Writing Samples
Included here are two recent short assignments I completed while a graduate student at Rutgers University. It is my hope that they will provide some context for my strong communication skills.
Perspectives: Sight for Kids
The Lions Club International Foundation has been the beneficiary of a social impact initiative on the part of Johnson & Johnson Vision. The initiative is called Sight for Kids. Johnson & Johnson Vision came to the table with a great deal of knowledge about eye health, and the pocketbook to help make a real difference globally. Throughout this partnership, communication has played a big role in the success of the initiative. Convincing people to join the initiative and the Lions club in general is a challenge that was helped by adding the good reputation of Johnson & Johnson. In this paper, I will talk about the accomplishments of Sight for Kids, the social impact initiative benefitting the Lions Club. I will also demonstrate why it was successful. Finally, I will talk about the role that communications played in the success and bring up the lessons that can be learned in terms of communication. Sight for Kids is a successful initiative in which communications play a big role, with multiple lessons to be learned in terms of communication.
Why the Initiative was Successful
The Sight for Kids program was successful for multiple reasons. On the for-profit side, Johnson & Johnson got the opportunity to fulfil their Credo (“Our Credo,” n.d.). As far as the NGO we are concerned with, the Lions Club International Foundation, due to the $4.1 million offered up by Johnson & Johnson Vision, they were able to give more than 500,000 kids glasses, train teachers to be aware of eye health, and give education and eye exams to over 26 million kids in 10 countries (“Johnson & Johnson Vision Sight for Kids Fact Sheet,” n.d.). In that sense, it was successful. Johnson & Johnson Vision had the money and know how, and the Lions Club was perfectly positioned across the globe to help as many people as possible (“About Us,” n.d.). “More than 2 billion people around the world suffer from visual impairment, yet 1 billion of these instances could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed. Additionally, the number of people experiencing blindness and visual impairment globally is expected to double by 2030 unless corrective measures are taken” (“Johnson & Johnson Vision Calls on Individuals Worldwide to Prioritize Your Eyes in 2020,” 2020). There was a big problem as far as vision was concerned, and with the help of Johnson & Johnson Vision, Lions Club took big steps towards solving that problem, and their efforts continue.
The Role of Communication
There are two layers of communication in the Sight for Kids program. It begins with the Lions Clubs, themselves. On their website, under “About Us,” it says:
When caring people join together, roll up their sleeves and take action to make their community better, it’s a beautiful thing—and an incredible feeling for everyone involved. That’s Lions. Being a Lion is about leading by example, building relationships and improving the world through kindness. It’s 1.4 million caring men and women serving together so they can make a lasting impact and change more lives (“About Us,” n.d., ¶ 1).
It is through this simple communication that Lions Club builds a sense of team, community, and strength. They are creating a feeling that will well up in the chest of prospective members, people who have been wanting to give back but just did not know how, people longing to be a part of something positive. From what I have been able to tell online, they do not advertise. They merely use their sterling reputation for giving back as a magnet for people who want to help. Their website as a whole is a communication to these people. They have a page specifically about Sight for Kids. On it, there is a communication about exactly what Lions Club members will be directly taking part in as far as the program. There are Lions Club members involved with every step of the vision-aiding process (“Sight for Kids,” n.d.). This creates a true sense of involvement for the members, and makes those who have longed to get involved want to join the club.
Communication Lessons
There are several lessons to be learned from the Lions Club as far as communication. First of all, they brilliantly portray their club as a place for those who want to be on a team that helps throughout the world. And that is exactly what they are. The way that they frame it, though, makes it even more clear what people are going to get out of this relationship. They are looking for helping people who are not afraid to get to work for the things they believe in, for the global village they care about. The communication of the “About Us” page is extremely well written. And then we have the actual Sight for Kids webpage. I found a huge lesson in their “Offering Solutions” section on that page. There are six steps listed, including “coordinate,” “train,” “deliver,” “refer,” “treat,” and “provide.” In four out of six steps, Lions Club members are an integral part of the process to complete that step. I thought this was a brilliant way to communicate what a big part of the process a Lions Club member can be. If someone is interested in really getting involved in helping globally, and they see “Lions work with hospitals…” or “Lions coordinate… to train teachers and volunteers,” that, in my opinion is going to energize them and make them want to be a Lions Club member. It is communications like these that build the programs, along with the monetary help from companies like Johnson & Johnson. A final lesson to be learned is the benefit of working with a company like Johnson & Johnson. Not all companies have the reputation for global service that Johnson & Johnson does. They make it that much easier for Lions Club to gain members and build their program. The partnership communicates strength and positivity in a way that cannot be faked.
Conclusion
In the process of this paper, I have talked about the accomplishments of the Sight for Kids initiative, described why it is successful, talked about the role of communications in the initiative, and brought up some lessons that can be learned as far as communication is concerned. The Lions Club is an amazing organization. Their reach extends far and wide, across borders and cultures. They can do a lot on their own, but when they partner with a company like Johnson & Johnson, they can do so much more. If the Lions Club were not extremely capable, Johnson & Johnson would likely not consider working with them. It is this capability coupled with a strong global presence that makes the Lions Club so attractive to Johnson & Johnson. Also, their communications are so powerful and attractive to prospective members that Johnson & Johnson must know that the Lions Club will continue to grow. And it would only make sense that Johnson & Johnson would want to be associated with a continuously growing organization that is globally positioned to do the most good worldwide. This is a great partnership for both the Lions Club and Johnson & Johnson. Everybody wins.
References
About Us: Lions Clubs International. About Us | Lions Clubs International. https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/discover-our-clubs/about-us.
Johnson & Johnson Vision Calls on Individuals Worldwide to Prioritize Your Eyes in 2020. PharmaLive. (2020, February 20). https://www.pharmalive.com/johnson-johnson-vision-calls-on-individuals-worldwide-to-prioritize-your-eyes-in-2020/.
Johnson & Johnson Vision Sight for Kids Fact Sheet. Johnson & Johnson. https://www.jjvision.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/Johnson_%26_Johnson_Vision_Sight_for_Kids_Fact_Sheet_0.pdf.
Our Credo. https://www.jnj.com/credo/.
Sight for Kids: Lions Clubs International. https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/resources-for-members/resource-center/sight-for-kids.
Perspectives: Globalization
Culture is globalizing, and the changes have been happening for years. In some ways, global culture is becoming more and more homogeneous, and in other ways it is diversifying. In this paper, I will talk a little about American influence on homogenization and how hybridization can happen when more powerful countries influence weaker countries. I will also judge whether some more prominent values and norms are becoming more universal or more diverse. Globalization is creating new global values, as well as blending the values of different countries.
Homogenization
Cultural homogenization can be seen everywhere. McDonald’s and Starbucks are examples of homogenization, and they even influence the intrinsic aspects of our cultures, like ideas, beliefs, values, and norms. With the advent of the Internet, the world became a global village, becoming more and more homogenized over the years. One of the most influential countries is America.
In America, possibly the most powerful country, we have many different values. America seems to have the most pervasive culture. “Everyone can recall their first encounter with America” (Fraser, 2014, ¶ 1). One of the things that America is most globally known for is materialism (Ragusa, 2005). We seem to hold high importance in material things. In order to spread our economic vision, we inject this value of materialism into the global mindset, creating consumers where once there were none.
Materialism
Today, “materialism is presumed to be a core characteristic of global consumer culture” (Cleveland, Laroche, & Papadopoulos, 2015, ¶ 1). These materialistic values are caused by global advertising, cross-cultural interaction, and the media. It is especially the case that American media is influential in causing the values to come into existence. This is only increased when a country’s traditions are compatible with materialism (Cleveland et al., 2015). The universalism of materialism is a result of the dominance of certain materialistic countries, including America.
Internet Freedom
Ever since the inception of the internet, people have fought for the freedom to do as they please on the web. There have been protests across the globe in defense of internet freedom (Aziz, 2017). Each year, Freedom House publishes a Freedom on the Net report detailing rankings of internet freedom in each country (“Freedom on the Net,” n.d.). The countries that have difficulties with internet freedom range from developing nations like Ethiopia and Venezuela, to world powers like Russia and the United States (Aziz, 2017). The value of internet freedom is becoming more and more universal.
Anti-Extremism
Anti-Extremism is a value that has been embraced across the globe (Aziz, 2017). The Counter Extremism Project is a global NGO that combats extremism by pressuring business and changing governmental policies (“About,” 2016). In 2017, over 26,000 people were killed by terrorism worldwide, up from just around 8,000 in 2011 (Ritchie, Hasell, Appel, & Roser, 2013) Extremism is a serious problem facing our world, and global culture is coming together to try to stop it. Anti-extremism is becoming universal.
Hybridization
When it comes to globalization, often the most robust culture tends to take over, in a way, cultures that are not so strong. A culture is strong if it has a sturdy economy, technological innovation, and military. What comes from this is amalgamations of local cultures and, usually, Western cultures. Ways of living are impressed upon the youth of a weaker nation, including all forms of art. Powerful countries often try to develop countries that seem less-than compared to the dominant global culture. They impose their values upon them in the process of globalization. In many situations, these powerful countries will use their powerful culture as a way to stay in power over lesser countries (Koechler, 2018). Despite the power that nations have over other nations, we often see hybridization rather than homogenization.
Individualism
America is an individualist culture, a dimension which measures “the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members” (“Country Comparison,” n.d.). Since America is so individualistic, it makes sense that they would influence other countries that they do business with, creating a hybridized culture that is new and influenced by both cultures. Japan is a collectivist culture, but they are more individualist than most other Asian cultures (“Country Comparison,” n.d.). “Japanese culture has become more individualistic over time” (Ogihara, 2017, ¶ 1). This may be because of America’s influence over them, or simply a generally individualistic Western influence. This is hybridization at work.
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is a value born of hybridization. “In Canada, multiculturalism is a source of national identity (and a tool to unite French and English-speaking Canadians), so much so that multiculturalism is cited as the second greatest source of pride among Canadians” (Ng, 2015, ¶ 5). Australia and Canada have brought in talented foreign workers using multiculturalism as a springboard to inclusion and tolerance. This has brought in skilled workers and improved their economies (Ng, 2015). “In South Korea, which is a largely homogeneous country, multiculturalism is used to symbolize modernization” (Ng, 2015, ¶ 5). Multiculturalism can be connected with a more diverse global picture. Multiculturalism as a value is diversifying, as the influx of refugees forces countries to take sides on the issue.
Conclusion
In the process of this paper, I have detailed some of the values and norms that are becoming more universal and more diverse. There are so many more values and norms that are diversifying in the way that multiculturalism is, or homogenizing in the way materialism is. It is certainly fascinating to see the effects that globalization has on the world. The new global village is an interesting landscape, and I look forward to learning more and more about globalization and its effects on organizations. Globalization is happening, and there is no way to reverse it. The only thing that can be done is to learn about it and anticipate any challenges that loom in the future.
References
About. Counter Extremism Project. (2016, July 21). https://www.counterextremism.com/about.
Aziz, M. H. (2017, August 30). What Are Our Global Values in Today's Post-Hegemonic World? HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-are-our-global-values-in-todays-post-hegemonic_b_59a17548e4b0a62d0987af68.
Cleveland, M., Laroche, M., & Papadopoulos, N. (2015, December 2). Global Consumer Culture and Local Identity as Drivers of Materialism: An International Study of Convergence and Divergence. SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-24184-5_119.
Country Comparison. Hofstede Insights. https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/japan/.
Fraser, N. (2014, November 2). How the World Was Won: The Americanization of Everywhere review – a brilliant essay. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/nov/02/how-the-world-was-won-americanization-of-everywhere-review-peter-conrad.
Freedom on the Net. Freedom House. https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net.
Koechler, H. (2019, March 28). Culture in the age of globalisation. DOC Research Institute. https://doc-research.org/2018/06/culture-in-the-age-of-globalization/.
Ng, E. (2015, July 20). Multiculturalism Around the World. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/diverse-and-competitive/201507/multiculturalism-around-the-world.
Ogihara, Y. (2017, April 21). Temporal Changes in Individualism and Their Ramification in Japan: Rising Individualism and Conflicts with Persisting Collectivism. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00695/full.
Ragusa, A. T. (2005, November). American Materialism, Consumerism and Social Values: A Sociological Analysis of Social Issues and Value Priorities. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274253273_AMERICAN_MATERIALISM_CONSUMERISM_AND_SOCIAL_VALUES_A_SOCIOLOGIAL_ANALYSIS_OF_SOCIAL_ISSUES_AND_VALUE_PRIORITIES.
Ritchie, H., Hasell, J., Appel, C., & Roser, M. (2013, July 28). Terrorism. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/terrorism.
