Meditech Surgical Case Paper

Furthermore, suggestions will be made in order to improve Medicine's position and remain relative in the medical industry. Issues in new products, manufacturing of all products Some issues that have resulted from the introduction of new products have been issues with supply and customer service. Although finished goods seemed high, the level of service was very low. Another issue meditate is experiencing Is panic ordering which has allowed dealers and affiliates uncertain If a product will be delivered on time to Increase the size of the order, causing demand to Increase but monish actual supply.The data that was gathered demonstrated a new product reached a high peak during the first couple of weeks and maintained stable, however changes in production schedules have exceeded demand. Poor forecasting are some of the major Issues and low Inventory, an improvement In a regression analysis of past data will Increase areas of Improvement. Driving factors systemically and organizationally Issues that are affecting meditate systemically and organizationally are poor demand forecasts, which are allowing for high levels of inventory.A third party consultant determined that the current inventory could be reduced up to 40 percent. Although high inventory levels are high, service levels are low failing to meet the organizations objectives. These Issues affect not only sales but also the reputation of the organization, which causes the organizations status in the market to diminish. Furthermore Meditate took several Initiatives In accurately monitoring past demand forecasts to better determine and improve inventory demand. Customer Service Manager attention to current problemsThe role of customer service is to determine and handle various types of issues, which include customer complaints, and to develop effective strategies to improve customer service. Customer service ensures deliveries schedules are followed tongue Ana Is ten TLS contact Tort customers to vales AT any p ossible Issues or complaints. The increase in panic ordering and data to determine if panic ordering was occurring was difficult to track. The customer service manager ensured his staff to gather and observe past demands patterns, production rates, and demand recasts to further identify the decrease of customer service.Strategies to improve customer service Distribution Network Configuration The current issues that are affecting meditate are changes in demand patterns and increases in inventory. Configuring the network of distribution will ensure products are produced serve geographical dispersed retailers. Inventory control is highly important since customer demand change over time retailers must observe what point in time to reorder a given product and the minimum amount to Justify inventory ordering and carrying costs.Customer Service The measurement of customer value is highly important and will maximize meditates position in the market as new products designs, technology, and v alue arise in any given market what will allow a company to flourish over its competitors is high end customer service and value. By measuring past trends in the market and opportunities for improvement, this will allow meditate to gain the advantage in the market place. Smart Pricing In order to allow medicated to improve supply chain performance, smart pricing an allow meditate to influence pricing and inventory to influence market demand.As competition arise, to gain a competitive edge using effective marketing management can allow medicated to enter a new product more effectively and ensure the price and inventory is available for the consumer. Medicated goal is to keep its brand high and allow its reputation to grow as the leader in endoscopies surgical instruments. Conclusion To gain a competitive advantage in a given market by incorporating effective strategic management and an efficient supply chain will ensure the given products et organizational goals.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (C.R.N.A.)

Imagine having a career that truly has a positive impact on others even from the beginning of your duties. A specialized nurse called a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist or C.R.N.A. knows this feeling well. This type of nurse is able to administer anesthesia to patients having surgical, dental or medical procedures to prevent the patient from having any pain during the procedure. To become a nurse anesthetist a registered nurse must complete more extensive training and testing. Patients typically are happy to see anesthetist knowing they will keep them from experiencing any pain www.uta.edu/nursing/BaylorAweb/anesth.htm). The nurse anesthetist has many responsibilities while on duty. One of the most important aspects of the anesthetist is balancing the depth of sedation. If a patient receives too much anesthesia medicine they can have trouble breathing and may need to be put on a ventilator. If the patient does not receive enough medicine they may end up feeling the pain of their surgery. Another important role of the nurse anesthetist is to teach the patient and their family things they need to know regarding their condition. During a procedure the nurse anesthetist must closely watch the patient for any signs or symptoms of impending danger and respond quickly to keep the patient stable. The nurse must always monitor and record the condition of the patient as well as the vital signs before, during and after the surgery. At the end of the surgery the anesthetist needs to monitor the patient until the effects of the anesthesia wear off. Sometimes the anesthetist will give the patient a medication that will reverse the effects of the anesthesia (www.uta.edu). Nurse Anesthetist 2 The nurse anesthetist can have a great impact on how the patient feels about the care they receive. The obvious impact that a nurse anesthetist has on a patient is freedom from the fear of pain. This is a great relief for the patient which will in turn encourage the patient to cooperate in their care. Having a nurse anesthetist is cost effective when compared to an anesthesiologist which is a medical doctor who also has had training in anesthesia. To apply the concept of Neuman’s System Model a nurse anesthetist needs to be able to communicate clearly with the patient. If the patient understands details of his or her treatment they are more likely to cooperate. This model explains that mental health is not stuck in one spot but is on a pole which can move toward or away from wellness. To keep stress as low as possible, three levels of prevention are used. Primary prevention is used before symptoms happen. Secondary prevention is when symptoms are present. This helps build a defense by bringing the surface resources that usually were not required. Tertiary prevention looks at the return of the patient’s wellness. This is done by building on the client’s strengths. All three levels are meant to cause reduced stress and increase wellness (www.geocities.com). Nurses happened to be the first group of professionals to administer anesthesia in the United States. The AANA is an association that represents nurse anesthetists across the world. The association was formed in 1931 and currently represents about 28,000 CRNA’s (www.aana.com). Nurse Anesthetist 3 Many nurses are attracted to this profession for many reasons. One large difference from a registered nurse and a nurse anesthetist is the pay. On average a nurse anesthetist can usually earn double the income of the registered nurse. More money is needed however for education because there is at least two more years of schooling to take to become a nurse anesthetist but the payoff will be well worth it. Many nurses are intrigued by the never ending learning. Anesthesia is still somewhat a mystery to scientists and there are new discoveries being made every day. Many people in the medical profession enjoy lifelong learning and this happens to be one of the professions that can provide never ending questions. Many nurses still get great satisfaction from having a good relationship with their patients. It can feel very rewarding to ease a patients worries regarding surgery. A confident nurse anesthetist can reassure a worried patient that she will be watched and taken care of closely. The amount of responsibility also is one of the reasons that being a nurse anesthetist is such a fulfilling career. There are many other people in the room during surgery but the anesthetist has the responsibility to monitor the patient’s consciousness and to adjust as needed. The patient may be on a ventilator temporarily so the airway needs close attention. Due to the fact that anesthesia can have an effect on vital signs the nurse anesthetist much watch for changes closely. All in all the responsibilities of this career are many and demanding but having the chance to make such a direct impact on someone’s life is a privilege. The gratitude you may receive will become the icing on the cake. Nurse Anesthetist Running Head: Nurse Anesthetist The Role and Responsibilities of the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist I. Introduction a. define CRNA b. training requirements II. Role and Responsibilities III. Impact of the Profession IV. Neuman’s System Model V. Desirability of the Profession Work Cited 1. (www.aana.com), Qualifications and Capabilities of the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, retrieved 05/20/2007. 2. (www.geocities.com), Neuman’s System Model, retrieved 05/20/2007. 3. (www.uta.edu/nursing/BaylorAweb/anesth.htm), Nurse Anesthetist, retrieved 05/20/2007.

Middle School vs. High School Essay

Waking up on the morning of the first day of high school felt like butterflies took over my stomach. I had to put together an impressing outfit, fix my hair, and put on appealing makeup. Knowing that in about an hour I would be entering a totally different school environment than what I’m used to frightened me. Within every period of the school day, the butterflies started to flutter out of my stomach and into my new learning atmosphere. Although students tend to fear high school and think it is a nightmare to transition from middle school to the next level, attending high school is not much of a dramatic change. Before beginning high school, you are required to pick levels that you feel comfortable with that correspond with the school-picked courses. You also have to choose three elective classes. Any of these classes could include Art, Chorus, Intro to Family and Consumer Science, Accounting, Graphic Presentations, and many more. All of your chosen classes receive a letter grade, just like middle school, but the required classes are picked according to your academic capability. For example, if you are the type of student that does not do well scholarly, you would choose a level three class. This option is a great way to do better in school. Also in high school, there are more extracurricular options. High school offers a numerous amount of clubs and sports. From soccer and swimming to ping pong club and French club. If any of the extracurricular activities don’t interest you, you even have the opportunity to create your own club with the help of a teacher. In middle school, your classes are already selected and you cannot change them. These classes are mandatory, just like high school, but everyone learns at the same level. This can be a disadvantage for students who take longer to process than others. Also, in middle school, you cannot create your own clubs. The sports and clubs the school provides are your only selections. Transitioning to high school is a big eye opener especially because of the people. Guys have facial hair and girls are more matured. High school goes hand in hand with many different kinds of people and different types of cliques as well. Some examples are jocks, nerds, populars, druggies, and gays. In middle school, there were less people making everyone familiar with  each other. Some being naà ¯ve and inexperienced, they are not used to seeing different types of people. Overall, high school is a lot bigger. Not only is there a downstairs, but an upstairs as well and there are many more hallways. Even though classes are farther apart, there is more time in between classes. In fact, three minutes more than middle school. This allows time to go to your locker before a class and you can even stop to talk in the hallways. Since middle school allowed only two minutes in between classes, you had to be quick with exchanging books. In high school, you can take your time and arrive to class on time. The transition to high school is a big step in education, but it does not have to be a feared one. A new environment brings with it new challenges and worries, however, after awhile you will realize it wasn’t much of a striking change as you thought.

His of Islamic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

His of Islamic - Essay Example Europeans did not manage to introduce Christianity in Islamic world since Islam as a religion had taken root and it was not easy to replace it with another religion. In the three gunpowder empires, the Europeans managed to create a relationship, which helped them to practice trade. Yes, they were able to resist the western cultural, political, and economic domination because they had established their single culture and political class, which united them. ii. How did the patterns of trade in the Islamic world change between 1400 and 1700? Why? What were the consequences of the change in trade for the five groups of Islamic societies that we have discussed? There was emergence of new trading partners where commodities from Islamic world were sold in European markets in exchange European goods were sold in Islamic world. For instance, gunpowder produced in Islamic world sold in Spain and Britain. In turn, the trading patterns led to new global economy whereby other countries such as the Americas became involved in trade, which improved transport, and communication systems in countries involved in trade since goods were to be transported to market either by road or by sea. iii. Compare and contrast the societies in each of the following Islamic groupings: The North Africa, The Middle East/Europe, South Asia (including India), Central Asia, and the Indian Ocean Basin. How were their political, social, economic, religious, and cultural institutions organized? How did these societies differ from each other? Islamic grouping of North Africa are mainly Sufi or Sunni. However, Islam in North Africa is dynamic since it has been influenced by prevalent political, economic, and social conditions. Despite this, Islamic societies in North Africa conform to the belief system and cultural contexts of the continent’s own teachings. The Middle East or Europe

Write a reading response based on the this article Essay

Write a reading response based on the this article - Essay Example At one point in the article, Honan talks about how he is going to go out of town and is debating about allowing his location to be tracked during this time period as it would make public that his wife would ultimately be alone for five days. His wife states at one point, â€Å"Youre not going to announce to everyone that youre leaving town without me, are you? A lot of weirdos follow you online."(Honan). I couldn’t help but agree with his wife’s consensus. Although there might not be that many weirdos running around out there with the intent to hurt others, it is still scary to think that someone could easily find out where you are and that you had basically handed out this information voluntarily. In reading this article, I was impressed to see all of the capabilities of technology with apps such as iWant, GasBag, and Wikime, but I also feel like there is an overload of it right now. A lot of these apps just don’t seem necessary and could end up causing more trouble than they are worth. By the end of the piece, Matthew Honan seems to agree with this somewhat when he nearly gets in a car crash because he was placing too much of his attention on his smart-phone and not enough attention on the road(Honan). I concluded from the article that with apps, the phrase â€Å"too much of a good thing† definitely applies. Honan , Matthew. "I Am Here: One Mans Experiment With the Location-Aware Lifestyle ." Wired.com . 19 Jan. 2009. Web. 28 Sept. 2011.

Audit Quality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Audit Quality - Essay Example The auditors are looked upon by the readers of the financial statements to give assurance that the data presented are free from MATERIAL errors or irregularities. The readers of the financial statements need the financial statements in order to help them in their decision making. At present, auditors are held liable for fault due to negligence or incompetence doing audit work. Also together with regulation and reputation liability acts as a discipline on audit quality in a context where shareholders and other third parties rely on financial information that is audited and paid for by the company audit( Dipiazza, 2000) client. A good example is the Enron case. The audit staff of Arthur Andersen was charged for being negligent in performance of the audit function. Arthur Andersen has now been relegated to the side walk while the remaining big four have remained walking in the major highways handling the major and juice clients of the entire United States and overseas. ISA 240 Fraud and Error. This auditing standard explains the procedures in the audit of Fraud (Zea, 2002) and Error. This audit standard also tells the penalties, especially criminal offenses like being jailed, for gross negligence in auditing the clients' financial statements. Fraud is defined as intentional misstatement either by the company employee (who steals money or property and conceals the errors) or the management itself. The management sometimes does this fraud in order to present a better picture of what the company is in reality. This is what we call, in the accounting parlance, as window dressing. ISA 250 Consideration of Laws and Regulations in an Audit of Financial Statements This auditing standard specifically instructs the auditors to determine if any laws have been violated by the false information presented in the financial statements. One such law of the land is the Income Tax Law, The Property Law, and the Contract law. ISA 220 Quality Control for Audit Engagements. Quality control of engagements means that each engagement must be done with real professionalism. Professionalism means that all auditing standards and auditing procedures must be followed whenever practical or possible. There must be a constant evaluation of audit performance ob all audit team member so that recommendations and corrections can be implemented so that the next engagement will be better and faster than the prior one. Quality audit means that all audit procedures are made to ensure gathering all relevant and material data as soon as possible. IAPS 1010 The Consideation of Environmental Matters in the Audit of FinancialStatements. One audit procedure in environmental audit is to see to it that no environmental laws have been vi

Criminal code of Canada + criminal records Essay

Criminal code of Canada + criminal records - Essay Example conservative interpretative models. Code criminelis is divided into the following parts general, offences against public order, terrorism, firearms and other weapons. There is also offences against the administration of law and justice, sexual offences public morals and betting, offences against person and respect of certain property. In addition there are offences relating to currency, instruments and literature for illicit drug use. Others entail attempts-conspiracies accessories, jurisdiction, special procedure and powers, compelling appearance of an accused before a justice and interim release and language of accused. The criminal code mostly consists of common law and defenses rather than statute. However, there are important Canadian criminal laws that do not form the code and they include Canada evidence act, firearms act, youth criminal justice act, controlled drug and substance act and the contraventions act. Code criminelis has been amended numerous times some of the amendments include the consolidation of federal statutes that occurred during 1955 and 1985.One of the major amendments was the passage of the criminal law amendment act in 1968 and 1969.The provisions of this law included the discriminisation of homosexual acts between consenting adults, the legalization of contraception, abortion and lotteries, authorization of breathalyzer tests on suspected drunk drivers and new gun ownership. Numerous sections of the code criminelis have been struck down by the Canadian Supreme Court due to the existing legal challenges under the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms. The offending sections are wholly removed. Persons aged between 12 and 17 can be charged in court with offences under the criminal code, they are prosecuted the say way adults are prosecuted and are subjected to the same laws of evidence. The youth

Social Performance of Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Performance of Organizations - Essay Example Apple Inc. is an American based multinational company with its headquarters in Cupertino, California. The company performs in a highly competitive market and is engaged in the designing and selling of consumer electronic goods like iPod, iPhone, iPad. Apple Inc. provides products that are unique and has a great youth appeal. The focus remains on targeting the young population since the youth are more inclined towards social networking, music and entertainment. For its superb marketing techniques, Apple Inc. was awarded 2012 CMO Survey Award for Marketing Excellence (Moorman, 2012). In the world of business, there are many external factors that contribute towards the successful performance of a company. Government intervention in the form of laws and regulations has a strong impact on the operations and management of Apple Inc. For instance, the laws and policies set up by the UK government act as limitations and constraints in the manner in which companies market their products. There is Sales of Goods Act 1979 which states that products that will be sold in the market should be according to the specifications mentioned in promotional advertisements. For instance, Apple Inc. deals with electronic products like iPhone, iPad, smartphones, tablets, personal computers and so on. To gain market share over its competitors, Apple cannot exaggerate or promote features that do not exist in its products. Another law is Data Protection Act 1998 which enforces the rights of customers to protect their private information like address, contact number, age etc from unfair us e. For instance, a company must garner permission from customers before sending regular newsletters or future offers to them. Also, a company cannot store data of consumers longer than necessary. This is applicable for Apple Inc. since customers are purchasing products from them. The target customer base is another external factor that largely rules the performance level of

Joyce Carol Oates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Joyce Carol Oates - Essay Example The paper tells that born in 1938, Joyce’s writing was evident even at the age of 15 when her first novel was rejected due to its ‘dark’ way of characterizing things. Joyce’s style appeared to be extraordinarily unfamiliar, and her gates of writing opened further after completing a master’s program at Wisconsin University.   Her work showed a lot of creativity, and this showed the perfect relationship between humans, and also showing better approach to humankind in terms of rape, murder and mysterious existence. It is witnessed in Tucson case that the story is showing us the very unfamiliar life of a girl, which surrounds a life hidden under the pillow. These provide the evidence that psychologically brings about killer sin the hands of her life, and it also proofs evidence of desires, love, and existence. The changing life is full of dreams and youngster existence which is thought to be comprised of sexual desires and whose Joyce Oates analysis pr ovides full idea about the killer scene. This fully reflects uncertainties in her life, and her story shows ironies that are nonetheless full of her personal inertia in both the real world and the original standing of her life. Oates capture in the street life is surrounded by narcissism, viciousness, and cheapness which are a non-existent belief in the life of excitement, unknown destination and above all, wilting fortunes that desperately involves astonishing actions and events.   Her future in the episode appears to go unnoticed, and†allocate the fatal attraction of death (or the devil) for a young woman who is seduced by her own vanity† has created shortfall in desires for sex, devil and symbolical mysteries. The craziness of life and the characteristic life embraces the staggering sense of sensation. From the â€Å"Shaggy black hair that like crazy as a wig...† changing problems of her life, she allocated herself a winding reality of hate, disuse of life an d characteristic disconnection with reality. While in Tucson’s understanding, Oates appear disconnected and the real images created appeared to be awkward and unrealistic. The Creation of a retelling Joyce life define the seemingly changing classic archetypes that are different from the existing phenomena and the different manner in which her thoughts are being retold again and again provides a repeated emphasis on humanity and the myriads of vices planted in the way. And this pessimism explores gruel mechanisms that that society is based. Ultimately, Propp, (1968) provides Joyce position amorality, imaginative war and serial killer dynamics. These dictated the retell and this also became the existing imagination that appeared to be incomprehensible and unpredictable. The elusive point of death and eroticism also provide obsessive characterization which reexamines Oates invasive victimization. This touches the shady romance and the tales, â€Å"Hawthornean, romantic, shading into parable†. The tale paradoxes the unromantic reality that explores the interventions and aggressive change in life defines powerful forces that are realistically comprised of people and a changing fortune which is historically examined by nature. The story is repeated in absolute show of the objective nature of passion, change and contemporary change. Johnson, (1994) in Joyce Oates characterizes the thoughtfulness of killers as a fairy tale and this also establishes the actual reality of individualistic measure that both extorts and makes blunders relative to the positive levels of life. For example, the character formation provided a relevant environment which maximizes a unit of people’s believes in protectionism and extreme life change. Equally, her views express expressions that equally exploit the humane nature of dangerous situations such as murder, drunkenness and extortion. How much of the story is ‘theirs’ – Where are you going This masterpiece of Joyce Carol Oates provides a special recognition of immediate reproach that mentions the past actions and hence develop a perhaps a renewed future. The

Marketing-A Hotel Perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing-A Hotel Perspective - Essay Example â€Å"Marketing is a societal process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering and freely exchanging products and services of value with others† - Philip Kotler Marketing is the economic process by which goods and services are exchanged between the producer and the consumer and their values determined in terms of money prices. Marketing originates with the recognition of a need on the part of a consumer and terminates with the satisfaction of that need by the delivery of a usable product at the right time, at the right place and at an acceptable price. Marketing is a key function of management. It brings success to business organization. A business organization performs two key functions producing goods and services and making them available to potential customers for use. An organization business success largely depends on how efficiently the products and services are delivered to customers and how differently do the customers perceive the difference in delivery in comparison to the competitors. This is true of all firms – from large business enterprises to small firms, from multinationals operating in different countries to small firms operating in small markets

Social Performance and Social Influence Essay Example for Free

Social Performance and Social Influence Essay Social psychologist, Dr. Robert Cialdini has researched basic principles that govern how one person may influence another. You will read about these six principles in his 2002 article The Science and Practice of Persuasion. Social Performance Aristotle first called humans social animals. People tend to gather, play, and work in groups. Groups fulfill a variety of functions such as satisfying the need to belong, providing support and intimacy, and assisting in accomplishing tasks that individuals could not accomplish alone, etc. In Chapter 13 of the textbook, groups will be defined as two or more people working together on a task in which the outcome is quantifiable. This discussion will focus on two major areas that have been researched since the end of the 19th century: social facilitation and social loafing. Social Facilitation At first glance, these terms seem to be opposing behaviors: social facilitation refers to the fact that people work harder in groups, whereas social loafing describes their tendency reduce their efforts when in groups. The difference, it appears, is how people view the individuals in their groups–whether they perceive those in the group as being with them us or against them. If group members are against them, they perceive them as competitors, evaluators, or sources of comparison, which is likely to increase or facilitate their efforts. If they are with them, sharing in the demands of the task and evaluation, they are likely to loaf or reduce our efforts. These findings appear counterintuitive. Research on social facilitation began with Triplett (1989) who observed that cyclists pedaled faster, or performed better, when others were present than when performing alone. He argued that the other biker was a stimulus, arousing a competitive instinct in the cyclist. He tested his theory by asking children to wind fishing reels either alone or beside other children. The majority of the children turned the wheel faster when working alongside another child than when reeling alone. Allport (1924) termed this effect social facilitation. Still, it seemed that many disagreed about whether the presence of others increased or decreased performance on tasks. Zajonc (1965) renewed interest in social facilitation, and suggested that the presence of others enhanced a dominant response–which is the most probable response on a given task. If the task is simple and well-learned, the dominant response will be facilitated. For example, if you were a skilled concert pianist, performing in front of others would increase your proficiency on the task; you would play beautifully. Since you are not skilled at this art, being observed by others would no doubt cause anxiety and would result in quite the opposite effect, inhibiting your performance. Zajonc was suggesting that the presence of others increases drive. Others were still arguing that it was the evaluation or the competition associated with others being present that produced the drive. Whether it was mere presence or evaluation apprehension that increased the drive, the drive theory remained the dominant thought of the time. Alternative approaches to social-facilitation effects fall into three classes: The first was the continued thought that the presence of others increases drive by evaluation apprehension. The second thought suggested that the situation places demands on the individual to behave in a particular way; individuals are engaged in self-presentation and self-awareness. The third idea argued that the presence of others affects focus and attention to the task, meaning that the task becomes cognitive. Hence, the controversy over whether it is the mere presence of others or evaluation that causes social facilitation is unresolved. Social Loafing Social facilitation research demonstrates that the presence of others sometimes enhances performance, yet at times reduces it. But, how does working with others affect motivation? Many would argue that groups should energize and motivate. The tendency for individuals to work less hard on a collective task than on an individual task is called social loafing. For example, those group projects at work or school where a few individuals did the majority of the work–social loafing. Research in this area has been conducted in a way that makes individuals believe that they are either working alone or working with others–then measures efforts toward the task. For example, Ringelmann (Kravitz Martin, 1986) had volunteers pull on a rope as hard as they could in groups of varying sizes. Their efforts decreased as group sizes increased. This was explained in two ways: their motivation decreased as groups size increased or maybe the larger groups were not able to coordinate their efforts efficiently. Researchers sought to tease apart these two factors, focusing on motivation. You can imagine that it was difficult to devise methods that lead participants to believe they were either working alone (when they were not) or with others (when they were working alone), which lends to the difficulty of studying social loafing. However, over 100 studies (Steiner, 1972; Griffith, Fichman, Moreland, 1989; Jackson Williams, 1985; Henningsen et al. , 2000) have tested the effects of groups on motivation, and social loafing has been replicated in most of these studies. Other theories have attempted to explain social loafing. Social impact theory states that when a group is working together, the expectation is that the effort should be diffused across all participants, resulting in diminished effort. Arousal reduction postulates that the presence of others should increase drive only when they are observers and reduce our efforts when they are coworkers. Evaluation potential suggests that social loafing occurs because individual efforts are so difficult to identify during a collective task; one can easily hide in the crowd or may feel they will not be acknowledged for their hard work. Dispensability of effort argues that individuals may feel their efforts are unnecessary or dispensable. The group simply does not need them. An integrative theory: the collective effort model states that individuals will work hard on a task only to the degree to which they believe their efforts will be instrumental in leading to outcomes they value, personally. Hence, the value they place on the task (and their efforts) depends on their personal beliefs, task meaningfulness, favorable interactions with the group, the nature of the rewards, and the extent to which their future goals are impacted by the task. Social loafing can be moderated, or reduced, when individuals efforts can be identified or evaluated, when individuals are working on a task they deem as important or of personal relevance, or when individuals are working with cohesive groups or close friends. Individual differences or characteristics also influence who engages in social loafing less because they value collective outcomes. For example, a need for affiliation, a hard work ethic, or high self-monitoring can influence effort. It should be clear that the mere presence of others is arousing. It appears that if others are competitors or evaluators they facilitate motivation to work harder. If individuals see others as a part of themselves, they can hide behind them or their efforts can get lost in the efforts of others. Further research in this area can help us determine how our view of others affects our motivation and performance. Social Influence Processes of Control and Change Social influence is one of the primary research areas in social psychology and refers to the ways in which opinions and attitudes influence the opinions and attitudes of others. Two types of social influence can be identified in groups: influence aimed at maintaining group norms (social control) or changing group norms (social change). The most common form of social control is conformity, where an individual complies with or accepts the groups views. Since the influence is typically within a context of a group of people influencing an individual, it is referred to as majority influence. Another type of social control is obedience, where individuals obey an authority figure, often against their will. For group norms to change, a small subset of the group must resist the majority view, which is termed minority influence. If minorities never resisted, group opinions would persist, fashions would never change, innovations would not come about, etc. It must be clear that the term majority refers to the larger group of people who hold the normative view and has power over others. Minority groups tend to be small, hold nonnormative positions, and wield very little power. This study textbook is concerned with two influence processes: processes that ensure that others adhere to the groups position (social control; conformity and obedience) or processes that aim to change the groups position (social change: innovation and active minorities). Social influence has studied how individuals conform to the majority, often by giving an obvious erroneous response to a question. According to Festinger (1950, 1954), this occurs because there are social pressures for groups to reach consensus, especially when there is a group goal. Individuals seek social approval and seek others to verify their opinions. Deutsch and Gerard (1955) distinguish between normative social influence (conforming to expectations of others) and informational social influence (accepting information from the group as reality). Another view is that people conform over concerns for positive self-evaluations, to have good relationships with others, and to better understand a situation by reducing uncertainty. Social influence also addresses why people comply with acts that clearly cause harm to another. The study of obedience is intimately tied to one social psychologist–Stanley Milgram (1963). His post-WWII research aimed to understand why people willingly engaged in the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis. People probably preferred to believe these were evil, disturbed men who were intrinsically evil? However, many of them claimed they were not responsible for their behavior. After all, they were simply following orders. In Milgrams (1963) classic study, he led participants (who were assigned to be teachers) to believe they were administering harmful shocks to the learners each time they made an error on a task. The experimenter (the authority figure) demanded they increase the level of shock for each incorrect response. As shocks increased, the receiver (the learner, who was out of the sight of the teacher) responded with distressed reactions. However, the teacher was encouraged, even demanded, to continue the experiment, even though he believed the learner was experiencing extreme distress. The question was, to what extent normal people would obey the instructions of the authority figure and administer harmful levels of shock to harm another individual. Milgrams results showed that a full 65% of all participants administered every level of shock, surpassing levels believed to do fatal harm to subjects. Milgrams findings have been replicated with consistent results. Why did they obey? Milgram offered the following explanations: (a) they had entered into a contract with the experimenter and did not wish to spoil the experiment; (b) they were absorbed in the experiment and lost sight of the implications of their actions; (c) the participants are acting for the experimenter; they may be pushing the buttons, but they are not responsible, the experimenter is. Notice these are all situational explanations; participants were put into a powerful role relationship with the experimenter. However, when the experimenter was not visible, or another participant played the role of the experimenter, obedience rates decreased, but did not fall to zero, indicating the role relationship did not fully account for their obedience. Milgrams research remains some of the most intriguing and influential in social psychology. Minority Influence Moscovicis (1976) book Social Influence and Social Change, he argues that minorities can create conflict by offering a different perspective, thereby challenging the dominant or majority view. Moscovici claims that people trying to avoid conflict may dismiss the minority position, and possibly denigrate it. However, when the minority demonstrates commitment to their position, the majority may consider the minority view as a viable alternative. He called this the minoritys behavioral style–meaning the way the message is organized and communicated. By standing up to the majority, the minority demonstrates that it is certain, confident, committed, and not easily persuaded. Researchers have compared majority and minority influence. Conversion theory is the dominant perspective and argues that all forms of influence, whether minority or majority, create conflict that individuals are motivated to reduce. However, people employ different processes depending on whether the conflict is the result of majority influence or minority influence. Comparison process suggests that people focus attention on fitting in, or complying with what others say. Their goal is to identify with the group and comply with the majority position, often times without examining the majoritys arguments in detail. Social comparison can drive majority influence, but cannot motivate minority influence, according to Moscovici (1976), because people desire to disassociate themselves with undesirable groups. Because minority groups tend to be distinctive, they stand out, and this encourages a validation process where some examine the judgments in order to confirm or validate them–to see what it is the minority saw or to understand the minoritys view. This process can lead to increased message processing which results in an attitude change on an indirect, latent, or private level. Convergent-divergent theory is proposed by Nemeth (1986) and simply states that people expect to share the same attitude as the majority and to differ from the minority (the false-consensus heuristic). Stress is the result of realizing that the majority has a different perspective than oneself, especially if one is in the physical presence of the majority. Stress narrows ones attention and majority influence, and then leads to convergent thinking. Minorities, on the other hand, do not cause high levels of stress, since they hold different views, which allows for less restricted focus of attention and leads to a greater consideration of alternatives that may not have been considered without the influence of the minority view. This results in creative and original solutions. Other theories that integrate minority and majority influence include mathematical models, objective-consensus models, conflict-elaboration theory, context/comparison model, and self-categorization theory. More contemporary models include social-cognitive responses with an emphasis on information-processing such as the elaboration likelihood model and the heuristic systematic model we discussed in an earlier chapter. New research continues to develop. Conclusion This module reviewed social psychological research that has made great contributions to the understanding of human behavior. Early research (e. g. , Triplett, 1898; Zajonc, 1965) led to the beginning of the relatively new field of social psychology.

Fraction Operations Essay Example for Free

Fraction Operations Essay To facilitate assessment of the class, I observed the class for several session to develop insights on the behavior, class dynamics and teacher-student response. The current lesson of the class involved and math operations using fractions, requirements for Concept 1 PO 10 and PO 11 as well as Concept 2 PO 7 and PO8 of the 2006 Arizona State Education Standards. I was very happy to observe that the class was very active and receptive to instruction and needed little reinforcement with skills or concepts learned. However, I felt that there was some difficulty in application of learning to practice: number sense was high but performance in operations was lower. Using these observations, the children’s response to different activities and the Education Standards related to the are of study, I felt that play activity was the best strategy to use as reinforcement. I had chosen baking of no-bake cookies to be simple and effective activity for the children, allowing not only to practice their fraction and math skills but also to have a venue where they can interact and collaborate with one another. The children’s interaction during the sharing of the cookies also will allow them to experience fractions in rewarding manner such as in sharing snacks with their friends. As an educator, I feel strongly that there is a real need for classroom activities that designed to engage students in practical applications of fractions. By developing the activity into a non-instructional setup, emphasizing group and play activities which they have already shown a high degree participation, reinforcement would be more effective. The activity will also serve to reinforce the value of concepts of application of the concepts and allow for students to practice cooperative learning and allow teachers to interact with students better (Gillies et al, 2000). This will also allow for the identification of special intervention or supplemental activities for children who may not have been able to participate actively without them having to feel that they are being singled out of the group Implementation and Evaluation I divided the children divided into five groups and were given uniform recipes, Chocolate No-Bake Cookies . Each of the group was instructed to multiply the recipe to various yields: ? , ? , ? , 1 ? , and 2. Each group will then have to compute for the correct ratio of ingredients and proceed to create their cookies which they shared with the other group members. At the end of the activity, while sharing all the cookies with the calls, I encouraged the children to share their experience and develop their own realizations of the applications of fraction skills they had learned.

Ethics In Nigeria Oil And Gas Industry Politics Essay

Ethics In Nigeria Oil And Gas Industry Politics Essay Nigeria is Africas most populous nation and also its largest producer of oil. The country is ranked fifth in terms of oil exportation to the United States. The country has the potential to reach the third spot replacing Norway in a few years though it is plagued with social unrest as well as corruption in the Niger Delta posing significant challenges to the production of oil. The intermittent economic crisis and the political turmoil the country faces dates back to independence in 1960. At the centre of this is the oil industry. This is highlighted by its human development indicators which are among the lowest in the world even though the revenue from gas and oil has gone up to 40 billion per year. This means that the countrys majority lives in extreme poverty. This fact as well the severe environmental degradation that comes with oil production operations in the region has resulted in a conflict between the transnational oil corporations and the communities that reside in the delta date back to early1990s. This article provides an in-depth analysis that the oil industry in Nigeria is faced with in particular with ethical and public relations practices that continues to exacerbate the conflict in the region. It concludes with offering a recommendation that the companies can now adopt in an effort to maintain socially responsible practices in the country and aid in the development of the local communities. Introduction One business sector that has a strong claim to business ethics and/or public relations is the oil and gas sector. The oil and gas Transnational Corporation operating in Nigeria are active in addition to playing leadership roles in developing good codes of conduct and corporate practices in the work place as well as in engaging with different facets of the community. The involvement of Shell, BP-Amoco, Chevron Texaco, ExxonMobil, TotalFinaElf, Occidental, ENI among others in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the United Nations Global Impact, the Sullivan Principle, the Millennium Development Goals, the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, Dow Jones Sustainability Index are some instances (Carrol Bulcholtz, 2003). The footprints of these companies are seen in the transfer of foreign direct investment (FDI), technology and skills: accounting for the majority of the state revenue; and a major employer of labor. They have also undeniably have contributed to the development of communities via programs in health, education, commerce, transport, agriculture, construction among others. Tuodolo (2009) argues that despite the contributions to the community and achievements, the oil transnational Corporations have been the targeted by negative and anti-corporate and negative campaigns in the last two decades. Many civil society actors have been responsible for damaging campaigns against these companies and the institutions that collaborate with them. The strategies they employ in this campaigns include publicity, networking, walk-outs, sit-ins, litigation, lobbying, peoples development plans, socially responsible investment, public hearings, blockades, exposures, seizures and closures. These campaigns cover ethical issues such as human rights abuses, environmental, safety, health, corruption and climate change. In Nigeria, one of the main protests by the civil society against an oil company was against Shell in the Gas flaring taking place in the region and on the Ogoni environmental issues, Niger Delta area (Amnesty International, 1995). The world has experiences massive campaigns carried out by the civil society actors against oil giants such as Shell, ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil, Occidental, ENI. These campaigns often disrupt business activities, damages and embarrass the reputation of the business; the major civil society actors include Greenpeace, Friends of Earth, and the Sierra club, Amnesty, Global Witness, Christian Aid, Oil-Watch, Human Rights Watch and Corp-Watch. Yazji (2006) noted that many civil society actors view the Transnational Corporations more as strange bedfellows or enemies finding it difficult o associate with them. This is often based purely on grounds of ethics. However, recent years have seen a new trend in the relationship that exists between the Transnational Corporations and the civil society actors. Most notably is the development of collaborative relationships that are aimed at directing funding of programs for the civil society. Many of the civil society actors now maintain very cordial relationships with the oil companies with partners collaborating and doing business with the enemies, the oil and gas industry. According to Warren (2005), this is seen to benefits the image and public relation of the business more than the communitys welfare. This has created an image of rapprochement or collaboration between the civil society actors, the publics watch dog, and the oil transnational corporations. An example of this collaboration in Nigeria is witnesses in community development projects that are run by International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH) in collaboration with Chevron Texaco (Bendell Lake, 2000). These actions raise many questions that are still to be settled: have the ethical issues that the civil society had campaigned for in the past been resolved or changed? Have the oil industry players changed or repented for the better on the contentious issues that the civil groups raised in the past? Have the actors in civil societies lost track or are they comprised? Have the civil society actors been won over of placated by the big businesses? Or had the public relations machinery and campaigns by the corporations become more effective and can now shield their bad deeds. LITERATURE REVIEW Oil and gas industry in Nigeria Nigeria is Africas largest oil producer and is ranked eighth in the world. Commercial quantities of oil in the country were discovered in 1956. It can on average pump 2.5 million barrels of oil every day. This accounts to approximately 3 percent of the worlds total consumption. The Wall Street Journal stated in an article that the country exports the majority of this output. Oil provides around 90 percent of the countries total foreign exchange and around 80 percent if the federal revenues. This makes the country the fifth-largest foreign crude oil supplier to the United States behind Mexico, Canada, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. Despite this richness in natural oil and gas resources, the country is ranked a lowly 20th poorest country in the world. Much of this poverty as well as underdevelopment can be attributed to the bad governance, mismanagement of the countys resources (oil and gas), political instability and the lack of infrastructure as well as policies to govern industries. Mo st of the many oil companies in the country are American. They utilize the countrys crude oil and gas resources to gain astronomical profits. These companies also utilize the environment to operate and produce within the oil industry. The Niger delta is the oil-rich region in Nigeria and is currently involved in conflicts that surround the oil companies. These companies are usually viewed as parasitic by the local communities as they take the regions resources while giving nothing or very little in return (Bird, 2004). Karl (1997) argues that as in many of the other petro states, the windfall revenues from oil and gas have proved to be more of a curse than a blessing. The country is plagued with conflict that stems out of inequitable distribution of oil revenue and the exploitation of the resources by the oil companies operating in the country. According to the constitution of Nigeria, all natural minerals including the gas and also belong to the Nigerian federal government. The government is then responsible for negotiating the terms for oil production with the international oil companies. Most of the production and the exploration of oil in the region is done by United States and European companies. These companies operate joint ventures in collaboration with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPCC). The state oil company owns up to 60 to 55 percent of these ventures (Ukeje, 2004). Public relations and ethical issues facing the oil and gas industry in Nigeria Most of the ethical issues in the oil and gas industry in the country arise from the poor monitoring and enforcement of laws governing the oil producing companies. This is despite the fact that the laws in Nigeria are comparable to other international equivalents. This has seen the region experiencing significant damage to both the environment and to the livelihood of the people that live within the oil producing companies. The companies have failed in their ethical responsibility to relate well with the communities in which they operate. Compensation for the resultant damages is virtually nonexistent (Frey, 1997). The transnational corporations (TNC s) operating within the Nigerian oil and gas industry as well as institutions that collaborate with them have over the years come under negative/anti corporate campaigns by the community they operate in as well as by civil society actors. These actors include anti-capitalists, anti-corporate campaigners, anti-globalist, academics and greens. Although this is despite the contribution they seemingly bring to the development of a community, this actors have managed to shed light on unethical practices of corporate ensuring they practice positive public relations. In recent decades however this relationship has developed into a more collaborative one the purpose of which appears to favor the image of the business rather than the society (Newell, 2005). The other side of Corporate Social Responsibility There is no dispute that the community development programs initiated by the major players in the oil and gas industry have benefits most of the local communities. It is however important to not that these efforts in public relations have positive as well as negative impacts. Most of the local communities pay a great cost for enjoying the benefits of these Corporate Social Responsibility programs. Either by commission or omission, the activities or of shell and the program delivery processes have a negative impact on the local community that often outweigh the positive benefits of this corporate Social Responsibility endeavors. The role that the oil companies play in social and environment impacts illustrates this point. According to Human Rights Watch (1999), the Niger Delta in general and Nembe in particular, the oil activities have resulted in serious environment damages. This has been as a result of oil spills from flow stations, pipelines, well-heads; discharge of production and drilling waste; and gas flared from several oil fields. All this has occurred in/on creeks, air, sea and land of Nembe. In the process, fish ponds and farm lands are destroyed, sea and forest animals and plants are forced to migrate or are destroyed; as well as the air being polluted. This environmental degradation has negative impacts ranging from loss of livelihood (farming and fishing), low farm produce, limitation of economic activities, diseases, polluted water, food shortage among others. In certain cases, death of unsuspecting fishermen has occurred after oil spills occurred in the Nembe creek. The negative impact this has on the local communities livelihood and health is enormous. The community at one time indica ted that they are all fishermen who rely on fish for their survival. They also claimed that the oil spillage by Shell wells were destroying the marine life and in extension the peoples occupation. The farmlands as well were not fertile anymore from the pollution and the fish in the river had died. The people are only left with the option of fishing in the high seas which is very dangerous undertaking (Tuodolo, 2009, p.532) Shell on its part has not denied that its operations have been responsible for the degradation of the environment but has adamantly disagreed on the extent the damage to the environment resulting from its activities. Shell alone recorder 3,214 incidents of oil spillage from 1995 to 2004, an average of 300 incidents annually. This has resulted in a spillage of more than 450,000 barrels of oil onto the environment in the Niger Delta and the flaring of large volumes of gas, approximately 604 millions scf daily (SPDC, 2006). Considering that this are figures from only one company, the consequences experienced by the local community in terms of environment, livelihood, climate change or global warming are unimaginable. According to Agagu (2008), negative impacts of the corporate social responsibilities are further illustrated by the social effects they have on the local community. The Nembe case becomes significant once again. The relationship that shell has with the local community via the development programs and its operations have resulted in conflicts being commercialized where groups and individuals constantly fight over the patronage or benefits from shell; funds for community development are misappropriated, mismanaged and embezzled by the leaders or shares amongst cliques and community leaders to the exclusion of the other members of the community. Further negative effects include destroying of community governance by emerging youth groups that usurp the authority and powers of the chieftaincy institutions as well as the exacerbation of several forms of social disorder such as an increase in illiteracy, proliferation of arms, lawlessness, criminality and the disintegration of culture and t radition. These youth groups were apparently armed by the Corporation. Shell sponsor some youth in the community, purchased arms and ammunition for them to fight whoever that is fighting them or protesting for their right from Shell (Tuodolo, 2009, p.538). From 2000 to 2006, the number of intra-communal conflicts numbered 21 with six of these inter-community conflicts being linked to the activities that shell was involved in The oil companies, particularly Shell, Agip and their servicing companies, are central to the crises in the community (Tuodolo, 2009, p.538). The Nembe Indigenes summarizes the social impacts resulting from Shells activities as, These oil or multinationals have thrust a knife in our midst and we have fallen apart. The love for money and our political selfishness have set us against each other and we no longer see ourselves as brothers, fathers, chiefs, sisters, we disregard ourselves for temporary and temporal things, which have led to the formation of nocturnal and clandestine groups which have transformed Nembe to Sicily (Italy). Groups that are sponsored by chiefs, elders, politicians, government agents and the multinationals have succeeded in causing our aged parents and children, while our young men die prematurely in arms struggle, our parents die of heart attack and the children are denied knowledge by preventing them from going to school (Tuodolo, 2009, p.538). And, What wrong has the Nembe man done to Shell and the Federal Government that all these wrongs are visited on him within a decade? (Tuodolo,2009, 538) This continues to raise ethical questions related to the true intentions and the practices of these transnational corporations, the efficacy of their machinery of public relations or the position and campaigns of the civil society actors. This paper attempts to answer the question of dilemmas that the oil and gas industry face in public relations management and ethic by examining the activities of the oil companies in Nigeria. Particular attention is given to the impact of these companies on the communities residing in the oil rich Niger delta region. The paper is based on review of articles that have been written on the matter ranging from academic articles to newspaper articles. METHODOLOGY This study utilizes qualitative content analysis so as to explore the conditions that the oil and gas industry in Nigeria operate in that create the dilemmas in public relations and ethics of practice. This is according to recommendation by Jensen (2002) on qualitative research. The study is iterative/repeat process as this topic has been covered numerous times before. As such, this method allows for an application of analytical procedures and theoretical concepts employed to a variety of empirical domains that is flexible. This discourse will contain information source from academic articles from online journals, press releases and webpage pieces from the oil corporations operating in Nigeria and news paper articles that span the last two decades that have seen the ethical issues and public relations deteriorate as well as receive world wide attention. In addition to these article, particular case study on dilemmas faced by in Particular Shell are employed to give a clearer picture of the situation in Nigeria as well a to provide for a fuller analysis. Sample The method of data collection used in this discourse studies information content in article spanning two decades, from the 1990s to current date. The documentation is comprised of academic articles, magazine and newspaper articles, government reports and civil society articles and reports produced in the contest of normal publicity business to address the crisis facing the oil industry in Nigeria. According to Lindolf Taylor (2002), this ensures that the sources are free of bias from the researcher. A limitation of this method is that it may prove to have a limited or indirect exploratory value for the research questions to be addressed. However, it will be able to fully address the question of ethical and public relations dilemmas faced by the industry. This is because of the intense media civil society and international attention this case has received over the years with particular emphasis being placed on the misdeeds of the oil multinationals operating in the Niger Delta. ANALYSIS The analysis section will focus on a debate that addresses the various issue faced by the oil corporation and in particular Shell in their operations. This will lead up to the various public relations steps and strategies employed by the companies to address their alleged ethical misconduct in the wake of political and economical turmoil allegedly exacerbated by their operations in the country. In their attempt to maintain a public faces, the companies spawned public relations strategies that aimed to portray them as saviors to a people long subjected to poverty as a result of bad governance. This is through the numerous development projects that are operated under the patronage of these companies in the country. On the background of this is the numerous environmental and human right violations that have continued unhindered as a direct or indirect result of these companies continued exploitation of Nigeria natural resources, oil and gas, to meet their bottom line, astronomical profi ts. The case of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni People initiated the international concern in the region and offers a backdrop to the origin of the conflict between the oil corporation and government of Nigeria on one hand and the people of the Niger Delta in general on the other. DISCUSSION The debate on dilemmas in public relation and ethics in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria Milton Friedman (1970), a free-market economist, ascertained that a businesss one and only social responsibilities involves the making of profit. This view is less popular in present day business. However, many economists and business leaders still believe that the best way for a company to promote the local communitys social development is comprised simply of increasing the overall level of activities in economy through investment and trade. In taking this view, the administration of revenue generated, environmental standards tolerated of the respect for the human rights in the community residing in the area of operation are simply not relevant. These factors are in fact viewed as hindrances to the corporations main business and in the long run to the countrys social development itself. If standards employed for developed countries are duplicated in the developing countries, then they will simply never catch up, this is because dangerous working conditions, below-market wages that w orkers in third worlds are subjected to are justified as being better than there being no jobs at all. The corporations shareholders make the situation worse by justifiably complaining if the directors pay attention to issues that may negatively impact the companys financial bottom line (Soremekun, 1995). However, this attitude is increasingly changing as the companies come under more pressure from activists and consumers who are worried about the impact globalizations of the economy is having on the worlds poor. In addition, directors of these corporations have come to see that wider issues of social development have a direct or indirect impact on their operations. This trend has brought with it the buzz phrase triple bottom line encompassing social, economic and environmental outcomes. A good reputation for the corporation is seen as a valuable asset as it attracts customers and helps in recruiting competent employees. Good public relations with the local communities promoted by development programs that are properly administered as well as good labor relations minimize the shut-downs that cause protests directed towards the operations of the company. Even though low environmental standards and low wages can in the short-term be useful to the company, in the long run the company mak es more money if it is accountable for its operations. Studies carried out, have not revealed any correlation between the foreign direct investment that oil transnational corporations inject into the developing countries itself and the respect for human rights in these countries. In Nigeria, the presence of the oil multinationals is viewed to have seemingly contributed to promoting the successive military regimes that ruled the country for a long haul. These regimes were responsible fro multi human rights violations in addition to misappropriation of funds meant to promote development. The companies interest should therefore focus on the promotion f steps geared at the positive development of the communities social welfare. They should also minimize their environmental effects while also aiming for their core business, maximizing profits (Uduaghan, 2008). Oil multinational corporations have increasingly become more powerful within the global economies. The companies operating in Nigeria have substantially large global resources than the country itself. This has resulted in the country being almost paralyzed in enforcing international and/or domestic law against these companies. This is especially true when these companies have diplomatic support from the first-world country where the corporate headquarters are located. May of the laws that have been developed to govern the conduct of multinational across the world have been largely opposed to by the developed countries. This is especially because of their provisions/recommendations of treatment of the multinationals by the host countries. An example is the U.N Code of Conduct on Transnational Corporations. As such, no laws are currently legally binding in terms of the public relations responsibilities of the multinationals. Some companies have recognized that it is in their best inter est and have started initiatives to address questions raised regarding their operations. However, human rights and environmental activists have notes that the companies statements of intent are not worth it without the strategies meant to ensure they are implemented. They also call for independent auditing of the human rights and environmental performance. Up to date, no oil corporation, Shell include, has agreed to be subjected to such an audit (Nigerian Tribune, 2008). The experience of Shell in Nigeria offers a glimpse on how an oil transitional corporation ought to learn from a significant sustainability dilemma. In response to these significant challenges, shell setout to develop practices and policies that were designed to address the problems. They included the company engaging the local community the international forum and the civil society in dialog. In addition it began to actively participate in the developments of norms for corporate citizenship (Eyinla Ukpo, 2006). Having operated in the Niger Delta since the 1950s, Shells operations and the influence it had politically in the region only came under scrutiny after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa author-activist and a member of MSOP, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, in 1995. The author and activist castigated the companys operations in Nigeria, gaining international attention. He highlighted the role that the oil industry had played in the stagnation of the economy of the Delta. The Nigerian economic growth pace has not kept abreast with the growth that the countys oil industry has been able to achieve. The industry is currently able to produce in excess of 2 million barrels of oil daily (Eyinla Ukpo, 2006). Shell has reportedly admitted that the approach it has taken in public relations causes the disorder in the community. The cash payments made, for instance standby labor, access fees to community youths, have seemingly been at the center of inter-community disputed as well as for the distortion of genuine needs of the community. Despite all this, Shell has yet to change its practices although it still claims it is practicing corporate social responsibility (Tuodolo, 2009). According to Birnbaum (1995), the inequitable distribution of the oil revenue, the high rates of poverty coupled with the episodically harsh rule is responsible mainly for spurring the conflict in the Niger Delta. The Human Right Watch (1999) cited that while the people of the Niger Delta have faced the adverse effects of the oil extraction, they have in general also failed to gain from the oil revenue. By galvanizing the up to 500,000 people of the Ogoni-land in MSOP, Saro-Wiwa was able to draw the worlds attention to the grievances of his people. He constantly cites Shells complicity as the symbol of the status quo. Eventually, the federal police forces acted to shutdown MSOP. This saw numerous people being detained, injured or even killed. Nine activists, among them Saro-Wiwa were arrested in 1994. This was allegedly because of murdering four local leaders. All the accused would go on to be executed in November 1995 after court proceedings that the then United Kingdom Prime Minist er John Major termed as judicial murder. (BBC News, 1995). The role that Shell played in the Ogoni incident is a complex one. The company is reported to have sought clemency for the nine accused. In several statements, it lamented about the heavy handedness and the violence that both sides of the conflict in Ogoni-Land had over time displayed (Human Rights Watch, 1995). Contrary to these statements, the company later disclosed it had on several occasions in 1993 made direct payments to the states security forces under duress. Appearing before the U.S House of Representatives International Subcommittee on Africa in 1996, Stephen Mills, the environment and human rights campaign director for the Sierra Club stated that The Sierra Club is of the opinion that Shell should feel considerable responsibility for the death of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other Ogoni activists. Shells massive pollution, repeated denial of responsibility for it, its refusal to clean up the Ogoni territory, and its appeal to the Nigerian military to silence the protestors is what incited the civil unrest (Sierra Club, 1995). In a recent statement, Mills released a follow-up piece that stated, A peaceful solution to the crisis in the delta seems remote as anger grows over record oil profits amid the striking poverty. The Riyal Dutch Shell earned a whooping 18.5 billion dollars in 2004 yet some villages within sight of the gleaming shell facilities have no electricity or running water. However, the campaign Ken Saro-Wiwa led to hold Shell accountable for their pollution and complicity in human rights violation has not been in vain. After the death of Saro-Wiwa, the company did adopt stronger social and environmental responsibility guidelines. It is up to communities in the delta and groups like mine to make sure that Shell and other oil companies live up to their promises (Sierra Club, 2008). Shell as under severe criticism for the perceived role it played in the events that lead up to Saro-Wiwas death. Amnesty international however recognized the companys willingness to discuss the groups concerns regarding its human rights record. In a report released in 1996, Amnesty International noted that only Shell has responded to its appeal to Shell and other oil transnational companies operating in Nigeria to acknowledge that they have a responsibility to at all costs uphold the human rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Despite this, many questions still lingered on the companys operations in the region. The UN Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights issued a report in 1997 calling for attention to be renewed on the persistency of oil spills in the delta region. Some of these spills were as a result of sabotage. The report raised deep concerns about the severe and widespread environmental damage to the River Delete region as a result of the oil o perations and exploration by Shell. The company took account of the issues that were raised and undertook a major review of its internal operations (Newell, 2005). Meanwhile, by the turn of the century, the relationship between Shell and the communities in the oil producing region had worsened since Ken Saro-Wiwa had been executed. This was despite the efforts of the company to improve on Public relations, in particular by increasing its spending on developments and the professionalization of the developmental projects management. It is fair to note that most of the deterioration experienced was as a result of the government failing to respond to the demands that had been presented by the Delta communities rather than by the activities of the company. The continuing dilemmas and problems illustrate just how difficult it is to put the fine words contained in the Statement of General Business Principles into actual practice (Tuodolo, 1999). Shell and public relations in Nigeria Shell has undoubtedly contributed immensely to Nigerias economic growth as well as to the development of the local communities residing in the companys area of operation. Shells activities employ around 12,000 persons as skilled and unskilled labor making it a major employer of labor. The greatest evidence of shells effort to maintain positive public relations are in its development programs in the communities it operates in. Through community development programs, the company contributes to development of education in the local communities. The company achieves this through the provision of scholarships from primary up to university level, to local level, construction of classrooms, provides appliances and equipments and at times pays allowances for teachers in post primary. For some of the communities, shell provides or sponsors training in basic skills such as joinery, mechanics, craftsmanship, tailoring among others, for the indigenous (SPDC, 1999). Shell also plays an active role in several other sectors aimed at community development, for instance, transportation: building jetties, construction of roads, donation of cars and speed-boats; agriculture: donation of equipment for farming, microcredit schemes for the farmers, training of farmers; water: construction of water pipelines, sinking boreholes; electricity: supply of diesel, donations of power plants; and the provision of infrastructures such as land reclamation, shore protection comm

Ricardo Semler And New Zealand Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction The biggest challenge facing any business today is change. Ricardo Semlars approach to management revolutionized they way in which Secom did business. However it is of question if Semlars model of business can be successfully transplanted into New Zealand’s business environment and change the way in which they operate. This essay will therefore discuss if Ricardo’s unique approach to business, and how it can be successfully used in the New Zealand business environment. This essay will firstly discuss the idea that profit sharing can motivate workers and how this idea is set up in the New Zealand business environment. Secondly the ways in which employee participation work in New Zealand, and how managers can better understand their workers. Lastly the importance of information sharing to a success of a company, and ways in which this idea has helped New Zealand companies find business success. Therefore this essay will show that Semlar’s approach to management can be successfully adapted to the New Zealand business environment. Background Ricardo Semler at the age of 24, implemented three main management schemes to try and successfully run a business. Stated by some as unique, Ricardo Semelr has gone and taken these schemes and used them in his fathers business Semco. After struggling for many years (close to bankruptcy) because of the high Brazilian inflation rate and poor business model, Ricardo was able to turn this all around. Within 8 years Semco had become one of Brazil’s fastest growing companies with a profit margin of 10% on sales of $32 million. Ricardo puts this down to his three core management techniques of profit sharing, employee implementation and the free flow of information.(Semler, 1989) These management schemes are not new, but Ricardo Semler was able to successfully implement these schemes into the Brazilian business environment, while other companies in Brazil and international companies such as Allis Chalmers failed. Thus it is of question if whether or not New Zealand companies can do wh at Ricardo Semler did. Profit sharing The first of Ricardo’s management schemes is the idea of profit sharing and the effect it has on the employee. Profit sharing is formed on the bases that employees should receive a share of the profits of the company. Semler (1889) believes that the idea of profit sharing shouldn’t be a gimmick... ...environment and hopefully more businesses will do so. Reference list Bell, D.W, & Hanson, C.G. (1987) Profit Sharing and Profitability. London. Kogan Page. Foster, B. & Mackie B.L (2002) Weddels Tomoana: A retrospective study of Workplace Reform. The New Zealand Journal of Human Resources Management, 2, p. 1-10 Killian, K. & Perez, F. (1998) Ricardo Semler and Semco S.A (Report No. A15-98-0024. Thunderbird: American Graduate School of International Management Light, E. (1997) Living the Dream. NZ Business. P34-36 Macfie, R. (2001, October 1st) Making it in New Zealand, Unlimited p. 14-17 Maetzig, R. (1999, December 20th) Not to chicken to try new approach. The daily News. P.5 Semler, R. (1989) Managing Without Managers. Harvard Business Review September/October, 76-84 Sinoski, K. (2004) No Incentive. The independent: New Zealand’s Business Weekly. August/September. P. 18 Smith, A. (1996, September 11) The Highs and Lows. The Dominion, p.20 Smith, D. (1977) Worker Participation: A critical appraisal of present practice in New Zealand. Wellington. Victoria University of Wellington Upfront-Unearned Rewards.(2004) Management . September/October. P. 12

Essay --

Country Details Republic of India is situated in South Asia; it is at the 7th position in world by the area. The population as per 2011 census is approx. 1.2 billion, which is the 2nd largest economy in the world after the China in terms of population. India is the democracy country. From the oldest era India is the famous for its civilization and its culture. There are so many different types of people are lived together. The main are Hindu, Muslim, Shikh, Christian. The currency of India is Indian Rupee i.e. INR. As per 2013, India is the third largest economy by purchasing power parity and the 11th largest by nominal gross domestic product. The per capita income of India is approx. $1414 which is estimated in 2013. There are total 28 states and 7 union territories in India. States has its different parliament while the union territory is directly under the President of India. All the states have its divided in different districts also. The official language of India is Hindi and English, because there are more than 500 languages are there in India. The capital of India is Delhi. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee is the 13th and current President of India. The national anthem of India is Jana Gana Mana and the Motto is Satyameva Jayate. There are so many industries in India. India is a developing country. The GDP of the country is 6.1% as per 2011-12. The India is the fastest growing economy in the world. There are 486.6 million workers in the country, so as per labor force India is the second largest country in the world as per 2011. India has the world’s third largest military which is commanded by the President of India. It includes the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. The National Stock of Exchange and the Bomba... ...13. India is the most attractive nation in the world in terms of investment. In 2013-14 the India is expected fiscal deficit at 3.4% from the previous year 2012-13. India is also good in export of the product. It has done export worth US$ 303 billion in FY 2012-13. The expected growth in export is about US$ 325 billion in this FY. India's industrial economy is gathering momentum on the back of improved output of eight core sector industries – coal, crude oil, refining, steel, cement, natural gas, fertilizers and electricity – which, at 8 per cent in September 2013, rose at its fastest pace in a year. The US$ 1.2 trillion investment planned in the infrastructure sector will go a long way in boosting export performance of Indian companies and the Indian growth story, according to Mr. Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Government of India. â€Æ'

Politics of the people Essay -- Analysis, South American Politics

Politics of the People touches on a multitude of topics discussed this term. The article brings to light the issues in South America. Specifically in the Amazon, surrounding big oil companies, the destruction of land and environment, and the destitution of the people of Ecuador and how the people and NGO's have taken action to fight it. In this territory of the Amazon according to Judith Kimerling, â€Å"the oil spills and contamination of this region of Ecuador equal or supersedes those of the 1989 Alaskan Exxon Valdez oil spill.†(81). What this means is that this area has been polluted greatly and since 1993 the inhabitants of this territory have been fighting big oil. The land is unusable with that level of pollution. This land has been taken over by OCP's which are large pipelines running through the land to transport oil, this is a fantastic example of the industrialization of a 3rd world country. An NGO by the name of Accion Ecologica was one of the groups that early on spoke out in recognition of the devastation happening to the land. The devastation of the land in Ecuador reminds me of a film about fracking I saw and how the people who lived on the land were the first to notice the problems with big companies taking over the natural resources. In the article they spoke of â€Å"large flames that soar through the sky, creating an immense heat and loud, searing noises.†(82). This is just one example of the inconvenience of the developing oil company in the Territory. Additionally the people live on this land have been speaking out and noting they are having health problems and that it is spreading to the animals, one man's home was destroyed by an explosion of a pipeline behind his home (82). Due to these extreme concerns ... ...with. Lastly the companies that go to these lesser countries to mass produce whether it be oil or denim do so because the laws are less strict and they see a loop-hole around taxes and fees and environmental laws. In the Texaco/Chevron case â€Å"Chevron's attorney argues that the local communities should blame their government†(90). I think that the people are already blaming their government but the at the end of the day the oil companies are to blame too. The goal of this whole ordeal was to â€Å"raise awareness among its partners about the struggles of other around the globe† (92). I would deem their goal as successful, and as oil companies continue to make mistakes whether it be bypassing human rights and environmental rights knowingly or just have neglected equipment and back up plans in case of a spill like in the gulf coast, the people of the world are aware now. Politics of the people Essay -- Analysis, South American Politics Politics of the People touches on a multitude of topics discussed this term. The article brings to light the issues in South America. Specifically in the Amazon, surrounding big oil companies, the destruction of land and environment, and the destitution of the people of Ecuador and how the people and NGO's have taken action to fight it. In this territory of the Amazon according to Judith Kimerling, â€Å"the oil spills and contamination of this region of Ecuador equal or supersedes those of the 1989 Alaskan Exxon Valdez oil spill.†(81). What this means is that this area has been polluted greatly and since 1993 the inhabitants of this territory have been fighting big oil. The land is unusable with that level of pollution. This land has been taken over by OCP's which are large pipelines running through the land to transport oil, this is a fantastic example of the industrialization of a 3rd world country. An NGO by the name of Accion Ecologica was one of the groups that early on spoke out in recognition of the devastation happening to the land. The devastation of the land in Ecuador reminds me of a film about fracking I saw and how the people who lived on the land were the first to notice the problems with big companies taking over the natural resources. In the article they spoke of â€Å"large flames that soar through the sky, creating an immense heat and loud, searing noises.†(82). This is just one example of the inconvenience of the developing oil company in the Territory. Additionally the people live on this land have been speaking out and noting they are having health problems and that it is spreading to the animals, one man's home was destroyed by an explosion of a pipeline behind his home (82). Due to these extreme concerns ... ...with. Lastly the companies that go to these lesser countries to mass produce whether it be oil or denim do so because the laws are less strict and they see a loop-hole around taxes and fees and environmental laws. In the Texaco/Chevron case â€Å"Chevron's attorney argues that the local communities should blame their government†(90). I think that the people are already blaming their government but the at the end of the day the oil companies are to blame too. The goal of this whole ordeal was to â€Å"raise awareness among its partners about the struggles of other around the globe† (92). I would deem their goal as successful, and as oil companies continue to make mistakes whether it be bypassing human rights and environmental rights knowingly or just have neglected equipment and back up plans in case of a spill like in the gulf coast, the people of the world are aware now.

9 Tips for Public Speaking

I remember the very first time I have to give a public speech. That was an amazing experience because I’ve never have that feeling before in my entire life, it’s the feeling of fear, stress, worry, nervous all mixed up together. Especially the 10 minutes before the presentation, it was absolute heart irritating. Public speaking is a common source of stress for everyone. Many of us would like to avoid this problem entirely, but this is hard to do. Whether we work alone or with large numbers of people, eventually we will need to speak in public to get certain tasks accomplished. And if we want to be leaders or achieve anything meaningful in our lives, we will often need to speak to groups, large and small, to be successful. The truth about public speaking, however, is IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE STRESSFUL! If you correctly understand the hidden causes of public speaking stress, and if you keep just a few key principles in mind, speaking in public will soon become an invigorating and satisfying experience for you. Here’s My 9 Tips For Public Speaking : 1. Be organized and be prepared – When someone are giving a presentation about crap, you’ll know how much effort he put into the preparation of the presentation. This is the crucial step for a successful public speaking, organize and prepare all your material. For first timer you might want to write every single word out or you can highlight the important to helps remind you of the content. 2. Keep it simple – You do not want to create confusion in you presentation, so clarify everything by speaking straight to the point. 3.Practice your talk – Practice your speech in front of a full body size mirror. Take extra attention on your voice tone, body language and expression of your face. Make sure it is comfortable, natural and interesting. 4. Relax – Never, never, never get too nervous about public speaking. Try to think positive instead of worrying. Getting nervous may cause you to forget about your speech or making some mistakes on your presentation. 5. Arrive earlier – Make it early to the place where you are going to give the speech, clam down yourself, feel and get used to the atmosphere. . Never apologize for being nervous – This is the dumbest thing you can say in your presentation. The reason you are up there to give a speech is to have the audience listen to you, and to achieve that you must first gain their trust with your confidence. Saying that will only terminate all the attention because nobody wants to listen to newbie. 7. Be aware of your audiences – How do your audience respond to your presentation? Are they smiling when listening to you? Or maybe laughing? Or are they yawning?. You must be aware of this, if they are yawning or starting to lose the attention already, you might need a 5 minute break to awake them and then continue after that. 8. Answering Question – People might have some question about the topic of your presentation, ask questions at the end of your speech. Answer what is questioned, do not get off-topic. This is the time to gain more trust of your audience by showing your expertise.

Forest Conservation

FOREST CONSERVATION Forests are one of the most important natural resources that have been gifted to mankind for their sustained existence on earth. Without question, they provide us with huge amounts of tangible and intangible benefits, without which indeed, all life, less to say human life, would fall under the risk of extinction. Hence, it is vital for us to realize this importance of forest cover, conserve them, and ultimately work towards a sustainable way to maintain our forests and meet our needs at the same time. In this paper, I have focused initially on the barbaric behavior of us human beings towards forests, and how they have been and are still being massacred around the globe to meet our ever increasing and limitless wants and needs. I have also focused on why some of our conservation strategies and efforts are not working out the way they were supposed to be. In doing so, I have tried to prove that countries like Bangladesh, who are still striving to develop should focus on forest conservation. My hypothesis is that Bangladesh has the capability to both conserve its forest resources and grow economically at the same time, and create means for poverty elevation by conserving. In the second portion I have focused on a more comprehensive way to sustainable forest conservation, backing up my statements by expert opinions and case studies, and at the end a bit of focus was put on biodiversity importance and its conservation practices and strategies. I have also mentioned some economic, social and policy instruments that can be implemented in order to conserve forests better. I have used some primary data, from specific experts on forests, but my main data sources are secondary sources, mainly the Internet and books. The full list of references is given in the work-cited portion at the end of the paper. From the very beginning of civilization, human beings have depended heavily on forests for their survival. Cradles of civilization, places of beauty, sources of spiritual inspiration, and treasure houses of natural riches, forests are closely linked with the physical, economic, and spiritual well being of people. Man has depended on forests for lumber and furniture, medicine and cosmetics, firewood and food, drinking water and fresh air, respite and recreation. Despite their central role in the well being of people, forests are threatened by human actions on a scale and pace far beyond nature's capacity to adapt. Forests are being destroyed around the globe at a scale, which has already passed the â€Å"alarming† stage. Reasons such as land shortage, urbanization, agriculture, excessive and unsustainable timber extraction have led to cutting down of miles upon miles of pristine forest land. In 2002 alone, 10,000 square miles in Brazil's Amazon region were deforested due to logging, ranching, farming, and infrastructure development. In Africa's Congo Basin, roads built into legally protected areas like national parks by illegal loggers provided access for bush meat poachers and contributed to an increase in forest fires. (Overview). Although recently, the importance of forests has been realized to a degree, enough importance has not yet been put into the conservation sector so as to actually retain the remaining percentage of forest cover the world has left. In this paper I have discussed just how much importance needs to be put on conservation of forests, why this needs to be done, how it can be done in a systematic, sustainable way, and what the aftermaths of not doing so may be. DEFINITIONS: For clarification purposes, a full list of definitions are given below so that the terms discussed in this paper are clear and not confused with other related terms. FOREST: The word â€Å"forests† originated from the Greek word â€Å"foris†, which means â€Å"out of doors†. Generally a large uncultivated area of land bearing trees and undergrowth is termed as a forest. Wild animals are also associated with this term, which includes their interaction with the trees and undergrowth and their abiotic surroundings (air, soil etc. ). L. S Davis defined forests as a set of land parcels, which has or could have tree vegetation. (Davis). CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION: These two terms are often confused with one another, but they refer to two slightly different concepts. Preservation of anything is basically keeping it in such manner that it cannot or should not be touched or used. For instance, if a forest is being preserved it means that it is to be kept untouched and nothing is to be extracted from it. It is to be left to its own accord. On the other hand, conservation implies more towards a sustained use, or use in a sustainable fashion. As in the example given above, if a forest is declared as conserved, it means that resources may be extracted in a systematic and accounted way, so as not to compromise the forests ability to replenish itself in terms of resources, and so that it may continue its intangible functions properly. SUSTAINABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: The term refers to the existence and maintenance of a system, on its own accord, over a period of time, or that a system is able to stand and function by itself for a certain duration. This term then leads on to sustainable development, which the latest of concepts in development of a nation and its entities. Sustainable development means the development targeted at making resources available both useful yet sustained, so as no to compromise it for future generations. FOREST MANAGEMENT: The society of American Foresters (1958) defined forest management as â€Å"the application of business methods and technical forestry principles to the operation of forestry property. † (American). Generally put, forest management is the maintenance of forests in such a way that it is protected and conserved at the same time. In other words it the system by which we make sure that we extract resources from the forest in a sustained way (sustainable yields) and so that the forest does not lose its credibility. Forests come in various types and properties. They range from tropical evergreen rain forests along the equator of the earth, to temperate and boreal forests in northern America and Russia. The world's tropical forests, which circle the globe, are interestingly diverse. Ranging from the steamy jungles of the rain forests to the dry forests and savannas, they provide habitat for millions of species of plants and animals. Once covering some 15. 3 billion acres (6. 2 billion ha), these tropical forests have been reduced through cutting and clearing by 210 million acres (85 million ha) between 1985 and 1990. (Louise). This is in fact the story in most parts of the world. Bangladesh for instance is losing its natural forestland at an alarming rate of 3. 3% a year, which is the third highest rate in the world after Jamaica and Haiti. (Miller, 641). Although plantations have gone up in percentage during the last few years, especially strip plantations, which are a recent phenomenon in Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka, natural forests are still on the decrease. This can be seen in the table below, as of the year 2000, which also includes comparisons to Asia and the world as a whole. Yet probably the saddest story to be told is that of the world’s tropical forests. Although tropical rainforests cover less than six percent of the earth’s land surface, they are extraordinarily endowed with millions of animal species and represent seventy-five million years of evolutionary stability. Covering a land area approximately the size of the United States, tropical forests are being rapidly degraded, the equivalent of the combined areas of Ohio and Indiana each year. According to some experts, almost half the world’s tropical forests have already been wiped of the face of the earth for good. If we look at the table given below, we can get an estimate of what the situation really is at present. Data is set as of research till the year 2000. |Forest Area and Change |Bangladesh |Asia (excl. Middle East) |World | |Total forest area, 2000 (000 ha) |1334 |504180 |3869455 | |Natural forest area, 2000 (000 ha) |709 |375824 |3682722 | |Plantations area, 2000 (000 ha) |625 |110953 186733 | |Total dry land area, 1950-1981 (000 ha) {a} |0 |1078121 |5059984 | |Change in forest area: | |   |Total, 1990-2000 |14 % |-1 % |-2 % | |   |Natural, 1990-2000 |-7 % |-1 % |-4 % | |   |Plantations, 1990-2000 |4 % |5 % |3 % | |Original forest {b} as a percent of | |   |total land area {c} |100 % |X |48 % | |Forest area in 2000 as a percent of | |   |total land area {c} |9 % |20 % |29 % | |   |   |   |   |   | FIG: table has been taken from an article titled â€Å"Forest Conservation† from the Earth Trends website. Ecosystem Areas by Type | |Total land area |14400 |2494475 |13328979 | |Percent of total land area covered by: | |   |Forests |12 % |17 % |24 % | |   |Shrublands, savanna, and grasslands |3 % |37 % |37 % | |   | | |   |mosaic |73 % |34 % |20 % | |   |Urban and built-up areas |0. 2 % |0. 2 % |0. 2 % | |   |Sparse or barren vegetation; snow and ice |0 % |10 % |16 % | |   |Wetlands and water bodies |11 % |2 % |3 % | The total global forest cover has decreased by approximately 4% in just 10 years, and Bangladesh has lost more than 7% of its natural forest resources. This is alarming in more than just environmental perspectives. Yet, when we look into conservation possibilities, all sides, sectors, direct and indirect reasons need to be assessed before coming to any kind of decision. Since this paper is about the conservation needs of forests, all such sectors and sides have been touched in the following sections. Before the dawn of agriculture approximately 10,000 years ago, forests and open woodland covered about 15. 3 billion acres (6. 2 billion ha) of the globe. Over the centuries, however, about one-third of these natural forests have been destroyed. According to a 1982 study by FAO, about 27. 9 million acres (11. million ha) of tropical forests are cut each year-an area about the size of the States of Ohio or Virginia. Between 1985 and 1990, an estimated 210 million acres (85 million ha) of tropical forests were cut or cleared. In India, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the best commercial forests are gone, and cutting is increasing in South America. (J. Louise). Several factors are responsible for deforestation: clearing for agriculture, fuel woodcutting, and harvesting of wood products. By far the most important of these is clearing for agriculture. In the Tropics, the age-old practice of shifting, sometimes called â€Å"slash-and-burn,† agriculture has been used for centuries. In this primitive system, local people cut a small patch of forest to make way for subsistence farming. After a few years, soil fertility declines and people move on, usually to cut another patch of trees and begin another garden. In the abandoned plot, the degraded soil at first supports only weeds and shrubby trees. Later, soil fertility and trees return, but that may take decades. As population pressure increases, the fallow (rest) period between cycles of gardening is shortened, agricultural yields decrease, and the forest region is further degraded to small trees, brush, or eroded savanna. Conversion to sedentary agriculture is an even greater threat to tropical forests. Vast areas that once supported tropical forests are now permanently occupied by subsistence farmers and ranchers and by commercial farmers who produce sugar, cocoa, palm oil, and other products. In many tropical countries there is a critical shortage of firewood. For millions of rural poor, survival depends on finding enough wood to cook the evening meal. Every year more of the forest is destroyed, and the distance from home to the forest increases. Not only do people suffer by having to spend much of their time in the search for wood, but so does the land. Damage is greatest in dry tropical forests where firewood cutting converts forests to savannas and grasslands. The global demand for tropical hardwoods, an $8-billion-a-year industry, also contributes to forest loss. Tropical forests are usually selectively logged rather than clear-cut. Selective logging leaves the forest cover intact but usually reduces its commercial value because the biggest and best trees are removed. Selective logging also damages remaining trees and soil, increases the likelihood of fire, and degrades the habitat for wildlife species that require large, old trees-the ones usually cut. In addition, logging roads open up the forests to shifting cultivation and permanent settlement. In the past, logging was done primarily by primitive means-trees were cut with axes and logs were moved with animals such as oxen. Today the use of modern machinery–chain saws, tractors, and trucks -makes logging easier, faster, and potentially more destructive. In Bangladesh, it is more or less the same picture. Being a developing country which is yet striving to stand on its own feet, it is still extracting its only, and few available resources such as forests for the sake of rapid economic growth. Further more, the lack of land space is forcing settlers to encroach upon forest land, in order to use it for agriculture and fisheries purposes. The poor are using forests as means for survival, and there is little the administration (local governments and forest department) can do to stop illegal encroachment in forests. Yet even so, as I have stated in my hypothesis, it is possible for a country like Bangladesh to conserve forests and elevate poverty at the same time, and the following sections will consist of exactly how this may be achieved. In his article â€Å"Conservation Strategy: Rationale and a Framework†, Dr. Mizanur Rahman Khan says, â€Å"†¦there is a difference in perspective regarding what to conserve and how to conserve. One group, often dubbed as ‘radical greens’, argue that the global environmental problems have already reached a crisis proportion and require a ‘fire fighting’ strategy. On the other side of the fence, there are ‘free-market’ environmentalists who argue that environmental laws and regulations impose unfair burdens on the economy and on individuals. † A balance between the two is what Dr. M Khan thinks is required, and he goes on to say that the protection of the environment is an essential part of development and that this is globally recognized. In this light, when we look at the conservation efforts being made to conserve the forests of Bangladesh, it is almost immediately clear that most of the above stated conditions are not being applied. Problems with definitions of protected areas still remain, and hence loop holes give people the chance to illegally encroach upon the land. So the question is now, what is there to be done? What steps should Bangladesh authorities take to prevent such anomalies and protect the forests we have? A simple solution is given by Dr. Abdur Rob Khan, a well known economist and research director at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, when he was asked as to what Bangladesh can do. Dr Rob says: â€Å"Indeed Bangladesh does have the capability to both conserve and elevate poverty at the same time. To do that, the first and most obvious step is to introduce participatory forestry. The stake holders have to be identified and given proper priority in terms of their needs and requirements. Second, we have far too less forest cover, only about 6-7% of the total land area right now. This has to be doubled. This can be done by introducing social forestry, homestead forestry and road side forestry. Once these two steps have been undertaken, we can then head on towards poverty elevation, because both these steps will not only help the nation as a whole, but also see to the needs of the local people in and around forests. Other wise, conservation may face an early death, and we may as well lose our forests. † The points upheld by Dr. Abdur Rob are to great degrees true. Indeed, the only way to ensure the survival of a resource and the people associated with it is to introduce those people into its management and care. Below I have stated some of the ways to o this and also some other steps towards conserving forests. PARTICIPATORY FORESTRY: (Social Forestry) To involve the local people, and to pick out the stake holders, the initial thing that needs to be done is to get to know the social aspects of the people involved. This process is called â€Å"Focus Group Discussions† Basically; authority people have to go to the locality and get to know the social life styles of the local people. This is done by conducting such discussions with selected people from the locality. A questionnaire is made which involves everything ranging from average yearly income to what festivals they have and their matrimonial practices. Once this can be done, stake holders can be identified and selected out. They are then involved in to the management regimes, including decision making privileges to resource extraction etc. In depth discussions are then held with the selected people and local leaders to figure out how benefits are to be shared. Both tangible and intangible benefits from the forest are then held up to the people. Participatory forestry can be seen in practice in the strip plantations in and around Dhaka along side roads and rail lines. These are basically community based resource management schemes, from which involved people receive benefits in future for their present services, hence encouraging them to conserve the site. ANCIENT FORESTRY PRACTICES In ancient Persia (now Iran), forest protection and nature conservation laws were in effect as early as 1,700 B. C. Two thousand years ago the Chinese practiced what they called â€Å"four sides† forestry-trees were planted on house side, village side, road side, and water side. More than 1,000 years ago, Javanese maharajahs brought in teak and began to cultivate it. In the African Tropics, agro forestry (growing of food crops n association with trees) has been practiced for hundreds of years. Relatively little is known about tropical forestry before the mid 1800's in most places. At that time, the European colonial empires notably the Dut ch, English, and Spanish-brought modern forest management practices to Indonesia, India, Africa, and the Caribbean. Centers for forestry and forestry research were established, and more careful records were kept. (J. Louise). SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY Modern forestry has its basis in 18th-century Germany. Like the Chinese and the Mayan forest practices, German forestry is essentially agricultural. Trees are managed as a crop. Two concepts are important: renewability and sustainability. Renewability means that trees can be replanted and seeded and harvested over and over again on the same tract of land in what are known as crop â€Å"rotations. † Sustainability means that forest harvest can be sustained over the long term. How far into the future were foresters expected to plan? As long as there were vast acres of virgin (original) forests remaining, this question was somewhat academic. Today, however, sustainability is a vital issue in forestry. Most of the world's virgin forests are gone, and people must rely more and more on second- growth or managed forests. Perhaps we now face, as never before, the limits to long-term productivity. In the German forest model, forestry is viewed as a continual process of harvest and regeneration. Harvest of wood products is a goal, but a forester's principal tasks are to assure long-term productivity. That is achieved by cutting the older, mature, and slow-growing timber to make way for a new crop of young, fast-growing trees. HARVEST REGENRATION METHOD Three examples of timber harvest-regeneration methods (silvicultural systems) illustrate how foresters manage stands to produce timber on a sustained basis. SELECTION Individual trees or small groups of trees are harvested as they become mature. Numerous small openings in the forest are created in which saplings or new seedlings can grow. The resulting forest has a continuous forest canopy and trees of all ages. Such systems favor slow-growing species that are shade tolerant. CLEAR CUTTING In clear cutting, an entire stand of trees is removed in one operation. From the forester's point of view, clear cutting is the easiest way to manage a forest-and the most economical. Regeneration may come from sprouts on stumps, from seedlings that survive the logging operation, or from seeds that germinate after the harvest. If natural regeneration is delayed longer than desired, the area is planted or seeded. Clear cutting systems are often used to manage fast-growing species that require a lot of light. Resulting stands are even aged because all the trees in an area are cut-and regenerated-at the same time. Clear cutting has become controversial in recent years because it has the potential to damage watersheds and because it tends to eliminate species of wildlife dependent on old growth trees. If clear cuts are kept small and the cutting interval is long enough, however, biological diversity may not be impaired. SHELTERWOOD In Shelterwood systems, the forest canopy is removed over a period of years, usually in two cuttings. After the first harvest, natural regeneration begins in the understory. By the time the second harvest is made, enough young trees have grown to assure adequate regeneration. Shelterwood systems favor species that are intermediate in tolerance to shade. Such systems are difficult to use successfully and are the least used of the three silvicultural methods described. ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS: It seems that the obvious conclusion would be, as Dr. Rob said, that social forestry is the best option available to us at present. This will not only enable Bangladesh to conserve its few remaining forests, but also use those forests efficiently as a tool to poverty elevation. In fact this is not the first time research on Bangladesh forests has led to such conclusions. Many experts have done similar such research and have come to find this sort of forestry as efficient means of conservation. [pic] . Fig: Plantation in Shatchori reserved forest. Bangladesh yet faces many hard steps to the stage we call developed. Even now, it faces harden blockades when the question of conservation arises. Poverty, high population, land shortage, illegal encroachment, political disfucntionings and sheer ignorance of duty are just some of the barricades that hold us back from preserving the few resources we have left in this once lushly rich country. It not as though we are not conserving. Indeed, plantations have come up across the country in what seems hopeful ways. It seems that there is yet hope for us and our forests. Shatchari, Modhupur, Lawachara, Medakochapia are some bright names in our success books concerning plantation forestry. Yet I raise the question to the jury, is this what we really want for us? Do we really want to see some time in the future that the country is devoid of its natural forests and has only plantations left? Plantations, Strip plantations, mono-cultures, botanical gardens are very good in terms of forest cover, but if we lose all our natural forests, what would happen to all the hundreds of species of animals and birds that we have? We would lose them forever. Will it be possible for us to conserve them to? The case stands for the rest of the world as well. Tropical forests are being deforested at a football field size a day. Very soon, perhaps sooner than we think, we will lose what we have left to the greed of a few ignorant people. Will it not shame us to think that we human beings will be responsible of wiping out all other species just for the sake of our comfort? Is this not a question of ethics? It remains to be seen as to how Bangladesh, less to say the rest of the world acts to save its forests, yet perhaps it is not wise to just sit and wait for some miracle to happen. It is time we put on our thinking caps and stepped out into the field, and tried our best to see to that we leave the few natural pristine forests remaining at peace with themselves. Work cited: †¢ Mastrantonio J. Louise. â€Å"CONSERVATION OF FORESTS†. Online journal. nd. 18th December 2006. http://www. fs. fed. us/global/lzone/student/tropical. htm †¢ Forests of the World. â€Å"Forestry Overview†. Online article. nd. 19th December 2006. http://www. worldwildlife. org/forests/ †¢ Davis, L. S 1966. â€Å"Forest Management†. 1st edition. pp 790. †¢ Earth Trends. â€Å"Forest Conservation†. Online Journal. nd. 19th December 2006. http://earthtrends. wri. org/text/biodiversity-protected/country-profiles. html Forest Conservation. â€Å"Enterprise for the Americas in Action†. Online article. nd. 19th December 2006. http://www. earthvoice. org/animal. habitat/forest. conservation. htm †¢ Khan, Mizanur Rahman. â€Å"Conservation Strategy: Rationale and a Framework†. Conservation and Sustainable Development. †¢ Interview : Dr. Abdur Rob Khan. Research Director at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 20th December 2006.