Law and Justice

Posts Tagged ‘Blue’

Job Security, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow…

Will your good job last – or do you believe that you will find a good job that will last for years to come. You’ve read about job growth and new jobs, but what about the jobs that are being lost. The new jobs are mostly lumped into a “service industry” category and that means working in sectors like retail or customer service. These service industry jobs are mostly entry level and unreliable in the amount of hours worked. They also pay a whole lot less than the old manufacturing jobs. Oh, by the way we just had a minimum wage increase up to $5.85 in July… That will put steaks on the table!!

The stereotypical laid-off blue-collar worker has a lot of company these days. In 2002, the technology sector dumped over 150,000 jobs in the software sector alone. Intel has cut over 10,000 jobs in the last year. The housing market continues its downward slide and the latest projections are that it will last at least another year, well into 2008. The “Big Three”, Ford, GM and Chrysler, just recently announced a 20 – 25% drop in sales and the list goes on and on.

High tech jobs have been touted by politicians as the future for American workers, but is it a secure future? Those secure jobs from the 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s, when you could count on a company being around and taking care of you are all but gone. Oh, by the way, white-collar workers are feeling the pinch too. The first step toward job security today is getting information about starting your own home-based business; weather full time or part time it will provide extra income for you and your family.

An internet home based business is one of the best small business opportunities available today. Internet access and a telephone are all that you need to start a successful business, and our team of trained professionals will educate you and help guide you down the path to success. You can bring change to an uncertain future and begin to look forward to the lifestyle you always hoped for, with a home based business opportunity. Extra income and extra time freedom are the end result.

Stop worrying, instead, take the first step towards securing your financial future. If you are ready to earn extra income or generate a substantial income right away you can contact Passive Millions to improve your security and financial success.

Can you live debt free and save for your future? Do you need to have a full time income and have job security? Our unique home-based business opportunity can open the door to meeting the needs of you and your family and allow you to earn money from home. Take control of your future and start earning that extra needed income today! You can control your own destiny with a work from home internet job opportunity.

So, if you are interested in learning more about our unique home based business and want the job security you deserve in life, contact us now and take that first step in securing your future!

As Always, God Bless and Always Remember To Make It A Great Day!!

Michael J Kohn

New Image Marketing Group, Inc.

Please Visit Us At: http://www.PassiveMillions.com

Copyright (c) 2008 Medical-Tourism-Guide.com

Blue collar workers account for an increasing percentage of people outsourcing their medical needs to the medical tourism industry. Uninsured and underinsured laborers are tired of the rising medical costs and the astronomical costs of insurance coverage in developed countries.

Case after case is being shared about blue collar workers seeking alternatives to the out of control healthcare costs at home. A typical scenario is that of a laborer who suddenly finds himself in need of heart surgery or a knee replacement. The choice for many of these workers is to either do without the surgery, empty out the lifetime savings account, use the retirement account or sell their home. Like millions of others in need of a costly medical procedure, they simply cannot afford it.

In some instances, wait time is also a factor. In countries such as Canada, for those with needs that some of us might perceive to be a priority, there is a waiting list up to a year long. Reportedly, it is the bureaucratic red tape that is often the sole hindrance to timely medical care. A person can literally die waiting for approval for a life saving surgical procedure in a developed country, yet the same procedure can be obtained at a medical tourism destination with little effort.

Medical tourism offers hope to blue collar workers and others who are in need of medical procedures but cannot afford them, cannot wait for them, or do not want to use their retirement accounts to pay for the procedure.

In some instances, it is not the worker who is making the decision to have the procedure done overseas. Medical tourism facilities have started heavy marketing campaigns to Western employers, particularly those who employ the blue collar labor force. More and more, it is the employer who suggests (and in some instances, mandates) having the surgery done in another country.

The bottom line is that the worker in need of a heart bypass can obtain one in another country for $10,000 vs. $70,000 in the US. He can get a knee replacement for $6,000 vs. $50,000! It can be scheduled within a couple of weeks in another country, rather than wait a year or more in the US or Canada.

Ten years ago, the concept of medical tourism was new and received bad media coverage in developed countries. It was misunderstood and given bad press. Today, that trend has not only reversed, but medical tourism is being embraced as a viable option for people in need of affordable medical care.

Case studies and statistics verify that medical tourism offers top quality medical care in accredited facilities. A growing number of facilities that offer medical tourism are accredited by the IOS (International Organization of Standardization) and the JCI (Joint Commission International).

Many of the doctors who work in these medical tourism facilities have studied in the developed countries and then have returned to work in their home countries. A person in need of having a medical procedure done can rest assured that he will be cared for by highly qualified staff, with proficient translators standing by!

India has a goal of becoming the choice destination for medical tourists, and they are marketing to the blue collar workers who are need of both medical services and a long overdue vacation. Making the choice to obtain medical services in India means that the average laborer could travel with a companion to a state of the art facility in India, have the procedure done, and recover in a five star resort setting, for about 1/8 of the cost of having the procedure done at home.

If India is not appealing, there are multiple other options. Destinations such as Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico, Singapore and Panama are also exotic choices for the medical tourist. In many instances, post-surgical recovery can be done in a beach front resort. Once the patient has sufficiently recovered from surgery, there are plenty of shopping and activity options available to the medical tourist.

The concept of going to a third world country to obtain a package of services that supercedes what is available at home is becoming more widely understood and accepted. Just as the economy has become a global economy, so it is with the medical field. It is becoming commonplace practice for a person to travel abroad for all types of medical procedures. We are seeing, in the 21st Century, that we are truly living in a world with no medical borders!

As insurance costs rise at home, and wait time lengthens in the midst of government red tape, blue collar workers are taking advantage of an industry that once belonged to the elite white collar workers. Medical tourism is a viable option for obtaining timely and quality medical services in a vacation paradise, for a fraction of the cost of the same medical procedure in the home country.

It’s a hard world. Especially in business. There’s a certain brutality in the land of commerce. It’s supposedly every man for himself, or so we’re told in a dog eat dog world. We’ve all heard the expressions. Every man for himself, etc, etc, etc. Lame though these adages seem for being so hackneyed, there’s an element of truth behind them, but it isn’t just in terms of commercial competitors that there this strength of feeling is inspired. There’s in fact still a degree of rather misguided approach towards the two main sectors of the franchising business.

            So, we have our blue collar franchises and our white collar franchises. By tradition franchise was the domain of the blue collar brigade. The phrase derives thus: “Blue collar workers were mostly working class and the work they did was manual or in the line of manufacture, often unskilled labour was described as blue collar.” Conversely, the term white collar, was used to describe those with higher qualifications, often these people were engaged in the administration side of concerns that employed vast numbers of blue collar labourers. Overall, a blue collar franchise would be one that involved the production of something, manual work, or at the very least a hands on approach to an untrained job.

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            White collar franchises are growing, and they work very well, but there’s still a percentage of the population who incorrectly believe they wouldn’t personally be suited to white collar work. Very often people from blue collar backgrounds don’t feel they have what it takes to break the mold and branch out into unknown ventures. However, on the positive side white collar work, especially consultancy type business, is suited to all kinds of people, in actual fact, it can’t be said that blue collar work would suit everyone, so in terms of versatility white collar franchises are suited to a wider range of potential operatives.

            So what is the best white collar franchise on sale today? Internet research reveals that WSI was named the world’s first white collar franchise. The company has been voted No 1 in its field for 7 years. And their franchisees, from all walks of life, are capable of succeeding irrespective of their experience as full training and support is provided throughout the building of their career.

           

Certified WSI Consultants implement the company’s ground-breaking technologies, expertise, training and support to provide bespoke Internet solutions to business clients – all of the technical work is handled for the franchisee. Best of all, this business opportunity is available for the modest recession-friendly fee of $49,700.

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WSI’s Internet Marketing Consultants enjoy personal and professional independence by utilising the company’s six-phased development plan (this model has been responsible for the success of thousands of businesses of all sizes worldwide.) WSI’s solutions are custom made to succeed! These methods significantly boost revenue, shave expenses and enhance productivity. Also, because the company’s services are so effective, even franchisees with no experience find that they quickly bring in the rewards.

           

“How we look and act speaks volumes.” – Bryce’s Law

“Are I.T. Workers Blue Collar?” Interesting question. I was recently asked this by some executives who were concerned with improving the productivity of their I.T. departments. I asked them to explain why they thought this way. They contended their I.T. people (e.g., analysts and programmers) exhibit a lot of blue collar characteristics, e.g., repetition in types of work performed, they do not dress or act like professionals, and regularly punch in and out of work with little interest in going above and beyond the call of duty.

I countered there were two other aspects to consider: first, blue collar workers tend to perform manual labor, and; second, they are nonexempt workers who are paid an hourly wage. Also, they tended to be less educated than white collar workers.

They told me I was being naive; that blue collar workers can perform technical tasks as well as manual tasks, such as those found in manufacturing and assembly; and although they are classified as exempt workers paid a salary, they tend to behave like hourly workers instead. Further, there are plenty of blue collar workers who were just as educated, if not more so, than a lot of the programmers and analysts on their staffs. One executive even went so far as to tell me about a couple of craftsman machinists he had with MBA degrees.

Frankly, I had a hard time refuting their arguments. This is actually an old concept, one which I haven’t heard in quite some time, back to the 1980′s when there was talk of unionizing programmers. Nonetheless, it should cause us to pause and think how I.T. people are regarded in the board room. To me, it suggests a credibility gap between management and I.T. and helps explain why a lot of jobs are being outsourced.

In recent years I have met a lot of people who have abandoned corporate I.T. shops and have opted to become consultants instead. Its not that they didn’t like their companies, they simply became disenchanted with how I.T. departments were being run, read the writing on the wall, and figured it was time to bail out before they were outsourced. So who is at fault here, management or I.T.? If management truly perceives I.T. workers as blue collar, than there will be a great temptation to give the work to shops overseas at greatly reduced costs.

There are those in the I.T. field who believe unionization is the route to take. As far as I’m concerned, this would be the kiss of death to corporate I.T. shops as executives would rather outsource than be held hostage to a union.

Instead, I believe I.T. workers should do some soul searching and ask themselves how they can differentiate themselves from their foreign counterparts. Technical knowledge alone will not do it any longer. Outsourcers have already demonstrated their technical skills are on a par with ours. No, the answer is they must demonstrate how the I.T. department adds more value to the company than an outsider can. This means they have to become more serious about their work and produce better I.T. solutions more quickly, correctly, and less expensively. Anyone can apply quick and dirty Band-Aid solutions. What is needed is a higher caliber of professionalism and improved skills in management. The I.T. workers have to work both harder and smarter. In other words, job assignments have to be performed in a more professional and craftsman-like manner (methodically with a quality consciousness). This requires a more disciplined, organized, and professional attitude which is the exception as opposed to the rule in a lot of I.T. shops today.

If I.T. can demonstrate they behave more like white collar professionals, executives will become dependent on them and will be less likely to outsource their jobs. Ideally, you want to hear executives say, “I can’t live without these guys (the I.T. department).” But if executives perceive you, the I.T. worker, as nothing more than a blue collar worker, than your story is told.

Think I’m kidding? Consider this, I know of a large manufacturing company in the U.S. Midwest who had a pressing I.T. project not long ago. Knowing he was short on staff, the CIO appealed to the executive board for additional funding for more personnel. Basically, the board gave the CIO carte blanche to hire as many people he wanted at generous wages, with whatever job title the workers wanted. But the CIO was explicitly told, “When the project is over, fire them.” Do you think these executives had a high regard for I.T. people?

So, are I.T. workers “Blue Collar”? Look in the mirror and you tell me.

ABSTRACT

MULTIDIMENSIONAL HEALTH LOCUS OF CONTROL MEN AND WOMEN IN WHITE COLLAR AND BLUE COLLAR JOBS WITH AND WITHOUT LOWER BACK PAIN

by

G.M.Subhasree Iyer

Masters in Clinical Psychology

Bangalore

This study examines the differences in gender, occupation and medical condition with regards to Multidimensional health locus of control and examines whether these vary depending on the five factor model of health locus of control and as a function of occupation and gender. Previous research has shown that differences based on gender are situation based. The present study examines multidimensional health locus of control and its relationship to men and women in white-collar and blue-collar jobs with and without lower back pain. The five-factor model of multidimensional health locus of control has been the most pervasive model that has been used to explain personality traits and is used in the present study.

INTRODUCTION

Locus of control is a term in psychology which refers to a person’s beliefs about what causes the good or bad results in his or her life, either in general or in a specific area such as health or academics. Locus of control refers to an individual’s generalized expectations concerning where control over subsequent events resides. In other words, who or what is responsible for what happens.

According to Weiner (1974) the “attribution theory assumes that people try to determine why people do what they do, i.e., attribute causes to behavior.” (Weiner, 1974, 1986, p362). There is a three stage process which underlies an attribution. The person must perceive or possibly observe the behaviour; Try and figure out if the behavior was intentional; and determine if the person was forced to perform that behavior. The latter behaviour occurs after the fact, i.e., behaviors are explanations for events that have already happened. Expectancy, which concerns future events, is a critical aspect of locus of control.

Locus of control is also grounded in expectancy-value theory (Martin Fishbein), which describes human behavior as determined by the perceived likelihood of an event and the value placed on that event or outcome. More specifically, expectancy-value theory states that if (a) someone values a particular outcome and (b) that person believes that taking a particular action will produce that outcome, and then (c) they are more likely to take that particular action. (Palmgreen, 1984)

Locus of control is a personality dimension first described by Julian Rotter (1966, 1975, 1990), a prominent social learning theorist. Locus of control is a generalised expectancy about the degree to which individuals control their outcomes. Rotter’s work was an important bridge between traditional social learning theories and the most modern ideas that have come to be known as the social- cognitive theory (Rotter, Chance, Phares, 1075).

Rotter found that the final choice of behaviour depends both on how strongly individual expect that their performance will have a positive result (positive expectancy) and how much the value their expected reinforcement (reinforcement value). His theory focuses on why an individual performs a behavior and on which behaviour the individual actually performs in a specific environment.

In any environment, individuals have a variety of possibly relevant behaviours in their repertoire. Some of these are more likely to occur in a particular situation than others. A particular behaviour like, laughing loudly, may have a high behaviour potential in some situations (during a hilarious movie) and low behaviour potential in other situations (during a final exam).

There are specific expectancies; that a particular reward follow a behavior in a particular situation; and generalised expectancies that are related to a group of situations. The roles of reinforcements play a very significant role in Rotter’s theory. According to him, the greater the subjective value of reinforcement, the more likely a person is to perform a behaviour associated with that valued reinforcement. The value of reinforcement is associated in relation to the values of other available reinforces.

Rotter rewarded that reinforcement with the highest value is the reinforcement that individuals expect will lead to other things we value (money, prestige, etc,) secondary reinforces are of value because of their association with the satisfaction of important psychological needs.

Rotter defines 6 psychological needs that develop out of biological needs: (a) Recognition – Status (need to achieve, have positive social standing); (b) Dominance (need to control, influence others); (c) Independence (need to make decisions for oneself); (d) Protection – Dependency (need to have others give one security and help one achieve goals); (e) Love and Affection ( need to be liked and cared by others); (f) Physical Comfort ( need to avoid pain, seek pleasure, enjoy physical security and a sense of well being).

Behavioural potential, outcome expectancy, and reinforcement potential all come together to form what Rotter termed: “The Psychological Situation”. The psychological situation represents the individual’s unique combination of potential behaviours and their value. It is the psychological situation that a person’s expectations and values interact with the situational constraints to exert a powerful influence on behaviour.

The best known feature of Rotter’s theory is the concept of internal versus external control of reinforcements. There is either the generalised expectancy that the individual’s actions lead to desired outcomes – an internal locus of control. Or, there is the belief that things outside of the individual, such as chance or powerful others, determine whether desired outcomes occur – an external locus of control.

“Externals” feel that their outcomes largely beyond their control – which they are pawns of fate. “Internals” feel that their successes and failures are determined by their actions and abilities. (Rotter, 1960: Psychological monographs, 80 (whole no.609)

Of course, locus of control is not an either – or proposition. Like any other dimension of personality, it should be thought of as occurring on a continuum. Some people are more external, some are very internal, but most people fall somewhere in between. (Rotter, 1960)

Ormel and Schaufeli (1991) conducted a research and their studies indicate that people with external locus of control develop more symptoms of psychological disorders than people characterised by an internal locus of control. Likewise, Benassi, Sweeney and Dofour (1988) conducted a Meta – analysis of 91 studies which estimated a correlation of .31 between externality and feelings of depression.

Burger (1984) conducted a research on college students that the externality correlates with a number of suicidal thoughts. Similarly, Findley and cooper (1983) conducted a research which indicated that internality is related to higher academic achievement. Youngsters with an internal locus of control get somewhat better grades than youngsters characterised by an external locus of control. Later, Njus, & Brockway, (1999) conducted a study which found out that students with an internal locus of control showed better adjustment to college in terms of academic achievement and social adjustment. Perceptions of competence and locus of control for positive and negative outcomes. (Njus & Brockway (1999) Personality and Individual Differences 26, 531-548.)

Dille, B. & Mezack, M. (1991) conducted another study which found that community college students who succeeded at distance education had high internal locus of control. Identifying predictors of high risk among community college telecourse students. (American Journal of Distance Education 5 (1), 24-35.)Basgall and Snyder (1983) conducted a study which concluded that external locus of control allows people to make excuses readily for poor performance. Externals can protect their self – esteem by blaming lousy grades or failures in areas on bad luck.

Hannah Levenson (1973) offered an alternative model to that of Rotter’s uni-dimensional model. According to Levenson, there are three independent dimensions: Interbality; Chance; and Powerful Others. This model says that one can endorse each of these dimensions of locus of control independently and at the same time. It can otherwise be called as orthogonal (independent) dimensions. For Example: A person might simultaneously believe that both oneself and powerful others influence outcomes, but that chance does not.

This means that external people not only believe that events are beyond their control, but they do so either in terms of chance or powerful others. Internal locus of control individuals are more likely to be achievement – oriented because they see that their own behaviour can result in positive effects; and they are more likely to be high achievers as well, external locus of control people tend to be less independent and also are more likely to be depressed and stressed.

Further more; Rotter developed a scale of internal – external locus of control, which measures an individual’s have enduring dispositions, despite the important role of situation in determining behaviour. In his original conception, Rotter saw locus of control as a stable independent difference variable with two dimensions (internal and external), influencing a variety of behaviour in a number of different contexts.

After a few decades of research, it’s becoming clear that a person’s locus of control may not be quite generalised as Rotter originally assumed. Some people display internal locus of control regarding events in one domain of life, while displaying an external locus of control regarding events in another domain. In the light of this finding, some researchers are studying locus of control as it relates to specific domains of behaviour.

Multidimensional Health Locus Of Control:

The Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scales are widely used to characterize a person’s beliefs about control over health outcomes. Health locus of control is one of the widely used measures of an individual’s health belief, and is defined as the governing perception an individual has concerning their health. The multi-dimensional health locus of control scale (HLCS) has been designed to determine whether individuals are internalists or externalists.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between health locus of control and helpfulness of prayer as a direct – action coping mechanism in patients before having cardiac surgery.

The Multidimensional health locus of control scales and the investigator – developed helpfulness of prayer scale was issued to 100 subjects 1 day before the cardiac surgery. 96 subjects indicated that prayer was used as a coping mechanism in dealing with stress of the surgery, and 70 of these subjects gave it the highest possible rating on the helpfulness of prayer scale. No relationship was found between locus of control and helpfulness of prayer.

Past research has raised concern about the possible confounding of desires for control with expectancies about control as measured in the MHLC scales. Researchers

examined whether the original MHLC scales were more highly correlated with measures of expectancies about control or desires for control. They then examined whether the psychometric properties of the MHLC scales could be improved by using response options with expectancy anchors rather than agree—disagree anchors.

Later, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale was administered to 137 chronic haemodialysis outpatients in a survey designed to examine the relationship of these scores to serum phosphorus, a laboratory indicator of dietary compliance in end-stage renal disease. In a multiple regression analysis, scores on the Powerful Others Locus of Control subscale accounted for 8.9% of the variance in serum phosphorus. Discussion includes a tentative explanation of the findings and limitations of the design.

Norman and Bennett argue that a stronger relationship is found when health locus of control is assessed for specific domains than when general measures of locus of control are taken. Lefcourt, (1991) after his study concluded that “Overall, studies using behavior-specific health locus scales have tended to produce more positive results.

Originally the construct of health locus of control was derived from the Social Learning Theory developed by Rotter in 1966. The social learning theory states that an individual learns on the basis of their history of reinforcement. The individual will develop general and specific expectancies. Through a learning process, individuals will develop the belief that certain outcomes are a result of their action (internals) or a result of other forces independent of themselves (externals).

Questioning the idea of locus of control as a unidimensional construct, Dr. Hannah Levenson argued that understanding and prediction could be improved by studying fate and chance expectations separately from external control and powerful others.

According to Levenson, powerful others should not be internal or external and beliefs about people in general should have less predictive power about one’s control. Realizing the utility and supporting evidence of the multidimensionality, The Multidimensional health Locus of Control was developed.

The brief description of the theory explores the fact that: Health Locus Of Control (HLC) is a degree to which individuals believe that their health is controlled by internal or external factors. Whether a person is external or internal is based on a series of statements. The statements are scored and summed to find the above.

Those scoring above the median are labelled “Health – Externals” and those below the median are labelled “Health – Internals”.

Externals refer to belief that one’s outcome is under the control of powerful others (i.e., doctors) or is determined by fate, luck or chance.

Internals refers to the belief the one’s outcome is directly the result of one’s behaviour.

Dr. Hanna Levenson questioned the conceptualisation of the locus of control as a unidimensional construct. She predicted that the construct could be better understood by studying fate and chance expectancies separately from the external control by powerful others.

Levenson developed the 3 item Likert scale termed the IPC Scale which was used to measure generalized locus of control beliefs.

I      -        Internal

P      -        Powerful others

C      -       Chance

Wallston & Wallston combined their unidimensional HLC Scale and Levenson’s IPC Scale and developed The Muilidimensional Health Locus Of Control (MHLC) Scale. The MHLC Scale consists of 3 six – item scales also using the Likert Scale Format.

Internal HLC (IHLC) is the extent to which one believes that internal factors are responsible for health/illness.

Powerful Others HLC (PHLC) is the belief that one’s health is determined by powerful others.

Chance HLC (CHLC) measures the extent to which one believes that health illness is a matter of fate, luck or chance.

Locus of control has been a concept which has certainly generated more research in psychology, in various areas. There will probably continue to be a debate about specific or more global measures of locus of control will prove to be more useful. Careful differences should be made in between locus of control (a concept linked with expectations of the future) and attributional style (a concept linked with explanations of the past outcomes) or between locus of control and concepts like self efficacy. The importance of locus of control as a topic of psychology is likely to remain quite certain for many years.

Low back pain

LBP is defined as pain and discomfort localized below the costal margin and above the inferior gluteal folds, with or without referred leg pain. (www.backpaineurope.org).

The exact cause of pain for the majority of LBP patients remains unknown. It is frequently reported that low back pain symptoms, pathology and radiological findings are poorly correlated (Espeland et al., 2001; Jarvik & Deyo, 2000; Van Tulder et al., 1997). In 80 to 90%of back pain cases there are no evident objective findings, and therefore difficult to establish 22 pathological basis of pain (Deyo, 1988; Pope & Novotny, 1993; Waddell, 2004d). An approach to diagnosis is Waddell’s diagnostic triage (Waddell, 2004b):

• Non-specific (ordinary) backache

• nerve root pain

• Possible serious spinal pathology

- Most back pain is non-specific, defined as mechanical pain of musculoskeletal origin in which symptoms vary with physical activities and includes a variety of different conditions (Waddel, 2004b).

- Nerve root pain, also called sciatica, can arise from a disk prolapse or spinal stenosis. It is a sharp, well-localized pain down the leg that at least approximates to a dermatome pattern. It radiates below the knee and often into the foot or toes. There is a lack of epidemiological studies examining the prevalence of lumbar radiculopathy, but it is assumed that less than 5%true nerve root pain (Waddell, 2004b).

-Serious spinal pathology is often referred to as “red flags” and includes diseases such astumor and infection, and inflammatory disease such as ankylosing spondylitis. About1% of people seen with LBP in primary care have a neoplasm (Deyo, 1992), and 4% have fractures (Deyo, 1992).Spinal infections are rare (www.backpaineurope.org).Less than 1% is due to inflammatory disease that needs rheumatologic investigation and treatment (Waddell, 2004b).

Many factors influence the development of disability due to LBP. Frank et al. (1996) described three stages in the development of chronic disability:

• In the acute stage (< 4 weeks), the prognosis is good and 90% settle within 6 weeks, atleast sufficient to return to work.

• The sub acute stage (4-12 weeks) is the critical stage for intervention. Psychosocial issues become more important.

• In the chronic stage (> 12 weeks), psychosocial issues are important with major impact one very aspect of the individual’s life, family, and work. The prognosis is poor. Likelihood of return to work diminishes with time. Medical treatment, rehabilitation, and vocational rehabilitation are difficult and success rate is low.

In all stages diagnostic concerns related to possible serious spinal pathology as well as psychosocial influences has to be taken into consideration. Psychosocial concerns, expectations, and behavior are different at the acute, sub acute and chronic stages. Social, employment, and economic status changes from the acute to the chronic stage. The outcome of any intervention may be quite different in each phase, so the timing of health care or rehabilitation interventions is critical. To avoid development of chronic LBP, early intervention might be crucial, and active interventions to control pain and improve activity levels might reduce disability.

Prevalence of low back pain / economic consequences

A large number of international studies show that 12-33% of people report back complaints on the day of the interview; 22-65% report back pain in the previous 12 months, and 11-84%report back pain at some timing their life. (backpaineurope.org)

Norwegian studies have found one month prevalence of 22% (Hagen et al., 1997) and 40% (Ihlebæk et al., 2002), and one year prevalence of 53% (Natvig et al., 1995). Studies of adult populations have tended to show an increase in the prevalence of low back pain until mid to late forties, with rates stabilizing after that age until the mid sixties (Walsh et al., 1992; Skovron et al., 1994).

Despite the high prevalence of LBP in the general population, it has been estimated that in a12-month period, fewer than 10% of those episodes will lead to a consultation with a healthcare practitioner (Papa Georgiou et al., 1995). The proportion of the population with work loss due to low back pain is estimated to about 2-5% per year (Mason, 1994; Nachemson et al., 2000; Waddell, 2004d). Most acute LBP episodes resolve within a few weeks regardless of treatment (Deyo, 1998), but residual symptoms and recurrences are common, occurring in 40-80% of patients (Battie & Bigos, 1991; Von Korff et al., 1993), which may influence health and quality of life of the individuals. A minority (6%) develops chronic disabling back pain (Croft et al., 1997), and this minority is responsible for the largest part of the costs due to LBP (Frymoyer & Cats-Baril, 1991; Goossens, 2002; Brage et al., 1998). Interventions directed to reduce development of chronic disability due to LBP might be cost-effective.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The purpose of the study was to determine whether there exists a difference in the health locus of control scores of men and women among white collar and blue collar jibs with and without lower back pain. Much has been done in terms of research on lower back pain using the questionnaire Multidimensional Health Locus of Control. A few of the studies are been noted down here below. The literature comprises articles on Health locus of control, gender, different medical ailments.

“Perceptions of health locus of control in people with acute lower back pain”

by Roberts. et. al.(2002) -  tested how people with acute low back pain respond to this common symptom and whether they perceive themselves able to influence their back pain episode. Low back pain was common among Brazilians, especially affecting those who are working. Psychosocial factors, such as the health locus of control, are associated with low back pain prognoses. (Physiotherapy, 88, (9), 543-548). (Doi:10.1016/S0031-9406(05)60137-X). Their basis of such an assumption explained that “With respect to the relationships between sex differences, with men perceiving greater influence of powerful others and chance factors in their acute back pain than women participants.” It is true that perceptions of control over their back pain changed over time and were not synonymous with their perceptions about general health. The results concluded that when people develop back pain, their psychological make-up influences how they respond. Locus of control may be a factor affecting this response and is likely to form part of a broader issue of ‘perceived control over health’.

`“Locus of Control and Health – A Review of Literature” (Health Education Monographs, 6, 107 – 117) by Wallston, B.S. & Wallston, K.A. (1978).                          This is the original article enclosed by Wallston, B.S. & Wallston, K.A. (1978) on Locus of Control, a construct derived from Rotter’s social learning theory. The review of this paper focuses on measurement of internal – external locus of control and the relation of this individual difference dimension to health – related disorders. This review is primarily concerned with health behavior and sick – role behavior. This study is reviewed on the utility of the locus of control construct in understanding smoking reduction, birth control utilization, weight loss, information seeking, adherence to medical regimes, and other health and sick – role behaviors. This arises from the differing opinions of Kasl and Cobb conceptualized health – related behaviors as behavior related to prevention, termed illness behavior, and behavior following diagnosis, termed sick – role behavior. This study had a convenient sample of 60 (31 female and 29 male) guidance student with an age range of 23 to 33 years. The 60 participants belonged to 2 classes and the questionnaire was given depending on the classes chosen the he forms selected. In regards to smoking, several studies concluded that internals (those who believe that reinforcement is contingent upon the individual’s behavior) are more likely to engage in behaviors that facilitate physical well – being. The study was governed to publish their first valid results using the MHLC questionnaire on various areas like birth control and abortion studies, kidney patients and dialysis, venereal disease in women, tuberculosis, sick–role behavior, adherence, weight loss, information, and smoking. Likewise, results in the birth control and locus of control also produced same outcomes. Macdonald showed that among single female college students, 62% of the internals reported practicing contraception, while only 37 % of the externals did so. Harkley and King, in their analysis showed no difference in locus of control between abortion parents and use of birth control, with both groups scoring slightly more internal than female norms. In an early study, Seeman and Evans found that tuberculosis patients matched for occupational status, education and ward placement, internals knew more about their condition, were more inquisitive with patients and nurses about tuberculosis and their situation, and indicated less satisfaction with the amount of information they were getting from hospital personnel than did externals. Weaver found that kidney patients using dialysis machines, internals are more likely to comply with diet restrictions and keep scheduled appointments more regularly than externals. Darrow (summarized in Strickland) found that internal females with venereal disease were more likely to return to treatment with the appearance of new symptoms than were the external females.  Manno and Marston found, in their study that externally oriented subjects weighed more initially, but lost more weight in the later stages. In another study, O’Bryan found that overweight women to be more externals. Thus, there is an evidence that locus of control construct is relevant to the prediction of health behaviors and sick- role behavior. Internals show behavior that is more positive in each of these areas, but contradictory evidence has been presented which, in some instances, could indicate that it is more functional to hold external beliefs. METHODOLOGY

Objective

To assess the differences in the health locus of control in participants with and without lower back pain. To study the influence of occupation and gender on health locus of control among participants with and without back pain.

Hypothesis

There exists gender difference with regards to Multidimensional health locus of control. Different occupations contribute differently to Multidimensional health locus of control. There exist differences in participants with and without lower back pain.

Variables

The independent variables in the study are gender, age and lower back pain. The dependent variables are health locus of control. The study is based on a corelational research design

Research instruments

For the present research, the investigator took the aid of the research conducted by Ken Wallston et al., at Vanderbilt University (1978). The following instruments were used in the study: Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) – Form A (Wallston, Wallston, & DeVellis, 1978, and Form C (Wallston, Stein, & Smith, 1994, Journal of Personality Assessment, 63, 534-553).

Multidimensional Health Locus Of Control Form A (MHLC – A) – The brief form of this questionnaire developed by Wallston, Wallston, & DeVellis, (1978) cited in (Health Education Monographs, 6, 160-170) to measure a client’s health locus of control. It is an 18 item, self-report questionnaire made up of 5 discrete subscales designed to measure health locus of control. The subscales measure expectancies in five general areas: Internal Health Locus of Control, Powerful Others Health Locus of Control, and Chance Health Locus of Control, Other People Health Locus of Control, Doctor’s Health Locus of Control. (MHLC – A) of the items is scored on a 6- point Likert response scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 6 (Strongly Agree). Scale scores on the MHLC – A are calculated by summing respective items for a total scale score (i.e., where 1 = “strongly disagree” and 6 = “strongly agree”). Higher scores reflect stronger endorsement of MHLC scales. There were no items, which needed reversed before summing. All of the subscales are independent of one another. As such, there is no such thing as a “total” MHLC score (Health Education Monographs, 6, 160-170). The internal consistency of the scale was measured through Cronbach’s coefficient ? and it ranges from 0.60 to 0.75 (Wallston 1978).

Multidimensional Health Locus Of Control Form C (MHLC – C) – It was developed by Wallston, Stein, & Smith, (1994) cited in (Journal of Personality Assessment, 63, 534-553). It is an 18 item scale that is designed it measure the five domains namely: Internal Health Locus of Control, Powerful Others Health Locus of Control, and Chance Health Locus of Control, Other People Health Locus of Control, Doctor’s Health Locus of Control. Research shows this scale was designed to be “condition-specific” and can be used in place of Form A when studying people with an existing health/medical condition. Responses were measured on 1 to 6 point Likert response scale. Scale scores on the MHLC – C are calculated by summing respective items for a total scale score (i.e., where 1 = “strongly disagree” and 6 = “strongly agree”). Higher scores reflect stronger endorsement of MHLC scales. There were no items, which needed reversed before summing. All of the subscales are independent of one another. As such, there is no such thing as a “total” MHLC score. This scale was developed for people with an existing health condition and it has been shown to be reliable and structurally valid with all groups of individuals (Journal of Personality Assessment, 63, 534-553).

Validity and Reliability

The test-retest reliability for the Internal, Chance, and Powerful Others using Pearson’s moment correlation were 0.60 (p < 0.001), 0.58 (p < 0.002), and 0.74 (p < 0.0001), respectively. (Wallston 1978). The obtained results indicated significant correlation coefficients between the two scale factors i.e., 0.57 for Internal (P < 0.001), 0.49 for Powerful Others (P < 0.01), and 0.53 for Chance (p < 0.001). For bivariate correlation among the subscales, correlation analysis was calculated. In this regard, there was a positive but weak correlation (0.28) between the Internal HLC and Powerful HLC, no correlation was found between the Chance HLC and Powerful Others HLC (r = -0.31); and a negatively weak correlation coefficient was found between the Internal HLC and the Chance HLC (r = -0.20). Thus the MHLC – A can be used with non-client student populations too, regardless of prior counseling experience.

Scoring

The scoring for the questionnaire consisted of 5 subscales namely Internal Health Locus of Control, Powerful Others Health Locus of Control, and Chance Health Locus of Control, Other People Health Locus of Control, Doctor’s Health Locus of Control. Each of these subscales contains six items with a six-point Likert response scale ranging from ‘Strongly Agree’ to ‘Strongly Disagree’, with the scoring of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 respectively. Form C has two, independent 3 item subscales:  doctors, and other people, instead of a single 6 item powerful others subscale.

Scales are scored by summing respective items for a total scale score (i.e., where 1 = “strongly disagree” and 6 = “strongly agree”). Higher scores reflect stronger endorsement of MHLC scales.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The study was conducted to assess the differences in the health locus of control in subjects with and without lower back pain. The study was also conducted to check the influence of occupation and gender on health locus of control among subjects with and without lower back pain.

The obtained scores are further calculated. Number of subjects divided by age, gender and medical condition is indicated in Table 1. The results obtained are given in

Table 1, Table 2, Table 3.

The hypothesis of the present study is that

Different occupations contribute differently to Multidimensional health locus of control. There exists gender difference with regards to Multidimensional health locus of control. There exist differences in participants with and without lower back pain. Table 1 indicating the scores of the sub scales among all men and women subjects on whom experiment was conducted

Sub Scales

Analysis

Internal

Chance

Doctors

Other people

Powerful others

Mean1(men)

29.771

19.5

12.778

11.935

23.928

Mean 2(women)

27.8

19.05

12.428

11.7

22.314

S. D. 1

6.252

8.374

3.391

3.8325

6.394

S.D. 2

4.951

6.433

3.745

3.5085

6.791

Z – Ratio

**6.968

1.076

*1.550

1.4245

**3.719

** Significant at 0.01 & 0.05 levels

* Significant at 0.01 level

From the above Table 1, the mean of the sub scales internal for men and women are  29.771 and 27.5, that of powerful others is 23.928 and 22.314 and of doctors is 12.514 and 12.428 respectively. The Z – ratio of the sub scales Internal and Powerful others and doctors are 6.968, 3.719 and 1.550 respectively, which indicates that they are highly significant at 0.01 and 0.05 levels. There exists a corresponding difference in health locus of control among men and women and since the mean of men is relatively more than women, it proves that men perceive greater influence to internal factor than the women participants. Whereas, the mean of men and women are comparatively same in regards to doctors and powerful others factors indicates that both give equal importance to these scales in balancing their health. But with regards to the sub scales chance and other people, the Z – ratio is 1.076 and 1.424 is found to be insignificant. The study conducted by Levenson’s (1974) has proved that men are prone to internal sub scale than women. Hence the hypothesis based on gender has been partially proved at some subscales in the present study.

Table 2 indicating the scores of the sub scales of all the participants belonging to white collar and Blue collar jobs in the experiment.

Sub Scales

Analysis

Internal

Chance

Doctors

Other people

Powerful others

Mean1(men)

28.978

16.6

12.151

11.15

11.364

Mean 2(women)

27.8

19.05

12.428

11.7

22.314

S. D. 1

6.156

6.915

3.254

10.596

6.409

S.D. 2

5.250

7.068

3.870

3.757

6.777

Z – Ratio

0.285

**0.316

0.225

**0.320

0.434

From the above Table 2, the mean of the sub scales chance for white collar jobs versus blue collar jobs are 16.6 and 19.05 and that of other people is 11.15 and 11.7 respectively. The Z – ratio of the sub scales chance and other people are 22.314 and 6.777 respectively, which indicates that they are highly significant at 0.01 and 0.05 levels. Since the mean of chance factor of the participants of the blue collar jobs is more than the white collar jobs, which proves that participants of the blue collar jobs perceive more influence of chance factors than the white collar jobs. Since the mean of other people factor of the participants of white collar jobs is comparatively same as blue collar jobs, it proves that men give almost equal importance to sub scale other people to balance their health factors. But with regards to the sub scales internal, doctors and powerful others, the Z – ratio is 1.351, .791 and 0.905 is found to be insignificant. However no research was found with regards to occupation leading to health locus of control in men and women. The study conducted by Roberts et, al., (2002) suggest that men perceive greater influence of powerful others and chance than women, which is much similar to the present study. Hence the hypothesis based on occupation has been partially proved in some subscales in the present study. Table 3 indicating the scores of the sub scales of all the participants with and without lower back pain in the experiment.

Sub Scales

Analysis

Internal

Chance

Doctors

Other people

Powerful others

Mean1(men)

27.8

18.37

13.421

12.292

—-

Mean 2(women)

29.771

20.071

11.785

11.342

23.121

S. D. 1

6.252

8.408

3.209

3.400

—-

S.D. 2

4.951

6.279

3.735

3.874

6.596

Z – Ratio

**6.968

**5.226

**7.343

**4.167

—-

From the above Table 3, the mean of the sub scales internal, chance, doctors and other people for participants with and without lower back pain 27.8 and 29.77, 18.37 and 20.07, 13.42 and 11.7 and 12.29 and 1.34 respectively. The Z – ratio of the sub scales internal, chance, doctors and other people are 6.968, 5.226, 7.343 and 4.167 respectively, which indicates that they are highly significant at 0.01 and 0.05 levels. Since the mean of the participants with lower back pain is comparatively same as without lower back pain, it proves that participants give almost equal importance to the sub scales chance, doctors and other people to balance their health. Hence the hypothesis based on medical condition has been significantly proved in all the subscales in the present study. SUMMARY

The study on Gender and Occupation leading to Multidimensional Health locus of control was conducted on white collar and blue collar men and women.

The first hypothesis formulated namely – there exists gender differences with regards to multidimensional health locus of control has been partially proved. The second hypothesis formulated namely – different occupations contribute differently to multidimensional health locus of control has been partially proved. The results of the third hypothesis namely – there exists differences in multidimensional health locus of control with regards to participants with and without lower back pain has been partially proved.

RECOMMENDATIONS

·        The study shows that lower back pain is based on gender and occupation. This can be reduced by reducing their work loads. Physical spine exercise/relaxation is a form of lower back pain reduction often used by physiotherapists. Lower back pain is situation specific. This can be viewed from the significance levels seen in occupation standards. Hence, the work place ambience and working style is also a major aspect which causes spine ailment. The most important way people deal with lower back pain is avoid its existence in the first place. If someone faces a terrible pain in the spine, the easiest way to deal with this new ailment is to identify the pain and notice the sitting arrangement and work place. The research is limited in its scope with regards to gender and occupation factor only. Hence, further studies can be conducted taken into consideration variables like countries, family background etc.

REFERENCES

Adams N. Psychosocial factors affecting pain. In: Adams N, ed. The Psychophysiology of Low Back Pain.

Aarø LE. Health behaviors and socioeconomic status. A study among the adult population in Norway. Thesis for the degree Dr.Philos, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen 1986.

Atkinson, Hilgard. (203). Introduction to Psychology. India: Thomson Business Information India Pvt. Ltd.

Backpaineurope (www.backpaineurope.org)

Bandura. A (1994) Self – Efficacy. Encyclopedia of human behavior. (Vol. 4, 71 – 81)

Bandura. A (1986). Social Foundations of thought and action. Asocial Cognitive theory. Upper saddle river, NJ: Prentice hall.

Basem Farid, Madekeine Clark, Roger Williams (1998), Health Locus Of Control in Problem Drinkers With and Without Liver Disease ; Alcohol & Alcoholism Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 184-187, 1998.

Barker Lewis. (2000). Psychology.  New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Coon Dennis, Mitterer O. John. (2007). Introduction To Psychology, Gateways to Mind and bahavior. New Delhi. Akash Press.

Deyo RA. Low Back Pain. Sci Am 1998;August: 29-33. And More…

APPENDIX

NAME

AGE

SEX

OCCUPATION

HIGHEST DEGREE OF QUALIFICATION

LOWER BACK PAIN – Yes/ No

Instructions: Each item below is a belief statement about your medical condition with which you may agree or disagree. Beside each statement is a scale which ranges from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (6). For each item we would like you to circle the number that represents the extent to which you agree or disagree with that statement. The more you agree with a statement, the higher will be the number you circle. The more you disagree with a statement; the lower will be the number you circle. Please make sure that you answer EVERY ITEM and that you circle ONLY ONE number per item. There is no right or wrong answers. There is no time limit for the responses, which you feel may fit right, the same may be marked. Your responses would be kept highly confidential.

Form A:

1=STRONGLY DISAGREE (SD)
2=MODERATELY DISAGREE (MD)
3=SLIGHTLY DISAGREE (D)

4=SLIGHTLY AGREE (A)
5=MODERATELY AGREE (MA)
6=STRONGLY AGREE (SA)

S.NO

SD

MD

D

A

MA

SA

1.

If I get sick, it is my own behaviour which determines how soon I get well again.

1

2

3

4

5

6

2.

No matter what I do, if I am going to get sick, I will get sick.

1

2

3

4

5

6

3.

Having regular contact with my physician is the best way for me to avoid illness.

1

2

3

4

5

6

4.

Most things that affect my health happen to me by accident.

1

2

3

4

5

6

5.

Whenever I don’t feel well, I should consult a medically trained professional.

1

2

3

4

5

6

6.

I am in control of my health.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7.

My family has a lot to do with my becoming sick or staying healthy.

1

2

3

4

5

6

8.

When I get sick, I am to blame.

1

2

3

4

5

6

9.

Luck plays a big part in determining how soon I will recover from an illness.

1

2

3

4

5

6

10.

Health professionals control my health.

1

2

3

4

5

6

11.

My good health is largely a matter of good fortune.

1

2

3

4

5

6

12.

The main thing which affects my health is what I myself do.

1

2

3

4

5

6

13.

If I take care of myself, I can avoid illness.

1

2

3

4

5

6

14.

Whenever I recover from an illness, it’s usually because other people (for example, doctors, nurses, family, and friends) have been taking good care of me.

1

2

3

4

5

6

15.

No matter what I do, I ‘m likely to get sick.

1

2

3

4

5

6

16.

If it’s meant to be, I will stay healthy.

1

2

3

4

5

6

17.

If I take the right actions, I can stay healthy.

1

2

3

4

5

6

18.

Regarding my health, I can only do what my doctor tells me to do.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Form C:

1=STRONGLY DISAGREE (SD)
2=MODERATELY DISAGREE (MD)
3=SLIGHTLY DISAGREE (D)

4=SLIGHTLY AGREE (A)
5=MODERATELY AGREE (MA)
6=STRONGLY AGREE (SA)

S.NO

SD

MD

D

A

MA

SA

1.

If my condition worsens, it is my own behaviour which determines how soon I will feel better again.

1

2

3

4

5

6

2.

As to my condition, what will be will be.

1

2

3

4

5

6

3.

If I see doctor regularly, I am less likely to have problems with my condition.

1

2

3

4

5

6

4.

Most things that affect my condition happen to me by chance.

1

2

3

4

5

6

5.

Whenever my condition worsens, I should consult a medically trained professional.

1

2

3

4

5

6

6.

I am directly responsible for my condition getting better or worse.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7.

Other people play a big role in whether my condition improves, stays the same, or gets worse.

1

2

3

4

5

6

8.

Whatever goes wrong with my condition is my own fault.

1

2

3

4

5

6

9.

Luck plays a big part in determining how my condition improves.

1

2

3

4

5

6

10.

In order for my condition to improve, it is up to other people to see that the right things happen.

1

2

3

4

5

6

11.

Whatever improvement occurs with my condition is largely a matter of good fortune.

1

2

3

4

5

6

12.

The main thing which affects my condition is what I myself do.

1

2

3

4

5

6

13.

I deserve the credit when my condition improves and the blame when it gets worse.

1

2

3

4

5

6

14.

Following doctor’s orders to the letter is the best way to keep my condition from getting any worse.

1

2

3

4

5

6

15.

If my condition worsens, it’s a matter of fate.

1

2

3

4

5

6

16.

If I am lucky, my condition will get better.

1

2

3

4

5

6

17.

If my condition takes a turn for the worse, it is because I have not been taking proper care of myself.

1

2

3

4

5

6

18.

The type of help I receive from other people determines how soon my condition improves.

1

2

3

4

5

6

If you’re unsure about what color your collar should be – the short answer is to have options. Your choice of color is one of the most important considerations when choosing the style of your business shirt collar.

White Collars

For a white shirt, the collar should always be white and made from the same fabric as the rest of the shirt. The only exception to this rule is the tuxedo shirt which may incorporate another white (textured) fabric for the shirt front (bib) and the cuffs.

The white shirt was previously a uniform requirement at IMB and a plain white shirt still communicates efficiency, aptitude, and professionalism.

For stripes, checks and solid colors, Gordon Gecko’s contrast white collar is still a great look on Wall Street. A contrast white collar (with white cuffs) is all about the big city, big deals, and big money. If you’re visiting a big city from a smaller city, a contrast white collar can communicate that you’re a genuine player and not intimidated by the big smoke.

If, on the other hand, you’re visiting a smaller city from New York, the contrast white collar can be a big turn off to blue collar management. Gecko’s, “Greed is good,” mantra appeals to some, but not to all. You don’t want to come across as a slick, big city executive when you’re selling farming machinery in Arkansas.

Blue Collars

When dealing with manufacturing operations as well as businesses in smaller communities, a blue shirt (with a matching collar) is a staple ingredient in a businessman’s wardrobe.

Unlike the white shirt which often represents administrative efficiency, the blue collared shirt represents a connection with physical work, engineering, and problem solving. When visiting agricultural sites, a button down blue collar shirt (always worn with a single breasted jacket) conveys both respect and discretion – with or without a tie.

For those business situations that require your multi-faceted understanding of finance, administration, manufacturing, and sales, a light blue shirt will fit the bill.

Others…

There are a myriad plaids, stripes, checks, dots, weaves, and color combinations to choose from when you’re looking for a business shirt. If you don’t usually wear a tie, compliment a solid jacket (or suit) with a bright, colorful shirt. If you wear ties, ensure that your tie and shirt do not compete for attention. An easy rule of thumb is to wear plainer shirts with busy ties and plainer ties with busy shirts.

Unless you’re latest recording has just gone platinum, be cautious of combining a busy suit, with a busy shirt, and a busy tie. That being said, if you’re confident in your own good taste, mix it up and show the world who you are. The choice of your collar color is sure to speak volumes about your personal style.

Coming soon:

Collar width, length, and spread – framing different faces

Wingtip (or Wing) collars and other black tie options

They say there’s a certain brutality in the land of business. It’s every man for himself, right? It’s a dog eat dog world. We’ve all heard the expressions. And lame though they seem for being so clichéd, there’s an element of truth to them all. But it isn’t just in terms of commercial competitors that there springs up this ferocity of attitude. There’s actually still a fair amount of rather misguided attitude towards the two main sectors of the franchising industry.

            In opposite corners we have our blue collar franchises and our white collar franchises. Traditionally franchise was the domain of the blue collars. And for those of you who don’t know where the phrase derives from or are uncertain about what it means, here’s a general guide: Blue collar workers were mostly working class and the work they did was manual or in the line of manufacture, often unskilled labour was described as blue collar. The term white collar, on the other hand, was used to describe those with higher qualifications, often they were engaged in the administration side of concerns that employed vast numbers of blue collar workers.

            Nowadays the edges are slightly blurred but the terms, although considered archaic by some, are still in use. Overall, a blue collar franchise would be one that involved the production of something, manual work, or at the very least a hands on approach to an unskilled job.

Qualify now for your FREE information Kit

            There’s a recent rise in white collar franchises, and they work very well, although there’s still a proportion of the population who wrongly think they wouldn’t personally be suited to white collar work. This can be to do with conditioning, very often people from blue collar backgrounds don’t feel they have what it takes to break the mold and branch out into areas unknown to them. But the facts are that white collar work, especially consultancy type businesses are suited to all kinds of people, from all manner of backgrounds.

            In actual fact, it can’t be said that blue collar work would suit everyone, so in terms of versatility white collar franchises are suited to a wider range of potential franchisees.

            So who’s the best of the white collar bunch? Online research reveals that WSI was name the world’s first white collar franchise. The company has been voted No 1 in its field for 7 years so they’re obviously getting it right. And their franchisees, who come from all walks of life, are able to succeed irrespective of their experience as full training and support is provided throughout the franchisee’s career.

            WSI’s Internet Marketing Consultants enjoy personal and professional independence by utilising the company’s six-phased development plan (this has been responsible for the success of thousands of businesses of all sizes worldwide.) WSI’s solutions are custom made to succeed! These methods significantly boost revenue, shave expenses and enhance productivity. Also, because the company’s services are so effective, even franchisees with no experience find that they quickly reap the rewards too.

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Certified WSI Consultants implement the company’s ground-breaking technologies, expertise, training and support to provide bespoke Internet solutions to business clients – all of the technical work is handled for the franchisee. Best of all, this business opportunity is available for the modest recession-friendly fee of $49,700.

It’s time to hang up that blue collared shirt for good and enjoy a lucrative career as a white collar consultant with WSI.

Blue over white? No competition.

           

What is a white collar franchise/business/opportunity?

A white collar franchise or business opportunity is one which allows the franchisee to work in an environment or industry that previously they may have thought required more extensive training. White collar usually refers to executive or management positions.

In times past franchise business was seen as synonymous with blue collar workers. The term originates mostly from the working classes and the sort of work they did: more commonly manual or manufacturing jobs, often described as unskilled labour. The label white collar, in contrast, was used to depict those with superior qualifications, often white collar workers were involved in the administrative side of businesses that employed the blue collar workers.

Both these terms are still in use, but nowadays the edges are slightly blurred. In general a blue collar franchise would be one that involved the manufacture of something, manual work, and would require a hands on approach to doing an unskilled job.

So what is a good white collar franchise or business opportunity, and is it true that nowadays the class system has no bearing. Can anyone from any background become a success with a white collar franchise?

The answer is… Absolutely.

One of the best white collar franchise business opportunities available today is a WSI consultancy. Named as the first white collar franchise, this business opportunity really is ‘of the moment’. With more and more businesses getting online and wishing to promote their business effectively on the World Wide Web, a professional internet solutions service is an essential, not a luxury. And this is exactly what WSI offers its many thousands of business clients – an integral part of successfully promoting their businesses on the internet.

WSI consultants are offered full training from the outset of purchasing their franchise, in addition continued support is available whilst franchisees build and grow their white collar business.

WSI’s Internet Marketing Consultants benefit from personal and professional freedom by using the company’s six-phased development plan (this has been responsible for the success of thousands of businesses of all sizes worldwide.) WSI’s solutions are tailor made to succeed! These systems radically enhance income, trim expenditure and enhance output. In addition, because the company’s methods are so efficient, even inexperienced franchisees find that they quickly adapt to being white collar consultants.

Certified WSI Consultants implement the company’s ground-breaking technologies, expertise, training and support to provide bespoke Internet solutions to business clients – all of the technical work is handled for the franchisee. Best of all, this business opportunity is available for the modest recession-friendly fee of $49,700.

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white collar blue collar org (2)

Hillary Transue was a good student with a clean record, so she never imagined she’d hear a judge sentence her to three months in juvenile detention. What heinous act did this young Bonnie Parker do to invoke the court’s wrath? The 15-year-old merely spoofed her assistant principal on MySpace. (If Skinner only knew it could be that easy to lock up Bart Simpson.)

Tragically, this is not an isolated incident. In this particular Pennsylvania county, a 14-year-old got nine months for lifting change from unlocked cars and a 13-year-old got put away for trespassing in an empty building. What did all these delinquents have in common? Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella sentenced them and about 5,000 other teens in a scam involving cash for kids.

The scheme dates back to 2002, when Conahan exercised his judicial authority to shut down the government-run youth facility and use tax dollars to redirect teens to privately owned detention centers. For their efforts, the judges received $2.6 million in kickbacks. While it’s hard to believe that Alberto Gonzales never tapped these guys for DOJ, it’s even more remarkable how little time the judges will serve. The total time served by the kids they sentenced could add up to centuries, but Conahan and Ciavarella will serve only 87 months in federal prison. Mid Atlantic Youth Services, who own and operate the centers, face no punishment at all.

When the government hires Halliburton to build prisons and spends nearly $50 billion a year on corrections, it’s no surprise that America incarcerates the highest percentage of its citizens. While these numbers are ridiculously high, white-collar criminals like these two judges make up just a fraction of the inmates.

Many researchers have argued that there’s a double standard when it comes to white-collar crimes. Socially upward criminals are wealthier and more connected, and they can hire the best lawyers and preemptively influence lawmakers to imploring focus on street crimes. That’s why a whistleblower like Harry Markopolos can spend a decade the SEC to stop Bernie Madoff, and the government acted only after the loss of tens of billions of dollars. Maybe he’d have gotten a quicker response if he reported two guys trying to get married or a 13-year-old file-sharing the new Metallica album.

I am not suggesting that we pardon the people who steal our cars or break into our homes, but we should treat the inside trader who stole $100,000 from shareholders with the same scales of justice as the guy who steals your wallet.

Consider the recent cast of villains. There’s Allen Stanford (the Texas billionaire who allegedly crafted his own Ponzi scheme), Enron’s Ken Lay, former senator Ted Stevens, lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former governor Rod Blagojevich. Even with something as tragic as Hurricane Katrina, there were countless dirt bags juicing FEMA with fake charges and pocketing money that was raised for victims.

For every white-collar crime, there are also ethically gray acts that technically don’t break any laws. Richard Fuld helped drive Lehman Brothers into the ground as he raked in nearly $500,000,000. While that’s merely a moral crime, selling his $14 million house to his wife for $100 might be something more. There’s also the military analysts on cable news networks that supported the war without disclosing they’re lobbyists for contractors that ultimately made out like bandits. Sadly, the spotlight has even turned to nonprofit companies.

In a study of nearly 500 nonprofit hospitals, the IRS discovered that top executives make nearly $500,000 year, while 20 of these so-called nonprofit execs make nearly $1.5 million. Gloria King of the United Way of Central Carolinas rakes in about $1.2 million as the Chief Executive, and she’s just one of eight charity-based execs making seven figures. According to Charity Navigator, there are over a hundred others making $500,000-plus.

In the late 19th Century, the Gilded Age started during Reconstruction as wealth rocketed to the top with help from questionable politicians (e.g. Boss Tweed) and financial manipulations. This era, featuring opulent wealth displays by the upper class, eventually led to the Panic of 1893, when the railroad bubble burst and a credit crisis sunk the country into an economic depression. It certainly sounds familiar (except that the 1890s crisis ironically gave tax-raising Republicans a landslide victory over the free market Democrats).

Today, America has its own panic. While there is much to be done, there’s a populist outcry for a level playing field. America needs to prosecute criminals regardless of their social status and political contributions and enforce white-collar crimes with the same zeal that they tackle blue-collar offenses. Whether it’s Ponzi schemers or corrupt judges, there needs to be real enforcement and punishment for financial misdeeds. The white collars need to become too afraid to take the risks.

America has the honor of being history’s great democracy where all men are created equal. To continue fulfilling that promise, we must shake off the shackles that bind Lady Liberty’s hands and truly start treating all men equally.