Diversity management programs Essay Example for Free

Diversity management programs Essay Diversity in the workplace is an important aspect of the workplace, which if not followed, could lead to a society that doesn’t have respect for different cultures. It is important to develop diversity management programs, were aspects of diversity such as religion, different cultures due to outsourcing, age, women and single parents, disabled team members, flexible work hours, are discussed which will lead to redesigning jobs to better fit the individual. When developing a conceptual framework for such programs to be implemented, it is important to view how lack of diversity in the workplace has affected other countries around the world besides America. According to Begum (2005), social care organizations in the United Kingdom are affected greatly by lack of diversity amongst there staff. Information, in the United Kingdom, is not distributed fairly to the population, is distributed on a socio economic basis. It is important for social care organizations to become diverse in their workforce, if they are to embody the essence of the communities that they serve. Studies have indicated that gender and culture diversity create barriers to effective interactions and hinder employee performance (Managerial Issues, 2000). When outlining a possible course of action to take when implementing diversity management programs within employee workforces, we could include information on how lack of diversity in the workplace has affected countries like the United Kingdom. People tend to feel more comfortable working in groups with people who share their ideals and beliefs, which is something I think we are all guilty of at times. I think it is important when outlining the possible courses of action to take when implementing diversity management programs, that employees share their different ideals and beliefs in an open environment. I think that employees sharing their different ideals and beliefs help the workforce grow, and the company they work for as well. Michael Bird (2007), a college professor at De Vry University in South Florida, has implemented a diversity management program in which he has developed a five step program in order to ensure that his team succeeds. Michaels five step program required, these students to one, understand and define diversity, to understand the organizations value and necessities, effectively manage the resistance towards, evaluate our overall teams performance, and last of all use the experiences shared to improve or groups management techniques. Flex management should be implemented in order to ensure that people feel like they are assets to the company, and are taken care of properly. During the development of a conceptual framework for a diversity management program, teambuilding exercises have proven to be the most effective. It is important for the employees to have different cultural backgrounds and different beliefs, in order that they may share those with the corporation in which they work. I think that when different cultures, different peoples with different ideas and beliefs, come together and share their ideas, truly inventive things can take place within the corporations they work in. America is a melting pot of different cultures and beliefs, which is what makes our country unique and truly produces unique individuals, tolerant of other peoples beliefs, with truly innovative ideas. One great way to go about instituting diversity management programs within the workplace would be to organize groups within the workplace that shared similar beliefs, and have them share their beliefs as a whole, and attempt to implement any new ideas obtained. The next step after instituting diversity management programs is to organize employees that share the same ideals, and discuss their shared ideals, and find common ground. In order for the employees participating in a diversity management group to share their ideas and implement them on a level on which they all agree, it is important that the employees learn to work together and respect each others ideals. With a proper management support, workers can have the proper training in order to train our employees to be more culturally sensitive. It is important that management is effective in their approach to dealing with culturally diverse issues. By training our employees and diversity management, they will benefit greatly. Although most of these successful companies the United States show’s significant efforts to include people with disabilities in a diverse workforce, there is still room for improvement. I hope that by implementing this diversity management program within the workplace, policies can be enforced specifying what is meant by diversity, in terms of race or gender, and also provide more information pertaining to those employees that have disabilities. With everybody’s help, we can be certain that we can implement this new diversity management program within the workplace, and that this program will be a success.

The Steps Which America Should Take to Reduce Our Dependence on Foreign

It is important that America should take immediate action to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. If America continues to have a great demand for it, it will create a threat to the country’s economy and national security. There are three primary actions that America might take in order to reduce its dependence on foreign oil: Alaskan oil drilling, off-shore oil drilling, and natural gas drilling. America’s dependence on foreign oil is a threat to its economy. Per minute, America wastes $200,000 and per hour, $13 million by relying on it (Natural Resources Defense Council, p. 1). Gasoline consumption has led to an increase of costs of oil which is passed on to consumers at the pump, through more expensive goods and services, and in a weaker job market and lower stock prices (Natural Resources Defense Council, p. 3). Therefore, if current trends in oil demand and prices continue, economic impacts for the U.S. will intensify. It is possible for America to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, but the petroleum industries and other monopolies have paid Congress to take out the competition (Worthington, p. 1). Legal monopolies are targeting the market effects of foreign oil, which increases profits, while America’s government obliges them. Unfortunately, these de jure monopolies have kept America in a dirty fuel monopoly that has been arranged to terminate its o nly competition to create a government-granted monopoly (Worthington, p. 1). As for the national security, by importing more and more oil each year, there is an increase of demand and a decrease in domestic production. The United States can become more secure by enforcing the work on farms and factories to reduce our thirst for foreign oil (Natural Resources Defens... ...es revenue from the sale of offshore charters and helps win political support for energy and climate legislation (Broder, p. 2). The political response to off-shore drilling is positively approved. The Offshore oil drilling plan is considered to be a new chapter in the nation’s search for an approachable energy policy that can release new areas to oil and gas enlargement. Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, has said that he hoped to rebalance the nation’s oil and gas policy to block oil exploration beneath virtually all public lands and waters (Broder, p. 3). An option, that was introduced, other than depending on foreign oil and reducing oil imports was the use of biofuels. This can lead to an increase of the purchase of hybrid cars for the motor industry. Off-shore drilling is an appropriate action that can reduce the amount of foreign oil imported by America.

Workplace Analysis of the Psychological Contract

The saying that mutual admiration within the workplace binds the workforce could be a pretext to harmonizing relationships between employees and employers. The mutual admiration could be working both ways of benefits, being beneficial to the result of work and the business endeavor. Thus, mutual admiration of workforce within the organizational setting of a workplace is perceived to tie the bond of commitment, reliability and trust, aside from the legal stipulations in a written contract of employment. However, how a psychological contract does characterize the mutual values of consistency and guaranty between an employee and an employer? This basic question could be examined in the process of understanding the relationships and define the circumstances surrounding the situations in the workplace. This paper will discuss and analyze the psychological contract affecting the workplace, relating several issues being confronted by employees and employers. Defining psychological contract and its effect It would be important first to know what psychological contract is all about. As defined by Psychologists Janet Smithson and Sue Lewis from the Department of Psychology and Speech Pathology at the Manchester Metropolitan University, understanding the â€Å"psychological contract† is referred to as the â€Å"meeting of expectations† where both employee and employer aspires (Arygris 1960; in Price, Munden & Solley 1962; in Smithson & Lewis 2003: pp. 1-2). In layman’s definition, â€Å"meeting of expectations† could be exemplified by the performance of the employee towards work which is being expected by the employer to produce a quality, efficient and effective result. On the other hand, it is for the employer to provide the necessary wage and benefits, compensating the good result of performance of the employee. However, without meeting neither one nor any of the expectations could breach and defeat mutual concern. In which case, one of the results could be a defiance and conflict of interests, wherein work and labor related issues become a dilemma in the workplace. Psychological contract in contemporary working environment With the rapidly increasing growth in numbers and sizes of profitable organizations, human resource management experts and scholars perceive the development of a â€Å"standardized† labor policy and procedures in workforce deployment. Correlated to this perception is the indicated inclination of management leadership to eventually acknowledge the reform through labor treaties, specifically in recognizing the collective bargaining agreement with labor unions. However, â€Å"meeting of expectations† may still be a â€Å"one-sided† concern of the employer’s management due relevance of emerging diversified industries that may not totally materialize the â€Å"inclination† to reform the culture in a workplace. Kheeran Dharmawardena (2008) in his journal entitled: ‘The Changing Nature of the Psychological Contract and its Impact on Modern Organizations’, has examined the relevance of psychological contract from the early studies of several organizational experts. Dharmawardena synthesized the findings that scarcity of employment and security of tenure patterns the good performance of employees (Bergmann et. al. 2001; in Lester & Kickul 2001; in Dharmawardena 2008: pp. 1-7). It may be analyzed that causal to the shortage of employment opportunities, the workforce retains the â€Å"showmanship† of performance, aspiring to achieve â€Å"job security† or long tenure of employment. The aspiration itself relinquish the â€Å"no-no attitude†, wherein retaining good performance in the distinction of skills and acquirement of further learning from the workplace extends the â€Å"systems thinking† as a psychological contract to upholding the need of being employed. Acknowledging the above analyses has related the perception of Cyril van de Ven, (2004) who viewed that the intensive diversified industrial trends increases the effects of unpredictable organizational change. Considering the unpredictability, most contemporary employers are decisive in achieving the sustainability of their organizations (especially the businesses that rely in the global supply chain) by acquiring the best possible workforce, workplace and market (Rousseau 1995; in Shore & Tetrick 1994; in van de Ven 2004: pp. 1-11). It shows that this typical ambition of contemporary employers is relative to â€Å"systems thinking† of the employees, having the psychological contract to securing the profitability and existent ability to do business. In sum, the mutual concern of employee and employer attributes the psychological contract of sustaining the interest, in which narrates the desire or aspirations of the employment to co-exist in a secured and sustained working environment. Psychological contract and workplace issues This topical discussion features the subject matter pertaining to psychological contract and workplace issues. As an overview, the mutual aspect in sustaining overall organizational performance signifies the â€Å"oneness or belongingness† of membership to the organizational objective, referring to members and leadership. However, the situation of dissatisfaction and question of confidence becomes the common issue that is dealt with, specifically in employee and employer relationship. Janice Anna Knights and Barbara Jean Kennedy (2005), in their journal ‘Psychological Contract Violation: Impacts on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment Among Australian Senior Public Servants’, has cited the finding that dissatisfaction and loss of confidence are perennial issues dreadfully affecting the psychological contract. According to Knights and Kennedy, the common violation to the value of satisfaction is being dismayed by the fact that what has been verbally promised is contradicted by lies. This can be exemplified by the failure of the organizational leadership in fulfilling the promise to the membership. Reflective of Knight’s and Kennedy’s ascription to psychological contract on that particular case of unfulfilled promises may not only result dissatisfaction or disappointment but a deliberate disparity that may lead to organizational collapse. It may also relate the situation in a workplace where the employees were not able to achieve the promised benefits and due compensation of labor, in which the psychological contract to expect or aspire the viability of employment has failed. In most cases of labor disputes, the unfulfilled delivery of legally or lawfully mandated wages and benefits is claimed to violate the laborer’s rights. The violation may in itself affect the psychological contract of the employee, being unsecured or unguaranteed to achieve the source of livelihood. Therefore, psychological contract extends the paranoia of defeated and unfulfilled envisioning for a beneficial workplace. In Cantisano et al. ’s (2007) journal, entitled: ‘Social Comparison and Perceived Breach of Psychological Contract: Their Effects on Burnout in a Multigroup Analysis’, has documented the prevalence of gross labor violations. Based on the exhibited data from the conducted study research, the responses of respondents ranging from lower-income to medium-income labor forces or employees suffer from â€Å"breach of psychological contract†. To cite, employer denial to providing the necessary and just compensation [as required by law] infringe the common aspiration of the workforce to obtain the reasonable share of labor. As further cited, the effect on the â€Å"breach of psychological contract† has indicated the respondent’s extreme anxiety, such as (1) negative social judgment referring to employee-employer relationship, (2) emotionally exhausted for being violated and abused, (3) feeling of cynicism or skeptic that employers are exploitative, and (4) loss of self confidence and esteem (Van der Zee et al. 2000; in Cantisano et al. 007: p. 125). Empowering psychological contract In relation to the previous discussions, Brian P. Niehoff and Robert J. Paul (2001) of the electronic magazine Review of Business have proposed the enabling of policies that may be supplemented to the existing labor laws. Accordingly, the 2001 data of incidence in committing labor-related violations has remarkably increased to an alarming 33,000 cases of labor malpractice pending before the investigation or proper promulgation of the National Labor Relations Board which piled up in ten years from 1991 (Niehoff & Paul 2001: pp. -2). Niehoff and Paul (2001) have emphasized that â€Å"loose promises† in the workplace in order to encourage or attract the attention of the workforce. It may validate the negative thinking [of the already cynical employees] that employment is no longer beneficial and insensible to the aspirations of the workforce to gain social equity and equal treatment of labor. As cited, the disagreement point out to unreciprocated or unequalled performance of the employers to maintain the tenure of employment and sustainable income sourcing (Niehoff & Paul 2001: pp. 3-4). Indicative of Neihoff and Paul’s proposal could harness the psychological contract within the workplace. Upholding the â€Å"sensitivity† of the employer would mean to fulfill the promise by granting the just compensation and rectify indiscriminate treatment, and abdicate the flawed promises. As cited, it may not only the conflict within the workplace that shall be settled but the whole process of the system, wherein workforce may only be survived by their â€Å"grim determination†, and the remainder of â€Å"self-belief† that contemplating on the issue could be the only way to obtain the psychological contract. However, the â€Å"culture of deceit† could be permanent or entangled in the protectionist character of employers, obviously protecting the business interest (Neihoff & Paul 2001: pp. 3-4). Empowering the psychological contract can be objectively described in the organizational life of Pret a Manger, a leading sandwich biscuit company in the United Kingdom. In a contributed article of Psychologist Michael Wellin which was recently published by the electronic magazine Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SPG Media Limited, it quoted that: growing numbers of businesses apply the psychological contract convergent to forge organizational relationship between employees, the management and the company itself†. Dr. Wellin pointed out that the â€Å"trade secret† of Pret a Manger is the continuing openness of thoughts and understanding the situation, character and culture of the organization, where employees and employers are aware and much sensitive in dealing with the issues that relates the psychological contract. Dr. Wellin has found the strong importance of organizational values of Pret a Manger in dealing with the â€Å"mutuality of efforts† of both employees and employers. As cited, Pret a Manger has developed the organizational expectations by and between the employees and the management, such as follows in bulleted list below (Wellin 2008; in SPG Media Limited 2008: pp. 1-2): Management expectation on employee’s attitude towards work †¢ Sensible hard work; †¢ Prudently hilarious and easy to please; †¢ Have the benefit of good life; †¢ Work early to leave early. Employee’s expectation from Pret a Manger management †¢ Fairly compensated according to individual performance and position; †¢ Dynamic working environment of diverse workforce and skills; †¢ Provide development-education and skills training; Promotion of managers among the internal regular employees. Based on the findings on empowering the psychological contract, it appears that retaining the â€Å"mutuality of efforts†, referring to meeting the expectations of employees and employers, could paved the way towards achieving a dynamic and reliable collaboration or synergy in the workplace. This extends the analysis that fulfilling the psychological contract of the workforce systematizes and mobilizes their natural desires to sustain the viable means of the workplace, in which therefore meeting the expectations or objectives of the leadership at a judicious manner. It may also attribute the perception that the sensibility of an employer in upholding the employees expectations [as a psychological contract] could be considered as a social, moral and civic responsibility by promoting the rights and welfare of the labor force, wherein a more beneficial return will impart to the invested cost of values and as bonus to the margins of business profit. To further validate the analysis, it points out the situation that psychological contract eventually changes according to socio-economic, socio-cultural and socio-political changes. This can be exemplified by the previous discussions on the development of labor forces and markets that have been attributed by the rapidly changing business and policy environment as a result of â€Å"social diversification of industries†, keeping abreast at the global landscape of production and supply of goods. In short, psychological contract emerges in the â€Å"social and economic status† of the labor force. As cited, psychological contract always retains in the unstable or stable economic and political condition which reciprocate a particular situation (Pascale 1997; in Sharpe 2001). This can be exemplified by the prevailing global economic recession, in which the downturn of economies of highly developed and rich countries [like the US and some European countries] affects the domestic economies of undeveloped countries as a result of depleted purchasing power that as well decline the demand for labor market. Thus, the virtual effect of economic crises affects the â€Å"systems thinking† of the employees in a particular firm that may at anytime declare a bankruptcy and closes shop. The psychological contract on the expected security of tenure in employment would be at the brink of eventual loss. It may be further analyzed that workplace is an â€Å"economic-driven† organization that exist and operate its venture within a calculated business risks. The only dynamism could be indicated by feasibility studies along with planning and market testing. In this particular condition, unpredictability and uncertainty of employment may pattern the psychological contract of workforce in a workplace. Findings and conclusion This paper has found that psychological contract is characterized by the â€Å"social and economic values† pertaining to the mutual efforts and benefits of an employee and employer. In other words, there must be co-existing endeavor, agreements and appreciation to making effective, reliable and congruent the achievement of requirements and sharing of needs. However, the findings may have only analyzed the situational perception of a workplace, in which may needing the variations of reconsidering the overall â€Å"societal conditions†. What has then highlighted in the result of examining and analyzing the empirical studies derived and depicted in this paper is the fact that psychological contract can only be achieved by a consistent and truthful fulfillment of expectations, reassuring mutual efforts of employee and employer. It may be then concluded that psychological contract can be sustained by making productive the economic condition of every countries, good governance and the advancement of policy support on workforce and workplace issues. Thus, psychological contract attributes the achievement of an economically secured family and socially progressive population.

Synthesis Gas The Interim Exquisite - 1139 Words

1.1 Synthesis gas – the interim exquisite Synthesis gas is a versatile intermediate feedstock for fuel and value added chemical synthesis. It is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in various ratios. The composition of synthesis gas can be widely varied, depending on the synthesis processes and the composition of the raw materials, i.e. their hydrogen-to-carbon ratios and their reactivity’s. Synthesis gas can be produced not only from natural gas, petroleum, petroleum derivatives, or coals but also from almost any organic material, including biomass and organic wastes [1]. Synthesis gas have been synthesizing for many years in commercial level. There are number of stablished techniques used in industries to produce synthesis gas depending on the downstream requirements. Because of its adaptable nature synthesis gas has a variety of uses. The carbon monoxide in synthesis gas can all be converted to hydrogen via the water-gas shift reaction and again carbon monoxide in high purity can be obtained by low-temperatur e (cryogenic) separation or absorption in aqueous copper salt solutions. 1.1.2. Synthesis Gas as a Source of Pure Hydrogen Hydrogen gas as such is probably the chief product made from synthesis gas. It is used in huge amounts for the synthesis of ammonia, methanol, fine chemicals, and hydrogen peroxide [2]. Its many other uses include the hydrogenation of oils and fats, the reduction of ores, the manufacture of drugs and fine chemicals, and rocket propulsion.Show MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesexploration of attitudes and values. 5. Student motivation is increased, especially in adult learners. xviii PREFACE 6. Students receive immediate feedback from their instructor and peers. 7. Students are involved in higher order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation). Our goals in writing this book were to bridge the academic realm of theory and research and the organizational realm of effective practice, and to help students consistently translate proven principles from both realms into personal