Organizational and Management Theories Essay

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to explain why reframing can be so important to a business. In today’s world, businesses must stay on top of the competition and in touch with the ever-changing world of technology. Over time, a business can become stagnant, may be running on cruise-control or run out of new ideas. Sales may even start to slip with new competition affecting the bottom line. Initially a business is organized and it begins to function on a structural level that works for the business. In time, minds can become hard-wired to continue to function within that initial frame; however, framing is simply a concept. It can be changed by altering the conceptual and emotional setting or viewpoint of the business. Reframing allows a business to break free from the limits of the original frame. The business first assesses its operations via multiple outlooks and frames. There are four common frames used to analyze operations and those include the Structural Frame, the Human Reso urce Frame, Political Frame, and the Symbolic Frame. Each frame has its own emphasis and key concepts and each will be further explained in this paper. Vision 2011 Organizations are complex entities. There are many factors that make organizational life complicated, ambiguous, and unpredictable. â€Å"The biggest challenge for managers and leaders is to find the right way to frame our organizations in a world that has become more global, competitive, and turbulent (Stadtlander, n.d.) Organizational framing is a theory in which the management of a business assesses its operation via multiple outlooks. The ability for a leader to make sense of the complex and ambiguous work world depends on the mental models or â€Å"frames† applied to the task (DeGrosky, 2011). A frame â€Å"is a mental model-a set of ideas and assumptions-that you carry in your head to help you understand and negotiate a particular â€Å"territory† (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 11). It helps managers understand the situation at hand so they are able to make decisions. There are different angles for managers to consider while making decisions in their organizations. Each angle gives the manager a different view of the situation and helps them capture what is actually going on. The Four Frames Bolman and Deal (2008) developed an organizational theory that consists of four frames. The organizational theory â€Å"prescribes a multi-dimensional or multi-frame approach in understanding the attributes and situational contexts of organizational behavior† (Thompson, n.d.). The four frames are: Structural, Human Resource, Political, and Symbolic. Structural Frame â€Å"The structural frame is the view that an organization is a â€Å"factory† or a â€Å"machine†. â€Å"The structural frame depicts a rational world and emphasizes organizational architecture, including goals, structure, technology, specialized roles, coordination, and formal relationships† (Bolman & Deal, 2008). It defines the responsibilities of each position and the relationships between them. Six assumptions undergird the structural frame: 1. Organizations exist to achieve established goals and objectives. 2. Organizations increase efficiency and enhance performance through specialization and appropriate division of labor. 3. Suitable forms of coordination and control ensure that diverse efforts of individuals and units mesh. 4. Organizations work best when rationality prevails over personal agendas and extraneous pressures. 5. Structures must be designed to fit an organization’s current circumstances (including its goals, technology, workforce, and environment). 6. Problems arise and performance suffers from structural deficiencies, which can be remedied through analysis and restructuring. Human Resource Frame â€Å"The human resource frame centers on what organizations and people do to and  for one another† (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 117). It focuses on the individuals that work in an organization and their skills, attitudes, energy, and commitment. The human resource frame is built on core assumptions that highlight the following linkages: * Organizations exist to serve human needs rather than the converse. * People and organizations need each other. Organizations need ideas, energy, and talent; people need careers, salaries, and opportunities. * When the fit between individual and system is poor, one or both suffer. Individuals are exploited or exploit the organization-or both become victims. * A good fit benefits both. Individuals find meaningful and satisfying work, and organizations get the talent and energy they need to succeed. (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 122). Political Frame â€Å"The political frame views organizations as roiling arenas hosting ongoing contests of individual and group interests† (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 194). Politics occurs because employees are trying to obtain power. The individuals with the most power will be the individuals that will get want they want. There are five propositions to summarize this frame: 1. Organizations are coalitions of assorted individuals and interest groups. 2. Coalition members have enduring differences in values, beliefs, information, interests, and perceptions of reality. 3. Most important decisions involve allocating scarce resources-who gets what. 4. Scarce resources and enduring differences put conflict at the center of day-to day dynamics and make power the most important asset. 5. Goals and decisions emerge from bargaining and negotiation among competing stakeholders jockeying for their own interests. (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 194-195). Symbolic Frame The symbolic frame â€Å"views an organization as a tribe or nation† (Henderson, 2011). It helps to give employees a meaning to their work. There is a traditional way of completing tasks. It is the way that an organization forms its culture. The organizational culture shows the internal (employees) and external (customers & stakeholders) how the company wants to be perceived. The symbolic frame distills ideas from diverse sources into five suppositions: * What is most important is not what happens but what it  means. * Activity and meaning are loosely coupled; events and actions have multiple interpretations as people experience life differently. * Facing uncertainty and ambiguity, people create symbols to resolve confusion, find direction, and anchor hope and faith. * Events and processes are often more important for what is expressed than for what is produced. Their emblematic form weaves a tapestry of secular myths, heroes and heroines, rituals, ceremonies, and stories to help people find purpose and passion. * Culture forms the superglue that bonds an organization, unites people, and helps an enterprise accomplish desired ends. (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 253). Background Steve Jacobs worked as an engineer in the US Army. After serving for 15 years he retired and he started a small workshop that manufactured parts for industrial boilers. The company was called Steve Jacobs Engineering however with the growth he changed it to Steve Jacobs Engineering LLC. From the start hard work and luck seem to have paid off and over the years the company continued to grow in capital and production. By the time his great grandson Martin Jacobs took over the company in 2007 as the CEO the company had 2200 employees and an annual turnover of $3.2 billion. An engineering graduate with an MBA, he had worked in the company during his student days and was concerned about the company and its tread based on the changing business environment. Despite the growth in capital, labor force, market and profits the company had outdated management systems that made it venerable to a crisis in a changing business environment. Martin Jacobs spent his first year as CEO identifying the challenges being faced by the organization. He figures he need to change the * Structure of the organization to make it more decentralized and open where employees can share ideas within divisions and ranks. The old system was based on a top down system that he believes cannot be sustained. * Groupings in the organization based on position, skills, age and department * Training, motivation and compensation of the workforce is not in sync with current economy * Technology which is outdated * â€Å"Way things are being done now† Martin Jacobs ponders on these changes and as he contemplates on how to  roll them out the United States Congress, in their infinite wisdom and pressures of the global economy has elected to change the formal U.S. weights and measures standards to the metric system, effective by 2010. Changing into metric system will be good for the company and the country as all the exported goods have to be labeled in metric system or they will not sell. For the CEO Steve Jacobs Engineering has to change the way it operates or it will not survive. This provides an opportunity for him not only to change the metrics system but the entire operations of the company. Analysis of Theories being used Maslow’s hierarchy of need-people are motivated by a variety of wants, some more fundamental than others. (Human Resource Frame). * Basic needs for physical well-being and safety are â€Å"prepotent; they have to be satisfied first. Once lower needs are fulfilled, individuals are motivated by social needs and ego needs. At the top of the hierarchy is self-actualization. * When changes occur in organizations, people become fearful of the new changes and the unknown of the future. * Managers need to decrease this fear by providing employees with psychological support and training to help them overcome this fear. When this fear is overcome; they can move up in the hierarchy of needs and take a step closer to reaching self-actualization-developing to one’s fullest and actualizing one’s ultimate potential. *Andrew will be writing the analysis once everyone has provided their root theories. Academic Literature Review Needs to include at least 5 peer-reviewed journal sources. 1. de Jager, P. (2001). Resistance to change: A new view of an old problem. The Futurist, 35 (3), 24-27. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218565953?accountid=40635 2. Tan, N. (2005). Maximising Human Resource Potential in the Midst of Organizational Change. SingaporeManagement Review, 27(2), 25-35. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/226853640?accountid=40635 3. Sigler, K. J. (1999). Challenges of employee retention. Management Research Review, 22(10), 1-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223553576?accountid=40635. Comprehensive Business Literature Review 1. Case Studies 2. News Reports 3. Service Offerings. Predictions of Major Challenges Structural Frame The Structural Frame emphasizes goals, specialized roles, and formal relationships; this frame can be used to organize and structure groups and teams to get results and fit an organization’s environment and technology. The process of organization design matches people, information, and technology to the purpose, vision, and strategy of the organization. Structure is designed to enhance communication and information flow among people. Systems are designed to encourage individual responsibility and decision making. Technology is used to enhance human capabilities to accomplish meaningful work. The end product is an integrated system of people and resources, tailored to the specific direction of the organization. Good organizational design helps communications, productivity, and innovation. It creates an environment where people can work effectively. The fundamental responsibility of managers and leaders is to clarify organizational goals, to attend to the relationship between structure and environment, and to develop a structure that is clear and appropriate to the goals, the task, and the environment. Without such a structure, people become unsure about what they are supposed to be doing. The result is confusion, frustration, and conflict. In an effective organization, individuals are clear about their responsibilities and their contribution. Policies, linkages, and lines of authority are well-defined. When an organization has the right structure and people understand it, the organization can achieve its goals and individuals can be effective in their roles. Major challenges: * Lack of structural design to enhance communication and information flow among people. * Outdated technology to enhance human capabilities to accomplish meaningful work. Human Resource Frame The human resource frame â€Å"highlights the relationship between people and organizations† (Bolman & Deal, 2008, p. 137). â€Å"It includes people’s skills, attitudes, energy, commitment and relationships as fundamental resources of organizations† (DeGrosky, 2011). During times of change, managers need to consider the effects the changes will have on the workforce. If the changes that occur do not align with the employee’s needs and wants; it could cause negative impacts on the organization. Managers need to understand that whenever changes occur; resistance will happen. â€Å"Resistance is simply a very effective, very powerful, very useful survival mechanism (de Jager, 2001). Employees question the reasons things need to change when they have worked in the past or are currently working. Losing employees that resist the change process is one of the biggest risks in managing business change. The employees that make the greatest contribution to your business are usually heavily invested in their role and your business operations. Often these employees are the most challenged by change process. â€Å"Research has shown organizational change to be a primary cause of stress. Because of the feelings of uncertainty, insecurity, and threat that it invokes† (Tan, 2005). Organizations that have employees that are overly stressed or burned out have more cases of absenteeism, lower productivity, lower job satisfaction, and low morale. Major challenges: * Resistance to change due to not being involved in the change decisions and/or implementation process; and fear of having to learn something new * Retaining employees through the changes * Increased stress on employees Political Frame Bowman and Deal (B & D) describe organizations as â€Å"living, screaming political arenas that host a complex web of individual and group interests.† (2008, p. 194). Organizations comprise groups of people from diverse background with different beliefs, preferences, experiences and ideals. Organizations have goals to achieve and they hire people from diverse backgrounds to help them achieve them. On the other hand people come into organizations with their own expectations and desires which they expect to be fulfilled within the organization. Individuals in the  organization join groups that will advance their agendas or that share their ideas and desires. Due to scarce resources and differences in the organization conflicts erupts among different groups. To access more resources each group tries to use its power and skills to influence decisions that work to their advantage. However, the goal of the leaders is to bring different groups of people together and ensure they work together as a team in order to achieve organization goals. Leaders are the guardians of the organizations and its goals. Therefore they result to negotiations, bargaining and discussions with different groups to ensure despite their differences they are able to work together. Major Challenges * Divisions among groups that may affect productivity * Union resistance to changes arising from new metrics systems for fear of job loss * Inability of leaders to negotiate, bargain and jockey with different groups * Retraining of employees on the new metrics system may further divide the old and younger employees Symbolic Frame The Symbolic Frame describes the organizational culture, the rituals, the ceremonies; all the symbols and heroes that help us make meaning of organizational events and activities (Bolman & Deal 2008). In the symbolic frame, people judge organizations primarily by their appearance. It is in this frame that organizations create the image that is expected of them, reassure their constituencies, and generate support for their missions. The symbolic frame can offer insight into fundamental issues of meaning and belief within an organization and bring employees together if the leader is effective. Symbolic leaders are able to interpret experience and in that interpretation, they can bring meaning and purpose. Leaders of this type need to look for something visible and dramatic to signal that change is on the way. A key function of symbolic leadership is to offer plausible and hopeful interpretations of experience. An effective leader is able to do this is by painting a vision, a hopeful image of the future. The vision addresses both the challenges and the hopes and values of its followers. When employees are confused or uncertain in times of change, they seek hope  and direction – this is where a symbolic leader can bring people together and succeed. Symbolic leaders can create the vision – and then they can persuade others to follow it. Symbolic leaders tell stories. A successful way to do this is to embed their vision in a mythical story. A story that tells where the company has been, where it is, and where it is going in the future or looking back at the history of the company and the employees and what has brought you this far already. These types of stories will succeed because people want to believe them and it makes it personal. Even a flawed story will work if the leader is persuasive in the values and hopes of the listeners. Good stories and a genuine personal touch reflect the power and the danger of symbolic leadership. Power is positive in the right hands but power in the wrong hands, can create devastation (2004). Major challenges include: * Afraid of the changes and the impact it will have on their jobs * Can I learn the new ways-what if I can’t?  * The symbolic leader may fail to find symbols, rituals or hero’s that can bring the listeners together * The symbolic leader may fail at finding and incorporating humor and play at work to ease tensions during the times of change * The organization’s culture is not well aligned with the challenges the organization faces or the organizations symbols and customs lose meaning Assessments on How to Resolve Challenges Structural Frame Lack of structural design to enhance communication and information flow among people. The job of managers and leaders is to focus on task, facts, and logic, not personality and emotions. Most â€Å"people† problems really stem from structural flaws rather than from flaws in individuals. Structural managers and leaders are not necessarily authoritarian and do not necessarily solve every problem by issuing orders. Instead, they try to design and implement a process or structure appropriate to the problem and the circumstances. A structural scenario casts managers and leaders in fundamental roles of clarifying goals, attending to the relationship between structure and environment, and developing a structure that is clear to  everyone and appropriate to what needs to be done. This is a structural design to enhance communication and information flow among people. Without a workable structure, people become unsure about what they are supposed to be doing. The result is confusion, frustration, and conflict. In an effective organization, individuals are relatively clear about their responsibilities and their contribution to the mission. Policies, linkages, and lines of authority are straightforward and widely accepted. When you have the right structure, one that people understand, organizations can achieve goals and individuals can see their role in the big picture. Outdated technology to enhance human capabilities to accomplish meaningful work. Technology is about improving how we put our knowledge to work and increase our ability to produce valued results. Performance improvement continues to shape the future of many individuals and organizations around the world through learning, sharing, working together, and networking. If recent assertions are to be believed, the pace of implementation of Information Technology (IT) within organizations would appear to be relentless and its scope pervasive, with extravagant claims made in terms of IT’s organizational benefits such as increased efficiency and higher levels of customer service. IT has also been said to facilitate the way in which information is processed, with the potential to change the way in which decision making is undertaken, and even to effect a shift in the nature and scope of activities undertaken by the business. For example, IT at least promises dramatic repercussions for the form and content of inter-organizational relationships as well as intra-organizational communication; the bases on which organizations compete; the means of production; the process of distribution and service support; indeed for almost every aspect of accepted organizational activity. Human Resource Frame Resistance to change. The first challenge in the human resource frame that Martin Jacobs will need to face is resistance to change. Resistance to change can happen due to many reasons. Employees resist because they feel uninvolved and ignored. It is important to get employees involved either by letting them explore and provide some options in the decision-making process. When people are  involved in the decision-making and/or implementation of changes, they feel more committed to it. (de Jager, 2001). Another reason employees resist change is they fear having to learn something new. â€Å"It’s not that they disagree with the benefits of some new process; rather, they simply fear the unknown future and doubt their ability to adapt to it† (de Jager, 2001). This type of resistance can be overcome by creating an environment where learning is the norm. In this learning environment, â€Å"early failures of any learning endeavor are not frowned upon or punished, but are rewarded because failure is honored as evidence of effort (de Jager, 2001). Retaining employees through the changes The loss of talented employees may be very detrimental to the company’s future success. During times of change, outstanding employees may leave an organization because they become dissatisfied and/or feel unmotivated. Management can help keep employees by offering incentive pay, such as: cash bonuses and stock ownership. Another way that this company can help retain employees during times of change is through increase job satisfaction. â€Å"Management can insure talented employees are given autonomy in their job functions and are given meaning meaningful assignments, allowing them to be involved in the decision making for their area of expertise† (Sigler, 1999). Other ways that can help increase job satisfaction are making sure that the working conditions are pleasant and offering employees training to ensure they know how to use the new metric system within their job positions. Increased stress on employees When employees are overly stressed, it could cause more cases of absenteeism, lower productivity, lower job satisfaction, and low morale. Managers can help relieve the stress employees feel during the change and maximize their human resource through the following: 1. Increase communication and disseminate adequate information about the change. 2. Create a supportive environment at the workplace. 3. Empower their employees to play a more active role in the implementation of change. (Tan, 2005). Political Frame Changing the company to metric system may elicit different opinions from different groups in the organization. New alliances will be formed between those who support the changes and those resistant to them. This will call for new bargaining and negotiations that may affect the morale and production. Union within the organization will seek assurances that the changes will not lead to layoffs and changes in benefits. Management assurance of availability of expanded market due changes may motivate the unions to negotiate. In their bargaining management must educate employees the benefit of being proactive in a changing economic environment. The younger groups of employees who are more technologically advanced and curious may immediately embrace the changes. On the other hand older employees with more experience and dedication to the organization may feel threatened. This can strain relations between the groups. Careful planning will need to be implemented to ensure both groups embrace the change within workable differences. Managers will spend more time communicating changes and answering questions. This is important to prevent grapevine and rumors that may undermine the changes. Managers will be called upon to hold meetings with different groups to discuss progress and updates. Symbolic Frame Resolving the changes in the symbolic frame include finding a way to bring employees together using stories, symbols, rituals or finding hero’s that unite the group. The group is looking for hope, a role model, a history that shows they will get through this change. Simple actions can unite. Things such as sharing stories, talking to the group or individuals about positive attributes of the companies history, being positive yourself, recognizing the fears and concerns and reassuring, celebrating the things you can to bring the group together. A good visual that unites by telling a story without actually even being present is to put up bulletin boards, photos, birthday or anniversary lists†¦the pictures from last years Christmas party or picnic will bring the group together and offer support and reassurance for the coming year. It’s all about being able to inspire and create a vision. The symbolic frame relates to the human needs theory but goes even beyond that by asserting that organizations are populated by people who strive for self-actualization through cooperative efforts. Forecast of the Future Impact of the Recommended Changes Structural Frame *Waiting for Joe to provide his information. Human Resource Frame (Topics discussing) * Employees may need to be dismissed if their role becomes redundant after the change occurs. * Attitudes may change in the workplace; this could cause a negative/positive work environment; low employee morale * Decrease of productivity; costing the company money. * Relationships grow stronger or weaken between management and the employees. * Loss of talented employees Political Frame (Topics discussing) * New groups and alliances will emerge and some groups may be formed or eliminated * Union and management will have to compromise and failure to agree may result to strained relations or strikes * There will be intensive negotiations, bargaining and jockeying within the first one year until a balance is reached among different groups * There could emerge strained relationships between some technologically challenged and technologically savvy workers Symbolic Frame Changing from the formal U.S. weights and measures standards to the metric system will impact everyone at our company. The symbolic frame leads us to find a unifying them that will bond everyone together, a common ground to rally around. For this change in our company, we are going to go back to the beginning, what brought everyone to this company and the longevity of the company. * Afraid of the changes and the impact it will have on their jobs Each employee has their own concerns and worries about this change. Am I too old to learn this is one concern along with what was wrong with the â€Å"old†Ã‚  way of doing things† This is where the symbolic leader must assure employees that there will be a learning curve for sure but everyone will be worked with to help them understand the new changes. * Can I learn the new ways-what if I can’t? It will not be an overnight change and everyone will learn at their own pace. The organization is committed to the employees and their jobs are not on the line. * The symbolic leader may fail to find symbols, rituals or hero’s that can bring the listeners together The symbolic leader will focus on the companies founder and how the company was able to make it to this point. All the years of commitment from the employees rallying around the company. The company will not turn their backs on the employees over this change but this will just be another challenge for us to all ALL overcome. And we will. * The symbolic leader may fail at finding and incorporating humor and play at work to ease tensions during the times of change This is where the symbolic leader must find that unifying symbol. The founder of this company and his vision. The company was founded by the great-grandfather of the current CEO, back in the days when Henry Taylor and Scientific Management was all the rage. Today the company needs to keep up with the global economy and this is one way of assuring we are staying current and up-to-date. This will unify us with the world and allow us to go forward with our vision. Focus on the grandfather, father etc. – a family owned company and each employee is part of that family. * The organization’s culture is not well aligned with the challenges the organization faces or the organizations symbols and customs lose meaning In this case with changing to the metric system, most employees will only fear the change as far as learning it and how it will affect their job. As long as the symbolic leader keeps this change in perspective as one small piece of the changes that have occurred over the history of the company, he will put this change into perspective for them. The symbols and customs will have meaning using the family company angle and how they are part of that family. Conclusion *Completed by Andrew once paper has been fully written. References. Bolman, L.G. & Deal, T.E. (2008). Reframing organizations artistry, choice, and leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Critical leadership skill: Multi-frame thinking. (2004, November). Wildfire Magazine, Retrieved from http://www.guidancegroup.org/k2news/Uploads/WTL-11-2004.pdf DeGrosky, M. Wildfire. (2011). What Does This Viewpoint Suggest? Retrieved on December 3 2011 from: http://wildfiremag.com/command/viewpoint_suggest/ de Jager, P. (2001). Resistance to change: A new view of an old problem. The Futurist, 35 (3), 24-27. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218565953?accountid=40635 Henderson, KJ. chron.com. (2011). Strategies on Reframing Change in Your Organization. Retrieved on November 3, 2011 from: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/strategies- reframing-change-organization-3113.html. Morgan, G. (1986). Images of organization. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Sigler, K. J. (1999). Challenges of employee retention. Management Research Review, 22(10), 1-5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/223553576?accountid=40635. Stadtlander, C.T.K.-H. (2007). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership Book Review. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, 12(1). Retrieved from: http://ejbo.jyu.fi/pdf/ejbo_vol12_no1_pages_48-49.pdf http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/orgl/orgl500/Module2/Mod2pg26.htm Tan, N. (2005). Maximising Human Resource Potential in the Midst of Organizational Change. Singapore Management Review, 27(2), 25-35. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/226853640?accountid=40635

Enact Law of Mandatory Labeling Essay

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)/Genetically Engineered (GE) foods are the result of laboratory processes which artificially insert genes into the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of food crops or animals. There are many arguments both in favor of and against mandatory labeling of GMO/GE foods. Whether or not to require labeling of GMOs or GE foods also involves the debate over the risks and benefits of food crops produced using biotechnology. However, the overarching argument is consumers have a right to know what is in their food, especially concerning products that can cause allergic reactions. According to the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America, Genetically Modified (GM) foods are linked to toxic and allergic reactions, sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ studied in lab animals (http://www.responsibletechnology.org). Because there is no scientific evidence that GMO/GE foods do or do not cause health issues in humans (because there have been no long-term studies), consumers may or may not be being harmed by GMOs. However, the safety of GMOs has been questioned by other countries. In fact, they are banned by food manufacturers in Europe and other countries, but, present in the majority of meats, produce, diary and processed foods in the United States (US). Many consumers in the US have no knowledge that they are consuming GMOs. If they did, it is now known if, similar to Europe, many would prefer to not consume GMO/GE foods. However, without proper labeling, the big issue of concern is, they do not know how to avoid them if they wanted to. The current labeling policy of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to label items with the nutritional and caloric value of foods and to include any allergens such as peanuts in a soybean product. However, GMO/GE foods or ingredients are not required to be labeled. According to the FDA website, mandatory labeling of GMO/GE foods in the US has been proposed, but, not enacted, at federal, state, and local levels. One reason is that consumers have been consuming GMO/GE foods without their knowledge for years and have not suffered any significant adverse reactions. However, with GMOs not being labeled and without any long-term scientific studies of those consuming GMOs, it is not known if any health issues that consumers have had are related to consuming GMOs. However, as it stands, it appears the FDA does not feel it is necessary to require mandatory labeling o f GMO/GE foods and their ingredients. The most commonly known GE crop in the US is corn. Because many processed food products including animal feed contain corn ingredients, the majority of processed foods in grocery stores directly or indirectly include GE ingredients that are not labeled. Consumers have the right to know what is in their food. Furthermore, for religious or ethical reasons, many Americans want to avoid eating certain types of animal DNA products. By labeling GMOs and GE foods, including animal DNA, consumers will be able to choose. Opponents may argue that consumers who want to avoid GM or GE foods may choose only organic food items. However, this solution is not completely effective. Although a food item may be labeled organic, there is a possibility that it is not completely GM or GE free. This is because the food item may have been processed in the same facility as a GM or GE food item or may include traces of GE ingredients. The possible costs or drawbacks of mandatory labeling of GMOs and GE foods/ingredients are it would impose a cost to all consumers. For example, the food system infrastructure would need to be renovated to be able to segregate GE and non-GE products. This expense would most likely be passed on to the consumer. Opponents of mandatory labeling include the following, food manufacturers who would need to implement the mandatory labeling laws, seed companies and also the biotechnology companies such as Monsanto who are in the GMO and GE manufacturing business. Others who would be against the mandatory labeling laws would be the grocery stores because consumers may not purchase many of the GMOs that they would normally purchase, possibly reducing their revenue. |1. Are there at least 5 complete paragraphs that address all 5 questions? |2 Yes. | |(2) | | |2. Thoughtfulness of Content. (Are answers obvious, or do they go beyond |1 Very thoughtful. | |the obvious?) (1) | | |3. Clarity of writing. (Specific, precise wording vs. vague, general |1 Very clear and specific. | |wording) (1) | | |4. Grammar and mechanics. (Proper use of Standard, academic English prose?|1 Strong mechanics and grammar. | |Only one topic per paragraph?) (1) | | |Total Points (5) |5 A This looks like it’ll be a very strong topic because it is | | |arguable and fairly specific. | References The Campaign for Healthier Eating in America (2009). Retrieved January 9, 2010 from http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/CampaignforHealthierEatinginAmerica/index.cfm[pic][pic][pic]

History of Ganga River Essay

The Ganges is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent, flowing east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India into Bangladesh. The 2,510 km (1,560 mi) river rises in the western Himalayas in the Uttarakhand state of India, and drains into the Sunderbans delta in the Bay of Bengal. It has long been considered a holy river by Hindus and worshiped as the goddess Ganga in Hinduism. It has also been important historically: many former provincial or imperial capitals (such as Patliputra, Kannauj, Kara, Allahabad, Murshidabad,and Calcutta) have been located on its banks. The Ganges Basin drains 1,000,000-square-kilometre (390,000 sq mi) and supports one of the world`s highest densities of humans. The average depth of the river is 52 feet (16 m), and the maximum depth, 100 feet (30 m). The river has been declared as India`s National River. The many symbolic meanings of the river on the Indian subcontinent were spoken to in 1946 by Jawaharlal Nehru in his Discovery of India, The Ganges, above all is the river of India, which has held India`s heart captive and drawn uncounted millions to her banks since the dawn of history. The story of the Ganges, from her source to the sea, from old times to new, is the story of India`s civilization and culture, of the rise and fall of empires, of great and proud cities, of adventures of man. Although many small streams comprise the headwaters of the Ganges, the six longest headstreams and their five confluences are given both cultural and geographical emphasis (see the map showing the headwaters of the river). The Alaknanda River meets the Dhauliganga River at Vishnuprayag, the Nandakini River at Nandprayag, the Pindar River at Karnaprayag, and the Mandakini River at Rudraprayag and finally the Bhagirathi River at Devprayag, to form the mainstream, the Ganges. The Bhagirathi is the source stream; it rises at the foot of Gangotri Glacier, at Gaumukh, at an elevation of 3,892 m (12,769 ft). The headwaters of the Alaknanda are formed by snowmelt from such peaks as Nanda Devi, Trisul, and Kamet. Ganga River is also said to be the river of supreme Lord Rama and also called â€Å"Ram Ganga† as there is a belief Lord Rama promised while Ganges emerged from his feet that, when He will appear on earth as Lord Rama will reside on the banks of Ganga and her tributaries. Lord Ram then appeared in Ayodhya which is on the banks of Saryu Ganga River, when he went to Janakpuri he crossed River Ganga in Haridwar. During  his 14 years exile from Sita, his wife and brother Lakshmana after leaving Ayodhya his first night stay was at Tamsa River (Ganga tributaries), his second stay was at Shrungverpur which is on the banks of Ganga and with the help of Nishadraj Gruh and Kevat he crossed Ganga, he then went to Triveni sangam, Prayag Raj stayed with Muni Bharadvaj and then marched towards Chitrakoot and stayed there for 11 and half years on Kamadgiri parvat on the banks of Mandakini, holy stream. From there he went to Panchvati and stayed on the bank of Godavari until his wife sitaji was abducted by demon king Ravana. The search for his beloved wife Sita, Lord Rama went to Rameshwaram, as it is said all rivers meet the ocean. Pollution in Ganga River Today, over 29 cities, 70 towns, and thousands of villages extend along the Ganga banks. Nearly all of their sewage – over 1.3 billion liters per day – goes directly into the river, along with thousands of animal carcasses, mainly cattle. Another 260 million liters of industrial waste are added to this by hundreds of factories along the rivers banks. Municipal sewage constitutes 80 per cent by volume of the total waste dumped into the Ganga, and industries contribute about 15 percent. The majority of the Ganga pollution is organic waste, sewage, trash, food, and human and animal remains. Over the past century, city populations along the Ganga have grown at a tremendous rate, while waste-control infrastructure has remained relatively unchanged. Recent water samples collected in Varanasi revealed fecal-coliform counts of about 50,000 bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, 10,000% higher than the government standard for safe river bathing. The result of this pollution is a n array of water-borne diseases including cholera, hepatitis, typhoid and amoebic dysentery. An estimated 80% of all health problems and one-third of deaths in India are attributable to water-borne diseases. The sacred practice of depositing human remains in the Ganga also poses health threats because of the unsustainable rate at which partially cremated cadavers are dumped. In Varanasi, some 40,000 cremations are performed each year, most on wood pyres that do not completely consume the body. Along with the remains of these traditional funerals, there are thousands more who cannot afford cremation and whose bodies are simply thrown into the Ganga. In addition, the carcasses of thousands of dead cattle, which are sacred to Hindus, go into the river each  year. An inadequate cremation procedures contributes to a large number of partially burnt or unburnt corpses floating down the Ganga. Hundreds of corpses burn on the line of wooden pyres. Soot-covered men bustle about, raking in the still-glowing ashes, sweeping them into the river. Gray dust from the pyres floats atop the waves, mixing with flower garlands and foam. The dust and debris resurfaces some distance away, this time, intermixed with polythene bags, empty cans and dirty clothes. This is the holy Ganga at its holiest spot Varanasi. The industrial pollutants also a major source of contamination in the Ganga. A total of 146 industries are reported to be located along the river Ganga between Rishikesh and Prayagraj. 144 of these are in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and 2 in Uttrakhand. The major polluting industries on the Ganga are the leather industries, especially near Kanpur, which use large amounts of Chromium and other toxic chemical waste, and much of it finds its way into the meager flow of the Ganga. From the plains to the sea, pharmaceutical companies, electronics plants, textile and paper industries, tanneries, fertilizer manufacturers and oil refineries discharge effluent into the river. This hazardous waste includes hydrochloric acid, mercury and other heavy metals, bleaches and dyes, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls highly toxic compounds that accumulate in animal and human tissue. The tannery industry mushrooming in North India has converted the Ganga River into a dumping ground. The tanning industry discharges different types of waste into the environment, primarily in the form of liquid effluents containing organic matters, chromium, sulphide ammonium and other salts. According to the information obtained from the UP State Pollution Control Board, there are 402 tanneries operating in the city Kanpur of which 65 were closed On September 17, 2010 issuing notices to 253 tanneries operating in the city, the State Pollution Control Board has asked them to comply with central norms to curb pollution within 15 days or face consequences. A division bench of the Allahabad high court on January 19, 2011 asked UP chief secretary, who was present in the court, to f ile an affidavit about the action taken against those who were found involved in polluting river Ganga. The bench will now hear this case on February 14, next. The bench expressed concerned over the pollution in river Ganga and said that at Sangam in Allahabad river Ganga is dirty and its colour is brown. Ganga is getting polluted day-by-day. Nearly 170  factories and tanneries located between Kannauj and Varanasi, covering an area of 450 km, were found responsible for polluting the river by discharging wastes into it without treatment,† Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh told reporters on August 28, 2010. â€Å"The government will issue show cause notices to these industrial units on August 30 and if they fail to take any action within 15 days, steps would be initiated to shut them,† he said. In 1996, the Supreme Court had banned the discharge of effluents from various tanneries and factories located on its banks in Kanpur. However, industry is not the only source of pollution. Sheer volume of waste – estimated at nearly 1 billion litres per day – of mostly untreated raw sewage – is a significant factor. Runoff from farms in the Ganga basin adds chemical fertilizers and pesticides such as DDT, which is banned in the United States because of its toxic and carcinogenic effects on humans and wildlife. Damming the river or diverting its water, mainly for irrigation purposes, also adds to the pollution crisis. Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals emitted from vehicles and presence of industrial units adjoining the Ganges is adding to the pollution load on the river, researchers have found on May 2010. Decades-long efforts by the government to breathe life into Ganga through massive clean-up programmes have come to naught. Consider this: Over Rs 1,000 crore have been pumped into the Ganga Action Plan I and II between 1985 and 2000, but Indias holiest river is still sullied. Discharge of untreated wastewater from towns along Ganga constitutes the major source of pollution load for the river. Against the estimated wastewater generation of around 3000 million liters per day (mld) from towns along the river Ganga, sewage treatment capacity of 1025 mld has been created so far under the Ganga Action Plan. This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests(Independent Charge) Shri Jairam Ramesh in Rajya Sabha on August 02, 2010. The incidence of gall bladder disease is high among people living near the Ganga and its tributaries, says the largest-ever study of the local population over six years.A team of doctors from Mumbai conducted the study and found high concentrations of heavy metals in the water and soil of 60 villages along the Indo-Gangetic plains that could be contributing to the disease. The study was published last week of January 2011 in the online edition of HPB, the official journal of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary  Association. It has identified eight villages in Bihar’s Vaishali district, located near the river Gandak, with an unusually high rate of gall bladder disease.

Between Class Madness

This year I was really looking forward to a great time, but some of that happiness was gone within the first couple of days. Like all of the eighth graders, I have noticed that it is a lot harder to get to class on time, unlike last year when I could get to class and have a minute to talk before the bell rang. This year it’s a different story. The fact that no teacher gives us our homework until the bell rings is a big reason, because, they are so hung up in what they’re teaching that when the bell rings they say, â€Å"Oh ya, and for homework you have this worksheet.† So now the teacher has to hurriedly hand out the worksheet, and we have to write it down in our agendas. When that is done, we ask the teachers for a late pass, but most of the time they don’t give one to us. With that in mind, we scurry out into the hallway, knowing we will get a tardy unless we run. It is difficult to gather our books for the class, because, everyone in the class is busy on a worksheet or writing down vocabulary when the bell rings. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it is. After the bell, we have three minutes to get to our next class, but about one half of that time is taken up by a couple things: putting the worksheet we are working on into our binder, putting our pencil in our pencil case, then getting our book which is under our desks. When we finish that and get out of the classroom, there are only about two minutes left. In those next two minutes there is another problem, which brings me to my third point. The biggest reason that I have trouble getting to class is that there is a colossal mob of people in the hallway by the eighth grade lockers. Some of them are students trying to hurry to their next class on time, and some are teachers coming out of the teachers’ lounge. There are only about seven feet across the hallway to fit in sixty students. If you are in this mob, you know that it is like being stuck in traffic: you don’t move! It takes at least a minute to just get out of the huge jam. After that horrendous event, you look at the clock and notice that you have only five seconds to get to class, so you start to sprint down the hallway. You’re three feet from the door when Ms. Miller comes by and gives you a detention for running in the halls. After all that, you are late to class and you have a detention. I hope I am not the only person in the eighth grade that has noticed this ever growing, and wants to fix it. So the next time you are late to class becaus e of hallway jams, you can join me, and many others that think the same thing

Social Change Impact Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social Change Impact - Assignment Example These individuals protested in order to attain their rights and to gain acceptability within the society. For example: the civil rights movement started as the society viewed black Americans as inferior and was not accepting them as equal part of the society and similar events were witnessed in LGBT rights and women rights movement. The women’s right movement ended up in gaining success because they broke their ultimate goal of attaining their rights into manageable goals and they did not try to bring out a change immediately (Loeb, 2010, p.64). Secondly no one was quite aware about the various advantages that will take place as a result of this change and in order to experience the unforeseen advantages, this change was accepted. The main contributing factor for the sustainability of women right movement was that those involved in this movement did not back down and continued to fight for their rights even when there were huge

Political Multimedia Assignments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Political Multimedia Assignments - Essay Example Although they use the fanatical right as a way of gaining the support of people who are not within the upper 1% in wealth in the nation, the Republican Party still stands on its original platform of less regulation and more freedoms and rights for corporations. This is in direct conflict with the needs of workers, but workers have flocked to the Republican Party due to fear of losing the rights they have or in support of radical ideas about the world concerning religion, guns, or abortion. This is corporate greed at its worst. What has happened as a consequence is that the irrational and unreasonable now have a voice and official support. Silver is placing the consequences of such hard-lined campaigning for ‘sides’ into context in order to show that people are becoming more about their political party than about the issues due to the polarization. Silver suggests that the Republican Party has now created a sort of vacuum in which they now must continue their fanaticism i n order to maintain those they convinced to join them. Instead of being able to come closer to the middle, in order to keep those they convinced to join they are stuck well over to the right. ... The Republican Party remade itself to be the party of the people through giving voice to radicalized beliefs. Now they are stuck with it. The Story of Stuff â€Å"The Story of Stuff† shows how little control consumers have in what they buy and what they are exposed to from their stuff. It also shows the blatant manipulation that all consumers experience. Most consumers know they are being manipulated, but still play into consuming more and more goods. The need to consume resources and then throw them away, according to the video, was designed. What does that mean for American society? It seems that it started with 19th century colonialism where one state felt they had the right to ‘claim’ another state and consume its resources. It could go back to the time of exploration where lands such as the Americas were claimed for Spain or England, but those times still allowed for the natural consumption of resources. Although, the destruction of buffalo for their hides by those European Ancestors who sought to claim the American West who then left the meat to rot in large fields of blood might be seen as one of the beginnings of this problem. The European American habit of conquering and stripping a land from its indigenous people, leaving them without the means to sustain their cultures as they once were is at the heart of this problem, and it began with those who claimed the right to colonialism. According to the video, Americans literally consumer 99% of what they buy which will be disposed of by the end of its first year of use. This is literal consumption. Every week as the trash is thrown out is seems that there are more and more quantities of

Impact of micro and macro policies on the elderly with dementia Essay

Impact of micro and macro policies on the elderly with dementia - Essay Example For instance, the kind of policies governing the care of children would be very different from those governing adults especially the elderly. Therefore, sensitivity on the handling of these two classes of people is essential to reflect on the absolute care required by them. In this regard, this paper will take a keen look into the micro and macro policies surrounding the provision of quality healthcare in relation to adults with special needs. Moreover, its emphasis will be on the elderly people in the society whose needs appear to be unique as compared to other groups of people. A key eye will be on the elderly especially those with dementia by raising their safeguarding alerts (East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 7). Lastly, it will also be in contact with the effects of one macro policy through the implementation of the micro level processes. Introduction Dementia is a brain related complication characterized by reduced function on the brain’s responsibilities that may incl ude thinking, speech, behavior, and memory function. Mainly, its experience is due to the occurrence of certain brain diseases that create imparity in the normal brain function. Some of the diseases that this loss of brain functionality associates with are Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease; Alzheimer and in some cases AIDS. ... Additionally, this condition interferes with a person’s routine and daily function, as their brains no longer respond to brain commands. Unfortunately, this condition is irreversible therefore; the individuals affected require high attention and care. Further, the condition it has two categories; either being Alzheimer or Non Alzheimer related. Alzheimer is the leading cause of dementia in people who are in their late stages of life. The policy statement formulated around the vulnerable adults outlined that maintenance of the patients health was at the focus of quality delivery of health care services. Each health providing facility’s dedication was on maintaining the dignity and privacy of their patients. The achievement of this heavily relies on ensuring that no possible avoidable harm comes to them. This macro policy realization was to be through trust committees charged with delivering reasonable accommodation for this special group of people. The most vulnerable in this case would be the elderly affected by dementia. Therefore, this made up the Macro policy regulating the code of practice around the provision of specialized care for them. As a micro policy, the Trust committee in East Lancashire’s responsibility was to oversee the latter implementation of the Macro policy. Certain mechanisms came in place to meet the requirements. Concerning accommodation, they have to make sure that each gender has its own place for accommodation to uphold privacy. These include same gender toilet and bathroom facilities other than the bed area. However, same gender interactions would only occur in specialized cases like intensive care and not under any other circumstance. This is subject to choice and preference of the patients and if