered as a crucial step in the process. Initially, specific type of consumers is identified and the stability of the said market to support continued manufacturing and production is established. An addition important characteristic of the said market is economic accessibility which is related to more profitability in terms of less expenses and costs on higher benefits (Cant, Strydom, Jooste and du Plessis 128). There are different criteria that can assess the right choice in merchants. One is the size and growth capability of the market that can ensure use up of the supplies that can be produced and the expansion of the business undertaken. The potential profitability which is related to the long-term capability of the business to prosper is another important factor. The determination of the capability of the business to achieve the set goals is also another important factor (Cant, Strydom, Jooste and du Plessis 129). Basically in the determination and classification of the profitable line and market in the merchant process can only effective if it is compatible to the type of services that can be offered. Thus, the process of classification choice of a merchant can also include the assessment of the point where the needs of the market and the capability of the company can meet. Through this, the profitability can be optimized. To be able to have the maximum benefits in the market, the process of forecasting or determination of the products that can have the high demands can be considered as another fundamental phase.

IT163 BD Unit 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

IT163 BD Unit 2 - Research Paper Example The objectives and needs of the enterprise must be considered when making decision on what to use in a distributed relational database. How the application program is going to be coded, where it resides in regard to the data and the network design that merges or connects the application program are all very important design considerations. Database design in a distributed relational database is more complex than when dealing with the I series relational database. It is important to understand the purpose of the business or the organization for which the database is to belong and the relational database technology. Operations that necessitate particular attentions when forming your strategy include general operations, networking protocols, system security, accounting, problem analysis and backup and recovery processes involved. Of great importance is to avoid replica of rows of the same data available in a database. This is referred to as data redundancy. Data redundancy gives problems to IT departments responsible for database management. Redundancy can be avoided by the use of keys in tables. For example, in the database of an organization for accessing and storing employees’ data, then for each employee we have a defined primary key condition for employee number. If an attempt is made to enter a second row of the same data for the employee the system should