Bank Of America Revised.pdf

7/27/2019 Bank Of America Revised.pdf

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Professor Ashlyn’s Teacher Feedback-

Fantastic work! This was an extremely detailed and well developed assignent; your use

of graphs, statistics, and hand drawn images certainly did not take away from not beingable to take actual pictures inside the bank. It was evident that you clearly spent a lot of time on this assignment, and you certainl went well above the guidelines. Onesuggestion I have for you to add for your final portfolio:

• There seems to be some sort of trend for appropriate majors/backgrounds for workingin the banking industry. I would like for you to create some type of list with maybe10-15 items that potential employees may want to do in order to increase their chances of working in banking. Think in terms of:

• What other tasks might a student do beside focusing on a specific major?• What sort of internships may be available?• How might a student best prepare themselves for an interview?• What sort of things would a student need to know about the industry before

attempting to apply for employment?

Allie St. Croix JaccardObservation Assignment

Friday, September 6, 2013Time: 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM

World Headquarters for Bank of America

“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.”

-Sherlock Holmes

Disclaimer:

Pictures and video were not allowed inside the world headquarters for Bank of America.

Description of the Location:

The world headquarters for Bank of America is located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.

Standing at 871 feet, with floors, the Bank of America Corporate Center is the tallest building in North Carolina, as well as between Philadelphia and Atlanta. There are four buildings obtained by the world headquarters, that include- the Hearst Tower, Corporate Center, Bank of America

Center, and the Plaza. (Please see hand drawn maps below.)

Hand drawn maps- Corporate Center, Founder’s Hall, and Bank of America Center



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Figured World Definition:

Dreamed up by society, figured worlds are culturally accepted and obtain specific behaviors, in

order for the actors to be emotionally and sometimes symbolically connected with their personalartifacts.

Rules and Conventions:

My interest to observe the world headquarters for Bank of America stems from my futurecareer goals in business management. Observing the figured world of a corporation lifestyle, will

not only provide insight to communication and interactions amongst employees, but also anopportunity to learn more about Bank of America’s strategic business plan.

Bank of America’s Corporate Center is strictly for business. However, there are multiplecompanies that work in these world headquarters, such as law firms, banking, financial and

accounting companies, and businesses subject to economics and management. Bank of America’s headquarters incorporates every business major, allowing me a greater advantage to

learn more about these companies and their missions. Though companies in this building are broad, the people walking through these glass double doors have one thing in common:

professionalism and business. Employees, assistants, executives, and owners walk through thesedoors, and the crowd is very distinguished as professional businessmen and women. Assuming

the size of this building, I believe multiple events take place during the day and also at night. Theevents must be related to only the specific companies in the corporate center, offering evening

social networking, and company parties for clients.Similar to Sherlock Holmes, I will be observing and carefully examining employee-to-

employee communication, and employee-to-client communication. This will include my



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knowledge on body language, professionalism, and an all around business understanding.Specifically, I will observe the main lobby and food court area. This will allow me to witness

morning interactions, lunchtime conversations, and evening events. Communication in thissetting is strictly business oriented and professionalism behavior is required and expected. It will

be common for the men and women to be in business attire- suits, blouses, ties, and closed toes

shoes. This setting will be according to the rulebook, as it is the world headquarters for Bank of America.The figured world will be divided into an organizational structure, visually captivating

the positions held by each employee. Bank of America’s Corporate Center is a figured world Iam most interested in, as it is going to truly represent a business setting, in the most successful

banking corporation, as I continue to learn management, leadership, and business strategy.

Actors Definition:

Someone who participates in a figured world, contributing to meaningful and emotional acts.

§ Young Professionals- These young men and women arrive to work everyday at 8:00 am,and swipe their badge to allow access into the elevators. These actors are the most crucial to

the Bank of America environment, since they contribute their educational background infinance, accounting, or operations into daily administrative tasks.

§ Security- I witnessed countless security guards walking around inside and outside of the four buildings. Security is extremely tight and very difficult to navigate around. A security guard

is at each entrance, every hallway, and before the elevators. These actors create a safeenvironment that the young professionals feel comfortable working.

§ Company Visitors- Each visitor will sign-in at the visitor registration, and receive a day badge to go upstairs on the elevator. These visitors are clients, potential employees, or

attending a meeting. The visitors, in particular, the clients provide business for Bank of America.

§ Shop Owners- Most shops are located in the Founder’s Hall and the Plaza, these two placesare home to various coffee shops, grab and go food stops, and newspaper stands. The shop

owners contribute to a happy and friendly communities, that the employees can live, eat, and play.

Discourse Communities:

I’ve categorized Bank of America into an organizational structure, to represent the chain of command. This visual representation divides the world headquarters into discourse communities.

Each employee has a position, a status to uphold. These noteworthy roles in the corporationallow for growth and development to be made throughout the company. An associate can be

promoted to financial manager, or one day, the Senior Financial Director. An organizationalstructure provides stability, but also leverages excitement and change within Bank of America.

For example, the Chief Executive Officer is listed at the top of the command ladder, one that hasexperience and a greater leadership role than an associate or intern of the company. (Please see

attached visual below).

Organizational Structure- (created in PowerPoint)



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Artifacts Definition:

In the text, an artifact can be both material objects and a social artifact. A cultural artifact has anemotional connection to the figured world and actor. Also, an artifact may be symbolic towards

society; meaning personality traits such as funny, intelligent, or serious are considered socialartifacts.

Material Artifacts-

§ Briefcase/Backpack- I witnessed each employee arriving with some sort of bag in hand,whether it is a lunch bag, briefcase, backpack, or purse. I noticed a trend with the bags- the

more expensive looking the bag, the higher title or position one upheld.§ Professional Attire- No surprise here, every young professional dressed appropriately.

Button down shirts, ties, blouses, closed toed shoes, and suits were nothing out of theordinary in this environment.

§ Starbuck’s Coffee- Nearly everyone who walked into the lobby carried some sort of coffee

beverage- hot coffee, espresso, lattes, or iced coffee. A Starbuck’s cup in itself is a materialobject because it represents so well the typical working class, as something needed to startyour day.

§ Pen(s)- Signing contracts, keeping minutes, or preparing a meeting are usually done with pens in an office setting. A pen is a small, but important material artifacts, signifying the

professional setting.



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§ Office Desk- Similar to the television show, The Office, one’s desk is apart of that employee.A desk is more than pieces of wood, but a representation of the title you uphold at Bank of

America.

Social Artifacts-

§

Title/Position- An assistant, associate, accountant, or executive are very different roles inthis company. One’s title in the office is similar to a personality trait as it defines who youare.

§ Resume- A symbolic attribute to your position at work. The resume of an executive is muchmore rich and fulfilled than an assistant, and therefore a symbolic artifact that determines

your ranking in the office. § Attitude- Similar to a personality trait, your attitude can have a major impact on future

promotions or decisions. The ability to work with a team, and be a positive person in thework environment is crucial for success.

§ Elevator Floor- Used in very symbolic terms, the elevator floor symbolizes one’s status.Executives are located near the top of the 60 floors at Bank of America, while a small law

firm business may be located on floor 21.

Literacy Practice:

“Practice” is defined as actors undergoing a transformation, while being connected to a personal

artifact and living in a community that sets specific rules and behaviors. In the literacy context, aliteracy practice is one that provides a way of living in this world, referred to as an ‘identity kit’,

we follow a rulebook based on appearance and behavior. In a general sense, everything can beliteracy, since our world is based on rules and behaviors that are translated into communication.

§ Meetings: Whether one is conducting or partaking in a meeting, this literacy practice is used

most commonly in the workplace. Meetings include- teamwork, discussing future decisions,financial statements, and much more that brings this community together.

§ Interview: Each employee working at Bank of America must have gone through an intensivetwo-part interview. To become apart of this interview, each professional needed to

accumulate certain credentials, and interview to be apart of this organization.§ Excel: Being proficient at excel at a banking firm is crucial. One must possess skills in excel,

spreadsheets, and working with data.

The Observation:

7:00 am- Alarm goes off, previously getting 7 hours of sleep for my corporate workday. I get

ready quickly, putting on my grey suit jacket, navy blue pants, and a blouse. On the way out, Igrab my briefcase, my pen, resume, and watch. All of these are my material artifacts as I leave

for Uptown Charlotte. After heavy traffic, I make it to the world headquarters for Bank of America at exactly 9:00 am. Another artifact I grab is a Starbucks coffee, and I am now ready to

being my workday.

9:00 am- I enter the Bank of America Corporate Center, one of four buildings connected to eachother. Here, I obtain my groundings, and draw a map of the corporate center. A grand building,

where the voices echo quietly against the marble tile flooring. The ceilings are extremely high,and there are beautiful wall morals painted. The glass double doors open and close, as the actors



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prepare for their corporate day. Fresh flowers are placed at every table; the modern leather browncushions placed in the middle of the grand room gives a sense of luxury and eloquence.

9:20 am- I leave the Corporate Center, anticipating adventure and begin another exploration. I

walk towards the Founder’s Hall, also attached is a map. Minutes in, a security guard named JK

informs me there are no pictures or video footage allowed, unless cleared with the propertymanager.

9:31 am- The guest registration, located in the corporate center gives me the number for Executive customer service, so I can schedule a meeting to go up into the offices. Unfortunately,

I contacted multiple people and because of strict security, and this being a high-end corporate bank, I am not allowed to be upstairs. So, I must come up with a new plan.

9:40 am- In the corporate center, I interviewed a young woman, who was an intern for the F-

map program, a prestigious financial internship at Bank of America. She stated she worked indebit and consumer in the first rotation, and moved onto global banking, markets, and reporting,

currently working as an associate. I asked Laura for advice on the F-map interview, and she toldme to know Bank of America’s earnings and market at the time of the interview.

10:00 am- I make another phone call to Ms. Geena, still trying and being persistent to go in the

elevators, allowing me to visit the corporate offices.

10:22 am- After a lot of conversing, I am out of luck. I feel defeated at this point, as I’m not surehow I’m going to be able to incorporate my discourse communities if I can’t even get observe

professionals working. Not sure what to do at this point, I head back to the corporate center, and begin more observing.

10:38 am- For 12 minutes, I watch two young men converse in the corporate center lobby.

Though I can’t understand the dialogue, I study their body language, accounting for 55% of anyconversation. The two men, Benjamin and Will, both have folded arms. Will, constantly taps his

left foot, and positions himself in a power stance, with his feet very wide apart. Benjamin listensmostly, as he rubs his chin, thinking, and puts both hands in his pocket, clearly uncomfortable.

Benjamin shakes his head a lot, agreeing, but also being impatient. However, never during theconversation do the two men’s navel point towards each other, signaling disinterest and

unwillingness to be in the conversation. The men shake hands as they leave; probably relievedthe conversation was over, so they could do other important things, as their body language stated.

11:04 am- After being rejected several times by security, executives, and customer service, I was

out of ideas and not sure if this project was going to work in my favor. I walked to the Founder’sHall and talked with Mr. JK, the security guard. After small talk, he informed me there are four

buildings that make up the world headquarters for Bank of America. Stunned, shocked, andrelieved, I finally thought of my discourse communities and thanked Mr. JK for his time. My

discourse communities will be the organizational structure for Bank of America.

11:12 am- I pick a table in the Founder’s Hall, preparing for observational lunchtime.



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11:48 am- I continue to work on my observational, typing notes, and studying mainly the bodylanguage of the corporate employees.

12:00 pm- There is quite a lot of foot traffic, as people carry their lunch- Salsaritas, Taste,

Starbucks, or homemade lunches.

12:10 pm- I begin to observe lunchtime body language. Two young ladies are sitting catty corner from each other, being comfortable and relaxed. I assume these two young ladies must be fairly

good friends, in terms of their body language. However, I witness two other young ladies who sitdirectly across from each other, creating a “table barrier” in between them. My belief is that the

two young women who sit across from each other do not have the same connection as the ladieswho sit catty corner, creating an open and relaxed lunchtime environment.

12:20 pm- A group of four sit down to have lunch together. Shortly after, 3 more people join

them! I was shocked and surprised, because of the comfortable atmosphere and genuinerelationship that these professionals had created. They seemed to really enjoy their lunchtime,

conversing and connecting with their friends.

12:30 pm- I pack my belongings, and walk to the Hearst Tower, an elaborate and nothing shortof luxurious. Gold banners, marble tile flooring, and high-end security every few yards.

12:35 pm- I briefly talk with a security guard about the Hearst Tower. There are 46 stories,

making this Charlotte’s fourth tallest building. The building is distinguished by it’s flared our appearance, due to a reverse floor plate design.

12:40 pm- Jewel Treats is a cupcake shop located in Hearst Tower. With my experience working

in a bakeshop, I stopped in to admire the cupcakes. Jewel, the owner offered me a sample of theRed Velvet. The cake was light, and the cream cheese frosting was whipped, it was delicious.

12:50 pm- I continue to walk around the Hearst Tower.

1:15 pm- I’ve decided to complete my day. As I walk out of the Corporate Center, I wave to the

security guards and walk outside into Uptown.

Interview: Bank of America quantitative data research-

Due to my interest and background in analytical and data skills, I asked 30 young professionalseach of the questions below and represented them into graphs. In doing so, I was able to

understand career choices made by young professionals. Also, this data will be used for a personal goal of working in business and becoming a leader in my company. (Please see

attached graphs below for quantitative data results.)



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According to the data, 43% of workers will go directly home after work. Most will eatdinner at home, then go to sleep early to prepare for the next day. However, 57% of workers will not go directly home, representing other obligations or social activities.

As a management and finance major, accumulating this data was helpful in my personalresearch for business majors. 40% of young professionals at Bank of America were

9

13

4

4

CocktailHour

Gohome

EatinUptown

Workout

0 5 10 15

Whatdoyoudoafteralongday

atwork?

30%

27%

27%

10%6%

Whatwasyourmajorincollege?

Finance

Accounting

Economics

ManagementMarketing



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either a management or finance major. This solidifies my interest in pursuing a businessdegree.

Bank of America is considered a corporation, and according to this sample survey, 60%of employees interned for a corporation either at Bank of America or previously atanother corporation. The high statistical value could represent workers satisfaction andbenefits for working for a larger corporation.

60%27%

13%

Whattypeofcompanydidyouinternforbeforeyourcareerat

BankofAmerica?

Corporation

Sole

ProprietorshipPartnership

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