Monday, January 27, 2020

The Organization Culture Of Deloitte Management Essay

The Organization Culture Of Deloitte Management Essay Organization consist the two types such as the profit organization and non-profit organization. A profit organization looking for the generate income and the profit share with the employees. In a profit organization, the company decides to keep and arrange the profit to the lender or keep invest in their own business. For an example, the Deloittes Northern Group made a  £2,329m for the year end of May. The group made a  £569m profit share to the partners and the average profit earned by each partner increased from  £758,000 to £789,000. A non-profit organization generally founded to serve a humanitarian. It channels the entire employees income into programs and service aimed at meeting or towards other issues such as deforestation and endangered species. Non-profit organization rely almost entirely on donation and grants from individuals, government entities and organization. For an example, Deloitte launched a Womens Initiative (WIN) in 1993. The WIN hosts more than 400 developments, networking and mentoring activities to help connections, strengthen skills and positively impact our organization and community. 2.1 The Types of Structure A recent article (Miranda Brookins) states that elements of organizational structure give companies effective and efficient ways to run their business, manage their employees and ensure that tasks are completed. Each element has its own benefit to impact the employee to achieve the organizations goals. The type of the organization structure involves the decisions about the work specialization, departmentalization, chain of command, span of control, centralization and decentralization and formalization. Work specialization It shows the degree to which tasks in the organization are divided into separate jobs with each step completed by a different person. It takes each task and assigns them to specific position. From a wider perspective, a job is synonymous with the physical and social aspects of the work environment. In contrary, the overspecialization can result in human diseconomies from boredom, fatigue, stress, poor quality, increased absenteeism and higher turnover. For example, an employee specializes in auditing skill but Deloitte should manage the employee to the audit department to exert his/her professional skill to the company. Departmentalization It based on the jobs are perform in the group together. Even though, Deloitte also has its own specific way of classifying and grouping work activities. The departmentalization creates the types of the execution based on the work of the employee assign their own product or brand with the geographical of customer demand. Departmentalization grouping jobs by the functions performed, product line, the basis of territory, the basis of product and the type of customer and needs. Chain of Command It shows the continuous line of authority that extends from upper levels of an organization to the lowest level of the organization and clarifies who reports to whom. There are three importance concepts to attach with theory such as authority, responsibility and unity of command. The authority shows the rights inherent in a managerial position to tell people what to do and to expect them to do it. Then the responsibility shows the obligation and expectation of the leaded to perform for the organization. The last, unity of command is the concept that a person should have one boss and should report only that person. For an example, the video conference of Deloitte should be the chairman from the head office to take over to all branches. Span of control It determines the number of employees who can effectively and efficiently supervised by a manager. It needs the number of managers an organization needs which based on the number of employees and departments a company has. Centralization and Decentralization Centralization shows the degree to which decision making is concentrated at upper levels in the organization. Organization in which top managers make all the decision and lower-level employees simply carry out the order. Besides that, decentralization shows the organization in which decision making is pushed down to the managers who are closest to the action. An article (Osmond Vitez) said that centralization develop the companys mission and vision, and set objectives for managers and employees to follow when achieving these goals. Decentralization organization utilizes individuals with a variety of expertise and knowledge for running various business operations. Formalization It shows the jobs within the organization are standardized and the extent to which employee behavior is guided by rules and procedures. A highly formalized jobs offer little over what is to be done and the low formalization means fewer constraint on how employees do their work. For example, the IT department of Deloitte format up the time of the connection to each branch and the performance of the video conference. So that, the interviewer wont waste the time to wait for the connection and can arrange the accurate time to arrive the room. 2.2 Organization Culture Organization culture is a system of shared meaning and common beliefs held by organizational member that determines in a large degree and how they act towards each other. The implication of culture is a perception, shared and descriptive. The values, symbols, rituals, myths a practices are the way that the people do the things around here. Innovation and Risk taking According to Robert F. Brands (13, August 2012), an effective innovation leader should encourage creativity and risk taking, while also practicing a tolerance for failure. The setting and agreeing on the risk taking bandwidth help to practice the leader recognized as a learning experience when the process had failure. For an example, in 20th November 2012 a leader of Deloitte named Gartner evaluates on the ability to articulate logical statement about current and future market direction, innovation, customer needs and competitive forces. At the same time, consultants are rated on their understanding of how market forces can be exploited to create the opportunities to the provider. Attention to details It is a degree to which employees are expected to exhibit precision, analysis, and attention to detail. It defined the organization look more details to accurate the values of the organization comprise with the organization culture. For an example, the senior manager of Deloitte, Kurt Hauermann looks for the data risk management, data management technology and data governance as the dimensions that uniquely combine to deliver business value. Outcome Orientation It is a management focuses on the result rather than on processes used to achieve them. It extends into the workplace, and employees are reviewed regularly on a performance basis and the only thing that matter is the end of the result. People orientation People orientation takes into consideration the effect of outcome of people within the organization and it is also sensitive to individual with the decisions. The culture cares at the employee in the organization. For an example, Deloitte believes that the employees can do their best work when they growth and know the value. Besides that, Deloitte has 148,000 people work in 150 countries in the organization and the developing talent is a top priority because people are the very reason client service excellence is a hallmark of Deloitte. Team Orientation It defined the works organized around teams rather than individual. A recent article (Donna Eigen) shows that there are number of tactics that can foster a team orientation, from team building and diversity workshops to retreats, merit system that identify and recognize team-oriented behavior and processes that facilitate project teams. Aggressiveness It determined that the employees are expected to be competitive rather than easy going. It looks for the immediate results and lead to immediate reward. In June 2012, Deloitte discuss about the objectives of transparency and financial stability is often seen as being juxta-positioned. The impact on the public policy objective debate and highlighted the question of the interaction in the financial of Deloitte. Stability It means that the organization activities emphasize maintaining the status quo rather than change. In New York, 16 March 2012, Deloitte welcomes the Financial Stability Boards call to improve the dialogue between external auditors and prudential supervisors and regulators of financial institutions in the wake of the recent global financial crisis. 2.2.1 Relationship between organizational structure and culture The organizational culture develops around the structure and the organizational culture can change when the management changes the worker to assign to the roles in the same structure. According to Shane Thornton (April 18, 2012), an organizations culture is an informal, collectively held grouping of ideas and values, as well as the type of workplace relationships and ways of doing things within the organization. Organizational structure is the way to arrange the management and the lines of the authority. It determines the performance within the company and helps the organizational culture run with the efficiency and consistency to create its own organizational culture. Conclusion At the end in this task, it defined the profit organization and non-profit organization of Deloitte. Besides that, it shows the specialization, departmentalization, chains of command, spans of control, centralization, decentralization and formalization of Deloitte. After that, it shows the organization culture such as attention to details, team orientation, people orientation, outcome orientation, aggressiveness and stability of Deloitte. Finally I show the relationship between the organization structure and culture. Introduction It defines the functions of the management within the Deloitte. And list the approaches of the leadership of Deilotte. 3.0 Management Management involves coordinating and overseeing the work activities of other so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively. It performs the managers function within the Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling. Planning Planning defined the goals, establishing strategies to achieve goals, developing plans to integrate and coordinate the activities within the company. It is close connected with the creativity and the innovation, it also set up the objectives and develops the appropriate course of action to achieve these objectives. For an example, Deloitte plans to get a new video conferencing system to get close and communicate easily with all foreign branches to get the high decision making. Organizing It is arranging and structure work to accomplish the organizational goals. It shows that how the leader organize the team to achieve the goals according to the plans. Besides that, Deloitte organized the Nortel Network Ltd to apply the video conferencing system and the Nortel Network Ltd will carry on all the setting and performing of the video conferencing system. Leading It defined the working through people to accomplish goals. It means how the leader uses their skill to lead the group to achieve the goals and the successful. Leading requires to coach, assists, and problem solve with employees. Then, the Deloitte decided who will attend the video conferencing to get the decision making. Controlling It is a continuously work to monitoring, comparing, and correcting work to check the result against goals and make sure that it is following the plan. After that, Deloitte will use the video conferencing to control the branches performances and has a close contact with the branches. 3.1 Leadership Leadership is the art to motivate the group to against the goals. A recent article (Susan Ward) states that effective leadership is based upon ideas, but wont happen unless those ideas can be communicate to others in a way that engages them. Different managers can employ the different strategies to lead the employees to against the goals. According to David Ingram, transformational and transactional leadership are polar opposites when it comes to the underlying theories of management and motivation. Transformational Leadership It determined the management of the day-to-day operation and crafts strategies to the next level of performance and success. It will provide the opportunities for personal and professional growth for each employee if the transformational leader sets goals and incentives to push their subordinates to the higher performance levels. For example, in 1June 2011 Barry Salzberg is the global Chief Ececutive Officer of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTTL), he sets the strategies direction of the Deloitte global network and it comprises 47 member firms operation in 150 countries with approximately 200,000 people. Transactional Leadership It defined the normal flow of operations by more concerned with maintaining. The leader will use the rules to motivate employees to perform at their beast. It wont care in strategically guiding an organization to a position and these ledgers are solely concerned with conform all the performance flow. For example, Steve Almond is the Chairman of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limiteds (DTTL) Global Board of Directors. He had served as Managing Partner of International Markets at Deloitte LLP in the United Kingdom and he looks after Deloitte United Kingdoms International relationship and activities. Conclusion At the end, it also shows the planning, organizing, leading and controlling based on the Deloitte and it determined the transformational leadership and the transactional leadership with Deloitte. Introduction It is going to discuss about how does Deloitte motivate and perform their employee to work for them. It defines the ideas that Deloitte provide to motivate to work hard to get the advantages. 4.0 Motivation and Performance Motivation is the process that account for an individuals intensity, direction and persistence of effort toward attaining the goals. An article (Kendra Cherry) states that motivation involves that the biological, emotional, social and cognitive forces that activate behavior. It describes the purpose that the person does something. The article from Deloitte (Ivana Ã…ËÅ"à ­hovà ¡, FinanÄ nà ­ management, May 2009) states that the motivation and compensation are part of a  series of articles focused on performance management where Deloitte experts introduce individual components of the integrated performance management system in companies. This article deals with motivation and compensation. According to the official website of Deloitte within the Human Capital, it states that they using the motivation tools available to a financial and non-financial and it also determined that if the employees do not feel close to the strategys value and direction and motivates to fulfill the companys designed goals, the company is not likely to successfully reach its goals. From the Deloittes official website, the financial rewards and financial compensation system are the motivation tools available to the employees of the Deloitte. A recent article (Carol Bainbridge), states that extrinsic motivation refers to motivation that comes from outside an individual and the motivating factors are external, or outside, rewards such as money or grades. Deloitte believes that the rewards system is the right driver to the employees perform the work commitment and employees performance. However, attention should be paid to non-financial incentive tool. It is more difficult to define these tools as an important role to motivate employees to perform. Broadly speaking, they can be included in the corporate culture. The reason is often the corporate culture which the employee expects in the company of their choice. Figure 1. Relationship between the employee and the wage the employee received of the Deloitte From figure 1, the employees quality is reflected in a certain component of the employees compensation. According to the performance management of Deloitte, they consider that the compensation aligned with success in fulfill the goals of the company and often also the goals of the team and the individual. So from the figure 1, Deloitte use the proportion of the individual components of the employee total based on the job and the job description. Besides that, Deloitte indicate the high position of the employee in the structure will get the high proportion. Conclusion At the end, Deloitte use the rewards and compensation to motivate the employee to work hard and show the benefit of the reward and compensation to drive the employee work hard. Introduction It is going to show what technology that Deloitte used to communicate to the foreign branches and its functioning. 5.0 The impact of Technology on Deloitte A technology system can drive an organization to efficiency and effectiveness. The efficiency based on how we do the things right so the organization wont waste the time to delay achieves their goals. Besides that, the effectiveness is defined to do the right things, it show that the organization know what they want to do. The case study from the assignment, it shows that the video communication is the way that the Deloitte costs down through the video communication when they reach more employees and branches. Video communication can help to cut down many costs such as traveling cast. According to the Yezdi Pavri (managing partner for Deloitte Canadas Toronto office), he said that being able to meet clients and colleagues in real time without travel is an efficient, effective and environmentally considerate way to address their needs. In a high telepresence room, all the branches who in the different country appear very close and the experience can get with being there with face to face. Nortel Network Ltd is a multinational telecommunication equipment manufacturer in Canada. Deloitte had chosen Nortel Networks Ltd to manage the service of the video conferencing. In a result, Nortel said that in a statement that a company that spends $23 million a year on travel can use telepresence and videoconferencing to recover 385,000 hours of lost productivity reduce its carbon footprint by up to 4,200 tons and save up to $7 million in U.S. dollars. So, the video conference can be more environmentally considerate and go to the green innovation. In contrary, video conferencing also has its disadvantages be the barrels to communicate with each other. Deloitte has 600 offices in more than 150 countries so the time equation is the barrel that Deloitte communicate with the foreign branches. Sometimes, if unlucky have an emergency problem and the branches of England need to contract to the Singapore branches; it may be will fail to get a communication because the time between England and Singapore differ at least 8hours. Besides that, installations of the technology in video conference need a high tech equipment to fix it. For Deloitte, if needs to install the equipment, Deloitte needs to pay for the head office and the all branches. Many feathers make a bed; Deloitte has more than 600 offices in the foreign countries. So Deloitte needs to pay for the payment within these more than 600 offices and it will become a huge expense. Conclusion Finally, it shows the Deloitte uses the video conferencing to communicate to the foreign branches. It also shows that the effectiveness and the efficiency of Deloitte. Besides that, it also consists the advantages and disadvantages of video conferencing.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Indian Mathematics :: India Math Education

Introduction: Indian, in particular, Hindu, mathematics has not been given the credit or recognition that it deserves. Many of the foundational concepts used in all mathematics were first discovered by the Hindu Indians. This paper will discuss many of these concepts and how they were used in the fifth through the eighth centuries. Apart from direct testimony on the point, the literature of the Hindus furnishes unmistakable evidence to prove that the ancient Hindus possessed astonishing power of memory and concentration of thought. The science of mathematics, the most abstract of all sciences, must have an irresistible fascination for the minds of the Hindus. Mathematics is the science to which Indians have contributed the most. Our decimal system, place notation, numbers one through nine, and the ubiquitous 0, are all major Indian contributions to world science. Without them, our modern world of computer sciences, satellites, microchips, and artificial intelligence would all have been impossible. The majority of my writing will focus on a specific area of math called the shulba sutras, which consists of the majority of the discoveries made in geometry. This geometry fascinates me because of their purpose and meaning that is connected with everything they do. Math although seemingly very concrete, right and wrong, can be explained in a spiritual sense as well. The meanings behind all the numerical calculations are the actual significant part according the Vedic literature. The Sulba Sutras The Sulba Sutras, is an important part of the Vedic literature, which consists of a detailed analysis explaining the importance and interrelation between various branches of Vedic texts. Mr. Maharihsi Mahesh Yogi, has completely restored the thousands of years-old scattered Vedic Literature for the total significance of its theory and practice, and has organized it in the form of a complete science of consciousness. The Vedic literature is compiled into forty parts, including the four Vedas plus six sections each with six parts. The four Vedas, the Brahamanas, the Vendangas, the Upa-Vedas, and the Pratishakhya each "express a specific quality of consciousness,"(1) which means that we need to look beyond the surface to find the deeper meanings. There are four main Sulba Sutras, the Baudhayana, the Apastamba, the Manava, and the Katyayna. One of the meanings of the Vedic Sulba Sutras is "string, cord or rope,"(1) which shows that the earliest geometrical and mathematical investigations among the Indians rose from the requirements of their religious rituals. "This could be a reference to the fact that measurements for the geometrical constructions are performed by drawing arcs with different radii and centers using a cord or sulba".

Saturday, January 11, 2020

A Quality Leader Essay

Dr. Karoru Ishikawa is one of the world’s idolized leaders in quality control. His famous quote† Through total quality control with the participation of all employees, including the president, any company can create better products (or service) at a lower cost, increase sales, improve profit and make the company into a better organization† ( Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa) . Ishikawa joined the Union of Japanese Scientist and Engineers, a quality research group back in 1949. The Japanese was concerned about their industry sector since it was known that American manufacturing was producing cheap toys and defective cameras. This group took on the responsibility of Japan’s quality-improvement; that was when Ishikawa took the initiative to build on Feigenbaum’s concept of total quality and promoted greater involvement by all employees, from the top management to the front-line staff, by reducing reliance on quality professionals and quality departments. He advocated collecting and analyzing factual data using simple visual tools, statistical techniques, and teamwork as the foundations for implementing total quality. Like others, Ishikawa believed that quality begins with the customer and therefore, understanding customers’ needs is the basis for improvement, and that complaints should be actively sought. (Evans, 2010 pg 110) Background Kaoru Ishikawa was born in 1915 in Tokyo. He graduated from Tokyo University in 1939 with a degree in Applied Chemistry. In his brief tour in the military as a Naval Technical Officer In charge of 600 workers to construct a factory he quoted â€Å"This experience he says was invaluable to Quality Control activities later on. †, (Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa) He worked for Nissan Liquid Fuel Company from 1941-1947 before he was appointed associate Professor of the University of Tokyo. In 1949 He joined the Union of Japanese Scientist and Engineers because he wanted to change the way people thought about work and help management improve the quality of their product. In 1970 Dr. Ishikawa started conducting quality control training seminars. Around 1978 Dr. Ishikawa became the President of Musashi Institute of Technology. Upon Ishikawa’s 1989 death, Dr. Juran delivered this message: â€Å"There is so much to be learned by studying how Dr. Ishikawa managed to accomplish so much during a single lifetime. In my observation, he did so by applying his natural gifts in an exemplary way. He was dedicated to serving society rather than serving himself. His manner was modest, and this elicited the cooperation of others. † (Dr. Joseph M. Juran) Primary work and significant accomplishments Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa accomplishments have include helping thousands of companies, like IBM, Bridgestone, and Komatsu, to turn out higher quality products at considerable lower costs. His book,†What is Total Quality Control? The Japanese Way†, Prentice Hall, Inc. was a best seller in business books. He has been awarded the Deming Prize and the Nihon Keizai Press Prize, the Industrial Standardization Prize for his writings on Quality Control, and the Grant Award in 1971 from the American Society for Quality Control for his education programmer on Quality Control. Process Improvement Japan, 2012). His creation of the fishbone diagram, the user can see all possible root causes of process imperfections. There are many other accomplishments that Dr. Ishikawa has made, which you can find in books and online. These were deserving awards due to his unselfish work ethics and have truly made him a quality genius. Conclusion Through total quality control a company of any type can stay in business, make products at lower cost, and endure great productivity from its workers. Dr Ishikawa wanted to change the way workers and management do business. Quality should start with the customer and it can be done using his writings, fishbone diagram, and other tools like control charts, run charts, histogram, scatter diagram, Pareto charts, and flowcharts. His knowledge was needed in a time when people wanted a product that will last and was supported by the company who makes it. His many accomplishments and strong work ethics influenced many companies to change and many of those companies are still in business today. Dr. Ishikawa is truly a leader in quality control.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Siege of Leningrad in World War II

The Siege of Leningrad took place from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944, during World War II. With the beginning of the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, German forces, aided by the Finns, sought to capture the city of Leningrad. Fierce Soviet resistance prevented the city from falling, but the last road connection was severed that September. Though supplies could be brought across Lake Ladoga, Leningrad was effectively under siege. Subsequent German efforts to take the city failed and in early 1943 the Soviets were able to open a land route into Leningrad. Further Soviet operations finally relieved the city on January 27, 1944. The 827-day siege was one of the longest and costliest in history. Fast Facts: Siege of Leningrad Conflict: World War II (1939-1945)Dates: September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944Commanders:AxisField Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von LeebField Marshal Georg von KÃ ¼chlerMarshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheimapprox. 725,000Soviet UnionMarshal Georgy ZhukovMarshal Kliment VoroshilovMarshal Leonid Govorovapprox. 930,000Casualties:Soviet Union: 1,017,881 killed, captured, or missing as well as 2,418,185 woundedAxis: 579,985 Background In planning for Operation Barbarossa, a key objective for German forces was the capture of Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Strategically situated at the head of the Gulf of Finland, the city possessed immense symbolic and industrial importance. Surging forward on June 22, 1941, Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leebs Army Group North anticipated a relatively easy campaign to secure Leningrad. In this mission, they were aided by Finnish forces, under Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, which crossed the border with the goal of recovering territory recently lost in the Winter War. Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. Â  Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-L08126 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 The Germans Approach Anticipating a German thrust towards Leningrad, Soviet leaders began fortifying the region around the city days after the invasion commenced. Creating the Leningrad Fortified Region, they built lines of defenses, anti-tank ditches, and barricades. Rolling through the Baltic states, 4th Panzer Group, followed by 18th Army, captured Ostrov and Pskov on July 10. Driving on, they soon took Narva and began planning for a thrust against Leningrad. Resuming the advance, Army Group North reached the Neva River on August 30 and severed the last railway into Leningrad (Map). Finnish Operations In support of the German operations, Finnish troops attacked down the Karelian Isthmus toward Leningrad, as well as advanced around the east side of Lake Ladoga. Directed by Mannerheim, they halted at the pre-Winter War border and dug in. To the east, Finnish forces halted at a line along the Svir River between Lakes Ladoga and Onega in East Karelia. Despite German pleas to renew their attacks, the Finns remained in these positions for the next three years and largely played a passive role in the Siege of Leningrad. Cutting Off the City On September 8, the Germans succeeding in cutting land access to Leningrad by capturing Shlisselburg. With the loss of this town, all supplies for Leningrad had to be transported across Lake Ladoga. Seeking to fully isolate the city, von Leeb drove east and captured Tikhvin on November 8. Halted by the Soviets, he was not able to link up with the Finns along the Svir River. A month later, Soviet counterattacks compelled von Leeb to abandon Tikhvin and retreat behind the River Volkhov. Unable to take Leningrad by assault, German forces elected to conduct a siege. The Population Suffers Enduring frequent bombardment, the population of Leningrad soon began to suffer as food and fuel supplies dwindled. With the onset of winter, supplies for the city crossed the frozen surface of Lake Ladoga on the Road of Life but these proved insufficient to prevent widespread starvation. Through the winter of 1941-1942, hundreds died daily and some in Leningrad resorted to cannibalism. In an effort to alleviate the situation, attempts were made to evacuate civilians. While this did help, the trip across the lake proved extremely hazardous and saw many lose their lives en route. Trying to Relieve the City In January 1942, von Leeb departed as commander of Army Group North and was replaced by Field Marshal Georg von KÃ ¼chler. Shortly after taking command, he defeated an offensive by the Soviet 2nd Shock Army near Lyuban. Beginning in April 1942, von KÃ ¼chler was opposed by Marshal Leonid Govorov who oversaw the Leningrad Front. Seeking to end the stalemate, he began planning Operation Nordlicht, utilizing troops recently made available after the capture of Sevastopol. Unaware of the German build-up, Govorov and Volkhov Front commander Marshal Kirill Meretskov commenced the Sinyavino Offensive in August 1942. Marshal Leonid Govorov. Public Domain Though the Soviets initially made gains, they were halted as von KÃ ¼chler shifted troops intended for Nordlicht into the fight. Counterattacking in late September, the Germans succeeded in cutting off and destroying parts of the 8th Army and 2nd Shock Army. The fighting also saw the debut of the new Tiger tank. As the city continued to suffer, the two Soviet commanders planned Operation Iskra. Launched on January 12, 1943, it continued through the end of the month and saw the 67th Army and 2nd Shock Army open a narrow land corridor to Leningrad along the south shore of Lake Ladoga. Relief at Last Though a tenuous connection, a railroad was quickly built through the area to aid in supplying the city. Through the remainder of 1943, the Soviets conducted minor operations in an effort to improve access to the city. In an effort to end the siege and fully relieve the city, the Leningrad-Novgorod Strategic Offensive was launched on January 14, 1944. Operating in conjunction with the First and Second Baltic Fronts, the Leningrad and Volkhov Fronts overwhelmed the Germans and drove them back. Advancing, the Soviets recaptured the Moscow-Leningrad Railroad on January 26. On January 27, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin declared an official end to the siege. The citys safety was fully secured that summer, when an offensive began against the Finns. Dubbed the Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive, the attack pushed the Finns back towards the border before stalling. Aftermath Lasting 827 days, the Siege of Leningrad was one of the longest in history. It also proved one of the costliest, with Soviet forces incurring around 1,017,881 killed, captured, or missing as well as 2,418,185 wounded. Civilian deaths are estimated at between 670,000 and 1.5 million. Ravaged by the siege, Leningrad had a pre-war population in excess of 3 million. By January 1944, only around 700,000 remained in the city. For its heroism during World War II, Stalin designed Leningrad a Hero City on May 1, 1945. This was reaffirmed in 1965 and the city was given the Order of Lenin.