Getting casual at work

Title: Acquiring CASUAL AT WORK1. AbstractThis paper seeks to set up the effects and deductions of acquiring insouciant within the work environment of Bank of America. The Bank of America being the largest bank ( by assets ) , it is known for its high degrees of professionalism and its workers ‘ formal frock codification. This paper will therefore discourse the bank ‘s service bringing to its clients while at the same clip foregrounding the facets of effects of possible causal attacks that may be employed by the bank employees in dispatching their responsibilities. This treatment will be done consistently with particular accent on different subdivisions that will consist of a tabular array of content, debut, literature reappraisal, method of analysis, consequences of analysis, the decisions and recommendations made, a list of the mentions used in the aggregation of the information and eventually a list appendices demoing the extra stuff used in this treatment.2. Introduct ionThe Bank of America Corporation is based in Charlotte which is in North Carolina, it is considered to be one of the largest fiscal establishments that offer fiscal services, it is besides considered to be the largest bank in the assets class ( it ahs the highest plus value ) .The bank is besides the largest commercial bank by sedimentations. It is besides ranked as the 2nd largest bank on the footing of market capitalisation in the United States. The bank ( company ) is known to keep about 12.2 % of the entire U.S sedimentations. It besides holds the figure one place of subventioning the planetary high output debt, it is considered to be the 3rd largest investment banker of planetary equity. The Bank plays a really of import and critical function as an advisor to the planetary amalgamations and acquisition ( it is hence placed at the 9th place as an advisor on planetary amalgamations and acquisitions. The entire Numberss of clients served by the Bank of America originate from more than 150 states from across the universe. It has the highest per centum of relation with the U.S Fortune 500 companies ( this per centum stands at 99 % ) .Its relation with the luck Global 500 bases at 83 % ( of these companies ) .The bank is a really of import constituent of the Dow Jones Industrial Average ( DJIA ) and besides an influential member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ( FDIC ) .The bank demonstrated its ability to endure the 2007 recognition crisis and emerged as the healthiest fiscal establishment during that period. It subsequently plunged in market value after incurring heavy losingss as a consequence of buying the Merrill Lynch. The 2009 first one-fourth net incomes were valued at 4.2 billion with 3.7 billion holding originated from the Merrill Lynch.Professional frock.Before prosecuting in an enlightening treatment on the possible impacts of insouciant dressing at the work topographic point or any other associated facets of insouciant attitude in the work environment, it is of import to understand the construct of professional dressing and its significance in the professional universe of concern. Professional dressing has a batch of significance particularly in the Financial sector ( which the Bank of America is portion of ) .There is great significance that is attached to the colour of the professional frock, this is mostly due to the different significances expressed by the different type of colours.For illustration, deep and dark colourss are associated with wealth.Nuetral and the basic colourss are most appropriate for concern garb. In the Bank of America most senior directors frock in Dark colored suits which is a symbol of authorization, the dark colourss besides symbolize power. Blue is a colour that conveys self-respect. Green has been labeled as a really inappropriate colour for a male suit ; this is because it is a common colour for many hotel uniforms has can non populate up to the position demanded by the professional universe. Gray is a common colour that represents success and trustiness. The female employees have realized that the black colour is an of import and is able to complement many of their professional frocks. They hence need to take their apparels carefully based on solid colourss that can easy intermix with every bit many colourss as possible. Female employees can ever soften the basic colourss for their professional frocks like brown and black by adding gem tones, these normally demonstrates their assurance and energy, which is much needed by clients they serve in the professional environment of Bank of America. The corporate and professional criterions must be respected during the choice of the Professional frocks ; the colour of these frocks is a cardinal factor to doing a good a choice. The type of cloth is besides a factor in the choice procedure merely because it is symbolic ( For illustration the natural fibres like linen, wool, cotton and silk are a symbol of position. The most preferable type of cloth for both male and female employees in the Bank include 100 % pure wool. It is the most appropriate cloth for the professional frocks, followed by cotton. The likes of suede, leather, velvet and satin are cloths that are inappropriate for professional frocks. There have been different readings for the significance of professional dressing in America ( different provinces have their readings, for illustration the Texas and some Western provinces believe that a concern adult male can have on polished cowpuncher boots and their concern suits and remain professional ) .Florida and California has a more insouciant dressing standard compared to New York. There are States that have remained really conservative with their dressing manner ( intending they tend to dress professionally more frequently than non ) these provinces include D.C, Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago ) .It is common cognition that professional dressing has its of import significance, in the sense that it builds assurance of the employees and besides helps to construct a professional environment within the Bank environment which is a asset to the image of the Bank of America. It necessary that the clients or the Bank clients invariably feel that they are covering with professionals who will at all tomes give them professional advice to assist them protect the investings and besides give them sound fiscal advice. It is interesting that professional dressing helps to construct this environment. A good professional image for the male employees within the bank is to guarantee that they wear good quality suits that are solid and have dark colourss. These suits should be complimented with good quality ties. They need to keep a conservative manner of dressing, merely because Bank of America as explained in this debut is an international bank and has clients all over the universe and hence employees within the American Branch have a high potency of functioning clients from all over the universe and must stay professional if they are to manage such clients who invariably need confidence that the bank is professional and has safely kept their sedimentations.Casual dressing at workThe major possible causes of the emerging tendency of the insouciant dressing tendency in the fiscal sector with specific involvement in the Bank of America include ; the demand to return to a province of elegance as a new at tack of showing professionalism and decelerate but progressive alteration from the formal frock codification. This paper will therefore will turn to the history or beginning of the insouciant dressing and its possible effects within the Bank of America. Some of the insouciant dressing tendencies besides adopted by other banking establishments or concerns include the insouciant Fridays and the dress-down yearss.3. LITERATURE REVIEWBackground/historyThis subdivision of the paper will concentrate on the corporate history of the bank in an effort to follow the grounds for the Bank ‘s dress codification policy in relation to the type of clients or clients that they serve. It must be noted that the term ‘getting insouciant at work ‘ does non specifically refer to the dressing codification but can be loosely discussed in the context of the employee behaviour within the bank ; this behaviour could besides be referred to as being informal be it in the hierarchical degree or towards the bringing of services to clients. The Bank of America does non truly hold an highly rigorous type of frock codification but insists on smart concern insouciant or any other dressing manner that excludes jeans-shirts or in appropriate dressing, suits are non really common within the Bank ( this is with mention to the junior employees who are non portion of the direction squad ) . There are different types of insouciant dressing which include: Smart insouciant, Business Casual and athleticss wear. The most normally used insouciant dressing manner is the concern insouciant followed by the smart casual.Definition of the insouciant wearsSmart casual: This type of froc k codification is slackly defined and is really distinguishable compared to the concern casual. The lone challenge is that its definition is non really precise and many confuse the term smart insouciant with the term concern insouciant, this definition of smart insouciant contains dress pants even though other definitions include jean pants. It besides includes long sleeve frock shirt, idlers, tie ( is optional ) , a belt, a athletics coat. For female employees this could intend a skirt ( either long or short ) , a stylish belt, a jacket, a jumper that complements the frock that the employee has worn. The adult females are free to have on jewellery that regards there type of dressing. It must be noted that this type of dressing is largely appropriate in academic circles that majorly involves events where the said expert or professional speaks in forepart of an audience during talks.Business casualThis is a frock codification that emerged in many white neckband occupations in a figure of western states ; this tendency emerged in the early 1970 when there was the energy crisis. During this period the authorities had decided to raise the thermoregulator puting which so led to many directors authorising their employees to make manner with ties and jackets. The popularity of the concern casual had surpassed the concern formal garb wear. There are different definitions with respect to the concern insouciant wear, intending there is no by and large accepted definition for this sort of wear, every organisation defines this type of wear harmonizing to their reading which is majorly structured to accommodate the aims or the involvement of the organisation. A definition give n by the New York Times cites occupation hunt engine Monster.com states that a concern insouciant wear means dressing professionally and looking neat while at the same clip staying pulled together. Business insouciant for female employees comprises of a skirt of sensible length or even full length bloomerss of non denims stuff. This can be complimented with a top. The concern insouciant wear for work forces is considered as a combination of a collard shirt, belt and places ( e.g. idlers ) with socks. The cervix ties and cufflinks are by and large non recommended for concern insouciant wear.A brief corporate history of the Bank of AmericaAmadeo Giannini founded the Bank of Italy in the twelvemonth 1904 in San Francisco. The chief map of this bank was to provide to immigrants. Amadeo was brought up by the Fava household ; this happened after his lost his male parent, who was shot seeking to roll up a debt. Opportunity knocked at Amedeo ‘s door measure when the San Francisco temblor struck in the twelvemonth 1906.He was able to deliver all his financess from the bank ‘s edifice which was ruined. He so used the reclaimed financess to loan out to persons who were willing to reconstruct. He got his lucks in the ulterior twelvemonth after all his debitors paid up their loans. He used his money to get down the bank of America and Italy in the twelvemonth 1922 ( this was in Italy where he had bought Banca dell'Italia Meridionale which had been established in the twelvemonth 1918 ) .In the twelvemonth 1927 Amadeo consolidated his Bank of Italy which already had 101 subdivisions with the Liberty bank of America which had 175 subdivisions. This resulted into the Bank of Italy National Trust & A ; Savings Association which had a capital of $ 30,000,000 and had resources deserving $ 115,000,000.It was subsequently in 1928 that he merged with Bank of America Los Angeles, he subsequently renamed his Bank of Italy to Bank of America in the twelvemonth 1930.The Merger was completed in the twelvemonth 1929 and resulted into BANK OF AMERICA.The function played by the ClothingThere is great importance pegged to the dressing manner in the corporate universe and this includes the Bank of America. It is common for executives within the bank to be associated with Business suits which normally symbolize the executive position. This merely means that the dressing styles acts as a codification of distinguishing the employees within the bank. In instances where the corporate organic structure has a corporate uniform, there is increased easiness of employee designation by the clients ( this greatly helps to advance the corporate image ) .Since there is ne'er a 2nd opportunity to do a permanent feeling to the clients, it is of import for the employees to recognize that the appropriate vesture for a given function within the bank can assist better the image of that employee within that function or even potentially help the employee win other functions within the bank. There is an interesting fact about vesture and the function it plays in puting persons within a given societal order. It is undeniable that there are different societal orders that exist within the Bank of America, and these societal orders are characterized by the dressing manners that are adopted by the employees ( this normally happens whether they are cognizant or non ) .It is advisable for the employees to place the type of function that they want to play and so dress the portion. Status is another function played by the type of vesture chosen by a bank employee. A museum specializer called Barbara Dickstein argued that vesture was the major thing that represented an single as opposed to the jewellery they might have. Wallach besides stated in the twelvemonth 1991 that vesture was a manner of saying the position, the function of an person in life and his societal place.Role of vesture ( illustrations ) . Blue velvet represented or symbolized the Gallic aristocracies ( this was in the 17th century ) .The European tribunal functionaries in the past wore apparels that were royal blue and purple in colour. In Germany, vesture that were red in colour were merely designated to the members of the upper category. The ‘casual revolution ‘ begun in the twelvemonth 1990, it was noted that during this period many employees including the company Managers were easy following this emerging tendency of insouciant wear. Apart from bank of America the tendency was mostly noticeable in downtown fiscal territories, concerns and corporate suites in America. The feature of the tendency is that employees would be casually dressed but look really presentable at the same clip. As mentioned in the debut there are different types of insouciant wear, the most common being the concern wear ( It is a really interesting dressing manner in the sense that it allows the employee to experience comfy piece at the same keeping his or her professional image ( illustrations include cotton shins, jumpers, and khaki bloomerss. Care must be taken during the choice of the insouciant wear, merely because some of them are in appropriate for an office environment. Many employees have ignored the fact that insouciant does non connote that one should dress in a sloppy mode, illustrations of inappropriate insouciant wear include sleeveless shirts, armored combat vehicle tops and athleticss wear. It is appropriate for the female employees to avoid apparels that are uncovering as these autumn under inappropriate dressing. The chief ground given by many accounting houses like Delloite and Touche and KPMG is that the insouciant wears affect the professional image of these professional companies that are ever expected by their clients to keep a corporate and professional image. John Molloy who authored the book ‘Dress for Success ‘ mentioned in his book that ‘Rulers of the Corporate and Political America wear suits-always have and ever will, ‘ There are some big American companies that have besides embraced the construct of insouciant dressing, illustrations of these companies include General motors and the Ford ( they have come up with insouciant frock policies that cover the full hebdomad as shown by Rothenberg, 1995.Another noteworthy illustration is the Chrysler auto company, where the employees at the central offices are to dress as they please, twice in a hebdomad, there is a possibility of this tendency wholly taking over the dressing policy of the company. The client outlook is an indispensable factor when it comes to taking the most appropriate type of dressing. The direction squad of the Bank of America strongly believes that the frock codification could impact the perceptual experience of the clients towards the company e.g. inappropriate or unprofessional dressing severely dents the professional image of the company. The Human Resource Manager of Price Water House Coopers ( Pat Cooper believes that â€Å"Appro priate frock reflects good judgement and clients experience person who has good judgement will give good advise† ( Walker, 1993 ) .There is demand for clear frock policy within the bank to help with the definition of the insouciant wear that is acceptable to the clients and the bank finally.The different beginnings of insouciant dressingThe current tendency of insouciant wear within the Bank can non be traced to one peculiar beginning but can be attributed to the classless motion in the concern and industrial environment in the early 1980.This besides brought with it the thought of authorization and teamwork which aimed at cut downing the differentiations that resulted from category. The frock codifications are greatly influenced by the client and employee demands. The bank merely recommends really insouciant dressing for those events that are considered charitable.Consequences of Casual wearPositive effectsThis subdivision of the paper will research the different facets of in souciant wear with regard to their impact on employee behaviour towards clients and even the Bank direction squad. It can be argued that appropriate insouciant dressing brings with it positive effects. These positive effects benefit both the employer and the employee. If the direction squad of Bank of America would dress more casually so they would be more comfy and hence expression accessible to the other employees and this could in a great manner encouragement interaction with the direction squad which could ensue into sharing of thoughts that would otherwise non be shared.There is a turning popular realisation that companies can vastly derive from more comfy and flexible employees, it is an interesting fact that insouciant wear normally creates a more relaxed environment therefore doing the employees to hold sense of freedom. If this sort of environment was enhanced through positive control, so the productiveness degree of employees within the Bank of America can be improved grea tly. The insouciant ware besides has its secondary impact in the vesture industry. The emerging tendency of insouciant wear has led to an increased gross revenues volume for many insouciant wear clothing houses ; hence they have experienced positive growing in footings of net income borders. The manner houses have besides engaged in extended runs to promote the houses to follow the insouciant wear for their employees. Departmental shops like Jacobson ‘s have realized that they can advance the tendency and in bend boost their gross revenues volume in the long tally. They have opted to taking the run to the door stairss of these fiscal establishments or Banking corporations by giving them free seminars on the type of insouciant dressing that can be adopted.Negative impacts of insouciant dressingIt is undeniable that the concern insouciant wear and many other types of insouciant wear which were popular in the early 1990 have sent daze industry across the fiscal establishments that had adopted them. The focal point of this paper will be on the negative impacts of this insouciant on the Bank of America. The treatment will therefore gaining control both facets of the term of ‘getting insouciant at work ‘ . The facets in this instance will mention to the concern insouciant frocks used by the employees and the insouciant attitude adopted by the employees towards dispatching their responsibilities. The current statistics show that this once popular tendency is on the diminution after the Bank realized that this peculiar type of dressing was projecting an image that was perceived by the Bank clients as unprofessional therefore gnawing the assurance of the clients in the bank. The issue that alarmed the Bank is the statistics that showed that employees who dressed more casually at work tended to be more insouciant at the topographic point of work in the sense that they discharged their responsibilities more casually. This meant serious deductions for the Bank. The insouciant garb was the largest subscriber to the damaging of the corporate image, it besides led to insouciant interaction among the employees for illustration it encouraged slacking off in the work productiveness. The employees tended to jest more often, engage in non productive treatments through remarks that encouraged coquettish behavior therefore making an environment that could promote sexual torment within the work topographic point. This straight meant that the bank could potentially lose skilled employees through tribunal instances and tribunal punishments. It besides posed the hazard of dragging the Bank ‘s image into these tribunal instances ( this could dent the Bankss image ) .It besides led to the loss of manpower hours. Evidence from a study conducted by a jurisprudence house farther supports this fact. There study which was conducted in 1,000 companies revealed that 50 % of these companies had noticed an addition in absenteeism and tardiness after implementing a insouciant frock policy.30 % of these companies besides realized that coquettish behaviour had risen. Another challenge that faced the insouciant frock was the fact that there was no clear definition of what insouciant concern garb should imply. Many employees interpreted the insouciant wear as what they normally put on at place ( some even walked around in the office without places. This had the potency of doing the work environment non contributing. Molloy ‘s research showed that adult females who were seeking to acquire in front in the corporate universe found it increasing disputing to be taken earnestly when they were casually dressed. The concern insouciant wear in the bank sent a strong subtextual message to the clients who interpreted the message to intend that the Bank employees were traveling to manage their fiscal demands including their difficult earned moneys in a really insouciant mode. This signal sent to the clients was non the message the Bank would at any one point want to direct to its clients and clients, therefore insouciant wear sends a contrary message to what the bank wishes to direct to its clients and clients. A critical reappraisal of the insouciant dressing policy reveals that the policy has more disadvantages than the advantages the Bank would desire to accomplish at the terminal of the twenty-four hours. Hence the Bank has become really disbelieving of the proposed advantages the concern insouciant wear would convey to the Bank environment. The bank bases its statement on the far making effects the insouciant wear would hold on its clients who are the Banks figure one precedence.4. METHODS OF ANALYSISThe following techniques were used in the analysis of informations and information that was collected in this research paper: Case survey, this involved conducting enquiries in order to look into the phenomenon of ‘getting insouciant at work Ã¢â‚¬Ë œ within its existent life context, this was done on intent because the boundary between the phenomenon and the context was non really apparent. It involved the extended usage of qualitative informations that was drawn from interviews and observations. It hence was used to pull a clear apprehension of the construct of acquiring insouciant at work. It involved the scrutiny of studies that were conducted in companies that had the insouciant wear policies and its chief focal point was on the Bank of America. The 2nd technique used was the Experimental Design, which is an fact-finding technique that provided maximal control. It enabled the relationship between the insouciant attitude and dressing at the work topographic point and its possible impacts to the Bank of America in footings of employee productiveness and client relation, to be isolated and so step accurately in a carefully controlled experimental environment ( where there is the experiment and the control )Methods of roll upi ng DataThe type of informations that was collected in this instance was qualitative informations which was structured ; this sort of information was produced through closed inquiries. This involved the usage of questionnaires, which made the procedure of informations analysis easier and more efficient. The questionnaires were administered to the employees, clients, and even directors of the Bank of America. It of import to observe that the questionnaires can merely let the prescribe inquiries and restricted responses. The design of the questionnaire was mostly influenced by the type of informations analysis. Interviews were besides used to roll up the information, in this peculiar instance the structured interview attack was used to acquire information straight from the bank employees, clients and directors.Consequences of AnalysisThese will presented through the usage of charts and graphical tabular arraies5. Decision AND RECOMMENDATIONSThis paper has demonstrated that ‘getti ng insouciant at work ‘ poses a possible menace to the image of the Bank of America and can therefore the insouciant wear can non be adopted as a possible frock codification for the bank, this is mostly due to the fact that the disadvantages the insouciant wear holds outweighs the advantages of this construct of ‘getting insouciant at work ‘ . It is of import for the bank employees to keep a professional image by keeping or seting on professionally recognized frocks. The female employee can dress in the upper category type of concern wear that are largely of natural fibres and respect cultural criterions.6. ReferenceButton, G. ( 1995, November 6 ) . No bathrobes, please. FORBES, 130. Davies, R. ( 1992, September ) . Pull offing by listening. Nation ‘s Business, 6. Himelstein, L. ( 1996, April 1 ) . Levi ‘s vs. the frock codification Business Week, 57. Rothenberg, A. ( 1995, June ) . What to have on? Ward ‘s Auto World, 32-33.7. Appendixs