Sci/256 Environmental Pollution Outline

Environmental Pollution Outline Jason D Windham SCI/256 November-26-2012 University Of Phoenix Environmental Pollution Outline Water management- developing various plans to maintain the present and future water demands. It also may include importing state water, developing new resources, using reclaimed water, and managing existing supplies more cautiously. Describe water management and use. Freshwater sources- Is water from the earth surface using glaciers, bogs, ice caps, ponds, lakes, streams and rivers Water supply problems-The demand for water increases yearly.Water conservation-The carful use and protection of the water supply. Water use-Off stream is water used from its source such as rivers and stream. Then you have Consumptive using which is the use from off stream by plants and animals. Next there is the in-stream usage which is the use of rivers for navigation, hydroelectric power generation, fish and animal habitats and also recreation. Effects of water use and management practices on the environment Short-term effects- Long-term effects- It’s really is a major concern due to climate change of the earth it can be uncertain.Three major types of environmental pollution- Water pollution , Air Pollution, Land Pollution Identify type one. Causes Treatments Effects on ecosystem health Effects on human health Identify type two. Causes Treatments Effects on ecosystem health Effects on human health Identify type three. Causes Treatments Effects on ecosystem health Effects on human health Global warming Background Describe the Earth’s atmosphere. Describe the Earth’s energy budget. Global warming concepts What makes the Earth warm? – Explain the greenhouse effect. What natural greenhouse gases are associated with the greenhouse effect?What anthropogenic greenhouse gases contribute to global warming? The future Predicted climate, weather, and ocean changes of increased global warming Potential environmental, ecological, and societal effects from increased global warming Evidence that supports or refutes increased global warming predictions and effects Prevention How might global warming be mitigated? What can you do to decrease the effects of global warming? What political constraints might influence decisions on global warming? As a global society, how can nations and individuals influence policies and practices to mitigate for increased global warming?

Lidl : Surveillance Case Study

As long as there has been employment, employees have been monitored (Nebeker & Tatum, 1993). However as the progress of technology becomes more rapid and equipment for monitoring is available to all, surveillance in the workplace has become a more alarming issue and the boundaries of what is necessary and what is an invasion of privacy are very vague. A case study presented for scrutiny is that of the ‘German supermarket chain Lidl accused of snooping on staff’.Many employers appoint surveillance within the workplace for a variety of reasons such as safety, prevention of theft or misuse and performance checks. The issues identified within this article are that of whether the monitoring that was carried out was necessary or whether it breaches privacy rights and has a negative effect on the employee. Although this is the main issue highlighted in the article, there are many underlying problems within Lidl as an employer and an organization; which will be presented and scr utinized in this essay.The media source of the article is The Guardian which presents the occurring matters in a very negative light. However, the merging topics I will be using to provide impartial insight and further analysis into the subjects at hand are that of: stress at work, ethics and organizational culture. As mentioned above, to further understand the article and the issues within it, it is useful to explore it through focus of stress at work.Cartwright and Cooper (1997, page 4) discuss the more modern concept of stress as â€Å"a person’s response to a disturbance† whereas Perrewe and Crandall (1995, page 5) say that â€Å"a transaction between the person and the environment is stressful only when it is evaluated by the person as a harm, threat or challenge to that persons well-being†. Intrinsic to job Role in organization Relationships at work Career Organizational Structure Non-work factors Individual Individual symptoms -blood pressure up -Depressi on -Excessive drinking -Irritability -Chest PainsOrganizational symptoms -High absenteeism -High staff turnover -Industrial relations problems -Poor quality work Figure 1 – Dynamics of work stress – Cartwright and Copper The model below portrays the different sources of stress an individual may acquire and the effects that these can have both on the individual and the organization they are a part of. In relation to the Lidl case-study the factors that are intrinsic to the job include that of working conditions that arise from surveillance, such as close monitoring and restrictions (appendix 1).Nebeker and Tatum (1993) carried out experiments to investigate the effects of computer monitoring on productivity, work quality, satisfaction and stress. They found that there were no significant negative effects of computer monitoring on the individuals. This would suggest that the surveillance that occurred in Lidl would not be part of the intrinsic factors to cause stress to the employees, if there was any.However a criticism of their study was that it was in an experimental setting and it can be argued that it is the intention behind the surveillance and the consequence of it in the workplace (that was absent in the experiments) that has negative effects on employees. Although stress may not occur from the surveillance itself, it can from the issues that arise from it such as inspection of employee’s coats and handbags when leaving the store (appendix 1. 1).In a real work setting the over-stimulation from managerial work can cause stress to the employee where as within manual work, it is the factors of under-stimulation such as boring, repetitive work and lack of control or autonomy that are the source of stress (Bosma et al; cited by Wilson 2004). This interlinks with the section of Organizational Structure in figure 1 â€Å"Just being a part of an organization can present threats to a person’s sense of freedom and autonomy† (Cart wright and Cooper, 1997, page 20) which is what seems to be happening in Lidl as a consequence of the surveillance and the culture of the organization.As this is one of the things that is monitored via the cameras and then such action being taken as (in the extreme) a ‘worker being forbidden to go to the toilet during working hours’ creates a sense of restriction for the employees. The employees are faced with a very controlled environment leading to them being stripped of control and their actions being dictated and monitored by managerial staff. The words of a former employee ‘when one needs the money, one lets many things pass’ (appendix 1. ) show she views the disturbances caused to her as harm and therefore Lidl could be a potential source of stress. The culture of discouraging creativity and initiative (see appendix 1. 1) that Lidl creates results as a further lack of control for the employee and no sense of belonging. As can be seen from paragraph on e in appendix 1 Lidl didn’t just monitor the employees but held personal information about their love lives and finances.Also women having to wear a headband if on their period to be allowed to go to the toilet can increase stress as they may not want private information such as this revealed to the public. The way each individual copes with this will be different and according to the Cooper-Cummings framework (cited in Cartwright and Cooper 1997) if there is failure to cope there is an occurrence of continued stress. Referring back to figure 1, Cartwright and Cooper (1997) argue that non-work factors are one of the sources of stress. The supporting source (appendix 1. ) states that ‘there are almost only women workers at Lidl’ which means that there is a high possibility that they have dual needs of work and domestic responsibilities and therefore are more exposed to the likeliness of stress (Ginn and Sandell, 1997; Wheeler and Lyon, 1992; cited by Wilson 2004) Especially as many Lidl employees are ‘divorced, single parents’ it means that the domestic burden is even greater so they may be experiencing vast amounts of stress from a non-work source as well as intrinsic (figure1) to the job at Lidl.This burden could then be even further intensified by the ‘20 percent lower wages’ (appendix 1. 1) the employees receive. This acts as both an intrinsic factor as it lowers employee job satisfaction and moral; as well as adds stress from the non-work aspect due to having low finances and the employees not being able to support their families. Refer to a quote from one of the employees ‘when one needs money, one lets many things pass’.This fear of job loss from employees can further add to the non-work sources of stress as â€Å"tensions of the job are not left behind and soon affect the family† (Cooper and Cartwright, Managing workplace stress, page 21). Cartwright and Cooper’s model (figure 1) i ncludes long hours as part of the intrinsic factors as they â€Å"appear to take a toll on employee health† (Cartwright and Cooper 2007, page 15). Lidl workers are ‘pressed to work additional hours’ (appendix 1. 1) which will therefore cause stress to the employees and further more adding to it, they are made to do so ‘without pay’.Supporting that extra hours cause stress and stress related illness is a study carried out by Russek and Zohman (1958) (cited by Cartwright and Cooper, 1997) where they found that 25percent of young coronary patients had been working two jobs, and an additional 40percent worked for more than 60 hours a week. If the employees of Lidl are experiencing stress, which from the analysis seems probable, this could have negative connotations for both the individuals and the organization (figure 1). Referring back to the definition of stress, if the employees of Lidl view the occurrences as damaging to themselves they will experien ce stress.However even though the potentially ultimate reason that Lidl is inflicting the stress upon the employee is to stay ahead in the market place, these ‘competition approaches’ (appendix 1. 1) could result in decreased efficiency from the employees due to the depreciation of their health (figure 1, individual symptoms) and therefore the opposite of the desired effect for Lidl (figure1, organizational symptoms). This brings us to think about whether Lidl as an organization incorporate morality within their strategies or just work towards the goal of profitability for the company.In order to informatively analyse this it is necessary to look at it from the perspective of business ethics. As Parker (1998) describes, the categories of ethics fall into descriptive and prescriptive. Whereas descriptive ethics merely explains what people actually do, perspective goes into theorizing what people should do. Within this essay, a combination of the two will be used in conju nction with relevant theories to attempt to prove Lidl as an ethical or unethical organization and to question whether the surveillance carried out is moral.However, as Chryssides and Kaler (1999) discuss, due to the subjective nature of this topic, arriving at conclusions about â€Å"moral rights and wrongs in business† is done â€Å"with difficulty† (page 14). Therefore they argue that the possible solutions should be put to the test of â€Å"agreement with the evidence† presented, â€Å"internal coherence† and â€Å"compatibility with out more general system of belief† (page 15). With the issue at the surface of the case-study being that of surveillance, it is wise to differentiate this in terms of ethics. There are a number of theories that can aid this conclusion.As described by Parker (1998) those that are of a deontological nature place emphasis on the rules and principles that guide actions; where as those that are teleological evaluate act ions depending on the end result and the utility or disutility created. If we analyse the case-study from a teleological perspective the positive utility is created because of the progression of the organizations efficiency due to the monitoring. Murray (1997) mentions business ethics being a contradiction in words because if the business is being ethical* then they are not working to their full efficiency.This is supported by Aiello and Svec’s (1993) research, who found that job performance on simple tasks improved with the presence of another person. However, because the surveillance is imposed onto the employers we have to look at the utility or rather disutility that is caused to them. As is explained above, this is significant as the consequences from the surveillance are that of control and create stress on the individuals. However, if the security has improved due to the monitoring this will create a utility due to the safety improvement; therefore making it difficult to judge whether the action of surveillance is ethical in this case.To fully be able to interpret it however, we have to look at it through the perspective of deontological theories. As Marx T. (1998) argues the ethics of monitoring should be reviewed according to the means, the context and conditions of data collection and the uses. Relating to the collection of data within the case-study, there were details of the employees’ ‘love lives, personal finances and menstrual cycles’ (appendix 1) therefore making that aspect a breach of privacy and unethical.Ballinger (2002) found that advance notice of monitoring reduces the invasion of privacy perceptions so the fact that Lidl conducted it without the employees knowing causes further breach of privacy rights within the employee’s minds. However, even if they had been given advance notice, according to deontological theories it wouldn’t make it ethical as it is only perception that it is moral. Looking into the means and uses of it, such as to control the employees and forbidding them to go to the toilet (appendix 1), makes it seem unethical.The different aspects of the two theories draw us to an ethical dilemma of surveillance, as in the words of Sewell and  Barker 2004 it ‘is useful but harmful; welcome but offensive; a necessary evil but an evil necessity’ (page 1). Especially looking at the Lidl case it makes us question who is monitoring the monitor and ensuring that the surveillance isn’t exploited? Further conclusions about ethics can be drawn after the following section. However, as Chryssides and Kaler (1999) explain, any conclusion drawn on the topic of ethics cannot be proven definitely right or definitely wrong.Both the stress caused to the employees, and the ethical aspects of Lidl’s actions can be argued to be brought on by the culture of the organization. Robbins (1998, page 595) defines the concept of culture as â€Å"a system of share d meaning held by members that distinguishes the organization from other organizations. This is a set of characteristics that the organization values. † It is possible to, through knowing about the culture of Lidl’s organizations have a better insight into whether the surveillance that was carried out was for reasons that Lidl stated, or to control the workers.This then gives better insight into whether the employees did experience the stress outlined above, and whether the organization is unethical. As it was with ethics, it is difficult to fully analyse and understand an organization’s culture. This is depicted through Grint’s (1995) analysis stating that â€Å"culture is like a black hole: the closer you get to it the less light is thrown upon the topic† (cited by Wilson, 2004, page 180). However, there are theories and models that allow us to get better insight into it. The most recognised is that of Edgar Schein who forms a unctionalist view to put forward a model (figure 2) which because of the clear demarcation of the three levels makes it easier to relate to real life organizations such as Lidl. Underlying assumptions Human behaviour, relationship to environment Values Artefacts Training, practices, behaviour Conscious Level Core of the culture Unconscious Level Implied rather than stated openly but shared and understood 1 2 3 Observable and tangible Figure 2 – Model for Cultural Analysis – Schein 1982 It is Schein’s (1985) argument that by analysing the artefacts we are able to gain superficial understanding of the organization.These are easily discerned but can be hard to decipher unless the individuals are asked about what they mean. Within relation to the case-study they would involve things such as having mostly part-time, women workers and the dress. In an attempt to analyse this, we can say that due to there being a uniform in Lidl, where everyone has to wear exactly the same dress apart fro m the manager they are trying to make it almost robotic. This will become more apparent with analysis of further two levels of Schein’s model, but in isolation of these, this dress code isn’t of a significant nature.The level below is that of espoused values and Schein (1985) argues that these may be tapped into through the construction of questionnaire surveys of culture. These involve conscious strategies and goals of the firm. However, a criticism of this is that the outcome of the survey may not be fully reliable due to experimenter bias, so we have to be careful that we are not getting false values. For example, Lidl wouldn’t openly admit that their goal was just to achieve lower prices and that they didn’t care about employees.This could however be implied through Lidl’s ‘aversion against publicity’ and having low wages to compensate for the low prices (appendix 1. 1). The third, and arguably most important level, is the underlyi ng assumptions (figure 2). These are difficult to discern as they exist mostly at an unconscious level. As Wilson (2004) explains, the unconscious forms our norms like standards of behaviour, our values and beliefs. Mary Hatch (1993) argues that the different elements of Schein’s model need to be made less central so that the relationships linking them become more focal.Due to them interlinking, it allows us to view the dynamics of the organization as a whole. Applying this to the case-study we can see that due to the strict hierarchies and methods of punishment if mistakes are made (appendix 1. 1) the assumptions in Lidl are that the highest managers have to be listened to and that the individuals are discouraged from forming own opinions. The artefacts and values of the organization seem to suggest that that there is an underlying assumption of mechanization, and that things in Lidl have to be done exactly the way that they were ‘trained’ to do.This analysis sh ows that Lidl has many characteristics of a bureaucratic organization**. Schein’s model is criticised by researchers such as Collins (1998; cited by Wilson 2004) for not being open to change and organizations. They should be subject to change as the employees attempt to bend the rules. This does not seem to happen in Lidl due to fear of the employees losing their jobs (described earlier), the strict managers and the surveillance in place. Even though Schwarz is no longer in charge of the organization the culture he instilled into it seems to be still applicable.This is portrayed through appendix 1. 1 as ‘workers tell about how his presence in stores can still be felt, unchanged’. As a consequence of this, the management still remains buearocratic. However this does not mean that the culture is not open to change, just that it has not occurred. This then leads us to question whether these basic assumptions are actually there within the employees’ unconsciou s values. As mentioned above, it seems that the culture of Lidl tried to be imposed by Schwarz as appendix 1. concludes that in Lidl, ‘management by pressure and fear is the approach to handling human resources’. â€Å"The ideal employees are those who have internalized the organization’s goals and values and no longer require rigid control† (Wilson 2004, page 181). Analysing this quote, because of the tight control installed within Lidl through the ‘extensive espionage’ (appendix 1) it is implied that the employees do not have the culture of the organization within their underlying assumptions and therefore still need to be regulated.It can thus be argued that the reason Lidl spied on its employees was to find out detailed information to see whether they were the right people to keep on and to be able to control in order to fulfil the goals and values of the organization. This is supported by appendix 1. 1 stating that the new leader ‘h olds the company in tight reins, on behalf of Dieter Schwarz’. As one of the employees in the supporting article says that when ‘one needs the money, one lets many things pass’ therefore strengthening the argument above. However, looking into the idea about Fordism (Dick P. Ellis S. 2006) where the labour force is unskilled and the actions carried out by employees standardized we can relate it to the case-study. Although the situation in Lidl isn’t exactly the same as it is not a production line, there are similarities in that the tasks are simple and can be controlled easily. This is why it may not be necessary for the employees working on the shop floor to buy into the culture of the organization in order for it to be carried through and the goals achieved. However, in Lidl, even the managers are held on ‘tights reins’ (appendix 1. ) with very few given some freedom. The power of the company is also centralized therefore portraying underlyin g assumptions (figure 2) of questioning trust, credibility and faith in competence. As a consequence of the analysis of the culture of Lidl, we are able to make further conclusions within the ethics aspect of the essay. From the basic assumptions of the organization that, below the higher management level everything is to be tightly controlled and no room left for mistakes (which in turn means the employees have to do everything according to the rules and ot develop own ideas or ways of carrying out tasks), it is now much more evident that the reason behind the monitoring was a form of control over employees and not ‘to establish possible abnormal behaviour’. This brings us closer to drawing the conclusion that the surveillance was unethical and that Lidl as a company have very few ethical considerations with their managerial actions. It also means that the culture aspect of the organization will cause further stress to the employees and therefore presenting Lidl as a v ery unmoral organization.As is portrayed from all the presented evidence, the actions carried out and strategies implemented lack in ethical consideration. Looking at sources of surveillance within media, the consistently negative language choice reflects that the attitude towards surveillance in general is that it is a breach of privacy. Especially in the case of Lidl, who do not seem to care about the human aspect of their employees and appear to just be worried about profits, the surveillance carried out was unnecessary and seemingly not for the reasons that the firm puts forward.Through this issue, and others highlighted in the article it seems that there are many underlying issues within Lidl that need to be addressed and perhaps a form of culture change needs to occur whilst the organization amends its values and goals. Appendix 1 German supermarket chain Lidl accused of snooping on staff * Kate Connolly in Berlin * The Guardian, Thursday March 27 2008 Lidl was accused of reco rding how many times staff went to the toilet, as well as intimate details of their personal lives.Photograph: Graham Turner The German discount supermarket chain Lidl has been accused of spying on its employees, including recording how many times they went to the toilet as well as details about their love lives, personal finances and menstrual cycles. An investigation by the German news magazine Stern uncovered an extensive espionage system in its shops across Germany. It obtained hundreds of pages of documents gathered by detectives allegedly employed by the chain to find out about its staff.The surveillance took place via mini-video cameras installed by detectives. The official reason given to store managers was to reduce shoplifting. Critics have accused Lidl of using â€Å"Stasi methods†, referring to the secret police of the former communist East German state who kept track of the most banal and intimate details of hundreds of thousands of citizens' lives. The detective s' records include details of precisely where employees had tattoos as well as information about their friends. â€Å"Her circle of friends consists mainly of drug addicts,† reads one record.The detectives also had the task of identifying which employees appeared to be â€Å"incapable† or â€Å"introverted and naive†. While most incidents seem to have occurred in Germany, the most shocking one allegedly occurred at a Lidl store in the Czech Republic, where a female worker was forbidden to go to the toilet during working hours. An internal memorandum, which is now the centre of a court case in the republic, allegedly advised staff that â€Å"female workers who have their periods may go to the toilet now and again, but to enjoy this privilege they should wear a visible headband†.Recording how a German employee identified as Frau M spent her break, one report read: â€Å"Frau M wanted to make a call with her mobile phone at 14. 05 †¦ She received the r ecorded message that she only had 85 cents left on her prepaid mobile. She managed to reach a friend with whom she would like to cook this evening, but on condition that her wage had been paid into her bank, because she would otherwise not have enough money to go shopping. † A Hamburg labour lawyer, Klaus Muller-Knapp, said the transcripts were â€Å"scandalous to the highest degree† and breached laws on freedom of expression.Human rights groups and trade unions pledged to take up the case. While denying any knowledge of the Czech case, Lidl, which has more than 7,500 stores in 24 countries, including Britain, confirmed that surveillance had taken place in Germany. It said the purpose was â€Å"not to monitor staff, but to establish possible abnormal behaviour†. It added that in retrospect the company distanced itself from the transcripts. â€Å"The references and observations are not in keeping †¦ with our understanding of how people should treat each othe r. † Source: http://www. uardian. co. uk/world/2008/mar/27/germany. supermarkets Appendix 1. 1 – Supporting information on Lidl UNI Commerce Jan Furstenborg 1 March 2004 The Schwarz Group (Lidl) There are few retailers that can match the Schwarz Group’s fast and aggressive expansion on the European markets. The German retailer was number 25 in world rankings in 2002 with estimated sales of 21,6491 Billion USD. The Schwarz Group’s discounter chain Lidl sold for an estimated 15. 92 Billion Euro in 2002. Lidl’s sales in 2003 are estimated to reach 203 Billion Euro (22 Bill USD).As a comparison, the closest competitor and world leader among the hard discounters – Aldi, which consists of Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud – ranked number 11 with estimated sales of 33,7134 Billion USD. Lidl Through an aggressive price policy, Lidl tries to take market shares particularly from its main competitor Aldi. Spectacular special offers give the impression of pa rticularly low prices, but normally they are applied only for short periods of time. Both competitors and consumer representatives have criticised the company for this approach, which they consider to be misleading and unserious marketing.In Spain, the consumers’ organisation OCU reacted sharply when Lidl used its name in advertising, telling that they had been found by OCU to have the lowest prices. OCU called this â€Å"intolerable conduct†. 20 Suppliers are under hard pressure when Lidl is pushing prices down. â€Å"Whereas the deeply catholic Aldi-brothers become unpleasant only when there are quality problems, but otherwise are fair with their suppliers, the Lidl buyers exert enormous pressure†, writes Managermagazin. 23 As Lidl is a very large buyer, few suppliers can afford to tell them off.Longer shop opening hours than Aldi is another of Lidl’s German competition approaches. When the Aldi stores close at 14. 00, Lidl keeps its doors open until 20 . 00. Managermagazin says that this is made possible by the 20 per cent lower wages that Lidl is paying. The total amount of working hours that are allocated to a Lidl store are tied to turnover, which means that cashiers can be pressed to work additional hours without pay. Employment conditions and labour relations in Lidl in Germany In Lidl, management by pressure and fear is the approach to handling human resources.Hierarchies are strict, and creativity and initiative are discouraged. Management demands permanent availability from the personnel, and when someone gets ill, he or she can expect a home visit by a supervisor. „For years she had stood out with all of this, the humiliations by customers, the constant lack of confidenceâ€Å", writes Suddeutsche Zeitung about a discussion with a former Lidl cashier, who worked ten years for the company. „When one was ill, one had to visit the district supervisor. After work, in her store, coats, handbags and cars were inspe cted. Then I came always without a coat or handbag, I was afraid that they would put something into themâ€Å", the ex-worker said: „One had to be on the job 15 minutes before the working time began. On Fridays, one did often not yet know when one should work on Monday. â€Å" As a punishment, one could be placed for weeks in a store which was 80 kilometres away, the woman said. The cash machines are used to control the workers. There are almost only women workers at Lidl, most of them part-timers, many divorced, single parents, from the former GDR. â€Å"Then nobody protests.When one needs the money, one lets many things pass†, says the former Lidl worker, who was interviewed by Suddeutsche Zeitung on the conditions of strict anonymity. Looking at her hands she says to the newspaper: â€Å"I know from what Dieter Schwarz has become so rich†. A typical Lidl store in Germany employs between 10 and 12 staff. The cashiers, who often work part time, are paid accord ing to tariffs. Their wages are on average 20 per cent lower than in Aldi, where the workers have additional wage benefits in addition to the basic minimum.Not surprisingly, like Wal-Mart, Lidl goes to great lengths to keep trade unions out. When ver. di tries to establish works councils, management moves fast to destroy these attempts. Workers are scared up by management – â€Å"and we can only protect shop stewards† says ver. di representative Christian Paulowitsch from Stuttgart to Suddeutsche Zeitung. In 2002, ver. di worked particularly hard to organise in Lidl. To make it impossible for the union to establish Works Councils (Gesamtbetriebsrat), management grouped the stores into more than 400 ‘independent’ companies.When the workers in seven Lidl stores in a region of Germany were invited to a meeting to set up an election committee for the works council election, nobody came. The workers had been invited by the company on the same day to an internal training session. Instead, managers and regional supervisors sat as a threatening panel in the meeting room. â€Å"The message was clear†, says ver. di’s regional secretary in Hamm, Norbert Glassman. â€Å"Who comes, will be shaved away†. When union representatives have tried to make Dieter Schwarz himself to intervene, he has let them be told that he has pulled back from operative management.A ver. di representative said to Suddeutsche Zeitung that strictly legally he is out, but â€Å"as before, he is the godfather. † Christian Paulowitsch says: â€Å"He has never yet dirtied his fingers† â€Å"Schwarz gave over the management of his empire simultaneously to two chief executives, but still workers tell about how his presence in the stores can still be felt, unchanged: In many warehouses and many stores, he has already showed up unexpectedly, to look after his rights. SOURCE: http://www. union-network. org Bibliography Aiello, J. R. , & Svec, C. M. (1993). Computer monitoring of work performance: Extending the social facilitation framework to electronic presence†, Journal of Applied Social Psychology Ballinger, G. A. (2002) â€Å"Privacy and procedural justice reactions to internet monitoring under different job roles and task deviance conditions: a field experiment†, Purdue University, found in: Organizational Behaviour/Organizational Theory Track Cartwright, S. Cooper, C. L. (1997) Managing Workplace Stress, London and Newbury Park, Sage Publications Chryssides, G. D. , Kaler, J. H. (1999) Introduction to Business Ethics, London, International Thompson Business PressCrandall, R. Perrewe, P. L (1995) Occupational Stress, Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis Dick, P. Ellis, S. (2006) Introduction to Organizational Behaviour, Maidenhead, McGraw Hill Education Nebeker, D. M. and Tatum, B. C. (1993) â€Å"The effects of computer monitoring, standards and rewards on work performance, job satisfaction and stress†, Journal of Applied Social Psychology Hatch, M. J. (1993) â€Å"The dynamics of organizational culture†, Academy of Management Review Marx, G. T. (1998) â€Å"Ethics for the new surveillance†, The Information Society Murray, D. (1997) Ethics in Organizations, London, Kogan Page: Coopers and LybrandParker, M. (1998) Ethics and organizations, London, Sage Robbins, S. (1998) Organisational Behaviour: Concepts, Controversies and Applications, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Sewell G. Barker J. R. (2004) â€Å"Neither good, nor bad, but dangerous: Surveillance as an ethical paradox†, Ethics and Information Technology Somers, M. J (2004) â€Å"Ethical Codes of Conduct and Organizational Context: A Study of the Relationship between Codes of Conduct, Employee Behaviour and Organizational Values†, Journal of Business Ethics Wilson F. M. (2004) Organizational Behaviour and Work, Oxford, Oxford University Press

A Vietnam Country Review History Essay

A Vietnam Country Review History Essay Vietnam as we know is approximately 331,688 km ² in area but it does not include the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands, it is larger than Italy and almost the same size as Germany. Vietnam is located in South East Asia, bordered to the north near China, to the west near Laos and Cambodia and to the east, by the Pacific Ocean. The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi, it is located in the north and is the second largest city in Vietnam, as the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years now, and Hanoi is considered to be one of the cultural centres of Vietnam, where most of the Vietnamese dynasties had left behind their imprint. After that I will summarize some culture of Vietnam. First of all, the Culture of Vietnam, or in particular the culture of the Kinh ethnic origin in the northern Vietnam, is one of the oldest cultures in the Pacific region. Although so, the major influence is China, Vietnam’s culture had created a lot of features, quite similar to the other people of East Asi a and other countries in the Pacific Ocean (such as Cambodia , Laos and Thailand) that have suffered a major cultural influence by India. Nowadays, the culture of Vietnam has changed from time to time, it is a special blend of the many ancient cultures with the indigenous culture of the Vietnamese. Other than the influence of China, the cultures of the Vietnamese people are also influenced by the Western culture. Some examples of the Vietnamese culture are: food, apparel, religion, and the cultural territory. Body Climate First of all I will talk about the climate in the south of Vietnam, it is located in the tropical monsoon equatorial so it has a very high temperature throughout the year and it only has two seasons, which are rainy and dry. The rainy season begins from the month of May to November and dry season will begin from the month of December to April the following year. Because the south rainy season is longer than the dry season, so this has some sort of influence in the change of culture I ways of food to the culture in the south, the central, and the north of Vietnam. As we know the cuisine of Vietnam is very famous around the world, Ho Chi Minh City’s cuisine is also partly reflected by the cultural life and natural minerals, its cuisine is influenced by the French cuisine, Cambodian cuisine and the Thai cuisine. Today, the specialties are easily found at Ho Chi Minh, it is a combination of the food from the North, Middle, South and international cuisines, for example: sour soup is a combination of the sour salty of the north, spicy peppers of the central, and sweet fresh of the south. Another example is the beef steaks which are thinner and more mature and it is also spicier vegetables served with it compared to France. By contract, the nature of the part middle of Vietnam is it has a very hard climate, it is influenced by the sea breezes as well as the mountain winds. The people living here are austere and rich energetic. The Central Foo d has food that are very spicy, very spicy-hot, as positive (for the cold when it comes to soaking in water and odor resistant nature of the seafood capital nature-sound welding) and it is very salty. The food materials are often simple, but if you ever have the opportunity to really enjoy, it will be an experience that will never be forgotten.

Business Organisation and policy report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Organisation and policy report - Essay Example A study by Harvard Business Review finds that companies spend over $2 trillion in acquisitions while the failure rate of M&As is between 70 to 90 percent There have been no efforts to learn why combinations fail and mergers and acquisitions continue to be mismanaged. Despite the large number of failures, executives still consider acquisition a key strategy to achieving business objectives. This investigation presents a report on why boards of directors continue to take over other firms. This would be derived through investigation of a successful and an unsuccessful merger. Exxon Corporation and Mobil Corporation, the two largest marketers of gasoline, were direct, significant and powerful competitors in at least 40 metropolitan areas from Maine to Virginia. Both these organizations competed in several products and geographic markets in the United States. This was a horizontal merger – merger of two competitors, which would result in the biggest non-government oil company in the world. There are two primary reasons of mergers and acquisitions – to boost current performance and to reinvent the business model. M&As are also driven by the need for market expansion and for product diversification. Exxon Corp. Chairman Lee R. Raymond and Mobil Corp. Chairman Lucio A. Noto were realistic in their expectations from the merger. They recognized the need to cut costs due to changes in the oil industry. In fact these were the precise reasons for the merger – changes in the oil industry and the need to cut costs. Early intentions can influence subsequent integration. Leadership has to put forward a clear and convincing rationale to people on both sides that the merger is more than a cost-cutting deal , which was done in the case of Exxon and Mobil.... There are two primary reasons of mergers and acquisitions – to boost current performance and to reinvent the business model (Christensen, Alton, Rising and Waldeck, 2011). M&As are also driven by the need for market expansion and for product diversification (Duncan and Mtar, 2006). Exxon Corp. Chairman Lee R. Raymond and Mobil Corp. Chairman Lucio A. Noto were realistic in their expectations from the merger. They recognized the need to cut costs due to changes in the oil industry. In fact these were the precise reasons for the merger – changes in the oil industry and the need to cut costs. Early intentions can influence subsequent integration. Leadership has to put forward a clear and convincing rationale to people on both sides that the merger is more than a cost-cutting deal (Baxter, 1999), which was done in the case of Exxon and Mobil. The merger of Exxon and Mobil was inspired by the merger of BP with Amoco and ARCO. They too wanted to reach the heights of the new m arket leader and they relied purely on financial analyses (Marks, Mirvis and Brajkovich, 2001). There was no strategic intent and the decisions were based on empire-building. 2.1 Speedy entry to new product/market area The most profitable part of business is this industry is oil exploration and this merger would give them a competitive edge in this activity. This merger was a response to aggressive and excessive exploration behaviour by competing major players as each of them was trying to maintain its relative standing in the industry (Krishnan, Joshi and Krishnan, 2004). This relative positioning was important because mature oligopoly was prevalent in the industry. Mergers such as this become a strategic tool to exit some players and contract the industry (Voola, 2006). Excessive capacity

Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Case - Essay Example The goal was not consistent with the definition of effective goals as it did not conform to the elements identified in SMART goals (Author 453). Likewise, every strategy implemented by Ruth, as deemed crucial towards the achievement of the defined goal by Hoffman has not be appropriately supported and thereby enhanced negative, rather than positive emotional arousal. By providing insufficient information as to the extent of leeway given to Ruth regarding company policies (like providing credit in excess of $1,000), all the more Hoffman diminished Ruth’s confidence in running the branch. On the part of Ruth Cummings, the guidelines that were apparently violated are as follows: (1) modeling; (2) providing information; and (3) creating confidence. When Ruth applied strategies that were innovative (hiring an administrative assistant and appearing in a local TV show), she failed to appropriately advise Hoffman to seek approval and support for the strategies. Also, hiring the administrative assistance and paying above norm potentially diminishes the morale and confidence of internal human resources (top sales clerks). Pursuant to the guidelines of empowerment that were violated, the advice that an outside consultant could give to Ken are as follows: (1) provide clear (SMART) objectives to Ruth to enable her to design appropriate strategies that conform to these goals; (2) provide positive social and emotional support; (3) clearly provide information for scope of approving authorities through identification of details from company policies that could be waived (if any) in terms of providing credit beyond the stipulated amounts or needed protocols requiring management’s approval prior to implementation (hiring or firing human resources, for that matter). These moves would create the needed confidence to be exuded by Ruth in carrying out her responsibilities as the branch manager. On the other hand, the advice that would assist empowering

Special Events Proposal-MARKETING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Special Events Proposal-MARKETING - Essay Example It would be not possible for the majority of the wine drinkers to buy all the varieties of wine on their own and taste them. So, the Wine Tasting event like the one, that can be organized by Kudler Fine Foods will give them the opportunity to taste different wines. Also, there will be group of wine drinkers who want to enjoy drinking wine, in-group and not in isolation. These wine drinkers can also be enticed to try the new offerings from Kudler Fine Foods through the Wine Tasting event in a group mode with their friend and relatives. Through out the world, Wine Tasting events were considered an ideal opportunity for the friends and family members to get together. So, if the Kudler Fine Foods organizes this special promotion for its wines, it will bring out the wine drinkers, who drink alone, into the open and provide entertainment and enjoyment for them in the company of their friends and family members. The enjoyable atmosphere in the Wine Tasting events will make the drinkers or participants emotionally associate with the Kudler’s brand of wines even more. Also, if something good happens to the customer, while using the brand, the attachment to the brand will grow even more. So, in the Kudler organized Wine Tasting events, these two criteria can be fulfilled, making the promotions work very positively. That is, as mentioned above, the wine drinkers in the Wine Tasting events will have a very good time, enjoying different wines and spending quality time with their family and friends. So, in this setup, t he Kudler’s wine used by the prospective customers will strike a cord with the customers. The customer will start to buy and use the wines, whenever the same kind of enjoyable atmosphere is replicated in different surroundings as well. At the same time, the new types of wines offered in the Wine Tasting event will work in another positive way,

Supply Chain Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Supply Chain Risk Management - Essay Example Therefore, the significance of supply chain management theories and their usage in all industry types has increased greatly. Supply chains are evolved by companies for fulfilling business needs and functions. Supply chains help business to survive and grow. Each business is a part of the supply chain completing the assigned task. A multi-tier supply chain includes various flows i.e. financial flow, Information flow and material flow. Third party logistics (3PL) services providers who manage and perform specific logistic functions for other companies arrange the inbound and outbound logistic functions of the suppliers or owners (Khan et al., 2010). The term â€Å"supply chain management† came into usage in the 1990s for earlier used terms like â€Å"logistics† and â€Å"operations management†. â€Å"A supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution options that performs the functions of procurement of materials, transformation of these materials into int ermediate and finished products, and the distribution of these finished products to customers.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Ganeshan and Harrison (1995)). ... The first level is completed via internal supply chain management activities associated with logistics and procurement. Procurement for companies’ stock can stockpile high inventory levels and additional transport costs if the inventory is not consumed due to lack of demand (Kannegiesser et al., 2007). The second echelon can help companies in optimizing supply chain processes via integrated management of supply chains. The central focus of supply chain management is to manage the risk of overflowing inventories and inefficient handling of information not only within the company but among all supply chain members, which could be original equipment manufacturers (OEM), maintenance, repair and overhauling (MROs) or third-party logistics (3PL) partners to minimize stock levels and achieving optimization in resource usage (Kannegiesser et al., 2007). As such, the aim of supply chain management is to cover the cost risk, to offer the desired service level and fulfill customer expect ations. Production and distribution functions have to be integrated to achieve optimum performance volumes. As decisions on quantity and price of stock can not be taken beforehand, any drawback in integrated approach can reduce the profit margins although cost-cutting has been used as a tool in supply chain management (Kannegiesser et al., 2007). Research Background -- Theory Before discussing the study outcomes on total logistic costs based on general modeling approach, some theoretical background on current literature is necessary. There are two types of studies on logistic costs. One type deals with strategic parts of logistics and the other with optimal logistic decisions. This is the second type, which helps in mitigating risks, the leading purpose of which is finding system costs, which

Loyalty programmes..reflective statement for dissertation Essay

Loyalty programmes..reflective statement for dissertation - Essay Example However, on moving ahead with the research I realized the amount of hard work research work would demand. The preparation of research proposal was also difficult as this was the first time that I did such extensive research for a particular topic to ensure that I stay within the scope of the research I set before me and at the same time meet the requirements of the university. Before conducting the research studying deeply the different research categories like explanatory research descriptive research as well as exploratory research gave me an insight into which kind of research category to use in which situation. This was useful as it allowed me to understand the pros and cons of different research strategies like action research, grounded theory, surveys, etc. in order to decide upon the most suitable research strategy for my dissertation. It was through this process that I was able to develop an analytical frame of mind that helped me to quickly overcome the problems that I faced in conducting the research. I had to change my plan from conducting face to face interview to survey questionnaire because of the unavailability of responsible marketing / operations heads despite of calling 50 hotels for scheduling interview. Even designing the survey questionnaire was not easy and the data collected through this method was scrutinized by the supervisor for its limitations to ensure the objectiveness of the research is maintained at all times. The presentation of findings and analysis required use of different tools which I had to learn during the course of the research. The structure of the dissertation was also considered to be an important element of my research. I had to look at examples how a good dissertation needs to be written. The work flow should be in such a way that it covers different aspects of the research for better understanding of its users. The writing was built upon strong objectives and research questions which

Customers Advertisement Decision for Colorscope Case Study

Customers Advertisement Decision for Colorscope - Case Study Example The companies listed in the exhibit 3 have are the largest companies in the areas and many people will go to purchase in those companies. This shows that the companies are congested with many customers to be served at the same time. The customers will take more time waiting to be attendant. The attendants are always busy, since they are few and customers are many. Colorscope has many attended who ensure that customers are served immediately they make inquiry. Colorscope also has many customers but it employees enough people who can handle the customers demand. Customers will opt to go to Colorscope instead of going to waste their time or queuing in order to get services. In Colorscope also customers needs to place an order and an attendant take care of the customers demand. Colorscope employee’s professionals and trains the employees in order to ensure high quality services. Customer needs to be served by professionals and this is the case with Colorscope. Calculating Profitability of Job 61001 Colorscope has a long process in service provision. First, the customer’s places an order and then the customer representative talk to the customers and records the order details. The order is scanned and digitalized to computer pictures, and then an expert contacts publisher services which ensures color quality and appropriate of other picture features. The documents is passed to quality control to ensure it is of high quality and then sent to customer’s desk.

Change Agent Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Change Agent - Research Paper Example I plan on becoming a change agent in my community by creating a non-profit organization to promote both recycling and alternative energy. Creating awareness starts by educating the public about the problem. Each person in the United States is currently generating 4.7 pounds of waste everyday of which 33.4% is recycled, 12.6% is burned in combustion facilities, and 54% makes it to the landfills (Recyclingfacts, 2008). The excessive amount of waste going to the landfills is hurting our environment. The government is running out of places to accumulate more trash. Some of the materials that people can recycle include paper, aluminum, plastic, and glass. The organization I will establish will gather information about all the recycling centers available within 200 miles of the community. This information will be given to every member of the community so that they can utilize the knowledge to make changes in their daily habits. People should also be aware that a lot of these recycling centers will pay people for recyclable material. Some of the basic tactics people must learn is that the different materials should be stored in separate bags. The energy crisis is hurting the pockets of all Americans. Fuel prices are rising and there seems to be no end to how high they might reach in the near future. The current price of a gallon of gasoline is $3.93 a gallon (Reuter, 2012). My organization will take the initiative of analyzing consumer reports to determine the best green cars in the market. After evaluating the alternatives I will create a list of cars that people in my community can purchase to save money on gas. The information of the cars will include the price, brand, features, technology, and most importantly fuel efficiency of each vehicle. Two of the most promising green cars in the marketplace are the Chevy Volt and the Nissan Leaf. Another important aspect of the non-profit organization will be educating the

Business ethics Essay Example for Free

Business ethics Essay Introduction Todays world is continually shrinking due to many factors, not the least of which is the rapid growth of international business. Four specific interlinking phenomena are occurring which present new problems to international business: a) the increase in offshore banking transactions; b) the continuing growth of multinational corporations (MNCs); c) the increasing instances of outsourcing business activities offshore and d) the equally increasing instances of locating and using suppliers of goods and services in developing countries. All four of these phenomena are fueled by economics and they show no sign of abating anytime soon. Two aspects dealt in this paper are: a) the existence of perceived corruption in international business, including graft, kickbacks and preferential treatment and b) workplace conditions that are considered unethical by generally accepted world standards. There are many other aspects of international business which lend themselves to ethical examination, but they are not appropriate here. The approach taken is to examine some of the principal ethical philosophies of the last two hundred years in relation to international business, as follows: a) Immanuel. Kants Categorical Imperative; b) early mercantilist philosophies; c) Distributive Justice; d) Ethical Relativism; e) Integrative Social Contracts Theory; f) Virtue Ethics; g) Confucian and Islamist ethics and h) pragmatic approaches to international business ethics. Then, by way of local comparisons, several local national situations are presented in order to clarify the problem. Finally, in order to address workplace ethics specifically, the SA 8000 Social Accountability standard is presented and analyzed as one approach to remedy a widely recognized situation which required positive attention. Furtherj this standard is presented as a possible entry point toward developing a customer/supplier dialogue which may hole the promise of formulating a wholly new code of international business ethics, not simply another Western concept grafted onto the developing world. 1 Key ethical theories and concepts Kants categorical imperative: Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative has become a mainstay in the study of ethics for the past two hundred years and has stimulated a considerable amount of both support and objection. His assertion to act only according to maxims which you can will also to be universal laws^^ was seen to be in direct reaction to the relativist philosophies being propagated at that time and can also be seen as a defense of free will which was being called into question as well. Marias^^ points out that Kants purpose was to personalize ethics, not necessarily to institutionalize ethics. Kants ethics describe a moral person; not necessarily a moral society which is a key point in attempting to apply Kantian ethics to our world. Significant problems have been found to exist not within Kants ethics but in its applications. Calder* perceives the lack of degrees of wrongness in Kants Categorical Imperative, stating that this is a major flaw in his ethics. Calders interpretation of Kant is that an act is either right ot wrong in a universal sense, not allowing for varying degrees. This would be a valid objection to Kantian ethics were it not for Kants intention to personalize ethics and to make the individual person responsible for his or her own actions. In this sense, Kants ethics are indeed universal in the sense that each person must decide what is right and what is wrong. An argument could be made that in this sense, Kantian ethics can be applied universally, but with a less than satisfying sense of having identified a code of ethics that would fit like a sort of template over our world. It should also be noted that at the time Kant lived in the late 18 Century, our world was just being discovered as highly diverse. European ethnocentrism was still very much in force and the uncivilized world was seen generally as a very undefined place.The intertwining effects of the growth of world trade, the rapid increases in colonialism and the onset of the industrial revolution stimulated additional efforts to address the people of the world at large. Early mercantilist philosophy: The various mercantilist philosophies which emanated from the growth of colonialism and world trade presented a somewhat different viewpoint to (11)Advances In Management Vol. 5 (3) Mar. (2012) ethics. In the minds of the mercantilists, civil society would contain markets which would be self-regulating and government, business and nonprofit organizations would unite to create social accountability systems which would contain self-enforcing codes of conduct reinforced by the concept of shareholder and stakeholder pressures. These concepts tend to continue to the present day in many business textbooks. However, these early mercantilist philosophies, propounded in the heyday of expansionism by the worlds trading nations, pointedly did not consider what effects mercantilism would have on the rest, of the world. These mercantilist philosophies provided a basis for the development of utilitarian ethics which would become popular in the following century with the writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart MilP^ and which would eventually become the unofficial political philosophy of the British government throughout the colonial years and up to the present day. Distributive Justice: The rapid growth of complex economic systems together with the shrinking of the social world gave birth to the concept of distributive justice. The concept has its origins in David Hume and John Locke and continues today in the writings of modern philosophers John Rawis and Robert Nozick. ^ The internationalization of the world economy has further spurred discussion concerning how distributive justice might be applied to international business. Unlike the ethics of early mercantilist philosophies and classical utilitarianism which both fit uneasily in the world of international business, there has been quite a lot of discussion concerning the ethics of distributive justice in this context. The principal questions tend to revolve around how (or whether) gains from international trade get distributed both within and between countries* and whether or not basic human rights are observed in the practice of international business. This second question has also been expanded to discuss whether international business as a function has the obligation to offer help to the inhabitants of developing countries within which they do business. Both concepts would seem foreign to the mercantilists and would pose awkward questions to the utilitarians. Ethical Relativism: The next logical stage of development in the thinking of international business ethics was termed ethical relativism. To put the best face on it, this concept developed as a realization of the multifaceted cultural and social nature of todays world and of the inherent difficulties todays international business person experiences in attempting to deal with these differences. ^^ However, as many authors have pointed out, ethical relativism can be seen as moral approach to business, using cultural differences as an excuse to practice unethical behavior which might not be acceptable in ones own society. ^ The ethical relativism stage of international business ethics exists but does so in a weakened position due to criticisms leveled against it. Integrative Social Contracts Theory: An effective response to ethical relativism in international business has been a blending of ethical relativism and universally recognized ethical principles at least universally recognized in the Western world into a concept that has become known as integrative social contracts theory (ISCT). -^-* Under this concept, certain universal ethical concepts would provide the basis for an ethical code of conduct for international business with the recognition of the validity of certain local ethical practices with the provision that in the event of conflict between the two, universal ethical principles would take precedence. This blending of ethical concepts satisfied most participants in international business activities but not all. One criticism leveled against ISCT is the problem of using empirical methods to discover and define what the authentic norms of a particular culture might be^. The approach taken by most ISCT practitioners lays open to question the overall effectiveness of a purely empirical approach, subject as it is to misinterpretation and lack of complete knowledge and understanding. As a result, critics of ISCT tend to call for a revival of the universal ethical principles that ISCT has largely replaced, causing discomfort particularly in the developing world which has never been completely comfortable with espousing the universal ethical code of former colonizing powers. Virtue Ethics: One possibility of a usable ethical code is the application of virtue ethics to international business. This concept would formulate ethics based on the moral character of the people involved in international business. Clearly, virtue ethics appeals to those who wish the right thing to be done consistently and studies have attempted to apply the concept to the international business arena. * Virtue ethics has also been proposed as a tool that international organizations could use to fight corruption. Nonetheless, it remains undeniable that virtue ethics is grounded in ones own culture and moral beliefs and would necessarily provide a weak tool to formulate any sort of international business ethics code. Confucian and Islamic ethics applications: One has only to look at the major cultures of the world to discover old and well developed codes of ethics. One such ancient culture China has adhered to Confucian ethical concepts for centuries. Magee^* notes that philosophy, including ethical thought, proceeded in China unhindered by established religions, as was the case in the West and therefore developed a thoughtful ethical philosophy deeply seated in Chinese culture. Yew Chan^*^ points out that while most Confucian ethical thought parallels Western ethical thought, there are some significant divergences. Interestingly, one of the principal differences from the Chinese point of view has to do with the West placing results ahead of ethical concerns. Also, the importance of social harmony which takes on a characteristic of ethics in Confucian culture is emphasized in China while downplayed in the West. (12)Advances In Management Vol. 5 (3) Mar. (2012) Another old and well established body of ethics is found in the Middle East, northern Africa and southeast Asia in the ethical traditions of Islam. The Islamic tradition highly values such concepts as trust and benevolence and makes a major point of including justice and social balance in its code of ethics. Most of these concepts have their basic roots in pre-Islamic Arab culture based in turn on Bedouin culture, but they are reinforced by both the Koran and Sharia. Pragmatic approaches The various conflicts resultant from culture meeting culture in the international business world and the typical result of developed societies coming out on top (with the notable exception of the international petroleum industry) has generated a movement termed the United Nations sustainable development initiative. ^ This convergence of business, political and ethical concerns and interests is the most recent attempt to make things right in the international business world in the face of increasing world poverty and hunger and undeniable global inequality. The most recent ethical solution proposed to begin to set things right internationally is called the language of rights. *,This solution which flnds its roots in distributive justice, identifies the multinational corporation as one of the principle change agents and focuses on the capabilities of all concerned rather than on finding blame. The emphasis is on denning and promoting the positive rights of all concerned. International Business Applications From a practical point of view, however, all of these concepts are somehow found wanting. The realities of wide chasms between the developed world and the developing world which in many instances is not developing at all, relatively speaking tends to make nonsense of any attempts to formulate and superimpose any sort of universal ethical code on the whole world. In the old days of colonialism, the Western powers and Japan simply took what they wanted through dint of force and in the present day of neocolonialism these same powers in the persons of international business carry on that tradition in an updated manner. Appeals to post-conventional moral reasoning, in efforts to induce multinational corporations to develop mature corporate ethics in dealing with developing countries, have met with mixed results. Claims of widespread corruption in international business has stimulated a considerable amount of activity both in academia and in international organizations, although strong arguments have been made that bribery and corruption are not cultural characteristics, as they have so often been called, but symptoms of cultural breakdowns under the pressures of a malfunctioning economy. The local gift-giving customs in some cultures has been thoroughly examined and seem to be finally recognized as local custom and not necessarily as a form of graft. ^ One viewpoint sparsely practiced in the search for some resolution of the international business ethics conundrum is viewing business practices from the perspectives of other cultures. Both Confuciani. st and Islamic ethical systems were very briefly noted above and cases drawn from the business experiences of people from a few speciflc countries are now examined by way of comparison in order to better understand the cultural diversity in todays international business environment. Post-apartheid South Africa presents an interesting case study as the only developed economy on the African continent and as the principal trading partner of many African countries. South Africa also presents a model for global multinational corporations in how to deal effectively with developing economies. ^ Through a mixed strategy of business promotion and social involvement in these countries and by limited political involvement with government ministries. South Africa has developed a favorable reputation throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa by remaining pragmatic in dealing with local custom. Within that region, Nigeria has developed a version of virtue ethics based on a communitarian notion of ethics which seems to work well for Nigerian businesses. ^^ Considering that Nigeria is the most economically successful of the black sub-Saharan economies and is the dominant force in West Africa, this application of communitarianism is having a positive effect on its culturally similar neighbors and holds out hope for a type of regional ethical code in business. The case of Jordan, a relatively poor country located in the Mashriq area of the Middle East, shows mixed results when business ethics are examined. Similar to other countries in the region, Jordanian businessmen tend to bend their ethical activities toward what is practical under the pressures of reality which makes them not much different than other businessmen throughout the world. However, the active effect of Islamic ethics, as previously noted, has an ameliorating effect on Jordanian business practices. India presents a more interesting ethical picture. ^* While being largely Hindu in religion with significant minority groups, India is a country comprised of people speaking twenty-six different languages within two large ethnic groups. To consider India as a single culture through which one can examine Indian business ethics would be completely misleading. As a result and considering the existence of under cultures throughout the Indian population, international business performed in India would need to carefully examine the various ethical codes in practice throughout the country in order to understand the culture and begin to apply any sort of integrative social ethical theory. Finally, Australia presents another interesting case study. Australia is a large country approximately the same (13)Advances In Management Vol. 5 (3) Mar. (2012) size as the forty-eight contiguous states in the United States but with the total population of not much more than Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California combined. Rich in natural resources but isolated from the rest of the world by geography, Australia finds itself an essentially Asian country but with a European political, social and cultural tradition. As a result, Australian businessmen have had to learn how to do business with Asian cultures not by choice but of geographic necessity. ^ Adjustments to doing business in Asian cultures has always been a problem for the Australian businessman, particularly when faced with unfamiliar or uncomfortable ethical situations. ^ As a result, Australia can be seen in this sense as a microcosm of what international business people face. Social Accountability International As described above, the applications of ethical codes to international business have been spotty at best. The reasons for this are varied, but seem to have a great deal to do with attempts to formulate universal ethical principles, albeit with the effort to formulate ISCT in order to accommodate at least some local cultural practices that might affect business ethics. A major reason behind this failure may very well be that the various attempts have all been based on Western philosophical thought. Both Confucian and Islamist traditions possess functioning and effective ethical codes which seem to work well in those cultures. In 1997, Social Accountability International (SAI) published Social Accountability 8000, a voluntary standard that attempts to ensure humane workplaces worldwide. The standard was revised and updated in 2001. Rather than using the exhortative approach attempted up until that time by the International Labor Organization (ILO), SA8000 is a frank, open attempt to convince companies that it would be in their best business interests to become registered to this standard. It is based on international workplace norms of ILO conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (saintl. org). It is an auditable certification standard and those companies which pass an initial audit and which also maintain compliance through successful semi-annual surveillance audits are included in a published list of SA 8000-registered companies. Audits are conducted by thirdparty auditing organizations accredited and overseen by Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS). ^ Provisions of SAAS a) Child labor: No workers under the age of 15; minimum lowered to 14 for countries operating under the ILO Convention 138 developing-country exception; b) Forced labor: No forced labor, including prison or debt bondage labor; no lodging of deposits or identity papers by employees or outside recruiters; c) Health and safety: Provide a safe and healthy work environment; take steps to prevent injuries; regular health and safety worker training; system to detect threats to health and safety; access to bathrooms and potable water. d) Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining: Respect the right to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; where law prohibits these freedoms, facilitate parallel means of association and bargaining; e) Discrimination: No discrimination based on race, caste, origin, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, union or political affiliation, or age; No sexual harassment; f) Discipline: No corporal punishment, mental or physical coercion or verbal abuse; g) Working hours: Comply with the applicable law but in any event, no more than 48 hours per week with at least one day off for every seven day period; voluntary overtime paid as a premium rate and not to exceed 12 hours per week on a regular basis; overtime may be mandatory if part of a collective bargaining agreement; h) Compensation: Wages paid for a standard work, week must meet the legal and industry standards and be sufficient to meet the basic need of workers and their families; no disciplinary reductions; i) Management systems: Facilities seeking to gain and maintain certification must go beyond simple compliance to integrate the standard into their management systems and practices. The SA 8000 standard is a rather obvious carrot-andstick approach to flght the more blatant workplace abuses by creating a type of international honor roll of companies which have successfully undergone certification. Its introduction was greeted by a mixed reception^ amid fears that it was just another expensive piece of bureaucracy. However, within a few years the value of the SA 8000 standard was becoming apparent. Further, studies have shown that successful implementation of this standard as well as other similar standards have had the effect of improved international business in developing countries. The SA 8000 approach admittedly does not address all ethical concerns inherent in international business but it does address what can be considered the heart of the problem by attempting to bring workplace conditions in line with generally accepted international standards. As discussed, the issues of corruption in the exercise of international business are being addressed in part by the application of cultural ethical standards, such as Confucian and Islamist practices and the more heinous practices have been so roundly (14)Advances In Management r Vol. 5 (3) Mar. (2012) condemned that they are either fading away or have been made well-publicized examples throughout the world. The hope is if workplace conditions can be brought up to an acceptable level, then the concept of discourse ethics can be put in play under which multinational corporations in partnership with their developing country suppliers can provide a theoretical justification for opening and maintaining a moral discourse which can then establish and mutually maintain ethical principles based on agreement and cooperation. ^ This would be a truly revolutionary development and one which would create a wholly new code of international business ethics involving the customer and the supplier as cooperating partners. Conclusion In the wake of Enron, Tyco and other recent scandals which have severely shaken the publics faith in our business leaders, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a serious topic of discussion in the business world. ^Â ° In addition, the popularity of such recent and graphic films as Lord of War, concerning arms dealing in Africa, Blood Diamond, also concerning this topic in Africa and The Constant Gardener, concerning corruption in the international Pharmaceuticals trade and once again in Africa, has raised the publics awareness of business corruption in developing countries. In addition, the rapid movement by Western companies to developing countries as a source of supply based on cheap labor has accentuated the previously invisible problem of working conditions in these areas. ^* Recent health threats concerning tainted pet food and leadbased toys from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) have served to magnify the situation. American consumers, once complacent concerning the products they bought as long as they were cheap and worked, are becoming more concerned with the quality and inherent safety of these products and a connection seems to have been made in the publics mind with workplace conditions in the countries of origin. The challenge is to keep these issues out in the open until they are resolved. The success of the SA 8000 standard is a good beginning toward instituting a true international discourse which has the potential of creating a new international business code of ethics which all people can buy into and follow a code of ethics which was not exported from developed countries, but one that would truly be an international code of ethics developed in partnership between customer and supplier. Such a mutually developed code of ethics would be-much more easily understood, would stand a much better chance of acceptance because the subjects would also be the formulators and would therefore offer a significantly higher chance of success. References 1. Al-Shaikh F. N. , The practical reality theory and business ethics in non-Westem context: Evidence from Jordan, The Journal of Management Development. 22 (7/8), 679-693 (2003) 2. Beekun R. I. and Badawi J. A. , Balancing ethical responsibility among multiple organizational stakeholders: The Islamic perspective. Journal of Business Ethics. 60 (2), 131-145 (2005) 3. Bendana A. , Shifting Paradigms of thought and power. Development. 47 (1), 22-26 (2004) 4. Beschomer T. and Muller M. , Social standards: Toward an active ethical involvement of businesses in developing countries. Journal of Business Ethics. 73 (1). 11-21 (2007) 5. Bruyn S. T. , The moral economy. Review of Social Economy, 57 (1), 25-46 (1999) 6. Calder T. , Kant and degrees of wrongness. Journal of Value lnquiry. ,39 (2), 229-244 (2005) 7. Chung K. Y. , Ethical perceptions of business students: Differences between East Asia and the USA among Confucian cultures! Journal of Business Ethics. 79 (1/2), 121-133 (2008) 8. Derig Shengliang, A new look at ethics in International business. The International Executive. 34(2), 151-165 (1992) ;l 9. Everett J. , Neu D. and Rahaman A. S. , The global fight against corruption: A Foucaultian, virtues-ethics framing. Journal of Business Ethics. 65 (1), 1-13 (2006) 10. Falkenberg A. W. , When in Rome moral maturity and ethics for international economic organizations. Journal of Business Ethics. 54 (1), 17-32(2004) 11. Flynn G. , The virtuous manager, A vision for leadership in business. Journal of Business Ethics. 78 (3), 359-372 (2008) 12. Gilbert D. U. and Rasche A. , Discourse ethics and social accountability: The ethics of SA 8000, Business Ethics Quarterh, 17 (2), 187-216(2007) 13. Hartman C. L. and Beck-Dudley C. L. , Marketing strategies and the search for virtue: A case analysis of The Body Shop, International Journal of Business Ethics. 20 (3), 249-263 (1999) 14. Hellston S. and Larbi G. A. , Public good or private good? The paradox of public and private ethics in the context of developing countries. Public Administration Development. 26 (2), 135-146 (2006) 15. Hutchings K. and Murray G. , Family, face and favours: Do Australians adjust to accepted business conventions in China? Singapore Management Review. 25 (2), 25-57 (2003) 16. Husted B. W. , A critique of the empirical methods of integratiye social contracts theory. Journal of Business Ethics. 20 (3), 227-236 (1999) 17. Jackson K. T. , Global distributive justice and the corporate duty to aid. Journal of Business Ethics, 12 (7), 547-553 (1993) 18. Kapstein E.B. , Distributing the gains: Justice and international (15)Advances In Management Vol. 5 (3) Mar. (2012) trade. Journal of International Affairs. 52 (2), 533-566 (1999) 19. Lee M. and Ruhe J. A.. Ethical mindsets of Christianity and Confucianism: A comparative study. International Journal of ValueBased Management, 12(1), 13-28(1999) 20. Leonard D. , Strong foundation solid future. Quality Progress, 41 (3), 30-36 (2008) 21. LeVeness F. P. and Primeaux P. D. , Vicarious ethics: Politics, business and sustainable development. Journal of Business Ethics, 51(2). 185-197(2004) 22. Limbs E. C. and Fort T. L., Nigerian business practices and their interface with virtue ethics. Journal of Business Ethics. 26 (2), 169-180(2000) 23. Magee B. , The story of philosophy. New York, Dorling Kindersley (2001) 24. Malan D. , Corporate citizens, colonialists, tourists or activists? Ethical challenges facing South African corporations in Africa, The Journal of Corporate Citizenship. Summer. 18, 49-61 (2005) 25. Marias J. , History of Philosophy, New York, Dover Publications (1967) 26. Miles M. P. and Munilla L. S. , The potential impact of social accountability certification on marketing: A short note. Journal of Business Ethics. 50 (1). 1-8 (2004) 27. OECD, Bribery: Does the OECD convention work? OECD Observer, 246/247, 20-21 (2005) 28. Olsen W. , Pluralist methodology for development economics: The example of moral economy of Indian labour markets. Journal of Economic Methodology. 14 (1), 57-82 (2007) 29. Pedigo K. and Marshall V.. International ethical dilemmas confronting Australian managers: Implications for the training and development of employees working overseas, Journal of European Industrial Training. 28 (2-4). 183-198 (2004) 30. Rohitratana K. , SA 8000: A tool lo improve quality of life. Managerial Auditing Journal. 17 (1/2). 60-65 (2002) 31. Social Accountability International, Social Accountability 8000, New York (2001) 32. Thaler-Carter R. E. , Social accountability: A social guide for companies or another layer of bureaucracy? HR Magazine. June. 107-112(1999) 33. Thompson Jr. A. A. , Strickland III A. J. and Gamble J. E.. Crafting and executing strategy: Text and readings. New York. McGraw Hill, Irwin (2007) 34. Van Dijk E.. Ethical relativism: Escaping accountability. Financial Week, July, 35 (2007) 35. Velasques M. G.. Business ethics: Concepts and cases. Upper Saddle River. NJ, Pearson Prentice Hall (2006) 36. Wettstein F., Lets talk rights: Messages for the just corporation transforming the economy through the language of rights. Journal of Business Ethics, 78 (1-1), 247-264 (2008) 37. Wolff J.. An introduction to political philosophy. New York. Oxford University Press (2006) 38. Yew Chan G. K. , The relevance and value of Confucianism in contemporary business ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 77 (3). 347-361 (2008). (Received 8^ December 2011, accepted lO February 2012) Advances In Management Individual Subscription Fellow Membership Indian Rs. 20,000/- US Dollar 2000 Life Membership Indian Rs. 10,000/- US Dollar 1000 Annual Membership Indian Rs. 3000/- US Dollar 300 Institutional Subscription Fellow Membership Indian Rs. 30,000/- US Dollar 3000 Life Membership Indian Rs. 15,000/- US Dollar 1500 Annual Membership Indian Rs. 4000/- US Dollar 400 Please send your cheques / drafts in name of Advances In Management along with Membership Form at above address. (16)Copyright of Advances in Management is the property of Advances in Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holders express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.

American Intervention in Soviet-Afghan War Essay Example for Free

American Intervention in Soviet-Afghan War Essay During the Cold War, the United States resolved to take a shot at the Soviet Union by siding with Afghanistan and taking great measures to stop Soviet influence and communist ideology. In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in an attempt to expand its influence in the Middle East with the absence of American influence. At this point in the Cold War the United States and Soviet Union were more or less at the climax of their dilemma, so the U. S. therefore decided to get involved by fortifying Afghan’s primary rebellious group, the mujahidin. The United States jeopardized homeland security by providing significant support to mujahidin revolutionaries, and in doing so the U. S. helped them hinder Soviet rule over Afghanistan. There are plenty of reasons ratifying America’s lack of foresight and prudence, one being that the state of the Soviet Union was not great as it was. One should take into consideration that the Soviet Union was already in a drastic decline when the United States began to intercede in Soviet-Afghan affairs. Benjamin Frankel, an esteemed writer who wrote an article for History in Dispute, described how there was a prolonged controversy in the Soviet Union on the topic of how to proceed with communist policies (14). Secondly, America already expressed its hard-line policy toward the USSR in a more detrimental way. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan established the Strategic Defense Initiative to protect the U. S. from potential ballistic missile attacks by the Soviet Union. In total, as the ABC-Clio database prescribes in paragraph ten of â€Å"Cold War, 1945-1991†, the USSR spent approximately $80 billion on the Soviet-Afghan War. The fall of the USSR was hastened by its lofty spending on the unnecessary cause. Similar to the economic problems in the Soviet Union, the United States’ actions concerning Soviet-Afghan affairs inflicted great burdens upon the U. S. economy. The United States wasted a substantial amount of money in order to aid mujahidin rebels so they could counteract their Soviet oppressors, but received no compensation in return. As an unknown author from Mount Holyoke College estimates in â€Å"Origins of the Taliban†, the United States lost about $3 billion just on funding these covert ops. The mujahidin and Afghanistan as a whole provided little in return. The mujahidin, for one, only used America for what it provided and discarded the country once transactions were complete. Also, Afghanistan contained insufficient natural resources compared to its Middle-Eastern counterparts. In addition to this action’s negative impact on the U. S. economy, it was also unjustified by the United States’ failure in persuading Afghans to convert to its political viewpoints. The United States did not spread democracy or even impede the Soviet Union’s communist influence on Afghanistan. Instead of acting how it did, the United States should have allowed Afghanistan to develope itself and figure out its own problems to an extent. One sign of progression in the country occurred in the mid-2000s when Afghanistan held its first presidential election. For example, Canada has benefitted by having the foreign policy of isolationism. Shifting back to the mujahidin, Benjamin Frankel describes it, stating, â€Å"Once they helped to push the Soviets out of Afghanistan, they turned their attention to the hated ‘infidel’ West and its ‘satanic’ leader, the United States† (16). Benjamin Frankel went on to speak of how the Afghans were apathetic toward the message of democracy, while they already disdained the ideology of communism (16). These reasons explain why the two parties never became allies and split ways once the Soviets withdrew in 1989. Sometime in the midst of the United States attempting to spread democracy in Afghanistan, the Jimmy Carter regime passed an embargo on wheat and corn against Russia as another attempt to burden the Soviet Union. The Russian Grain Embargo, enacted in 1980, had a negative financial impact on American farmers. This act was drawn up to reciprocate the past ongoing tensions between the United States and Soviet Union which heightened when the United States began to help the mujahidin in 1979. On the subject of U. S. and USSR trade, representative George McGovern stated at a 1980 Senate hearing in paragraph ten on the Annals of American History database that agricultural produce took up 75% of their trade. With this lack of trade, the USSR and U.  S. each deeply suffered. As a result of the Russian Grain Embargo, prices on a bushel of wheat dropped 50? and prices for a bushel of corn dropped 30?. As McGovern later proclaims to the senate in his speech in paragraph nineteen, projected numbers â€Å"do not take into consideration the tremendous increase in cost of production for crop year 1980 for farmers, coupled by depressed markets. † This act, indirectly associated with rising tensions also causing the U. S. to fortify the mujahidin, made live very hard for farmers. The Russian Grain Embargo left a great mark on agrarian society in both the United States and the Soviet Union, but moreso in the U. S. This statement demonstrates the irony behind the embargo. The harm done to the USSR was substantial, though. One may say that the Russian Grain Embargo went with the hard-line policy Reagan put forth toward the USSR, but this argument is invalidated by the financial burdens on America and the Soviet Union. Subsequently in his speech, George McGovern states in paragraph twenty, â€Å"The U. S. omestic blow to the agricultural community can reasonably be concluded to be greater than the one we are delivering, at least in the long run and at least in economic terms. † Plus, Russia was coming off a record low year for crop production, further supporting this act’s injustification. Despite the fact that the Russian Embargo Act was mainly a burden to farm society, it also proved or will have proven to be a burden to other important parts of society. The Russian Grain Embargo also devastated both the United States and the Soviet Union in ways other than agriculturally including everyday citizens. In paragraph eighteen McGovern alludes to his great statistical knowledge, noting that American taxpayers compensated for the debt of the Russian Grain Embargo by paying a sum of $3. 8-5 million. The credibility of the United States as a reliable trade partner skyrocketed due to the embargo. The administration of former President Jimmy Carter probably did not foresee this outcome or even think about it. Another outcome of the act was expanded herd slaughter in Russia. Russians thus consumed bad or in some cases unsanitary meat because of the lack of U.  S. meat shipments. Instead of wasting our time creating unnecessary policies or embargoes or groundlessly creating a powerful Afghan resilient force, the Unites States should have seized other important opportunities. For example, during the period in which the United States sent weapons to the mujahidin, Afghanistan’s neighboring country Pakistan developed a nuclear-weapon program. This is ironic because limiting nuclear-weaponry in any place was apparently supposed to be a chief concern of America, yet we did nothing about it. Pakistan could have shared nuclear secrets with its ally neighbors, thus jeopardizing American security. Benjamin Frankel wrote about the possibility that Pakistan could eventually use their nuclear weapons. In that case, America would certainly regret not committing itself to the issue. Before acting, we have to first ponder all implications – the pros and cons. Either the various leaders of the United States from 1979 to 1989 did not do this or they misevaluated. When a country is already on an nevitable path to its downfall, spending a large amount of money to try to hasten it is unnecessary. Blocking trade to that country is inessential and dumb if all parties involved are negatively affected like in the case of the Russian Grain Embargo. In the end, the Unites States and Soviet Union were burdened by their shortsighted approaches; ergo, we should learn from their mistakes and attempt to fix any remaining consequences. Unfortunately, we may one day have to endure the reper cussions of not taking action if a Middle Eastern country sets off a nuclear bomb.

The Impacts Of The El Nino Environmental Sciences Essay

The Impacts Of The El Nino Environmental Sciences Essay Biodiversity refers to the sum of all life and its habitat. Biodiversity is the variety of life and the ecological systems which individuals are actively participating in. Biodiversity is important for maintaining ecological balance in nature. Some benefits of biodiversity include: human benefits, food, industrial and commercial products, medicines etc. Biodiversity hotspot refers to a bio-geographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction. Philippines, one of the worlds richest biodiversity in the world but also one of the most endangered areas in the world. The country contains many endemic species. 6000 plants and animals reside in forests that occupy barely 7% of the original hotspot. Today, the forests are removed for farming and development plans for the countrys growing population. The major issue is the decline of biodiversity hotspots in the Philippines  [1]  . By examining the environmental impacts, human impacts, p olitical impacts and the conservation strategies needed to maintain biodiversity hotspots in the Philippines, this research paper will aim to develop awareness and understanding of how the decline of biodiversity hotspots may be resolved. Human Impacts Philippines population of 80 million people survive using the countrys natural resources. With a high population growth rate, the demand for timber has increased. Logging activities have declined due to the deterioration of the forests; however, illegal logging activities are still present. Other threats to the countrys forests include mining and land conversion. In 1997, the mining industry occupied more than half of the remaining forests. Roads, waste, power, energy, ports and harbours are current issues to be addressed.  [2]   There have been negative impacts upon introducing the following exotic species to Philippines: fish such as the giant catfish and black bass; toads and frogs including the marine toad, the American bullfrog and leopard frog; and aquatic plants like the water hyacinth and water fern. The presence of exotic species becomes a threat to native biodiversity; predator-prey interactions are more competitive, loss of species integrity through inter-breeding with exotic species, the spread of disease pathogens along with introduced species and habitat loss for native species.  [3]   Only 10% of the sewage in the Philippines is treated in an environmentally friendly manner. With the population rising, there are problems associated with waste management and treatment. The improper waste management affects the countrys ground water, rivers, lakes and coastal areas where the species habitats are threatened.  [4]   Over fishing occurs when the fish are caught faster than they could reproduce. Overfishing increases the vulnerability of ocean ecosystems and may contribute to the loss of species in the region. The main issue in the Philippines involves cyanide fishing where fishermen squirt cyanide into coral holes and crevices, where reef fish seek shelter  [5]  . Other causes of over fishing include catching adult fish too early and in large numbers so the reproduction is impaired. Economic overfishing also occurs when increase in the fish effort lead to profit levels that are below the desired consumption. Environmental Impacts The impact of El Nià ±o affects Philippines biodiversity hotspots. The countrys weather officials define El Nià ±o as a meteorological event that develops in the Pacific Ocean and associated with extreme rains, winds, droughts, etc  [6]  . In the Philippines, El Nià ±o has been seen as drought events. El Nià ±o is also the sudden rise of oceanic temperature and evaporation of surface water; therefore having an effect on coral growth and sea life. Algae living inside the tissues of coral help their feeding mechanism and other processes for survival. The distress to the sudden change of temperature causes the coral to bleach. Fish no longer live inside the coral because the coral is uneatable. The drought creates dry conditions for fish ponds. The drought also creates a negative impact on marine biodiversity by shorter fish production, inhibit fish growth and increase fish mortality due to stress, poor water quality and disease. Philippines primary forests are being destroyed due to logging and agricultural expansion; therefore, decreasing the countrys natural resources. Two particular species of animals are becoming extinct; the tamaraw (the wild buffalo) and the Philippines eagle because their habitats are becoming damaged. Deforestation in the Philippines occurs because of agricultural expansion and illegal logging  [7]  . Forests provide cooling insulation to the climate but with deforestation, the climate shifts from drought into flood. The tamaraw (wild buffalo) escapes into the forest to find limited trees to cling onto. Deforestation causes species to be displaced from their original habitats and loss of top soil causing erosions affecting the habitat for endemic species. Looking back at the farming industrys use of pesticides, erosions may carry the pesticides into the rivers and streams. The water is now contaminated with pesticides affecting the endemic species which live in this habitat. The destruction of costal mangroves is also caused by deforestation. Mangroves are needed to protect the coast from hurricanes and other severe weather impacts. Cutting mangroves for fuel wood limits and degrades coral reproduction. Any endemic species living under the water are affected by losing their habitat causing a negative impact on biodiversity hotspots. Political Impacts Inadequate institutional control and poor law enforcement in the Philippines have impacted the biodiversity hotspot for endemic species. The Fisheries Code was passed in 1998 and now serves as the primary legislation for fisheries and coastal management and protection in the Philippines. The Fisheries Code fails to recognize who may access and control municipal waters for fishing activities. The Fisheries Code is a weak enforcement system which encourages poaching and violation of marine protected area boundaries. Other problems include current property rights, and local power relations to enable local public officials who own or have indirect business with the fishing industry may influence local policy and enforcement outcomes for their personal gain. Political influence enables many to obtain profitable forest profits, enhancing their political power and strengthening their ability to corrupt government officials. This class dominates the farmers and social economic policies with the results of harming the biodiversity hot spots for endemic species. The legislated operational guidelines are often under addressed on the issues that threat environmental events such as lost of biodiversity. The Forestry law of PD705 is out dated because the law does not contain new methods and approaches like biodiversity protection.  [8]   Conservation Plans The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been working as an international organization in the Philippines since 1997. The organizations mission in the country involves preserving endemic species and biodiversity, maintaining sustainability of natural resources and reducing waste and pollutants in the environment. The organization places strong emphasis on marine biodiversity. WWF-Philippines implanted their plans in 11 provinces and at minimum 28 towns.  [9]   To ensure that the network of protected regions is effectively conserving biodiversity by the conservation of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) where endemic or threatened species are held in restricted areas. In the Philippines hotspot, Conservation International-Philippines created a partnership with the Field Museum in Chicago, Haribon Foundation and other local partners to identify and distinguish KBAs throughout the Philippines. With protected regions, there is also a need for field research in order to support conservation activities. Endemic species continue to be discovered and KBAs are needed to create a plan for their survival.  [10]   In the long term, landscape and sea conservation is necessary to protect the biodiversity hotspots in the Philippines. The Philippine Eagle Alliance has collaborated with other conservation organizations in order to protect the endemic species of the country. Conclusion In recent years, there has been a decline in biodiversity hotspots, particularly in the Philippines. Firstly, human impacts upon endemic species include deforestation, illegal logging, introducing new exotic species, poor sewage management and over fishing. Secondly, environmental impacts such as El Nià ±o, soil erosion, pesticides and destruction of coastal mangroves all affect biodiversity hotspots. Lastly, political impacts include inadequate law enforcement; especially for the fisheries and coastal management, and forestation guidelines are not influential in the protection of biodiversity hotspots in the Philippines. The impacts develop awareness of the collaboration efforts from WWF, Conservation International-Philippines, the Philippine Eagle Alliance and other conservation organizations which minimize the harm to biodiversity hotspots in the Philippines.