Positive Influence of Online and Social Media on Communication

Introduction:

Over recent years, technology is drastically advancing and evolving, changing the form of human communication. In the contemporary world, the traditional forms of passing information between individuals are changing, adopting the new modes of passing information. The traditional form of communication used to be through letters that are getting replaced by direct messages, made possible by the invention of online and social media. West (2012) states that social media incorporates all the communication outlets that connect people globally, bearing collective interests giving them a platform where they can share ideas and observations. The interconnectedness via the social network tools acts as a major source of social relationships where over 88 percent of the young adults get connected and maintain their relationships. Additionally, according to Wood et al. (2016), social media have also impacted the social relationships, teaching, and learning processes across all the education levels globally. More so, Miller et al. (2016) state that online platforms have the capability to empower the education experience by creating new forms of learning interactions. We can, therefore, state that the modern era of technology and the invention of online platforms have contributed to the advancement of communication across the globe. This essay presents a discussion aimed at evaluating the extent to which online social media influences the communication process, inculcating the same impacts on social relationships and teaching and learning processes. This essay follows a standard structure of an essay, starting with an introduction to the discussion topic “the positive influence of online social media on social relationship communication,” and what the implementation of the social media substituted. The introduction is followed by two body paragraphs, each addressing a specific topic presented by the three reading sources. Also, a section of critique on the drawbacks that are as a result of the online social media, then a conclusion summing up the whole text.

Body 1: Social Relationships

The role of social media in social relationships cannot be taken for granted. The impact of social media in connecting people has been noticed across the platforms, even those we do not know. Through social sites, people can interact freely in the comfort of their homes; the only requirement is access to the internet and a smart device. The invention of new tools such as blogs, wikis, and, more particularly, social media has impacted how people pass information across all individuals (West, 2012, p.3). According to West (2012), social media is made up of communication outlets that connect people with a common interest via a platform where they can share ideas and observations. It is through the same platforms where strong relationships are built, and individuals get a chance to share reactions, recommendations, and solutions to a problem. Additionally, the use of this platform creates a sense of social connectedness between individuals who have logged into the same social site; each individual has a chance to speak his mind and share emotions; this is generally the meaning of getting a successful communication process. Besides, social media plays a significant role in providing a platform where people can share their political opinions and ideas, as well as campaigns. However, despite all these opportunities that come with online social media, there have been negative experiences that are encountered by young adults, especially those at school. Scott McLeod of Lowa State University states that the use of social media at the elementary and secondary schools is not helpful in the education process and instead causes distractions and problems that divert students from pedagogical opportunities (West, 2012, p.4). Further, the issue of cyber-bullying is common across social media, where people are discriminated against as they meet strangers. Another profound challenge is the fake news that is mainly politically oriented via these platforms that cause misconceptions and sometimes unnecessary conflict. Nevertheless, it has been noticed that most of these challenges and drawbacks associated with social media cannot overdo the positive impacts. Most essentially, we need to work towards eliminating the negative impacts of social media and develop a positive mindset that guides every individual to use social platforms appropriately.

Body 2: Teaching and Learning

Teaching and learning are processes that take place daily. The processes take place within the educational field and the social media aiming at improving the societies we live in; the success of the activities revolving about the transfer of knowledge rely on effective communication. Thus modern technology proves to positively influence the education field through enhanced communication. It has been found that in the digital world, many professors use online social media in distance learning and developing online laboratory tests (West 2012, p.5). This opportunity present by online social media helps overcome the geographic distance as a barrier to the learning and teaching process. Additionally, social media provides a medium where learners can enjoy interactions and connectivity with their teachers and share learning experiences. As opposed to direct contact with teachers, the social platform provides a platform where students get some sense of independence and social contact with peers. According to Dolev-Cohen and Barak (2013), direct messaging is capable of contributing positively to the student’s welfare who find it hard to express their emotions via direct or face-to-face communication (Wood, et al., 2016, p.12). Further, social media also meets the needs of the younger children by creating a safe and secure online communication to teach and boost learning on positive attitudes between different cultures. This is a positive influence on the education sector as the teachers can share educational information with the parents and their pupils, promoting the education process. However, there have been some limitations that have been experienced in the learning and teaching field. A common challenge with social media is the increased cases of intimacy and bullying among students due to the close persistent contact and communication (Miller, et al., 2016, p.8). Similarly, the accounts created at the primary levels are now used by parents to receive detailed information about their children and thus impacting adversely on their performance, as they use them to measure their proficiency. From the entire learning and teaching evaluation, it can be noted that all the limitations and problems that are associated with social media are sourced from the users due to the misuse of the platform. It is, therefore, correct to say that if the users do away with the drawbacks, the social media would positively impact the education sector.

Conclusion:

Generally, it is true to state that online social media positively influences the communication process, and the same impacts are recapped on social relationships as well as teaching and learning processes. Despite the few critiques associated with the social media presented in the above information, we are sure that the proper use of social media will yield good results. Nevertheless, with the advancing technology, we can now be confident that new features would emerge that would positively impact the user’s lives. More precisely, impacting on the education sector, which is the predictor of the community’s well-being, by incredibly influencing the communication process and social connections.

References

West, D.M., 2012. Digital schools: How technology can transform education. Brookings Institution Press.

Miller, D., Sinanan, J., Wang, X., McDonald, T., Haynes, N., Costa, E., Spyer, J., Venkatraman, S. and Nicolescu, R., 2016. How the world changed social media (p. 286). UCL press.

Wood, M.A., Bukowski, W.M. and Lis, E., 2016. The digital self: How social media serves as a setting that shapes youth’s emotional experiences. Adolescent Research Review, 1(2), pp.163-173.

How Social Media Has Made People Aggressive

Introduction

With the increasing usage of social media, face-to-face interactions, essential for personality growth, acquisition of knowledge, social skills, and communicative skills, have been withdrawn from people's lives (Hollis, 2019). Children rarely interact with one another hence leading to unsocial characteristics. On the other hand, social media has made lives easier because people can easily find information, connect with strangers, advertising content, and resolve problems. Also, social media quickly makes users compared their experiences with other people hence increasing depression levels. Even though there is minimal investigation connecting the number of hours one spends on social media with aggressive behavior, enough material proves that some internet users might generate aggressive behavior due to internet usage. According to the drive theory, the terms drive implies amplified provocation and internal inspiration to reach a specific objective. Experts claim that there is a primary and secondary drive. Direct campaigns are tied to survival and include food and water (Rost et al., 2016). On the other hand, secondary drives are culturally influenced, namely, social media influence, and approval. Another alternative theory that can explain aggressive behavior due to social media behavior is learning theory. The learning theory stipulates that aggression is a learned behavior acquired through the interaction between two or more people (Chwialkowska, 2019). Since social media facilitate the exchange of numerous people at a go, it generates a higher level of aggression than other businesses.

How Learning and Drive Theory Explain Aggression Social Media Behavior

 Most of the time, social media platforms such as Instagram show people a lavish lifestyle. Despite the harsh realities of life, social media users are accustomed to; whenever they log into their favorite social media platform, they might get the impression that someone else is living a better life than them (Chwialkowska, 2019). Social media gives its users an illusion, which in turn, motivates or drives them to pursue lifestyles that might be beyond their reach aggressively. On the other hand, learning theory explains that people acquire aggressive behavior by observing other people. As stated earlier, social media is an outlet through which large amounts of information are accessible and readily available (Rost et al., 2016). Some of the reports contains violent content or aggressive behavior, thus arousing more feeling than usual. In the end, an average social media user becomes more aggressive than he or she could have become without the use of social media.

The Bob Doll Experiment 1961

 The aim of the bobo doll experiment was to study social behaviors such as aggression. According to the conclusions of the report, social characteristics can developed through observation and imitation. During the experiment, Bandura et al., isolated 36 boys and 36 women from Stanford College (Bandura, Ross, & Ross, 1961). All the participants were aged 3-6 years. In order to effectively attain the objectives, some researchers physically abused a doll in front of the children. Later the children imitated the behavior and assaulted the doll. Similarly, social media has the same effect on people. Most of the time, social media users are passive, hence the only way to release energy is through making aggressive remarks a cyberbullying. More so, social media give its users a chance to select content through followers. Without knowing it, social media conforms people to develop extreme non tolerant behavior toward people who harbor a contrary behavior. In summary, social media platforms induce aggression through the content it airs, the opinions it supports and depicts to its users.

Factors Contributing To Aggressive Behavior Due To Internet Usage

 In the past ten years, the emergence of social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram have increased user-generated material and made it accessible to numerous people. Any information can spread far and wide due to social media platforms (Sparby, 2017). This led to a lively exchange of content but has also triggered aggressive and potentially harmful behavior. Some of the destructive behavior is cyberbullying and hate speech. Even though bullying and hate speech existed before the advent age of the internet, with the increasing usage of social platforms, cyberbullying and hate speech greatly influence people. Some internet users have committed suicides after deactivating their social media accounts. Thus, aggressive and harmful behavior is marked as an indication of the impact social media has on its users.

 One of the most notable contributing factor to aggressive behavior is the number of hours social media users spend on social media platforms (Chatzakou et al., 2017). Numerous researches tie internet addiction to rising aggressive behaviors. The unregulated use of the internet causes distress and wastefully hinders an individual's progress in the long run leading to social, monetary, and professional challenges. Most internet users spend most of their time liking and commenting on images, which might trigger violence, leading to harmful behavior.

Outrage has defined the current society; this is due to the increasing usage of the internet. Social media has replaced society's fundamental ideas; nowadays, anyone can Photoshop an image and then change the context to suit their own needs.  For example, one user can Photoshop a picture that might be abusive to other social media users hence sparking outrage and even violence (Chatzakou et al., 2017). An underlying reason for the increasing outage is that people cannot defend themselves over the internet.  Consequently, when an internet user sees an offensive issue on the internet, they cannot quickly consider the person behind the offensive post, thus building up anger and anguish. Also, the virtual world of social media has given people courage because they can say anything without the actual consequences following them hence a driver to use and abuse the freedom of speech.

Long Term Impact of Social Media Aggression

 Anger brings considerable economic costs because it leads to antisocial behavior and negatively impacts relationships, work output, mental status, and, generally, an individual's health. Although humans cannot wholly avert anger, permitting it to exist and graduate into a chronic disaster, persistently might cause abuse in the current society. It is vital to note that anger is a useful outlet for pent up energy (Ho et al., 2017). However, its misuse leads to dysfunctionality due to its frequency and the cynical manner in which it is expressed. As a fundamental human instinct, anger triggers a response. Aggression is an instinctive emotion which can be harnessed physically due to the adrenaline driving it. The only challenging issue with social media is its limitless accessibility due to its virtual nature. Social media users can hide their identity and even values whenever they want to. Every social media user can easily pretend to be something that he or she is not (Edinyang, 2016). Thus, thinning tolerance increases stress due to the enormous amount of information one feeds into. Social media has been able to determine the mental status of the younger generations and accurately facilitate outburst due to the numerous amounts of data flowing through various social media outlets (Van Hee et al., 2018).  More so, the study into social media offers a variety of thought-provoking observational revelations. Research on the face to face categories exposed that conversation among like-minded individuals radicalized their usual perspective. A class that begins with average opinions ends up having strong opinions on matters concerning a particular issue. 

Two issues are contributing to the radicalization of opinions. One of them is informational individuals who acquire new information on the specific subject matter. Secondly, radicalization occurs due to social media's social nature, where people emulate each other and influence each other against particular issues due to the newly found information (Zafar, & Chaudhary, 2018). Thus, social media discussions can be either informational or contain elements of categorization.  In social media platforms such as Twitter, people argue against or for specific subject matters to gain fame or even go viral (Hoste, 2018). No matter the factual background of the people involved in the conversation, social media users tend to exhibit aggression and violence in their opinions and discussions. Radical people have a higher sway on other social media users than the average social media influencer.

 In summary, the increasing usage of social media has also seen an emergence of aggressive behavior worldwide. One social media platform can contain more than 15million users per hour. Each user interacts with different followers or friends at different time levels. Also, each user has his or her own unique opinion. Through the drive theory, users can gain motivation from the illusion lifestyles they see on different social media platforms. On the other hand, learning theory explains that aggressive behavior is learned in social media platforms as one interacts with social media users.

References

Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63(3), 575.

Chatzakou, D., Kourtellis, N., Blackburn, J., De Cristofaro, E., Stringhini, G., & Vakali, A. (2017, June). Mean birds: Detecting aggression and bullying on twitter. In Proceedings of the 2017 ACM on web science conference (pp. 13-22).

Chwialkowska, A. (2019). How sustainability influencers drive green lifestyle adoption on social media: the process of green lifestyle adoption explained through the lenses of the minority influence model and social learning theory. Management of Sustainable Development, 11(1).

Edinyang, S. D. (2016). The significance of social learning theories in the teaching of social studies education. International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Research, 2(1), 40-45.

Ho, S. S., Chen, L., & Ng, A. P. (2017). Comparing cyberbullying perpetration on social media between primary and secondary school students. Computers & Education, 109, 74-84.

Hollis, L. P. (2019). Lessons from Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiments: Leadership’s Deliberate Indifference Exacerbates Workplace Bullying in Higher Education. Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education, 4, 085-102.

Rost, K., Stahel, L., & Frey, B. S. (2016). Digital social norm enforcement: Online firestorms in social media. PLoS one, 11(6), e0155923.

Sparby, E. M. (2017). Digital social media and aggression: Memetic rhetoric in 4chan’s collective identity. Computers and Composition, 45, 85-97.

Van Hee, C., Jacobs, G., Emmery, C., Desmet, B., Lefever, E., Verhoeven, B., ... & Hoste, V. (2018). Automatic detection of cyberbullying in social media text. PloS one, 13(10), e0203794.

Zafar, A., & Chaudhary, U. G. (2018). Effects of violence shown in media on children: A study of parent’s perspective. Journal of Early Childhood Care and Education, 2.

1

Reducing Information Overload in Email Usage

 Using enterprise social grids because most of the emails are sent internally through organizations. The utilization of social networking platforms such as SharePoint, enables companies to manage their emails and avoid clutter. Therefore, they can only deal with meaningful emails while doing away with unnecessary emails. Secondly, an organization can improve its email correspondence by cutting down on duplicated emails. Duplicate emails increase the email overload as numerous people reply to the email, giving no time to vet all the emails sent. To avoid email duplication, the organization should create a list of names to receive certain emails (Roetzel, 2019). This way, the number of people replying to the emails will be few, giving the organization time to evaluate the emails. Thirdly, the organization should give contextual information to details by sending brief emails to receive brief answers. In summary, organizations can reduce internet usage by segmentation of information based on the subject matters covered, increasing personnel roles, and sharing information familiar with the client base.

 Reducing internet usage in an organization can be done by defining the limitations of personal usage. Organizational frameworks ought to be used to achieve organizational objectives and other operational benefits. Formulating an effective policy ought to inform workers that all the emails and other media outlets are useful to the company and should be used for personal gain alone (Roetzel, 2019). Whenever workers use internet-enabled devices for personal use, it should only be for a short period of time to avoid interfering with the organization's performance. This way, the company can get a chance to minimize the excessive use of the internet.

 Part 2

 An example of an information overload in the workplace is through the automation of systems. Most systems are synched to each other; the computers can collect information from more than one area due to the increased processing speed. For instance, in a bank, the tellers receive numerous settlement mechanisms from their clients. Most of the time, they cannot run through most of the materials hence an overload that they can evaluate or pass through. Another example is when an e-commerce business enterprise produces promotional messages for a certain potential consumer base on searches and clicks (Bawden, & Robinson, 2020). As users interact with a certain web, they cannot receive the information they want for their companies. In the end, one can interact with information overload due to pop-ups and other advertisements. In such situations, one cannot objectively ignore certain information in favor of some because most of the information is of value and importance to the work being done. Therefore, one of the best ways of reducing information overload is through the removal of automation and increasing the receiving channels.

 Part 3

 The assumption that web trafficking leads to sales. The amount of web traffic a company receives cannot necessarily lead to more sales. Web traffic is different from web sales, and this actually means a company needs to formulate a strategy through which they can monitor actual company sales (Bawden, & Robinson, 2020). The second behavior is faulty polling. A company should be updated on its consumer market space and easily rely on it for feedback rather than collect information from more than one place. The third one is selling a brand without giving people value for their money. In the end, the company name is shuttered and leads to losses.

References

Bawden, D., & Robinson, L. (2020). Information Overload: An Overview.

Roetzel, P. G. (2019). Information overload in the information age: a review of the literature from business administration, business psychology, and related disciplines with a bibliometric approach and framework development. Business Research, 12(2), 479-522.

Communications during War

Introduction

 Communication is extremely important during the battle. During World War 2, combatants needed better communications to achieve objectives. Many scholars have researched the causes and consequences of the war but the communication method has been a topic of little concern. The purpose of this paper is to examine communication during the Second World War and understand how soldiers communicated with their families, and communication between themselves. This is an important topic in that during warfare, there must be effective communication to enable the military transfer information and maintain security. Today, information and communication technology have improved ways of fighting a war. However, in the past, there were no high-tech digital systems and this raises questions like "how did soldiers communicate with their loved ones and their superiors"? Authors in history say that militaries had their ways of communication. For example, the United States Army Signal Corps provides strategic and tactical communications. FM radio was introduced before the end of the Second World War and homing pigeons were used for communication. However, the days of Army communicators were numbers in that by 1945, there was a communications revolution that led to electronic communications. In general, technological innovations such as newspapers, letters, V-email, FM radio, and watching Movie Theater connected soldiers with their families and the family received detailed information.

Scholars of communications technologies focus much on communications technologies during the Second World War. This is because there was a vast development of technology which had greatly impacted the war and led to the research and implementation of national war policies (Zeiler et al. 2013). It is important to note that during the First World War, the Army communicated using written messages or liaison officers could deliver the verbal message. Commanders also made orders and could travel to deliver the message. Carrier pigeons and dogs were also used to deliver the messages. However, during the Second World War, these methods of communication were less used and perceived as limited. A comparison was done between line and wireless methods to email and Web-based systems. It was seen that modern methods were necessary and methods such as email, web-based systems, telephone, and others were used (Godfrey, 2014). In general, telecommunication was seen as a simple, cheap, and inexpensive method that everyone could access. Telecommunication also was associated with communication quality in terms of voice recognition, privacy, human voice, political strategies, and confidentiality.

 Another important point to note is that the command in an army played a significant role in accomplishing the mission. During the war, command and control were vital and this indicates that the two could operate effectively if there was effective communication between personnel (Godfrey, 2014). Thus, command, control, and communication worked together. During the Second World War, the British army employed the technology of that time such as wireless and written messages. The commander used these methods to formulate a plan and to provide detailed orders. A point to note is that during the Napoleonic wars, commanders used a restrictive command system where the commander could travel to deliver the message. However, the British army used wireless technology where the commander communicated the operation objectives and acted in mutual to meet the objectives. If the armies find the objectives unworkable, they were expected to adopt the plan but not referring back to the commander. 

Communication during the war is vital but the technological tools during the war period were liable to technical failure, attack by enemies, and other factors. For instance, during the Second World War, sudden unplanned movements were made and movement could be affected by barriers such as the breaking of a telephone line, and an alternative means in case of communication breakdown was used (Sutton, 2002). Another point to note is that electronic methods had complications during the Second World War. These complications were associated with negative effects on performance and security breaches. The technological tools and resources that the British used during the war were ineffective. For example, the Germany army received strict orders from Hitler and they were expected to adhere to them regardless of circumstances. However, the restrictive command had a dysfunction effect in that the subordinates focused on maintaining the relationship with the commander instead of accomplishing the objective. 

In comparing restrictive command to directive command, it is important to note that in directive command, the role of the commander is to make and pass orders and monitor the actions. Commanders also ensure that subordinates understand the goal of the action and both commanders and the subordinates create a 'union of views' (Samuels, 1995). In restrictive command, subordinates lack experience and confidence. They stick to the high command hence no opportunity to take the strategic point.  For this reason, the British Army abandoned the restrictive command and adopted a mission-oriented command system (Samuels, 1995). The latter provided subordinates with freedom of action and during communication, commanders persuaded the subordinates to have obedience to precise orders.  In general, during the Second World War, armies communicated with their commanders or seniors using a mission command where the commander communicated about the orders of attack and details of instructions (Samuels, 1995). An important point to note that in mission command is that, the army commander had the overall control including army orientation and re-orientation. The commander communicated with subordinates and informed about the reorientation. Also, the commander motivated armies and increased morale. The higher commander also ensured that subordinates received logistical services. In general, mission command during the Second World War is effective in that the commander communicated clearly about the missions, ways to achieve the mission, resources to accomplish the missions, and subordinates had freedom of action (Samuels, 1995). Godfrey (2014) says that the British doctrine differs from that of the Second War in that today, the command delegate’s responsibilities whereas during the Second World War, there was a decentralized system where armies received a command from higher authority but they were responsible for their operations. 

According to Ford (2015), 'Army leadership' is critical in leading followers. However, the author affirms that leadership cannot be effective without effective communication. Leadership scholars use many attributes that define a quality leader such as adaptive, confidence, and other traits. However, little research has been done on communication trait yet without communication, there is no leadership. It does not matter how a leader is decisive or adaptive, what matters is how a leader communicates. Even  though these traits are important, it is impossible to achieve the desired qualities without good communication (Ford, 2015).The reason as to why scholars are forgetting communication skills is that today,  army leaders use modern communication tools such as  PowerPoint,  radio, television, Blue Force Tracker, and other tools. Even though forms of communications such as telephones, telegraph, radio, and others were used, the author says these tools are not effective in that they diminish communications (Ford, 2015). The author concentrates on mission command as a method of communication during the war and says that in Army Doctrine Publication, communication in leadership portrays one key theme: influencing people to accomplish the mission. For a leader to influence, he or she should state the purpose, give direction, and motivate followers. Also, for a leader to influence followers, he or she must listen actively, promote a shared understanding of the facts and opinions, engage followers in the communication, and respect everyone's values and beliefs. 

In general, during the Second World War, seniors communicated with their subordinates using mission command. Note that mission command is a process where the seniors not only exchange information but they focus on building trust and shared understanding. Also, there is interactive communication between leaders and followers hence situational understanding (Godfrey, 2014). However, the author says that today, mission command is neglected. The Army officer education system does not provide competencies that army leaders need to exercise. Today, the increased technology has enabled leaders to exert too much control. For example, in operation in 2002, the role of the leader was to create instruction whereas the subordinate commander received the instruction, and rather than disseminate them to the army, he withdrew them (Godfrey, 2014). Furthermore, the commander could use forms of communication such as PowerPoint, Facebook, Excel, and more. A quote made by the Marine Corps. Gen.  Mattis in the New York Times says that "PowerPoint makes us stupid" (Ford, 2015). This means that modern norms of communication contributes to the illusion of understanding and commanders are unable to express complex ideas. 

 In the National Museum of the Marine Corps, people can learn much about military warfare communication. During World War 1, there was a technological invention or new design of the communication system. For example, there were technologies such as telephones and radios but the tools were not effective. This is because, the technological tools were affected by weather, and also the electric lines were attacked by enemies.  However, communication was critical and this means that the armies and commanders had to look for other means of communication since the warfare could not continue without effective communication. The military, marines, and allies realized that there were methods that were being used before the war and they could be applicable in their warfare (National Museum of the Marine Corps, n.d).   Thus, they used signal flags which carried visual messaged such as the use of naval tactics and types of operations. They also used semaphore signals that revealed what was going on. Other methods include wigwag, electricity, telegraph, SOS, signal lamps, telephone, wireless telegraph, and animal messengers. For example, commanders could write a message on a piece of paper and attach it to the bird and the bird could fly and deliver the message. Dogs also played a significant role in navigating the battlefields and detected wounded soldiers. For example, a dog known as sergeant stubby could smell poison gas and alert the armies about the danger.

Dpherpner (2014) says that propaganda was an effective channel where the armies could read the message about the war. For example, women whose husbands were in the warfare could watch a movie and read posters and they could understand how the war is fought. Americans could also watch movies such as "The Best Years of Our Lives" and they could understand the positive effect of the war or in other words how the war is making a better society (DPHERPNER, 2014). Another interesting point is that armies in the war could read stories from newspapers and magazines and they could read about wives who are unfaithful while their husbands are on the battlefield. Generals and armies used radio to exchange information about the strategies to employ and how to position themselves while on the battlefield (DPHERPNER, 2014). Airplanes played a significant role in warfare such as letters written to family and friends.  Armies communicated with others using telephones. Family and friends could write letters to the armies about family matters, local gossip, and other necessary information, and the message was delivered through the mail.

Conclusion

 Communication is important in the battlefield. This is because, armies and their commanders need to share information about potential threats, tactics, data, situational awareness and other important information. However, sharing information is a challenge especially when the resources are limited. One thing that people would like to know is how armies communicated during that time yet there was no availability of communication tools. The research paper finds that armies, commanders, families, and friends shared large amounts of information through a wide range of tools such as animals, mail, telephones, radio, newspaper, and more. Another important point to note is that commanders delivered the message through mission command and this means that they provide detailed orders and rules to the armies through decentralized leadership. Since communication is important in leadership, it is worth saying that commanders and armies had a decentralized form of communication where they made decisions concerning the battlefield situation before the mission. There was a shared doctrine and trust between superior and subordinates which resulted to excellent performance.

References

DPHERPNER. (2014). COMMUNICATION DURING WOLRD WAR 11. Families @ War-2-

014 Edition.  https://familiesatwar2014.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/communication-

during-world-war-ii/

Ford, C. (2015). Army Leadership and the Communication Paradox. Military Review: The

Professional Journal of the US Army.

Godfrey, S. (2014). British Army communications in the Second World War: Lifting the fog of

battle.  Bloomsbury

 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE MARINE CORPS. (n.d). War Communications during WW1.  Retrieved from: https://www.usmcmuseum.com/uploads/6/0/3/6/60364049/nmmc_wwi_military_communication_resource_packet.pdf

Samuels, M. (1995). Command or control. Command, Training and Tactics in the British and

German Armies, 1888–1918, 255-62.

Sutton, R. J. (2002). Secure communications: Applications and management. Chichester: J.

Wiley.Wiley-Blackwell.

Zeiler, T. W., Zeiler, T. W., & DuBois, D. M. (2013). A companion to World War II. Hoboken:

The New York Times Change- Traditional Print to Digital

1. Company Background- Last 10 years-

The New York Times was founded in 1851 and has enjoyed significant success and growth. 

• Revenues changes

The company has a steady growth in revenue for the past decade. In 2016 for example, the company recorded a net income of 55.2 million dollars which exceeded the revenue for the previous year (Shieber, 2019). Although the company’s revenue for print advertising dropped by 10.2%,  its revenue for digital advertising in the fourth quarter grew by 22.8%. In 2017, the revenue rose to reach 53.9% as was in line with the company’s revenue growth for the last 10 years (Shieber, 2019).

• Circulations

For the last ten years, circulations at The New York Times have experienced a decline from 959 thousand copies sold in 2009 to only 443 thousand copies in 2019. The drop in circulations is greatly attributed to the introduction of the digital platform (Benton, 2019). In 2014, the drop in circulation forced the company to stop publishing its figures based on weekday circulations for print and digital platforms to only focus on print circulations.

• Subscriptions

The New York Times has experienced consistent quarterly growth in the number of subscribers for the last decade. The number of subscribers has risen from 799 thousand subscribers in 2014 to over one million in 2015 and reached more than 4.39 million subscribers in 2019 (Scire, 2020).

• Advertising spends

Relating to advertising, the company invested 167.9 million dollars to promote its products and grow the company brand (Scire, 2020). The company has however experienced a decline in revenue from the sale of newspapers a good example being the year 2019 where only 530.68 million dollars was made selling advertising space. The digital platform however makes up for the decline and the company had total revenue of 1.81 billion dollars attributed to advertising (Scire, 2020).

2. How the Print Industry has evolved overtime
   1. SWOT Analysis

• Strengths
• The company has created a platform where journalists can share information through written text, audio and videos through the company’s website thereby ensuring there is always new content for the audience.
• The company has won 108 Pulitzer prizes which is more than any of its competitors and therefore a testament of its credibility.
• The company website has more than 30 million new visits every month.
• The company operates in both the digital and print platforms (Skool, 2020).
• Weakness
• The company has been accused of biased reporting such as failure to cover the famine in Ukraine.
• A reporter was accused and arrested for plagiarism which lowered the company’s credibility in reporting (Skool, 2020).
• Opportunities
• The company can partner with other websites and generate more revenue online.
• The digital platform can enable the company to reach its audience on a larger scale, thereby improving sales (Skool, 2020).
• Threats
• High competition from other newspapers and publications.
• Negative reviews and parodies from users affect the company image
• Lawsuits are a possibility due to laws on plagiarism, defamation and other mistakes arising from errors in reporting (Skool, 2020).

3. What was the problem for moving from Print to Digital?

The major challenge when making the shift from print to digital is recreating the relationship that the company had with its customers through print on a digital platform. The company’s success is greatly attributed to the number of subscribers the newspaper has and also the people willing to advertise on its platform (Lee, 2019). Since society had already adapted to material in print form, making a switch to a digital platform required the company to take on a different approach to attract and retain new subscribers on its digital platform.

Although the digital platform would offer more opportunities to the audience, convincing them to pay for intangible products was challenging especially because the value for money was attached to the physical print publications such as newspapers and magazines (Grabowicz, 2010). Although digital content bore close resemblance to print, the company had to come up with different pricing in order to encourage the target audience to subscribe to the digital sources introduced by the company.

Other than pricing, making profits was also challenged by the facts that the target audience had a negative attitude towards advertisements on the digital platform compared to print. Advertising in newspapers was easier as the advertisements were placed in the papers and the reader had the liberty to decide whether to read them or not (Hsu, 2019). In digital media however, advertisement often appear before, during or after the news and thus interrupts the flow of information. Since customers pay for the data needed to use the digital platforms, advertisements are regarded as interruptions and most people prefer sites that have limited advertisements. For a company that relies on advertisements for a significant percentage of revenue collected, the target audience’s attitude added on to the challenges experienced when making the switch from print to digital.

4. Define the change in behavioural terms.
   1. Use the Switch model to analyse the sources of resistance.

The resistance experienced when making the switch from print to digital is mainly because it required the target audience to alter their behaviour and mode of accessing news and information. The New York Times had established a tradition where the target audience would access information in the form of newspapers and magazine (Ember, 2017). The switch to digital however required the target audience to either use the digital platform alongside print or drop print and only rely on the digital platform.

            The approach taken to change from print to digital was in line with the switch model which is based on the premise that behaviour change occurs in five steps namely; precontemplation, contemplation, preparation for action, action and maintenance (Water Aid, 2010). The challenge existed in the precontemplation stage as people had not put much thought on how to improve the way they accessed products and services from The New York Times.

1. What taken-for-granted cultural assumptions are hindered the change effort?

When making the switch from print to digital, The New York Times did not properly assess how altering the rituals that exist in society would affect the new changes introduced (UOM, 2010). The change effort was thus hindered because people had gotten used to receiving The New York Times products and services in print form, despite the existence of digital technology.  Although the switch from print to digital was necessary, the disruption it caused to how the target audience accessed information from The New York Times greatly contributed to the challenges faced when switching from print to digital platforms.

5. Considering the change problem and your role as Head of HR, what kind of network do you need to build and why?

The company needs to create a website that focuses on improving communication between the company and its customers so as to bridge the gap between print and digital media as well as establish a similar ritual like the one that existed when the company only operated in print. The digital platform created will enable the company to engage with the target audience and inform them of the new changes introduced, why the changes were necessary and what the target audience can do in order to establish a presence in the digital platform. Since the target audience had not anticipated the change before it was introduced, the information shared through the website will help them to understand why the change was necessary and also how to go about ensuring that they benefit the most from digital media.

6. Considering your change problem, what interpersonal elements of the culture need to change? How can you achieve this?

The interpersonal element of the culture that needs to be changed is the norms around how people access news and information from the media. The dominance of print media had created an environment where news and information were available through written form in newspapers, press releases and magazines (UOM, 2010). If the switch from print to digital is to be successful, the norms need to be adjusted so that the target audience can learn the importance of digital media and how it offers them better access to products and services from The New York Times

            To achieve this, the company needs to invest in more advertising and the use of influential and recognised people in society to popularise digital media. Since accessing news on a digital platform rather than newspapers is still a new concept especially to the older audience, trendsetters and popular people in society can help to convince the target audience to use digital media as well as print. Once enough people start using the digital platform, accessing products and services through the digital platform will slowly become a norm in society and finally overcome some of the changes that exist due to resistance to change on the side of the target audience.

7. How are the Kotter model and the Experience Change model similar to the Switch model of change? What is different and what is similar between these models? Is one of these models more ‘right,’ from your perspective?

The three models are similar in that they assume that it is possible to alter how people perceive change. The approaches suggested by the three models offer guidelines on how to prepare for change, how to implement it and how to ensure that the people affected accommodate the change and alter their approaches in ways to ensure they benefit from the change. There are however differences in that The Kotter model use 8 steps to introduce and enhance acceptance to change while the switch model uses only five steps Kotter, 2012). The switch Model also focuses more on the target audience rather than employees working for the organization implementing the change.

 The Experience change model also differs from the Switch model because it focuses on the experiences that that employees have and how they prepare them for adapting to change. According to the experience change model, better results are achieved when the company equips the employees with the skills and knowledge needed to adapt in any situation thus preparing them for changes that will occur in the future (Joinson et al, 2016). The switch model however focuses on helping the audience understand the changes and what occurs in every step of the process in order to prepare them for the change. Emphasis is placed on the change itself rather than creating an environment where people can adapt to any change introduced (Aleti et al, 2014). Although the models have different approaches on how to implement change, none is more applicable than the other as they both offer ideal strategies on how to implement change.

References

Benton J, (2019) “The New York Times is getting closer to becoming a majority digital    company” NiemanLab, retrieved from, https://www.niemanlab.org/2019/02/the-new-  york-times-is-getting-close-to-becoming-a-majority-digital-company/

Brennan, L., Binney, W., Parker, L., Aleti, T., & Nguyen, D. (2014). Social marketing and           behaviour change: Models, theory and applications. Cheltenham, UK : Edward Elgar

Ember S, (2017) “The New York Times Co.’s decline in print advertising tempered by digital      gains” The New York Times, retrieved from,        https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/02/business/media/new-york-times-q4-       earnings.html?auth=login-google

Grabowicz P, (2010) “The transition to digital journalism” Berkeley, retrieved from,             https://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/digital-transform/

Hsu T, (2019) “The advertising industry has a problem: People hate Ads” The New York Times,   retrieved from, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/28/business/media/advertising-     industry-research.html

Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading change. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Review Press

Lee E, (2019) “Digital media: What went wrong” The New York Times, retrieved from,             https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/business/media/buzzfeed-digital-media-       wrong.html

Little, L., Sillence, E., & Joinson, A. (2016). Behavior Change Research and Theory:       Psychological and Technological Perspectives. Saint Louis Elsevier Science

Scire S, (2020) “The New York Times’ success with digital subscription is accelerating, not         slowing down” NiemanLab, retrieved from, https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/05/the-          new-york-times-success-with-digital-subscriptions-is-accelerating-not-slowing-down/

Shieber J, (2019) “Profits at the New York Times show media dinosaurs are ruling the internet”   retrieved from, https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/06/profits-at-the-new-york-times-show-        media-dinosaurs-are-ruling-the-internet/

Skool, (2020) “The New York Times SWOT analysis, competitors, segmentation, target   marketing, positioning and USP” retrieved from,            https://www.mbaskool.com/brandguide/media-and-entertainment/6455-the-new-york-      times.html

University of Minnesota, (2010) “Sociology: Understanding and changing the social world”         Creative Commons, retrieved from, https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/front-            matter/publisher-information/

Water Aid, (2010) “Behaviour change theory” London School of Hygiene and Tropical    Medicine, retrieved from, https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/media/11191

TEDx Talks

Question a.

 Using evidence from the Dushaw Hackett's video; the speech is well-organized. Hackett is a powerful speaker who is inspiring and influential. He opens the speech by saying that "I want to make an argument” (Hockett, 2017).This statement creates a positive impact in that the speaker captures the audiences' attention. Next, the author states the main idea which he wants the audience to understand. He introduces the issue of racial bias and says there is compelling evidence that if people want to reduce racial bias, they should first understand implicit bias (Hockett, 2017). The main message is now understandable. The speaker defines the implicit bias and mentions other people who have talked about implicit bias. The authors ensure a perfect logical flow by moving from one point to another. For example, he defines implicit bias, he discusses the challenges in addressing the issues of bias, he states the role of the implicit bias approach and in conclusion, he persuades the audience to make internal changes so that it would be easier to make external changes (Hockett, 2017). The speech allows the audience to digest the information. The organization is listener-friendly because when starting the speech, the speaker creates an environment for active listening, and presents the main point issue. Overall, the speech has a strong beginning that grabs the audiences' attention. The ending is also strong in that it does not only sum up the speech but it makes a call to action. The introduction provides the overall topic, and the entire speech is full of supporting information and persuasive information that allows audiences to understand the overall purpose of the speech.

References

 Hockett  Dushawa. (2017). We all have implicit biases. So what can we do about it? 

TEDxMidAtlanticSalon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKHSJHkPeLY

Interviewing Styles

The type of interview used is a structured interview in that the interviewer prepares the research question to be used in the interview. The interviewer designs the questions to be used in the interview by ensuring that he keeps in mind what happens in the mind of an interviewer when the interview begins and what can happen in the interview as the event starts to unfold. The research questions are structured in a way that they are mindful of the fact that the interview can bring painful memories for the interviewee and how such situations should be handled (Chenail 1997). This brings in the philosophical interviewer orientation where the researcher remains open to any new development in the interview.

The researcher focuses on developing questions that convey the purpose of the study, the methodology, and the participants. This makes it easier for both the interviewer and the interviewee to stay focused throughout the interview. The questions align with the topic and the researcher talks about the reason he chose the method of interviewing. The participants used for the interview are mostly insiders because when the students know the interviewee, they become more open to in the exercise and vice versa (Chenail 1997). When the interview begins, the researcher starts by reviewing the permission form and the orientation stage of the interview where the interviewee is kept up to speed with the purpose of the interview. When permission for recording the interview is granted, the recorder is turned on and the interview commences. The tapes from the recordings are used by the students to give them more understanding about the interview and in completing their observation notes.

An interview process would be used to address the recidivism likeliness for inmates who do not come home to families by interviewing a family member who has had an inmate come home and one who has not had their inmate come home (Chenail 1997). This will help give a conclusive outcome from both the interviews. The divorce rate of ex-felons could be addressed by interviewing several ex-felons and on the way they were accepted back into society and by their families. The interview could contain research questions such as whether they were given enough support from their families. The question about how ex-felons seek therapy after being released from prison could be addressed by interviewing several therapists. This will help give a clear understanding of if they go for counseling.

The psychological impact of ex-felons and their families according to this article is a lack of being accepted back to the family and the community after being released from prison. In prison, the psychological impact was having negative feelings because one could not see their children and family (Gorgulu & Erden 2015). According to an interview that was conducted and involved male and female ex-convicts, findings showed that they lacked housing after being released from prison, they faced unemployment, lacked family support, and poor health. Lack of these major necessities causes ex-felons to commit a crime again, being caused by anger management issues and the social environment that is not very welcoming. For females, it is harder because they cannot be able to take care of their children.

The community and family should accept ex-felons back after they are released because according to the interviews, after their release they are changed and yearn for their release to be with family (Gorgulu & Erden 2015). There should be a plan for their housing plans and employment opportunities so that they can fit back to their society and avoid the mentality of committing a crime again. The government should come up with a plan to support ex-felons psychologically and support them with jobs.

References

Chenail, R. J. (1997). Interviewing Exercises: Lessons from Family Therapy . The

Qualitative Report, 3(2), 1-8. Retrieved from https:// nsuworks. nova. edu/tqr/

vol3/ iss2/5

Gorgulu, T., & Erden, G. (2015). Problems, Needs, and Psychological State of Ex-Convicts: A

Qualitative Study in a Turkish Sample. Journal of Education Research and Behaviornal Sciences, 4(3), 110-124.

The credibility of Media Sources

Introduction

Media sources lack credibility because of factors such as manipulation from companies. They are driven by the need to make a profit and therefore accept to present incredible information. The media sources are sometimes pressured by powerful institutions such as the government and therefore end up not being credible sources. Media sources sometimes tend to accept claims that lack enough evidence making them incredible sources.

The credibility of media sources is questionable because they are owned by organizations that sometimes provide only the information that they want to be heard. This can lead to the incredibility of information because some of the information could be altered or omitted (Moore & Parker 2017). The more companies control a media house, the more incredible information they present. Some of the media sources are paid to give information that an organization wants to be heard despite being credible or not. Some of the organizations are very powerful and therefore have a huge impact on the media sources.

Apart from reported news, even the opinion writers and speakers are also sometimes paid to present the opinions they present and this shows that the information is not credible. Writers are paid to write positive information about a particular company’s programs to promote them. The government and most of the companies just want to show the positive side of the news and not the truth and what is happening. Media sources are politically biased (Moore & Parker 2017). Some support certain political news and this will fail to give credible political news due to the political bias. Newspapers have always been politically divided and therefore their credibility is questionable.

Conclusion

Media sources sometimes lack credibility because of manipulation from companies and powerful institutions. Some of the media sources are owned by organizations that dictate what is to be presented. This causes altering or omission of valuable information. Opinion writers and speakers are sometimes paid to give particular information and sometimes write positive information. Some of the media sources are politically biased hence presenting political news that is in their favor.

References

Moore B. N & Parker R. (2017) Critical Thinking 12^th Edition. McGraw-Hill Education, 2 Penn Plaza, New York.

Effective Listening and the Leader

Introduction

 Listening to others in today's military is essential. In the Army Doctrine Publication (ADP 6-22), the Department of the Army (2019) states that effective leadership is paramount in the military. The military value leader development and it provides the leaders with education and training for them to gain the capability of influencing and inspiring others. An important point to note about leadership in the military is that leaders must demonstrate competency.  Leaders must have the ability to communicate effectively. Thus, effective communication is a competency and the communication process should promote shared understanding. The Department of the Army points out that communication become effective when leaders listen actively to the subordinated. Listening actively is important as it avoids interruption and helps the leader understand the message. In general, effective listening help leaders to fulfill the subordinates' needs and to build relationships. It is important to understand that in the military, subordinates want the leaders to listen to them. This means that leaders must pay attention to the subordinates' needs and become mindful. Leaders who listen to subordinates create trustworthy relationships and overall organizational success. The goal of this paper is to explain that listening is a critical component within the military and that leaders should possess this critical skill to create a sustainable military organization, build a good relationship, and respect and trust.  The nature of the report dictates the use of this secret weapon within the military as it is realistic and practical and the most important leadership skill.

 According to Longwei & Kroon (2018), modern organizations are experiencing unavoidable changes, especially in the competitive landscape. The Department of the Army (2019) also states that leaders in the military experience stress of change due to the over-changing situations, environmental pressure, and more.  The military manages changes using factors such as teamwork, discipline, training, and other factors (DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, 2019).  Other organizations use factors such as self-management, strategic actions creative-solving solving, effective decision-making, and more. However, the most important of all is communication. The latter is a process where organization members share plans and ideas in solving business issues (Longweni & Kroon, 2018). Effective listening is part of the communication process and this means that in addressing the organization issues that are brought by the ever-changing environment, leaders need managerial competencies one of them is effective listening (DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, 2019).  Listening allows leaders to pay attention to the needs of the subordinate, and promote interpersonal relationships. Subordinates want leaders to listen actively to their voices and as a result, they develop a sense of belonging and increases performance to achieve the organization's objectives (Longweni & Kroon, 2018). Another important point to note is that listening allows leaders to provide positive feedback that subordinate integrate into their practices.

 In the communication process, listening takes up 40%.  From the subordinate point of view, effective leaders are those who use effective listening (Longweni & Kroon, 2018).  Subordinate values listening in that it is a tool that connects them with leaders and it also helps them achieve interpersonal objectives. The authors say that for managers to solve complex problems and come up with a better solution, they must listen attentively to the subordinates.   Department of the Army (2019) adds that leaders have a responsibility to assess the developmental needs of others. This statement raises a question that 'how can leaders understand the needs of others without listening to their voices?". This means that leaders must listen actively to the subordinates.  In other words, there must be effective communication between the leader and the subordinates. During the communication process, subordinates should have an opportunity to comment while leaders listen actively to their point of views (DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, 2019). Managers need listening skills to solve problems; that is; they need to pay attention to the subordinates. The document puts it clear that to become effective listeners, managers should identify the obstacles that hinder listening, and secondly, they should incorporate positive behaviors that promote listening.

 Another area where effective listening is needed in the military is during counseling.  According to the Department of the Army (2019), during counseling, subordinates have an active role or there are active participants. Therefore, for the counseling session to be effective or rather to produce positive outcomes, leaders should allow subordinates to express themselves. Leaders should practice being effective listeners for them to make effective decisions and avoid premature judgments. Listening entails listening to subordinates or paying attention to what subordinates say. To understand the subordinates, leaders need to have focused attention on the verbal and nonverbal cues (DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, 2019). Listening also entails understanding the meaning and intent. This means that leaders should not only listen to what subordinates say must they should also understand the intention or the underlying purpose of communicating. Finally, listening entails understanding the feelings and values (DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, 2019). This means that during communication, leaders must know the subordinate's feelings by watching their body language, facial expression, and more. In general, effective listening will help the leaders build trust which will promote shared understanding and mutual respect. 

Conclusion

 This report has provided military leaders with advice, knowledge, and practice of using active listening to become effective leaders. The paper argues that listening is an essential organizational tool that builds strong relationships and helps leaders solve conflicts. Leaders can understand the underlying issues with the organization through effective listening. They should pay attention to the subordinates' needs and listen to their voices and promote a healthy and safe environment within the place of work. Although effective listening in the leadership domain is unrecognized it promotes mutual respect within the organization. The paper makes a call to action and persuades leaders to incorporate listening in the leadership style. As a result, leaders who value effective listening will create interpersonal connections, bring people together, and foster trust.

References

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY. (2019).  ADP 6-22: ARMY LEADERSHIP AND THE PROFESSION.  Washngton DC,

https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN20039_ADP%206-22%20C1%20FINAL%20WEB.pdf

Longweni, M., & Kroon, J. (2018). Managers' listening skills, feedback skills and ability to deal

with interference: A subordinate perspective. Acta Commercii, 18(1), 1-12.

Analytic report

Introduction

Education continues to be a significant tool in society for determining the type of career one will embark on after school. Although there are jobs that do not necessarily rely on an individual’s school performance, most employers rely on academics as a determining factor and those who excel in their schoolwork often have an added advantage when it comes to seeking employment. Although internet job sites help to bridge the gap between the employer and potential candidates, the number of internet job sites available makes it difficult for the job seeker to determine which website is likely to lead to the career of their dreams.

The difficulty in finding a good job position has to do with the high number of internet job sites and the difficulty in accessing information contained in the sites meant to ease the employment application process (ILO, 2018). There are however some sites that not only provide access to employers but also tailor the jobs to suit each job seeker’s needs.

1. Magnet

Magnet is a digital social innovative platform co-founded by Ryerson University and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. The not-for-profit platform seeks to connect people and organizations that create opportunities for all parties involved to grow.

• Ease of access

One of the major features on the Magnet platform is the ease it has created for job seekers to identify potential employers, gain insight about how employment works and helping job seekers determine the best fit for them when choosing a career. Jobseekers are only required to register and provide information that is used to identify the job seekers career choices. “Update your education information, details about previous work experience and positions, your interests, skills, and your identification as a member of an employment equity group” (Magnet, 2020).  The information helps to tailor content that applies to the job seeker and this makes it easier to narrow down on the best job opportunities.

• Breaks down job descriptions

Another distinct feature has to do with the way information is presented in the website. Magnet has broken down jobs with reference to the organization offering the opportunity and also the type of employment a candidate feels comfortable in. the website is divided into sub sections such as job seekers, large employers, intermediaries, and partnership opportunities (Magnet, 2020). The classification makes the job search easier as job seekers can easily identify the nature of environment they would wish to work in and then apply for jobs that fit this criterion.

• Magnet intelligence

Magnet further offers information to job seekers that is meant to help them develop a better understanding of the employment world and what to expect. “Magnet is dedicated to addressing underemployment and unemployment in Canada by providing labour market information to inform evidence-based decision making around effective services, training, and workforce development strategies. The information ensures that potential employees understand what is required of them when applying for jobs and also what they can do to increase their chances of securing ideal job positions” (Magnet, 2020).

2. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an online employment service that operates through a website and mobile apps for professional networking. It has created a platform where employers can post job opportunities and those seeking employment can post their CV’s.

• Connections through the community

The sites most prominent feature is the platform it has created where friends, colleagues and classmates can reconnect on LinkedIn. Since a lot of confusion regarding career decisions is based on lack of adequate information, the community created makes it easier as it connects job seekers with people they can trust (LinkedIn, 2020). Colleagues and classmates can provide a lot of information about how they went about looking for employment as well as offer testimonials on how LinkedIn operates. Since classmates and friends tend to have similar career aspirations, the relationships further ease the use of the website and assist job seekers secure promising careers.

• Training

Other than creating a platform for job seekers, LinkedIn also offers training to help candidates develop a better understanding of the employment market and also to add on to their qualifications. The feature is ideal for job seekers who are fresh from school as they have little experience with the outside world (LinkedIn, 2020). The training gives a brief of what to expect and also improves the candidate’s chances of securing employment by equipping them with skills that offer a competitive advantage.

• Employer-employee relationships

LinkedIn operates as an intermediary between the employer and potential employees. Employers post job opportunities while employees post their CV’s on the site and the information is made available for all parties. Since employers have the liberty to choose a candidate based on their CV, they have adequate time to go over their qualifications before recruitment. The communication engaged in from the site progresses to interviews and job opportunities, thereby establishing some level of trust between the employer and the employee. “After I lost my job, one of the first things I did was update my LinkedIn profile. I had a recruiter reach out to me and I ended up getting the job” (LinkedIn, 2020). The process is simplified and it reduces the confusion in deciding which employer to select thus easing the employment process.

3. Glassdoor

The website is responsible for reviewing companies and making the information available to job seekers who use their platform to apply for jobs.

• Specialised job search

The site prompts users to register and provide information that ensures that results presented are specifically tailored to the job seekers needs. The registration enables the site to access information regarding the candidate and provides results that are relevant to the user.

• Pre-interview training

Other than connecting job seekers with employers, Glassdoor trains candidates on how to go about preparing for interviews (Glassdoor, 2020). Since the company analyses different companies, the interviews are beneficial as they help job seekers gain a competitive advantage.

• Information sharing

Lastly, the organization conducts anonymous enquiries and research to collect information regarding companies in terms of employment and also how they treat employees. This ensures that potential employees are already aware of the type of environment they will work in and the type of salaries to expect even before applying for the job.

Figure 1: A graph representing the percentage employment of rates of LinkedIn, Magnet, and Glassdoor against years

                      Y-axis

                    100

                      80                                                                            LinkedIn

                      60

Employment                                       Magnet

Rates (%)      30                                                    Glassdoor

                      20

                      10

                                                                                                                                           X-axis

                             2010   2011   2012   2013   2014   2015    2016   2017   2018   2019

Recommendation & Conclusion

The popularity of internet job sites has created an environment where there is too much information making the process more complicated. There are however select websites that are designed to assist candidates secure employment the most commendable being Magnet. Other than creating a platform where candidates can research about their career choice, the website goes a step further to classify the jobs available in different categories depending on nature of employment. While most websites share information and connect employers and employees, Magnate further classifies jobs in relation to distinct specializations such as the size of the organization and the nature of employment, either intermediary, partner or just a normal employee. The site is therefore the most ideal from the three discussed as it not only helps the job seeker to secure employment, but also helps to determine the nature of environment the employee is likely to work in.

References

Glassdoor. (2020). “About Glassdoor” retrieved from, https://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm

International, Labour Organization. (2018). Digital labour platforms and the future of work:        Towards decent work in the online world. Genève (Suisse: International Labour       Organization.

LinkedIn. (2020). “About LinkedIn” retrieved from: https://ke.linkedin.com/?trk=guest_homepage-basic_nav-header-logo

Magnet. (2020). “About Magnet” retrieved from: https://magnet.today/

Slacktivism

 Examples of slacktivism include; sharing information through Facebook or Instagram.  For example, on Facebook, a person may like a comment, share information, or post information to raise awareness (Muslic, 2017). Another example of slacktivism is wearing a ribbon. The type of slacktivism raises awareness and the person develops a sense of belonging to a certain issue hence improving motivation and happiness. For example, if the ribbon is on your shirt, people will be interested in knowing more about the issue and the wearer will have the opportunity to have a real conversation about the issue (Fireman, 2018). The third example of slacktivism is signing a petition (Cabrera, 2017). This is a process where individuals form an agreement to bring social changes through engaging in rallies, political campaigning, and more.  In searching the examples of slacktivism, I used credible websites such as org and ResearchGate.  I used the search term 'slacktivism sociology', and ‘example of slacktivism pdf'.

 These examples of slacktivism use images and words that have similarities. For example, they have a common goal of supporting the participants in the movement. Even though the activities such as liking a comment, wearing a  ribbon, or even signing a petition may be indirect or in other words may have little effect,  they have a greater contribution in that rather than suppressing the actions, they boost them. The images and words that are intended to bring a change. For example, on Facebook, a person may voice his or her opinion by signing a petition, wearing a ribbon, and other activities that have a sole intention of solving the problems.

I use social media platforms to share and post information. Sometimes I feel guilty for not participating in social issues and I change pictures, share information, like, and comment on statements, whether it is a political statements or not. I have become political to the extent that I express my political beliefs by changing pictures on Facebook. I believe that by changing the pictures, I can help the politician spread the message quickly. The supporters of that particular politician can also gain an awareness that the person is working tirelessly.  I feel that changing pictures on social media counts as social activism in that I am bringing a social change or in other words, I am supporting a political figure by spreading the message.  For example, a political statement may be based on addressing a social issue affecting a particular underrepresented group. When I change my picture to include a political statement it indicates that I am participating in addressing the issue of raising awareness without being involved in other meaningful actions. In other words, I change the picture with a purpose not only to spread the message but also to make a call for action. Social movement such as the gay rights movement influence collective behaviors. This means that a large number of people are influenced by the social movement to act in a certain way. The behaviors may be organized or unorganized.

  Online protests actions like slacktivism can be effective in that as people come together by sharing videos and information, they become part of an issue and the social media interaction enables them to find solutions and come up with actual actions.  For example, online protects are effective in that when addressing a certain issue, people invite their friends, and all gains awareness and creates a meaningful conversation where they raise support (Buachler, 2016). It is important to note these actions increases organizations' reputations, create personal networks, raise community awareness, and helps the supporters of social issues to gain recognition.  A collective behavior theory that relates to the effectiveness of social protection is an emergent-norm perspective. This means that individuals respond to social issues by developing their behaviors on how to address the issue (Buachler, 2016).  In other words, a person has a unique reason for supporting an issue. People do not have coordination or planning but they come up with collective actions that are beyond the institutional practices. 

References

Muslic Hana. (2017). What is Slacktivism and is it Even Helping?  Nonprofit hub. Retrieved from:  https://nonprofithub.org/social-media/what-is-slacktivism-does-it-help/

 Fireman Abby. (2018).  Slacktivism: Social Media Activism and its Effectiveness. In all things   Retrieved from: https://inallthings.org/slacktivism-social-media-activism-and-its-effectiveness/

  Buachler M. Steven. (2016).   Understanding Social Movement: Theories from the Classical

Era to the Present.   Routledge

Cabrera, Nolan L., Cheryl E. Matias, and Roberto Montoya. (2017) "Activism or slacktivism?

The potential and pitfalls of social media in contemporary student activism." Journal of

Diversity in Higher Education 10, no. 4: 400.

Ethics in journalism

Introduction

            Human beings have the innate desire to exist in a group and this has attributed to the growth and development of different communities. Despite the desire to belong in a group however, people still hold on to personal traits that set them apart from other individuals. The existence of these personal traits has created the need for a set of laws and guidelines that are used to ensure that people engage in a way that does not cause discomfort or harm to others. Some of the approaches taken to ensure that members of society and elect leaders play their role include intervention by the media. People in society rely on the media for information and also as a tool to bring about desired change. Since the media has a lot of influence on members of society, ethics in journalism is important as it is responsible for shaping up people’s opinion about society.

Part I

            In his article ‘What is the role of public service journalism today?” Mathew Powers (2020) pointed out that members of society relied on journalists to inform them on events occurring in the community they live in. people listen to the media and form opinions depending on the information they get from journalists. Throughout history, people have relied on the media to collect information about events that take place in society as well as actions taken by the government. As such, the media is given some form of authority to report on both positive and negative outcomes resulting from activities engaged by individuals and organizations including the government (Powers, 2020). In order to remain reliable and credible, the media is expected to operate as a neutral entity whose main role is to inform the public. The provision ensures that the information shared by journalists is credible and free from bias.

            Since people base their assessment of society on the information from the media, journalists play a crucial role in determining the opinions that people have regarding society. Ethics in journalism is therefore important as it ensures that the information shared is credible and based on facts (Powers, 2020). Journalists must operate on a higher moral ground because their opinions and reporting are often taken as facts that the audience uses to view society. The author further argues that lack of bias ensures that the opinions that people form based on information from the media is a representation of the actual society and not the opinions of few reporters. Since the reporting focuses on things that actually happen in society, journalists have an ethical obligation to only report on what happened and leave interpretation to the audience (Powers, 2020). The goal is to inform the public and provide enough data to allow them to form opinions on their own. Doing so ensures that journalists stick to only what happens without relying on propaganda and personal opinions so as to help the audience draw their own conclusions.

Part II

            An argument can be made that the opinions that people have are as a result of their interaction with society and personal traits and not because of the information shared by the media. Although journalists are responsible for informing the public about what goes on in society, there are other factors that have the same or more control over the opinions that people have (Powers, 2020). People’s personal experiences in society creates a better idea of what society is like that reporting from the media. The argument is based on the idea that people have personal traits that are influenced by an individual’s experiences and interactions. Although the media is a month the various forms of interactions, its input is not significant enough to comfortably say that journalists are responsible for shaping up people’s opinion about society.

Furthermore, ethics in journalism is somewhat redundant as journalists are only meant to report on facts. As a journalist, reporting on events requires one to stick to actual facts of how things transpire without adding or taking away information. Journalists therefore carry out their responsibilities not because it is ethical but rather because it is described in the terms allowing them to function as journalists (Powers, 2020). As such, ethics play little control over the information that is shared because journalists are already under requirement to only use information that is based on facts. The idea that honesty is a job requirement combined with the knowledge that people rely on personal experiences to base decisions gives a valid argument suggesting that ethics is not necessary in journalism.

Conclusion

Although people have personal opinions, their opinions are as a result of how they interact with their immediate environment. The media is considered as one of the few measures used to ensure that the government and other organizations behave ethically and with the needs of the public in mind. Since the media is the main source of information, journalists should be ethical because the information they provide is often regarded as the truth and a reflection of what is going on in society. Although honesty is part of the job description, sticking to facts does not always result in honest reporting. Ethics is therefore important in journalism because the information that journalists provide greatly influences how people perceive society.

References

Powers M, (2020) “What is the role of public service journalism today?” WACC, retrieved           from, https://waccglobal.org/what-is-the-role-of-public-service-journalism-today/