Ethical Decision Making Essay

Abstract What is ethics and what place does it have in decision-making? Ethics means different things to each of us. We develop our ethics from our culture, ethnic background, religious beliefs and all that make us unique as humans. Knowing this does not help when we are asked as administrators or managers to make decisions that are jam-packed with ethical dilemmas. Acting as Faith Community Hospital (FCH) administrator I turned to the Santa Clara University website, article â€Å"A Framework for Ethical Decision Making†. This article gives five steps that I will use to address the problems FCH face. They are: Recognize a moral issue, Get the facts, Evaluate the alternative actions from various moral perspectives, Make a decision, Act, then reflect on the decision later. Ethical Decision Making Trying to determine the meaning of ethics is, to say the least, a challenge. My search for that meaning took me to the Santa Clara University website. There I found discussions that I agreed with. Sociologist Raymond Baumhart found that replies to the question â€Å"What does ethics mean to you?† was as diverse as those he asked. The answers varied from personal feelings to what is socially acceptable, from religion to legality. So then, what does it mean to be ethical in your decision-making? Shanks tell us â€Å"because we have the ability to be critical of our interpersonal behavior . . . . . we have the ability to develop codes and norms to guide that behavior. Those moral norms and codes, plus a set of virtuous character traits, are what we mean when we talk about ethics.† He also tells us that while we all endeavor to make ethical decisions we run into â€Å"stumbling  blocks† inhibiting our ethical decision-making. He lists the following: -â€Å"My small effort won’t really make a difference -People may think badly of me -It’s hard to know the right thing to do -My pride gets in the way -It may hurt my career -It just went by too quickly -There’s a cost to doing the right thing† We’ve all had to face these â€Å"stumbling blocks†. This is why ethical decision-making is so personal and varied. In our case study of Faith Community Hospital we came across many issues needing resolution. The majority if not all of them required ethical decision-making. Faith Community had a diverse group of employees, and each of them had their own set of ethical/moral standards. While administration can appreciate those differences, the responsibility to bring unity to the organization falls to them. Putting my self in the role of administrator, how do I accomplish this task? Again, I turn to the Santa Clara University website, to the article â€Å"A Framework for Ethical Decision Making†. This article gives five steps that I will use, they are: 1.Recognize a moral issue 2.Get the facts 3.Evaluate the alternative actions from various moral perspectives 4.Make a decision 5.Act, the reflect on the decision later First, recognize a moral issue. At Faith Community there are several issues. They are: -Staff on both ends of the spectrum of Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders. I have staff that resuscitate when a DNR is in place as well as staff that do not resuscitate when a DNR is not in place. -Staff refusing treatment to patients without first confirming insurance coverage as well as requiring HIV clearances. -Unauthorized pro bono treatment and installment payments on prescriptions. -Unnecessary treatments being performed Second, get the facts. To some extent the facts speak for themselves. Staff is acting on their individual code of ethics without regard or possibly without knowledge of the hospital’s code. With respect to the DNR issues, in all cases the family members were happy, but in this case, as administrator their happiness is not the issue. The legality however is. DNR orders are for the protection of the hospital and its staff. If they are not adhered to that protection is none existent. What are the facts surrounding treatment or lack thereof? Investigation again reveals varied results. I have staff that fear for their personal safety, so they require HIV clearance before treatment. I have staff that is concerned for the welfare of the hospital, so they require insurance verification prior to treating. I have staff that care for the patients themselves so much they provide free service or payment on installments, both occurring without consent of administration. I also have staff the order treatment just for the sake of doing the procedure. Third, evaluate the alternative actions from various moral perspectives. While the hospital mission â€Å"to promote the health and well-being of the people in the communities we serve† must remain a focal point, as administrator the overall health of the organization falls to me. The decision on what treatment should be given should be at the discretion of the physician. The physician must not abuse this authority by ordering those treatments that are not necessary for the welfare of the patient. Even though I can appreciate and even respect the values presented by the staff the truth of the situation is that not everyone is going to be happy. What is going to â€Å"promote the common good† for all concerned? This becomes the question to answer. Fourth, make a decision. The number decision is the development of policies and procedures that address the identified issues. With regard to: -DNR orders: Once the policy is written concerning implementation of DNR orders, staff in positions to implement these orders will receive written copies of the policy at a mandatory training session. Each staff member will also be required to sign and acknowledgement form indicating receipt of the policy and personal accountability should policy not be adhered to. -Refusal to treat. In addition to the newly developed policies and procedures a new department will be created. The sole function of this department is to determine insurance eligibility. If the patient does not have insurance, it will be determined if they are eligible for state or federal aide. If it is determined they are rejected in both arenas and their injuries are not life threatening, they will not be treated. Training will be held to address both insurance issues and personal safety issues. -Treatment in general. All staff will be required to sign an acknowledgement as to hospital policy regarding non-emergency treatments. This policy will address: unnecessary procedures, when and if pro bono services will be allowed, as well as acceptable financial agreements with the hospital. Fifth, act, and then reflect on the decision later. Consistent reevaluation  of all new policies will be essential. Through their monitoring, I will be able to identify problem areas as they arise and fine-tune the process to deal with them. The decision making process is constant. In order to maintain the health of an organization the process must remain fluid. This is mandated by the one constant in every workplace. THINGS CHANGE! Conclusion Utilizing the five steps outlined in the Santa Clara University website, article â€Å"A Framework for Ethical Decision Making†, allowed Faith Community Hospital to benefit from a good ethical decision. While all concerned my not is happy with the outcome, the guesswork has been eliminated providing for more consistent and I believe better treatment for the community being served by FCH. Training will be ongoing, as will the evaluation of the decision making process, allowing for changes to be made quickly. References A Framework for Ethical Decision Making. Retrieved April 21, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.scu.edu/SCU/Centers/Ethics/practicing/decison/framework.html What is Ethics? Retrieved April 21, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.scu.edu/SCU/Centers/Ethics/practicing/decison/whatisethics.html Shanks, T. Everyday Ethics. Issues in Ethics- V.8, N.1. Retrieved April 21, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.scu.edu/SCU/Centers/Ethics/publications/iie/v8n1/everydayethics.html

Agrarian Reform Issues

Answer the following questions after reading the document about poverty, all reports of each group/individual and the discussions we had in the classroom. Limit your answer to seven to ten substantive sentences only fully cited by related reviews and studies that you will use in the critique/answer. Plagiarized statements and notations shall be considered as invalid and the document will be equivalent to zero. Type your answer on this questionnaire. 1. Discuss how issues and problems are dealt with in social planning and social policy writing based from the framework below Fig. Schematic framework showing the interrelatedness of social institutions, and social structures. Social Structures Social Institutions -Society is defined by the interconnection of units that creates larger scale system relations in the society. Emile Durkheim’s sociological theory which is Structural Functionalism would perfectly represent the schematic framework. According to him, structural functional ism is when societies tend to be divided but is held together by shared values, common symbols or systems of exchanges, which creates stability. Small factors in the structure would eventually affect the higher strata of the society, there is interdependence among us, society is a network of statuses connected by associated roles (Leung, Richardson). The formulation of social policies is based on the needs of the status quo, it is deeply associated by the present condition of the society. In the paper of Subedi entitled ‘Structural Functional Perspective in Sociology’ discussed the consensus and conflict perspective wherein due to conflict â€Å"society cannot operate for any length of time on the basis of force. Society is held together by the consensus of its members†. It simply describes society as a perpetually changing structure which needs continuous planning and execution of social programs to keep up with the progressing evolution of humanity. Social planning and policy making is the analysis of the things that a social system needs in order to survive. One of the objectives of this is to maintain the stability of pattern, facilitates the society in resolving social problems, and integrating dependent units in achieving unity (Subedi, 2010). 2. Discuss landlessness as a social problem. Please highlight its impact on farmers and society as a whole. -Landlessness is a manifestation of poverty wherein a person is deprived on the possession of land as an opportunity for growth or development. Unequal distribution of land is the root cause of the landlessness of the farmers, this could be traced in the Spanish colonization wherein the encomienda system were put into practice wherein the landowners would hire farmers to till their land and most of the revenues that will be generated will be on the hands of the landowners which is apparently unfair. Landlessness is a significant social problem because it would worsen other social problems that are already present. Take Uganda for example, a study that was conducted by Alinyo and Leahy (2007) entitled ‘the Impact of Landlessness on Sustainable Agricultural Initiatives; Benet Sub County, Kapchorwa, Uganda’, wherein the study discusses that the issues of landlessness are cause by the following: Rapid population growth, lack of ownership rights, inadequate extension services. The effects would be: Low crop yields, low household incomes, hunger that would totally result into rural poverty. The case of Uganda is not different to the situation of the Philippines with regards to landlessness, landlessness of the farmers has been an issue since then, a clear example representing this problem is the case of Hacienda Luisita wherein the problem has not yet been resolve because it is often disregarded to be the focal point of concern in the Philippine government. Landlessness are equivalent to the unequal distribution of access to opportunities and wealth, this has been the outcome of the Philippines choices of development trategies, policies and investment regime, and national and local institutions governing economic transactions, including land relations (Balisacan 2003, 2007). The impact of landlessness in the society as a whole would lead into social unrest among the people that is affected by this issue and thus lead into various deviances and protest that would disturb the present society. 3. What are the issues behind the Agrarian Reform Program on why the problem about landlessness? Is it about the law itself or how it is implemented? Examples that will be presented in this paper would come from the paper of Antonio Ledesma (1982) entitled ‘Landless Workers and Rice Farmers: Peasant Subclasses Under Agrarian Reform in Two Philippine Villages’. Of these issues behind the Agrarian reform includes the security concerns of landless farmer, owner-cultivatorship and permanent lessees. One of the main objectives of Agrarian refom program is the creation of an independent peasant class of owner-cultivators whose claim to ownership are based precisely on being the tillers of the soil. But in some barangays, landless workers spend more hours in actual rice farming operations than the agrarian refom beneficiaries. Another issue is the stagnant development of the tenant farmers that is stuck on being a tenant rather than owning a piece of land. Base on the findings on the paper of Ledesma Agrarian Reform itself has a good aim on the development of the farmers, however, the implementation of such program seems to fail since the situation of the past seems to never change. In conclusion, the planning is good but the execution of programs must be put into consideration. 4. Write a social policy about how problem on landlessness can be resolved? Take not of the introduction, provisions, time frame, how it will be implemented and the monitoring scheme, – This act is prepared in order to promulgate the rights of landless farmers and to recognize the sector as one of the most important contributors in the Philippine economy. With this social policy they would given a period of training development to maximize their skills as a contributor of the Philippine economy and a sector that has a paramount importance since they provide food for the Philippine population. The time frame for this social policy would require a 10 year period. Policies that will be included is the educational grants of the farmers wherein they must undergo training like irrigation, usage of advance equipments, modern seeds and scientific ways of propagating plants. The government must provide a wide scheme of budget for this policy because capital should be provided for institutional and attitudinal change of the people in the sector. The role of various institutions like the UP Los Banos, DOST will be stressed since the development of research for modern and improve seeds and planting materials will be focus upon to benefit for the farmers. The establishments of cooperative agricultures will be form for larger productivity and shared profits among farmers. There should also be a series of extension services at the time frame wherein agriculturists will visit areas ,particularly areas where rice production is prevalent , to train and advice farmers on advance farming methods. Establishment of farm infrastructures should also be implemented and lastly farmers will be given other sources of income and livelihood. The root policy for this action is the allocation of a larger budget for agriculture.

Individual Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Individual - Essay Example A research based on the investigation of 288 companies identified the resistance from employees at various levels as the biggest factor that hindered the implementation of change (Creasey cited in Haslam and Pennington, n.d., p. 3). This is so because the personnel tend to gain benefits from the existing business model of the organization. They have their ways formulated in such a way that any change in the existing business model can be a potential threat to their profitability. A leader is responsible to quell the resistance among people towards the implementation of a change that is compulsory for the organizational growth. The process of transition comprises three entirely distinct processes, each of which upsets the organizational personnel in its own way. The three stages are â€Å"1) Saying Goodbye, 2) The Neutral Zone, and 3) Moving Forward† (Haslam and Pennington, n.d., p. 3). Employees have reason to resist the first stage. At least they know how to work in the old s ystem whether or not it works. Having worked in the old setup for quite some time, they develop a comfort level with the first stage. Lacking the set of competencies required by the new system, people tend to revert to the old system. The Neutral Zone, which is essentially the second stage, consumes most of the time and energy of people. Instead of taking the discomfort as a challenge and working their way towards the new comfort, people tend to go back to the same old ineffective but convenient ways of doing things. In organizations which have the culture of punishing employees for their mistakes, people hesitate to adopt the new system unless they are sure they will not make any mistake in the Moving Forward stage, which is the third stage. The need of security and safety causes people to resist change. It rests with the transformational leader to make the change implemented with minimum inconvenience. According to Herold et al (2008), not much study has been done to find the impa ct of transformational leadership on outcomes of the change. Personal outcomes are the fundamental specialty of transformational leadership (Givens, 2008, p. 4). â€Å"The vision, drive, passion and ability of leaders to inspire their followers into action largely make up †¦ charismatic leadership style [of the leaders]† (Parry and Proctor-Thomson, 2002). A transformational leader necessarily has five crucial qualities that make him an effective transformational leader. A leader must be a Visionary; A leader must be a person of Integrity and Honesty and have Values; A leader must know how to properly motivate others; and A leader must be able to lead change and finally, A leader must be able to lead a culture of change. (Cornelius & Associates, n.d.). Despite their individualistic identity and significance in organizational leadership, these qualities are largely interdependent. Changes in an organization can be fundamentally classified into two types, namely the planned and the emergent. Initiatives drives in an organization from top to bottom are termed as planned changes whereas emergent changes are those which develop from any level in the hierarchical structure of an organization. In either of the two types of changes, leader assumes a crucial role to play. In order for the planned change to be effective, it is imperative that the leader

Omega 3 fatty acids (and their role) in Nutrition Research Paper

Omega 3 fatty acids (and their role) in Nutrition - Research Paper Example These are termed essential fatty acids, because they are mandatory nutrients for health, but cannot be synthesized by the body. There is a general scientific consensus that the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids should be greater than that of omega-6. The parent fatty acid of omega-3 fatty acids is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA Â  is converted in the body to the fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for further metabolism. (NIH, 2005). A study of the functions of omega-3 fatty acids, the dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids, the adverse effects of fatty acid deficiency, and the role of these fatty acids in the prevention of disease, reveals that the intake of omega-3 fatty acids through food and nutritional supplements is of paramount importance to good health. Omega-3 fatty acids perform several important functions. EPA produces hormone-like agents called eicosanoids, which regulate physiological processes. EPA is concerned with cell division and growth, blood clotting, muscle activity, secretion of digestive juices and hormones, and the permeability and flexibility of the cell membranes. It also reduces inflammatory responses. DHA is an essential contributor to brain function and development. The brain synapses show a concentration of DHA, indicating that it plays a role in signal transmission in the nervous system. DHA also produces resolvins, which reduce inflammation in the brain. (NIH, 2005). In addition, DHA plays an important role in vision, regulating the development and function of the retina. Another function of omega-3 fatty acids is in the regulation of gene expression, particularly in the metabolism of fatty acids and inflammation. (Higdon, 2012). The richest food sources of ALA are flaxseed oil (I tablespoon = 7.3 g) and walnuts (1 ounce = 2.6 g). Other dietary sources are canola oil, soybean oil, mustard oil and tofu. However, as ALA has to be converted into EPA and DHA,

Plato and Descrates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Plato and Descrates - Essay Example The relationship of the soul to the body is one which many philosophers disagree over, specifically because of the associations which they have to the actions and functions which take place. The differences and similarities that are associated with Plato and Descartes and the relationship of the soul to the body are one of the concepts which are often looked into. Both hold a specific understanding of how the soul relates to the body while defining different aspects of the ideologies of the theory. The difference between both is based on how one relates to each other; however, both hold the same fundamental understanding that the body and soul are related in certain ways. The similarities between Plato and Descrates are based on the fundamental agreement of the soul and body. Both philosophers state that the first step to the argument is to believe that there is a soul, which is a part of the â€Å"I† or identity with the self. The characteristics which one has as well as the associations which one carries in terms of the mind and soul is what allows one to create a sense of expression and ideologies that are created in their physical existence. It is also noted that both believe that the soul transcends, or lives beyond the body after the body dies, specifically with the immortality of the soul (Broadie, p. 101). Each of these recognitions is able to set the main debate of how the soul relates to other elements that are in the physical world.

Total Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Total Quality Management - Essay Example TQM has been designed for companies that are operating in various disciplines and for this reason, each company has different uses and implementation technique of TQM. However, there are organizations that fail to implement TQM at an operational level. Some of the reasons for the failure are as follows:Â   Rigid Organizational CultureOne of the key reasons for failure of TQM is that the implementation of this process requires patience and agility and it requires flexibility in organizational culture. Organizations are required to change their paradigm from a functional to customer focus approach. Organizations that are unable to cope up with this approach can face detrimental consequences because implementation of TQM is not easy and it requires mobility to changing customer needs and business trends. Not every organization can cope up to such changes and this is certainly one of the reasons of failed implementation of TQM.Resistance to ChangeIf a company wants to implement TQM, it should first communicate to its employees the importance of TQM. Every single employee, from the lowest to the highest hierarchical level, should be accepting and willing to adopt this organizational change (Donaldson & Munir, 2013). However, such changes are not successful at times because some employees do not want to come out of their comfort zone and resist to any sort of change. Employees fail to understand the importance of this activity and do not understand that this will improve the productivity and profitability of the company.

VIVA examination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

VIVA examination - Essay Example In his statement, the defendant states that he is married and operates a business that employs two individuals. According to the witness statements document 3 and 4 the defendant did not resist arrest and complied with the arresting officers when he was arrested. When the defendant was granted the pre-charge bail, he did not abscond and willingly returned to the police station to be interviewed on the second occasion. From his antecedents it is also evident that the defendant was born in Lymeshire and has a permanent address. The defendant does not have any outstanding bail commitment and has not made attempt to return to The Void. The Bail Act 1976 provides that the court should presume that the defendant should be granted bail unless there are circumstances to justify refusal of bail. Part II of the act provides circumstances when the defendant need not be granted bail. These circumstances include where it is apparent to the court that the defendant failed to surrender to custody in accordance to bail conditions in a previous bail commitment. The court can also refuse to grant bail if it believes that the defendant was on bail when the offence was committed. Additionally, the court need not grant bail if it is satisfied that there are reasons to believe that the defendant would commit a crime while on bail, refuse to commit to custody, interfere with witness or obstruct justice. Furthermore, the court should not grant bail to the defendant if it is satisfied that the defendant should remain in custody for his own protection (Loveless, 2008). From the defendants statement of proof it is apparent that the defendant did not fail to surrender to custody in accordance to the conditions of the pre-charge bail. The defendant was not on bail when the alleged crime was committed. There is no evidence on record or reason to believe that the defendant would commit a crime while on bail. The defendant does not intend to refuse to commit to

Strategies in Action Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Strategies in Action - Coursework Example One of the key considerations, when looking at global strategies is the state of the global economy. There has been much debate as to whether globalisation consists of one single global market. It is necessary to think whether a uniform global strategy is one, which is 100% uniform and standardised, or just its key elements. It must acknowledge that companies that operate in overseas markets do so in order to expand their businesses and reach as well as stave off competition. "Even businesses whose focus has traditionally been on domestic markets are finding they must compete across borders not just to prosper but also to survive". (Kanso and Nelson, 2002, p.87) Regarding terminology, it is important to acknowledge that different academics may use the same terminology for different types of companies; confusion can arise with different companies & markets, which interpret slightly differently depending on the author. An organisation's global strategy(s) is dependent upon where the competitive advantage(s) for the product(s) or service(s) lies. This links win with Thompson, Strickland and Gamble (2007, p227) belief that there are four strategic issues relevant to competing across national boundaries. Issues are, whether to customise a company is offering in each different country to the taste of products. Implement the basic competitor strategy in all countries or fit them to specific markets and conditions depending on competition circumstances. Locate company's production facility(s), distribution, and customer service operation in order to gain greatest location advantages, and lastly share company's resource, capabilities in different country, to ensure competitive advantage. These are the factors to consider developing a global strategy. When considering uniform versus localised strategy is the transferability of a product's/service's/company's competitive advantage(s), means identifying the factors behind the competitive advantage. This can be location specific such as low cost labour, the quality of infrastructure, or technological, or brand name or a company's internal resources and capabilities. Empirical evidence suggests that it is usually easy to recreate technological, brand name and most other organisational capability advantages in a new international location, given enough time. Uniform strategy, standardisation, and national adaptation In adapting a uniform global strategy, there are many associated cost savings and potential benefits. One of the key concepts of a uniform strategy is standardisation and the ability to standardise not only products but also to transfer other competitive advantages. Theodore Levitt was a renowned famous supporter of standardisation and one uniform global market. Standardisation can be an easy and quick success as products/services stay the same. Many argue that it is important to have some sort of standardisation of a product when entering a new international market in order to have an existing competitive advantage, but there is much debate whether this applies in all, some, or few circumstances. Theodore Levitt believed that organisations that operate and compete on only a national basis are vulnerable to attack from companies that treat the world as a single global market. His main argument surrounds scales of economies and companies producing standardised products (at a

Impact of Wars on Architecture and Design of New Buildings Essay

Impact of Wars on Architecture and Design of New Buildings - Essay Example It is imperative to note that the history of architecture is a rich arena where valuable models exist that exemplify on past failures, as well as instances where new theoretical models would harness so as to come up with a vibrant structure. Take for example, the works of Herscher (2008) and Livesey (2011) take a closer look at architectural structures subjected to military strikes or have been part of collateral damage. In this synthesis, Herscher and Livesey find that structures that were subjected to military bombardment have divergent resistance to the energy of the bombardment. It is admissible that some structures have withstood direct bombardment as shown in the pictures alongside from the works of Livesey and Herscher. The question is whether this has aided strengthening structures, and construction patterns? This remains to be a quagmire in the minds of many scholars (Schwartz, 2012, Livesey, 2011, Teal, 2011). Neo-rationalism provides a modern-day thought pattern that is in line with modern challenges. Schwartz (2012) talks of the emergence of a breed of architects that have malevolent acts ruining the reputation of the architectural body. A research by Schwartz found that a group of architects have fallen into the habit of designing structures that are substandard or having flaws, although minute, yet imminent to create a weakness in the building. A good case in question is that of The Loos Case as highlighted in the works of Schwartz (2012). It is further noted that, considering historical times and comparing.... The question is whether this has aided strengthening structures, and construction patterns? This remains to be a quagmire in the minds of many scholars (Schwartz, 2012, Livesey, 2011, Teal, 2011). Neo-rationalism provides a modern-day thought pattern that is in line with modern challenges. Schwartz (2012) talks of the emergence of a breed of architects that have malevolent acts ruining the reputation of the architectural body. A research by Schwartz found that a group of architects have fallen into the habit of designing structures that are substandard or having flaws, although minute, yet imminent to create a weakness in the building. A good case in question is that of The Loos Case as highlighted in the works of Schwartz (2012). It is further noted that, considering historical times and comparing it with the current time, it is emergent that the current state of affairs shows an increase in crime levels especially crime inclined towards warchitecture (Schwartz, 2012). Teal (2011) a nd Herscher (2008) make good use of visual aspects by communicating more using these pictures of architectural building; thereby surpassing the information contained in writing. Apparently, it is emergent that utilization of pictures in their work makes the work not only attractive but distinctive to the effect that it propagates information detailing aspects on architecture easily missed in the wording of literature. For example, the works of Teal (2011) highlight the making of a simple to complex structure that makes it possible to see divergent parts of the structure that makes it strong. In the works of Teal, it is amusing to note that, modern structures are fashioned in such a manner that it is made simple,

The Structure of Interest Rates and Real Interest Rates Coursework

The Structure of Interest Rates and Real Interest Rates - Coursework Example The credit card firms are not usually bound towards any form of specific limits regarding their ultimate interest rates. They can thus charge any amount they may wish to as long as they have commendable competitive rates with other existing credit card firms. Finally, the rates are often higher on credit cards so as to encourage people to make payments on time. It is based on the reasoning that; the longer you delay your repayments, the higher the interest penalties. The corporate bond’s credit ratings are often higher than those offered by the government bonds to a greater extent. This is because the corporate bonds usually have low ratings, thereby giving out an implication of a higher credit risk possibility as compared to the investment-grade bonds (Schwartzman, 1992). Therefore, they tend to offer a little bit higher rates so as to curb with the increased risks. On the other hand, the government bond’s credit ratings are often lower because they are not ultimately secured by any form of assets. They are instead backed up by the credit and full faith of the issuer. This is hence what brings out this form of disparity. Recession generally refers to a situation when there is a temporary decline with regards to the economic stability, whereby the trade and the industrial operations are totally reduced. It is generally identified by the fall in the GDP over a given successive quarters. Based on this, the interest rates tend to be reduced since it impacts on all the businesses (Guttentag & Cagan, 1969). Both small and large ventures tend to fall typically during this period. Ultimately, at such a moment the business borrowers and consumers are the ones who tend to determine the level of interests they are opting to pay for the borrowed money. There is often a greater interaction between the tax systems and interaction. This is due to a major binding factor between them that touches on the aspect of the amount of

Organization and Management_theories Essay Example for Free

Organization and Management_theories Essay Organization is a complex and intricate framework whose nature, behavior, effects, consequences and incidents are broad and ambiguous. It is not automatically comprehensible and manageable as any person dealing with it remains uncertain of what the organization is all about. This is so simply because the behavior, conditions and status of the organization is contingent or dependent upon individual members. Hence, one must first have to determine the basic traits, behavior, disposition, aims, and positions of each member before one can truly have the rudimentary idea of an organization which could guide and lead towards its dealings for a better and more effective management policies. Managing an organization requires a basic framework, plan, strategy or principles on how the manager will deal to his or her subordinates. These framework, plan, strategy or principles should be possessed by the manager, and should be well defined with a sense of concreteness and direction, before he or she can deal with his or her subordinates. The success of the manager’s plan or the fulfillment of his or her objective is basically determined on how efficacious and sustaining is his methods of management towards the subordinates. The manager must devise and establish such a framework, plan, strategy or principles which would best fit to the basic structure and environment in which he is managing, and one that is acceptable, favorable and bearable by all subordinates. This paper concerns the need for a manager to have an instrumental and conceptual knowledge in everyday practice. This includes the assessments of various frameworks critically analyzing some management and organizational methods and theories that may be utilized and applied as a management policy. The manager may not contend only to use one method, but resort to various methods could before practical and efficacious in reaching for the intended output. The manager therefore, must possess a sound and rational discretion, this being the condition sine qua non, in order for him to make use of the various management theories and methods which he may deem fit, convenient and effective within the premises and circumstances of the establishment or enterprise which he or she is managing or dealing. Critique on the Classical Models The classical thinkers like Plato waxes some ideas though profoundly and abstractly laid down in his The Laws and The Republic. He advanced the idea that a leader must necessarily possess a general idea of everything to the extent that he or she must know the basic function of each unit in the community. Plato would suggest that managers must be acquainted to his or her subordinates, especially their strengths, talents, skills, ability and capacity so as he may designate and assign them to such a job where such subordinate or member of the community is best fitted and productive. The explicit theory of the one best way to organize is normally ascribed to the classical theorists, notably Frederick Taylor and Max Weber, but it is, as we have seen, much older, even if it then only concerned social organization. Taylor’s model sprang from factory production and Weber’s from the offices of public administration, but they had a lot in common—notably a reliance on standardization of work, control of quality, fine-grained division of labor, and a strict hierarchy. They both strongly believed that the organizational models they proposed would prevail and eventually supplant all others because they were the most efficient. Weber’s interest was not in organization per se, but in the role it played in politics and economics in general. His discussion of bureaucracy therefore centered on its legal and political ramifications, as well as its part in the general rationalization of society—a result of the growing hegemony of rational means-ends relations. Weber viewed bureaucracy as the epitome of this development, working with supreme efficiency, and believed it would supersede all other organization forms. In Weber’s eyes, this development was not necessarily in humanity’s interest—on the contrary, he saw in the efficiency of bureaucracy a frightening potential to lock us into an Iron Cage of machine-like existence. With Weber’s own definition of sociology in mind, it is difficult to understand how he could be so sure of the inevitable and total domination of a single organizational structure. In that definition, he bases sociology squarely on an understanding of individual action and interaction, based on individuals’ subjective understanding of their situation and the purpose of their own actions (Fivelsdal 1971). Supra-individual concepts such as structure, function, and system are rejected as causes. One should think that human variation would make room for more than one structural form, and at least that its grim advances could be blocked by a pervasive tendency among disgruntled individuals to choose (for subjective reasons) other solutions. Henri Fayol and later Luther Gulick and Lyndall Urwick emphasized formal authority and the role of direct supervision (Mintzberg 1979), but the spirit of their work was the same as Taylor’s. You might even say that they were not really presenting theories of organization at all, but recipes—indicating the best solution for every type of activity, just as Plato did in the meticulous details of The Laws. The early theorists’ belief in the existence of final, superior solutions and their inescapable triumph can be viewed as an expression of their times—of the rapid progress of science and technology; the immense success of the mass-producing factory, the general increase in rational attitudes; and a rather naive belief in the simpleness of human affairs and their resemblance to physical systems. Buckley (1967) has suggested that such theories represented a continuation of the Social Physics the central notion of which was that man was a physical object, a kind of advanced machine; that behavior and social relations were subject to natural laws of the same kind as the laws of physics; and that man and society could be analyzed and managed accordingly. In politics and history the Marxian visions of inevitable social transformations embodied much of the same spirit, even if the underlying analysis was more sophisticated. The belief in the rationality and inevitability of things was thus a reflection of the contemporary beliefs in progress and technology, and the notion of the one best solution also appeals to our natural thirst for simplification—a faith in a one best way is much more reassuring than the acknowledgment of a bewildering array of optional solutions. As such, this view lingers on today—both in the minds of managers and in the offerings of consultants. Implied in this view is a notion of technological determinism—if there is a one best way of organizing, there must also be a one best way to utilize any new tool. Such a one-to-one relationship between a tool and its optimal use means that the tool itself will, by necessity, have strong bearings on organizational design. It is quite obvious that Taylor included tools and machinery in his designs for factory organization, and that the properties of those tools and machines were important determinants for the design of jobs and the relationships between them. The connection may not seem just as plain when we look at Weber and his theories of bureaucracy—there do not seem to be so many tools in use. However, the most important organizational tool in history (at least before the computer) has probably been the art of writing, and Weber’s bureaucracy is explicitly based on written procedures and written information. In other words, if bureaucracy is the one best way to organize administrative work in a literate society, and it presupposes the use of writing, the properties of writing (as a tool) must be regarded as one of the most the most important determinants of bureaucratic organization—maybe even the most important. In Scott’s (1987) classification of theoretical schools, both scientific management and Weber’s theory of bureaucracy are closed, rational system models. They presuppose that organizational actors are fully rational in all their decisions, that they always strive to achieve the organization’s expressed goals, and that the structure and functions of an organization are independent of its environment. Simon’s Bounded Rationality In the development of organization theory, the belief in the one best way and the closed, rational model of organizations (Scott 1987) gradually came under attack after World War II. One of the early attackers was Herbert A. Simon, who developed a new theory of decision making, opposing the reigning concept of unbounded rationality in organizational and economic matters. Simon attacked both the economists’ image of economic man and the rational manager of the earlier management theorists. Although he seemed to accept the notion that there was an objective, theoretical best way in a given set of circumstances, he denied the possibility of finding this solution in practice. Simon’s great common-sense realization was that humans operate with limited information and wits in an exceedingly complex world, and that they have no choice but to simplify, to operate with a bounded rationality, to satisfice—not maximize. The basic realization of an objective best way is not a practical possibility, even if it may exist in theory. The objective, practical goal of organizational members is therefore never to find the optimal solution (even if they may think so themselves), but to find one that is good enough for their ends—which usually also means good enough for the organization to survive. It also follows that there must be many such solutions, and that different people and different organizations will more often than not choose different solutions. Scott (1987) also classifies the theory presented in Administrative Behavior as belonging to the closed, rational system model. This seems a bit unjust, since several passages in the book discuss interactions with the environment (for instance, the discussions in Chapter VI, The Equilibrium of the Organization) and fully document that Simon does not believe that an organization is an island to itself. However, the theory of decision making that is developed in the book largely treats organizational decisions as something internal to the organization, and this may perhaps merit Scott’s classification. Because the environmental connection is more pronounced in the book coauthored with March (March and Simon 1958), the theory presented there is classified by Scott as belonging to the open, rational system models. These models represent organizations as predominantly rational systems, but they recognize that organizations are continuously dependent on exchanges with their environment and must adapt to it to survive. Transaction Costs Analysis Another approach in the open, rational systems category is the transaction cost analysis developed by Williamson. However, Williamson’s interest in organizational structure centers on questions of organization size and the degree of vertical integration. He argues that the cost of exchanging goods or services between people, departments, or organizations will decide whether or not a function will be incorporated into the organization. The primeval, natural state of business activities can be seen as a situation with individual producers exchanging goods and services through the market. If markets or tasks (or both) grow so complex that the cognitive limits of the producers become overloaded or if the transaction costs increase for other reasons, there will be a pressure to increase the level of organization in order to overcome these difficulties. Applied on the current situation, this implies that existing organizations will try to internalize transactions if they believe they can execute them more efficiently than the market or if they become so complex that market-based solutions become intractable. For instance, an auto manufacturer will develop or buy its own dealer network if it believes it can sell more cars or fetch a bigger profit that way; an aluminum producer will buy into bauxite mines if it believes that this will shield it from dangerous price fluctuations. Technology has a part in transaction theory insofar as it changes transaction costs in the market, inside the organizations, or both. Since information technology has a great potential for changing the conditions for coordination—both within and between organizations, it should be of great interest to the transaction cost perspective. The Several Best Ways: The Human Relations Movement The human relations school brought the individual and the social relations between individuals into focus. People in organizations were no longer seen only—not even mainly—as rational beings working to achieve the goals of the organization. It was discovered that they were just as much driven by feelings, sentiments, and their own particular interests—which could be quite different from what classical theory presupposed. Moreover, the new studies also showed that there was an informal structure in every organization, growing from the unofficial contacts people in the organization had with each other. This informal structure could be just as important as the formal one for predicting the outcome of decision-making processes—sometimes even more important. There were a number of main themes investigated by the different approaches within the human relations school, and most of them are still actively pursued by researchers. The most basic is the insistence on the importance of individual characteristics and behaviors in understanding organizational behavior. This easily leads to an interest in the effects of different leadership styles, as well as in the effects of race, class, and cultural background. Formalization in work is strongly repudiated on the grounds that it is detrimental to both worker commitment and psychological well-being, and participative management, job enlargement, or, at least, job rotation is prescribed. In fact, human relations theorists have always been eager to promote changes in organizations to produce what they see as more humane work places, and they claim that the less formal, more participative organization will also be the most productive. It is not unreasonable, therefore, to criticize at least the most ardent proponents of these views for prescribing one best way solutions just as much as the classical theorists (Mohr 1971). With their emphasis on humans and their psychological and social properties, the human relations theorists were not especially interested in tools and technology except as a source of repressive formalization. However, even if we might say that they inherited a belief in optimal solutions from the classical theorists, their theories implied that it was human needs and qualities, and not technology, that dictated the optimal organizational forms. In other words, it was in their view possible to design and operate organizations principally on the basis of human characteristics, and thus thwart what others viewed as technological imperatives. Woodward Among the new research projects were Woodward’s pathbreaking studies of a number of manufacturing companies in the southeast of England in the 1950s (Mintzberg 1979, Clegg 1990), in which she showed how three basic production technologies strongly correlated with a corresponding number of organization structures: Bureaucratization increased as one went from unit or small batch production via large batch or mass production to continuous-process production. First, this discovery led to renewed faith in technological determinism: there now seemed to be not one best way to organize, but rather a best way for each class of production technology—in Woodward’s case, unit production, mass production, and process industry. The Multitude of Ways: Sociotechnics In England a group of researchers developed a distinct framework, which in addition to action approach, they also proposed that the distinguishing feature of organizations is that they are both social and technical systems (Scott 1987, p. 108). The core of the organization represented, so to speak, an interface between a technical system and a human (social) system. This implied that, in order to achieve maximum performance in an organization, it did not suffice to optimize only the technical or the social system, nor to search for the best match between existing technological and organizational elements. The goal should be a joint optimization of the two—creating a synergy that yielded more than could be achieved simply by adding the two together. Their preferred organizational solutions emphasized co-determination, internalized regulation, and workgroup autonomy. They also discovered that changes at the workgroup level did not survive for long without compatible changes in the overlying structures—a discovery that was also made in a series of experiments with autonomous workgroups in Norwegian industry in the 1960s, inspired by the Tavistock group and directed by the newly founded Work Research Institute in Oslo (Thorsrud and Emery 1970). During their projects they also learned that the environment impinged on intra-organizational activities to a much larger degree than they had anticipated. Sociotechnics, for me is here taking a position that is particularly relevant for information technology, even if sociotechnics was established as a theoretical framework before computers started to make themselves felt to any significant degree. When working with information technology in organizations, it is of utmost importance to be aware of the intimate interdependence between the computer-based systems, the individuals using them, the manual routines, and the organizational structure. Any serious attempt to optimize the use of information technology must acknowledge this reciprocity. It is therefore quite remarkable that sociotechnical theory has remained so much out of fashion for the last decade, just the period when the use of computers has really exploded. One reason may be the general lack of interest in information technology that has plagued the social sciences overall; another is that those who were interested within the sociotechnical tradition tended to be drawn toward research on the cognitive aspects of computer use, especially the (literal) user interfaces of computer systems, neglecting the overlying question of the broader interaction of humans and computer systems in structural terms.

The Importance Of Employee Voice

The Importance Of Employee Voice This paper studies the ascertainity of the importance of employee voice within Heritage Hotels, India. It explains why the author is undertaking the research and what the author wants to achieve from this research. It continues with the literature review that highlights the seven different topics that has been explained in detail. It then talks about the Methodology in which it shows the different research methods that have been chosen and why the selective research methods have been chosen for this particular research. The paper then analyses the findings and discusses the result in detail. In the conclusion, recommendations have been presented which look at what employers would want to see in the future regarding employee voice. Acknowledgements I express my gratitude to the University of Westminster for giving me the opportunity to work on the major project during the final year of MA in Human Resource Management. There are many who helped me during this project work and I want to thank them all. I would like to thank Tamarind and Angela Hetherington, my tutors for their invaluable guidance throughout my dissertation work and endeavor period, for providing me with the requisite motivation to complete my dissertation successfully. I specially appreciate the help and guidance of all those teachers who have directly or indirectly helped me making my project a success. I would like to thank my parents who have been by my side throughout the whole process and who have given me the motivation and courage to make my dissertation a success. I would also like to thank all the employees and the manager of Heritage Hotels for taking the time out from their busy schedule to complete my interviews. Thank You. Table of Contents Title Page 1 Abstract 2 Acknowledgements 3 Table of Contents 4 5 List of Figures 6 Introduction 7 Aim Objectives 8 Aim 8 Objectives 8 Literature Review 9 Defining employee voice 9 10 Purpose of employee voice 10 Types of employee voice 11 12 Benefits and success factors 12 Benefits for employees 12 Success Factors 13 Leadership 13 Training 13 Trust openness 13 Employee Involvement 13 Employee Voice and Organizational Performance 14 Figure 1: Employee Voice 14 15 Organizational Background 15 Introduction 15 16 The secret of a great escape 16 Heritage Hotels Mission 17 Methodology 18 Introduction 18 Research Philosophy 18 Positivism 18 Interpretivist 18 19 Methods of Research Used 19 20 Research Design 20 23 Figure 2: The Research Process 21 Respondents of the Study 23 Data Collection 23 24 Interviews 24 25 How was the research attempted and measured 25 26 Analysis and Discussion 27 Introduction 27 Interpretation of Results 27 Analysis 27 28 Question 8 28 Question 9 10 28 Question 11 12 29-30 Question 13 30 Question 14 30-31 Question 16, 17 18 31 Discussion of the Analysis 31-32 Why is voice so important? 32-33 Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion 34 35 Recommendations 35 36 Reflective Statement 37 38 References 38 42 List of Figures Figure 1: Employee Voice Chart 14 15 Figure 2: The Research Process 21 Figure 3: The Response Table 28 1.0 Introduction This research topic studies to ascertain the importance of employee voice within Heritage Hotels. It specifically focuses on how important the employee voice is today. It investigates peoples perceptions on employee voice within the Hotel. Mahak Parwal, the author, feels that this study should be undertaken because as a current student and a future employee, she believes employee voice is and should be considered as highly important. With this study, the author also wants to find out the importance of employee voice, as well as know the employees perception towards it whether they think it should be there within the organization or not. There has been a sharp increase in the significance in employee voice between academics, practitioners, and policymakers in the recent years. Boxall and Purcell (2008) state that among employers, the breakdown of the mass production era and the resulting quest for high-performance work practices that deliver flexibility and quality has produced prevalent experimentation through schemes for sharing information and consulting with employees, involving employees in workplace decision-making and soliciting feedback. Simultaneously, the global decline within the union membership has willingly opened the doors for different voice mechanisms options, whilst also prompting renewed debates over the need for union voice and supportive public policies. There has been a growing interest in employee voice and interest in this topic has emerged over the last few years. Employee voice has been used to summarize several diverse approaches to employee relations, and numerous other terms have been interchangeably with employee voice. Employee voice is a critical element of organizational success. According to Lynch (2010), in times of uncertainty it is more important than ever that employers pay attention to a concept called employee voice. This is because it can work towards developing the workplace productivity during its impact on employee engagement, creativity, retention and effectiveness. A more recent meaning of voice that has captured researchers attention is a behavior that constructively challenges that status quo with the intention of improving it. Employee voice is a very extensive term among substantial width within the range of definitions that are been given by authors (for instance Poole, 1986; Strauss, 2006; Sashkin, 1976 ; Dietz et al., 2009). The aim of the paper is also to shed greater light on the meanings that organizational members derive from employee voice and what those different purposes may be. 1.1 Aims and Objectives The following aim and objectives will identify how the researcher will achieve the research study objectives and provide background on how the objectives will be met through the academic study. 1.2 Aim The aim of this study is to ascertain the importance of employee voice at the Heritage Hotels in India. 1.3 Objectives The following objectives need to be satisfied in order to reach this aim. These are: Define employee voice and its components. Determine the importance of employee voice. To investigate employees perception on employee voice. To critically recognize how Heritage Hotels promote employee voice in a hypercompetitive environment. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Defining employee voice As de ¬Ã‚ ned by Boxall and Purcell (2003): Employee voice is the term increasingly used to cover a whole variety of processes and structures which enable, and sometimes empower employees, directly and indirectly, to contribute to decision-making in the  ¬Ã‚ rm. Employee voice can be seen as the ability of employees to in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence the actions of the employer (Millward et al, 1992). Employee voice is a two-way communication between its employer and employee CIPD (2012). According to CIPD (2012), it is the process of the employer communicating to the employee as well as receiving and listening to communication from the employee. To get a basic understanding of what employee voice, one must understand what participative management is. Stueart and Moran (2007) states participative management focuses on increasing lower level employee empowerment during team building along with direct participative methods in order to involve the employee with the decision making of the organ ization. This has become one of the leading styles of management. The important of empowerment may not be obvious, however it is pertinent. According to Stueart and Moran (2007), there is a positive correlation between employee empowerment and better customer service, staff creativity and innovation, and flexibility. Employees are able to participate in the decision making process of an organization through flattening the hierarchical, top-bottom structure by the means of groups or teams and with direct participation. The concept of employee voice looks more into the opportunities in order for the employees to be involved within decisions together, which can either be through trade unions or by other means. It appeals to both those seeking greater business efficiency and to those looking for employee rights (CIPD, 2012). Organizations have increasingly looked on ideas that directly engage employees, moving from representative participation in the last two decades. CIPD research, according to Marchington, Wilkinson and Ackers (2001), suggests organizations that look to promote voice are usually those who believe that employees want to contribute to the business and that for employees to have an effective voice, the significant element of the communication process is not what the employer puts out but what it gets back. Good managers distinguish that the knowledge required for the business to be competitive can only come out of employees heads. Voice is defined most typically in terms of two-way communications, an exchange of information between managers and employees or having a say about what goes on in an organization (CIPD, 2012). Some managers feel that voice is a way for employees to represent their views to managers, and the different views presented by employees can be taken into account which, in turn, can be positive for the company. On the other hand, other managers take the more limited view that voice is not so much of a dialogue o r a two-way exchange of thoughts as a method for the employees to be able to pass on their thoughts to managers in order to develop the companys organizational performance. Employee voice is the most important characteristic of employee participation. If employee participation strongly contributes to a greater customer service, then it straight away shows that employee voice is a significant feature in this equation. According to McCabe Lewin (1992, p. 112), whilst participative management programs can be assorted depending on the company, the general scope and the amount of intended participation, the fundamental hypothesis remains the same, which is that employees possess sufficient ability, skill, knowledge, and interest to participate in business decisions. For Dundon et al (2004:1149), employee voice is best understood as a complex and uneven set of meanings and purposes with a dialectic shaped by external regulation on one hand and internal management choice on the other. The re is a long tradition in employee relations literature of focusing on the level and effectiveness of employee involvement and participation in the workplace (Marchington, 2005). 2.2 Purpose of Employee Voice According to Michael Armstrong (2006), there are four specific purposes for employee voice. The first purpose is basically to articulate dissatisfaction for individuals with the management team or in the organization. The second purpose provides as an expression of collective organization to management. The third purpose lets the management contribute towards decision making in particular concerning quality, productivity and work organization. Last but not the least it expresses the mutuality relationship between the employee and the employer. In addition towards the specific purposes for employee voice, Gorden (1988b) proves a fifth purpose. He had conducted a study with 150 students and the study confirmed higher employee satisfaction with his or her career and employer when the organizational conditions are conductive to creating and receiving opportunities for employee voice. These rationale supports in defining voice and offers a background on which one can base all of the studi es and research. 2.3 Types of Employee Voice Since Employee Voice is vast within Human Resource there are many types of employee voice. According to McCabe and Lewin (1992), there are about four specific types that help engage the process for the grievance resolution. The first type of voice is the ombudsman; it is similar to a confidant that is proposed to considerately take note to the injustice and to offer any help to solve the issue. The ombudsman operates more like a channel of employee voice, relative than actual employee voice. McCabe and Lewin (1992) state for this to work, the ombudsman needs to be thoroughly familiar with the organization and also needs to promote particularly for the employee. The second type of employee voice, again defined by McCabe and Lewin, is the mediation. Yet again, mediation also acts as a channel for employee voice. In this situation, the mediator goes through an argument between the two parties and supports in reconciling and resolving the problem. He or she does not particularly make the resolving decision but persuades solutions for the employees to eventually decide from the provided options. The third type of employee voice is arbitration and it is distinguished by the fact that the arbitrator can make the final, binding decision. The arbitration is usually seen as the preceding step in a grievance process and needs to completely follow the standards, policies and procedures as written in the handbook for the employees. Last but not the least are, again discussed by the aforementioned authors, tribunals and peer reviews. As the same for arbitration which is the third type of employee voice, the ultimate decision is requisite and needs to be in capacity of the employee handbook. The advantage to the internal tribunals is that employees are preferred to be judged by their peers rather than an administrator or manager: The advantage to these internal tribunals is that employees generally prefer to be judged by a jury of their peers rather than an administrator or m anager (McCabe and Lewin, 1992). Other than the grievance procedure as mentioned above, there are two other types of voice: 1. Representative participation, and 2. Upward problem solving (Armstrong, 2006). Representative participation is characterized by collective representation. Representative participation involves a formal mechanism which allows for the employee representation to solve issues of mutual interest and work more like a partnership between employer and employee, tackling issues together in a cooperative manner. Examples of representative participation would include trade unions or other staff associates/association. Employee voice is heard through an organized channel. The second type of employee voice is the upward problem solving. In this type of employee voice it works towards more of a teambuilding perspective. It basically involves two-way communication between the manager and the staff. Thus communication is characterized by suggestion schemes rather than partner schemes where employees indepen dently suggest ideas or changes and then employer generally rewards them (Armstrong, 2006). It includes the application of attitude surveys for employees in order to seek their opinion/speak through questionnaires which can be beneficial for the organization. In this case employee voice is more on the basis of being communicative on a direct level from employee to employer. The main method of expressing voice is through questionnaires and forms instead of formal representation. 2.4 Benefits and success factors Within the high performance workplaces, skills and knowledge are developed and enhanced which leads to high value enterprises and increasingly knowledge based economy. Having a greater voice for employees leads to the following (CIPD, 2012): Employees skills and knowledge can be better used, leading to higher productivity. Employees feel more valued, so they are more likely to stay and to contribute more. The organization gains a positive reputation, making it easier to recruit good employees. Conflict is reduced and co-operation between employer and employee is based on interdependence. 2.4.1 Benefits for employees Employees benefit from the following (CIPD, 2012): Having more influence over their work Higher job satisfaction More opportunity to develop skills More job security at their employee is more successful as a result of voice initiatives. 2.4.2 Success factors The factors that ensure success are the following (CIPD, 2012): Leadership: without having active commitment from the top, initiatives will not succeed. Further down, managers also need to lead by example, while employee representatives should be effective leaders of those who they represent in the organization. Training: middle managers who have brought up a top-down tradition of communication might find it complicated to acclimatize to a more open way to doing things and might need to be trained in communication skills. Likewise, employee representatives may need training. Trust and openness: without being honest, the communication initiatives will not succeed, even when messages may not be palatable. The possible barriers of the success factors are reversed. The reasons for failure are cited as absence of leadership and lack of commitment from the middle managers in the organization. 2.5 Employee Involvement The objective of employee involvement is to engage employees to a greater extent in the administrative activities of the organization. This facilitates employees in empowering, and moreover informs them to understand the corporate activities and policies of the organization in a better way. It facilities the psychological relationship between the employee and employer, which provides, to an extent, an allowance in the decision making process. Employee involvement has two major benefits, which can only take place after empowering the employees and decentralizing the management; employers are relieved by some portion of its administrative responsibilities. Secondly, when employees are given the empowerment, their responsibilities for the organization lead to success and so does their commitment and accountabilities. It moreover helps in elevating overall employee morale and job satisfaction. Thus it enhances in employee performance. 2.6 Employee Voice and Organizational Performance Normally, having lack of proper communication leads to organizational conflicts. Employee voice facilitates in making the relationship between the employer-employee information flow. It has been argued that Employee Involvement and Employee Participation is essential for organizational performance and management employee interrelationship, which plays an equally important role in enhancing job satisfaction and hence in enhancing organizational productivity (Brown Heywood, 2002 p.103). Within the context of Employee Voice, psychological contracts can also be analyzed which may also be involved with employment. The interrelationships of management are largely supported by exchange of compensation and services. This regularly escorts the employees awareness to be obstinate with the growth strategies of the management. Employee participation in every organizational activity increases personal involvement. With an increase in involvement the employees naturally perform optimally thereby proving that employee voice is of immense importance in enhancing organizational performance and productivity (Kirkman, Lowe Young, 1999 p. 42). 2.7 Employee Voice Chart The following figure presents the meanings and purpose of employee voice articulated from journal called The International Journal of Human Resource Management (Dundon et al, 2004). Figure 1: Employee Voice Voice represents Purpose of Voice Possible mechanism or channels of voice Potential positive/negative outcomes Articulation of individual dissatisfaction To remedy a problem and/or prevent deterioration in relations Informal complaint to line manager; formal grievance procedure (Reinforced) loyalty to organization/employee exit, withdrawal of beneficial discretionary behavior or inform expressions of dissatisfaction Expression of collective organization To provide a countervailing source of power to management Recognition of trade union by employer; collective bargaining; industrial action Partnership between management and employees/non-or de-recognition of union; anti union management tactics Employee contribution to management decision-making To seek improvements in work organization, quality and productivity Employee involvement and participation (e.g. upward problem-solving initiatives; suggestion schemes; attitude surveys; self-managed teams) Employee commitment and identification with aims of organization; improved performance/disillusionment and apathy Mutuality and co-operative workplace relations To achieve long-term viability for the organization and greater people added-value Partnership agreements; joint consultative committees; works councils Significant employee influence in decision-making/management communication-service to employee contribution. Source: Dundon et al. (2004) The meanings and purpose of employee voice, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 15 (6): 1149-70. Reprinted by permission of the publisher Taylor Francis Group. 2.8 Organizational Background Heritage Hotels, India 2.8.1 Introduction Heritage Hotel is a joint venture between ITC Ltd. and Jodhana Heritage, signifying some of the best tradition of heritage hospitality and tourism in India. It presents over 37 selected heritage destinations, ranging from grand palaces to traditional bungalows (havelis) and magnificent forts: from adventure-filled jungle loges to tea garden homes and quiet nature resorts in different states of India, for instance Rajasthan, Jammu Kashmir, West Bengal, Karnataka, Punjab, Goa, Punjab and Tamil Nadu. A holiday with the Heritage Hotels is always special: timeless bazaars, elephant and camel safaris, local festivals, desert camps and a selection of various adventure and sport activities. Rich in history, these destinations are enriched by stories of heroic fighters and illustrious queens of royal courts and princes who enjoyed their pomp, pageantry, gracious, and splendid living in these places. On the journey of the relentless passage of time, many legends have been relegated to the pag es of history; others extolled in verse and sung by traditional bards and folk singers. Even today some of the legends live in palaces, forts and royal retreats. Their private homes indicate the visitor with elegant Heritage Hospitality from the hotel and offer a slice of history with one major difference. 2.8.2 The Secret of a Great Escape Heritage Hotel offers the secrets of a great escape. At every Heritage Hotel, customers will get the chance to experience the rich heritage and culture. Such cultures include a fort resort at the rim of a desert, or a county manor in the lap of a green valley. A jungle lodge in a wildlife forest reserve, or a palace or bungalow, resonant with the past. A picture-postcard cottage ensconced in mystic mountains or a splendid mansion on the spur of a hill. A spa in a heritage home, a houseboat on a sparkling lake, a colonial hill residence with tea gardens for a view, a mist-wrapped palace in fragrant plantations. Each hotel has a secret to share, a story to tell and so will you. Moreover, each Heritage hotel has the blueprint of a great holiday, all laid out for tourists. Each hotel provides the opportunity to go where you get away to all that is not ordinary. All that is exclusive, while being affordable and unusual, without being over the top. Heritage Hotels over 40 hotels are sited expediently at stunningly scenic locations and are easy accessible from major cities, making it the perfect holiday option. In particular, customers usually find atmospheric and boutique experience when it comes to selecting a hotel but Heritage Hotels are far removed from standardized sameness. Hospitality comes from the heart provided with a slice of heritage within modern amenities. 2.8.3 Heritage Hotels Mission The Heritage Mission is to assist and support the restoration of Heritage properties. They encourage owners of these properties to convert them into productive assets, and assist them, in providing technical expertise, sales, marketing, reservations and operational support, and services. Through other initiatives, they help in the preserving the environment while at the same time promoting their rich culture, cuisine and handicrafts. They endeavor to: Providing a unique, enriching and affordable experience to customers Generate local employment and well being Set standards in Heritage Hotels Tourism while promoting Heritage tourism They hope to succeed in their mission with customers whole-hearted support. Employee voice is an important issue in studying participative management. From the point of view of an organization, having a participative management program that incorporates several employee voice mechanisms would be in the companys best interest. By promoting employee voice within the workplace through a range of techniques, it will help an organization to fulfill the ethical and political need through revitalizing their bottom line by avoiding resignation rates and high exit. Employee voice takes various forms in terms of both individually and collectively, and verbally and non-verbally. Furthermore, the concept behind employee voice appears to be timeless, as many of the publications throughout the past forty years have agreed with each other (employee voice: theoretical frameworks and organizational methods). Employee voice plays a huge role in participative management because in order for employees to work in an organization being able to communicate, presenting ideas, and b uilding relationships is required and essential according to the author. This is how participative management links to employee voice. 3.0 Methodology 3.1 Introduction The way in which the research is carried out can be considered in terms of the philosophy of the research which it is pledged to, the strategy of the research employed and, moreover, the research instruments utilized (and perhaps developed) in the pursuit of a goal the research objectives with the search for the resolution of the aim which basically links to the research question. The research has been outlined for the research question and the research objectives in the introduction as well as in the literature review. The purpose of this chapter is to: Discuss the research philosophy and relate that to other philosophies; Develop the research strategy, together with the research methodologies adopted; Introduce the research instruments that has been developed and utilized in the search of the goals. 3.2 Research Philosophy A research philosophy is a conviction regarding the way in which the data about a phenomenon should be analyzed, used and gathered. The term epistemology what is known to be true as opposed to doxology includes different philosophies of the research approach. The rationale of science is the process of converting things known from doxology to epistemology. The two major research philosophies have been categorized in the Western tradition of science, explicitly positivist, which is sometimes called scientific and interpretivist which is known as an positivist (Galliers, 1991). 3.3 Positivism Positivists believe that reality is stable and can be observed and described from an objective point of view (Levin, 1988), i.e. without interfering with the phenomena of being studied. It should be argued that the phenomena should be isolated and that the observations should be repeatable. This frequently engages with the manipulation of reality with differences in only a single independent variable so as to recognize regularities in, and to form relationships between, some of the constituent elements of the social world. Predictions could possibly be made on the foundation of the previously explained and observed realities and their inter-relationships. Positivism has a long and rich historical tradition. It is also embedded in our society that knowledge claims not grounded in positivist thought are simply dismissed as scientific and therefore invalid (Hirschheim, 1985, p33). This view is indirectly supported by Alavi and Carlson (1992) who, in a review of the research articles, ha ve found that all of the empirical studies were positivist in its approach. Positivism has been a particularly successful association within natural and physical sciences. There has, however, been a debate on the concern of whether or not the positivist paradigm is entirely suitable for the social sciences (Hirschheim, 1985). Many authors are calling for a more pluralistic attitude towards the research methodologies an example being Bjorn-Andersen, 1985; Kuhn, 1970; Remenyi and Williams, 1996. 3.4 Interpretivist Interpretivists argue that only through the subjective interpretation of an intervention in reality can be fully understood. The study of phenomena in its natural environment is vital to the interpretivists philosophy, together with the acknowledgement that scientists cannot avoid affecting those phenomena that are being studied. There may be many interpretations of reality that can be admitted, but maintaining these interpretations are in themselves a part of the scientific knowledge they are pursuing. There is a tradition which has been followed by the interpretivisms, which is no less glorious than that of positivism and nor is it shorter. 3.5 Methods of Research Used For this study, the descriptive research method was utilized. In this method, it is possible that the study would be cheap and quick. It could also suggest an unanticipated hypotheses. Nonetheless, it would be very hard to rule out alternative explanations and especially infer causations. Thus, this study used the descriptive approach. This descriptive type of research utilizes observations in the study. The purpose of employing this method is to describe the nature of a situation, as it exists at the time of the study and to explore the cause/s of particular phenomena. The researcher opted to use this kind of research considering the desire of the researcher to obtain first hand data from the respondents so as to formulate rational and sound conclusions and recommendations for the stu

Application to Mark Littered Areas and Locate Trashcans

Application to Mark Littered Areas and Locate Trashcans Abstract To encourage cleanliness drive by using technology to promote proper use and maintenance of trash cans by providing location specific details using a GPS and feedback about garbage disposal facilities and a step forward for Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. All around the globe, the world is taking a note of Indias economic growth. However, we must acknowledge, if there is any aspect in which India or Indians have not moved forward or moved very sluggishly, is in the field of environmental cleanliness and taking care of the surroundings. If we look around, trash and litter is everywhere. Nobody seems to care about the waste, and how we discard it. If anything, we add to the garbage that is already abundant in the open and is everywhere. Littering a plastic cup on the road-side, after we done using it, is the norm. No one realize anything wrong with it. Throwing our waste on the street, and right outside our own house is a part of the daily routines. Unhygienic conditions are one of the major root cause of diseases / illness. Any disease or illness has financial impact both in terms of expenditure and potential revenue earning. Swachh Bharat Mission, which is our ultimate aim, will have positive impact on Indias health care sector As per estimates, inadequate sanitation cost India almost $54 billion or 6.4% of the countrys GDP in 2006. Over 70% of this economic impact or about $38.5 billion was health-related, with diarrhea followed by acute lower respiratory infections accounting for 12% of the health-related impacts. Evidence suggests that all water and sanitation improvements are cost-beneficial in all developing world subregions. Moreover, India is a land of cultural heritage and rich history. Tourism generate approximately 6.6% of Indias GDP and 39.5 Million Indians are directly employed in this sector. Tourism can generate employment for up to 5% of Indias population i.e. 62.5 Million people. It has potential to generate 23 Million additional job opportunities or 2.3 Cr people will get job. I have taken 5% employment fig which is very conservative after studying tourism model of countries which focus on tourism. The biggest limitation for India to promote tourism is cleanliness. Foreign tourists are very particular about hygiene and cleanliness. Besides employment, Tourism will help bring foreign money to India which will boost Indias GDP. A clean India will help in generating employment through Tourism and boost Indias GDP. We can make all the progress, we can make all the economic strides alongside the rich nations, but we can only go so far if we are surrounded by the smelly dirt piles and garbage. Financial and economic breakthroughs are good. However, along the way, what we really need is a change in our mentality to care for our environment, to care for our own surroundings. And, we need to realize this at personal level, sooner than later. This project uses Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Provider-based location services of a device to determine the current position of the user so that the user can mark a place on the map as not clean. This will be forwarded to the authorities and so that the particular marker can be removed from the map after the area has been cleaned. Another part of this project is that a user can check the location of the closest dustbins on map from his position in case he/she has something to throw away. This feature promotes cleanliness and puts a break on littering. A. Literature Survey Following are the existing systems which are similar to the specifications of our project : Smart bins developed by polish engineers: The trash is put into the bin and Bin-e identifies, categorizes, sorts and stores the trash. Moreover, when its filled, it informs the companies, which are responsible for waste collection. Bin-e recognizes what we really disposed of and it does a pre-treatment, e.g. it crushes the plastic, so it is able to use the entire space of the container. In addition, Bin-e constantly learns new parameters of the waste, which we throw away. Because of the knowledge accumulated in the cloud, it can recognize the type of waste and properly categorize it. SINGAPORE Smart bins that act as Wi-Fi hot spots and which send alerts for them to be cleared when they are almost full. These intelligent bins have sensors that detect how full they are and can later send e-mail or text message alerts to the cell phones of cleaners. The bins also have a compactor that can crunch rubbish so that the capacity of the smart bins can be eight times more than that of a normal bin. Sensors for smart city waste management system are means of providing a system which informs the municipal about a dustbin which is full using sensors. Systems are available working on projects to use GPS location to provide shorter route for municipal to the dustbin for cleaning. Swachh Bharat App: An app provided by the government of India to facilitate the cleanliness by giving an opportunity to the citizens for filing of complain about the waste dumps. The person using the app can take the picture of an area which is not clean and upload it on the app. The picture will be tagged with its geo location and the time of upload. The authorities can decide and tag the picture based on the severity of the conditions in the area and take the required actions. CITIZEN GAGE: Citizengage is a Bangalore based start-up which is working on waste management. Their main clientele are restaurants and commercial space. There are two apps one for the customer and one for the workers. The user registers and sets the location on the app. The agent will come to the users location, attach a sticker on the door. The agent will come daily and collect the waste. The waste is separated on the location and the agent app has option to fill a form which takes data about the kind of waste and the weight of it. This process is repeated daily for houses and restaurants. iClean India: It is an app developed by a Delhi based start up for social cause. It has three pages concerned with marking and posting pictures of dirty localities, another page for checking which photo belongs to which area and another page which is concerned with inviting people or your friends to clean the area and we can put the clean pictures of the area on the app. B. Drawback of current System No such localized system exists. Littering is a huge problem all over India. Not only it damages Indias reputation in front of tourists but also houses breeding place for many disease-causing germs and bacteria. Sensors for smart city waste management system are means of providing a system which informs the municipal about a dustbin which is full using sensors. Systems are available working on projects to use GPS location to provide shorter route for municipal to the dustbin for cleaning. None of these provides a one stop solution aimed at a clean India. C. Proposed System Application takes the help of Global Positioning System or Provider based location service in correctly detecting the current location of the user so that he/she can mark the area unclean and submit his/her complaint. After the successful submission of the complaint, same is being forwarded to authorities. Authorities can remove the marker after clearing the area. Another feature of the application is to locate the nearest trashcans if user wants to dispose any waste. In this way littering can be controlled to some extend and this also encourages every citizen to contribute little towards better India. Fig (1) Swim-lane diagram of the proposed system The swim lane diagram shows the two lanes of the proposed system which are the user and the administrator. The user is responsible for marking of unclean areas on the map. The proposed system also helps the user to find nearby bins to dispose something which the user wants and thus restricting the problem of littering in the country. The user may also fill up a feedback form about the complaint registered and also may file grievance complaint if the complaint has not been serviced properly and within the particular boundary of time. The second lane in the swim-lane diagram is the administrator who is responsible for servicing of complaints as well as addition of new bin coordinates to the database of available bins. The advantages of the proposed system are: It provides the users with a system where people can point on map and submit complaint about garbage dumps in public places. The complaint will be forwarded to the concerned authorities so that the place can be cleaned up and the marker will be removed from map after the place becomes clean. Login ID and a verification method will be in place to suppress false complaints. The problem of littering will be addressed by providing bins and people can find the location of the closest garbage bin on the map with one touch on their smart phones. Maps will guide them to the nearest bin. 1: As it can be seen in Fig (2) that when the application is opened first the application directs the user to the location settings page of the device so to intimate the user to turn of the GPS of the device for better location detection as GPS provided location is more accurate compared to network provided location. The first activity of the application, shown in Fig (3) contains two image buttons and one button for feedback. The first image button captioned as Tap to Mark redirects the user to the complaint submission location information gatherer activity. The next image button captioned as Tap for garbage bins redirects the user to the location page which will automatically detect the location of the user and shows the nearby bins located nearer to him/her. The third button redirects the user from the application to the browser where the user needs to fill up his/her unique id and the contact number registered with the id in order to fill up the feedback form. Fig (2) Enable location services settings on device Fig (3) Launch activity of the application 2. When the user clicks the button captioned as Tap to mark, shown in Fig (3), the user will be redirected to this current activity which will load a Google Map to begin with. The user needs to click the location enabled button on the top right corner of the activity which will in turn get his/her current location coordinated from the GPS reading via the Location Listener interface. After the current location coordinates of the user is captured the user needs to enter the nearest available landmark which will be used to refine the location coordinates available even though the coordinates captured are almost accurate. After the location of the user gets captured followed by entering the landmark the user is expected to click the button named PIN, shown in Fig (4) which will redirect the user to the next activity in which the user needs to enter the necessary details required in order to submit the complaint. Fig (4) Getting the location coordinates of the user 3. Once the users location gets captured followed by the user entering the nearest landmark available, shown in Fig (4), the user will be redirected to the current activity[Fig (5)]. In this activity the user is required to fill up the necessary details required in order to submit the complaint. The details which the user needs to fill are the users name followed by the users contact information such as the contact number and the e-mail of the user. The contact number will be required to suppress false complaints as the user will receive a verification code which will be used to verify the user of the complaint. On entering the necessary details followed by the contact number and the verification code the complaint will get submitted and a unique complaint id will get generated. Fig (5) Activity for user to enter his/her contact info 4. Once the user clicks on the button captioned as Tap for garbage bins, shown in Fig(3) the user will be redirected to this to this activity[Fig (6)] which will load a Google Map in which the user needs to click the location enabled button on the right top corner of the activity. The code which implements the location listener interface will get the current location coordinates of the user by reading the GPS of the users device. When the user clicks the button named as FIND, the application will look into an online database and find the nearest bin coordinates from the database and show them on the map using a modified marker which will show a bin in place of a default Google map marker. The user can click on a dustbin marker according to his/her route and use the Googles inbuilt navigation features to find the nearest route to the dustbin. The user can also toggle between different views such as Map view, satellite view etc. Fig (6) Getting locations of the nearest bins 5. When the user clicks on the submit feedback button on the first activity [Fig (3)] of the application this activity will be shown. The activity will prompt the browser on the users device to load a hardcoded link which will contain the feedback form. The feedback form will contain fields such as contact number, complaint ID, a few relevant questions with options which the user is required to fill the correct responses for. The unique complaint id and contact number pair is used as a verification procedure so that not anyone can fill up random feedback forms and only the unique user who filed the complaint is allowed to fill the feedback. After answering all the questions using the options provided the user can also add comment or suggestions with a predefined character limit. The feedback submitted by the user will be used to increase the quality of the services offered. Fig (7) Snapshot of the feedback form 6. This is the administrator side application which is meant to be used by the system administrator. The application when opened first will prompt the location services settings similar to the one shown in Fig (2) on the phone so that the user turns on the GPS assistance on the device. This will help in getting a better location accuracy when compared to network provided services. The first activity of the application contains two image buttons as show in Fig(8). The first image button is captioned as Tap to find complaints which will take the administrator to the next activity which will load the complaints registered nearer to the location of the device of the administrator. The administrators device needs to be near the registered location of the complaint in a predefined range in order to remove the complaint marker from the map. The second image button is captioned as Tap to add new bins which will take the administrator to the activity which will add coordinates of new bins to a database. Fig (8) Launch activity for administrator application 7. On clicking the image button captioned as Tap to find complaints, shown in Fig (8), the administrator will be redirected to this activity[Fig (9)]. The activity will load a Google map activity which will contain a location enabled button on the top right corner and on tapping this button the code running in the background will get the location coordinates of the user. On clicking the find button the code running on the background thread will connect to the database which stores the registered complaints and retrieve the complaints near to the administrators device. The administrator needs to service the complaint and then tap on the complaint to see the complaint id which the administrator needs to use in order to clear the marker of the complaint from the map. The administrators device needs to be within a predefined range from the complaint in order to remove the complaint marker from the map. Fig (9) Showing the registered complaints 8. When the administrator clicks the second image button on the launch activity of the application, shown in Fig(8) captioned as Tap to add new bins the administrator will be redirected to this current activity. When the administrator adds a new garbage bin, he/she needs to use this current activity in order to add a new garbage bin on the map. This activity consists of two text fields where the administrator needs to enter the coordinates of the newly added bin and press submit button in order for the background thread running within the application to add the entered coordinates in the database [Fig (10)]. When the user accesses the user side application to check for nearest bin the newly added bin to the database will also be reflected in the results. Fig (10) Adding new bins to database [1] http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/solar-powered-smart-bins-that-act-as-wi-fi-hotspots-launched-at-orchard-road?utm_campaign=Echoboxutm_medium=Socialutm_source=Facebookxtor=CS1-10#link_time=1479202704 [2] http://www.iotleague.com/smart-bin-from-poland-will-revolutionize-waste-segregation-recycling/ [3]www.isprs.org/208_XXXVI-part6/