Question: How did your upbringing influence you?

Gladys West: My mother worked part time, and one way of helping her was to learn new things and then do them too. I remember my whole life struggling and planning and moving from one thing to another and wanting something more.

Question: How did you feel as a child labouring on a farm?

Gladys West: I thought at first I needed to go to the city. I thought that would get me out of the country and out of the fields. But then as I got more educated, went into the higher grades, I learned that education was the thing to get me out.

Question: Why did you choose to study mathematics?

Gladys West: Since I had been on the farm I probably was going to major in Home Economics, that's where I knew everything. I knew that I liked the orderliness of mathematics, the preciseness of it, the neatness of it. I really did like geometry. I fell in love with that. All of it fits my personality. I was good at mathematics, not because I was so smart, but because I worked at it.

Question: How did you gain the confidence to work so effectively?

Gladys West: When I first started, I knew that I was entering a new world. I knew that I would have to take all of the courses offered to learn the material. Thanks to this education and the repetition of daily tasks, I became more confident in my ability to do the job. Being able to carry on conversations with the scientists I worked with further increased my confidence, as did pursuing an additional Master's degree.

Question: Who were the people who gave you confidence?

Gladys West: During college, I lived with two professors who taught at Virginia State College (now University) who mentored me and encouraged me to learn new things. I watched Dr. Louise Hunter work on her PhD, and travelled to the University of Virginia with her as she took courses and worked on her dissertation. She and her husband were an inspiration to me, and they were the ones who encouraged me to pursue the (Naval Support Facility) Dahlgren job. I turned down the initial interview because of the distance and the possibility that I would not be selected. Once the job was offered sight unseen, I accepted immediately. The biggest challenge for me was getting the job.

Question: Do you think Black colleges were a good thing?

Gladys West: At the Black colleges you have more roots there ... you have more of an opportunity to relate to more people who are affecting your life. You have Black colleges supporting the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha for coloured students that brought Black people coming together to serve each other and the world. You have the feeling that you are there to help and dig in.

Question: What did it feel like starting to work at Dahlgren?

Gladys West: I was ecstatic. I was able to come from Dinwiddie County and be able to work with some of the greatest scientists working on these projects.

Question: There was serious discrimination at Dahlgren. How did you survive?

Gladys West: We came to Dahlgren in the early 1950s, and we were the ones integrating the Naval Proving Ground. So we knew there would be a lot of hardships and discrimination we were going to face. I wanted to adapt to this fascinating, new environment and succeed as soon as I could. I knew my work was cut out for me. As a double minority like I was, at a time where opportunities for women and people who looked like me were scarce, I felt there would be a lot of folks counting on me. There were other women of colour who were coming behind me, the Hunters, and my family back home, and I absolutely wanted to make them proud.

Question: How did you cope with computers?

Gladys West: Computers were completely new to us. We had never seen a big machine like that. All we had seen was a Marchant Calculator that sits on the desk. When I first saw the big computers, it was a bit overwhelming, yet very exciting. I stayed focused on my goal of continual learning, which helped me overcome any feelings of inadequacy. I put in extra hours and studied hard to ensure that I would complete the programming tasks on those big computers successfully. I did not feel like I didn't belong; I just knew that I had to do the work to show that I belonged.

Question: Working with these computers must have been very different to modern computers. How did you program the computers?

Gladys West: We had punch cards back in that day. We would write out what we wanted punched on the cards, and when we first began it was coded in zeros and ones. What you wrote up was given to the keypunchers to punch it out on the cards for you; they gave it to another group to verify what was punched. Then it came back to you to put it in the tray, set it up, and it goes off to the computer where a whole group of operators access your punch cards. Sometimes they'd call you to see if you wanted to watch it, to see whether it blows up or it goes. That was old time; it's much easier now.

Question: You must have had difficulties solving some problems. How did you get over them?

Gladys West: I remember a difficult task of finding the exact data to solve a problem. I knew that we would be at a standstill if we could not find the error. The situation caused a certain amount of stress, and it did keep me up at night. But I stayed focused on keeping the project moving along, and I stayed motivated by my desire to produce good work. I wasn't trying to find the error for my own personal gain; I wanted the entire project to be successful. So it was very rewarding when I eventually found the error.

Question: Did you feel that you got less credit for you contributions because of your colour?

Gladys West: I knew that what we were doing was important, but at the time, my focus was on getting the job done and doing my absolute best so I could show them that I belonged there. Since our work was for the military, I never thought about the civilian application of our work and the impact I had on it while I was doing my job. The issues that caused more distress were caused by lost opportunities to work on various projects due to being a Black woman.

Question: How did you get over the distress caused by the treatment you received as a woman of colour?

Gladys West: Not just as a woman, but as a black woman, that's another level where you have to prove yourself to a society that hasn't accepted you. One thing that helped during those times was unity among the seven Black professionals who were hired around the same time. We met for dinner once a week to discuss the issues that existed and leaned on each other to persevere. It really helped to discuss things among people who understood. I also talked to my husband quite extensively. Our attitude has always been to remain positive and not let the troubles define us. I kept studying and growing educationally so that I would remain valuable to the team.

Question: Did you get involved in the civil rights movement?

Gladys West: It turned out to be somewhat separate for us because we were working for the government and we couldn't do a whole lot of participating in non-government activities off-base. We lived on the base and we didn't communicate too well with the community that was around us. We didn't get involved with the civil rights movement, partly because it wasn't safe because of the job, to do that.

Question: What advice would you give to a young person facing adversity?

Gladys West: You can give up and cause a whole lot of stress on yourself, or you can take what you have and make the best of it. Do your best work, work hard - all the kinds of things that make you feel proud - and be a real good person.

Question: What advice would you give to someone who is retiring?

Gladys West: Number one: have a plan. It was my goal to finish my PhD. I completed the coursework before I retired so I could focus on the dissertation during retirement. Number two: keep active. I still participate in virtual classes twice a week through the YMCA. Until recently, I was also active in my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Gideons International.

Question: You had a stroke after you retired. What happened?

Gladys West: I was just sitting there working on the computer and all of a sudden I started spinning around. After I left hospital I never stopped one moment just to feel sorry for myself and say: 'Oh boy, I'd never make it.' I just said: 'What's next?' All of a sudden these words came into my head: 'You can't stay in the bed, you've got to get up from here and get your PhD'.

Question: What does it feel like to know you have made a major impact on the world?

Gladys West: It is actually overwhelming. Some days I don't think much about those contributions, while other days, I am so pleased that my work has had such an impact. When I travel with my daughter and son-in-law, I get excited when they use GPS to locate a restaurant. But much more heart-warming is the opportunity to share my story with young people and watch them listen intently. If my work and recognition encourages more people to pursue STEM careers, I feel satisfied and grateful for my journey.

It began with a dream, is the story of Dr Gladys B West, who played an integral role in the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS) as a mathematician with Navy. Born in 1930, in the poor farming community of Sutherland, Virginia, she rose from poverty despite segregation, The Great Depression, and Jim Crow laws, to become one of the first professional black women hired at the Dahlgren (Va.) Naval Proving Grounds (now Dahlgren Surface Naval Warfare Center). Dr West, an HBCU graduate from Virginia State University, and PH.D scholar from Virginia Tech, takes us on her incredible life journey in this heart warming and unforgettable memoir. Though previously not recognised for her ground breaking work in STEM, her contribution to GPS impacts almost everyone throughout the world. Recently, she was the first black female inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame, and continues to be an example for others to follow. A wife of 63 years, and mother of three, she is clearly a legend, an inspiration, and a true American "shero."

Every time you use your cell phone map function to get directions, you can thank Dr Gladys West. And with the estimates, there are more than 5 billion people world-wide that have mobile phones; that's a lot of "thank you's." How often do we ask ourselves how did we ever manage without GPS on our phones and in the same breath exclaim how grateful we are for their accuracy? How many knew Dr West, a woman petite in stature, though enormous in brilliance, would positively impact daily lives?

I was honoured to meet Dr West when invited to attend her induction into the United States Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame, one of the Air Force Space Command's highest honours. As she accepted the honour, the twinkle in her eyes was reflective of her literal knowledge of our earth and space. Her humble presence was reflective of a woman who was not only a pioneer of our GPS technology but also a woman so pleased she had her family and friends surrounding her during this momentous occasion. To put it in perspective, our Air Force has over 650,000 uniformed and civilian Airmen. And that day, in the hallowed halls of the Pentagon, many of us assembled to honour Dr Gladys West for her contribution to our Air Force, our Nation, our world. And although Dr West's civilian career was with the Navy, the Global Positioning System (a constellation of orbiting satellites) is operated and controlled by the U.S. Air Force. Her work exemplified the Air Force's core values: integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. Dr West shared that she had no idea, at the time, that her work would affect so many: "When you're working every day, you're not thinking, 'What impact is this going to have on the world?' You're thinking, 'I've got to get this right."" That's integrity, service, and excellence rolled into one.

Over 40 years prior, when I was graduating college and entering the Air Force to serve first as an engineer and then on to pilot training, Dr West was a civilian working for the Navy, and her data ultimately became the basis for the Global Positioning System (GPS). Her work was already influencing my career as we use GPS to navigate the skies as aviators.

My parents were born just a few years after Dr West and only one hour south of her hometown of Sutherland, VA. Their upbringings were humble, and when my father entered the Air Force, it allowed my parents to leave the South and live in and explore the world. I was fortunate to enjoy that worldly exposure that Dr West always dreamed of.

From the humblest beginnings, Dr West, a phenomenal woman, shares her story with such grace, dignity, and passion; it inspires all of us regardless of race, gender, or age. Because of her outstanding achievements, women of colour don't have to walk the same impoverished path she did; they can forge new paths of their own, fully acknowledging we have figuratively "big shoes to fill."

Dr West's life story empowers all women, especially women of colour, to realise we are no longer "hidden figures." There are no boundaries to what we can accomplish on earth or in space, and our contributions are greatly needed in all aspects of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). The solutions to our world's greatest challenges are within us! It is imperative that we find our passions, learn, and persist to achieve our goals.

Thank you, Dr West, for paving the way.

I will forever remember growing up on that small farm in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. I recall crossing the railroad tracks and walking three miles to the segregated Butterwood Road School. It was the stereotypical little one-room schoolhouse, with rusty, decrepit furniture, sometimes leaky ceilings, and always hand-me-down books. All the "Coloured" children in the area, from first through seventh grade, crowded into one room, with one overworked and grossly underpaid teacher. The black teachers were paid only about one-half of their white counterparts' salaries. The white folks called it separate but equal, but there was nothing equal about it. Every day I wished and dreamed of having more - more books, more classrooms, more teachers, and more time to dream and imagine what life would be like if only I could fly away from the strenuous and seemingly never-ending work on our family farm. I just had to get away from that farm someday. It surely was not the place for an open-minded girl like me, with big city dreams. I continued to dream beyond my wildest imagination, and no matter how inconceivable those dreams, I still had hope for a better life ahead. All these years later and I have never found myself living in a big city. Still, my journey has been an amazing one, with some unbelievable, big city things happening quite regularly along the way.

My most incredible and exciting moment in all these years came after I decided to go back to school later in life with another degree in mind. I was at an age where most of my peers were already retired or at least thinking about it. Just as well, I had accomplished a lot more than most women by this stage of my life, but I still felt something was missing. I was always committed to be the best, and to be my absolute best, I just had to go for it. The letters "Ph.D." would look quite nice at the end of my name, now wouldn't it? If I could earn that degree, I would finally feel like I went all the way. As my husband, Ira, would say, "it would be like hitting a home run and then touching all the bases in baseball." Maybe then I would be satisfied.

Despite having thirty-nine years of experience as a mathematician for the United States Government, I still had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. I always had this sense that there was more to accomplish. Even when I was a little "coloured" girl growing up in rural Virginia in the 1930s attending that segregated school with worn and outdated books, I always dreamed of being more and achieving more. When I reflect on my years living with and working for Dr John Hunter and his wife, Dr E Louise Hunter, a "power couple" at my alma mater, Virginia State, before the term power couple was thought of, I now realise how much of a positive influence they had on me while I was an undergraduate student. Their example alone was enough to inspire me to go as far as I could as a scholar, and their advice and guidance were priceless.

I had discovered at an early age that education could open many doors in life and enable me to see what the world was like outside of the rural countryside of Dinwiddie County. I made a commitment to be the best I could be and absorb as much knowledge that a little farm girl could handle. So now, when I should have been thinking about retiring and sitting in my sunroom with my feet up, the only question regarding the Ph.D. was, "Do I still have it in me to do it?" Because by this time, I was no spring chicken if you know what I mean.

My husband had already retired after 35 years of civilian service with the Navy, and my daughter Carolyn was grown with a school-age son. As it happens, there were many challenges that I faced along the way to earning that doctorate degree, but I met them with gusto, which was the only way I knew how. I found myself pursuing a doctorate degree in Public Administration at Virginia Tech through their graduate extension program. It was located at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, where I was still employed. I couldn't believe it, but there I was writing papers and studying for exams. I was the only person of colour in class, most times the only woman, and not to mention I had a few years on most of my classmates as well. There were lots of men, highly educated white men who I figured would be smarter than me. After all, they went to better elementary and secondary schools, with better facilities and nice new books. And of course, they attended large, pre-dominantly white institutions (PWIs) that I could only dream of attending when I applied to college at the undergraduate level.

I found out I was pretty smart, especially compared to some of my classmates who didn't know as much as I did. Some of them failed tests and were given the exams over so they could stay in the Ph.D. program. It was hard to believe that some had received degrees from prestigious white-only universities in the South, or PWIs in the north, and here they were being given second chances. I thought to myself that would never happen at dear ole Virginia State.

That's the thing about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) back in the day. They did not make it easy for us because part of their mission was to teach us more than just book knowledge. We were taught that we had to work twice as hard and learn more than our white counterparts to be competitive in the white-collar workforce. That went for blue-collar as well. Accordingly, they let us know when we set foot on campus that we were there to learn our classwork and learn how to compete. Those who did not get their work done because of a lack of effort were sent home. No makeup tests, no breaks, no ifs, ands or buts because they were preparing us for the harsh world of discrimination and prejudice that lie ahead of us. We were coming from HBCUs, trying to prove that we were as strong, bright, and prepared as the white students graduating from the very schools that ironically did not accept us because of our "coloured" skin. Schools with those fancy initials like UVA, VCU, and oh, by the way, VPI, otherwise known as Virginia Tech.

The day my professor called me and said I had passed all my Ph.D. competencies with flying colours was memorable beyond words. I was so excited. I was working in my office at the end of a typically busy day, and when I received the good news, I was overcome with emotion. I wondered if I could even drive home safely because I was so excited. My husband Ira was retired and at home that afternoon. I just couldn't wait to tell him the good news in person, so I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down, and then in typical Gladys West fashion, I was on my way home, quick and in a hurry. It was probably the fastest that I've ever driven. Thank God I made it home safely, still on cloud nine, and in disbelief.

Ira must have thought something was wrong as I hurried to enter the house, nervously closing the door behind me. I was breathing hard and struggled to get the words out. Then I hear "What's wrong Gladys" from Ira more than once, and finally, I got the words out in be-tween breaths "I did it, Ira, I did it." Then taking a deep breath before continuing, I explained, "My professor called and said I passed my competencies, and I'm going to be Doctor Gladys West!"

I had dreamed of this moment for an eternity, it seemed, and finally, it was no longer a dream; it was real. Ira smiled and calmed me down while gently hugging me against his chest. He was excited too, and probably relieved that I was gradually catching my breath and starting to breathe normally again. Ira knew I had accomplished not only a professional goal but something very personal that I had dreamed about almost all my life. Despite so many setbacks and challenges along the way, including a stroke in 1998 that could have left me unable to continue this doctoral pursuit, I had achieved my most important goal. Now, it was all over except for writing my dissertation, which I knew would be challenging as well, but not as difficult as passing those competencies. I felt so proud of this remarkable accomplishment not only for me but for all my family who had come before me. I would be the first to earn the Ph.D.

We celebrated quietly that night, Ira, and I, thanking God for this wonderful blessing, making phone calls to immediate family, reflecting on all that I had overcome, and pondering what it would feel like once I completed my dissertation. It was apparent that Ira was just as happy as I was, as he always is whenever I achieve something of significance. He has been the most supportive husband a woman could ask for. Yet, in his own protective way, he was probably praying that this would be the last time his wonderful wife would want to walk across a graduation stage. After all, I had earned a B.S., M.S., M.A., and now a Ph.D. was just a writing requirement away.

Earning that doctorate degree was my greatest academic or professional achievement, but it is the unlikely road I chose and path I travelled on this incredible journey that is the story I want to share with each of you, no matter your race, colour, gender, age or walk of life. The adventure starts in a little town in rural Virginia, without a map, plan, or direction finder, at least not in the beginning anyway. This little girl who grew up poor, during the great depression, and in separate and "unequal" conditions proved again and again that success begins with a dream and a vision of what you want to accomplish in this amazing life, and that dream can only become a reality through faith, persistent work ethic, and a personal commitment to always be your best.

Research on the effects of downsizing has focused on several levels including the global, organisation, and the individual. However, this research, at the individual level, focused specifically on the effects of downsizing on the survivors of the organisation. Downsizing refers to activities undertaken by management to improve the efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness of the organisation by reducing the workforce size. Many researchers explain the types of response we can expect from survivors of a corporate downsizing. The possible attitudes and behaviours due to downsizing are of particular interest to managers, because managers will inevitably face a workforce at least partially staffed with survivors of downsizing activities.

The purpose of this research is to give a better understanding of the effects of downsizing on survivors. This is accomplished by systematically analysing and combining the findings of independent studies through meta-analysis. This research investigates the variables and variable relationships which represent effects of downsizing on the survivors. The individual downsizing studies are the sources of the variables used to measure behaviours and attitudes prevalent among downsizing survivors.

The results of this research give a summary of the cumulated correlations for sixteen variable relationships specifying the strength, direction, and the range of the correlations. These findings enable the manager to preview, in a combined sense, a certain set of downsizing survivor responses. These results support the findings reported in the independent studies and by other downsizing researchers. The studies that did not qualify for use in the meta-analysis cumulation procedures are analysed, through the meta-analysis vote count method, and show that the majority of the survivors had experienced negative downsizing effects. Included also is an analysis of the small sample of studies done in the public versus those done in the non-public sectors that shows no real differences, due possibly to the small sample size.

This research, through the use of meta-analysis, confirms the findings of the independent studies and gives more statistical reliability and confidence to the findings.