Management and Policy of a Diverse Workplace

Management and Policy of a Diverse Workplace INTRODUCTION Groups of people see the world through their own set of assumptions, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Learn about their culture and how it formed them, and aim to understand how other culture work so that everyone can be an effective global manager. Organization from every part of the world is reaching out beyond their domestic markets to become international players. Not only is this very challenging on the business them, but it also creates a challenge for individual managers who must cope with working across geographic and cultural borders. Managing globally provides clear systems and approaches to help manage global networks and teams, and it examines the skills needed for dealing with different cultures. It teaches how to succeed in this new world. This is widely recognised that an organisational diversity is obvious and necessary nowadays because of increasing pace of economic and technological development. Organisations need to be flexible if they seek to remain competitive and want to survive in a long run. This research explores the phenomenon of diversity in one of UKs leading super market named Sainsburys (London Colney). The researcher intends to examine what the policy to work with different culture people and how management manage working with diversity people in workplace in the store in last two years I have seen. 1.1 What we think about culture: Culture refers to the systems of meaning-values, beliefs, expectations and goals-shared by members of a particular group of people and differentiate them from members of other groups. It is a product of ‘the collective programming of the mind (Hofstede, 1991), that is, it is acquired through regular interaction with other members of the group. Cultural differences can be found at many different levels, professional, class and regional, but it is particularly persuasive at the national level because of generations of socialization into the national community, as individuals, we generally only become aware of our own culture when confronted by others. The core differences in values between cultures go back to questions of what works for ensuring survival in relations to the natural environment. 1.2 Why culture consider in a multinational company: Multinational companies are completely different from export-based firms not least because of their foreign subsidiaries. Not only does physical distance pose a challenge for effective communication, but also there is the challenge represented by cultural differences. Some MNCs have regarded cultural differences as so important that they have chosen to operate as multi-domestics with decision-making, management style and product development. The attitude is that people in the subsidiaries know best and should be allowed to go their own ways. For example, the attitudes in the Dutch electronics firm Philips for most of the previous century. The downside of this approach is the fiefdom and ‘not-invented-here mentality, which resulted in Philips North American subsidiary refusing to adopt the Philips video recorder (V2000) and opting instead for the rival Japanese model. However, many MNCs, including Philips since 1987, require a much greater degree of coordination, particularly in regard to learning. To do so, these firms must develop common practices and common values. If foreign subsidiaries are to be integrated for knowledge-sharing purposes, a starting point is an understanding of the mindsets of subsidiary management and employees in terms of their work-related values. The management challenge for many MNCs is to be able to adapt their organizations to culturally distinct environments without losing organizational stability. 1.3 About an organisation: Sainsburys is one of the leading retail super markets with approximately 792 stores all over the UK. There are some others supermarkets (Tesco, ASDA, Iceland and Somerfield) in UK which are the competitors of Sainsburys. All of them are trying their best to provide good services to their customers and working under diversity workplace. For the present research the researcher has taken Sainsburys London Colney to study about diversity. There were many reasons to select Sainsburys London Colney for this research. One of the reasons was that this is a big store with 350 employees working in different shifts (morning, evening, day, night and some are working as seasonal employees). The management of this store comprises on around 20 to 30 people. This is a 24 hours store, located in the retail park and is very busy because of its location and also because this is close to M25 and people can get everything from the same store and also there is some other shop near to Sainsburys like M S, Next, Boots and so on. The second reason to select this store as a case study was that the researcher is working in this store in its customer services and checkouts department so the researcher as a participant has enough experience to work with different culture people in the store in the last two years. The sample size of this research (which includes on management and employees) was also easily approachable to get the relevant data. The researcher was quite hopeful that management and employees will cooperate with him for collecting data. 1.3.1 Company policy and commitment to colleagues: There is much legislation surrounding the area of diversity and at the same time this provides a minimum standard for this policy, it is the companys intention to move beyond simple legal compliance where appropriate. This policy exists to enable a working environment in which everyone feels valued and respected in everything that they do. Innovative thinking and different ideas are critical to Sainsburys success and their ability to develop new ways of adding value for their customers will be greatly enhanced by the diversity of experiences and perspectives amongst their colleagues. Their ability to attract and retain the highest ability of colleagues from the widest community is essential in sustaining a leadership position. Their aim is that all colleagues are able to work in an environment that is free from discrimination, harassment or bullying. The principles of fairness and objectivity will be integrated into all of the ways in which they manage their colleagues. According to Sainsburys policy, they will not accept or ignore unfair decisions, practices or requirements that qualify or exclude an individual from meeting essential employment requirements. They include, but are not limited to, a persons age, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion. The equal of men and women are monitored and action taken where necessary and appropriate to ensure parity. In line with their flexible working policy, they will make it possible for colleagues to achieve a balance between their work and home commitments. They will ensure that the opportunities presented through diversity will be integrated into the development of new products and services that add value for their customers. The performance and effectiveness of Sainsburys diversity commitment and demographic colleague make-up of their stores are continuously reviewed and where improvement is identified, action has been taken. Any breaches of this policy have been treated seriously and also dealt with under their disciplinary policy. 1.4 Background/Current situation: As we know, now a days diversity is a one of the inclusive concepts and based on valuing everyone as a unique individual and celebrating this difference. The management of diversity goes beyond equal opportunity, instead of simply allowing a greater range of people getting more opportunity. The concept of diversity embodies the belief that people should be valued for their difference and variety. Diversity is supposed to enrich an organizations human capital, whereas equal opportunity focuses on various ethnic groups. The management of diversity is about individuals. It entails a minimization of cloning in selection and promotion procedures and a model of resourcing aimed at finding flexible employees. As I said before that researcher is working in Sainsburys (London Colney) and have seen lots of differences about diversity. There are most of the people from Asian ethnic. But we have some Irish, African, Chinese and British as well. As I work in this store I have found some favour for same ethnic group. And for that other ethnic became sometime very aggressive. And from management level, there is also some gender valuing problem. We have seen lots of female managers rather then males. But other, like they dont differentiate between ages, disabilities, colours and so on. So far you can say, they follow the procedures and thats why they are success in business now a days. My research is about how they manage, and do they really follow the diversity policies? So, I intend to demonstrate, how a human resource manager can manage all those area and successfully complete companys mission with different people. All overall, a self assessment for international human resource managers to evaluate and improve their global management skills. 1.5 Aims/Objectives: The primary aim of the research is therefore: To examine diversity, equality and discrimination issues in a multinational company, in particular, the way of HR managers to manage work with different culture people. The research objectives are: To determine whats the company policy about diversity to manage work with different culture people and to become a successful global manager, aim to develop a global outlook. To outline the development of approaches to organizational analysis. To explore a multicultural company from the perspectives of diverse social groups. An international human resource manager needs to know the way of managing people in twenty first century. We are going to take an overview of what a manager needs to do in relations to managing people in a changing environment. I will be looking at: Diversity issues. International Human Resource Management policies. Managing people in a practical way. To examine the way of recruiting, and selecting the right people. -As a human resource manager, we are likely to manage other people on a one- to-one basis. This involves understanding people as individuals and recognizing their differences as well as drawing up some general principles for managing them like motivates them, job satisfaction, and job design. -Having accepted that there is a range of reasons why people behave differently in a work situation and that cannot make wild and generalized assumptions about any individuals reasons for performing better or worse than average, we will recognize that when we put individuals together into a group, the behavior of that group is likely to be unpredictable. So it is important that they understand about the behavior of groups. So, all overall I will be going through with literature review to practical experiences to find my research project. SECOND CHAPTER LITERATURE REVIEW Everyone is different in age, gender, nationality, and ways of thinking. These differences are a source of strength. The concept of diversity means respect and acceptance. It means understanding each individual is unique and recognizing our individuals differences. It can be the aspects of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political views and so on. It is investigation of these differences in a safe positive and development environment. Diversity is about creating an all-inclusive work environment that values and benefits from different human attributes, experiences, and skills at all levels and enables all employees to develop and contribute to their full potential. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple acceptance to implementation and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. Diversity and equality has become a key driving force in government policies. The concepts of diversity and equality are common but still there are some differences. Diversity is the acknowledgement and respect of differences within and between groups of people. And equality is the framework that enables access, participation, opportunities and contribution that is fair and inclusive. According to Lew Platt (1993-1995) â€Å"I believe the word â€Å"diverse† includes not only different genders and races, but also different cultures, lifestyle and ways of thinking†. 2.1 Diversity Management at work: The concepts of workplace diversity include the principles of equal employment opportunity. Equal employment opportunity policies address continued disadvantages experienced by particular groups of people in the workplace, including people with disabilities and those who mistreated by co-workers on the basis of race or ethnicity. These policies remain an important foundation for workplace diversity policy. Diversity management involves systematic and planned programs or procedures that are considered to improve interaction among diverse people, especially people of different ethnicities, sexes, or cultures and to make this diversity a source of inspiration, complementaritys, and greater organizational effectiveness, rather than a source of tension, conflict, miscommunication, or limitation on the effectiveness, progress, and satisfaction of employees. 2.2 Diversity Approaches: The issues that diversity representatives focus on vary by country. In some countries, the question of language is important, some countries depends on ethnic group, or may be depend on ages. ‘Managing Diversity is a term that entered UK debates on equality approaches in the mid-1990s. While it is becoming increasingly common in the UK, there is still disagreement about its meaning and the extent to which it differs from previous approaches. One of the things which do seem to be distinct is the way these approaches deal with differences between employees. The traditional approach to equal opportunities seeks to treat everyone the same. Managing diversity approaches recognises that employees are different and suggest that workplace can get benefit from those differences. What this means for organizations is that they need to adapt to employee characteristics rather than simply expecting employees to fit with pre-existing policies. The more fundamental alternative would be to restructure the way work is carried out so that everyone can be flexible for that. Another example would be the approach taken to ensuring that appraisal was carried out in a fair manner. A diversity approach would take a more radical look at what types of behaviour and activity are valued by the organization to see whether these are more commonly practised by members of one group rather than another. Business case arguments for diversity share many elements with equal opportunities approaches but they tend to stress additional arguments. These have included claims that diverse teams are more innovative than ones composed of homogeneous individuals and that non-traditional workers can reflect the needs of a wider customer base. Diversity approaches also place a strong emphasis on creating a culture within which everyone feels they belong and are empowered to reach their full potential. One aspect of this inclusiveness is an attempt to find policies which seem equally relevant to all employees. The second alternative is seen as the more radical approach. It argues that there are multiple sources of difference which are as important as those based on gender or ethnicity. People are not defined by whether they are from European or Asian background but instead vary along a numerous of dimensions including personalities and tastes. This approach to managing diversity is strongly focused on individuals as the objects of equality policy and as such is in line with wider trends to individualise employee relations. 2.3 Managing people: Management is often defining as â€Å"getting things done through people†. By definition, managers cannot do everything themselves. They have to rely on other people. Managers are sometimes said to spend their time planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling. In practice, the work of managers is quite fragmented. It depends demand on the situation and on the people concerned than on any academic division of the task into clearly differentiated elements. Managers dealing with people: internally with their bosses, their colleagues and their staff; externally with their customers, suppliers, professional advisers and national and local government officials. A leading writer on management, Henry Mintzberg has suggested that managers have: Interpersonal roles: acting as a leader, providing guidance and motivation and maintaining a web of relationship with many individuals and groups. Informational roles: continually seeking and receiving information as a basis for action, passing on factual information, and transmitting guidance to subordinates in making decision. Resource allocation roles: making choices about scheduling their own time, allocating task to people and authorizing actions. Disturbance handling roles: dealing with involuntary situations and change beyond their control. The human resources of an organization consist of all people who perform its activities. In a sense, all decisions that affect the workforce concern the organizations HRM function. Human resource management concerns the personnel policies and managerial practices and system that influence the workforce. Regardless of the size-or existence-of a formal HRM or personnel department (many small businesses have no HRM department). So as an example, line managers will spend more than 50% of their time involved in human resource activities such as hiring, evaluating, disciplining and scheduling employees. 2.4 Key concepts for Global Managers: The following concepts contain the underlying message of this article. An awareness of and an application to ones organization of these concepts has direct relevance to the effectiveness of global managers. An understanding and utilization of these concepts are critical to ones successful global performance. Global leadership- being competent of operating effectively in a global environment and respectful of cultural diversity. This is an individual who can manage accelerating change and differences. The global leader is open and flexible in approaching others, can cope with situations and willing to re-examine and alter personal attitudes and perceptions. Cross cultural communication- recognizing what is involved in ones image of self and ones role, personal needs, values, standards, expectations, all of which are culturally conditioned. Such a person understands the impact of cultural factors on communication. Furthermore, they are aware of verbal and non-verbal differences in communication with persons from another culture. Not only does such a person seek to leans another language, but also they are cognizant that, even when people speak the same language, cultural differences can alter communication symbols and meanings and result in misunderstanding. Cultural sensitivity- integrating the characteristics of culture in general, with experiences in specific organizational, minority, or foreign cultures. Such a person understands the cultural influences on behaviour. This individual translates such cultural awareness into effective relationships with those who are different. Acculturation- effectively adjusting and adapting to a specific culture, whether that be a subculture within ones own country or abroad. Such a person knows the impact of culture shock in successfully managing transitions. Therefore, when dealing with employees from diverse cultural backgrounds, this person develops the necessary skills and avoids being ethnocentric. Cultural influences on management- understanding that management philosophies are deeply rooted in culture and that management practices developed in one culture may not easily transfer to another. Effective intercultural performance- applying cultural theory and insight to specific cross-cultural situations that affect peoples performance on jobs. Changing international business- coping with interdependence of business activity throughout the world as well as the subculture of the managerial group. The global manager appreciates the effect of cultural differences on standard business practices and principles, such as organisational loyalty. Cultural synergy- building on the very differences in the world worlds people for mutual growth and accomplishment by co-operation. Cultural synergy through collaboration emphasizes similarities and common concerns and integrates differences to enrich human activities and systems. Work culture- applying the general characteristics of culture to the specifics of how people work at a point in time and place. In the macro sense, work can be analysed in terms of human stages of development. In the micro sense, work culture can be studied in terms of specific industries, organizations or professional groups. Global culture- understanding that, while various characteristics of human culture have always been universal, a unique global culture with some common characteristics may be emerging. Global managers are alert to serving this commonality in human needs and markets with strategies that are transnational. 2.5 Construct area of diversity: Diversity is â€Å"the representation, in one social system, of people with distinctly different group affiliations of cultural significance† Cox (1993). Deresky (1994) also highlighted that, the differences between group members illustrated in terms of the extent such as culture, age, race, sexual orientations, gender and ethnic. There are three characteristics of construct area of diversity, which are classified employees differences. These are Demographic, organisational and socio-cognitive diversity. Demographic diversity: According to Jackson et al (1995), diversity such as ethnicity, age, nationality and gender those are considered visible attributes that can be easily characterised in particular individuals. Organisational diversity: The second category is organisational diversity. It may include: a) Staff job security in the firm. b) Work or professional experience. c) Occupation, functional or job portfolios of the employees such as marketing, production, and finance. Socio-cognitive diversity: The last category is socio-cognitive diversity, which includes cultural and religious values, knowledge level, beliefs and personalities characteristics. By establishing and organising the staff according to their distinctive attributes, it will facilitate business managers to have a more objective understanding and appreciation of their diverse staffs behaviours, attitudes and values, given the implications for interpersonal and organisational processes and outcomes when staff members work together. As peoples values and beliefs vary individually as a result of their socio-cultural differences, this will affect organisational processes and configurations. For examples:- cross-cultural communication, management-subordinate relationships, international team management, leadership and decision-making styles, staff motivations, staff recruitment, selections and development, and other managerial functions. Apart from the jobs, employees also have differences based on their position within society. Whether an employee a man or women, from a particular ethnic group, is of a particular sexual orientations, has a disability may affect what they want from employment and what are able to offer. Some of these differences may also affect peoples access to jobs and their progress within organisations. 2.6 Discrepancies between academic research and HRM practice: While HRM executives and managers are more educated and professional than in the days when they were in charge of personnel, the level of knowledge in practicing HRM in another part. Many companies hire MBAs for HRM jobs when not even a single HRM course is required in the typical curriculum for an MBA. Recruitment: As an Academic research finding, quantitative analysis of recruitment sources using yield ratios can facilitate in recruitment. On the other hand HRM practices, less than 10% calculate yield ratios and less than 25% know how. Staffing: According to academic research findings, realistic job previews can reduce turnover and weighted application blanks reduce turnover. Alternatively, HRM practices, less than 20% of companies use RJPs in high-turnover jobs and less than 30%. Performance appraisal: According to academic research findings, do not use traits on rating forms, make appraisal process important element of managers job. On the other hand, more than 70% still use traits, less than 35% of managers are evaluated on performance appraisal. 2.7 International HRM: Domestic HRM is involved with employees within only one national boundary. And we define the field of IHRM broadly to cover all issues related to the management of people in an international context. Hence our definition of IHRM covers a wide range of human resource issues facings MNCs in different parts of their organisations. Additionally, we include comparative analyzes of HRM in different countries. The complexity of international HR can be attributed to six factors: More HR activities. The need for a broader perspective. More involvement in employees personal lives. Changes in emphasis as the workplace mix of expatriates and locals varies. Risk exposure. Broader external influences. In addition to complexity, there are four other variables that moderate differences between domestic and international HRM. These four additional moderators are: The cultural environment. The industry with which the multinational is primarily involved. The extent of reliance of the multinational on its home-country domestic market. The attitudes of senior management. 2.8 International HR policy: In spite of the corporate business strategy unique to each company that they will drive the specifies of an international human resource policy, there are certain objectives that any effective IHR policy should aim to accomplish. And these objectives are: The policy should attract and motivate employees to accept international assignment. It should provide competitive pay plans to ensure the assignee can maintain his or her accustomed lifestyle. It should promote career succession planning and include guideline on repatriation and additional overseas assignment. It should facilitate relocation between home and host location. And finally, it should be cost-effective, understanding and easy to administer. To meet these objectives, we must have internal and external programs functioning to handle the following six areas. In addition to the required technical and business skills, key traits to consider include: cultural sensitivity, interpersonal skills, and flexibility. Document and formally communicate the assignees specific job requirements and associated pay in an assignment letter. Identify the compensation, benefits and tax approach that meets company objectives. Some common approaches to pay include: home balance sheet, destination-based, net-to-net, flexible. Assist the assignee with disposition or management of home and automobiles, shipment and storage of household goods, work permits and pre-assignment visits. Provide cultural orientation, language training, spousal support, education assistance, home leave, and emergency provisions. As the average cost of sending an expert on an overseas assignment is between three and five times the employees pre-departure salary, quantifying total costs for a global assignment is essential in the budgeting process. 2.9 Integrated HR systems to develop global leaders: Companies with global human resource information systems are likely to be far better positioned to succeed in the highly competitive international market. The task of developing global leaders and global HR function over the next decade in IPAs latest research effort. Multinational companies often discover that, especially in newly emerging markets, local management talent is rarely available to establish and build operations. Consequently, many companies conclude that the only way to start doing business in these markets is to relocate experienced managers from around the globe. Companies doing work in the international marketplace have discovered that providing pre-departure screening and orientation- a potentially lengthy and time-consuming process- is essential to achieving the highest rates of success. A human resource information system might include data on the potential expatriates families, training needs and past technical and cross-cultural experiences. Having such data would enhance the probability not only of selecting the best candidates, but of chances for success on the assignment, thus having a great impact on the future development of global leaders. Because most multinational companies now require international experience in ord er to move up the corporate hierarchy, tracking information related to international assignment can make a significant contribution to management development. 2.10 Diversity in multinational companies: The rise of multinational companies and increased global diversification by even small companies has resulted in people of diverse background and cultures working together in the same office or for the same organization. Conflict in such situations is expected, but understanding the diversity issues can help to minimize the conflict and take benefits from diversity group of people brings to an organisations. To understanding how diversity is manage in multinational organizations, try to understand the concept of corporate culture, which defines organisational diversity programs and their use to minimize conflict among employees. Companies and countries can no longer operate as if the rest of the world did not exit. New trading blocs, based on regional, not national, interests have formed with the European Economic Community and the North America Free Trade Agreement. There will be increased pressure influenced by the country culture. For examples, some corporate cultures may encourage women and men gathering together socially after work while country culture would prohibit this. A female executive from t

Environmental Sustainable Practices

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES Contents Page Part 1: Investigate current practices in relation to resource usage. | Page Number| 1. 1 Outline the government and regulatory bodies both internationally, nationally and in Victoria that have devised environmental laws. Explain what they do and what laws and regulations they have implemented and outline each law and regulation briefly. | 4,5| 1. 2 Explain the role of the local government in devising environmental laws and regulations, research your own local council and outline what laws and regulations they have implemented. | 5| 1. Briefly outline the role of Industry bodies in devising and managing environmental laws and regulations. | 6| 1. 4a) Discuss why organisations comply with environmental regulations and best practice. | 6| 1. 4b) Outline how organisations would go about assessing their compliance to environmental regulations and best practices, attach documentation that they would use to do this. | 7| 1. 4c) Explain how a n organisation would go about developing an Environmental Management Plan, what is the purpose of the plan and what should be incorporated in the plan and how will the plan be monitored? | 7| 1. d) Outline how organisations would measure resource usage and what benefits such measures would bring about in the long term for the organisation. | 8| Part 2: Set targets for improvements| Page Number| 2. 1 Discuss why organisations need to engage and seek input from a wide range of stakeholders when implementing effective sustainable work practices. | 8| 2. 2 Outline some of the key stakeholders that an organisation would seek input from and explain the type of input they would provide. | 8| 2. 3 Discuss the consultation methods that organisations can use to maximize the stakeholder feedback.What are the benefits or each? | 9| 2. 4 Outline external sources of information and data that an organisation may access and how it could utilise the information to implement effective sustainable pra ctices| 9| 2. 5 Outline the purpose of efficiency targets in implementing effective sustainable work practices, and give examples of efficiency targets that an organisation may implement. | 10| 2. 6 Discuss the merit of promoting efficiency targets to key stakeholders and how this may be undertaken by organisations. | 10| Contents Page Part 3: Implement performance improvement practices| Page Number| 3. ‘As part of the process, techniques and tools must be applied to assist employees with workplace procedures for implementing sustainable work practices’ Discuss this statement and outline the techniques and tools an organisation may use, their purpose and when they would be relevant. | 11| 3. 2 Outline the purpose of environmental and resource efficiency improvement plans and discuss what they should incorporate. | 12| 3. 3 Explain the role of the supervision/team leader in supervising and supporting team members to identify possible areas of non-compliance and improved work practices. | 12| 3. ‘Organisations are now looking at incorporating new accounting practices to completely reflect the value of the environment as an asset’ Outline the different costs recognized and when they may be used. | 12,13| Part 4: Monitor performance| Page Number| 4. 1 ‘Evaluating, monitoring and reviewing are important steps in continuous improvement cycle. The feedback, positive or negative, demonstrates whether the actions the organisation has taken to improve its environmental performance have had the desired impact’ Discuss the five steps organisations can use to evaluate/monitor performance. 13| 4. 2 Outline and explain how audit documentation and processes could be employed to monitor performance of organisations in implementing environmental sustainable practices. | 14| 4. 3 What methods could an organisation employ to communicate the outcomes of audits on efficiency targets to key personnel and stakeholders. | 14| 4. 4 ‘Once the audit outcome have been reported new efficiency targets, tools and strategies should be set by organisations’ Explain why and how this is done. | 14,15| 4. 5 ‘Monitoring performance may also identify successful strategies. How and why should organisations go about promoting these and why is a necessary step to reward participants. | 15| 1. 1 The following are the regulatory bodies both international, national and within Victoria: Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The major feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialised countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.The major distinction between the Protocol and the Convention is that while the Convention encouraged industrialised countries to stabilize GHG emissions, the Protocol commits them to do so. At an international level the Kyoto Protocol act t o ensure that the global environment is protected and by devising an international agreement in which commits participating developed countries to reduce amounts of greenhouse gas emissions being exposed to the environment they ensure potential harm to the environment is minimised.The Kyoto Protocol is a regulation in which governments voluntarily ratify to agree to, although once agreed, the country must comply with the national guidelines set or else heavy penalties apply. As countries with commitments under the Kyoto Protocol to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions must meet their targets primarily through national measures, as an additional means of meeting these targets, the Kyoto Protocol introduced three market-based mechanisms in which are known as the â€Å"carbon market. †Ã‚  The mechanisms are: Emissions Trading, The Clean Development Mechanism and the Joint Implementation.The Kyoto mechanisms help stimulate sustainable development through technology transfer a nd investment, help countries with Kyoto commitments to meet their targets by reducing emissions or removing carbon from the atmosphere in other countries in a cost-effective way and encourage the private sector and developing countries to contribute to emission reduction efforts. Commonwealth Laws The Commonwealth laws are devised at the highest level of government in Australia, and the department in which administer these laws at a national level is the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.The department is responsible for implementing the Australian Government's policies to protect the environment and heritage, and to promote a sustainable way of life. There are five councils in which report to the department and administer legislations and acts to conserve the environment, these councils include: National Environment Protection Council, Environment Protection and Heritage Council, Ministerial Council on Energy, National Resource Management Ministerial Coun cil and the Primary Industries Ministerial Council.Regulations in which the Department have implemented include the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981, this Act ensures the waters surrounding Australia's coastlines are protected from wastes and pollutions that are dumped at sea. The Sea Dumping Act regulates the loading and dumping of waste at sea and fulfils Australia's international obligations under the London Protocol to prevent marine pollution by dumping of wastes and other matter.In order to ensure the act is effective, permits are required from the department for all ocean disposal activities (these could include dumping of vessels, burials at sea etc). These permits are further analysed by the Department in order to ensure environmental measures are being considered and taken into action. Environment Protection Authority (EPA) The EPA is the department responsible for governing environmental laws within Victoria, they provide acts which require organisations have to comply with and are responsible for monitoring and enforcement of a corporations environmental sustainability efforts.The State Environment Protection Policies (SEPPs) are subordinate legislations in which are made under the provisions of the (Environment Protection Act 1970) by the EPA. SEPPs aims to provide safety to the environmental values and human activities that need protection in the state of Victoria from the effects of pollution and waste. Acts administered by the EPA include: the Environment Protection Act 1970, Pollutions of Waters by oils and Noxious substances Act 1986 and the National Environment Protection Council (Victoria) Act 1995.The Environment Protection Act 1970 deals with the whole of the environment in a systematic and integrated approach with the basic philosophy of preventing pollution and environmental damage by setting environmental quality objectives and establishing programs to meet them. The Pollutions of Waters by oils and noxious substances Act 1970 is an Act jointly administered by the EPA and the Department of Transport and its main purpose is to protect the sea and other waters from pollution by oil and noxious substances.The National Environment Protection Council (Victoria) act 1995 establishes the National Environment Protection Council which comprises a Minister from the Commonwealth and each state and territory in Australia. The main objective of the National Environment Protection Council is to ensure people within Australia are protected from air, water, noise and soil pollution through the implementation of major environment protection measures. 1. Role of the local government in devising environmental laws and regulations The role of the local government in relation to devising environmental laws and regulations is to assist organisations and the community to not only comply but also understand and develop sound environmental policies and procedures and ensure guidelines in place are followed in order to protec t the environment. Environmental protection is a key role for local government in Australia and environmental management is a core function for all local governments.Local government across Australia has been active in greenhouse and Climate Change action for around a decade. Local government is uniquely placed to work closely with the community to facilitate greenhouse reduction and to provide leadership through greenhouse emission reductions in Council operations. As a member of the community within Preston the local council within the area is Darebin City Council. Darebin's Environment Policy states that Darebin Council will aim for its own operations to be ecologically, socially and economically sustainable and that it will be a sustainability promoting organisation within the Darebin community.The Policy identifies a number of ‘Stretch Goals’ that provide the guiding framework for more immediate targets, management and action which include: zero pollution, zero was te, zero habitat destruction, zero climate damage and zero soil degradation. In order to assist the community of Preston, Darebin City Council provides newsletters, factsheets and brochures which act to promote sustainability practices to individuals within the community. REFER TO ATTACHMENT 1 –BROCHURE 1. 3 Industry bodiesThe role of industry bodies in relation to setting and managing environmental laws and regulations is to provide industries with possible work practices and guidelines in which organisations can adopt in becoming environmentally sustainable within their workplace. Industry bodies are developed to represent not only employees but also small and large scale organisations in implementing sustainable work practices in relation to complying with relevant Acts and Regulations within their business industry.Two industry bodies known within Australia are the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI). The AC TU is a union in which protects Australian workers and their families by providing support to workers in organisations financially and within their work environments. They ACTU work to represent employees’ rights at work within Australia and act as a middle band in voicing their problems and finding solutions in relation to the way their organisation work in their operations in becoming environmentally sustainable.The ACCI’s policy agenda reflects the collective views, perceptions and concerns of Australian businesses whether they are a small business or a large scale organisation. They handle matters to assist and speak on behalf of these small or large scale businesses and are an authority in which act as the essential connection between industry, governments, regulators and influential policy forums. 1. 4a Organisation compliance It is essential that organisations comply with environmental regulations as the Acts and Regulations developed by governing bodies are bou nd laws in which require all organisations to follow.If organisations fail to comply with the relevant environmental regulations serious breaches could affect future operations and furthermore reflect on the organisations image as a whole. It is common within Australian organisations today that stakeholders or an organisation have a vested interest in the way in which the organisation commit themselves in becoming environmentally sustainable through their work practices. If organisations do not comply with environmental regulations and best practice, it also acts as a threat to the rganisations internal and external stakeholders. For example customers can discontinue purchasing the products and services the organisation provide due to the fact that they fail to comply with relevant environmental rules and regulations. Employees are the internal stakeholders who prefer to work for organisations that are environmentally responsible and adhere to rules and regulations; therefore by an organisation committing themselves to acknowledge their impact on the environment they decrease the risk of losing important and needed stakeholders.Rules and regulations developed by regulatory bodies are developed in order to also safeguard the community as well as protect the environment, therefore an organisation in which resists complying with set rules and regulations create a negative image and are seen as a threat to the community. 1. 4b Organisations assessing their compliance In order to assess whether the organisation is complying with relevant environmental regulations and best practices they will need to assess which permits or licences that they may need and therefore will require to conduct an audit on their operations.An audit of the organisations operations must include the business activities, the size of the organisation in terms of human resources and premises, their current energy usage levels, the location of all its premises, the potential environmental impact s, the pollutants the organisation is likely to emit and proposed methods to minimise these pollutants, the disposal waste and proposed methods to minimise environmental damage and the lastly the organisations commitment to environmental sustainability in order to limit its ecological footprint.Once the audit is established, the organisation can then go to relevant authorities to assist with ensuring that the licences or permits obtained ensure compliance with relevant laws the organisation needs to operate under. It is also best practice for an organisation to document their policies and procedures, address environmental obligations and demonstrate how it will reduce resource usage in order to ensure compliance with environmental legislations is consistent. 1. c Environmental Management Plan Environmental Management Plans are important as it allows an organisation to formally document their policies and procedures in order to address their environmental obligations and further demo nstrate exactly how they will reduce resource wastage. It is an effective tool to use when becoming an environmentally responsible organisation as they can also include guidelines in which the organisation plan to implement in order to increase their resource efficiency.In order for an organisation to develop an Environmental Management Plan they would firstly need to gather information from a variety of sources which may include examining the current procedures and systems the organisation has in place, examining the legal compliance requirements, researching environmental plans of competitors and other companies, seeking assistance of best practice guidelines from environmental regulators and surveying customers and other important stakeholders for their input.Secondly after relevant information is gathered, the organisation would need to analyse it and make considerations in relation to whether the information is relevant in becoming environmentally sustainable. Once analysis has been conducted on relevant areas within the organisation, the next step is for the organisation to start building ideas and information on the likely improvements that could assist the organisation in improving its ecological footprint and reducing resource usage.The information collated has to be documented in order for stakeholders to fully understand the suggested improvements through the Environmental Management Plan. In order for the plan to be monitored a monitoring report card can be used in order measure the progress of the report and informs management on how effective the plan is. 1. 4d Benefits of resource usage In order for an organisation to measure its resource usage an effective tool as mentioned earlier are audits.Audits can measure the manner in which the business conducts its activities and details the rate at which the organisation uses its resources. The benefit of conducting audits allows the employees and the organisation to become aware of the current rate of resource usage and use these documents to compare future improvements. By documenting the rates at which the organisation uses their resources, it creates opportunities for future plans to be made in order to lower the organisations usage rates and develop effective strategies in order to become environmentally sustainable. . 1 Seeking input from stakeholders In order to implement effective sustainable work practices it is important to gain input from a range of stakeholders of an organisation. All stakeholders must be considered especially when considering or proposing innovation or change within an organisation, as the changes implemented may impact stakeholders in different ways. It is important that key stakeholders are considered when implementing sustainable work practices as changes may impact these certain key stakeholders within the operations of the organisation.For example customers or clients need to be considered as they provide the income that sustains the organisatio n and therefore the changes in which the organisation aim to adopt within their operations in becoming environmentally sustainable may change the end product or service produced somehow. Therefore it is important to gain input from the proposed suggestions and ensure that all stakeholders are aware of changes in place. 2. 2 Key stakeholdersThe following is a list of key stakeholders in which an organisation would seek input from and the input they will provide: – Customers or clients: They may be able to provide feedback in relation to what improvements the organisation can make in order to assist in building the organisation’s image on being flexible and outward-looking in order to become sustainable. -Suppliers: Suppliers will be able to provide information on new products and systems that are environmentally sound.As suppliers rely on the organisation for income they will be work with the organisation to ensure it achieves its objectives of becoming environmentally sustainable. -Members within the work group or team: As employees work internally within the organisations and handle the operations sector, feedback may be gathered on how the organisation can improve their operations in order to minimise resource usage. -Regulators such as the local council- They may provide suggestions on ways in which an organisation can decrease resource usage and how to improve work practices. . 3 Consultation methods A range of methods in which can be used in order to consult with stakeholders to maximise feedback are suggestion boxes provided within the workplace, these can give all employees the opportunity to share their points of view on changes the organisation can adopt in becoming sustainable. Also forums for members of the community or shareholders to attend, forums allow members of the community or valued shareholders to openly comment on the practices of the organisation and make further suggestions for improvements.Another consultation methods is b y holding meeting with customers or suppliers, this creates an opportunity for customers or suppliers to provide feedback on particular procedures of processes the organisation has adopted and therefore discuss areas that may need improvements in order to enhance the image of the organisation. Another method in which organisations can use to consult and gather feedback with staff is by distributing feedback surveys, this will enable staff to provide ideas or comment on how effective current work practices are within the organisation. 2. External sources of information External sources of information and data in which an organisation may access in order to identify how to utilise the information to implement effective sustainable practices are: -Triple bottom line reporting: An organisation can research how other organisations conduct triple bottom line reporting through accessing information via their corporate website. Organisations can access information about how similar organisa tions have implemented strategies, what targets they set and how they go about achieving those targets in relation to the environmental sustainability.By analysing what other organisation do, this helps gather ideas and concepts in which may be adapted within an organisations processes in becoming environmentally friendly and setting targets for future improvements. -Government and regulatory bodies: Regulatory bodies can provide organisations with best practice guidelines in which can be used as effective measures when incorporating practices in order to enhance environmental sustainability within business operations. – Industry associations: Industry bodies will be able to also advise organisation on best practice guidelines in which they can use to implement sustainable practices.Industry associations may also regularly conduct seminars and training which could include vital information for organisation to use such as how to set targets and improve sustainable practices. T he seminars are most effective as they provide valuable information where industry experts often speak on the importance of environmental accountability and share real life solutions which can benefit the organisation when considering what practices to implement in order to become environmentally sustainable. 2. 5 Efficiency targets Efficiency targets are aspects in which an organisation overall aim to achieve.Organisations usually set efficiency targets after evaluating all energy efficiency ideas. The purpose of these targets when implementing effective sustainable work practices is that is gives an organisation direction in what they aim to achieve in becoming environmentally friendly. They outline the objectives in which the organisation aim to achieve in long term and are an example to all stakeholders of how the organisation is committed in setting changes through their work practices in order adopt to the changes of our natural environment.The targets set must be measurable, meaning organisations must ensure they can analyse how effectively they are working towards achieving these targets. Efficiency targets demonstrate to not only internal stakeholders but also the community on how the organisation is committed to change and are willing to improve accordingly to current environmental impacts. Efficiency targets usually reflect the aims and objectives of the Environmental Plan of an organisation and are specific in relation to the organisations goals.An example of an efficiency target set by Linfox as is a â€Å"50% carbon reduction by 2015†. Referring to task 20, I used Linfox as an example of an organisation in which set a target which is firstly measurable, provides direction for the organisation and is a symbol demonstrating their commitment in becoming environmentally sustainable. REFER TO ATTACHMENT 2 – LINFOX EFFICIENCY TARGETS 2. 6 Promote efficiency targets The benefit of promoting efficiency targets to key stakeholders is gaining the support of these stakeholders where they can contribute to the overall uccess in which the organisation aim to achieve. By having support this enables organisations to effectively work towards the targets and objectives they set out to reach. By communicating the targets to relevant stakeholders this marks a further commitment by the organisation to improving its ecological footprint as the information is released to the public domain and acts as a motivator for the organisation to meet the targets in order to avoid failure.Some methods which could be considered when communicating targets to relevant stakeholders within the internal environment of the organisation are internal newsletters, emails to internal parties from the Managing Director or CEO of the organisation, posters announcing the targets or staff meetings to create full awareness of the targets.In order to communicate the efficiency targets set to external stakeholders (being clients or customers, suppliers, shareh olders, investors, government/regulatory bodies and local media) could be a letter from Managing Director/CEO announcing its new plan and efficiency targets set, an official launch, community consultation forums, within the annual report or on the organisations public website. 3. 1 Techniques and tools The statement clearly outlines the importance of using techniques and tools as they benefit employees by helping them gain an understanding of how to follow procedures in order to implement sustainable work practices.As employees play a vital role in helping the organisation achieve efficiency targets set, they must have a full understanding of the procedures in place in order to effectively commit themselves within work operations in becoming sustainable. In order for employees to gain a full understanding of the procedures in place, the following strategies, tools and techniques may be used: -Environmental Management Plans (EMP): They are a detailed plan in which can be used in orde r to source the ways in which issues can be addressed within the workplace.Employees can use their organisation EMP to address areas in relation to sustainability practices within their workplace and cross-reference the information with the organisation’s strategic and operational plan. -Policies and Procedures: These are written documents which are directed at work place practices in which all employees must follow as a part of their duties in increasing resource efficiency. Checklists: This is a useful tool when either examining or recording resources within the workplace, or recording energy usage rates when ensuring all environmental impacts identified in the workplace are considered within the Environmental Management Plan. Checklists allow organisations to identify what resources are being used constantly and remind employees of their responsibility to ensure they are adopting sustainable work practices within the organisation. REFER TO ATTACHMENT 3 – EXAMPLE OF RESOURCE AUDIT CHECKLIST Training: Training ensures employees are fully aware of the legislation relevant to their work practices within the organisation and are useful when educating employees on implementing the policies and procedures. Through training programs employees are able to gain a clear understanding of the importance of the organisations Environmental Management Plan and therefore are more likely to support the organisations attempts to meet its targets through sustainable work practices. Meetings: Meetings are effective in delivering tools and techniques within the workplace as they can be used to introduce to employees new policies and procedures and also include an explanation on their relevance to the organisations objectives in becoming environmentally sustainable. The more in which time is delegated to educate employees this enhances the likeliness of achieving goals set. 3. 2 Resource efficiency improvement plans Environmental and resource efficiency improvement plans is a major part within the cycle of an organisations efforts to make continuous improvements.Resource efficiency plans are developed in order for work groups who operate within their sector to contribute in reaching their targets as a stepping stone in order to reach the overall objective set by the organisation. Environmental and resource efficiency improvement plans should incorporate legal requirements for execution; this ensures legal compliance is fully understood by all stakeholders in correspondence to the duties of the workgroup.The improvement plans should also incorporate the acceptance of policy by internal stakeholders, which promotes communication with employees in order to produce feedback, commitment and a greater sense of loyalty to the organisation. As well as acceptance of the policy by internal stakeholder the improvement plans must also have clearly defined reporting lines and areas of responsibility where all components need to be allocated to a responsibl e officer in order to also ensure effective implementation of the Environmental Management Plan. 3. Role of supervision/team leader It is the role of supervision or team leaders to encourage and empower employees to suggest improvements within the workplace as a part of continuous improvement processes. As well as encouraging and empowering employees, supervisors should also work to improve environmental performance within workplace operation in relation to the organisation’s efforts in becoming sustainable. Opportunities for improvements can be recognised by supervisors by conducting audits to evaluate environmental performance for permits and licences.As organisations may need to apply or reapply for permits or licences, this allows supervisors to encourage staff to voice their ideas and ensure their observations are not going unnoticed. Another method supervisors could use in order to identify possible areas of non-compliance is by debriefing after breaches, by doing so th is enables supervisors to develop a clear outline of reasons in which the issues arose. Furthermore they can gain information to ensure similar situations do not arise again; during this process it is important for team members to be encouraged by team leaders or supervisors to voice their opinions and make suggestions.Another method in order for supervisors or team leaders to support team members to identify improved work practices is by holding monthly resource efficiency meetings. These meetings allow team members to openly make suggestions and initiate new ideas in order for possible changes to be adopted within the organisation to implement effective sustainable work practices. 3. 4 Costs Different costs in which could be recognised when organisations are incorporating accounting practices in becoming sustainable within the workplace are total-cost accounting and full-cost accounting.Total-cost accounting is a method in which analyses the fixed costs in order to identify the to tal cost of production. When using this method it is evident that the costs vary according to the level of environmental resources being used within the workplace. Full-cost accounting differentiates in relation to the traditional method of costing, as it looks at all the costs in which go into the goods and services in which the organisation provide (including environmental sustainability development costs).This costing system incorporates the hidden costs such as environmental permits, operating costs such as equipment, contingency costs such as estimates of fines or penalties in case of breaches to the environment, outlays which are costs that may be incurred over a period of time and goodwill costs which are the costs that build the organisations image such as promoting the organisations recycling efforts. 4. 1 Evaluating/Monitoring PerformanceThe five steps in which organisation can use to evaluate and monitor their performance are as follows: 1) Firstly the organisation must e stablish benchmarks; this is the first step in evaluating the organisations performance. By establishing benchmarks it allows the organisation to decide on the performance standard in which they can use to further measure their results. Benchmarking is comparing the results of an organisations internal performance competitor’s performance and industry standards in order to determine its success. ) The second step is measuring performance; this is a simple step and can be done by using methods of non-compliance briefings, workplace inspections and compliance reviews. When organisations have systems in place in which gather data, it allows them to identify whether targets have been met, are in the progress of being met or have not been met at all. 3) The thirds step is checking the progress of the organisations performance against the efficiency targets been set.Once the performance of the organisation is measured, the organisation must then conduct a comparison between the act ual performance against the standard which was established in relation to improvements in becoming environmentally sustainable through work practices. 4) The fourth step is investigation; here reasons as to why targets have not been achieved are discovered. If the targets have been met then the underlying processes in which made the progression effective are established. This step enables organisations to develop recommendation for the next phase of evaluating performance being corrective action. ) Within the last phase corrective action, after having to review the measurement of the target and checking the progress as well as making further investigations, the organisation should be prepared to take corrective action in order to evaluate ways in which they can enhance their environmental performance. Aspects in which organisations need to consider when undertaking corrective action are whether there was enough data to make informed decisions, what the best corrective action is, how the action should be implemented and what targets should be set to ensure the corrective action is taken.The above steps are important and a major component of the continuous improvement cycle. It analyses possible mistakes made and is a part of the learning process for an organisation to further develop and alter its behaviour accordingly. 4. 2 Audit documentation Audit documentation could be employed to monitor performance of organisations in implementing environmental sustainable practices as it determines improvements in which an organisation can use in order to become environmentally sustainable within their work practices.By using am audit it contributes to an organisations efforts in making continuous improvements as it is used to revise the target progress and furthermore analyse recommendations in which could be used to assist an organisation in reaching targets. Organisations may use audit documentation within incident reports and also as reference material when analysing how effective they have been in reaching set targets.Audits assist organisations to decide on sustainable practices in which could be implemented within the workplace to improve environmental performance once conducted. REFER TO ATTACHMENT 4 – AUDIT DOCUMENTATION 4. 3 Communicating outcomes It is important that organisations communicate to key personnel and stakeholders the outcome of audits in relation to efficiency targets being met, in order to communicate the outcomes this can be done through target efficiency reports or quarterly efficiency meetings.Target efficiency reports provide detailed information outlining the organisations actual achievements in comparison to the targets set. The reports demonstrate to key personnel and stakeholders whether the organisation is making progress in accordance to targets set or if improvements need to be implemented within work practices in relation to reaching efficiency targets and becoming environmentally sustainable.Quarterly ef ficiency meeting are also an effective tool to communicate with stakeholders of the progress made by the organisation as the organisation will be able to outline within the meetings where possible improvements can be made and can highlight work groups that are under performing or performing to an excellent level. Also by holding efficiency meeting to discuss outcomes of audits on efficiency targets, here feedback can be gathered from employees or relevant stakeholders in order to contribute to changes in which can be adopted by the organisation to improve their environmental performance. . 4 New efficiency targets, tools and strategies New efficiency targets can be set for many reasons; some of these reasons are due to the fact that organisations may have performed to an excellent standard that new targets need to be established, or an organisation may have found problems in their efforts in becoming innovative as there may have been gaps evident within the procedures they implement ed. Whether it be either of the above reasons, it is necessary for organisations to develop new targets and tools and strategies in order to reach these targets.Steps in which can be taken to create new targets are by: -Conducting investigation on current work practices in place which may contribute to problems that may be faced when reaching the new target. -Analyse and evaluate the new efficiency target as well as make relevant recommendations. -Start to plan how the organisation will implement the processes in order to reach the new target. -Continuously monitor and evaluate the performance of the organisation in relation to the target set. REFER TO ATTCHMENT 5 – EXAMPLE OF NEW EFFICIENCY TARGETS SET BY LINFOX 4. Promoting successful strategies It is an organisations responsibility to inform all stakeholders on the environmental, social and financial performance in which can be done through triple bottom line reporting. Triple bottom line reporting is a popular form of rep orting for organisations as it outlines environmental, social and financial performance. It demonstrates the organisations commitment to corporate social responsibilities and communicates to stakeholders how the organisation is reducing its ecological footprint through their strategies.REFER TO ATTACHMENT 6 – TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE REPORTING – LINFOX In order for an organisation to promote the performance of the organisation, this may be conducted through the organisations public website, annual reports, annual general meeting outcomes, brochures or through representation on industry and environment consultation committees. REFER TO ATTACHMENT 7 – HOW LINFOX PROMOTE PERFORMANCE As the organisation makes progress within their environmental performance in becoming sustainable, it is important that stakeholders in which contributed to these achievement are rewarded in order to make them feel valued for their efforts.It is important to reward relevant stakeholders as th ey are the main reason in which the organisation have been successful in reaching efficiency targets and adopting to changes in becoming environmentally friendly. Methods in which can be used to reward important stakeholders are: – Through internal promotion: By promoting employees who contribute to implementing processes, seeking solutions, suggesting improvement and overall making the strategy work within the organisation, it ensures employees are recognised as a valued member of the organisation through changes implemented. Internal newsletter: an internal newsletter can be used in order to promote the success of the organisation when implementing the new strategy and can highlight teams and individuals in which have made important contributions to the organisations success in becoming environmentally sustainable.

Digital Fortress Chapter 40

Outside Node 3, Chartrukian looked desperate. He was trying to convince Hale that TRANSLTR was in trouble. Susan raced by them with only one thought in mind-to find Strathmore. The panicked Sys-Sec grabbed Susan's arm as she passed. â€Å"Ms. Fletcher! We have a virus! I'm positive! You have to-â€Å" Susan shook herself free and glared ferociously. â€Å"I thought the commander told you to go home.† â€Å"But the Run-Monitor! It's registering eighteen-â€Å" â€Å"Commander Strathmore told you to go home!† â€Å"FUCK STRATHMORE!† Chartrukian screamed, the words resounding throughout the dome. A deep voice boomed from above. â€Å"Mr. Chartrukian?† The three Crypto employees froze. High above them, Strathmore stood at the railing outside his office. For a moment, the only sound inside the dome was the uneven hum of the generators below. Susan tried desperately to catch Strathmore's eye. Commander! Hale is North Dakota! But Strathmore was fixated on the young Sys-Sec. He descended the stairs without so much as a blink, keeping his eyes trained on Chartrukian the whole way down. He made his way across the Crypto floor and stopped six inches in front of the trembling technician. â€Å"What did you say?† â€Å"Sir,† Chartrukian choked, â€Å"TRANSLTR's in trouble.† â€Å"Commander?† Susan interjected. â€Å"If I could-â€Å" Strathmore waved her off. His eyes never left the Sys-Sec. Phil blurted, â€Å"We have an infected file, sir. I'm sure of it!† Strathmore's complexion turned a deep red. â€Å"Mr. Chartrukian, we've been through this. There is no file infecting TRANSLTR!† â€Å"Yes, there is!† he cried. â€Å"And if it makes its way to the main databank-â€Å" â€Å"Where the hell is this infected file?† Strathmore bellowed. â€Å"Show it to me!† Chartrukian hesitated. â€Å"I can't.† â€Å"Of course you can't! It doesn't exist!† Susan said, â€Å"Commander, I must-â€Å" Again Strathmore silenced her with an angry wave. Susan eyed Hale nervously. He seemed smug and detached. It makes perfect sense, she thought. Hale wouldn't be worried about a virus; he knows what's really going on inside TRANSLTR. Chartrukian was insistent. â€Å"The infected file exists, sir. But Gauntlet never picked it up.† â€Å"If Gauntlet never picked it up,† Strathmore fumed, â€Å"then how the hell do you know it exists?† Chartrukian suddenly sounded more confident. â€Å"Mutation strings, sir. I ran a full analysis, and the probe turned up mutation strings!† Susan now understood why the Sys-Sec was so concerned. Mutation strings, she mused. She knew mutation strings were programming sequences that corrupted data in extremely complex ways. They were very common in computer viruses, particularly viruses that altered large blocks of data. Of course, Susan also knew from Tankado's E-mail that the mutation strings Chartrukian had seen were harmless-simply part of Digital Fortress. The Sys-Sec went on. â€Å"When I first saw the strings, sir, I thought Gauntlet's filters had failed. But then I ran some tests and found out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused, looking suddenly uneasy. â€Å"I found out that somebody manually bypassed Gauntlet.† The statement met with a sudden hush. Strathmore's face turned an even deeper shade of crimson. There was no doubt whom Chartrukian was accusing; Strathmore's terminal was the only one in Crypto with clearance to bypass Gauntlet's filters. When Strathmore spoke, his voice was like ice. â€Å"Mr. Chartrukian, not that it is any concern of yours, but I bypassed Gauntlet.† He went on, his temper hovering near the boiling point. â€Å"As I told you earlier, I'm running a very advanced diagnostic. The mutation strings you see in TRANSLTR are part of that diagnostic; they are there because I put them there. Gauntlet refused to let me load the file, so I bypassed its filters.† Strathmore's eyes narrowed sharply at Chartrukian. â€Å"Now, will there be anything else before you go?† In a flash, it all clicked for Susan. When Strathmore had downloaded the encrypted Digital Fortress algorithm from the Internet and tried to run it through TRANSLTR, the mutation strings had tripped Gauntlet's filters. Desperate to know whether Digital Fortress was breakable, Strathmore decided to bypass the filters. Normally, bypassing Gauntlet was unthinkable. In this situation, however, there was no danger in sending Digital Fortress directly into TRANSLTR; the commander knew exactly what the file was and where it came from. â€Å"With all due respect, sir,† Chartrukian pressed, â€Å"I've never heard of a diagnostic that employs mutation-â€Å" â€Å"Commander,† Susan interjected, not able to wait another moment. â€Å"I really need to-â€Å" This time her words were cut short by the sharp ring of Strathmore's cellular phone. The commander snatched up the receiver. â€Å"What is it!† he barked. Then he fell silent and listened to the caller. Susan forgot about Hale for an instant. She prayed the caller was David. Tell me he's okay, she thought. Tell me he found the ring! But Strathmore caught her eye and he gave her a frown. It was not David. Susan felt her breath grow short. All she wanted to know was that the man she loved was safe. Strathmore, Susan knew, was impatient for other reasons; if David took much longer, the commander would have to send backup-NSA field agents. It was a gamble he had hoped to avoid. â€Å"Commander?† Chartrukian urged. â€Å"I really think we should check-â€Å" â€Å"Hold on,† Strathmore said, apologizing to his caller. He covered his mouthpiece and leveled a fiery stare at his young Sys-Sec. â€Å"Mr. Chartrukian,† he growled, â€Å"this discussion is over. You are to leave Crypto. Now. That's an order.† Chartrukian stood stunned. â€Å"But, sir, mutation str-â€Å" â€Å"NOW!† Strathmore bellowed. Chartrukian stared a moment, speechless. Then he stormed off toward the Sys-Sec lab. Strathmore turned and eyed Hale with a puzzled look. Susan understood the commander's mystification. Hale had been quiet-too quiet. Hale knew very well there was no such thing as a diagnostic that used mutation strings, much less one that could keep TRANSLTR busy eighteen hours. And yet Hale hadn't said a word. He appeared indifferent to the entire commotion. Strathmore was obviously wondering why. Susan had the answer. â€Å"Commander,† she said insistently, â€Å"if I could just speak-â€Å" â€Å"In a minute,† he interjected, still eyeing Hale quizzically. â€Å"I need to take this call.† With that, Strathmore turned on his heel and headed for his office. Susan opened her mouth, but the words stalled on the tip of her tongue. Hale is North Dakota! She stood rigid, unable to breathe. She felt Hale staring at her. Susan turned. Hale stepped aside and swung his arm graciously toward the Node 3 door. â€Å"After you, Sue.†

American Settler Colonialism - Definition

The term colonialism is possibly one of the most confusing, if not contested, concepts in American history and international relations theory. Most Americans would likely be hard-pressed to define it beyond the colonial period of US history when early European immigrants established their colonies in the New World. The assumption is that since the founding of the United States everybody who is born within the national boundaries is considered American citizens with equal rights, whether or not they consent to such citizenship. In this regard, the United States is normalized as the dominant power to which all its citizens, indigenous and non-indigenous alike, are subject. Although in theory a democracy of the people, by the people, and for the people, the nations actual history of imperialism betrays its democratic principles. This is the history of American colonialism. Two Kinds of Colonialism Colonialism as a concept has its roots in European expansionism and the founding of the so-called New World. The British, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, and other European powers established colonies in new places they discovered from which to facilitate trade and extract resources, in what can be thought of as the earliest stages of what we now call globalization. The mother country (known as the metropole) would come to dominate indigenous populations through their colonial governments, even when the indigenous population remained in the majority for the duration of colonial control. The most obvious examples are in Africa, such as the Dutch control over South Africa and French control over Algeria, and in Asia and the Pacific Rim, such as British control over India and Fiji and French domination over Tahiti. Beginning in the 1940s the world saw a wave of decolonization in many of Europes colonies as indigenous populations fought wars of resistance against colonial domination. Mahatma Gandhi would come to be recognized as one of the worlds greatest heroes for leading Indias fight against the British. Likewise, Nelson Mandela is today celebrated as a freedom fighter for South Africa where he was once considered a terrorist. In these instances European governments were forced to pack up and go home, relinquishing control to the indigenous population. But there were some places where colonial invasion decimated indigenous populations through foreign disease and military domination to the point where if the indigenous population survived at all, it became the minority while the settler population became the majority. The best examples of this are in North and South America, the Caribbean islands, New Zealand, Australia and even Israel. In these cases scholars have recently applied the term settler colonialism. Settler Colonialism Defined Settler colonialism has best been defined as more of an imposed structure than an historical event. This structure is characterized by relationships of domination and subjugation that become woven throughout the fabric of society, and even becomes disguised as paternalistic benevolence. The objective of settler colonialism is always the acquisition of indigenous territories and resources, which means the native must be eliminated. This can be accomplished in overt ways including biological warfare and military domination but also in more subtle ways; for example, through national policies of assimilation. As scholar Patrick Wolfe has argued, the logic of settler colonialism is that it destroys in order to replace. Assimilation involves the systematic stripping away of indigenous culture and replacing it with that of the dominant culture. One of the ways it does this in the United States is through racialization. Racialization is the process of measuring indigenous ethnicity in terms of blood degree; when indigenous people intermarry with non-indigenous people they are said to lower their indigenous (Indian or Native Hawaiian) blood quantum. According to this logic, when enough intermarriage has occurred there will be no more natives within a given lineage. It does not take into account personal identity based on cultural affiliation or other markers of cultural competence or involvement. Other ways United States carried out its assimilation policy included the allotment of Indian lands, forced enrollment in Indian boarding schools, termination and relocation programs, the bestowal of American citizenship, and Christianization. Narratives of Benevolence It can be said that a narrative based on the benevolence of the nation guides policy decisions once domination has been established in the settler colonial state. This is evident in many of the legal doctrines at the foundation of federal Indian law in the US. Primary among those doctrines is the doctrine of Christian discovery. The doctrine of discovery (a good example of benevolent paternalism) was first articulated by Supreme Court Justice John Marshall in Johnson v. McIntosh (1823), in which he opined that Indians had no right to title on their own lands in part because the new European immigrants bestow[ed] on them civilization and Christianity. Likewise, the trust doctrine presumes that the United States, as the trustee over Indian lands and resources, will always act with the best interests of Indians in mind. Two centuries of massive Indian land expropriations by the US and other abuses, however, betrays this idea. References Getches, David H., Charles F. Wilkinson and Robert A. Williams, Jr. Cases and Materials on Federal Indian Law, Fifth Edition. St. Paul: Thompson West Publishers, 2005.Wilkins, David and K. Tsianina Lomawaima. Uneven Ground: American Indian Sovereignty and Federal Indian Law. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2001.Wolfe, Patrick. Settler Colonialism and the Elimination of the Native. Journal of Genocide Research, December 2006, pp. 387-409.