Social networks weave uneasy web for workers Essay

Social networks weave uneasy web for workers - Essay Example ional secrets that are vital for the company’s success and for this reason the HRM feels that there should be ethics of using social networking websites. As well as employers think that use of social networking websites will turn their workers unproductive and less interested in the work. Moreover employers also have the fear of losing organization’s reputation when employees make unsuitable comments about their companies or employers. Despite of the valid reasons employers cannot stop the workers to quit using social networking websites during working hours; it’s a habit which is getting stronger day by day. Although, HRM can find out ways to make valuable use of social networking, which could be beneficial to their organizations rather than prohibiting the use of social webs (Holland 2011). This paper will suggest the ways how HRM can control the use of social networking websites of their workers, what policies should be created for use of such sites and how to make the beneficial use of social networking because on the other hand, it is an efficient source of spreading the business. Social networking is a useful tool, which can be used by companies as a way of communication between supervisors and subordinates. Moreover, social networking can form alliances and workers can help each other in their work by sharing information among them. Due to traditional hierarchy, flow of information among different departments and level of managements were difficult and time consuming and resulted to be the cause of delayed work and decisions. Social networking websites proved to be proficient in this regard as it quickly delivers the message between managers and the employees and the managers can make decisions instantly, without wastage of time. According to Swartz, a corporate social network make the duration of time shorter because these social webs convey the message in minimum time possible. Social networking indirectly decreases the completion time of work

HR Practices in Reliance Industries

HR Practices in Reliance Industries Reliance telecommunications LTD is an Indian telecommunication company founded by Anil Ambani in 2004.The headquarters of the company is in Navi Mumbai India. Reliance telecommunication is the 15th largest telecommunication provider in the world with 150 million subscribers and the second largest telecommunication provider in India. The company has segments like wireless and broadband in telecommunication industry. The company achieved a high growth in telecommunication industry from the beginning stage itself. Customer satisfaction and good company policies made them to competitive with other companies. Reliance communications follows good human resource policies and procedures even though it has some draw backs. Vision of the company- Providing information, communication, entertainment services and being the benchmark in customer experience, employee centricity and innovation is the main vision of the company. Mission of the company- meeting beyond customer needs and wants with a segmented approach, relentless offering of services and products that are value for cash and stimulate customers, offer a network experience that is best in the communication industry, make reliance in to an international brand which is a iconic brand  by others and lead industry in target to purchase and faithfulness. INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Human resource management refers to an assortment of policies used to systematize work in the employment relationship and centres on the management of work and the management of people who undertakes this work. Therefore HRM is concerned with recruitment, selection, learning and development, reward, communication, teamwork and routine management. While it is relatively easy to list activities that make up HRM, It is a subject that stimulates much debate and disagreement. The hr process is considered as important for the management of the consumer pleasure with human recourses. The clients find comfortable and will be satisfied when they understand the hr processes and how they are connected and the hr processes interact. Modern hr processes are measured and frequently analysed and identifies the irregularities in the activities and it brings the improvements for the benefits of the organisation. The success of Human Resources Management is in the connection of all HR processes as they provide the adequate supports to workers and the managers. So the main aim of Human Resource Management is to keep the human capital ready for action on the market and the rational grouping of HR Processes helps to interact and manage the individual processes. Every organisation has their own HR processes, but the main HR Processes are always same in all companies as it is the market HR Best Practices. Human Resource Management is considered as a comparatively new approach to Personnel Management. HRM emphasizes primarily on its strategic contributions and its closer alignment to business, HRM is a vital component of any organization, its involvement among other components of line management is notable (Paauwe. J, Jan 2009). Paauwe further suggests that HRM aims on its ultimate goals such as High job performance, low absence and high cost effectiveness through the efficient utilization of the man power of the company. Human resource is really the major component of any organization, the success or failure of an organization heavily relies on its Man power management. Maslows need Hierarchy theory is considered as guiding principle for HR Management across the globe. Maslow identified the very basics of human motivation factors. Following this principle it can be assumed that to motivate an employee HR manager should understand his level of expectations, potential of the employee, a nd should evaluate the performance before and after certain motivational measures implemented. KEY HUMAN RESOURCE ACTIVITIES OF RELIANCE TELECOMMUNICATIONS Main HR process areas Manpower planning Recruitment and staffing Human resource development Compensation and benefits Leadership development MANPOWER PLANNING Human Resource Planning is the integral part of Human Resource Management Human Resource Planning estimates the optimal level of Man power requirement on the basis of quality and quantity. Thus HRP can be considered as the foundation of Human Resource management. Although HR planning is very important it cannot be executed faultlessly in all cases, as HR is dependent on various factors such as employment situation of the country, influence of technological advancement, changes in the organization structures, Demographic factors such as age, population, composition of workforce, lack of skill, multicultural workforce etc. Certain pressure groups will also affect the precision of the HRP. Understanding of competencies of the Human resource is vital in forming a successful HR frame work. Lengnic-Hall, 1988, Milliman et al., 1991, describes the terms Internal and External fit, Internal fit refers to the extent to which the manpower constituents are linked in a logical way and how effecti vely they support themselves, on the other hand external fit primarily focus on the strategy of the organization, external fit reveals to what extent human resources systems are integrated. Manpower Planning or Human Resource Planning includes putting exact number of people, exact kind of people at the exact place, exact time at a low cost. Personnel Planning hold an important place in the world of industrialization. Personnel Planning has to be a systematic approach and is managed in a set of model operations. The procedure is as follows: Assessing the present manpower in the company Forecasting the future needs budding employment programmes Organising training programmes BENEFITS OF MAN POWER PLANNING Manpower planning is very important part of human resource management. A few importance of man power planning are: Concentrated labour cost: with the help of manpower planning there is most favourable operation of labour force in the organisation workers are given those jobs to implement for which they are skilled (right person for the right job).it leads to overall progress of the man power in the organisation. Optimum utilisation of manpower: it helps to utilise the labour force in the company which helps in the growth of manpower in the organisation. Develops business plan- Man power planning is an important part of overall business planning. No business can survive without having the right type and number of people doing the right work at the right time. Helps in career succession planning-with the help of better manpower planning it helps to produce a good career succession of employees which provides much lead time for internal succession of workers through higher position through encouragement. Development of the organisation- The man power planning helps in the expansion of an organisation. Growth in overall business planning- Manpower planning is a main part of overall business planning. Efficient manpower planning will help to improve the business. RECRUITMENT AND STAFFING Recruitment and staffing is the process of selecting the right labours in to the organisation. The main aim of recruitment is to look for and be a magnet for persons with skilled to fill the vacancies. This process includes job analysis preparing personnel requirement sources of skilled employees. Job analysis Job analysis is a process of analysing the job in detail and providing the details of job needs to the HR planning department they present details as job specification and job analysis. Job analysis is important in the whole organisation. And they will provide the details of manpower requirements. The main sources of recruitment are Reliance communications have two main sources of recruitment internal and external internal external sources of recruitment(figure.2) Internal sources of recruitment are. Promotion-This is a normal source of recruitment, which means providing higher position, salary and responsibilities to the employee. So the position of the job vacancy is filled by promoting the suitable employee within the organisation. Transfers-It means transferring one employee to the other organisation without change in salary and position, so the vacancy can be filled by transfer. Advertising internally-Here the job vacancy is advertised within the organisation so the existing employees in the organisation can apply for the post. So the recruitment is take place inside the organisation. External sources of recruitment are. Selective recruitment through job boards-This is a major source of recruitment .To ensure most appropriate qualified candidates are being applied for the major position. The agency considers the following details for every positions junior, intermediate, senior, Level of education degree, diploma etc. Using these details the company determines which job boards, communication channels, and advertisement strategies are suitable for attract the right skilled candidates to apply for the job positions. Management consultants-For the vacancies in the higher positions in the company, management consultants are used to find the qualified and skilled employees. They act as a recruiter on the behalf of the company. Advertisement for public-The Company advertises the vacancy in internet, newspapers, Television etc. And this will provide the details of the company, job and the qualification required for the position. NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF STAFFING Keep space with new development-New developments are happening every day. A business will have to keep phase with new changes. This will be possible only if competent persons are employed who can adjust as per the new situation. Manpower Development-man power planning will have to be done in advance. The future requirements of personnel will be estimated quite in advance. The new staff will be recruited, people will be prepared for talking up higher responsibility jobs, and all this will be possible with a well planned staffing function. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPEMENT This function helps the employees to develop their skills and knowledge for increasing their output. This process is not only done for the freshers but also to the existing employees in the firm to develop their skills and responsibilities. Human resource development helps to increase the total knowledge, abilities, skills, talents, and aptitudes of an organisations work force. Human resource development includes function such as training, career development. Training-Training is providing to improve the knowledge and skills of the employees there are mainly two types of training they are on the job training and off the job training. On the job training is a process of giving training in normal working situations using actual materials or documents, equipment, actual tools trainees will make use when completely moulded. Off the job training is usually provided away from the usual working environment, it may include more general skills and knowledge which is useful for the job. This type of training is given by the specialised trainers or from an outside company who outsource the trainers. METHODS OF TRAINING A.Programmed learning- It is a step by step process of self learning method,providing questions, facts, and problems to the learner then allowing the person to respond and providing feed back on the accuracy of the answer. B. Apprentiship training- It is a method of process that the employees will become efficient workers through grouping of classroom coaching and also through on job training. C. Audio visual based training- This method of training includes tools like power point presentation, online video conferencing, audiotapes and video tapes. D. Computer based trining- This training method is widely used to provide good training to employees, it is time consuming and easy way to provide training. It is cost effective while comparing to other training methods. E. Simulated training- In this method trainess will learn from the actual or simulated equipement they will use on the job, but actually trained off the job. F. Lectures- When their is a large number of trainees, this method is used it is the immideate way to give instruction of job related activities within a specified period of time. H. Internet and distance Training Internet training includes video conferencing and web based training, distance training means traditional training paper and pencil correspondence course. 1. Tele training where a trainer in a central location teaches groups of employees at remote locations via television hookups. 2. Videoconferencing allows people in one location to communicate live via a combination of audio and visual equipment with people in different locations-another city or country or with groups in several cities. 3. Training via the Internet the Internet based learning programs are very popular. Several companies simply let their employees to take online courses provided by online course providers while others use their intranets to facilitate computer-based training. CAREER DEVELOPEMENT Diagram demonstrating your personal development Career developement of employees is a crucial part of the organisation, It helps to identifies the overall acheivement of the employees .Career developement is becoming an essential part of HR departement due to todays everchanging organisaton enviornment and work place. Reliance communications helps the employees to attain a good carrer graph based on the company HR policies and procedures. First of all the company gather the strength and weakness of every individual, then they provide different opportunities to develop their carrer based on the strength and weakness. The basic formula for the career developement is self awareness every individual asses their own problems and issues and then the company will help to over come this issues .Now days people are changing their jobs to attain a good carrer success .Reliance communication identifies this problem and they had a good career sucession plan for every individual employee in the organisation. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS Compensation and benefits is a basic motivational factor to the employees. Every employee will search for high paid jobs,benefits is also another important factor if the company provides good benifits the employees will get good attachment to the company. Benefits include bonus, medical insurance,retierment policies, life insurace, vacation etc.Reliance communicatons provide basic pay which is satisfiable for every employee to motivate the employees and to attract to qualified employees to the organisation. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPEMENT Leadership developement helps the organisation to achieve the goals, through the developement of good leadership in each employee reliance aims at the overall developement of the organisation as well as the growth in employees functioning.Every employee in the organisation is gaining a better leadership quality through the leadership developement function.Each emloyees in the company are closely monitored by the management and if they are weak in the work the company will encourage them.And the workers are councelled by the management to increase work efficiency.And their will be a structured plan to create a positive working enviornment.The main aim of leadership developement is to leading self,leading others and leading the organisation. MAJOR HR ISSUES FACED BY RELIANCE COMMUNICATION ISSUES IN RELIANCE COMMUNICATIONS EMPLOYEE RETENTION POOR HR POLICIES CASH AND COMPENSATION ISSUES 1.CASH AND COMPENSATION ISSUES: Cash and compensation issues is a major problem faced by HR managers in reliance communications. There is more pressure on HR function to pay more incentives and basic pay for the employees.However reliance paying basic salary to each individual employees the company faces more pressure to meet the employee beniefits . 2.EMPLOYEE RETENTION ISSUES: Most of the companies face the same problem of employee lay-offs. So the organisation have to prevent the issue by retaining the employee by providing good working condition and benefits whichever the employees need. In reliance industries there are so many employees leave the company due to lack of co-ordination between workers. The organisation tries to check the issue but fails sometimes. 3. POOR HR POLICIES : The plocies and practices adopted by the HR managers regarding their networking sector is an important example. They brought some new plans in mobile networking sector like low call rate for mobile users, low internet browsing charge.etc., but the competitors like AIRTEL communications, BSNL network, VODAFONE facilitated some more exciting offers than the reliance. In that situation the Reliance communication hesitated to change their HR policies and techniques. From the graphical representation of reliances communications profit from 2007 to 2012, we can easily determine that the profit is coming down in last two years comparing to the past this is due to the poor HR issues as mentioned above.The company is earning a high growth in 2008 and 2009 which is around 55000 million and it is dramatically falling down in the upcoming years.That means the company is facing some major HR issues and also high competition from other companies, so the organisation must change their HR policies eventually. SUGGESTIONS TO OVERCOME THE HR ISSUES Nowdays telecommunication industry is facing high competition from other telecommunication companies, If the company has no good HR stratergies the company cannot exist in the high competative world.Reliance communication is facing some HR issues as mentioned above, to overcome this problems company must do some good HR restructuring process in the company .The first main issue is ; Cash and compensation issues- As it is a major problem the company must find a good solution to overcome this issue, the suggestion to solve this problem is to pay cash and compensation based on the experience of the employees.As mentioned above the company is paying a basic salary to each individual, first of all the company must change this basic payment method,and the compensation and benifits must be paid according to the experience and skills of each individual. So the company can reduce the cost of labour so the company can meet the compensation and benifits of each individual according to the profit earned by the company. Employee retention issues Retention of employees is another HR issue faced by the company, nowadays a lot of employees are leaving the company due to high pressure of work and lack of co-ordination between employees are the main employee retention issues faced by reliance communication, to reduce this problems reliance must provide good working enviornment to reduce the pressure of work, communication is another way to over come this problem good communication between the management and staff will make a good understanding between the employees and management, this will increase employees confidents and reduce the work pressure.A high rate of employees resigning their job and going to another companies who offer better working enviornment. Better co-ordination is the another way to improve employee retention,co-ordination will improve better relationship between employees and management.And this will result increase employees confidence and work efficiency. Poor HR policies- Due to high competition in communication industry lots of companies introducing new HR techniques to improve their company goodwill .Reliance communication is following the traditional HR policies and plans so the company is facing high market competition from other companies, to exists in the competative market company must improve their HR stratergies and policies.Nowadays companies are providing good offers to the employees so the company must realise the problems and try to overcome such issues.

Qualitative Research in Social Science Essay -- Social Research Method

The field of social science is very complex with main field branches that cover anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, social psychology, and sociology. These main branches in turn contain subfields of study and there are still other disciplines in which social research is done including criminology, demography, education, and nursing (Bernard 6). Social science research is split between the positivistic (quantitative) approach and the interpretive-phenomenological approach (qualitative). Social science research often contains a combination of both approaches. But, qualitative research investigates the why and how about human behavior, the reasons that govern behavior. These reasons are complex and cannot be fully understood through only quantitative methods. In qualitative research, data is collected through direct observation, in depth interviews, participation in the setting and/or an analysis of different forms of printed materials. Qualitative data collection is typically purposively done; selection is based on whether an event fits a specific characteristic. The data is categorized into patterns for organization and reporting results (usually visual in the form of flow charts, maps, or presented in matrix or table form). Data collection is typically approached by traditional methods of phenomenology, some form of field study, grounded theory, and ethnography. A brief description of these methods follows. Phenomenology: describes in words a person’s reality; a reflection of one’s consciousness and perceptions (Bernard 20). Field Study: involves some form of field work either through participant observation or by indirectly through collection of data (Bernard 318). Grounded The... ...evelop a complete view of human thoughts and behavior. Qualitative research would greatly serve my research on implementing a Course Management System (CMS) in an urban education environment. Methods of data collection for my proposal include interviews (students and instructors), performance assessments tests and field work involving the use of the CMS by participants. The initial data collected from the interviews and performance assessments will used to direct the course of this study. Works Cited Bernard, H. Russel. Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches Thousand Oaks, CA Sage 2000. Print. Pomrenke, Marlene. â€Å"Using Grounded Theory to Understand Resiliency in Pre-Teen Children of Higher Conflict Families.† The Qualitative Report. 12.3 (2007):365-374 Web. 9 Nov. 2014. QSR International. Web 9 Nov. 2014.

Downsizing †an Effective Form of Organisational Change That Seeks to Improve Business Performance?

DOWNSIZING – AN EFFECTIVE FORM OF ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE THAT SEEKS TO IMPROVE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE? Personnel restructuring, right sizing, reductions in force or the most common term used; downsizing, is defined by Budros (1999 : 70) as â€Å"An organization’s conscious use of permanent personnel reductions in an attempt to improve its efficiency and/or effectiveness†1 Downsizing has occurred throughout the industrialized world (Ryan & Macky, 1998)2, affected blue and white collar workers (Littler et al. 1997)3, targeted lower-level workers, professionals, middle managers, and higher-level workers (Littler, 1998)4, and permeated all industries (Morris et al. , 1999)5. It is simply known as reductions that organisations make in the number of employees that are on the payroll. Numerous organisational sociologists notably Freeman & Cameron (1993) state that downsizing is a strategic decision made by the organisation and that the term should not be confused with the term layoff. They state â€Å"The difference between layoffs and downsizing is that layoffs are solely concerned with the individual level of analysis, while downsizing is a broader concept applicable to other levels of analysis than solely the individual level. Additionally, downsizing is a strategic decision while layoffs are an operational mechanism used to implement a downsizing strategy. †6 Since the 1980’s downsizing in organisations has become a ubiquitous feature of all modern organisations with reductions of cost being the main catalyst for the decision by management. Many individuals believe that the main reason for downsizing is because â€Å"Foreign competition compels domestic industry to downsize by trimming fat. †7 With the prevailing gusty winds of global economic recession, the topic of organisational downsizing is making the headlines, while the question ‘Are we going to be next? is nervously being asked by employees around the water cooler who are anxiously waiting to find out if their position is being made redundant. Currently downsizing is in full swing, with company management and directors giving the now infamous topical spiel to their employees about the organisation being hit hard by the harsh economy and they cannot afford to keep the employees on if the organisation is to remain profitable and competitive. Companies in all sect ors are cutting costs on downsizing its workforce. From computer company Dell wanting to ‘trim’ $3billion from its budgetary expenses by downsizing 8800 employees of its workforce to international coffee chain Starbucks having to shut down 600 of its coffee shops in the U. S. , downsizing its workforce by close to 12,000 people, all organisations are feeling the pinch of the recession. Both companies stated the same reason for their recent moves; save costs due to the flailing economy, which is ravaging through the U. S. and beyond. Yet, it is not always in bleak and dire economic situations when companies downsize. Research by the American Management Association found that an overwhelming percentage of US firms downsized during the 1980’s and 1990’s even when profitable, stating â€Å"Data collected for the American Management Association show that 80 per cent of US firms that downsized were still profitable at the point of downsizing, and that on the day of announcement of rationalization their stock prices typically rose by 7 per cent. 8 In the summer of 2001, a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that fifty percent of the 114 companies surveyed stated that they downsized within the previous 18 months, and of those companies that downsized, fifty percent planned on downsizing again within the next 18 months. 9 So why do organisations engage in downsizing even if the organisation is prospering and their stock prices are on the rise? Or the economy is not being hit hard by crises? Do management of the organisation believe that the organisation can continue to grow by scaling down on its workforce? Do technological advances in performing job tasks created and inspired by employee innovation render certain employment positions obsolete? Downsizing has a stigma associated with it. The work environment is effected, morale is obviously low, and employees’ are not as innovative and are not as prepared to take risks. Reasons for organisations downsizing that may seek to improve business performance may be because salaries and benefits are possibly the major operating expenses of an organisation, the organisation can contract the jobs to a supplier of cheap labour, and thus have more money available. This would come under the Economic Theory as proposed by (Zhao) et al. which is basically an attempt to manipulate business performance. Zhao et al. found that financial outcomes of downsizing are the most dominant, but this theory has failed to deliver the financial benefits expected. It can portray annual shareholder reports in a positive light. The company is seen to be taking proactive steps thinking and investing in its future, which sees share prices rise as the organisation is doing something constructive, as evidenced by the data collected by the American Management Institute. Some of these reasons are measures to improve business performance. If jobs can be performed cheaper, and the same results are achieved, then it would be a wise move from an organisational standpoint to contract these jobs out. The organisation would have more operating money at its disposable which would obviously benefit the organisation. In the case of mergers or acquisitions occurring, it is inevitable that some positions will be no longer available as if both companies are in the same field of expertise, (such as banking, or manufacturing etc) having an excess amount of employees doing the same tasks would be rendered useless, as the same goals and objectives could be achieved by fewer individuals. The benefit from this is an increased amount and diversity of information is beneficial for improving the development of the organisation. Creativity and new ideas among ‘new’ team/group members can lead to new innovative ideas being discovered which will benefit the organisation. Although these are some of the reasons why organisations choose to downsize, there is an overwhelming supply of literature on the subject that seeks to show the negative effects of downsizing. In their paper on organisational downsizing authors Anders Richtner and Par Ahlstrom10 state a lack of the organisations stock of knowledge can emerge after downsizing. As employees leave the organization critical skills may be lost which can damage customer relationships or operations†11 (Drew, 1994). Employees who have been unfortunate to be included in the organisations downsizing plan, may have their job functions incorporated into the tasks of the employees who survived the wave of downsizing, thereby having the incorporated tasks being neglected or not being carried out as effectively as they would have been done if the employees were not let go. This may lead to ‘corporate anorexia’12 a term coined by Hamel and Prahalad, which they described as leaner organisations not necessarily being healthier organisations. It is, as they explain a business disorder, marked by an extreme fear of being insufficient that leads to excessive cost cutting to the point of serious loss of business and sometimes bankruptcy. Another theory proposed by (Zhao) et al. was the Institutional Theory. This sees downsizing as a response to environmental uncertainty. Organisations may choose to implement downsizing as it gives the management a sense of control. In times when organisational decision making executives are unable to forecast the environment, they may make decisions based by what similar organisations are doing. Executives may choose this strategy because information, professional advice, and executive training programs suggest that it can result in performance improvements when an organisation is a certain size. Another theory proposed by (Zhao) et al. on why downsizing strategies have been pursued to improve business performance is the Socio-Cognitive Theory. This theory sees downsizing being based on managers’ mental models that view it as being an â€Å"effective way of conducting business better, faster and smarter. †13 The managers’ decisions to downsize are socially constructed through social interaction and connected enactment process. Yet, currently there is no empirical evidence that exists to hold that this theory holds well in practice. The theories presented on downsizing in this paper seek to show the how downsizing can improve business performance. Downsizing if done when only necessary can improve business performance, as it can save the organisation money, and make it more competitive. By letting excess employees go ‘corporate anorexia’ could take form and present itself in an organisation, a state no organisation would like to find themselves in. It is important that an organisation downsizes only when it needs to be done, not when other organisations are doing it. There is a severe lack of conclusive evidence supporting long term benefits of downsizing. Ample amounts of literature exist that highlight the negative aspects of downsizing in the long run. The effects downsizing has on its surviving employees can be severe. However if downsizing is to be implemented, it should be managed effectively to maximise organisational performance, which why it was being implemented in the first place. There are many terms and definitions that try to explain best practice. Wikipedia which is the collectively created and controlled encyclopaedia gives a simple definition on the term best practice. It is defined as â€Å"An idea that asserts that there is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. 14 In the context of downsizing within the organisation establishing best practice would be to put in place a set of procedures that would allow for smooth, open and transparent interactions within the organisation during a time where downsizing is required in order to maximise organisational performance. When a company decides to downsize it must have a clear idea of what it is hoping to achieve thr ough its downsizing and a clear plan of how to do this (best practice). Downsizing is very hard and therefore requires all of the company’s resources if it is to be effective. If a company decides that it must downsize than it is vital to avoid agitation to employees, and therefore it must be an open practice which makes effective communication vital throughout the whole organisation. A key element in regard to best practice for downsizing is that if the company must downsize then it must be done within legal parameters, and the company should be clear about what employee must leave the organisation e. g. â€Å"Lay off ten percent of employees across all departments on a seniority- only basis. This way no employee can claim that he or she was dismissed for discriminatory reasons. †15 (Heathfield, S, 2009) It must also be acknowledged that this method of downsizing can be inefficient in that it may deprive the company of employees with key skills, and or have a larger negative impact on some departments compared with others. During any downsizing it is vital that a climate of trust exists within the organisation in order to limit the impact of the low morale that surviving employees may experience. If there is no trust between employees and management then downsizing can have further damaging effects on the organisation and far from benefiting the organisation it will weaken it further. This will occur if there is no trust and can lead to remaining employees resenting management, not caring, more sick days and generally not putting the same amount of effort into their work that the applied before the downsizing. This was the result of a bad downsizing in a company in the UK. Survivors began to resign themselves to insecurity and channel their distaste towards management in order to cope with instability. â€Å"Survivors reported unfairness, mistrust, shock and demoralisation as their key reactions to redundancy. †16 (Campbell-Jamison et al, 2001) This sort of low morale is known as ‘Survivor Syndrome’ Survivor Syndrome can be defined as a term which has been used to describe the reactions and behaviours of people who have survived massive and adverse events, i. e. organisational downsizing. This term relates to the workplace after employees who survive large scale redundancies may feel guilt at having survived or low morale and a feeling of despair. To sum up best practice in relation to downsizing it can be seen as a process where by downsizing is deployed only when necessary, in an open and clear fashion with good communication, within legal parameters and most importantly in a way that limits the fall out with remaining employees who remain after the downsizing in order to maximise organisational performance and employee morale. In order for downsizing to be effective and maximise organisational performance it must be managed correctly. Part of this effective management is the need to acknowledge that this is a massive change in the organisation that will have a big impact on how work is done in the organisation and the morale of the employees within the organisation, and therefore this change should be managed correctly. For this to occur several things need to happen. Firstly and most fundamentally in order to manage downsizing properly it must have been firstly evaluated that downsizing is needed in the organisation and that it is not just a show off of a no nonsense attitude by new owners of a company. Secondly staff must have it clearly explained to them why there had to be redundancies and why some people lost their jobs while others didn’t. This will help to reassure them of the safety of their position within the organisation and raise morale which is ound to be down after redundancies and can also help lessen the effects of ‘survivor syndrome. ’ Thirdly in downsizing management, most organisations will try to help employees that have been made redundant to move on and find future employment. This has been seen as a proactive step from an organisational standpoint, as it is the right thing to do and can help raise the morale of the remaining employees by showing that the organisation is a caring one. â€Å"This is ethica l, reasonable and positive. Plus, your survivors are watching. †17 (Heathfield, S, 2009) After downsizing it is important to direct as much energy as possible into the employees that have survived the wave of downsizing as they are likely to be suffering from low morale. If this energy is directed properly it can help with quicker recovery after downsizing and will minimise the damage to trust between staff and management, and can also help to boost productivity even though the there has been downsizing this could be seen as consolidation. Finally employees that remain must be given assurances that they are valued, this is most effective when it is done on a one to one basis where the employee is reassured of their value to the organisation and the security of their position within the organisation. It is evident from this piece it can be seen that there is much empirical evidence to suggest that downsizing can be a damaging form of organisational change and there is very little to suggest that it is of benefit. However if downsizing is to be deployed as a form of organisational change it is important that it is only used where necessary to avoid ‘corporate anorexia. Also when it has been decided that downsizing is the best however unpalatable option it is vitally important that the organisation has an established set of best practices to implement the downsizing and that the management team is ready to oversee the downsizing and work hard with the survivors to regain trust and improve overall organisation perfor mance. Bibliography The following sources were used in the compiling of this project: 1 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 2 http://www. cmr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34: Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 3 http://www. mr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34 Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 4 http://www. cmr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34 Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 5 http://www. cmr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34 Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 6 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 7 Downsizing in America-Reality, Causes and Consequences. Page 16. By William J. Baumol, Alan Blinder, and Edward N. Wolff. Published by Russell Sage Foundation. 8 The Employment Relationship -Key Challenges for H. R. By Paul R. Sparrow and Cary L. Cooper. Published by Butterworth Heinemann. 9 http://hr. blr. com/news. aspx? id=7457 10 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 11 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 12 Competing for the Future. By Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad. Page 12. Published by Harvard Business Press. Accessed through: http://books. google. ie/books? id=rgvGFiiYCXYC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=corporate+anorexia+hamel+and+prahalad&source=bl&ots=BtoG_Ytyac&sig=mK-90ek2Fh_M6pvDbV24PRtfV2M&hl=en&ei=fGTCSaG8B6SLjAequZWfCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result 3 The Employment Relationship -Key Challenges for H. R. By Paul R. Sparrow and Cary L. Cooper. Published by Butterworth Heinemann. 14 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Best_practices 15 http://humanresources. about. com/od/layoffsdownsizing/a/downsizing. htm 16 Campbell-Jameson, F. , Worral, L, and Cooper C, 2001. Downsizing in Britain and its effects on survivors and their organisations. ‘Anx iety, Stress and Coping’ Vol 14, p. 35. 17 http://humanresources. about. com/od/layoffsdownsizing/a/downsizing2. htm

Within the Context of the Period 1895-1995?

Within the context of the period 1895-1995 to what extent were the anti-Semitic policies implemented by the right wing elites during the Vichy Regime from 1940-1944 a reflection of their popularity within France? To this day the period of French Occupation and the Vichy Regime remains one of the most contentious and sensitive in modern French history.After suffering a crushing military defeat to Germany in the summer of 1940 an armistice was signed and the country was divided: the northern half of France including the capital was occupied by the German forces and became the zone occupee and in the southern unoccupied zone, the zone libre, the ‘autonomous’ yet collaborationist government was set up in the town of Vichy headed by Marshal Philippe Petain. Petain’s government collaborated with the German forces in deportation of some 75,000 Jews who perished in Auschwitz . JJ) These 4 years in French history which have become known as the ‘Dark Years’ sti ll to this day weigh heavily on the French national conscience. Consequently in post-war France there was a widely shared desire to erase these years from French history. The French post-war leaders that had, for the most part, emerged from the Resistance attempted to erase Vichy from French history through not acknowledging the government as legitimate. De Gaulle refused announce ‘the restoration of the French Republic†¦ n the grounds that it had never ceased to exist. ’ De Gaulle had no need to encourage examination of this shameful period of French History and instead went about reinterpreting the Vichy years as the years of the Resistance. However this myth of the Resistance ignored many of the harsh and unfavourable realities of French life during the occupation. Robert Paxton’s Vichy France: Old Guard and New Order marked the first phase of study of Vichy and was written at a time when the Gaullist myth was being questioned and challenged.His historica l study somewhat dispelled the generally accepted and favourable view that Vichy’s collaboration was on the whole involuntary. In addition to this he set about instating Vichy into France’s wider historical context rather than allowing it to be viewed as an anomaly in France’s history. Another work contemporary to Paxton’s study was Marcel Ophuls’ The Sorrow and the Pity an unprecedentedly scathing depiction of the French people under Occupation. Both of these works challenged de Gaulle’s revised version of the French occupation and sought about to shed light on he true nature of the Vichy Regime and France under occupation. Paxton dispelled the view that Vichy collaboration was entirely involuntary and that the line between voluntary and involuntary collaboration ran between Laval and Petain. What this revealed is that the anti-Semitic views that the Vichy government pursued could not said to be fully enforced by the German occupiers. This gives rise to the debate to what extent were the policies followed by the Vichy regime actually their own or were they rather pursued out of necessity to maintain France’s sovereignty as Vichy sympathisers argued.Perhaps what was most abhorrent about the Paxton’s study to the French public was that he made the bold assertion that the nature of the Vichy regime and its policies could be assimilated into the wider French political culture which essentially is the suggestion that the anti-Semitism that proliferated under Vichy was not exclusively present in Vichy. Similarly Ophuls’ documentary suggests that the attitudes adopted by the French public presents a social culture where anti-Semitism was acceptable.However it must be acknowledged that whilst the abovementioned present a scathing unfavourable depiction of French social and political culture this by no means can be said to , as Julian Jackson writes: ‘The history of the Occupation should be written n ot in black and white, but in shades of grey. ’ (JJ) Jackson here comments the complexity of the period of Occupation and the Vichy regime itself whilst Vichy followed policies of anti-Semitism it set about protecting French Jews from the extremities of the German occupation.Whilst the public opinion can be described as attentiste indifference to the Jew’s fate didn’t mean the French public actively encouraged the persecution of the Jewish population. In considering the extent to which Vichy’s policies are a reflection of their popularity in France requires an appreciation of the inherently nuanced nature of the period. The debate between whether Vichy’s collaboration with Germany was voluntary or involuntary is important in forming a judgement on the motives behind the policies the regime implemented.It is noteworthy that both Laval and Petain believed that Germany had won the war and the British would soon surrender. This gave rise three distinct motives behind voluntary collaboration; politico-administrative, politico-diplomatic and the alleviation of the impact caused by the Armistice on daily life. Despite the fact that in theory the Vichy administration was in control of the Occupied Zone this control was very much subjected to German regulation.By actively collaborating with the Germans Vichy leaders hoped to maintain this balance of German intervention in the administration of the country fearing that not being forthcoming with collaboration would encourage further loss of Vichy autonomy. The politico- diplomatic motive was based on the assumption that the Germans had won the war and set about creating an environment for favourable peace treaty negotiations with the victorious axis powers.There had already been portentous signs of the division of France in the Occupied Zone; for example, ‘The two departments of the Nord and Pas-de-Calais were attached to the German military command in Brussels. ’ (JJ) Thi s was to prepare for the British invasion however once this was called off the refugees that had been removed from the area were not returned and instead their properties were being prepared to be handed over to German settlers.If this was to be the case then it was essential for there to be goodwill between Vichy and the Germans in order to ensure favourable terms in the, believed to be, imminent treaty. Much of these considerations harkened back to the German annexation of Alsace-Lorraine after French defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. The third consideration behind collaboration was to limit the effects of the armistice on the daily lives of French people by being cooperative in other terms of the armistice the French had hoped to limit some of the other strands of the agreement that had become increasingly burdensome.For example, the financial strains being placed on France by the German war effort had been increasingly problematic. These motives exonerate Vichy from the stigma associated with a policy of collaborationism as they present a concerted desire to preserve French interests. However, whilst these were overarching intentions behind collaboration by becoming actively involved in appeasing the Germans Vichy began down the slippery slope of complicity that would eventually lead to the extremes of collaboration.For example, Theodor Dannecker’s radicalisation of anti-Semitic policy in the Occupied Zone meant in order for Vichy to ‘preserve nominal sovereignty’ (JJ) Vichy had to follow suit and this essentially involved carrying out the anti-Semitic policy of the Germans. One can argue that Vichy’s complicity in the most extreme anti-Semitic policy was not motivated by its anti-Semitism but more the logic of their collaboration policy. Whilst Vichy made anti-Semitic policy one of its initial concerns what is clear is that, to some extent, it was necessitated by the German occupation.Viewing the Occupation from a conte mporary perspective can be problematic especially when it comes to assessing Vichy in terms of its anti-Semitic policy as the treatment of the Jews becomes the dominating factor of the Occupation. However, in order to gain a true appreciation of the Occupation one must contend with the fact that the anti-Semitic policy pursued by the Vichy elites was but a facet of the regime’s policy and its concerns. Nevertheless, this is not to say that Vichy did not have its own autonomous and indigenous anti-Semitic policies.The degree of enthusiasm in which Vichy administrators pursued anti-Semitic policy varies however within the Vichy government many anti-Semites were active who acted out of a very much French interpretation of the ‘Jewish Problem’. Xavier Vallat, a Catholic and former member of the extremist right wing group Action Francaise and head Commissariat-General for Jewish Questions from 1941-1942 ( CGQJ), remained during his trial before the High court of Justi ce in December 1947 unrepentantly anti-Semitic.In fact he used his anti-Semitism as a defence claiming that he cannot be accused of collaborating with the French ‘since his ant-Semitism was authentically French†¦ ’ (JJ) However contradictory this may seem as a defence it sheds light on an important reality: the crime anti-Semitism was seen as less of a crime than voluntary collaboration. This reality vindicates Vallat’s claim of his indigenous anti-Semitism; his willingness to concede his own anti-Semitism is an attempt to normalise it and thus is revealed an attitude that propagated in right-wing political culture.When one considers Vallat himself was a former member of right wing group Action Francaise that was borne out of the Dreyfus Affair (1894-1906), in which an innocent Jewish officer was accused of treason having been framed by the military that coalesced with other institutions of the right. We see that this attitude is one that has existed within the political culture of the right within France, one that predates Vichy and perhaps more significantly postdates Vichy. What’s more is that Vallat himself was removed by Laval in April 1942 for is all too evident dislike of the German occupiers.Vallat was both a passionate anti-Semite and an ardent nationalist what can be garnered from this is that whilst Vichy followed a policy of anti-Semitism this was not done in order to maintain the terms of collaboration with the occupiers rather we see that Vichy’s autonomous Jewish policy irrefutably has roots in French anti-Semitism. John Sweets argues that: ‘Vichy attention had been turned to the Jews from the first months of the regime’s existence’. Several examples of Vichy anti-Semitic legislation corroborate this view.The Jewish Statute issued in 1940 imposed by the Vichy administration were the beginning of a web of legislation that would deprive Jewish citizens of the right to hold public office, m ake them a lower class and eventually denaturalise them. It is noteworthy that this statute was not imposed by the Germans. What’s more is that an ordinance passed by the Germans in September 1940 defining the criterion of being Jewish was extended by Vichy to make more Jewish people susceptible to the anti-Semitic policies in work by both the German and the French.This lead to Dannecker ordering ‘the wider definition of Jewishness to be used in preference to the slightly more restrictive German one. ’ There are several examples of the Vichy administrators going beyond the demands of the occupiers in Jewish policy what this reveals is a truly independent desire to address the aforementioned French interpretation of the ‘Jewish problem’ . During the years of the occupation the Jews in France became caught between two, not entirely separate but distinct nonetheless, projects of anti-Semitism.The defining dichotomy of the occupation is ‘collaborat ion’ and ‘resistance’ this seemingly clear contrast however neglects the complexity of the period. One may assume that being a part of the Resistance entails being opposed to the existence and policy of the Vichy regime; however, this was not always the case. Among those in the Resistance were those who supported Petain and the anti-Semitic policies as well as the contrary.In debating whether Vichy attitudes reflected wider French attitudes the stance of the Resistance form a counterpoint; what we see in particular regarding anti-Semitism the lines between Vichy and the Resistance are quite obscure. There was ambivalence towards the plight of the Jews present in Resistance. One respondent to a questionnaire, drafted in October 1943, to evaluate the political attitudes of the Resistance desired all Jews to be ‘kept out of all governmental and public functions’; another ‘the relegation of all Jews, Freemasons†¦ nd former politicians. â€℠¢ However, one must not overstate the similarities between the Resistance and Vichy, they differed on fundamental lines; The Resistance did in fact come to actively oppose Vichy anti-Semitism. However, what is important is that even among the Resistance there was conceived to be a ‘Jewish problem’ whilst they opposed Vichy’s methods the roots of anti-Semitism are visible even amongst those who opposed it in Occupied France.This common ground between those considered collaborationists and members of the Resistance created a state in France where one could move into the Resistance without making any ‘fundamental ideological adjustments. ’ This is characterised by Francois Mitterand, who was to later become president of the 5TH republic, who joined the Resistance after being a prominent Petainist. What we witness is that the principals of the Vichy regime were present in that of its opposition. This reality presents the fact that the Vichy regime cannot be viewed as an anomalous French government.Whilst Vichy and the Resistance oppose each other fundamentally the similarities between these two distinct bodies reveal that in fact Vichy can be assimilated in terms of its ideals into a wider French political culture. However in order to make this assumption the nature of the Vichy regime itself must be assessed. The nature of Petain’s regime was authoritarian Julian Jackson comments that ‘Vichy functioned like a court†¦ At the centre of the court was Petain. ’ Petain was Head of state and had the power to appoint and sack ministers at will.Indeed the Vichy regime was as turbulent as the Third Republic with there being ministerial reshuffles frequently. Vichy did not view itself as a stop-gap French government the occupation of France and the armistice offered France a historic opportunity for political change. Paxton makes the assertion that: ‘the excitement aroused’ at the introduction of this N ational Revolution serves as evidence that Vichy was no mere caretaker regime but rather that there was general dissatisfaction at the state of the Republic pre second World War and as aforementioned politicians.The National Revolution ‘defined itself†¦ in opposition to liberal individualism which uprooted people from the ‘natural’ communities of family, workplace and religion. ’ Vichy also embarked on a programme of moral regeneration for France hoping to rid France of its undesirables (mainly Jews, Freemasons and Communists). Vichy also established a personality cult around Petain this involved portraits of the Marshal were commissioned to be placed in municipal buildings in the unoccupied zone. One can trace lineage from the style and nature of the Vichy regime from Daladier’s Republic that precedes Vichy.The authoritarian style of Daladier is reflected in Petain’s position as Vichy Premier not only that but Daladier’s rhetoric of family values, the role of religion and moral regeneration are remarkably similar to the stance taken by Petain, this continuity of the mantras of these two government go some way to disprove the post-war myth that Vichy was a reactionary clique. Elements of the Vichy style of government would even postdate the regime in the Fifth Republic under de Gaulle. He too believed, like Petain and the Vichy elites, that the former structure of the French Republic was ineffective. e Gaulle’s revision to the constitution empowered him and created a more stable but undoubtedly more authoritarian state. Paxton and Marrus make the assertion that: ‘The government of Petain did not invent the anti-Jewish programme†¦ Every element of this program was present in the years preceding the fall of the Third Republic. ’ The wave of anti-Semitism that surged with the arrival of the Vichy regime cannot simply attributed to the anti-Jewish sentiments that erupted in the 30’ s due to the social and economic issues of the great depression and in the late 30’s the fears of a 2nd world war.Anti-Jewish sentiments were an undercurrent in French political and social culture, a volatile force that at sometimes would be restrained by some ‘external pressure’ but other times could burst out after having amalgamated with economic or social hardship. For example, the dormancy of anti-Semitism can be attributed to the fact that many French Jews fought and died in the 2nd world war and the third tenet of the French national motto is fraternite. As Maurras described this sense of brotherhood led to a ‘semi-tolerance’ of the Jews at the time.However in the 30’s during a time of economic contraction, high unemployment and hardship who more vulnerable a target for blame than the foreigners and Jews? What became central to anti-Jewish sentiment during the 30s a growing obsession with the shortcomings of France. With the sense of in security of the 30’s Jews became a symbol and cause of this ‘terrible French inadequacy’ a phrase coined by a contemporary French novelist. This is what allowed anti-Semitic feeling to permeate the sensibilities of the ‘average’ Frenchman.Similarly the rhetoric of anti-Semitism had become so imbued in the French lexis that one even if speaking against anti-Semitism would speak in a way that would jar modern sensibilities. Anti-Semitism was imbued in France in a way permeated all facets of existence. It is noteworthy that Paxton’s seemingly harsh depiction of this historical track of French anti-Semitism is influenced by the time in which he produced his history. Writing in the 70’s he set about to dispel the Gaullist myth that had been largely accepted by the French public that allowed Vichy to detached from French social and political history/ culture.Paxton’s assertion however does not ignore some shocking realities take for ex ample that some 30 years after the Dreyfus affair a production of the play in Paris was broken up by right-wing toughs. Despite the fact that Vichy collaborators contributed to the genocide of European Jewish population whilst anti-Jewish sentiments were assuaged as Paxton argues they are an undercurrent ever –present in French society. Even among who formed the government in the wake of Vichy still possessed this anti-Semitism.Radical Pierre Mendes France PM of the 5th Republic between 1954-55 was forced to resign as his Jewish background made him unpopular with his contemporaries. Not only this but right-wing movements formed in the post-war period the right wing Poujadist movement that was opposed to industrialisation undermining France’s rural wholesome values- remarkably similar to Vichy ethics. However this attitude was not simply preserved among the cliques of right-wing it is noteworthy that Jean Marie Le Pen of the right-wing National Front Party forced a seco nd round of voting in the Presidential election of 2002 having obtained 16. 6% of voting in the first round. Not only do we see a revival of anti-Semitic right wing cliques but as late as 2002 we see genuine support for these movements in France. The simple assertion can be made that if France had not been somewhat accustomed to a political and social culture of anti-Semitism the policies enacted by the Vichy regime surely would have been abhorrent to the French public and caused general outrage. However in assessing the response of the French public the different stances of the French is an important consideration as well as the main concerns facing the population at the time.The prevailing attitudes towards the Jewish people at the start of the period were that of attentisme, indifference and hostility. The French public, on a personal level, had more serious concerns to contend with life in Occupied France was made much more difficult by the fact and many French people sought to look after their own interests therefore the plight of the Jewish people became an occurrence that was largely ignored between 1940-1942. However Julian Jackson makes the distinction that: ‘Indifference to the fate of the Jews was not the same as non- involvement in it. This was the case as ‘The application of the both Statutes drew people into complicity with anti-Semitism’. Whilst the politicians drafted the measures that would put Jewish quotas in their professions and exclude Jewish teachers the people who ran these professional organisations were made complicit in the anti-Semitism by exacting these measures. Indeed the smoothness in the way in which the Statutes were implemented gives evidence to the disregard of the French people to the unethical nature of the policy.However it is difficult to determine whether the indifference to the plight of the Jews was indeed ‘enough to characterise the attitude of the French population as one of active anti-Semi tism’ or whether the attitudes of the French public towards the Jewish population were a result of the need to protect one’s own interests during the Occupation or perhaps is it too scathing to the French public to describe them as ‘active’ in the anti-Semitism? In some cases, the French public acted to reinforce the opinion that they were active in anti-Semitism.In the South of France the exodus of Jews escaping the seemingly more threatening German Occupied Zone encouraged feelings of resentment and, for example, in Nice anti-Semitic incidents frequented. In there was a contrast between Jewish perception of attitudes towards them between the two zones; A Jewish observer commented at this time about the free zone: ‘here we can still move around freely and don’t fear arrest at any moment. But as for the attitude of the French one feels more at home in the Occupied Zone. This serves as evidence that in the unoccupied zone of France there were s entiments of active anti-Semitism present in that the Jewish population were subject of resentment and hostility. However, the reaction towards the Jewish population somewhat changed when the policy transitioned into deportation of the Jews. Sweets charts public reaction to the plight of the Jews as: ‘At first indifferent, insensitive†¦ and then hostile to government policy as life became increasingly precarious for the Jews with each new action against them. Whilst there was an eventual turning point in public opinion regarding the fate of the Jews it seems that the French public were willing to witness the destabilisation of the Jews within France that saw them humiliated and sectioned aside from the rest of French society but drew the line where manifestations of this destabilisation became physical i. e. having to witness babies being torn apart from mothers who are being arrested for deportation to an internment camp.Whilst a formal and somewhat discreet destabilisat ion of Jewish presence in France had been tolerable the visible sight of this seemed to be unpalatable to the French public. What becomes evident in the enacting of Vichy’s anti-Semitic policy is that it was extremely reliant on public approval. The ease of which Vichy was able to establish anti-Jewish legislation was reliant on the complicity of the French people who did not have the interests of the Jewish people at the forefront during the German occupation.However, we see that one this consensus had been broken in 1942 come to the implementation of the Final Solution Vichy policy loses effectiveness as it is undermined by civil society. We witness that the French population despite being complicit largely did in fact have a great deal of influence over the policy of Vichy. Vichy France and the German occupation has and will continue to be a contentious issue in French history.Whilst it is irrefutable that German influence in the occupation had an influence in bringing abo ut the anti-Semitic policy that proliferated under Vichy it is clear that Vichy had its own indigenous roots of anti-Semitism that almost provided this government with a historical inclination to act in the way it did. The complexity of the period disallows any sweeping judgement of the period however, an acknowledgement of the influence of German factors and an understanding of France’s own historical potential for the anti-Semitic policies allow for a nuanced appreciation of the period.Bibliography Jackson, Julian. ‘France the Dark Years 1940-1944’. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Paxton, Robert. ‘Vichy France Old Guard ad New Order’. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. Sweets, John. ‘Choices in Vichy France’. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. Marrus, Michael and Paxton, Robert. ‘Vichy France and the Jews’. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1981. Vinen, Richard. ‘The Unfree French: Life under the Occupation’ London: Penguin Books, 2007. http://www. wikepedia. com