A critical review and response to a relevant research paper in Essay

A basic audit and reaction to an important research paper corresponding to shielding. (5000 words) - Essay Example Childcare proficient everywhere throughout the world, have consistently put the interests of the kid first, more so with regards to ‘physical misuse and hazard to life’(Hagan, 2006 pg 24). They are on the right track to be along these lines, since, youngster shielding and insurance are even more a privilege than a need. Defending spreads the parts of a youngster crossing from early life to development. Defending spotlights on the turn of events, considering possible dangers and vulnerabilities while developing an environment ‘focused on youngsters as future citizens’ (Parton, 2011 pg 856 †857). Kid assurance is very fundamental in its own regard, be that as it may, shielding exceeds insurance since it is therapeudic preventive instead of corrective. Knife et al., (2009 pg 13) solidly demands that youngsters ought to be put at the focal point of the defending procedure. Parton’s (2011) study purposed to reveal insight into strategy advancement and discussion in England, according to youngster security and defending. He lays accentuation on the noteworthy change in strategy throughout the years. By having this article distributed by the British Journal of Social Work, with the power and order it bears in this field, the article affirms it quality and importance. It is, be that as it may, insufficient to vouch for an article dependent on who, or where it included; there is the requirement for additional investigation and research by all partners. This assists impact with rehearsing and even approach. In this paper, consequently, I will fundamentally target dissecting Parton’s article, giving a rundown and a study thereof. Parton’s principle reason for existing was to reflect in a basic manner, the advancements in strategy, just as discussions in England in issues of kid assurance and defending (Parton, 2011). By stressing on strategy changes in a range of 20 years, he planned for placing the state on the spotlight in issues of its commitment to this change. The specialist neither depicts the state as having bombed in issues of strategy improvement, nor does he

The relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic Essay

The connection between enterprise, advancement and financial turn of events - Essay Example Presentation The 21st century corporate world is portrayed by various business substances that depend on the reasonableness in their individual markets. Jones (2006) characterizes enterprise as a manner by which an association or an individual understands a business opportunity, accumulates assets and sets up viable methodologies and plans to dispatch their thought into making benefit. Furthermore, the creator calls attention to that business enterprise additionally includes identifying holes in the market and utilizing suitable procedures to make the most of the chance. Advancement alludes to the capacity of an association to create procedures and practices that would acknowledge factors on globalization and innovation. Advancement is a training that perceives innovative advances and the advantages that accompanies it to produce business openings and create existing business thoughts. In a contention by Jones development is a significant factor in the corporate world as it is utiliz ed to viably put associations is position in accordance with the current rising patterns in the corporate world. For example, Cullen and Gordon (2007) refer to that the utilization of web-based social networking advertising is an advancement model which most associations in the cutting edge century have executed into their frameworks. With online networking showcasing an organization enormously cuts its advertising expenses and connects with a more prominent shopper populace. Monetary advancement then again alludes to the means which the money related and financial status has improved in a specific timeframe. Monetary improvement is upgraded by the guilty pleasure of more associations and business visionaries in the corporate world. This builds the work input thus improving the level at which funds in a specific area is created. Monetary improvement is additionally characterized by Nanda &Sorenson (2007) as the pace of value turnover increment in a nation. Aside from the element s affected on the money related status, financial improvement can likewise be characterized by the rate at which business people adventure into the corporate world. Enterprising movement and its impact on advancement In a contention by Salgado-Banda (2005) pioneering society helps in the improvement of development and furthermore advances the way of life. Advancement relies upon individuals or associations to grow new procedures and plans to wander into the market. Then again, enterprise relies upon advancement for creativity and new market entrance. Jones (2005) contends that advancement essentially shapes the bearing of both monetary turn of events and business enterprise. The more noteworthy the number of inhabitants in business visionaries the more prominent the degree of development would ascend in the corporate world. While characterizing business enterprise, Salgado-Banda (2005) brings up that the bad habit is an improvement of thoughts and production of new market techniques . These are the primary parts of development. Also, enterprise advances rivalry and the development of new business elements in the market. An expansion on the quantity of providers makes a requirement for each substance to increase an extraordinary upper hand. For this to be accomplished, new passageways need to grow new and remarkable plans to fulfill the requesting shopper showcase. This endeavor to pick up predominance improves the degree of advancement (Salgado-Banda, 2005).The creator further contends that innov

UK Teacher Numbers Drop by 10,000 in a Year

UK Teacher Numbers Drop by 10,000 in a Year The OE Blog A startling new government statistic revealed on the BBC News website has shown that the number of state school teachers in England has plummeted by 10,000 in a single year. Education Cuts The news comes amid rising fears that deep cuts to the education budget might be having an adverse impact on the quality of teaching throughout the English education system. First we saw lecturers and senior university teaching staff fighting for their jobs, leading to increased higher education class sizes and a competitive market system introduced for university places. Many feared this might lead to the commercialisation of the university sector, with the focus subsequently switching from academic excellence to customer satisfaction and value for money, as cuts forced universities to compete for applicants. Now commentators fear that a similar climate of belt-tightening is having an impact further down the education system, as the news of this sudden drop in teacher numbers is greeted by explanations of tight budgets and difficult financial decisions. The suggestion seems to be that with less money to go around, fewer teachers can be hired and many are even losing their jobs. Department for Education Excuses Ironically, the Department for Education told the BBC News website that the reason for the apparently shocking drop in numbers was simply the fact that many schools are becoming academies and thus organising teacher employment independently of the state system. But with more than half of schools in England applying for academy status, this seems unlikely to be the reason, as the 10,000 figure doesn’t seem high enough to fit such an explanation. In addition, it is ironic that the Department for Education should cite academies as a reassurance, when many of those concerned about the failing English state school system are particularly worried about the diversion of funds into new academies rather than focusing on the improvement of already unsatisfactory state school facilities. Downgrading Staff? Another interesting statistic that may shed some light on the problem is the news that the number of teaching assistants in English schools has trebled in the past decade. This strongly suggests echoes of the same situation we have seen spreading throughout other employment sectors since the onset of the recession, where more senior, highly-paid employees are gradually decreased as younger, less-experienced staff are brought in in low-paid roles to replace them at a cheaper rate. This is similar to the problem in the business world at the moment where many university graduates are finding themselves working their socks off in unpaid internships as companies juggle lower budgets but try to achieve the same high work output. Whatever the reason, such a dramatic drop in teacher numbers is unlikely to be allowed to be swept under the carpet â€" the Department for Education is going to have some more explaining to do before too long.

The Islamic State Of Iraq And Syria - 1592 Words

The radical Islamic terrorist organization, recently re-titled â€Å"the Islamic State,† has existed under several names since the 1990s. Its history is an epic of how modern terrorism progressed from a religious and political ideal into an obliterating cult. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is a properly-armed group that is a threat to the global security. ISIS, whose merciless members delight in murdering innocent people, must be destroyed before its fanatical followers carry out further genocides. There is an ongoing debate on whether the United States ought to take stronger military actions against the extremist organization, ISIS, or not. Supposing that the United State does not act promptly, ISIS will fortify its territory and†¦show more content†¦They are sacrificing natural laws and human mortality in their pursuit to prevent corruption. ISIS forbids freedom of speech and implements their laws by force, ignoring the fact that every individual has the right to speak for themselves. By viciously persecuting those of different races and religions, ISIS implements extreme forms of Islamic law in the regions it controls (â€Å"Islamic State (ISIS)†). For instance, recently ISIS has carried out a mass beheading of twenty-one Christian, Egyptian individuals living in Libya and continually murder anyone who refuses to convert to Islam or refuses to follow their extreme regulations of Islam. Apart from extorting Iraq, the Islamic state sell Iraqis artifacts and tax civilians, to raise funds to carry out its unlawful movements (â€Å"Islamic State (ISIS)†). ISIS commits countless activities that are prohibited by many constitutional laws set in developed countries. Since the United States’ army has been involved in many major world wars, in addition to the Korean, Vietnam, and the Gulf War, it ought to be involved in the Global War on Terrorism to aid many innocent civilians who are being tortured without a cause. To remain as a world power and to secure its status and position in foreign countries, the United States is obliged to take a strong action against this radical group, remembering that if ISIS continues to spread there is no doubt that they will reach the west and United States’ borders.

Psychological Perspectives And Related Research Studies

An outline and evaluation of three psychological perspectives and related research studies Introduction The behaviourist approach transformed psychology in 1913 when John Watson put forward the theory that psychology should be about the study of observable behaviour ignoring all mental processes such as thoughts and emotions (Malim 1998). He viewed introspection as not being a reliable and objective method for psychological study and believed the aim of psychology should be to understand and control behaviour (ibid). He proposed that psychology should be seen as a science using controlled variables within experimentation (McLeod 2007a). This scientific approach made for a dependable method of assessing behaviour, however, critics of this approach argued that this method created artificial situations holding little ecological validity (ibid). Behaviourists also believe we are all born a blank slate and that all behaviour is determined from learning from a person’s own environmental experiences either through classical conditioning, associating an external stimulus and a behaviour al response, or through operant conditioning, association via consequences where behaviour is shaped through reward or punishment (Malim 1998). However this belief doesn’t take into account a person’s spontaneity, creativity or their ability to solve problems without the time consuming trial and error process that behaviourists believe is necessary (ibid). Furthermore it fails to take intoShow MoreRelatedLow Socioeconomic Status Essay1566 Words   |  7 Pagesone’s psychological well-being is well established. Prior studies show that low-SES not only impacts individuals’ mental well-being, but also affects their children’s developmental trajectories. 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Attachment theory was originallyRead MoreThe Field of Psychology840 Words   |  3 PagesPsychology is a discipline of social science that encompasses nearly every aspect of the human experience. The field of psychology addresses the entire gamut of human behavior and the complexities of emotion. Issues related to perception and cognition are included in psychological research. Neurobiology and neurophysiology also fall under the rubric of psychology. At the same time, psychology embraces less quantifiable variables in the human experience, such as emotional responses and altered statesRead MoreThe Effects Of Psychological Contract On The Human Resource Management Discipline1047 Words   |  5 Pages The psychological contract describes the relationship between employer and employee in terms of the unwritten, informal and implicit expectations that exist in the workplace (D’Annunzio-Green Francis, 2005). 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Misperceptions created by popular media as well as the diverse careers paths of those holding psychology degrees have contributed this confusion. Psychology is both an applied and academic field that studies the human mind and behavior. Research in psychology seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion, and behavior. Applications of psychologyRead MoreResearch With Foster Children : Ethical Dilemmas1135 Words   |  5 PagesResearch with foster children Ethical dilemmas are one of the many sensitive issues that come with doing psychological research with human participants. As seen in several famous psychology studies such as the Stanford prison experiment, Milgram experiment, and Tuskegee experiment, ethics in psychological studies are important to protect both the individuals being subjected to research and the researcher. While these specific experiments did not include children, it does bring up an important conversationRead MoreFoundations of Psychology771 Words   |  4 PagesPsychology Psychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. There is some tension between scientific psychology (with its program of empirical research) and applied psychology (dealing with a number of areas). Psychologists attempt to explain the mind and brain in the context of real life. In contrast neurologists utilize a physiological approach. Psychologists study such phenomena as perception, cognition, emotion, personality, behavior, andRead MoreThe Theories Of The Theory Of Psychology1493 Words   |  6 PagesBritish political philosopher named John Locke had re-disputed over this topic within the 1600s, allowing more ideas that contributed to the foundations of Psychology. Important milestones within psychology’s early development was when the first psychological laboratory in 1879 in Germany by a man named Wilhelm Wundt. Soon after, psychology was organized into different categories of structuralism, functionalism, and behaviorism. Although, the first two schools were only about structuralism and functionalism

Value of Diversity in the Workplace Free Essays

The global workplace has made diversity a significant issue. Companies have to adjust how they operate so they can accommodate the diverse customer base that is growing. It is important for any organization to consist of employees who can bring different skills, abilities, and culture to workplace. We will write a custom essay sample on Value of Diversity in the Workplace or any similar topic only for you Order Now Developing effective intercultural communication within the workplace will allow the connection between employees and customers with different cultural backgrounds and languages. Introduction In today’s society, a diverse workforce is needed to accommodate the different multicultural backgrounds that make it up. The value of diversity in a workplace is important because of the different sets of skills and backgrounds a company has to offer when trying to solve conflicts and provide effective solutions. This paper will recap an incident that happened at an insurance agency because of the lack of diversity, along with the ramifications, and strategies that may have facilitated a more successful resolution. Diversity issue in the workplace I have experienced how lack of diversity in the workplace can cause conflict for the organization. A few years back I worked for an insurance agency in south Louisiana. The agency consisted of the head agent and owner, who is a male, and four women who worked for him, to include myself. One day a Hispanic couple came in to purchase some insurance policies for their home and vehicles. The issue was the couple spoke only Spanish. The percentage of Hispanics in south Louisiana was very low at the time and there was not a high demand for bilingual employees who spoke Spanish. Because of the lack of diversity in the office, none of the employees spoke fluent Spanish to help the potential new customers. The employees who knew a little Spanish tried to communicate as best they could but to no avail. The couple became very angry at the insurance agency’s poor attempt to communicate with them. They left the office outraged and stated that would never recommend this company to anyone. Ramifications As a result of this lack of diversity in the insurance agency, the agency itself, employees, and potential customers were impacted. The agency lost a customer and revenue because of a lack of diversity in the office. Not only did the company lose one customer but also the potential of future customers that may be recommended from the couple. This issue left the employees upset and stressed about not being able to help a customer. Since the start of business the agency has been a customer- oriented company, and has taken pride in providing the best customer service in the area. This situation left the owner distraught because he lost potential income for his business. To make matters worse, the couple filed a complaint against the agency for not having a bilingual employee in the office. The agency had never received a negative complaint for customer service. Strategies. Diversity in the workplace can help companies avoid unnecessary issues in the workplace. Diversity also gives the company leverage over their competitors. In smaller companies a lack of diversity is almost inevitable, but if approached in the right way it can be avoided. The diversity issue the insurance agency was faced with could have been resolved if the agency had been aware of the influx of the Hispanic population in south Louisiana. In order to stay ahead of the competition, the agency should have kept up on the different types of people moving into the area. In order for the insurance agency to address the lack of diversity for the possibility of future occurrences, the hiring protocol the agency follows will need to be modified. â€Å"A diverse collection of skills and experiences (e. g. languages, cultural understanding) allows a company to provide service to customers on a global basis† (Greenburg, 2004). The possible issue that may arise from this protocol is finding a qualified person with this skill. This approach though would not benefit the agency right away because of the low turn around of employees and the low number of employees the agency is able to keep employed. Another way to address the issue would be for the insurance agency to pay for at least one, if not all, of the employees to attend a class that teaches the Spanish language. This task may be hard for the insurance agency to complete because of funding and for the employees because of extra time needed to attend the class. For the future, this type of training would benefit the insurance agency by increasing the potential number of customers it can provide a service to. Conclusion Diversity is becoming a necessity in the workplace in today’s global working environment. A multicultural society forces companies to employ a diverse workforce so they can adapt â€Å"to fluctuating markets and customer demands† (Greenburg, 2004). Having a diverse workforce will appeal to a larger diverse customer base that will benefit the growth for any company. References Greenberg, J. (2004). Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits, Challenges and Solutions. The Multicultural Advantage: Career Management and Job Info for Professionals from Diverse Backgrounds. Retrieved from http://www. multiculturaladvantage. com/recruit/diversity/Diversity-in-the-Workplace-Benefits-Challenges-Solutions. asp How to cite Value of Diversity in the Workplace, Papers

Invasion Of Privacy Essays - Human Rights, Digital Rights

Invasion of Privacy Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. - U.S Constitution, First Amendment The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. - U.S. Constitution, Fourth Amendment - It's two o'clock on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon and your sleeping in your dorm room. The ringing of the telephone awakens you. You drudgingly get out of bed and pick up the phone and say, Hello! The voice on the other end says, Hi. This is Robert from the Stony Brook Intranet Monitoring Board and we have noticed that there has been illegal usage of university bandwidth from your computer. You are startled and you ask, What are you talking about? I have no idea, what you are talking about? The voice responds, We have been monitoring the university network and we have noticed that so-and-so from Hand College in room 417A has been receiving or downloading mp3s and other files from your computer. Surprised, you answer, Really? I didn't even know. The voice on the other end responds, Please take off any and all illegal information or data that you may have up on the network or else we will have to take action. Unsure about what he means, you say, Ok. I'll do it right away. You quickly h ang up and turn off your computer. You think to yourself, have they been monitoring everything I've been doing on my computer? This is a true story that occurs on the campuses of many colleges and universities around the country. The tale brings up a controversial debate on the rights of citizens as well as the rights of students. The major question, which is brought to attention, is that do educational institutions have the right to monitor what goes on in the school's network or is it an invasion of privacy to monitor the students? We live in a time, which we call the Information Age. Our society is evolving and progressing striving to obtain any and all information that exists in the world. The advances in the telecommunication technology have made it faster and easier to communicate and transmit information. During our march toward a more informed society, the right to privacy has been illegally violated and trampled. Schools have no right to search their student's computers for mp3s or any other information. Prohibited by the Fourth Amendment from making secret searches, law-enforcement and in this case educational institutions must announce themselves before entering and only seize property after showing the students a warrant. These illegal monitoring of student activity between computers could be seen as the same thing as eavesdropping on telephone conversations, which is illegal. Another issue regarding the violation of rights through the monitoring of student activity on the network is that the overhead supervision violates First Amendment rights, specifically the freedom of speech and freedom of press. What if the students created websites that contained mp3s on it? These websites would be uploaded on the school's network but would that give the school the right to censor or monitor what's being put up on the school's network? This question brings up concerns of the student's rights. It should be noted that when student's create a website, they are actually publishing a website. If the university was to censor or monitor the information being put on the website it would be a violation of a citizen's freedom of press. The question that comes up is that does a student lose some of his God-given rights when he becomes a student at a public or private educational institution. Students do have rights but once they have been registered into the universities databases they have to follow the restrictions and guidelines set forth by the school. Since students are placing their mp3s and other data on

Killer Angels by Walter Dean meyers essays

Killer Angels by Walter Dean meyers essays Expecting the unexpected is the perfect phrase that matches the historical but fictional novel, Fallen Angels. Richie Perry , the protagonist, had just joined the army and later fought for several months on 1967 and 1968 in the Vietnam War. When he first joined though, the author, Walter Dean Myers, gave Richie illusions to how war was supposed to be. Richie, like other soldiers in the novel, expected wars to be just like movies and stories. They always showed battles as heroic, glorious, etc. But during that time at war, those illusions were hardly close to the reality of what war was supposed to be. As a result, Richie found himself struggling to come to terms with the horrifying reality of war, which contradicts the myths about the war that he At first, Richie didnt want to let go of his beliefs on war. He believed that the good, smart, and careful soldiers were the ones that always survived while death came to enemies, unskilled soldiers, and just all-around bad people. The longer he stayed fighting in the war was the more he realized how wrong he was. Death, to him, was now unfair and random. One example of how death was unfair and random would be by a man named of Jenkins. Jenkins was young man who went to war only because his father wanted him to. He spent about two days in the war and as a result, he got killed instantly by stepping on a hidden landmine. This death was unfair because it wasnt his decision to go to war and he had no control over his death. It was random also because he had went through a little battle and later died just when he and the rest of the soldiers with him were reentering their camp. Richie also believed that life in the army would be much more simple than complex. He believed that all the soldiers would be heroic, glorious, and the army would have a lot of help and ...

The Role of the Congress in U.S. Foreign Policy

The Role of the Congress in U.S. Foreign Policy As with virtually all U.S. government policy decisions, the executive branch, including the president, and Congress share responsibility in what ideally is a collaboration on foreign policy issues. Congress controls the purse strings, so it has significant influence over all kinds of federal issues including foreign policy. Most important is the oversight role played by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The House and Senate Committees The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has a special role to play because the Senate must approve all treaties and nominations to key foreign policy postings and make decisions about legislation in the foreign policy arena. An example is the usually intense questioning of a nominee to be secretary of state by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Members of that committee have a great deal of influence over how U.S. foreign policy is conducted and who represents the United States around the world. The House Committee on Foreign Affairs has less authority, but it still plays an important role in passing the foreign affairs budget and in investigating how that money is used. Senate and House members often travel abroad on fact-finding missions to places deemed vital to U.S. national interests. War Powers Certainly, the most important authority given to Congress overall is the power to declare war and to raise and support the armed forces. The authority is granted in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution. But this congressional power as granted by the Constitution has always been a flashpoint of tension between the Congress and the presidents constitutional role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. It came to a boiling point in 1973, in the wake of the unrest and divisiveness caused by the Vietnam War, when Congress passed the controversial War Powers Act over the veto of President Richard Nixon to address situations where sending U.S. troops abroad could result in involving them in armed action and how the president could carry out military  action while still keeping Congress in the loop. Since the passage of the War Powers Act, presidents have viewed it as an unconstitutional infringement on their executive powers, reports the Law Library of Congress, and it has remained surrounded by controversy. Lobbying Congress, more than any other part of the federal government, is the place where special interests seek to have their issues addressed. And this creates a large lobbying and policy-crafting industry, much of which is focused on foreign affairs. Americans concerned about Cuba, agricultural imports, human rights, global climate change, immigration, among many other issues, seek out members of the House and Senate to influence legislation and budget decisions.

The birth and rise of islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The birth and rise of islam - Essay Example God, provides the basis for a collective sense of loyalty to God that transcends race, nationality, class and even differences in religious practice. Thus, all Muslims belong to one community, the umma, irrespective of their ethnic or national background Muhammad was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, about 570 C.E. His father, ‘Abd Allah, died before Muhammad’s birth. His mother, Aminah, died when he was about six years old. At that time the Arabs practiced a form of worship of Allah that was centered in the Mecca valley, at the sacred site of the Kabah. A simple cube like building where a black meteorite was revered. As Muhammad grew up, he questioned the practices of his day. At age 25, Muhammad married Khadija, a well-to-do, 40-year-old woman. At age 40, during a retreat in the hills outside Mecca, Muhammad had his first experience of Islam. The angel Gabriel appeared to a fearful Muhammad and informed him that he was Gods chosen messenger. Gabriel also communicated to Muhammad the first revelation from God. Terrified and shaken, Muhammad went to his home. His wife became the first person to accept his message and convert to Islam. After receiving a series of additional revelations, Muhammad started preaching the new reli gion, initially to a small circle of relatives and friends, and then to the general public. The Meccans first ignored Muhammad, then ridiculed him. As more people accepted Muhammads call, the Meccans became more aggressive. After failing to sway Muhammad away from the new religion they started to persecute his less prominent followers. When this approach did not work, the opposing Meccans decided to persecute Muhammad himself. By this time, two main tribes from the city of Yathrib, about 300 km (200 mi) north of Mecca, had invited Muhammad to live there. The clan leaders invited Muhammad to Yathrib as an impartial religious authority to arbitrate disputes. In return, the leaders pledged to accept Muhammad as a prophet and thus support the new

Dissertation Chapter4 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Chapter4 - Dissertation Example In this chapter of the dissertation, we will showcase the data gathered, the analysis done and the results drawn from those analyses. 4.2 Descriptive analysis Throughout the study we have mainly done the analysis part with the help of one-way ANOVA and T test. ANOVA is an assortment of statistical tools that helps the reader to arrive at a certain inference. Inference is the process of obtaining rational conclusions from some assumed or known assertions. ANOVA analyzes the deviation between the means of various groups as well as the deviation that happens to take place within the groups (physics.csbsju.edu, n.d.). Moreover in an ANOVA background, the detected variance existing in a definite variable is classified into particular components that feature a range of variation sources. ANOVA can be used for multiple factors as well as for a single factor. In the present dissertation we have divided the main questions into seven groups and for each group we have conducted one way ANOVA i. e. ANOVA for single factor (csse.monash.edu.au, n.d.). The single factor ANOVA is used to differentiate between the mean values of two or more samples with the application of F test (people.richland.edu, n.d.). This procedure is only suitable for analyzing numerical data. The technique involves testing the null hypothesis of the samples belonging to two or more groups within a population having equal mean values. The ANOVA generates an F statistic, where if the mean values of the groups are obtained from population having similar mean values, then the group means variance should be lesser than that of the variance contained by the samples (Leitzel, 2009). On the contrary a greater ratio consequently signifies that the samples were gathered from the populations having different value for their means. After the vivid description of the ANOVA technique, we would now discuss the T test. It is conducted for testing statistical hypothesis in which the statistics of the test pursue a Stude nt’s t distribution in the case when the null hypothesis is supported. We are considering the T test because the standard deviation of the population here is unknown. The â€Å"Levene’s Test for Equality of Variances† have been used in the analysis of the data as this test provides us with the information stating whether a hypothesis of the t-test has been achieved (Engineering Statistics Handbook, n.d.). T-test presumes that the inconsistency of each group remains almost same. When the assumptions of the t test are not met, then a specific kind of the t-test is applied which we will discuss in the next sections of the chapter. 4.3 Demographic profile The demographic profiles of the consumers both belonging to the UK and Thailand will be discussed in this section. Here we have used the descriptive statistics technique for analyzing the data gathered relating to the demographic profiles of the respondents. This technique is basically used for summarizing a sample and it is different from inferential statistics (Khan Academy, 2013), where the data is used for learning about a population which the sample has been assumed to represent. Moreover descriptive statistics is not based on probability theory unlike the inferential stati

Impact of Deforestation

Impact of Deforestation The destruction of our planets forest is one of the most important modern environmental issue today. People, 1.6 billion, are dependent on forests for their livelihoods with some 300 million living in them (Lawson). The forest industry is the basis of economic growth and employment (Boucher, Elias and Lininger). Global forest products are estimated to be worth $327 billion (Chakravarty, Ghosh and Suresh). U.S., Japanese, and European companies destroy more rain forest than other companies (Boucher, Elias and Lininger). These companies countries are rich. There is a high demand in these countries for more forest products. Their willingness to pay for rain forest products adds to the problem of deforestation. Forests cover almost a third of the earths land surface providing many environmental benefits including a major role in the hydrologic cycle, soil conservation, prevention of climate change and preservation of biodiversity (Kissinger, Herold and De Sy). The problem is that the pla net has lost 30% of its forests over the past 25 years, which is the size of South Africa (Scientific American). If the current rate of deforestation, the conversion of forest to an alternative permanent non-forested land (Chakravarty, Ghosh and Suresh), continues, forests will vanish within 100 years causing unknown effects on global climate and eliminating the majority of plant and animal species on the planet (Urquhart, Chomentowski and Skole). This is demonstrated by the change of forestland to other uses such as agriculture, infrastructure, urban development, industry and others. Deforestation began from the formation of early civilizations. The Laws of Manu is replete with passages referring to the formation of human habitat by clearing the jungle (Mahbub Uddin Ahmed). Michael Williams in his journal article, Dark ages and dark areas: global deforestation in the deep past, discuss how humans have cleared forest since man first discovered fire. Williams discusses that archaeology is showing that the clearing of the forests in Europe during the middle ages was reversed when the bubonic plague reduced the population. William describes the impact that the ancient Mayans, Inca and Aztec had on the forest of Central and South America. During the colonization of the United States and Canada, millions of Native Americans died because of the introduction of diseases letting forest reclaim their land (Williams). Even though history has seen the destruction and regrowth of forests, it has not been on the global scale we are seeing now. In fact, in the continental Unite d States, 90% of indigenous forests have been removed since 1600. In 1839, a young man named Frederick Engels wrote letters home to Germany describing what life was like in the industrializing United States at the time. He writes of the ruthless destruction of the environment and the misery that resulted on the working class (Mahbub Uddin Ahmed). Deforestation occurs in many ways. One of the first step in the process of deforestation is to clear the land for logging or mining. Usually roads are cut through forest to open the area (Steinfeld). Roads into the forest are cleared for the large equipment needed such as bulldozers, road graders and log skidders (Urquhart, Chomentowski and Skole). The area where the roads cut through may not even be in the areas designated for logging or mining, but just the clearing of trees for these roads starts the process of deforestation for the areas the roads run through. Once the roads are completed most of the forests around the logging and mining areas are lost to agriculture, the planting of crops and the pasturing of cattle (Steinfeld). Forests are also lost to poor farmers in poverty areas especially those who live by tropical rain forests (Boucher, Elias and Lininger). In a tropical rain forest, nearly all of the nutrients are found in the plants and trees, not in the ground as in a n orthern, or temperate forest. When the plants and trees are cut down to plant crops. farmers usually burn the tree trunks to release the nutrients necessary for a fertile soil (Urquhart, Chomentowski and Skole). When the rains come, they wash away most of the nutrients, leaving the soil much less fertile. In as little as 3 years, the ground is no longer capable of supporting crops (Boucher, Elias and Lininger). When the fertility of the ground decreases, farmers seek other areas to clear and plant, abandoning the nutrient-deficient soil. The area previously farmed is left to grow back to a rain forest. However, just as the crops did not grow well because of low nutrients, the forest will grow back just as slow because of poor nutrients. After the land is abandoned, the forest may take up to 50 years to grow back (Boucher, Elias and Lininger). Agriculture is estimated to be the main driver for around 80% of deforestation worldwide. Commercial agriculture has deforested around 2/3 of the forest in Latin America (Kissinger, Herold and De Sy). The findings on global patterns of destruction show that timber extraction and logging activities account for more than 70% of total deforestation in Latin America where cattle and soy are important (Scientific American). In Africa and Asia, agriculture accounts for around 1/3 of deforestation. The timber industry has played a significant role in the deforestation of Southeast Asia where logging is followed by the creation of large palm oil and pulpwood plantations. Mining, infrastructure and urban expansion are important but less prominent (Kissinger, Herold and De Sy). In Africa, the main deforestation drivers are chopping trees for firewood or making charcoal, which opens the land up to farming and livestock grazing. To get a better understanding of deforestation, we first need to examine the driving force behind it. Specifically, human beings role in deforestation. The competition is between humans and other species. This is because of a growing global population and increased demand for food and other natural resources. Many studies confirm that commercial agriculture is the largest direct driver of deforestation in most tropical countries worldwide (Scientific American). Indeed, the growth of commercial agriculture is cited as an important driver of deforestation by nearly all tropical countries (Lawson). The human impact on deforestation varies a great deal between continents. These demands are causing the loss of not only huge areas of forest but also having a major impact on the climate. Deforestation has caused other environmental problems such as increasing soil erosion, landslides, and floods. Erosion occurs a very slow rate, but because of deforestation, the rate has sped up by an estimated 10 to 40 times globally (Moutinho, Paulo and Schwartzman, Stephan). Normally, trees and plant roots slow down erosion because they hold and anchor the soil in place, which prevents its washing away. Forest also control the speed at which the rain moves through the canopy. This allows the water to trickle to the ground and absorb slowly, rather than flow over the surface and wash away the soil. Recent research suggests that about half of the precipitation that falls in a tropical rain forest is a result of its moist green canopy (Moutinho, Paulo and Schwartzman, Stephan) Deforestation of lands for agriculture and development has left large regions of the world infertile. In areas used for urban development, where the ground is covered with a layer of asphalt or concrete it is d ifficult for water to penetrate the ground and this increases the amount of runoff. . In addition, the surface runoff from urban areas is polluted with fuel, oil and other chemicals. Evaporation and evapotranspiration processes from the trees and plants return large quantities of water to the local atmosphere, promoting the formation of clouds and precipitation (Moutinho, Paulo and Schwartzman, Stephan). Scientists predict that increased rainfall intensity and quantity will lead to greater rates of erosion (Akais Okia, Clement). Rising sea levels have also increased the rate of coastal erosion, which has been increasingly problematic for low lying developed areas along the coast, such as in Florida and Hawaii (Akais Okia, Clement). Less evaporation means that more of the Suns energy is able to warm the surface, which is one of the causes heating up the atmosphere. This heating up of the atmosphere and surface of the planet is causing a global climate change that is affecting weather patterns. The warming affects wind patterns and ocean currents, and these changes alter regional weather conditions. In some regions, the weather is becoming drier, leading to droughts and wildfires. In other regions, rainfall is increasing, leading to flooding. The ice sheets surrounding the North Pole and South Pole are slowly disappearing which can also lead to flooding because of the rising ocean levels (Scientific American). Polar ice melt raises ocean levels, which threatens flooding in coastal areas. Some of the worlds smaller islands might disappear completely. According to the United Nations, up to two thousand islands in Indonesia might vanish beneath the rising ocean (United Nations). Global warming is also melting mountain glaciers. Water from the melted ice causes rivers to overflow and flood places where people and animals live. Vanishing glaciers and snow packs pose another problem too. Glaciers and snow packs provide millions of people around the world with freshwater to drink (United Nations). Without those stores of water, people will need to find other sources of fresh water. Studies also suggest that global warming is probably making hurricanes stronger (United Nations) Deforestation not only contributes to global warming because of the forests interaction with water, forests absorb and store huge amounts of CO2, carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The loss of forests generates nearly 50 percent more greenhouse gases than the 25 percent of emissions contributed to the combustion of fossil fuels (Urquhart, Chomentowski and Skole). A plant stores huge amounts of CO2 which it uses during the process of photosynthesis. The amount of carbon dioxide in the air used to be stable (Boucher, Elias and Lininger). For more than half a million years, it held steady at about 280 parts per million (280 parts of carbon dioxide per one million parts of atmosphere) (United Nations). Since, the 1800s, it has increased by about one-third (Williams). Our modern atmosphere contains about 382 parts per million of carbon dioxide-and this level is continuing to rise (Kissinger, Herold and De Sy). Scientists have evidence to suggest that just tropical deforestation is responsi ble for about 20% of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions (Scientific American). When a tree is cut down or burned, the stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere.This growing amount of carbon dioxide is trapping more and more heat in our atmosphere. A stable amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere keeps Earths temperature stable (Scientific American). Deforestation releases that carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and destroys a resource that can store carbon dioxide humans produce in the future. At least half of Earths ten million species live in tropical rain forests even though tropical rain forests cover only 7% of the total dry surface of the Earth (Moutinho, Paulo and Schwartzman, Stephan). Scientists estimates indicate that up to 137 species disappear worldwide each day (United Nations). If rain forest loss continues at its current rate, up to one-third of rain forest species could go extinct by 2040 (Scientific American). That means deforestation could wipe out about one-sixth of Earths species.

Downsizing: the Financial and Human Implications Essay

This essay examines the effects of downsizing with regard to the human and financial implications. Since the mid to late 1980s, downsizing has â€Å"transformed the corporate landscape and changed the lives of hundreds of millions of individuals around the world† (Gandolfi, 2008, p. 3). For the purposes of this essay, downsizing is defined as the planned elimination of jobs, involving redundancies, and is designed to improve financial performance (Macky, 2004). It will be argued that while downsizing can be an effective strategy, it frequently does not improve financial health, and the human implications can be severe and costly. This essay will discuss: first, downsizing definitions; second, motivation for downsizing; third, a brief history of downsizing; fourth, approaches the implementation of downsizing; fifth, the human implications; sixth, the financial consequences; and, seventh, the reasons for the continued use of downsizing. There are differing perspectives regarding the downsizing phenomenon. At the most simple level, the strategy involves a planned contraction of the number of employees in an organisation (Cascio, 1993). For example, Macky (2004) describes downsizing as â€Å"an intentional reduction by management of a firm’s internal labour force using redundancies† (p. 2). However, other definitions encompass a wider range of implementation methods. Cameron (1994) defines downsizing as â€Å"a set of activities, undertaken on the part of the management of an organisation and designed to improve organisational efficiency, productivity, and/or competitiveness† (p. 192). These activities include hiring freezes, salary reductions, voluntary sabbaticals, exit incentives and reducing hours worked by employees. This essay will focus solely on the downsizing activity of redundancies. Various synonyms exist for downsizing, including resizing, rightsizing, smartsizing, restructuring, redundancies and reduction-in-force (Gandolfi, 2010; Macky, 2004). The main motivation for downsizing, at least for private companies, is to improve an organisation’s financial performance, which is also known as profit maximisation (Kammeyer, Liao & Avery, 2001). The factors contributing to downsizing decisions are complex and depend on company-specific, industry-specific and macroeconomic factors (Macky, 2004). In hard times, downsizing is a strategy that may be employed as a quick-fix, reactive response to compensate for reduced profit by reducing human related operational costs (Kowske, Lundby & Rasch, 2009; Ryan & Macky, 1998). In healthy times, the workforce may be reduced as part of a proactive human resource strategy to create a ‘lean and mean’ organisation (Chadwick, Hunter & Watson, 2004; Kowske et al. , 2009). An overwhelming body of academic research suggests that downsizing has surprisingly little success in increasing profitability and shareholder value, even though financial performance is its main intention (Cascio, 2002; De Meuse, Bergmann, Vanderheiden & Roraff, 2004; Lewin & Johnston, 2000). Despite the limited financial success of downsizing, it has remained a popular strategic tool with its use spanning the last three decades. Prior to the 1980s, downsizing was engaged primarily as a last resort, reactive response to changing manufacturing demands. It affected mostly blue-collar, semi-skilled employees (Littler, 1997). In contrast, since the 1980s, workforce reduction has become a leading strategy of choice, affecting employees at all levels, all around the globe (Mirabal & DeYoung, 2005, as cited in Gandolfi, 2008), within a wide variety of organisations encompassing all industries (Littler, 1998; Macky, 2004). Karake-Shalhoub (1999) suggests that downsizing has been the most significant business change of the 1980s. Downsizing increased in popularity during the 1990s, which has subsequently been described as the ‘downsizing decade’ (Dolan, Belout & Balkin, 2000). It has evolved from a reactive strategy in the 1980s, to become used as a proactive strategy. During the 1990s, large scale redundancy programs were viewed as the solution to the issues facing organisations such as AT&T, IBM, General Motors and British Telecom (Kinnie, Hutchinson & Purcell, 1998). The statistics are sobering, Cameron (1994) reported that 85% of Fortune 500 companies were downsized between 1989 and 1994, and 100% were planning to do so within the next five years. Furthermore, figures from the most recent global financial crisis demonstrate that downsizing remains a tool of choice. Rampell (2009) reported in the New York Times that 4. 4 million jobs, in the U. S. alone, were retrenched between September 2007 and March 2009. Two main approaches to the implementation of downsizing are currently employed. The first approach is popularly termed stealth layoffs and the second is referred to as non-selective layoffs (Gandolfi, 2009). Organisations have commonly employed both stealth layoffs and non-selective layoffs during the recent global financial crisis. Stealth layoffs involve an attempt to keep redundancies out of media attention, by making a series of small cuts rather than one large cut. Companies endeavour to save their public reputation from being tainted by their downsizing activities. Managers are not allowed to openly discuss redundancies and a blanket of secrecy is placed over all proceedings, employees are not informed of timing or extent of redundancies (Crosman, 2006). Mc Gregor (2008) reported a wave of people slowly trickling out of organisations. Citigroup provides one example of stealth downsizing. Story & Dash (2008) reported that in April 2007 the company announced elimination of 17,000 jobs. Then in January 2008 Citigroup announced a further 4,200 job cuts, followed by an additional 8,700 in April 2008 (Story & Dash, 2008). Non-selective downsizing involves mass redundancies, across all levels of an organisation. This is problematic because firms are at risk of losing their top performers who are difficult to replace. These are the people that will be required to drive future growth of the firm following the downsizing event. There is plenty of evidence of non-selective downsizing over the current global recession, for instance the finance industry has been deeply affected with U. S. anks making cuts of 65,000 employees between June 2007 and June 2008 (Story & Dash, 2008). Regarding the human implications of downsizing, the literature identifies three groups of people directly affected: the victims, the survivors, and the executioners. Academic studies refer to the victims of downsizing as the individuals who have been involuntarily removed from their positions (Casio, 1993; Dolan et al. , 2000; Gandolfi, 2008; Macky, 2004). The negative effects on victims of downsizing events can be devastating (Havlovick, Bouthillette & van der Wal, 1998). Previously, being well trained was sufficient to ensure a life-long job. However, the increasing competitiveness of the business environment has meant that recent layoffs have included higher paid white-collar workers, many of whom are at the peak of their careers. Victims are affected initially during the planning phase of the downsizing, then immediately following the redundancy announcement, and then in their subsequent employment. During the planning phase of downsizing, the threat of redundancies can subject employees to a number of emotional stresses. The stresses do not only embrace the immediate threat of redundancies, but also the prospect of demotion, and redundancies in the ong term. Evidence suggests that, as expected, such stresses have negative psychological impacts. For example, Catalano, Rook and Dooley (1986) in their interviews of 3,850 principle-wage earners in Los Angeles, found that that a decrease in job security increased the number of medical consultations for psychological distress. Likewise, Roskies and Louis-Guerin (1990) found in their survey of 1,291 Canadian managers, that managers who were insecure about their jobs showed poorer health than those who were secure, and the manager’s level of distress rose proportionally with their degree of insecurity. Following the redundancy announcement, there is strong evidence that victims suffer from adverse effects as a result of their job losses. These adverse effects include psychological stress, ill health, family problems, marital problems, helplessness, reduced self esteem, anxiety, depression, psychiatric morbidity, and feelings of social isolation (Greenglass & Burke, 2001). In particular, the affected individuals suffer from the loss of established social relationships and threats to their social identity (Macky, 2004). Greenglass and Burke (2001) also explain that the effects can vary greatly from person to person. The extent of personal damage is attributed to the individual’s resources of coping strategies, self-efficacy and social support. Evidence shows that the retrenched employees are able to respond in a more constructive manner depending on the extent to which they view the downsizing process as procedurally fair. Brokner, Konovsky, Cooper-Schneider, Folger, Martin and Bies (1994) found that employees remaining in their positions for up to three months after the announcement of their redundancy continued to exhibit positive work behaviours if the downsizing process was viewed as fair and transparent. There is evidence that subsequent employment opportunities are also affected by the victim’s previous redundancy experiences, including a change in their attitude towards the workplace. Macky (2004) provided evidence that the effects of redundancies flow onto the individual’s next position, resulting in decreased levels of commitment and loyalty. Dolan et al. (2000) also showed that there is some evidence that job loss created through redundancies may create lasting damage to the victim’s career. Similarly, Konovsky and Brockner (1993) found that individuals report a loss of earning power in their subsequent employment. On the other hand, Devine, Reay, Stainton and Collins–Nakai (2003), argue that victims who gain new employment have a greater sense of control and appear to be in a better position than those who were not retrenched. Noer (2009) suggests that negative impacts on victims are lessened by the various support packages for displaced employees that are paid for by the organisation, such as redundancy payments, career counselling and out-placement service. The second group of employees affected by downsizing are the survivors. The survivors are the employees who have remained with the firm after the redundancies have taken place (Littler, 1998). The survivors are important to the firm because they play a pivotal role in the effectiveness of the downsizing operation and the ongoing success of the organisation. The expertise and motivation of survivors is required to keep the firm moving forward following redundancies. However, surviving employees are left with increased pressures. These pressures include: larger workloads (Dolan at al. 2000), because survivors must take on the work of retrenched employees; as well as new and increased job responsibilities (Lewin & Johnston, 2000), as a result of key skills leaving the organisation. In addition to the increased work pressures, survivors must deal with profound and negative psychological responses. Gandolfi (2008) identifies three sets of the emotions, behaviours and attitudes exhibited b y surviving employees, which are commonly termed ‘sicknesses’ in literature (Applebaum, Delage, Labibb & Gault, 1997; Kowske at al. , 2009). The emergence of these sicknesses following a downsizing event is referred to as the ‘aftermath’ (Clark & Koonce, 1995) or the ‘downside’ (Cascio, 1993) of downsizing. The sicknesses identified are: survivor syndrome, survivor guilt and survivor envy. Kinnie et al. (1998) characterises survivor syndrome as encompassing a variety of psychological states in survivors, including heightened levels of stress, absenteeism and distrust, and as well as decreased levels of productivity, morale and work quality. Cascio (2002) portrays survivor syndrome in a similar way to Kinnie et al. 1998), showing decreased: levels of employee involvement, morale, work productivity and trust towards management. These mental states have a strong influence on the survivor’s work behaviour and attitudes, such as motivation, commitment, satisfaction and job performance (Applebaum et al. , 1997; Littler, Dunford, Bramble & Hede, 1997). The second sickness, survivor guilt, is a fe eling of responsibility or remorse as employees contemplate why their colleagues were retrenched instead of themselves. It is frequently expressed as fear, anger and depression (Noer, 2009). Survivor guilt can be particularly prevalent when survivors perceive that their work performance was no better than that of the downsized victims (Littler et al. , 1997). In this case, employees can reason that there is no benefit in performing if performance is not a criterion for job survival (Appelbaum, et al. , 1997). Appelbaum and colleagues argue that survivor guilt is heavily influenced by the manner in which the downsizing is perceived to be performed and the fairness of the decision making processes. Survivors of downsizing can also be plagued by a third sickness, survivor envy. This reflects the survivors’ envy of the victims in terms of presumed retirement packages, financially lucrative incentives, and new jobs with more attractive compensation (Kinnie et al. , 1998). For example, employees may feel that their retrenched ex-colleagues received redundancy pay outs; and have found new jobs they like, while the surviving employee must work twice as hard, and moreover, for the same pay. Kammeyer-Meuller, Liao and Avery (2001) hypothesise that survivors envy is dependent on the closeness of the relationship with the survivor. Brokner (1987) found that when survivors have little proximity to the victims, increases in redundancy payouts result in decreased self-reported performance. On the other hand, the study shows when survivors identify with the victims, increases in redundancy payouts increased self reported performance. Despite the stresses facing survivors, research shows that the needs of the survivors are frequently neglected by downsized firms (Applebaum et al. , 1997; Devine et al. , 2003; Gandolfi, 2006). According to Applebaum et al. 1997), the negative effects on the survivors are under-estimated and organisations fail to take into account the difficulties of motivating a surviving workforce that is emotionally damaged because it has watched others lose their jobs. It is important for organisations to pay more attention to the survivors in order to support their financial health. Carswell (2002), in a New Zealand empirical study, established that the companies that based redundancy on fair pra ctices, and provided better out-placement for the victims, performed better financially than those that did not use such procedures. Kowske et al. (2009) reviewed survivor engagement during the 2007-2009 global financial crisis and provided further valuable insights. Using the Keneya’s Employment Engagement Index and a sample size of 9,998 U. S. employees, it was determined that employee engagement was significantly lower if redundancies had occurred within the previous 12 months. Kowske et al. (2009) found that although organisations were able to cut human resource costs, they are more likely to have a portion of their workforce disengaged – fertile ground for the symptoms that accompany survivor sickness. An example of a lack of insight regarding survivor sickness was demonstrated in the downsizing of the Deloitte (New Zealand) Enterprise Risk Management Team, in May 2008 (personal information). The first problem was that just two weeks prior to the redundancy announcement, a statement was made by one of the partners to the team, stating that no-one should be concerned about their jobs. Another problem was that the downsizing process was not transparent and no employee below partner level was involved in the consultation. Not only wew the staff made redundant effected, but also the surviving employees who exhibited traditional symptoms of survivor sicknesses: feelings of distrust, anger and low moral due to their perceived unfairness of the decision process. The result of this survivor sickness was that, by the end of the following year, the entire senior management team had voluntarily left the firm, taking with them valuable skills and experience. Such attrition is consistent with Trevor and Nyberg’s (2008) findings that voluntary turnover rates increased within 24 months following the downsizing event. It is clear that management must pay more attention to survivors in order to minimise survivor syndromes. The literature highlights four key improvements to current downsizing methods, in order to minimize survivor syndromes. Firstly, a detailed strategy must be devised, this is because planning has been identified as a pivotal issue in the success of downsizing (Applebaum et al. , 1997; Gandolfi, 2008). The strategic plan should establish how the survivors will be taken care of during the downsizing process (Gandolfi, 2009). This includes giving survivors access to honest, timely and unbiased information (Dolan et al. , 2000) as well as access to counselling, support and help (Allen, 1997). Second, training must be improved as it is identified as key tool to combat survivor sickness (Dolan et al. , 2000; Farrell & Mavondo, 2004; Makawatsakul & Kleiner, 2003). The retrenched individuals often leave with key skills that must be taught to the surviving employees. Third, managers are recommended to communicate the long term business strategy to the surviving employees, n order to create a shared vision for the future of the firm (Cobb, Wooten & Folger, 1995). Last, fairness in the way the redundancies are selected and implemented including open communication lines are valuable to support trust within the organisation (Hopkins & Weathington, 2006). For example, retirement programs are viewed as more fair downsizing methods by survivors and lead to increased commitment (De Witt, Trevio & Mollica, 1998). Execut ioners are the group of survivors that form the third category of people affected by downsizing. Executioners are the individuals entrusted to plan, carry out and evaluate the downsizing (Gandolfi, 2009). Other synonyms for executioners include ‘downsizing agents’ (Clair & Dufresne, 2004) and ‘downsizers’ (Burke, 1998). The effects on such personnel are important because downsizers are commonly employees and managers, who can have a large impact on the success of the change. This is because the executioners have power to influence employees and power to employ tools and techniques to minimise harm. Although they are a category of survivors, the executioners experience differs to that of the survivors because of their heavy responsibilities, in executing the downsizing, managing relationships with the retrenched individuals as well as supporting the survivors. Gandolfi (2007) is one of the few academics to offer some insight around the experiences of the executioners using empirical research. Gandolfi interviewed 20 executioners from a major Australian trading bank and identified four key themes from their responses. The first was the very negative emotional responses and reactions from the executioners, including the difficulty and complexity the executioners had in selecting the downsizing victims. Second, Gandolfi also identified coping strategies, including the executioners distancing themselves from the task physically, cognitively and emotionally in order to preserve their own emotional well-being. In further research, it would be interesting to explore the relationship between the implementation of coping strategies and the effectiveness of the downsizing operation. Third, Gandolfi found that executioners with more experience reported a lesser degree of emotional distress. This is in line with Clair and Dufresne (2004) who suggest coping behaviours are learned with experience. Fourth, Gandolfi identified that the closeness of the relationship with the victims is also important in that the layoffs were more taxing when the executioner had developed personal ties with the victims. Another aspect of the executioner’s experience is their handling of the currently employed downsizing methods of stealth layoffs and across the board cuts. Executioners have reported that they are uncomfortable with the degree of secrecy involved with stealth downsizing (Gandolfi, 2009). For example, executioners have reported instances causing internal conflict when they have had to lie to employees (Gandolfi, 2009). In the case of across the board cuts, executioners often find it difficult of rationalize the unfairness of the choices and question their rights to be playing god with the individuals involved. The significant negative impacts on the executioners highlight the need for firms to provide adequate training and emotional support for the executioners (Gandolfi, 2009). Although more research is required in this area, it is apparent training should at least raise awareness of the range of emotions that executioners may experience, and include tools and techniques to cope with the emotions involved with carrying out the task. Clair and Dufrense (2004) suggest that throughout the process of downsizing, firms should make available to managers social forums, employee assistance programs and social support groups. The profound human consequences on the survivors and the executioners are interlinked with the financial consequences. Literature has identified that the human consequences of downsizing play a large role in the financial success of the downsizing operation (Carswell, 2002; Devine et al. , 2003; Gadolfi, 2008). The financial success of the strategy is particularly important to shareholders and to external bodies such as suppliers, distributers and allied organisations (Kammeyer-Mueller, 2001). A large and growing body of literature has investigated and measured the financial success of carrying out downsizing, and found that most organisations do not improve their financial performance after downsizing (Applebaum, et al. 1997; Cascio, Young & Morris, 1997; De Meuse et al. , 2004). The research around financial performance following a downsizing event focuses on tangible measurements of financial performance, such as examining changes in profit, share price and return on investment, before and after the downsizing event. However, it is noted that some companies do improve their financial performance by using downsizing as a strategy. Griggs and Hyland (2003) surveyed 1,005 U. S. organisations and found that of the respondents, 46% of companies able to decrease costs, 33% were able to ncrease profitability and 21% were able to report satisfactory improvements on return on investment. Only 46% of firms reduced costs due to poor planning, and this was because, in four times out of five, managers ended up replacing the very positions they made redundant (Griggs & Hyland, 2003). Wayhan and Werner’s (2000) findings contradict most downsizing research, in their examination of the largest 250 U. S. companies which had reduced their workforce by at least three percent during the period 1991-1992. These researches measured changes in stock prices and they showed that, in the short term, downsized companies significantly financially outperformed companies that did not downsize. However, it should be noted that Wayhan and Werner’s (2000) study uses a different technique, in that they treat time as a moderator of the affects. The rationale behind this is that other influences on the firm’s stock price will become more important than the influence of the downsizing event, as the time from the downsizing event increases. When Wayhan and Werner’s study was repeated using typical techniques (not using time as a moderator), the results were more in line with other research, showing small decreases in relevant financial measures. Sahdev (2003), Zyglidopoulos (2003) and Macky (2004) are among numerous researches showing that while a small number of organisations have reported improved financial performance, the majority were unable to account improved levels of effectiveness, productivity, efficiency and profitability in the short term. A typical example is Cascio, Young and Morris’s (1997) study of 537 companies listed on the S&P 500 between 1980 and 1994. After comparing average companies in the same industry, and controlling for firm effects, they discovered no evidence that downsized firms could subsequently increase profits or share price over a period of two years subsequent to the downsizing event. This is in line with evidence from New Zealand (Carswell, 2002). Furthermore, Cascio et al. (1997) found that downsized firms were outperformed in the short term by those companies that increased their workforce and also companies with stable employment. This study was limited by focusing only on extreme reductions of 10% or more. The long-term implications of downsizing on financial performance were investigated by De Meuse et al. (2004) in a more recent U. S. study. Using U. S. Fortune 500 companies, De Meuse and colleagues look at a period of nine years following the redundancy announcement, from 1989 to 1998. De Meuse et al. found that in the first two years following the announcement the financial performance of the firm’s decreased, in line with Cascio et at. (1997). However, at the beginning of three years after the downsizing announcement, De Meuse et al. found no significant underperformance of the downsized firms. Unfortunately, most studies provide little empirical evidence regarding why in some cases downsizing produces positive financial results, and in other cases it does not. This is because downsizing tends to be treated as a binary variable in research, that is, firms either downsize or they do not (Kammeyer-Muller, Liao & Arvey, 2001). However, it is apparent that not all downsizing efforts are the same. The following factors are likely to have an effect on the financial performance of the firm subsequent post-downsizing announcement: the type of reduction strategy employed (for example, across the board cuts, stealth layoffs, or more gradual procedures); the persistence of survivor syndromes; the logistics of downsizing (for example the size and frequency); and, the reasons behind the decision to downsizing. The lack of research in this area provides opportunities for researchers to further explore the downsizing phenomenon. The prevalence of evidence surrounding impaired financial performance following downsizing events introduces a paradox: why is the practice continuing to be engaged despite its lack of success? Cynics suggest that downsizing can be carried out in order to boost the egos of top managers at the expense of the organisation (e. g. Anderson & Cavanagh, 1994; Budros, 1999). Other explanations include the tendency of management to inaccurately anticipate costs involved. Downsizing generates direct and indirect costs, and it is the hidden (indirect) costs that are frequently underestimated by management (Gandolfi, 2008). Direct costs are less complicated to estimate and include severance pay, accrued holiday pay and administrative processing costs. Hidden costs include recruitment and employment costs of new hires, costs of replacing staff with expensive consultants, lost sales due to insufficient staffing, training and retraining, and costs of reduced productivity as a result of survivor syndromes (Cascio, 1993). For example Gandolfi (2001) reported that a European company (unnamed for privacy reasons) incurred an increase of 40% in recruitment, and a 30% increase in training and development costs for new employees, following its controversial downsizing. In order for downsizing to be engaged as an effective strategic tool, it is clear that the benefits of reducing staff must outweigh all the costs. It has become clear that management must consider very carefully whether downsizing is appropriate for their firm, and they need to pay careful attention to the hidden costs. According to Allen (1997) the key to successful downsizing is to focus on the people who make up the organisation. Literature has provided management with guidelines to minimise costs and harm. For the survivors, this includes minimising survivor symptoms through planning of the downsizing operation, training of the surviving staff, and using open communication and fairness in carrying out the redundancies. For the executioners this includes providing them with training. This essay has identified and discussed the effects of downsizing with regard to both the human and financial implications. It has been demonstrated that the human implications of downsizing can be sever and downsizing frequently fails at meeting its objectives of improving financial performance. First, the profound negative consequences of downsizing on the victims, the survivors and the executioners have been outlined. Next, the empirical evidence concerning the financial consequences has been summarised. Gaps have been identified in downsizing literature. Two areas of downsizing that could well be further explored include the experience of the executioners and the characteristics of downsizing operations that result in successful financial outcomes. The recent prevalence of downsizing activities over the latest financial crisis suggests that downsizing is a phenomenon worth exploring into the future.

Ethical Implications Of Ethical Consumerism - 1552 Words

1.0 Ethical Consumerism 1.1 Definition The term Ethical consumerism, means that more customers prefer to purchase goods that are obtained ethically, made ethically and distributed ethically. According to Jacqueline Payne (2012), â€Å"An ethical consumer is someone who buys things that are produced ethically. Depending on the context, ethical production may mean producing something that is recycled, using labour that is produced in facilities without the use of slavery and child labour, or processing food that is raised organic or free range. If you buy one of these products, you could be an ethical consumer and not even know it†¦ or you may not be one. However, the whole point of the ethical consumerism movement is that you ‘know’ what you†¦show more content†¦For the purpose of this report, Apple’s ethical code of conduct and practices and how it affects not only profits but its reputation, shareholders and customer retention. 2.0 Apple Apple, Inc. is an American multinational establishment that designs and markets consumer electronics (Smart phones, MP3 players and tablets) computer software, and personal computers. Apple became popular with its Mackintosh line of personal computers. Over the years, Apple has gained a significant amount of global presence through the introductions of new dynamic products such as Ipad, iPhone and IPods. In May 2012, Apple exceeded the software giant Microsoft, securing the reputation of the largest and most valuable companies of all time (Forbes 2012). Apple has 424 retail stores in 16 different countries as well as an online store in 39 countries (Apple Inc. 2014) Apple s supplier responsibility program, has increasingly received public attention and criticism. The next section of this report will examine some of the scandals apple was involved with, and how it affected the business. 3.0 Apple Ethical Standards A majority of Apple’s products and components are manufactured in overseas factories in Asia. On paper, it states that all employees, both home and abroad, have safe working condition and are treated with utmost respect and dignity. They also claim to be environmentally friendly. On paper, this looks great, but was this the case in reality? The next