Media Formulation

Medium formulation is an essential stage in the design of fermentation process. Most fermentation media require liquid media, although some solid-substrate fermentations are also operated. Fermentation media must satisfy all the nutritional requirements of the microorganisms and fulfill the technical objectives of the process. There are several stages where media are required in a fermentation process; inoculum (starter culture), propagation steps, pilot-scale fermentations and the main production fermentations.According to Cruger W and Cruger A (1990); on a large scale, the sources of nutrients should be selected to create a medium which should meet as many as many possible of the following criteria: i. It should produce the maximum yield of product or biomass per gm of substrate used. ii. It should produce maximum concentration of product or biomass. iii. It should permit the maximum rate of product formation. iv. There should be the minimum yield of undesired products. v. It shoul d be of a consistent quality and be readily available throughout the year. vi.It should cause minimal problems during media preparation and sterilization. vii. It should cause minimal problems in other aspects of the production process particularly aeration and agitation, extraction, purification and waste treatment. The initial step in media for media formulation is the examination of the overall process on the stoichiometery for growth and product formation. The optimization of a medium should be carried out such that it meets as many as possible of the seven criteria. Different combinations and sequences of process conditions have to be investigated to determine growth conditions (Stanbury P.F and Whitaker A; 1995). Medium optimization can be carried by the classical method, in which one independent variable is changed while keeping all others at a certain level. An aerobic fermentation process may be represented as: Carbon and energy source + Nitrogen source + O2 + other require ments Biomass + products + CO2 + H2O + heat This primarily involves consideration of the input of the carbon and nitrogen sources, minerals and oxygen and their conversion to cell biomass, metabolic products.Based on this information, it should be possible to calculate the minimum quantities of each element required to produce a certain quantity of biomass and metabolite According to Prasanthi V et al (2008); Chlorella vulgaris is a green, spherical, single celled fresh water microalga belongs to the phylum Chlorophyta. As per the study conducted so far it is found that green algae are the highest source of chlorophyll in the plant world and particularly, Chlorella one of the members of green algae is the richest source of chlorophyll which is widely used as a health food and feed supplement.The aim of this work is to design different medium types to evaluate optimization combinations for maximum growth, morphology and pigment content of C. vulgaris. Effect of glucose Three differen t volumes of glucose from apple juice while other variables are kept constant. The volumes that were used are 5g/l, 15g/l and 30g/l. The highest chlorophyll production (12%) was obtained with a glucose concentration of 15g/l. Glucose is used as a carbon source which is required for all biosynthesis leading to reproduction, product formation and cell maintenance. It also serves as the energy source.Carbon requirements may be determined from the biomass yield coefficient (Y), an index of the efficiency of conversion of a substrate into the cellular material: Ycarbon (g/g) = biomass produced (g) __________________ Glucose substrate utilized (g) An increase in glucose concentration of 30g/l resulted in the production of chlorophyll being at a constant this is because all the active sites of the microorganism are occupied and active carrying out biochemical reactions. At low glucose concentration of 5g/l very little biomass (chlorophyll) is obtained and also there is low growth rate.Thus , glucose concentration significantly influences chlorophyll production and microbial growth of the microorganism. Constraints that can be generated include the fact that apple juice not only contains one type of sugar, glucose but also contains other sugars (fructose and sucrose) which the microorganism can either utilise for growth resulting in us not obtaining accurate optimization results and also the other sugars can inhibit the growth of the microorganism. Apple juice also contains soluble pectin these can be difficult to digest hence a reduction in biomass.Effect of nitrogen from defatted soya Nitrogen being important constituent of the cell protein was needed for algal growth, either in combined or in molecular form. It is also a component of proteins nucleic acids some co-enzymes. Industrially important microorganisms can utilize both inorganic and organic nitrogen sources. Inorganic nitrogen may be supplied as ammonium salts, often ammonium sulphate and diammonium hydrogen phosphate, or ammonia; these can be used in place of defatted soya. Ammonia can also be used to adjust the pH of the fermentation.As nitrogen deficiency develops the amount of chlorophyll in the cells decreases faster than the nitrogen content in C. vulgaris. Nitrogen is a limiting factor if continually increased it can inhibit the production of chlorophyll. Varying concentrations of nitrogen were used i. e 0. 3g/l, 0,6g/l and 2. 0g/l. At 0. 3g/l little chlorophyll is obtained this is due to the fact that nitrogen being a macronutrient it is required in high concentration. At 0. 6g/l high yields of chlorophyll are obtained and at 2. 0g/l nitrogen turns to be a limiting factor and can lead to culture toxicity.Constraints can be generated when using Ammonia as a substitute for defatted soya this is due to the fact that ammonia leads to high pH which results in a precipitate formation in the medium but lower pH of the medium prevent the precipitation. Foaming in a microbiological proc ess is due to media proteins that become attached to the air-broth interface where they denature to form stable foam. Non-treatment of foam may block air filters, resulting in loss of aseptic conditions. The foam production can be controlled by addition of chemical antifoam. Natural antifoams include plant oils (e. g.Soya, sunflower and rapeseed), hence defatted soya is used as a nitrogen source rather than ammonia. Also high concentrations of ammonium ions can be toxic to cells of the microbe. Effect of Mg2+ MgSO4 can be used as the source of magnesium. It promotes the maximum growth of the present alga and it is also incorporated as an enzyme co-factor component of chlorophyll. Three salt concentrations were used 0. 1g/l; 0. 5g/l and 1g/l. At low salt concentration of 0. 1g/l it results in a magnesium deficiency which interrupted cell division in Chlorella which results in abnormally large cell formation. Increase in salt concentration of 0. g/l and 1g/l of magnesium alone in the medium resulted in higher cell number, although increase in nitrogen alone did not make much difference that means cells need magnesium to synthesize chlorophyll. The process of multiplication requires a larger concentration of magnesium in the medium than does the production of cell material. Iron uptake is strictly required to optimize the process. References 1). Crueger W and Crueger A. 1990. A Textbook of Industrial Microbiology. Oxford. Panima Publishing Corporation. 2). Stansbury P. F and Whitaker A . 1995. Principles of fermentation technology. New York. Pergamon Press. 3).Prasanthi V, Yugandhar M. N, Vuddaraju S. P, Nalla K. K, Raju C. A. I and Donthireddy S. R. R. Optimization of the fermentation media using statistical approach and artificial neural networks for the production of chlorophyll by Chlorella vulgaris. International Journal of Natural and Engineering Sciences. 2008. 2 (3): 51-56 CHINHOYI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY NAME: Ngara Tanyaradzwa R REG NUMBER: C1110934J C OURSE: Process Optimization and Production COURSE CODE: CUBT 208 PROGRAM: BSBIO Level 2:2 Assignment: 1 Lecturer Dr Zvidzai

Change Management Report

Through an extensive range of skills and experience, the A-Belch Group has significant engineering and design capabilities to provide a complete and bespoke first class engineered solution from design to manufacture. Electrical and Mechanical engineering excellence Bespoke design solutions New product development programmer with continuous testing and development Quality design software enabling precision design and manufacture Continuous The Group incorporates HAD Lighting, A-Belch Hazardous Area, MAP Solutions, Electrical Engineering and Industrial Connectors.The extensive product portfolio includes the HAD Hazardous area lighting range, hazardous area enclosures, witchery, electrical distribution panels, electrical accessories and innovative modular building service solutions. The Group is an established supplier to the UK and international petrochemical, energy, rail and construction markets. With over 25 years' experience in the energy sector, A-Belch excels in quality, price an d delivery and after sales support.My role within the organization is to plan and manage the production of the Had cell. A-Belch is SISSIES :2008 accredited – see attachment 1 . Part of my role is to ensure the product we manufacture is of a high quality and tests the SIRS certification requirements. Due to the highly hazardous environments our products are used in we must ensure all shop floor operatives follow controlled drawings and SOPs for each build stage. See attachment 2 for controlled drawing. Attachment 3 is an SOP that is used by shop floor operatives.The department strives for continuous improvements and all staff are encouraged to offer their opinions to develop the department further. It is important that the department continuously improves in its working practices and procedure to keep up with a growing demand for our product and changing market place. As the company is ISO accredited the quality management systems have been prepared to BBS EN ISO 9001 :2008 a nd ISO/ICE 80079-34. My department manufacture products that are certified explosion proof lighting for hazardous area.All products are TEX and ICE certified and due to this a high level of quality is required during manufacture. All products are built to drawings which have been produced from certification drawings issued to SIRS the certification body. Without SIRS certification and approval no products can be manufactured. On each drawing is a list of components required is listed for the build. Along with the manufacture drawing a wiring diagram is supplied and a works instruction for the product. All finished goods are signed off by the production supervisor after being inspected.Each build has a check sheet with stages of each Job that need to be complete and signed off by the relevant operator, these are then kept and filed for future reference and can be used if goods are returned due to a quality issue relating to the build as I am able to identify which operator manufactur ed the unit and apply the appropriate action or complete refresher training. Identify a change that is required identify a change required in the workplace and explain the potential benefits of this change to the organization.In order to identify the factors that may require the company to change I have conducted a SOOT analysis – See below. STRENGTHS Growing company New product design Influential in the market place Loyal customers Dedicated staff Repeat business Competitive products USPS Team moral Opportunities Future Product development Supplier reviews – current changes needed to our supply of major components Additional business Current BOO items moving to manufactured itemsFactory expansion Increase in current output up to millions – new factory expansion WEAKNESS Health and Safety policies Environmental policies Lack of hazardous waste disposal Lead Times Manufacturing build issues High failure rate on some products Succession Management Competitors New products released to market by competitors Supplier price increase Market change Double dip recession Previous product quality issues From the SOOT analysis I have identified a change needed to our current health and safety procedures relating to our potting machines.Changing our current potting canines and process this will reduce down time and lead times, reduce annual cost, increase additional business and add to the growth and success of the department which will allow the company to develop in line with changes in the market place. Currently both potting machines run on a manual fill system where by each operative using the machine has to fill each hopper up by hand. In order to do this they need to stand on ladders and fill each hopper.The approve. Weight of both the activator and base is KEG each. The activator is a harmful substance which can irritate the skin an eyes. Correct PEP is worn by each operative; however there is always a risk of both the activator and base splash ing the individual. Manual handling is also a concern as the operative must climb onto step ladders carrying the base/activator to fill the hopper. Handling and risks to each operative can be avoided by moving to an automated bulk feed system.By moving over to the automated system the health and safety risks will be reduced significantly as there will be no need for each individual to manually fill each hopper. The automated bulk feed system will be installed for both potting machines and will insist of twin pneumatically operated double acting diaphragm pumps with dip tubes and four off outlet hoses up to machine mounted reservoirs. Electronic high- level sensors will be fitted to each reservoir to automatically call-off material from the supply drum on demand and stop when the reservoir is full.Pneumatically actuated ball valves will also be fitted onto each reservoir. Approve. Cost for this fitment EH,386. O + vat (inclusive of control box & on-site labor to fit) The proposed mov e over to an automated bulked system for both machines will: Reduce down time Reduce lead times Improve Health and Safety Improve potting procedures Reduce cost Reduce the amount of space needed to store the potting compound Reduce waste There will also be a cost saving to the company of approve.EH,81 5 per annum based on previous usage. This is due to the unit price of the potting compound being reduced by moving over to large KEG drums. Planning and monitoring the change State the objectives of the change in order of their priority. At least one must be a SMART objective. Prepare an action plan for implementing the change. Explain the technique you would use to monitor the achievement of the primary objective. The objectives of the change are as follows:To purchase and install automated bulk feed system within stated budget week commencing 16th September 2013 To have all shop floor operatives trained on the safe use of new equipment by 30th September 2013 Priority: 1) Health and S afety Improvements 2) Reduce cost 3) Reduce down time 4) Reduce manufacturing lead times 5) Improve potting procedures waste The above has been identified by conducting a SMART analysis Specific Implementation of bulk feed system for both potting machines What: What do I want to accomplish?Improvements to health and safety of shop floor operatives Cost saving – see below. Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal. Reduce down time Who: Who is involved? Potting Machine Supplier – Meter Mix Potting Compound Supplier – Greenfield Polymers Production Manager – Me Floor Manager – SST Handmaids Shop floor operatives Divisional Director – Bob Scott Chief Executive – Brian Trench Where: Identify a location. New Had manufacturing facility Which: Identify requirements and constraints.Proposal of the change and cost savings/payback and benefits will have to be presented to higher management Upfront cost needed Current stock may be an issue as we use KEG drums and not KEG – need to identify if we can use current drums or swap with supplier for larger ones Identify space needed – this could be an issue. Will we have enough space for the bulk feed system in the new factory? Measurable How much? How many? Two machines will be needed How will I know when it is accomplished in 12 months' time when cost savings can be recorded Achievable How: How can the goal be accomplished?A report will need to be drafted up to highlight the benefits Installation will be done by Intermix Training of all shop floor operatives will be complete by the Floor Manager Relevant Does this seem worthwhile? The upfront cost is expensive, however the benefits the manufacturing cell and cost saving the company will gain outweigh the cost There is also a payback time due to the cost saving of the potting compound Is this the right time?Yes, the changeover is needed to reduce downtime and to allow output to increase C ompletion of the new factory extension will be the best time to implement this Are you the right person? As the Production Manager for the department I am responsible for the improvements to the department Time Based When? Implementation/installation – September 2013 What can I do six weeks from now? Sign off from Director Arrange Meeting with potting machine supplier to get the ball rolling Arrange meeting with potting compound supplier to inform of change What can I do today?Prepare report for Director of the benefits and cost of the bulk feed system In order to proceed with the change I have prepared an action plan detailing the stages I will need to work through in order to implement the change. Action Plan: Date of activity 1) Supplier Meetings Potting Machine – Meter Mix Advise on how the bulk feed system will work Discuss Cost Delivery and installation date to be agreed Discuss Training of staffPotting Compound – Greenfield Polymers Cost of KEG drums Can current KEG drums be used on bulk feed machines December 2012 2) Prepare report for Divisional Director Highlight cost saving Payback Benefits January 2013 – See attachment 4 3) Sign off by Divisional Director and Chief Executive January / February 2013 4) Supplier Meeting Agree options Discuss payment options Agree installation date April 2013 5) Raise purchase order and send to Meter Mix September 2013 6) Discuss with Floor Manager and add new location to new factory floor plan June 2013 7) Implementation/limitations w/c 16th September 2013 ) Staff Training Include in training matrix for all Shop Floor Operatives Tool Box Talk to be auctioned SOP to be updated 9) Stock change over January 2014 10) Record cost savings monthly Monthly spend and usage Compare finding against previous 12 months sales Record findings in a spread sheet In order to monitor the achievement of the primary objective I would monitor the monetary value of the activator and base per month based on the u sage and compare this against previous months before the new bulk feed system was implemented. This would be recorded in in a spreadsheet which I would design. The health and safety of each member of staff using this equipment is vital, however the improvements to the health and safety is difficult to manage. In order to ensure highlighting the differences between the two machines relating to health and safety. I would also perform a questionnaire with the operators using the machine to record feedback on the improvements to health and safety.Implications of the change Explain the possible financial effects of the change on the organization, Explain the possible effects on people inside the organization Identify any potential barriers to change and suggest practical ways of overcoming these In order to commission the bulk feed system there is an initial outlay of EH,386. O, however this has a payback time of 43 months after which the company will save approve. EH,81 5 per annum on p otting compound based on current usages. If I factor in the saving in down time on the factory floor this equates to a saving of 0. App per 25 KEG drum so therefore the payback time will decrease to 30 months.Even though there is a financial out lay the improvements to health and safety outweigh these massively. There will be a staff training exercise to complete with each Shop Floor Operative and raining to be received from Intermix who are installing the potting machine. The training will be given by the Shop Floor Manager to each staff member and a tool box talk will be completed. Future stock of the potting compound will have to be managed differently so training will need to be given to the department buyer as to how she will manage this. Attachment 5 shows the team update that was sent to inform every one of the status of the bulk feed system and update the buyer on how she is to manage stock Sty and orders.Discussions with Greenfield Polymers have been made by me in order to inform them f our current stock Sty's and discuss when the change over to KEG drums will take place. The final batch of KEG drum stock needs to be purchased from our supplier first before the changeover happens. See attachment 6. Currently the activator and base are purchased on one part number and ordered in a 5:1 ratio. In order to simplify this I have created separate part numbers for both components which after discussing with Greenfield Polymers will make ordering and consumption of stock more manageable and straight forward. Attachment 7 shows the price breaks for both the activator and potting compound.By creating separate art numbers AL 10049 – Base and ALLELUIA – Activator will also allow us to manage the stock more efficiently when stock takes take place as each individual item will be counted separately. The biggest barrier I will need to overcome will be convincing the Had Director and Chief executive that this change needs to happen and the positive impact it will have benefits to the organization and people within it and the cost saving this change will make. This should suffice as evidence the system is needed and the benefits this will have to the team and company. See attachment 4. This report will be presented to he Had Director and the main objectives discussed.Communicating and implementing the change Identify who needs to know about the change, describe how you will communicate with them and explain why it is important to communicate the change to them. Explain how you will continually improve once the change has been implemented. Explain how you will involve your team in doing this, and identify which tools or techniques you could use and how you would evaluate these improvement activities. The Had Office team and Shop Floor Operatives need to know about the change as there are action points for some staff members. They will be made aware of the commission of the bulk feed system via email and any questions they have will be discussed. Attachment 5 shows one of the updates I will send to the team making them aware of the commission date and stock management.Once the bulk feed system has been commissioned an email will be sent with photographs of the bulk feed system and the improvements this will make to the team and Production Department. This email will be sent to the Office team, Floor Manager and Had Director. The Health and Safety Manager will also be included in this email and made aware of the change as the improvements to Health and Safety f Staff members is quite significant. Once the change has been implemented it is important to review this in order to improve the process. Some areas that I would review would be the following: Improvements to equipment – I would contact Intermix who installed the machine to see if there is any additional equipment that could be bought to reduce down time further.

Fast Food Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fast Food - Research Paper Example In effect, people want to â€Å"grab a bite† quickly and go back to their activities. In this case, individuals eat food prepared and served quickly in packaged form at outlets known as â€Å"take away† because it is convenient. In effect, it has become a common occurrence to find mothers bring home packed food to their children as their dinner. In this regard, the country, and the world to some extent, experiences a culture whereby fast foods are the order of the day in most households. While fast foods have created employment and business opportunities all over the world, there is a growing criticism on negative health effects of consuming fast foods especially in the American society. First, the patterns of food consumption have greatly changed in the world and especially in America. One of these changes is on the rise in consumption and purchasing of fast foods in America. Jekanowski, Binkley, and Eales noted, â€Å"In 1997, food away from home accounted for about 45% of total food expenditures, up from approximately 26% in 1960† (58). In this case, food away from home is fast foods that most Americans consider convenient due to their busy lives. In addition, it is common knowledge that the female participation in the labor market is steadily rising each year. Traditionally, it is the role of women to prepare food at home. Therefore, more females joining the labor force implies that the household time is decreasing as more women are seeking employment. In effect, the convenience of fast foods and the decreasing household time are the two fundamental reasons that have pushed the consumption and expenditure on fast food upwards. The U.S. Department of Agriculture noted, â€Å"From 1982 to 2003, expenditure on fast food in the U.S. raised from $26.5 billion to $126.7 billion-an annual rate of growth of 6.4%, over 2% higher than the growth rate of at home food consumption (qtd. in Richards, Patterson, and Hamilton 425). In effect, this imp lies that more and more Americans spent a lot of money to consume fast foods, which meant that they cut on spending on the traditional home foods due to the convenience of the fast foods and increasing participation of women in the labor market. On the other hand, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at the same time noted, â€Å"The percentage of consumers regarded as obese more than doubled, rising from roughly 14% to 30%† (qtd. in Richards, Patterson, and Hamilton 425). Nevertheless, it is important to point out that there are various causes of obesity, which implies that fast food is not the only cause. However, Chou, Grossman, and Saffer regarded the consumption of fast foods as the fundamental reason behind the rise in the levels of diabetes and obesity in the country (qtd. in Richards, Patterson, and Hamilton 425). A 2005 study by the University of Minnesota â€Å"found a direct link between eating fast food and the development of type 2 diabetes (qtd. in H. O’Keefe and J O’Keefe 38). In effect, this explains the rising cases of diabetes amongst the citizens of American. In addition, the study further noted â€Å"people who consumed fast foods two or more times a week were typically ten pounds heavier than those who ate fast food less than once a week† (qtd. in H. O’Keefe and J O’Keefe 38). In effect, the implication of heavily relying on fast foods amongst Americans is an overweight society, which effectively leads to obesity and puts an individual at risk of diseases such as hypertension. However, the study identified a more

How Americas youth is being negativley influenced and brainwashed by Research Paper

How Americas youth is being negativley influenced and brainwashed by modern media (television,radio - Research Paper Example The globalization of media around the world has presented a lot of opportunities for young people and to assimilate a lot of information about things that is happening both within their community as well as the world over. The modern media is playing a huge role in shaping the personality of young people. However, the quality of programs has declined sharply over the years as today’s media depicts increased violent and sexual content which is being considered to have harmful effects on the minds of growing children (Gigli). The increasing access to satellite television and the internet to young children have raised serious concerns among parents, physicians and educators as media has taken up their role in shaping the mind and body of the growing youth. Media is now increasingly playing the role of educators and have become primary sources of information to youth. A recent survey in the US revealed that on an average youth spend about 8 hours using various forms of media inclu ding the television, internet, movies, radio, video games and cell phones. Among these interactive media video games and the internet could have both positive and negative impacts on youth. Viewing programs with violent and sexual content can have damaging consequences on their minds and profoundly impact their personality. Children engaging in virtual video games with violent content could have more serious consequences compared to that of passive media watching (Impact of Media and Technology on Youth). Physicians have also raised concerns about the profound negative impact of modern media on today’s youth. There is concrete evidence which supports a relationship between watching violence in media and increasing violent behavior among children and youth. Apart from which physicians are also concerned about another disturbing issue of childhood obesity and have attributed

South Asian Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

South Asian Art - Essay Example As with other figures of Buddha, The Head of Buddha features lakshanas to portray that he is the Enlightened One. The Buddha's bulge on his head signifies his "transcendent knowledge" and excellent mental capacity. It should also be noted that Buddha has long empty ears as he formerly wore big, heavy goal earrings as a prince. However, as he accepted pain and suffering, he took off his power and riches including his royal garment and earrings to be freed from material wealth (Kossak and Watts 27). The Head of Buddha's gesture also shows one important quality of Buddha. We can see that the eyes of Buddha are half-closed signifying that he is very peaceful and quiet. The artist used this gesture to depict this deep contentment in life. The figure shows the image of another reincarnation of the Great Goddess Devi. In Hindu mythology, Parvati is the reincarnation of Sita who killed herself "because of an insult to her husband" (Kossak & Watts 30). Parvati's image in the sculpture, both in shape and in gesture, symbolizes what she came here for-"lure the mourning Shiva to other marriage" (Kossak & Watts 30). Parvati is depicted as very alluring with huge breasts and small waist. Parvati, thus, became a symbol for "fertility, marital felicity, devotion to spouse, asceticism, and power" (Parvati 2).

Comparison of Barack Obama's and John Mccain's Policies on Poverty and Essay

Comparison of Barack Obama's and John Mccain's Policies on Poverty and Welfare in the US - Essay Example Though there are a number of policies on which both the sides have differing views, an effort has been made in this paper to compare the policies of both candidates on 'poverty and welfare in the US'. McCain's stand: John McCain has expressed his support for direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based or other non-profit organizations. He says1, "Welfare and anti-poverty assistance is a shared responsibility among federal, state and local government; the private sector; community and faith-based organizations. Welfare policy must provide a strong safety net, while promoting work, responsibility, self sufficiency and dignity." In addition McCain has come out maintained the following principled position on some of the issues concerning poverty and welfare2: Even when a parent works full-time earning minimum wage and EITC and food stamps are factored into their income, families are still $1,550 below the federal poverty line because of the flat-lined minimum wage. Obama and Biden also realize that ex-offenders are a very critical community, which needs to be taken care of well, in order not to let them feel isolated. For this category they plan to work to ensure that ex-offenders have access to job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling, and employment opportunities. It is worthwhile here to ment... The team of Barak Obama has come out with a detailed plan of action to take care of the poverty and welfare issues. Salient features of their plan include; Helping Americans in Grabbing and Holding on in order to Climb the Job Ladder Creating a Green Jobs Corps in order to strengthen the energy efficiency programs and strengthen the communities. Bring out improvement in Transportation Access to Jobs Obama and Biden also realize that ex-offenders are a very critical community, which needs to be taken care of well, in order not to let them feel isolated. For this category they plan to work to ensure that ex-offenders have access to job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling, and employment opportunities. Raising the Minimum Wage to $9.50 an Hour by 2011 Providing all low and middle-income workers a tax relief of about $500 to offset the payroll tax being paid by those low paid workers. Expanding the Nurse-Family Partnership to all 570,000 low-income, first-time mothers each year. Increasing the number of sick days for low-paid workers Increasing the Supply of Affordable Housing for the poor sections of the society. Increase the levels of investments in rural areas Creating secure borders and strengthening the immigration policies. 2. For each policy, evaluate how it might impact the state of poverty in the U.S. It is worthwhile here to mention that on the one hand John McCain is supposed to tread a cautious line while spelling out the agenda points for bringing out a 'change', because he has to maintain that the legacy is not disturbed too much. On the other hand, Barak Obama is not bound any such legacy. So, on the one hand he criticizes the existing policies of Bush

HRM Innovation and Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

HRM Innovation and Change - Essay Example ctive team work combined with strategic performance metrics like using internal and external benchmarking are important tools to evaluate performance outcome. The continuous learning environment provides the workers with a wider scope for professional growth in the area of core competencies and making them responsible for advocating and nurturing a high standard of ethics and quality work. The measurement of change vis-Ã  -vis performance, innovation and customer satisfaction are few of the critical success factors that have significant impact on the market positioning of the organization. The empowered workforce that thrives on shared learning and collective goals greatly facilitates improved performance. TQM and benchmarking promote quality assurance at various levels of business processes through measures that drastically reduce the percentage of error within the production and become cost effective. Thus, organizations continuously make effort to identify factors and issues that would help meet the challenges with efficiency and unmatched proficiency. The organizational change can broadly be defined as the ability of management to identify and incorporate the factors that increase output and improve the performance outcome of the organization. Through focused approach, the companies develop dynamic business strategies to identify the critical factors of change and meet the challenges with creative inputs through collective vision and shared goals. The strategy involves simultaneous inputs from various different departments so as to measure, analyze, improve and control the production of new products and services. Hence, the companies through regular surveys, feedback processes and R&D activities are able to identify the opportunities for new products. Evaluation and implementation of performance metrics gives a competitive edge to

Health studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health studies - Essay Example The community’s aim is to practice justice, equality and mutual respect, which should be long-term solutions (Garrard, 2011, p. 45). Community development projects have needs such as drainage improvements, getting rid of street decay and protect personal property. The main problem comes when the city’s budget does not consider repairing old houses, but instead puts new infrastructure in the community. For instance, a lot of the infrastructure is taken care of community development programs (Creager, Beckman & Loscalzo, 2013). Recreational parks for the disabled and nursing homes for the old are mostly taken care of the community developments. Many societies prefer community groups because individuals come together and talk about issues affecting them as a group or community (Andreoli, Cecil, & Carpenter, 2010, p. 125). In such a way, problems are handled than would be a personal matter. The program gets funding from the government or sponsored, and that is how the community develops. Community development increases job opportunities, reduces crime because the percentage of housing is high thus decreasing h omelessness. The community gets an education through the allowances in the program (Fillit, 2010). There is nothing as powerful as an educated society for it eradicates so many problems like poverty. Social exclusion is a major problem in our global societies’. In U.K, for instance, social exclusions such as drug use, racism, teenage pregnancies and crime and disorder partnerships are witnessed on a daily basis. Social exclusion can happen to anyone, but those with low income, the disabled and in dysfunctional families are more at risk (Plant & Böhm, 2010, p. 109). Care Insights is an example of a U.K based community development that focuses on social exclusion. Its primary aim is empowering the community by maintaining redistribution of resources, preventing conflict to enhance poverty reduction and finally helps in food security.

Economic Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economic Law - Essay Example The establishment of binding dispute settlement system by WTO in 1995 was one of its most plausible achievements. It was developed from GAAT model of settling disputes, the rules and procedures governing (DSU) understanding is that it contains developments that has led to change from a system based on economic power and politics to one based on rule of law (World Bank Group 1994). The outcome was more legality of the WTO that has been praised as benefiting specifically smaller countries, of which many are developing countries and least-developed countries. The shift 'is specifically beneficial for smaller countries, as without the rules and procedures of the DSU... they would not have the necessary bargaining power vis-a-vis the larger powers. 'Similarly, Weiler notes the advantages of the legalised WTO model, 'especially for the meek economically and politically unequal.' International agreements are not any useful if the rules stipulated cannot be complied with especially if the pa rties that are signatories to these agreements can not comply with the obligations as stipulated. An efficient and effective way of settling disputes often increase the members that are signatory to certain agreements commitments to complying and committing to those rules. Members of WTO established current dispute settlement system thus during the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations shows their commitment to compliance by all Members with their obligations under the WTO Agreement. All members should and have to comply with these regulations as stipulated in writing. It is very important to settle disputes in time and through a structured manner (World Bank Group 1994). It helps to prevent the detrimental effects of unresolved international trade conflicts and to mitigate the imbalances between stronger and weaker players by having their disputes settled on the basis of rules rather than having power determine the outcome. Most people consider the WTO dispute settlement system to be one of the major results of the Uruguay Round (World Bank Group 1994). After the entry into force of the WTO Agreement in 1995, the dispute settlement system soon gained practical importance as Members frequently resorted to using this system. The details of the WTO Agreement have all the certain multilateral agreements. This is to say that, the WTO Agreement contains all agreements that have been considered in the Uruguay Round. References in this guide to the â€Å"WTO Agreement† in general, therefore, include the totality of these rules. However, the WTO Agreement itself, if taken in isolation from its annexes, is a short Agreement containing 16  Articles that set out the institutional framework of the (WTO) as an international organization (Shaffer and Melendez-Ortiz 2010). Specific references to the WTO Agreement (e.g. â€Å"Article XVI of the WTO Agreement†) relate to these rules. World Bank reduces poverty in most countries in world by providing technical and financial help, ensures that people are able to generate their own incomes. They react quickly to the situation which affects any countries negatively. In addition World Bank help in improving health facilities and education especially in developing countries, this increases the leaving standard of the people. It assists in providing food to countries which are facing shortage of foods or high increase in food prices. World bank sustain growth in the future by investing in

When is it important for innovators to protect their intellectual Essay

When is it important for innovators to protect their intellectual property Compare and contrast three different approaches to the protection of intellectual pr - Essay Example Protection for intellectual property leads to a healthy competition and enhances value and quality of products, thereby promoting economic growth by means of technological development and enriched cultural advancement. It opens fresh trade avenues and enhance standard of living. The governments have to act and ensure implementation of intellectual property system to sustain businesses in a theft free environment to enable steady growth (Sebban, Guy 2005). Intellectual property is the name given to any new product or design or process and creative work of art or literature. Any invention or innovation involves dedicated effort on the part of an inventor who spends long hours in research and development. In addition, a significant amount of expenditure is also incurred towards development of new and innovative products or designs. If not protected and free copying is allowed, the inventor or innovator would soon get de-motivated, bringing stagnation to further development. Thus, protection of intellectual property assumes paramount importance. Intellectual property protection is essential to all businesses to exploit their new ideas and articles in the market and prevent piracy and theft by others. All art works also need to be credited for their creativity to enhance cultural growth (Sebban, Guy 2005). The protection methods can be broadly classified as ‘formal or institutional’ and ‘strategic’. Formal protection methods include patent, trade secret, trade mark, and copyright, while strategic methods cover agreements of confidentiality, secrecy, lead and complexity (Iandiorio, Joseph S 1995). In the subsequent paragraphs, we would discuss, in detail, two formal methods, namely, patent and copyright, and one strategic method, namely, confidentiality agreement, bringing out differences, merits and demerits of each. A ‘patent’ is a grant from a country’s government that provides security or protection to a new invention or innovation by an

Debate the proposition that employers are more concerned with controlling employee behaviour than they are with eliciting employee commitment. Essay Example for Free

Debate the proposition that employers are more concerned with controlling employee behaviour than they are with eliciting employee commitment. Essay It can be said that employers have become increasingly concentrated towards controlling employee’s behaviour than endeavouring to attain employee commitment in organisations. Control can be defined as â€Å"To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over† . However this can become controversial when applied to working with people therefore as a countermeasure commitment has been introduced to even the balance. This can be defined as â€Å"a combination of commitment to the organisation and its values and a willingness to help out colleagues (organisational citizenship). It goes beyond job satisfaction and is not simply motivation. Engagement is something the employee has to offer: it cannot be ‘required’ as part of the employment contract. Commitment is therefore intrinsic to the individual employee and difficult to measure what exactly makes each one motivated therefore control should be utilised to a greater extent. This shift to controlling employees rather than endeavouring to ensure that they are committed has led to a majority of staff feeling undervalued and therefore unable to achieve their potential in the workplace. A study has shown that controlling employees has led to a drop in productivity due to the fact that a 26% or three quarters of staff members, feel that they are being manipulated rather than being utilised to their potential . Therefore, this illustrates that companies are now shifting towards compliance from their employees to follow Manager’s directives in lieu of commitment that is attained through the use of de-centralised management e.g. Matrix structures. However if companies therefore wish to therefore use centralised management the possibility for employee commitment is therefore limited. Matrix structures do have the effect of improving commitment as they include no hierarchy and equal standing by those in them however they must be monitored to ensure that they are still effective and not misused  for their less stringent management style and that some structures favoured over others . McGregor’s (1960) XY theory is a method to illustrate the management style of an organisation to determine whether it favours control or commitment from its workforce. Employee behaviour which is heavily controlled follows the pattern of Theory X, as opposed to the Theory Y which is intended to generate employee commitment. Theory X favours that managers exercise control and directed to achieve the organisational objectives with little flexibility for employees to use their initiative, whereas Theory Y believes that commitment to objectives is a function of the rewards associated with their achievements . Theory X managers have somewhat receded however employees are still being controlled under the assumption that businesses are using commitment methods for example flexible working practises and appraisals which will be discussed later. Commitment is intrinsic which requires more resources, however control is external and can be done more effectively than commitment. See appendix one for a model of McGregor’s theory. To control employee behaviour a number of measures have been utilised in the office environment that have enabled them to be observed by managers and recorded in order to monitor them while they are on the premises. By installing these devices it motivates the employee to work as they are constantly being monitored and therefore provides a sense of motivation for them to work as signs of slacking/unauthorised absence are recorded and used as evidence to support that fact . CCTV has evolved in recent years for businesses. Before, it was used as a common security device for the building, now, it has become a performance tool for mangers in which as a further measure to control their staff. This is done by highlighting those employees who are slacking to ensuring that proper procedure is being adhered to while on the premises. . This constant monitoring can have the effect of de-moralising employees as their every move in the workplace is being scrutinised. Job commitment however relegates CCTV to its previous function of security as management entrust employees to do their jobs, but now that CCTV has been turned in towards employees it is evident that control measures are being used instead of trying to create commitment. Yet CCTV is but one way of retaining control of staff in the workplace. For  instance, in McDonalds through the use of CCTV cameras, productivity has increased through unobtrusive CCTV coverage of workers and customers . An additional method which a business can use technology to monitor employees is the practice of electronic â€Å"clocking in† systems. These devices have been implemented in large businesses that employ a multitude of staff in which individual movement of employees can be difficult to trace. A business which has done this exactly this is Poundworld in which employees are electronically scanned into at the start of a shift and have the consequence of deduced salary if this process has been neglected . As a method of control, these devices can monitor exactly when an employee has begun their shift or when they have returned from their breaks etc. to ensure that they begin work at the proper time. This also ensures proper records can be maintained should any discrepancy arise regarding timekeeping. However this monitoring of movement may hamper employee commitment as they are constantly being recorded while on the premises for timekeeping plus they can feel dis-trusted by management as they are being constantly monitored for when they started their shift. Employers have minutely contributed to employee commitment with the use of Job Design which has been utilised to effect in certain companies such as Microsoft who use elements like job share to encourage employees in their roles Job Design is when the duties and the role of an employees’ position have been analysed and decided by management before they are employed or amending parts of an employees’ position while they are employed. Job Design permits an input from employees into their role of the organisation as they collaborate with management in which their position is defined. A further example of stimulating commitment with job design is when employees and employers discuss characteristics of the position that would suit the employee’s capabilities which in turn increases their motivation as the employers are permitting staff an input into designing their responsibilities in the job. However, employers have the opportunity to use job design to influence control of over their staff with the use techniques such as job expansion and job rotation with allow them to amend or add additional workload to their job which may not be to the employees benefit.  Furthermore, an employer has the ability to change the job design of staff to suit their requirements over employees depending on the situation without any input from employees. By way of strategically/tactically controlling their staff, management are employing the use of Management by Objectives for all members of staff to analyse if targets or goals are being met. This can be defined as â€Å"A methods of management whereby managers and employees define goals for each department, project, and person and use them to monitor subsequent performance† . Controlling behaviour is being used here as management are attaining the utmost effectiveness from a particular member of staff or individual department as their desired goals are measured against their actual goals and analyse if they have been accomplished. However commitment is being given to the staff/department as the decisions to how they achieve their stated goals has been de-centralised for them to decide. As technology has increased to such an extent, a business can take advantage of employing staff that do not have to work in the office environment through the use of flexible working contracts and providing them with equipment to work off-site. These contracts enable a business to offer their employees who are unable to travel or who have other commitment so actively continue working but in the confines of their own home or on the go by the use of a laptop or mobile phones. As employees are away from the office, a main disadvantage is that their working pattern cannot be monitored to ensure that they are actually fulfilling their tasks. As controlling behaviour has become more prevalent to management, software has be embedded to the technology issued to these homeworkers e.g. tracker and keystroke logs to monitor the use of laptops and phones during the day. For example, Freedom Direct, a holiday company offers such flexible contracts and issues those involved with hardware embedded with this surveillance software to safeguard against slacking while away from the eyes of management . However some companies now prefer to control their employees from one central organisation. For example Yahoo managing director has decided to ban employees from using home working to â€Å"build on corporate culture† however this has damaged commitment as many employees have been demoralised by this  decision that may affect their future in the company. . Furthermore, to bolster the claim of controlling employees, this ban on flexible practises was instigated after an investigation of employee logs showed it fell below the standard expected for their employees and therefore cut this form of employment from the organisation. . This therefore illustrates that electronic devices provided by organisation are monitored to ensure that duties are conducted. Employee commitment is therefore given an opportunity by senior management by permitting a group of employees to work away from the office on these contracts who might not have the opportunity to do so. This increases motivation and job satisfaction to the company as they would not lose any valuable staff plus have the ability to monitor these employees away from the office with the tracker software to monitor their actions during the working day. Control is again utilised as these employees are monitored no less than their counterparts in the office and are monitored with the identical software. Control has been favoured in organisations as those with the authority to make decisions in their department must to be held to account for those decisions should they prove to be incorrect. Accountability can be defined as â€Å"the fact that those people with authority and responsibility are subject to reporting and justifying task outcomes to those above them in the chain of command† . By having a clear and define line of authority from the managing director to the clerk, it is possible to identify who should be held to account and therefore justify their decisions should they prove them to be incorrect or disastrous. This can be de-moralising as these targets are not negotiable and therefore must be achieve which adds an element of stress. Managers often therefore are hesitant to issue instructions in which they know are difficult to achieve, yet this can bolster commitment within the company as employees, if informed, that these tasks are of some difficulty may strive to attain them to receive the department recognition for doing so. This therefore increases motivation as well as assists in team-building for the department as they are united in a common goal . Employee behaviour can be controlled by the use of annual appraisals of departments. This is the discussion in which an employee and manager decide  on the objectives and the action necessary to achieve them for the coming year. Appraisals are a two way discussion in which the employee states what they wish to achieve for the year and the manager offers guidance to do so, however this is again a method for which control even though employees perceive it as being a method for commitment. The employee may see appraisals as a method in which they are in control of what they want to achieve and not what the business wants them to do. This is an opportunity for managers to input targets or goals which the employee agrees on without knowing the magnitude of the task, however they must achieve as it has been stated on the appraisal document and could lead to a poor appraisal the subsequent year. Managers can use these to implement control over employees in which to dispel rewards to the employee thus motivates them to achieve their objectives. The threat of disciplinary action for repeated failure to attain objectives set out at appraisals is a sure way to coerce commitment in the workplace as employees will strive to achieve those objectives set at appraisals. Employers have the ability to produce commitment while still using control methods by the use of a health work/life balance. This can be defined as â€Å"concept that supports the efforts of employees to split their time and energy between work and the other important aspects of their lives† . While managers are allowing an employee to split their time between a professional and a private life they can still use methods such as monitoring social media to ensure that no derogatory remarks have been made against the organisation known as reputation management. It has been reported that 80% of a company’s workforce use social media sites in one way or another therefore the scope for badmouthing a company has increased. To combat this possibility 60% of selected businesses have proposed to implement software that would detect this . It is imperative that a business conform to the laws which dictate when an employee’s professional life ends and when a personal one begins as not to intrude. Having a healthy balance between personal and professional life enhances commitment to the organisation due to employees recognising that their business does not own them permanently and are permitted a life outside the office however are unobtrusively monitored to an extent. In order for senior management to exercise control over employees while they are in the workplace, management have re-employed the use of a well-defined and structured hierarchy in organisations in which they can delegate the operational control of the business to managers or first level employees who have a greater understand of how operations of the department are conducted. Middle management positions such as Assistant Managers for departments have returned to businesses due to the fact that the employees on this level support change to departments which may not be popular as well as focusing on the different strategies which have been set by the company . By re-introducing levels of management that may have been de-layered previously, companies are therefore increasing their Vertical differentiation to establish a clear line of authority in departments. This may be advantageous for commitment in departments that have a copious amount of staff as problems can be easily rectified, yet they can be seen as another level of management in which the business has established to ensure their corporate strategies are met irrespective to employee requirements. In order to control employees’ behaviour, businesses have invested in training and development programs to educate their workforce with various methods such as induction training through to university courses. Induction training is a period in which a new employee to the business is given training preceding their start in the business. This provides an opportunity for the member of staff to become aware of the procedures, policies and workplace culture that a business has. In order to train potential or existing staff some businesses have adopted a system of internal in-house training schemes that have been adapted especially to fit different purposes. Businesses such as McDonalds which have established educational institutes for potential staff to undertake for promotion or re-training or other reasons which would see those who graduate attain a recognised qualification . However due to their size and expense they are restricted to large highly profitable businesses. A purpose of these schools is to instruct that person on what is expected of them while in employment and how to undertake different duties, however these methods can be categorised as a method of control as these courses are pre-designed so that employees  should conform only to those that are taught as they expect them to be correct. Commitment can be fostered from this as employees may be more motivated and satisfied in their position as they have been trained to a degree so that they are competent in their role in the business and provide a sense of a good working environment to potential employees, plus as this is a recognised qualification this can be presented as part of an application as a symbol that they have enrolled and passed a course specifically designed to train members of staff. The drawback of control becomes the advantages of using commitment and should influence a business to implement commitment measures For example; Pfeffers’ model of high performance factors is heavily influenced as commitment measures that managers should consider to bolster the motivation of their workforce. However these are disguised as a further method of control as to attain these factors the workforce must demonstrate they are a viable working entity. The factors that constitute this model are Team working and de-centralised management, High pay and incentive, Employee Security, Extensive training and development, Narrow status differentials and Careful recruitment and selection. Cultural control is a method that managers can use to â€Å"define specific patterns of behaviour within a professional environment†. This behaviour has already been stipulated by the management of how they wish the workforce to conform and therefore expect these patterns to re-enforce organisational culture. A method in which an employee can become accustomed to the social norms of a workplace culture is through induction training. Therefore the accompanying member of staff would acquaint the new employee of the social norms that have been adopted by staff which they will conform to. This method of control is an example of how management quickly adapt staff to the methods of the workforce that have already been repeated for other staff. A company that would be perceived as having a poor corporate culture would be BP. In the wake of the oil spill in 2007 in which an inquiry was found to ascertain that intense cost cutting and efficiency measures demoralised the workforce therefore affected practises which precipitated the disaster through negligence of corporate culture. A final method in which businesses can control their workforce is through the monitoring of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The organisation will monitor their employees’ posts on these sites to ascertain they are behaving in an according manner or post any derogatory statements regarding the business or its staff. This is a method of control as staff are being monitored while they are on the premises as well as off therefore this encroaches into their personal life affecting the work/life balance. It has been reported that 60% of businesses by 2015 will have some monitor in place in order to track their workforce on social media sites in order to protect the business’s reputation or the brand they are selling . An example of a business that has used this is Proskauer Rose in which staff have it written into their contract of employment that they will be monitored on social media sites. Therefore to conclude, it would appear that mangers controlling employee behaviour has become more prevalent that endeavouring to attain employee commitment in organisations. This could be the case as controlling employees has become cheaper that resorting to measures to attain employee commitment as well as ensuring their effectiveness in the workplace as well as out of it . However there should be an even balance between control and commitment from managers to create a suitable working environment for employees as they would not prefer to working in a hostile business which treats them as a tool rather than one which treats them as a valuable resource. Using control methods such as technology and monitoring ensures that staff are adhering to policy set out in their contract. References Always Watching . (2010). Benefits of CCTV for your Business. Retrieved Feburary 19, 2013, from Always Watching.com: http://www.always-watching.com/benefits-of-cctv-for-your-business.html Anviz, Newsdesk. (2011, August). Anviz’s VF30 fingerprint time clock on Channel 4†²s ‘Undercover Boss’. Retrieved March 4, 2013, from Security Newsdesk: http://www.securitynewsdesk.com/2011/08/10/anvizs-vf30-fingerprint-time-clock-on-channel-4s-undercover-boss/ Bednarz, T. (2013, January 15). Empowered Organisations Develop Employee Commitment. Retrieved Feburary 18, 2013, from Leaders to Leader: http://blog.majoriumbusinesspress.com/2013/01/15/empowered-organizations-develop-employee-commitment/ Broome, I. (2009, July 20). How CCTV can help improve your productivity. Retrieved Feburary 10, 2013, from IanBroome.com: http://iainbroome.com/how-cctv-can-help-improve-your-productivity Business Dictionary. (2013). What is Job Design. Retrieved March 1, 2013, from Business Dictionary: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/job-design.html Chertkow, M. (2012, August 24). CCTV is not just about security anymore its performance management and productivity tool, too . Retrieved Feburary 19, 2013, from IT web Techforum: http://www.itweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=57970 CIPD. (2012, July). Employee Engagement. Retrieved March 7, 2013, from CIPD: http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/employee-engagement.aspx#link_0 CIPD. (2012, April). Job Design. Retrieved Feburary 21, 2013, from CIPD: http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/job-design.aspx Clark, D. (2010, October 3). Theory X and Theory Y. Retrieved Feburary 25, 2013, from Officebroker.com: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/history/xy.html Cross, S. (2013). Examples of Cultural Controls in Organizational Structure. Retrieved March 7, 2013, from Chron: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-cultural-controls-organizational-structure-13425.html Daft, R. (2008). The New Era of Management. Mason: Thomson South-Western. Daft, R Kendrick, M Vershinina N . (2010). Management. Hampshire: South Western Cengage Learning #. Dunn, C. (2012, November 29). More Employers Creating Social Media Polices for the Workplace. Retrieved March 19 , 2013, from Corporate Counsel: http://www.law.com/corporatecounsel/PubArticleCC.jsp? id=1202579655072More_Employers_Creating_Social_Media_Policies_for_the_Workplaceslreturn=20130219093207 Farquhar, C. (1998). Middle Managers are Back: How Companies Have Come to Value Their Middle Managers. Farquhar, C. (1998). Middle Managers are Back. How Companies Have Come to Value Their Middle Managers. Free Dictionary. (2013). Control. Retrieved Feburary 19, 2013, from The Free Dictionary: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/control Heathfield, S. (2013). Work-life Balance. Retrieved Feburary 26, 2013, from About.com : http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryw/g/balance.htm Herscher, P. (2010, May 10). From BP and Wall Street: Corporate Culture Impacts Performance . Retrieved March 11, 2013, from Huffingston Post Businesses: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-herscher/from-bp-and-wall-st-corpo_b_563211.html Improve. (2012, July 27). How far can Employers go in Controlling Employee Behaviour Off the Job . Retrieved March 8, 2013, from Improve: http://www.improve.com/How-far-can-Employers-go-in-Controlling-Employee-Behavior-Off-the-Job/4404# Johnson. (2013). Disadvantages of a Strong Matrix Organizational Structure. Retrieved Feburary 21, 2013, from Chron: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-strong-matrix-organizational-structure-59207.html Lipman, V. (2013, January 13). Why Are So Many Employees Disengaged? Retrieved Feburary 18, 2013, from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/victorlipman/2013/01/18/why-are-so-many-employees-disengaged/ Management Study Guide . (2008). Performance Appraisal and Performance Management. Retrieved Feburary 25, 2013, from Management Study Guide: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/performance-appraisal-and-performance-management.htm Maximize Social Media . (2012). Rapid Rise in Monitoring Employee Use of Social Media. Retrieved March 4, 2013, from Maximise, Social Media: http://maximizesocialmedia.com/social-media-management-rapid-rise-in-monitoring-employee-use-of-social-media Mighty Students. (2010). Elements of Job Design. Retrieved April 2, 2013, from Mighty Students: http://www.mightystudents.com/essay/Elements.Job.Design.68700 Peacock, L. (2010, November 25). McDonalds launches foundation degree for staff. Retrieved March 4, 2013, from TheTelegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8157900/McDonalds-launches-foundation-degree-for-staff.html Reed, S. (2010, July 6). How to Manage Employee Behaviour. Retrieved Feburary 28, 2013, from Ezine Articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Manage-Employee-Behaviourid=4613259 Reference for Business. (2013). Management Levels. Retrieved Feburary 19 , 2013, from Reference for Business, Encyclopedia of Business 2nd Edition: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Log-Mar/Management-Levels.html Reporter. (2013, Feburary 27). Melissa Mayer imposed Yahoo! work from home ban after spying on employee log ins. Retrieved March 7, 2013, from Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2287148/I-wouldnt-consider-feminist-s ays-Marissa-Mayer-revealed-imposed-Yahoo-work-home-ban-spying-employee-log-ins.html Smith, T. (2011, May 9). Accountability in Business Management. Retrieved Feburary 21, 2013, from The New Dawn: http://www.thenewdawnliberia.com/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=3430:accountability-in-business-managementcatid=36:investmentItemid=62 Sullivan, I. (2012, July 2). Sixty percent of companies will monitor employee social media use by 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2013, from The Wall: http://wallblog.co.uk/2012/07/02/sixty-percent-of-companies-will-monitor-employee-social-media-use-by-2015/ Twentyman, J. (2007). Keeping tabs (Staff monitoring). Twentyman, J. (2007, October 22). Staff monitoring: keeping tabs on homeworkers. Retrieved Feburary 21, 2013, from Personnel Today: http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/22/10/2007/42869/staff-monitoring-keeping-tabs-on-homeworkers.htm UK Business Information. (2013). The Benefits of in-house training. Retrieved April 2, 2013, from UK Business Information: http://www.business-information-uk.com/in-house-training.html Verheul, I. (2003). Commitment or control? Weiss, T. (2013, Feburary 27). Yahoo’s Mayer Slated Over ‘Foolish’ Home Working Ban. Retrieved Feburary 28, 2013 , from Tech Week Europe: http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/yahoo-home-working-ban-108776 Wu, J. (2009). McDonaldisation and the Labour Process:Impacts and Resistance. Asian Social Science , 106. Bibliography Broome, I. (2009, July 20). How CCTV can help improve your productivity. Retrieved Feburary 10, 2013, from IanBroome.com: http://iainbroome.com/how-cctv-can-help-improve-your-productivity Business Dictionary. (2013). What is Job Design. Retrieved March 1, 2013, from Business Dictionary: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/job-design.html Improve. (2012, July 27). How far can Employers go in Controlling Employee Behaviour Off the Job . Retrieved March 8, 2013, from Improve: http://www.improve.com/How-far-can-Employers-go-in-Controlling-Employee-Behav  ior-Off-the-Job/4404# Reed, S. (2010, July 6). How to Manage Employee Behaviour. Retrieved Feburary 28, 2013, from Ezine Articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Manage-Employee-Behaviourid=4613259 Reference for Business. (2013). Management Levels. Retrieved Feburary 19 , 2013, from Reference for Business, Encyclopedia of Business 2nd Edition: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Log-Mar/Management-Levels.html Twentyman, J. (2007). Keeping tabs (Staff monitoring). Verheul, I. (2003). Commitment or control? Appendix list 1. 1. Working on feedback: Read the feedback on your assignment carefully, then re-read the piece of work to see the areas that the feedback refers to. You might use a highlighter pen to cross-reference the feedback to your work, or to draw attention to corrections and suggestions. What has your tutor written (key points) What do you understand this to mean? 1. Good introduction, underpinned by theory 2. Critical and analytical throughout 3. Good reference base 4. Contextualised into subject 5. Good analysis 6. Must use references properly 7. Used references and examples to illustrate that points made are utilised in business. 8. Good research base 1. A well designed introduction that has been bolstered with the use of business theory to support the argument. 2. By being argumentative on both sides (control and commitment) it shows that there has been research done and concluded that one was more viable than the other. 3. A diverse range of sources has been used to collate examples e.g. journals books internet

Challenges in the Business Environment Essay Example for Free

Challenges in the Business Environment Essay There has been no change to Apple Code of Conduct policy since 2014 when Apple started taking previous audit scores into consideration and conduct detailed risk assessments with suppliers who had not been audited in the past before awarding the new business. In 2014, we reviewed 459 suppliers, and factored their responsibility performance into our decisions. This engagement has allowed Apple to address over 700 findings related to labor standards, worker safety, permits, environmental hazards, and chemical management before production began (Apple – 2014 Supplier Code of Conduct). Apple has made significant progress, gaps still exist, and there is more work to do. Apple knows that workers are counting on them and they will not stop until every person in their supply chain is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve (Apple Supplier Responsibility 2015 Progress Report). Apple believes that it is not enough to just set high standards they must work every day to make sure they’re upheld. Apple Supplier Code of Conduct is among the toughest in the industry. To track working conditions at suppliers’ facilities, we conduct regular, in-person audits deep into the supply chain. Audits remain essential to Apple work, but they’re only the beginning. Apple reports monthly on working hours for over one million workers with hopes that their openness will inspire other companies. But more important, Apple believe the feedback that transparency invites makes us even better (Apple Supplier Responsibility 2015 Progress Report). Apple’s suppliers are required to provide safe working conditions, treat workers with dignity and respect, act fairly and ethically, and use environmentally responsible practices wherever they make products or perform services for Apple. Apple requires its suppliers to operate in accordance with the principles in this Apple Supplier Code of  Conduct (â€Å"Code†) and in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. This Code goes beyond mere compliance with the law by drawing upon internationally recognized standards to advance social and environmental responsibility. This Code outlines Apple’s expectations for Supplier conduct regarding labor and human rights, health and safety, environmental protection, ethics, and management practices. Apple assesses its suppliers’ compliance with this Code, and any violations of this Code may jeopardize the supplier’s business relationship with Apple, up to and including termination. This Code applies to Apple suppliers and their subsidiaries, affiliates, and subcontractors (each a â€Å"Supplier†) providing goods or services to Apple, or for use in or with Apple products (Apple – 2014 Supplier Code of Conduct). To show that Apple believes that it is not enough to just set high standards and that they must work every day to make sure they’re upheld. In 2014, over 2.3 million workers were trained on Apple’s Co de and their rights. Apple invested millions of dollars to expand our Supplier Employee Education and Development (SEED) program since it began. SEED now totals 48 classrooms in 23 facilities equipped with iMac computers, iPad devices, education software, video conferencing systems, and more. To make sure the standards were upheld Apple performed 633 audits covering over 1.6 million workers in 2014. Apple also audited suppliers in 19 countries and calls were made to 30,000 workers to make sure their rights were being upheld (Apple – 2014 Supplier Code of Conduct). Apple Suppliers Understanding of Their Standards, Responsibilities, and Company Relationship Apple is proud of the strong relationships they have built with their suppliers, many of whom have been working with them for years. Apple periodically reviews their relationships and adds new suppliers as needed. Apple requires each of its suppliers to meet the highest standards for all goods and services. Our requirements include a commitment to rigorous quality assurance. In addition, suppliers must be committed, as we are, to ensuring the highest standards of soci al responsibility. The ideal suppliers are those who understand our culture and expectations. We value suppliers who take the time to learn about and understand our business and who look for ways to add value. These suppliers know the importance of making and meeting commitments and delivering the highest quality goods and services (Apple Apple and Procurement). Apple business environment is  competitive and fast-paced. Apple suppliers must understand this dynamic and be agile and flexible in responding to changing business conditions. All over the world, people are building Apple products and Apple has a responsibility to make sure that each person is treated with dignity and respect. It’s a massive challenge where Apple work is never done, but each year they implement meaningful, lasting changes across their supply chain. Because of this around the globe, Apple employees are united in bringing equality, human rights, and respect for the environment to the deepest layers of their supply chain. Apple goes deep into their supply chain to enforce their social and environmental standards by empowering workers through education, demanding that suppliers treat workers fairly and ethically at all times, having safe and healthy facilities, and hold their products and processes to the highest environmental standards (Apple Supplier Responsibility 2015 Progress Report). Apple believes that in order to make impactful changes across their supply chain, it’s important to understand firsthand what’s happening inside their suppliers’ facilities. That’s why they don’t simply employ and review audits from behind a desk in Cupertino. Instead, they directly gauge how their supplier facilities are doing by regularly visiting and partnering with their suppliers around the world, so when they discover a problem, they can work together to get it fixed (Apple – Accountability). To make sure the standards are understood and upheld Apple performed 633 audi ts covering over 1.6 million workers. Apple also audited suppliers in 19 countries and calls 30,000 workers to make sure their rights are being upheld. Every audit is led by an Apple auditor and supported by local third-party auditors. These third parties are experts in their fields and all have been trained to use our detailed auditing protocols. During each audit, Apple grade suppliers on more than 100 data points corresponding to each category of our Supplier Code of Conduct (Apple – Accountability). Apple auditors are highly skilled at identifying when suppliers are covering up information. Apple audits are proven to improve supplier compliance. Each year we review and raise our already strict requirements, and suppliers continue to meet our increasingly stringent standards. In 2014, facilities audited two times scored 25 percent higher than those facilities with first-time audits. Facilities audited three times or more scored 31 percent higher than facilities audited  for the first time (Apple – Accountability). In addition to these regular, prescheduled audits, Apple randomly select facilities to audit unannoun ced. These surprise audits help ensure that our suppliers continue to meet our standards at all times not just during scheduled visits. Apple conducted 40 surprise audits in 2014, where their team visited suppliers on the spot and inspected the facility within hours. After the audit Apple conducts physical inspections, reviews documents, and interviews workers in their native languages, without their managers present. Afterward, workers are given a phone number, so they have the opportunity to securely and confidentially provide additional feedback about a facility to our team, including anything they consider to be unethical behavior. Apple encourages workers to report any retaliation to us, and we follow up with all suppliers to address each reported issue (Apple – Accountability). Inclusion these audits, code of conduct, and standards give Apple suppliers the understanding of what it means to be part of the company. Reference Apple Accountability. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 7, 2015, from http://www.apple.com/supplier-responsibility/accountability/ Apple Apple and Procurement. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 7, 2015, from http://www.apple.com/procurement/ Apple – 2014 Supplier Code of Conduct. (2014, January). Retrieved March 3, 2015 from https://www.apple.com/ca/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Apple_Supplier_Code_of_Conduct.pdf Apple Supplier Responsibility Progress Report. (2015, January). Retrieved March 3, 2015 from https://www.apple.com/supplierresponsibility/pdf/Apple_Progress_Report_2015.pdf

The Functions Of Organizational Culture Commerce Essay

The Functions Of Organizational Culture Commerce Essay Culture is the soul to an enterprise, it is the essence of a successful business. So far, as the organizational culture develops, everyone has been universally recognized that its way of thinking and behaving shared by all members of the organization. Successful experience tells us, organizational culture is immortal pillars for the development of the organization, cultural development also has the potential force of cohesion, it brought not only a spirit to employees, but also inspire them a sense of pride and responsibility, cultivating the team work spirit of the organization, thus, to improve the overall effectiveness of the enterprise.(Pumpin, 1987) What is organizational culture Organizational culture is the sum of reflects that gradually formed in the production and management practices, agreed and complied with all staff, with the characteristics of the Organizations mission, vision, purpose, spirit, values and business philosophy, and the ideas in the production and management practices, management system, the behavior of employees with the external image. (Pumpin, 1987) In essence, organizational culture is a cultural phenomenon among the enterprises, its appearance is inseparable from the development of the theory and practice of modern enterprise, from the management perspective, organizational culture are the application management tools to achieve management objectives, therefore, organizational culture are not only a cultural phenomenon, but also has a connotation as a management tool. First, the organizational culture is led by a sense of enterprise management, the cultural patterns of pursuit and realization in a certain corporate purposes, from a certain sense, the organizational culture is a culture of enterprise management. Second, the organizational culture is a culture that have a common goal, group consciousness, and the suitable organizations and institutions. Third, the organizational culture is an economic culture. It is gradually formed in the operation of the production process and management activities by the enterprises and enterprise employees, leaving the economic activities of enterprises, it is impossible to have a organizational culture formation, not to mention a good one.(Miles and Snow, 1978) 2. The functions of organizational culture 2.1 The guiding function. Organizational culture can play a guiding role of value orientation and behavior orientation in enterprises and each member of them. This orientation is different from a traditional management which simply focus on the rigid discipline or system, it emphasizes to guide the behavior of members of the enterprise from the shaping organizational culture, to make people accept the common values in a cultural imperceptibly.(Barney, 1986) 2.2 The incentive function. Positive ideas and code of conduct can form a strong sense of mission and a sustained driving force. Positive organizational culture is a ruler of self-motivation to the employees, the ruler that they can contrast their own behavior, identify gaps, can generate the driving force for improving. In the same time, enterprises with shared values, beliefs and codes of conduct which can be a powerful spiritual pillar, can make a person generate a sense of identity, a sense of belonging and a sense of security, until play the role of mutual encouragement.(Deal and Kennedy, 1982) 2.3 The cohesion function The collective strength depends on the cohesion of the organization, the coordination of the organizations internal condition and ability to control. The cohesion of the organization, coordination and control can be generated by rigid connections like the system of discipline, but not as good as more effective by internal binder like shared values, beliefs, and codes of conduct.(Schwartz, and Davis, 1981) 2.4 The constraint function Excellent organizational culture have the binding effect on the thinking and behavior of each employee. After a long period of construction of organizational culture, formed written or convention rules and regulations, ethics and codes of conduct to regulate the behavior of employees, by this measure, it achieve the controling of thinking and behave of workers.(Cooke, 1987) Take the McDonald for example, McDonalds Quality, Service, Cleanliness, Value, it formed from the top to bottom of a company-wide to a high-spirited, energetic and promising enterprises mental outlook, the concept of health inspire and guide workers keep making progress. McDonald focus on meticulous management, cultivate awareness of staff to establish the details determine success or failure , to improve management efficiency through good detail, to build a strong team through good detail, use good details to regulate employee behavior, good restraints of organizational culture in the system can be fully demonstrated. McDonald also enhance their employees sense of belonging through methods such as uniform dress; strengthen employees collaborate awareness; care for each other, help each other; actively promote flexible management to encourages employees to breakthrough program of the work to form a flexible internal strengthen collaboration between employees. scientific management be ing taken to improve the sense of community of employees. The functions of organizational culture impact on management 3.1 The organizational culture is the basis of the Strategic Management, Strategic management is to determine its mission, according to the external environment and internal conditions to set the strategic objectives of the enterprise, in order to ensure the correct implementation of the goals and progress plan, and rely on internal capabilities implemented this kind of planning and decision-making, constraints in the implementation process of a dynamic management process. The organizational culture is the value orientation of the enterprise for a variety of internal and external affairs and resources, enterprises in the long-term organizational values, under the guidance of shared values, guiding principles and select corporate behavior. Excellent organizational culture is an important condition for business strategy development and success. It can highlight the characteristics of enterprises, the formation of the common values of the members of the enterprise, also because of its d istinctive personality, more conducive to enterprise to develop a distinctive strategy of defeating the enemy. Strategy formulation process of collective behavior, establish above the values and beliefs of the organization members.(Hampden-Turner, 1990) Based on the wishes of the members of organization, the guidance from particular culture, to develop corporate strategy around the organizational culture. Therefore, the organizational culture is the basis of corporate strategic planning, development and implementation. 3.2 The relevance of the organizational culture and strategic management In order to maintain the organizational culture and strategic management of mutual synergy, the need for a comprehensive understanding of the positive and negative effect on the strategic management of cultural enterprises to analysis out how to change the organizational strategy culture. (Islam and Zyphur, 2009) 3.2.1 The positive role of the organizational culture on strategic management 3.2.1.1Corporate mission and values are important factors for an enterprise culture, so that employees can identify with the organizations business philosophy and creed. The formulation of corporate strategy is bound to affected by a mission. The corporate mission defines the scope and level of the enterprises operating in the field of socio-economic activities, represents the corporate identity and role in the socio-economic activities. The core corporate values of the organizational culture guide the enterprises own strategy development to built on the basis of the values required of following the market and the enterprises own progress. When employees were able to agree with the companys values, you would think that the efforts they made for the enterprise role, valuable sense of collective identity value will give employees greater satisfaction, and this sense of satisfaction in turn will more promote the dedication of the staff of the enterprise.(Halpin Croft, 1963) 3.2.1.2 Culture played a stable role of organization in corporate strategy design, implementation. It guides and shapes the attitude and behavior of employees, make the employees to accept corporate norms and canonical role of restraint mechanisms, and the guidance play the role of restraint mechanisms to encourage their employees to achieve the behavior that enterprises expect. In the perspective of time corporate strategic constraints can be divided into prior constraints, afterwards constraints and any time constraints. Prior constraints requires to design a good valid strategic plan before the implementation of the it, however, it must be designed harmony with the organizational culture, if there is the deviation between the two, the organizational culture will play its regulatory role for the prior constraints goes smoothly. Organizational culture play its strategic constraintsis more significantly embodied in the adjustment of afterwards constraints. It is based on the spirit o f enterprise, to fully exploit the employees of self-restraint and self-regulation, use of a humane way to adjust, thus it can greatly reducing friction and communication costs of personnel in the process of implementation of the strategy, in order to promote the implementation of the strategy within the enterprise. 3.2.1.3 Organizational culture as a driving force of the strategy and continuously improve business performance, profitability and productivity, it become a powerful internal driving force. Culture enables members to understand the historical tradition and the present approach to business, provided to the staff a reasonable explanation for the events of the past of the enterprise, thus to facilitate the employees to understand their proper representation in the future in the similar incidents. This kind of non-institutional factors will enable more humane management to constrain the opportunistic behavior of managers and employees, thus promoting the effective implementation of the corporate strategy.(Hofstede, 1991) 3.2.2 The negative role of the organizational culture on strategic management 3.2.2.1 Due to cultural difference between the various levels of the organization, when the overall strategy reached out the various departments, they have varying degrees of conflict and contradiction, the contradiction of this conflict will reduce the degree of integration of the entire department and hinder the corporate strategy implementation. However, due to the enterprise implement this kind of division of work, it will lead to a split and the formation of the sub-culture of organizational culture. Strategic management of the enterprise is to unify to form a unified concept of progress of the internal culture, it needs to coordinate the various departments grading, but this requires enterprises to pay the considerable cost, but also need to do ideological adjustment for the department have a propensity of conflict.(Kotter, 1992) 3.2.2.2 The existing organizational culture has been difficult to adapt to the progress of modern society and the enterprise. In order to adapt better to the external environment, to implement the new strategy, many enterprises began to change the organizational culture that are existing. The original culture has been deeply rooted within the enterprise, with the sudden shift, there will be great progress resistance.(Kotter, 1992) 3.2.2.3 People employed in the enterprise have the different cultural background, there is a significant difference between them. The companies believe that this can boost the organization to achieve enterprise multifaceted progress. Employees bear a strong organizational culture will naturally accept this culture, behavior consistent with its own characteristics will not be reflected in order to lead to the formation of a single environmental systems, lack of constructive sounds and opinion, the employees will not spend more time to update and improve the internal management of the enterprise, no innovative force at all.(RSA 1995) Take Apple Inc. as the example, first, the business guiding ideology inadaptability lead to strategic mistakes. Apple does not like to hear someone accusations that he is wrong, and hope that regardless of their own employees, or the hot suitors of the outside world can stand together with his firmly. With the culture of to go it alone will inevitably lead to the companys operating guiding ideology to a product-oriented, which leads the direction of the company and the market demand is difficult to coordinate. Secondly, Lack of coordination within the organization, and inconsistent. Leadership is one thing to develop workflow and truthfully feedback process of the team is another matter entirely. Former Apple designer Andrew Poirot Minkowski, (Andrew Borovsky) said: from the design, each of the underlying designers is extremely difficult to get direct feedback from the executives. Typically, if you are not receiving a positive reply, then it is told you to stop doing stupid things. Third, over-reliance on individual heroes, serious personality cult. Apple has a unique program, that is to cultivate a person whether he is competent, supervisor, or a common staff on behalf of Steve Jobs eligibility. Steve Jobs is a dictator of the company, all of the key decision-making as well as a lot of seemingly inconsequential decisions are made by him. These decisions include how to design the route of shuttle for employees in San Francisco city, what kind of food served in cafeteria. However, as Jobs can insight into the companys all move, he has not see if he is not sitting in the CEOchair, the situation will be very different. 3.3 Changes of organizational culture in the strategic management Re-examine and make appropriate modifications and adjustment to the original values of the organization. Because strategic change and implementation will eventually be implemented into every employees action, so to promote the people of organization to have the idea of change, innovation to the current values, in order to match the new framework for the implementation of the strategy is the value basis whether strategy can be implemented. Second, the culture of innovation concept, allow employees to take the initiative to participate in the innovation. And discuss with the staff of the strategic implementation plan, establish them a clear understanding of the external and internal environment changes, inform the role of that can be brought with the concept of change to the employees, and strengthen the implementation of the identity of the employees on the strategic management. Lastly, establish feedback and timely adjustment mechanism in the organization to allowed full communicatio n of the cultural contradictions.(Schein, 1985) If there is no fast and efficient information system to accept and feedback, no effective coordination and monitoring system for the overall situation, then the implementation of strategic management of the enterprise is bound have actual deviation because of lack of timely and correct information feedback, making the entire implementation process cannot be constrained effectively, then, affect the final implementation, failed to achieve the established strategic objectives. Correctly understand and grasp the the complementary dialectical contact between corporate strategy and organizational culture can help to improve the overall quality and competitiveness of enterprises, promote enterprise taking quality, rapidly, sustained and healthy progress. Conclusion The role of the organizational culture in the corporate management is to manage strictly, focusing on the incentive to cultivate employees sense of responsibility and solidarity, like the physical form of the product, as it is perceivable, organizational culture cohesive people internally, improve operations externally, also strengthen the management, make the vitality of enterprises to develop and create a strong competitive. Ancient and modern history shows that the closed culture inevitably lead to stagnation and degradation of the society, open culture will inevitably lead to the prosperity of society and evolution, it is the same for companies, so to strengthen the integration of the organizational culture is the right choice for corporate survival and sustainable development. In the management applications of the organizational culture, people-oriented is most able to attract talent, now, many businesses and entrepreneurs advertised himself as a people-oriented. However, in the enterprise management system, the leadership style of the business owners in the allocation of the enterprise, the basic living and working conditions of the workers, and so on are not the slightest reflects of the attitude of true respect to talents, to employees, then people-oriented is illusory. In the market economy, if the businesses want to be invincible, business leaders must fully understand and know the advantages and shortcomings of the enterprise. To prevent and overcome their own shortcomings in order to cope in a market economy. Operations are art , management are science, and the system is the guarantee, talent is fundamental. Grasp a good business operation, management, system, talent, then the company could hopely have a healthy development, also could truly establish their own organizational culture.