Environmental Issues of Yucca Mountain Nuclear Storage Facility in Nevada

Introduction Yucca Mountain is located about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. There were several processes which occurred during the formation of this mountain. A series of eruptions from a caldera occurred with subsequent alternate layering of tuffs.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Environmental Issues of Yucca Mountain Nuclear Storage Facility in Nevada specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Two years ago, DOE (Department of Energy) tendered its interest on constructing (radioactive) waste storage compartment. It proposed the repository to be inside this volcanic-rock mountain. This was a directive from Congress which thought that Yucca was the most appropriate location for this facility. Other departments involved in this process include the NRC, the U.S Department for Defense, among others. Geographical Conflict There have been several conflicts that threaten the viability of the project. These conflicts are mainly geologically and geographically related. The geographical position of Yucca Mountain exposes it to risks emanating from factors related to the distance of transportation. The shipping containers which will be used for transportation are not well equipped and the trucks, trains and ships are also susceptible to terrorist attacks. The distance they cover, that is across 45 states, also renders them viable to accidents. All these factors put together will bring the picture of mobile Chernobyl’s (Kamps, 2003). Yucca is near Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Nellis Air Force Base is also very close to this place. This air force Base is the Nevada nuclear weapons test site. This attests to the fact of unsuitability considering triggering of eruptions and earthquakes which could subsequently cause leakage. Mining operations, which are near Yucca, will also threaten accidental and intentional detonations in this area (Kamps, 2003). Leaders of the state of Nevada believe that acci dents which will occur during transportation will hurt Nevada’s image as a nice place to live, tour or invest. The leaders also fear that large scale radioactive releases may occur when an earthquake strikes, or in the event of volcanic eruption. Issues Related to the Conflict When the DOE proposed Yucca Mountain as one of the sites for nuclear waste repository, several issues emerged. Many questions have been raised on whether the facility was good enough to prevent any leakage of the nuclear waste. Should the nuclear waste leak, it will find its way to subsurface water and pollute it. This project caused the conflict taking into consideration that the Congress made a rushed decision without extensive research. It should also be noted that Yucca Mountain has a high cost.Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More About 1.6 million dollars is spent at this project per day yet there is virtually nothing spent on high level radioactive waste against attacks by terrorists or against accidents. Currently, high-level radioactive nuclear waste is stored in pools that are vulnerable across the U.S. others are stored in dry storage casks which renders it viable to cause harm. It is argued that the money being spent for Yucca should be channeled to other uses that are aimed at securing high level radioactive waste against accidents or terrorist attacks (Kamps, 2003). Thus, the licensing process has presented a formidable hurdle for Yucca repository. As we have seen, battles of the annual budget and several lawsuits also present major hindrances to the development of this facility. The Conflict’s Historical Development In 1982, Congress commenced working on a (national) policy that was intended at resolve the nuclear-waste disposal predicament. The idea was to formulate a policy agreeable with most scientists worldwide. This purpose was achieved by the congress which subsequently led to the creation of the nuclear waste policy Act. This Nuclear Policy Act gave the U,S Department of Defense the responsibility of finding a site and to build and operate a nuclear waste facility in the subsurface. In 1983, nine locations were selected to be considered for the project. These locations included Yucca Mountain. Extensive studies were done on all the sites. Results of this research were out by 1985. The president approved three sites (Yucca Mountain, Hanford and Deaf Smith) based on these reports. However according to the directive given by the Congress only Yucca Mountain was to be studied. Afterwards the final legislative vote was cast by the senate in support of the Congress. This was done in 2002 and its purpose was to approve the building of the nuclear waste facility. An application for a license was then submitted in 2008, in order for the facility to be developed. The DOE is still waiting for the project to be approved by the NRC. Hence the project is dependent on the NRC’s licensing proceedings. Nevada together with many environmental groups has filed several lawsuits against the Environmental Protection Agency, National Research council and the U.S Department of Defense. Should any of these suits succeed, the process will either be delayed or the dump will be defeated. Nevada continues to raise questions concerning the quality and effectiveness of the nuclear waste facility (Stephens media, 2010).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Environmental Issues of Yucca Mountain Nuclear Storage Facility in Nevada specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Currently, the Yucca deal is far from done. The magnitude of challenges it faces is overwhelming. The many suits which have been filed against this project must be strongly defended. Proponents of this process must seek funding annually from Yucca’s budget to prevent strong oppo sition. Those who oppose this deal including residents along Yucca’s transport route who are planning to block the licensing process. The success of this story is far from over since it takes years for the plan to move ahead a single step. For instance the National Research Council will take 3-5 years to complete the licensing process before which the U.S Department of Defense must have submitted their operating licensing application. This process will also take not less than a year (Kamps, 2003). Consequences of the conflict The consequences of the conflict therefore are wastage of resources such as money and time. There is also the issue of corruption of the decision-making process. Nearly 300 incomplete studies have been done yet the proposal won the Congressional approval and the presidential approval. This happened despite major conflicts that have been caused by this project and also despite Nevada’s disapproval. Money in terms of millions of dollars has been spe nt in form of direct Capitol Hill lobbying in the nuclear industry. Campaign contributions to federal office seekers who seek to influence the Yucca vote have also cost considerable amounts of money. The conflict has caused collision of many departments concerned especially environmental agencies, public health agencies, Nevada residents and many others. This collision is of bad taste since it brews distrust and fear of corrupt leadership in the concerned departments. Steps Taken to Resolve the Conflict Apparently the only solution to this conflict is to terminate the Yucca mountain project. Since the coming into power of President Barrack Obama, the president and his government have been showing their dedication to end the Yucca Mountain. Ending the Yucca mountain nuclear waste repository project is apparently the only viable solution. Terminating the Dump President Barrack Obama has indeed dedicated his effort to terminating this project. He completely eliminated funding for the p roposed Yucca Mountain project in the 2011 financial year (Reid, 2010). This suggests that with no funding from the government, this project is headed for an unceremonious closure. DOE filed a suit to withdraw the license application so that it may consult Yucca Mountain. This was done in March 2010. If this motion succeeds and the application withdrawn, it may never be refilled since the motion was filed with prejudice.Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finding Alternatives to a Flawed Proposal Since the U.S congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in 1982 and further recklessly approved President Bush’s decision of endorsing Yucca Mountain, this process has been considered as evidently flawed because congress instructed the DOE to study only the Yucca Mountain. The decision was made prematurely and with minimum consultation. This is, beyond doubt one of the major causes of this conflict. Harry Reid, the U.S Senator for Nevada, together with Senator John Ensign, had recently proposed the creation of a â€Å"Blue Ribbon commission† of experts to oversee a sound and a more comprehensive design for a new dispensation to nuclear waste disposal. This was approved by President Obama who announced the creation of the â€Å"Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future† on March 3, 2010. The commission is composed of experts from relevant fields such as geologists, energy experts, environmentalists and policy experts. This list is opposed to the former which mainly included selfish politicians who are members of the Congress. This panel of experts is expected to present a comprehensive report on the best alternatives to Yucca. The report will be presented in the beginning of the year 2012. Despite several suites filed against the DOE for their motion of withdrawal, the Nevada Senator has sworn not to avail any money for the project (Reid, 2010). The Resolution of this Conflict has Faced Several Challenges The main challenge is caused by other states. These states are challenging the U.S Department of Energy for withdrawing from this issue and have filed many petitions with the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit claiming that the steps the DOE took were against the 1982 Act. One of the reasons as to why they oppose it is they fear that the site might be moved to a state in which they reside. The Side that I am taking on the Issue Considering the advantages and disadvantages of t his project, one needs to weigh the options on either side to know what to decide. On one hand, the Yucca project would be pretty detrimental to Nevadans. This is because the accidents that come from the activities of this project would be harmful to their health. Since the mountain is near mining activities and the Nevada nuclear weapons test site, these activities can trigger leakage of the nuclear waste. As a result, it is pretty evident that the health of Nevada residents will be compromised. Considering also that the waste has to be transported, the residents of the transport route will be easily endangered since their health will be at risk should an accident occur. On the other hand, the U.S needs a suitable place to construct a repository for nuclear waste. The location of the facility in question should be underground and it should also be in a suitable geographic place. Yucca should be chosen as the last alternative to this issue. This should happen if and only if there ha s been a thorough study of all the potential areas for this project. Unless all other areas have been investigated, Yucca Mountain should not be an option. The other proposal for a solution to this conflict is that production of nuclear energy should stop. If we stopped utilizing nuclear energy, production will degenerate hence we will not have these kinds of problems. Otherwise Yucca will go round in a cycle that would never end. A good alternative to this is when we use green energy. Environmental friendly energy such as wind, solar and geothermal energy would be quite useful in solving such disputes. Therefore Yucca dump should be stopped pending further studies by the â€Å"Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future†. It must only be initiated should the research be successfully endorsed by majority of the experts. Conclusion As a concluding remark, there must be an intensive research into America’s nuclear future aimed at finding solutions to nuclea r waste disposal. America should not rely on premature decisions made by politicians and other selfish people. The USA should base their decisions on facts that have been founded on research, facts that can be able to stand the test of time. Yucca should only be taken as the last option once the â€Å"Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future† has established the facts. Reference List Kamps, K. (2003). Nuclear Information Resource Service. Retrieved from https://www.nirs.org/ Reid, H (2010). United States Senator for Nevada. Web. Stephens Media (2010). Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved from https://www.reviewjournal.com/ This research paper on Environmental Issues of Yucca Mountain Nuclear Storage Facility in Nevada was written and submitted by user Brody Estrada to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Definition of packet ship or packet liner

Definition of packet ship or packet liner Packet ships, packet liners, or simply packets, were sailing ships of the early 1800s that did something which was novel at the time: they departed from port on a regular schedule.   The typical packet sailed between American and British ports, and the ships themselves were designed for the North Atlantic, where storms and rough seas were common. The first of the packet lines was the Black Ball Line, which began sailing between New York City and Liverpool in 1818. The line originally had four ships, and it advertised that one of its ships would leave New York on the first of each month. The regularity of the schedule was an innovation at the time. Within a few years several other companies followed the example of the Black Ball Line, and the North Atlantic was being crossed by ships that regularly battled the elements while remaining close to schedule. The packets, unlike the later and more glamorous clippers, were not designed for speed. They carried cargo and passengers, and for several decades packets were the most efficient way to cross the Atlantic. The use of the word packet to denote a ship began as early as the 16th century, when mail referred to as the packette was carried on ships between England and Ireland. The sail packets were eventually replaced by steamships, and the phrase steam packet became common in the mid-1800s. Also Known As: Atlantic packet

Cardiac Exercise Prescription, Referral & Rehabilitation case study Essay

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Relationship Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Relationship Marketing - Essay Example The affiliates include the employees, customers, suppliers and distributors. He argues that, it is healthy for a business to establish a strong foundation that will retain its customers rather than trying to acquire new customers every time. Relationship marketing according to Kanagal (2009) is a philosophy to change the eager customer behaviours and the implementations taking consideration of what the customers think about the company and what the employees should know about the customers. He adds that business should dwell on identification, establishment, enlargement, maintenance and modification of relationships with customers thus building both history and future. According to the definitions, relationship marketing entails taking consideration of the channel to acquire new customers, nurturing and satisfying their needs. In satisfying customer’s needs, companies are able maintain their customers rather than trying to convince and attain new customers. It is clear that a good relationship with and knowing what they need fosters success in business. In general, RM can be defined as a channel towards business success developed through building a strong foundation that maintains the stakeholders of the business. The channel considers engaging customer requirements, preference and tastes in an effort to deliver the best services that will retain them and create a bright future of the business. Relationship marketing helps in building knowledge, preference and trust factor in customers. In the current world of technology, there is the luxury to know and decide on whom to trust in every purchase. Businesses need to step extra mile to create know, like and trust factor system (Morgan & Hunt, 1994). The system can be achievable through consistent activeness on social media networks, offline networks and websites. Responses and ability to interact with customers helps build a strong platform for the

Influence of Employee Relations on Work Performance

Influence of Employee Relations on Work Performance This research is based on the assumption that it is the good relation with staff factor that leads to increase staff performance in the service department of hotel industry. Both the variables are very important in hotel industry. Staff performance is key to success for the hospitality organizations because hospitality organization is labor intensive industry so it becomes very important to focus on those factors that motivate employees for the work and to deliver their best to the organization. There are many factors that influence employee and work of employees. Relation with employee is one of them. Employee motivation may relate with money, position in the organization, future perspective, but relation with the peer group and boss is foremost factor that have direct impact on employee performance. Good employee relation means creation of congenial environment that retain the motivation of employees and keep motivating them for their commitments towards the organization. 1.2 AIM AND OBJECTIVES / RESEARCH QUESTIONS / HYPOTHESIS: 1.2.1 Aim of this research: aim of this research is to find out the influence of good employee relation on work performance of an employees, with special reference to restaurant service staff of hotel industry. 1.2.2 Objectives: To explore the ingredients of good employee relation To explore the ingredients of employee performance To explore good relation of employee as an factor of motivation. To find out the impact of good employee relation on employee performance 1.2.3 Research Questions: R.Q.1 What are the basis of good relation? R.Q.2 What are the basis of employee performance? R.Q.3 How good relation of employee have positive impact on employee performance? 1.3 RATIONAL: Author believes that employee relation is very important as an motivating factor, and employee performance is also very important for the development of an organization and in achieving organizational goal. This philosophy is very much important in the hospitality industry because hospitality industry is guest based business and employees are the only factor that brings guest satisfaction. So keep employee happy should be the right slogan for human resource department of the hotel and concerned functional department too. This is the thinking behind choice of this topic. 1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION: This research work is having many sections. Author is giving brief introduction and the sequence of the chapters. Chapter two is based on secondary research and placed just after this chapter, after that third chapter is on methodology and fourth is on depth analysis of the questions of the questionnaire and after that fifth chapter is containing conclusion of the research. After conclusion there is list of references followed by appendix section. Chapter2 Literature Review 2.1 What is employee relations? Employee relation or industrial relation is basically relation between employees and employer collectively. In this research author has established aim and objective which basically focus on impact of good employee relation on employee performance. Author is presenting this section as secondary research which is conducted through many books and websites. There are many variables of this research topic such as employee relation and its basis, employee performance and its basis, so all the related areas are also explored in this section of the research so that a valid conclusion can be drawn at the end of this section which would be conclusion based on secondary research. 2.2 Employee relation: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Employee relations can be seen primarily as a skill-set or a philosophy, rather than as a management function or well-defined area of activity. Despite well-publicised instances of industrial action, the emphasis of employee relations continues to shift from collective institutions, such as trade unions and collective bargaining, to the relationship with individual employees. The ideas of employee voice and the psychological contract have been accepted by employers and reflected in their employee relations policies and aspirations. Employee relations skills and competencies are still seen by employers as critical to achieving performance benefits through a focus on employee involvement, commitment and engagement. Employee relations is seen as strategic in terms of managing business risk: both the downside risk of non-compliance with an expanded body of employment law, and the upside risk of failing to deliver maximum business performanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. http://www.cipd.c o.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htm 2.3 Job Satisfaction and Job performance: To understand the nature of job satisfaction and its effects on work performance is not easy. For at least 50 years industrial/organizational psychologists have been wrestling with the question of the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance. Researchers have put a considerable amount of effort into attempts to demonstrate that the two are positively related in a particular fashion: a happy worker is a good worker. Although this sounds like a very appealing idea, the results of empirical literature are too mixed to support the hypothesis that job satisfaction leads to better performance or even that there is a reliable positive correlation between these two variables. On the other hand some researchers argue that the results are equally inconclusive with respect to the hypothesis that there is no such relationship. As a result of this ambiguity, this relationship continues to stimulate research and re-examination of previous attempts. This paper strives to describe t he relation of job satisfaction and performance, keeping in mind the value this relation has for organizations. http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/job-performance-and-satisfaction-53672.htm Job satisfaction is a complex and multifaceted concept, which can mean different things to different people. Job satisfaction is usually linked with motivation, but the nature of this relationship is not clear. Satisfaction is not the same as motivation. Job satisfaction is more an attitude, an internal state. It could, for example, be associated with a personal feeling of achievement, either quantitative or qualitative. In recent years attention to job satisfaction has become more closely associated with broader approaches to improved job design and work organization, and the quality of working life movement. The relationship between job satisfaction and performance is an issue of continuing debate and controversy. One view, associated with the early human relations approach, is that satisfaction leads to performance. An alternative view is that performance leads to satisfaction. However, a variety of studies suggest that research has found only a limited relationship between satisf action and work output and offer scant comfort to those seeking to confirm that a satisfied worker is also a productive one. Labor turnover and absenteeism are commonly associated with dissatisfaction, but although there may be some correlation, there are many other possible factors. No universal generalizations about worker dissatisfaction exist, to offer easy management solutions to problems of turnover and absenteeism. The study suggests that it is primarily in the realm of job design, where opportunity resides for a constructive improvement of the workers satisfaction level. Individual performance is generally determined by three factors. Motivation, the desire to do the job, ability, the capability to do the job, and the work environment, the tools, materials, and information needed to do the job. If an employee lacks ability, the manager can provide training or replace the worker. If there is an environmental problem, the manager can also usually make adjustments to promote hi gher performance. But if motivation is the problem, the managers task is more challenging. Individual behavior is a complex phenomenon, and the manager may not be able to figure out why the employee is not motivated and how to change the behavior. Thus, also motivation plays a vital role since it might influence negatively performance and because of its intangible nature.http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/job-performance-and-satisfaction-53672.htm 2.4 The elements of a job that create job satisfaction Flexible work arrangements, possibly including telecommuting Training and other professional growth opportunities Interesting work that offers variety and challenge and allows the worker opportunities to put his or her signature on the finished product Opportunities to use ones talents and to be creative Opportunities to take responsibility and direct ones own work A stable, secure work environment that includes job security/continuity An environment in which workers are supported by an accessible supervisor who provides timely feedback as well as congenial team members Flexible benefits, such as child-care and exercise facilities Up-to-date technology Competitive salary and opportunities for promotion http://www.answers.com/topic/job-satisfaction 2.5 Workers Roles in Job Satisfaction If job satisfaction is a worker benefit, surely the worker must be able to contribute to his or her own satisfaction and well-being on the job. The following suggestions can help a worker find personal job satisfaction: Seek opportunities to demonstrate skills and talents. This often leads to more challenging work and greater responsibilities, with attendant increases in pay and other recognition. Develop excellent communication skills. Employerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s value and reward excellent reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills. Know more. Acquire new job-related knowledge that helps you to perform tasks more efficiently and effectively. This will relieve boredom and often gets one noticed. Demonstrate creativity and initiative. Qualities like these are valued by most organizations and often result in recognition as well as in increased responsibilities and rewards. Develop teamwork and people skills. A large part of job success is the ability to work well with others to get the job done. Accept the diversity in people. Accept people with their differences and their imperfections and learn how to give and receive criticism constructively. See the value in your work. Appreciating the significance of what one does can lead to satisfaction with the work itself. This helps to give meaning to ones existence, thus playing a vital role in job satisfaction. Learn to de-stress. Plan to avoid burnout by developing healthy stress-management techniques. http://www.answers.com/topic/job-satisfaction Employee engagement:   Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The achievement of business goals and financial returns is increasingly dependent on delivery by front-line employees. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Engagementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ has been described as a combination of commitment and organisational citizenship. There is no shortage of evidence about people management policies and practices that contribute to building employee engagement. They include: Employee voice: Managers are much more convinced than they were a decade ago that involvement produces business benefits. This is confirmed by the range of methods for direct communication and recognising individual employee contribution that HR departments now implement and operate. Teamworking: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Training, teamworking, supervisors trained in employee relation matters and problem-solving groups are all associated with one another. In combination, this group of practices might be construed as a model of direct employee participation in decision-making. Work-life ba lance: Policies on work-life balance are being used by employers to underpin positive workplace behaviours. Our various surveys of employee attitudes, for example Guest and Conway5, have underlined the link between work-life balance, commitment and performance, and there is strong support by employers for the current legislation giving employees the right to request flexible workingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htm HR and employee relation: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Communication is the glue that makes policies real and without which they are ineffective. The fact that communication is necessarily a two-way process, involving dialogue rather than simply instruction, is well established. Yet many organisations perform badly in this area, failing to give communication the priority it deserves. Getting communication right involves both professionalism and persistence. The qualities required include focusing on positive behaviours and outcomes, taking a positive, problem-solving approach, anticipating problems, recommending solutions and being able to offer sound advice to senior managers about implementation. Negotiating skills are still useful but needed less often. A much wider area of knowledge is now required, along with the skills to apply it, including surveying and interpreting employee attitudes, communications and conflict management. Most important is the ability to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"fità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ policies and practices to suit the organisationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s goals and the character of its workforce. http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htm Value of employee relation: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“To a considerable extent, it is only in the public sector that trade unions retain a measure of their former strength and influence in the workplace. This is partly through the existence of institutions of collective consultation, reinforced by continued reliance in many cases on industry-level bargaining and the public policy emphasis on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"partnershipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Union influence in the private sector, on the other hand, continues to decline. The main areas of the private sector where industrial disputes are still experienced from time to time, for example, public transport, are those where thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a clear public or political interest and/or the Government is seen as the ultimate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"bankerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Employee relationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ as a term remains ambiguous, with no clear boundaries. Most HR people donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t use the term on an everyday basis. It is not calculated to help manage rs focus on what they need to know and do to increase performance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the language has echoes of a historical era that offers few insights into contemporary practice. The traditional academic models of industrial relations have only limited relevance to what managers do today. Employers are in charge and the role of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"joint controlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"rule-makingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ by employers and trade unions has been substantially replaced by employment regulation and organisational values. Employee relations can nevertheless point to an underlying philosophy and attitudes and skills that are still needed by HR practitioners. The current à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"business partnerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ model is helpful in identifying an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"added valueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ framework within which HR practitioners need to operate, but an unreflecting business focus may lead to a neglect of the softer skills, which are essential to managing the em ployment relationship, and of employee interests and influence. Employers also need HR managers with a positive, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"can doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ attitude who will resist the temptation to adopt a defensive or compliance-led HR culture. Commitment and engagement are crucial to performance but they are not consistently high enough in the hierarchy of line management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" or, often, HR à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" priorities. The Employee Information and Consultation Regulations may be helpful in raising the profile of employee voice and involvement, but the WERS 20042 findings give little basis for optimism that this will happen. More effort needs to be put into training and supporting line managers in, for example, teamworking and change management as the basis for establishing and maintaining motivation and commitment, which is a critical role for employee relations managers. Issues about à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"alignmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ of HR and business strategies have mostl y to be resolved within this area. There is too much focus within organisations on strategy formulation and planning, and not enough on implementation and delivery. Managing the employment relationship rests heavily on the shoulders of line managers, but their competence in this area is, in general, seriously neglected. The concept of engagement is helpful in promoting wider interest in the measurement of HR outputs, including through the widespread use of employee attitudes surveys and in performance management/appraisalsystemsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htm Maintaining employee relation: Good employee relations means you create an environment which delivers what people want today. They want to feel good about who they are, what they do and where they work. Although there is probably an endless list of opinions as to what employees want today, here are 10 that are important as you consider building an employee relations program for your business: Employees want to be comfortable with what their employer stands for. Social psychology research indicates the chances of success are much greater for your organization if you have a clearly defined vision that all your people can follow. In some organizations, this is also referred to as a mission statement. Does your organization, department or division have one? Use it as a part of your employee relations strategy to ensure that your employees are comfortable with what your business is about. Employees want to identify with corporate principles. Today employees are very opinionated about the moral and ethical issues in business today. They care about such things as employee privacy and employee rights. By having a set of guiding principles, and following these principles, your organization creates a framework within which to develop principle-centered policies and procedures or make principle-centered decisions regarding difficult employment related issues. Employees want to know their employer cares about their opinions and concerns. If youre going to create a good employee relations program, you need to have a mechanism for finding out what your employees care about, what they are concerned about, what they think of you as an employer. Conduct employee opinion surveys. http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/1998/03/30/focus4.html Chapter: 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 RESEARCH METHODS Research methods can be qualitative, quantitative or both (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000). The selection of the particular research method depends on the kind of information required. Qualitative method collects, analyzes, and interprets data that cannot be meaningfully quantified, that is, summarized in the form of numbers. For this reason, qualitative method is sometimes referred to as soft research method. Any research using non-structured questioning or observation techniques can be labeled qualitative research. Qualitative method typically studies relatively few respondents or units. In other words, a research of a large, representative sample would normally not be called qualitative research method even if it used some non-structured questions or observations. The non-structured and small-sample features of qualitative research techniques have an important implication. They are intended to provide initial insights, ideas, or understanding about a problem, not to recommend a final c ourse of action. Therefore, qualitative research techniques are most appropriate in situations calling for exploratory research. Quantitative research method, in contrast, is characterized by more structure and larger, more representative respondent samples. Consequently, the logical place for quantitative research techniques (usually in the form of large-scale questionnaire surveys or structured observations) is in conclusive studies. A primary role of qualitative research method is to generate hunches or hypotheses. In contrast, each of the situations under quantitative research calls for very specific data, capable of suggesting a final course of action (Parasuraman, et al. 2004). The above description suggests us that qualitative research method is a soft approach in which collected and identified data or information cannot be meaningfully quantified and more importantly in this approach non-structured research is conducted; but so far as quantitative research method is concerned, in this approach structured research is conducted with approaching larger respondents and the collected data can be meaningfully quantified. This research is qualitative based so required qualitative data to achieve the aims and objectives of the research, therefore qualitative research approach has been applied to conduct this research. 3.2 DATA COLLECTION Research data can be collected either in the form of secondary or primary or both (Clark et al, 2003). In this research both primary and secondary data were collected considering the aims and objectives of the research. 3.2.1 SECONDARY DATA: Secondary Data usually factual information can be obtained through secondary data, that have already been collected from other sources and are readily available from those sources (Parasuraman, et al. 2004). The definition and characteristics of secondary data presented above suggest us that secondary data are data that have already been collected for purpose other than the problem in hand. Before detailing as how and what secondary data were collected in this research, in would be worth to examine the advantages and disadvantages of such data. Secondary data are easily accessible, relatively inexpensive, and quickly obtained. Some secondary data, are available on topics where it would not be feasible for a firm to collect primary data. Although it is rare for secondary data to provide all the answers to a non-routine research problem, such data can be useful in a variety of ways (Kotabe, 2002). Secondary data can help: Identify the problem, better define the problem, develop an approach to the problem, formulate an appropriate research design (for example, by identifying the key variables), answer certain research questions and test some hypotheses and interpret primary data more insightfully. Because secondary data have been collected for purposes other than the problem at hand, their usefulness to the current problem may be limited in several important ways, including relevance and accuracy. The objectives, nature, and methods used to collect the secondary data may not be appropriate to the present situation. Also, secon dary data may be lacking in accuracy, or they may not be completely current or dependable. Before using secondary data, it is important to evaluate them on these factors (Malhotra, 2004). Although so many disadvantages are associated with the secondary data, but such data were found useful in this research as identifying and defining the problem, and developing research objectives. The secondary data in the this research is in the form of literature review. The various sources of secondary data in this research were: books, journals, periodicals, newspapers and magazines and websites. 3.2.2 PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION Primary data is collected for the specific purpose of addressing the problem at hand. The collection of primary data involves various steps. Thus obtaining primary data can be expensive and time consuming (Malhotra, 2004). These suggest that primary data are those data that are collected for the particular purpose of research in hand. The disadvantage of collecting primary data is that it is lengthy and resource and time consuming process (in comparison of secondary data), but the advantage of primary data is that they are first hand information and comparatively more reliable (than secondary data). Primary data can be collected from various sources and methods that are case studies, observation, questionnaire survey and interview (Clark et al, 2003). In this research questionnaire survey method was applied in order to collect primary data. Designing questionnaires may appear to be simple, especially to those who have not designed one before. After all, you may think, once you have a clear notion of the information desired, it should be easy to formulate appropriate questions and arrange them in the form of an instrument (Parasuraman, 2004). Primary data collection approach adopted in this research: Sampling technique: Author has followed convenient sampling technique and chosen sample hotel based on the same technique. This technique involves choice of hotel which easily accessible by the author. Sample: samples were based on Delhi based 5 star hotels. Sample size: Tools used in primary data collection: Author followed questionnaire technique to collect the data from the samples, in some cases author went to the sample hotel and met with the person concerned for this research but in many cases author referred telephonic talk and get the questionnaire filled over the phone. 3.3 DATA ANALYSIS Before analyzing a data set using sophisticated techniques, a researcher should get a feeling for what the data are like. The purpose of preliminary data analysis is to reveal features of the basic composition of the data collected. It can also provide useful insights pertaining to the research objectives and suggest meaningful approaches for further analysis of the data. Preliminary data analysis examines the central tendency(mean) and the dispersion of the data on each variable in the data set. The measurement level of a variable that is, whether the variable is nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio has a bearing on which measures of central tendency and dispersion will be appropriate for it (Parasuraman, 2004). In accordance with the above prescription of data analysis, firstly all the collected data were coded and arranged in a systematic manner and then analysed in accordance with the objectives of the research to reach the conclusions after comparing secondary and primary data. Author has followed tabulation of data and use of percentage technique to find out average of the response and based on the same conclusion has been drawn. 3.4 LIMITATIONS Due to limited time and resources, the author had to downsize his plan on various fronts. Firstly, getting an appointment with the respondents was not easy as in some cases because they had tight schedule in their professional activities, whereas some were found unwilling to response. Secondly, due to provided limited time, the author could not get filled the questionnaire face-to-face or personally from the respondents, and thus in many cases the author had to satisfy with telephonic conversation for filling the questionnaire. Chapetr 4 FINDING AND ANALYSIS Question no-1-Do you feel that employee relation has importance in hotel industry? Answer no-1- ( ) YES ( ) NO OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE YES 10 100 NO 0 In the above response collected, it is visible that 100% of the employees said that good employee relation has significance in hotel Industry. Question no-2-Good employee relation leads to employee motivation. Answer no-2- ( ) TRUE ( ) FALSE OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE TRUE 10 100 FALSE 0 Above tabulation shows that all the 10 respondents said that good employee relation is motivating factor for the restaurant staff and leads to employee performance. Question no-3-Employees can compensated with other motivating factor with good relation? Answer no-3- ( ) AGREE ( ) DIS AGREE à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å" OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE AGREE 9 90 DIS AGREE 1 10 90% of the staff working in the hotel restaurant agree that employee motivation can be compensated with good employee relation due to the good relationship of the staff with the employer helps this help motivating employees. Due to good relation employee may be happy with differed financial benefits. Question no-4- Do you feel that Employees always want to be appreciated for job done? Answer no-4- ( ) TRUE ( ) FALSE OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE TRUE 7 70 FALSE 3 30 70% of them have said that the above statement is true as, employees want to be appreciated and recognized for a job done, and rest of them (30%) have said that this statement is false. Question no-5- Do you think reward based work promotes the team spirit among employees? Answer no-5- ( ) AGREE ( ) DISAGREE OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE AGREE 4 40 DIS AGREE 6 60 above table shows that reward does not lead to team spirit among the employees. Here author would like to say that it is very much clear that individual performance may go up by introduction of reward but integration of efforts can not be achieved with reward. So author would like to highlight that it is the relation among peer and employer that promote employee satisfaction and so overall there will be enhancement in the performance of entire employee as a team. Question no-6- Do you think gap between organizational objective and individual due to communication may lead to employee dissatisfaction and hence lower performance? Answer no-6- ( ) YES ( ) NO OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE AGREE 100 100 DIS AGREE 00 00 Here this response reveals that there should not be communication gap between employee and employer because this is also a reason of employee dissatisfaction. Employee actually want to know the overall direction of the organization failing which there is rise in reluctance and less performance. So this communication gap is part of good relation if there is gap means there is no good relation between employer and employee so again it is proved that good relation leading to positive impact. Question no-7-what you feel about relation between communication gap between employer and employee leads to low performance and motivation of employees? Answer no-7- ( ) TRUE ( ) FALSE Above table shows that 90% of the staff of the hotels are agree and having the same belief that communication gap increases employee de-motivation hence lower performance of employees. Chapter 5 CONCLUSION In order to conclude the topic author would like to mention the aim and objectives of this research which author had established at the starting of this research. Objectives: To explore the ingredients of good employee relation To explore the ingredients of employee performance To explore good relation of employee as an factor of motivation. To find out the impact of good employee relation on employee performance 1.2.3 Research Questions: R.Q.1 What are the basis of good relation? R.Q.2 What are the basis of employee performance? R.Q.3 How good relation of employee have positive impact on employee performance? Based on the research conducted by author now at this stage author have been comparing what was to achieved and what have been achieved then author found there is no variance in the research objectives and all the steps of research till conclusion. All the aspects have been recognized and evaluated. Based on the primary research conducted by the author it is very much clear that it is the good relation between employer and employee or peer group that leads to feeling of team work and overall performance of employees goes up that Influence of Employee Relations on Work Performance Influence of Employee Relations on Work Performance This research is based on the assumption that it is the good relation with staff factor that leads to increase staff performance in the service department of hotel industry. Both the variables are very important in hotel industry. Staff performance is key to success for the hospitality organizations because hospitality organization is labor intensive industry so it becomes very important to focus on those factors that motivate employees for the work and to deliver their best to the organization. There are many factors that influence employee and work of employees. Relation with employee is one of them. Employee motivation may relate with money, position in the organization, future perspective, but relation with the peer group and boss is foremost factor that have direct impact on employee performance. Good employee relation means creation of congenial environment that retain the motivation of employees and keep motivating them for their commitments towards the organization. 1.2 AIM AND OBJECTIVES / RESEARCH QUESTIONS / HYPOTHESIS: 1.2.1 Aim of this research: aim of this research is to find out the influence of good employee relation on work performance of an employees, with special reference to restaurant service staff of hotel industry. 1.2.2 Objectives: To explore the ingredients of good employee relation To explore the ingredients of employee performance To explore good relation of employee as an factor of motivation. To find out the impact of good employee relation on employee performance 1.2.3 Research Questions: R.Q.1 What are the basis of good relation? R.Q.2 What are the basis of employee performance? R.Q.3 How good relation of employee have positive impact on employee performance? 1.3 RATIONAL: Author believes that employee relation is very important as an motivating factor, and employee performance is also very important for the development of an organization and in achieving organizational goal. This philosophy is very much important in the hospitality industry because hospitality industry is guest based business and employees are the only factor that brings guest satisfaction. So keep employee happy should be the right slogan for human resource department of the hotel and concerned functional department too. This is the thinking behind choice of this topic. 1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION: This research work is having many sections. Author is giving brief introduction and the sequence of the chapters. Chapter two is based on secondary research and placed just after this chapter, after that third chapter is on methodology and fourth is on depth analysis of the questions of the questionnaire and after that fifth chapter is containing conclusion of the research. After conclusion there is list of references followed by appendix section. Chapter2 Literature Review 2.1 What is employee relations? Employee relation or industrial relation is basically relation between employees and employer collectively. In this research author has established aim and objective which basically focus on impact of good employee relation on employee performance. Author is presenting this section as secondary research which is conducted through many books and websites. There are many variables of this research topic such as employee relation and its basis, employee performance and its basis, so all the related areas are also explored in this section of the research so that a valid conclusion can be drawn at the end of this section which would be conclusion based on secondary research. 2.2 Employee relation: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Employee relations can be seen primarily as a skill-set or a philosophy, rather than as a management function or well-defined area of activity. Despite well-publicised instances of industrial action, the emphasis of employee relations continues to shift from collective institutions, such as trade unions and collective bargaining, to the relationship with individual employees. The ideas of employee voice and the psychological contract have been accepted by employers and reflected in their employee relations policies and aspirations. Employee relations skills and competencies are still seen by employers as critical to achieving performance benefits through a focus on employee involvement, commitment and engagement. Employee relations is seen as strategic in terms of managing business risk: both the downside risk of non-compliance with an expanded body of employment law, and the upside risk of failing to deliver maximum business performanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. http://www.cipd.c o.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htm 2.3 Job Satisfaction and Job performance: To understand the nature of job satisfaction and its effects on work performance is not easy. For at least 50 years industrial/organizational psychologists have been wrestling with the question of the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance. Researchers have put a considerable amount of effort into attempts to demonstrate that the two are positively related in a particular fashion: a happy worker is a good worker. Although this sounds like a very appealing idea, the results of empirical literature are too mixed to support the hypothesis that job satisfaction leads to better performance or even that there is a reliable positive correlation between these two variables. On the other hand some researchers argue that the results are equally inconclusive with respect to the hypothesis that there is no such relationship. As a result of this ambiguity, this relationship continues to stimulate research and re-examination of previous attempts. This paper strives to describe t he relation of job satisfaction and performance, keeping in mind the value this relation has for organizations. http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/job-performance-and-satisfaction-53672.htm Job satisfaction is a complex and multifaceted concept, which can mean different things to different people. Job satisfaction is usually linked with motivation, but the nature of this relationship is not clear. Satisfaction is not the same as motivation. Job satisfaction is more an attitude, an internal state. It could, for example, be associated with a personal feeling of achievement, either quantitative or qualitative. In recent years attention to job satisfaction has become more closely associated with broader approaches to improved job design and work organization, and the quality of working life movement. The relationship between job satisfaction and performance is an issue of continuing debate and controversy. One view, associated with the early human relations approach, is that satisfaction leads to performance. An alternative view is that performance leads to satisfaction. However, a variety of studies suggest that research has found only a limited relationship between satisf action and work output and offer scant comfort to those seeking to confirm that a satisfied worker is also a productive one. Labor turnover and absenteeism are commonly associated with dissatisfaction, but although there may be some correlation, there are many other possible factors. No universal generalizations about worker dissatisfaction exist, to offer easy management solutions to problems of turnover and absenteeism. The study suggests that it is primarily in the realm of job design, where opportunity resides for a constructive improvement of the workers satisfaction level. Individual performance is generally determined by three factors. Motivation, the desire to do the job, ability, the capability to do the job, and the work environment, the tools, materials, and information needed to do the job. If an employee lacks ability, the manager can provide training or replace the worker. If there is an environmental problem, the manager can also usually make adjustments to promote hi gher performance. But if motivation is the problem, the managers task is more challenging. Individual behavior is a complex phenomenon, and the manager may not be able to figure out why the employee is not motivated and how to change the behavior. Thus, also motivation plays a vital role since it might influence negatively performance and because of its intangible nature.http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/job-performance-and-satisfaction-53672.htm 2.4 The elements of a job that create job satisfaction Flexible work arrangements, possibly including telecommuting Training and other professional growth opportunities Interesting work that offers variety and challenge and allows the worker opportunities to put his or her signature on the finished product Opportunities to use ones talents and to be creative Opportunities to take responsibility and direct ones own work A stable, secure work environment that includes job security/continuity An environment in which workers are supported by an accessible supervisor who provides timely feedback as well as congenial team members Flexible benefits, such as child-care and exercise facilities Up-to-date technology Competitive salary and opportunities for promotion http://www.answers.com/topic/job-satisfaction 2.5 Workers Roles in Job Satisfaction If job satisfaction is a worker benefit, surely the worker must be able to contribute to his or her own satisfaction and well-being on the job. The following suggestions can help a worker find personal job satisfaction: Seek opportunities to demonstrate skills and talents. This often leads to more challenging work and greater responsibilities, with attendant increases in pay and other recognition. Develop excellent communication skills. Employerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s value and reward excellent reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills. Know more. Acquire new job-related knowledge that helps you to perform tasks more efficiently and effectively. This will relieve boredom and often gets one noticed. Demonstrate creativity and initiative. Qualities like these are valued by most organizations and often result in recognition as well as in increased responsibilities and rewards. Develop teamwork and people skills. A large part of job success is the ability to work well with others to get the job done. Accept the diversity in people. Accept people with their differences and their imperfections and learn how to give and receive criticism constructively. See the value in your work. Appreciating the significance of what one does can lead to satisfaction with the work itself. This helps to give meaning to ones existence, thus playing a vital role in job satisfaction. Learn to de-stress. Plan to avoid burnout by developing healthy stress-management techniques. http://www.answers.com/topic/job-satisfaction Employee engagement:   Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The achievement of business goals and financial returns is increasingly dependent on delivery by front-line employees. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Engagementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ has been described as a combination of commitment and organisational citizenship. There is no shortage of evidence about people management policies and practices that contribute to building employee engagement. They include: Employee voice: Managers are much more convinced than they were a decade ago that involvement produces business benefits. This is confirmed by the range of methods for direct communication and recognising individual employee contribution that HR departments now implement and operate. Teamworking: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Training, teamworking, supervisors trained in employee relation matters and problem-solving groups are all associated with one another. In combination, this group of practices might be construed as a model of direct employee participation in decision-making. Work-life ba lance: Policies on work-life balance are being used by employers to underpin positive workplace behaviours. Our various surveys of employee attitudes, for example Guest and Conway5, have underlined the link between work-life balance, commitment and performance, and there is strong support by employers for the current legislation giving employees the right to request flexible workingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htm HR and employee relation: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Communication is the glue that makes policies real and without which they are ineffective. The fact that communication is necessarily a two-way process, involving dialogue rather than simply instruction, is well established. Yet many organisations perform badly in this area, failing to give communication the priority it deserves. Getting communication right involves both professionalism and persistence. The qualities required include focusing on positive behaviours and outcomes, taking a positive, problem-solving approach, anticipating problems, recommending solutions and being able to offer sound advice to senior managers about implementation. Negotiating skills are still useful but needed less often. A much wider area of knowledge is now required, along with the skills to apply it, including surveying and interpreting employee attitudes, communications and conflict management. Most important is the ability to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"fità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ policies and practices to suit the organisationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s goals and the character of its workforce. http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htm Value of employee relation: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“To a considerable extent, it is only in the public sector that trade unions retain a measure of their former strength and influence in the workplace. This is partly through the existence of institutions of collective consultation, reinforced by continued reliance in many cases on industry-level bargaining and the public policy emphasis on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"partnershipà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Union influence in the private sector, on the other hand, continues to decline. The main areas of the private sector where industrial disputes are still experienced from time to time, for example, public transport, are those where thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a clear public or political interest and/or the Government is seen as the ultimate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"bankerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Employee relationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ as a term remains ambiguous, with no clear boundaries. Most HR people donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t use the term on an everyday basis. It is not calculated to help manage rs focus on what they need to know and do to increase performance à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" the language has echoes of a historical era that offers few insights into contemporary practice. The traditional academic models of industrial relations have only limited relevance to what managers do today. Employers are in charge and the role of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"joint controlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"rule-makingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ by employers and trade unions has been substantially replaced by employment regulation and organisational values. Employee relations can nevertheless point to an underlying philosophy and attitudes and skills that are still needed by HR practitioners. The current à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"business partnerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ model is helpful in identifying an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"added valueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ framework within which HR practitioners need to operate, but an unreflecting business focus may lead to a neglect of the softer skills, which are essential to managing the em ployment relationship, and of employee interests and influence. Employers also need HR managers with a positive, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"can doà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ attitude who will resist the temptation to adopt a defensive or compliance-led HR culture. Commitment and engagement are crucial to performance but they are not consistently high enough in the hierarchy of line management à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" or, often, HR à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" priorities. The Employee Information and Consultation Regulations may be helpful in raising the profile of employee voice and involvement, but the WERS 20042 findings give little basis for optimism that this will happen. More effort needs to be put into training and supporting line managers in, for example, teamworking and change management as the basis for establishing and maintaining motivation and commitment, which is a critical role for employee relations managers. Issues about à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"alignmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ of HR and business strategies have mostl y to be resolved within this area. There is too much focus within organisations on strategy formulation and planning, and not enough on implementation and delivery. Managing the employment relationship rests heavily on the shoulders of line managers, but their competence in this area is, in general, seriously neglected. The concept of engagement is helpful in promoting wider interest in the measurement of HR outputs, including through the widespread use of employee attitudes surveys and in performance management/appraisalsystemsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htm Maintaining employee relation: Good employee relations means you create an environment which delivers what people want today. They want to feel good about who they are, what they do and where they work. Although there is probably an endless list of opinions as to what employees want today, here are 10 that are important as you consider building an employee relations program for your business: Employees want to be comfortable with what their employer stands for. Social psychology research indicates the chances of success are much greater for your organization if you have a clearly defined vision that all your people can follow. In some organizations, this is also referred to as a mission statement. Does your organization, department or division have one? Use it as a part of your employee relations strategy to ensure that your employees are comfortable with what your business is about. Employees want to identify with corporate principles. Today employees are very opinionated about the moral and ethical issues in business today. They care about such things as employee privacy and employee rights. By having a set of guiding principles, and following these principles, your organization creates a framework within which to develop principle-centered policies and procedures or make principle-centered decisions regarding difficult employment related issues. Employees want to know their employer cares about their opinions and concerns. If youre going to create a good employee relations program, you need to have a mechanism for finding out what your employees care about, what they are concerned about, what they think of you as an employer. Conduct employee opinion surveys. http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/1998/03/30/focus4.html Chapter: 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 RESEARCH METHODS Research methods can be qualitative, quantitative or both (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000). The selection of the particular research method depends on the kind of information required. Qualitative method collects, analyzes, and interprets data that cannot be meaningfully quantified, that is, summarized in the form of numbers. For this reason, qualitative method is sometimes referred to as soft research method. Any research using non-structured questioning or observation techniques can be labeled qualitative research. Qualitative method typically studies relatively few respondents or units. In other words, a research of a large, representative sample would normally not be called qualitative research method even if it used some non-structured questions or observations. The non-structured and small-sample features of qualitative research techniques have an important implication. They are intended to provide initial insights, ideas, or understanding about a problem, not to recommend a final c ourse of action. Therefore, qualitative research techniques are most appropriate in situations calling for exploratory research. Quantitative research method, in contrast, is characterized by more structure and larger, more representative respondent samples. Consequently, the logical place for quantitative research techniques (usually in the form of large-scale questionnaire surveys or structured observations) is in conclusive studies. A primary role of qualitative research method is to generate hunches or hypotheses. In contrast, each of the situations under quantitative research calls for very specific data, capable of suggesting a final course of action (Parasuraman, et al. 2004). The above description suggests us that qualitative research method is a soft approach in which collected and identified data or information cannot be meaningfully quantified and more importantly in this approach non-structured research is conducted; but so far as quantitative research method is concerned, in this approach structured research is conducted with approaching larger respondents and the collected data can be meaningfully quantified. This research is qualitative based so required qualitative data to achieve the aims and objectives of the research, therefore qualitative research approach has been applied to conduct this research. 3.2 DATA COLLECTION Research data can be collected either in the form of secondary or primary or both (Clark et al, 2003). In this research both primary and secondary data were collected considering the aims and objectives of the research. 3.2.1 SECONDARY DATA: Secondary Data usually factual information can be obtained through secondary data, that have already been collected from other sources and are readily available from those sources (Parasuraman, et al. 2004). The definition and characteristics of secondary data presented above suggest us that secondary data are data that have already been collected for purpose other than the problem in hand. Before detailing as how and what secondary data were collected in this research, in would be worth to examine the advantages and disadvantages of such data. Secondary data are easily accessible, relatively inexpensive, and quickly obtained. Some secondary data, are available on topics where it would not be feasible for a firm to collect primary data. Although it is rare for secondary data to provide all the answers to a non-routine research problem, such data can be useful in a variety of ways (Kotabe, 2002). Secondary data can help: Identify the problem, better define the problem, develop an approach to the problem, formulate an appropriate research design (for example, by identifying the key variables), answer certain research questions and test some hypotheses and interpret primary data more insightfully. Because secondary data have been collected for purposes other than the problem at hand, their usefulness to the current problem may be limited in several important ways, including relevance and accuracy. The objectives, nature, and methods used to collect the secondary data may not be appropriate to the present situation. Also, secon dary data may be lacking in accuracy, or they may not be completely current or dependable. Before using secondary data, it is important to evaluate them on these factors (Malhotra, 2004). Although so many disadvantages are associated with the secondary data, but such data were found useful in this research as identifying and defining the problem, and developing research objectives. The secondary data in the this research is in the form of literature review. The various sources of secondary data in this research were: books, journals, periodicals, newspapers and magazines and websites. 3.2.2 PRIMARY DATA COLLECTION Primary data is collected for the specific purpose of addressing the problem at hand. The collection of primary data involves various steps. Thus obtaining primary data can be expensive and time consuming (Malhotra, 2004). These suggest that primary data are those data that are collected for the particular purpose of research in hand. The disadvantage of collecting primary data is that it is lengthy and resource and time consuming process (in comparison of secondary data), but the advantage of primary data is that they are first hand information and comparatively more reliable (than secondary data). Primary data can be collected from various sources and methods that are case studies, observation, questionnaire survey and interview (Clark et al, 2003). In this research questionnaire survey method was applied in order to collect primary data. Designing questionnaires may appear to be simple, especially to those who have not designed one before. After all, you may think, once you have a clear notion of the information desired, it should be easy to formulate appropriate questions and arrange them in the form of an instrument (Parasuraman, 2004). Primary data collection approach adopted in this research: Sampling technique: Author has followed convenient sampling technique and chosen sample hotel based on the same technique. This technique involves choice of hotel which easily accessible by the author. Sample: samples were based on Delhi based 5 star hotels. Sample size: Tools used in primary data collection: Author followed questionnaire technique to collect the data from the samples, in some cases author went to the sample hotel and met with the person concerned for this research but in many cases author referred telephonic talk and get the questionnaire filled over the phone. 3.3 DATA ANALYSIS Before analyzing a data set using sophisticated techniques, a researcher should get a feeling for what the data are like. The purpose of preliminary data analysis is to reveal features of the basic composition of the data collected. It can also provide useful insights pertaining to the research objectives and suggest meaningful approaches for further analysis of the data. Preliminary data analysis examines the central tendency(mean) and the dispersion of the data on each variable in the data set. The measurement level of a variable that is, whether the variable is nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio has a bearing on which measures of central tendency and dispersion will be appropriate for it (Parasuraman, 2004). In accordance with the above prescription of data analysis, firstly all the collected data were coded and arranged in a systematic manner and then analysed in accordance with the objectives of the research to reach the conclusions after comparing secondary and primary data. Author has followed tabulation of data and use of percentage technique to find out average of the response and based on the same conclusion has been drawn. 3.4 LIMITATIONS Due to limited time and resources, the author had to downsize his plan on various fronts. Firstly, getting an appointment with the respondents was not easy as in some cases because they had tight schedule in their professional activities, whereas some were found unwilling to response. Secondly, due to provided limited time, the author could not get filled the questionnaire face-to-face or personally from the respondents, and thus in many cases the author had to satisfy with telephonic conversation for filling the questionnaire. Chapetr 4 FINDING AND ANALYSIS Question no-1-Do you feel that employee relation has importance in hotel industry? Answer no-1- ( ) YES ( ) NO OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE YES 10 100 NO 0 In the above response collected, it is visible that 100% of the employees said that good employee relation has significance in hotel Industry. Question no-2-Good employee relation leads to employee motivation. Answer no-2- ( ) TRUE ( ) FALSE OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE TRUE 10 100 FALSE 0 Above tabulation shows that all the 10 respondents said that good employee relation is motivating factor for the restaurant staff and leads to employee performance. Question no-3-Employees can compensated with other motivating factor with good relation? Answer no-3- ( ) AGREE ( ) DIS AGREE à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å" OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE AGREE 9 90 DIS AGREE 1 10 90% of the staff working in the hotel restaurant agree that employee motivation can be compensated with good employee relation due to the good relationship of the staff with the employer helps this help motivating employees. Due to good relation employee may be happy with differed financial benefits. Question no-4- Do you feel that Employees always want to be appreciated for job done? Answer no-4- ( ) TRUE ( ) FALSE OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE TRUE 7 70 FALSE 3 30 70% of them have said that the above statement is true as, employees want to be appreciated and recognized for a job done, and rest of them (30%) have said that this statement is false. Question no-5- Do you think reward based work promotes the team spirit among employees? Answer no-5- ( ) AGREE ( ) DISAGREE OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE AGREE 4 40 DIS AGREE 6 60 above table shows that reward does not lead to team spirit among the employees. Here author would like to say that it is very much clear that individual performance may go up by introduction of reward but integration of efforts can not be achieved with reward. So author would like to highlight that it is the relation among peer and employer that promote employee satisfaction and so overall there will be enhancement in the performance of entire employee as a team. Question no-6- Do you think gap between organizational objective and individual due to communication may lead to employee dissatisfaction and hence lower performance? Answer no-6- ( ) YES ( ) NO OPTIONS RESPONSE PERCENTAGE AGREE 100 100 DIS AGREE 00 00 Here this response reveals that there should not be communication gap between employee and employer because this is also a reason of employee dissatisfaction. Employee actually want to know the overall direction of the organization failing which there is rise in reluctance and less performance. So this communication gap is part of good relation if there is gap means there is no good relation between employer and employee so again it is proved that good relation leading to positive impact. Question no-7-what you feel about relation between communication gap between employer and employee leads to low performance and motivation of employees? Answer no-7- ( ) TRUE ( ) FALSE Above table shows that 90% of the staff of the hotels are agree and having the same belief that communication gap increases employee de-motivation hence lower performance of employees. Chapter 5 CONCLUSION In order to conclude the topic author would like to mention the aim and objectives of this research which author had established at the starting of this research. Objectives: To explore the ingredients of good employee relation To explore the ingredients of employee performance To explore good relation of employee as an factor of motivation. To find out the impact of good employee relation on employee performance 1.2.3 Research Questions: R.Q.1 What are the basis of good relation? R.Q.2 What are the basis of employee performance? R.Q.3 How good relation of employee have positive impact on employee performance? Based on the research conducted by author now at this stage author have been comparing what was to achieved and what have been achieved then author found there is no variance in the research objectives and all the steps of research till conclusion. All the aspects have been recognized and evaluated. Based on the primary research conducted by the author it is very much clear that it is the good relation between employer and employee or peer group that leads to feeling of team work and overall performance of employees goes up that

Romanticisam And Washington Irving :: Writer Author Irving

Romantic stories did not always end with a happy ending. In fact, the originals of the modern romantic stories were about the evil of human nature. The work of early American writers like Irving and Poe show the influence of European Romanticism. Irving would stress on nature, the supernatural, and superstitions in his stories. The supernatural, the emphasis of nature, and exotic locations were used in Poe's works. Washington Irving would use an emphasis on nature, the supernatural, and superstitions in his stories. His story "The Devil and Tom Walker" pictured nature as mysterious. Tom walked through a swamp that was so thick that when it was noon it would be still be very dark. At times, water logs would look like alligators floating in the water. The supernatural area also played an essential role in the story. The devil, being the supernatural being, seemed to have the ability to trade riches for a person's soul. Tom, having sold his soul, wanted to outsmart the devil by recruiting the help of another supernatural power, God, by carrying a bible. In the end, the devil took his soul and he learned a lesson he cannot forget. Another of Irving's works The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, demonstrates the power than superstition can have over people. Ichabod Crane was a very careful man who avoided walking under ladders, crossing black cats, or tipping over the salt shaker. When Ichabod heard the lege nd of sleepy hollow, he was so frightened even then simplest of noises like cattails beating on a log, scared him. The characteristics of Irving's works have been clearly expressed, thus proving that his works were in fact romantic. The supernatural, the emphasis of nature, and exotic locations were used in Edgar Allan Poe's works. Poe's story "The Fall of the House of Usher" involved the work of the supernatural. Usher was saddened by the loss of his sister to an illness. Strange things begin to happen as the narrator arrives: the outside is filled a strange, ghastly glow and the house seems to come alive. Near the end of the story is when the strangest supernatural thing occurs. The figure of Usher's sister flows through the hallway, takes Usher's life, and destroys the house. The same story has an emphasis of nature in relation to Usher's family. Over the years, the house had become cluttered with plants and fungi.

The Relationship Between Corporations and the Environment

The relationship between corporations and the environment is a tumultuous one. Corporations have abused and violated the environment for generations. These actions have now become unacceptable in our present society. There is growing concern for our natural resources; the world's forests, waterways, and air are noticeably tainted. In the last twenty years, the U. S. has become more vigilant in recognizing and passing acts to attempt to regulate and purify our environment. Between 1938 and 1986, twelve acts regarding business and the environment have been passed. The Food and Drug Administration established the first act in 1938. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act was passed to regulate food and drug additives. The Delaney Clause in 1958 added the prohibition of the sale of foods containing human or animal carcinogens to the original act. The Wilderness Act of 1964 outlawed the development of wilderness areas and gave new procedures for the appointment of new protected areas. In 1969, the National Environment Policy Act created a nation wide environmental policy and the Council on Environmental Quality. A year later, the first legislation passed for the Clean Air Act. It was relegislated in 1977 and again in 1990. This act established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to control the enforcement of air quality standards. In 1972, both the Federal Insecticide and Rodenticide Act and the Clean Water Act were passed. They were relegislated in 1988; and 1977, 1981, and 1987 respectively. FIFRA requires the registration of every pesticide, certification and preconsumer testing. The Clean Water Act established standards for wastewater treatment, sludge management, and set discharge limitation and water quality standards. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 protects animals that are threatened or endangered. Relegislated in 1984, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 standardized the manufacturing, transportation, storage, treatment and dumping of solid and hazardous waste. Also passed in 1976 was the Toxic Substances Control Act, which delegates the EPA control over the assessment of risks involved in chemicals and recordkeeping. 1980 saw the passing of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Recovery Act, which brought liability upon the owners, transporters and sources of hazardous waste, and established the Superfund to help with cleanup costs. The Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act requires companies to publicly disclose all chemical and toxic hazards in their operations. 1 These acts have often left companies feeling as though their hands were tied. The Clean Air Act by 1989 managed to reduce air pollution to two thirds of the 1970's level. The Act achieves this through the use of permits to regulate the construction and production of major sources of pollution. The act specifies that a major source is one that emits 100 tons or more per year. This means that a factory can be built that emits 90 tons of pollution per year with out a permit. A permit is also necessary if you want to increase an existing factory that emits 100 tons by 25 tons. This act has its shortcomings. For example, a university wants to expand its heating plant. The administration has two options either modify the existing plant or build a new plant. The university's heating plant emits 100 tons of pollution, this means that they will need a permit. The modification would normally be more cost effective because it is a smaller job and would not take as much time to accomplish. The practicality of the situation would force the building of a new heating plant that is to be smaller than 100 tons of pollution. The reason for this is the delay, cost and uncertainty of the permitting process, which would drive the over all cost up. It is probable that the modification of the single plant would ultimately produce less pollution that the two separate plants. 2 The SARA, or Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act passed by the government as an addendum to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Recovery Act specifies that companies make public details of their storage and handling techniques. All firms manufacturing 300 specific chemicals must abide by this. Firms with ten or more full time workers must painstakingly report must report all chemicals released routinely. The quantity of the specific chemicals released into water, soil, and air, along with a listing of waste treatment efficiency must be made available to the surrounding community. It is difficult for companies to cite specific waste treatment facilities, for not many true ones exist. The public demands total removal of hazardous wastes and at the same time that the goods be produced with the same efficiency and quality. 3 The Clean Water Act is a system of minimum national standards for the discharge of toxins and hazardous waste into the environment. The rules given call for complicated technical decisions to be made by businesses. The fact that a company must comply with all new standards within a year causes for much loss and payment of fines. These acts do have negative effects upon businesses. However, corporations are finding advantages to environmentally sound procedures. Not only are environmentally friendly policies popular with consumers, but they can also save businesses a great deal of money. As the acts and their socially conscious agenda become more assimilated into the business world, business is working to gain advantage and minimize disadvantages. Many case studies support this idea. Corporations have discovered that they can often use environmental friendly programs and products to produce more profits. An excellent example of this is Ben and Jerry's ice cream company. The company began by making all natural ice cream on a very small scale in Burlington, Vermont in 1978. Natural food held great appeal in Vermont, even before it held nation-wide popularity. Soon, their product became extremely popular. Ben and Jerry's all natural products provided the first benefits of environmental-friendly policies for the company. Later, when two large manufacturing facilities were built in Waterbury and St. Albans Vermont, they decided to treat the waste created form their processing with a prototype solar aquatic treatment system. Like a wetland, the system combines solar energy with plants, algae and microbes to break down wastewater. Three â€Å"green teams† strive to ensure compliance with their priorities of managing their waste, conserving energy, practicing sustainability, finding renewable energy sources and forming environmentally positive community programs. Besides these positive actions, which attract many customers, other environmentally correct actions save Ben and Jerry's money. Instead of sending massive amounts of waste to the landfill, the company implemented procedures that minimize waste and reduce cost simultaneously. Cardboard waste is baled and sold or recycled, which saves the company $17,400 annually. Office employees must follow a recycling program to save energy, cost and trees. $235,000 a year is saved in recycling or reusing plastic buckets. As much as $250,000 a year will be saved from new energy saving devices incorporated by the company. There are environmentally positive aspects in every part of the company which prove Ben and Jerry's to be unhypocritical, for the environmentally friendly image they sell their products. Since their total sales were $97 million in 1991, it seems that this philosophy works and brings about a large customer base. 4 Other companies have found profit through environmentally safe Merck & Co. , a worldwide health product corporation for animals and humans, and specialty chemicals balances profit and responsibility even in the face of SARA. To maintain an inner accordance, Merck runs its operations with the same regard for health and well being that its products have. Merck has declared, â€Å"†¦ our commitment is to conduct our business worldwide in a manner that will protect the environment as well as the health and safety of our employees and the public. â€Å"5 Merck made formal its environmental commitment in 1990. In 1990, the company published a statement giving its environmental policies and goals. The progress toward these objectives was charted through periodic reports in a set five-year period. The objectives set by Merck were specific. The minimization of chemicals released into the atmosphere, in turn harming people, animals, the ozone layer, and causing acid rain and the greenhouse effect was one goal. Research to find new ways to minimize waste and conserve resources was a priority. Reduction of waste generation and self-sufficient waste treatment and disposal were another goal. Energy and resource conservation practices were to be utilized in its research, manufacturing and office facilities. Lastly, resource conservation was to be promoted through innovative product design and recyclable materials. 6 Merck, like all chemical producers, was directly confronted with SARA. Though the company is not forced to reduce emissions, its operation procedures go far above SARA suggestions and Clean Air Act regulations. Voluntarily, the company made a commitment to the EPA to follow these higher standards. Merck specifically vowed to reduce carcinogen air emissions by 90% at the end of 1991. Also, these air emissions were to be eradicated by 1993. Finally, Merck would reduce releases of corporate chemicals by around 90% of all direct releases and material transfers for off site disposal by the end of 1995. Merck had reduced all its worldwide releases of toxic chemicals by 50% from 1987 figures by the end of 1992. 7 The goals focusing on toxic waste processing and reductions were to be achieved through a strategic plan at division and plant levels. Divisions, plants and salaried employees directly or indirectly involved with manufacturing were to implement personal goals to help Merck achieve their overall goals. The eight plants under Merck's manufacturing division, along with the two manufacturing vice-presidents, were each accountable for the reduction and better management of waste in the plants. A central environmental resource staff coordinated and supported the effort. SOurce reduction was the biggest priority, followed by recovery/recycling/reuse, and waste management. Most of Merck's waste is non toxic. The toxic minority consists of primarily ethyl alcohol, acetone and methyl alcohol, used in manufacturing processes. The waste stream is boiled, the purified vapors condensed, and the liquid recollected. 90% is recovered for reuse. The remaining 10% is toxic waste. 8 Packaging components have experienced reduction in the interest of landfill space and resource conservation. Cotton wadding in drug bottles has been eliminated in the US. In Europe, there has been a 10% reduction in aluminum and foil waste. A conversion in Europe to standard blister packaging and high volume carton printing reduces waste and saves money. 9 New and more efficient equipment helps to reduce Merck's waste management problems. By standardizing and improving production, Merck is less likely to encounter problems with the FDA for making drug production changes. Approval for production changes is extremely time and cost consuming. Yield and product quality standards are on the same level as environmental standards. Merck, â€Å"takes responsibility for the total life cycle of materials we use and products we manufacture. â€Å"10 Merck keeps lines of communication open with the public concerning its environmental policies. By working with the Chemical Manufacturers Association's Responsible Care Program, Merck provides information to the public through a 1-800 number. The number is linked directly to Merck, where questions regarding Merck plants are answered. Emergency response systems are in place at factories, and for Merck transports. Literature regarding operations and safety procedures are distributed by Merck to keep the public informed. 11 Merck's environmental commitment extends to its corporate headquarters. Environmental preservation of woodland and wetlands upon the site was the priority. The 900,000 square foot hexagon-shaped building and the 700,000 square foot underground parking garage made a minimal effect upon the land. Awards and recognition were in order for this achievement. Kevin Roche, an architect known for designs that blend into the environment, was chosen for the project. The hexagon building surrounds five acres of forest, roads go over the land, and trees were moved rather than destroyed. They were nurtured in a nursery for as long as three years and then returned to the landscape. Energy saving features were utilized in the main building. All paper waste, the principal waste product, is recycled. 2. 8 tons of waste are produced per day, of which 8 tons are recyclable. 12 Merck has made an agreement with the Costa Rican Instituto Nacional de Biodivarsidad (INBio) to grant a million dollars to catalog the immensely diverse life found in Costa Rico. In exchange, Merck is granted the rights to any new medicines found. If a new medicine is found, the royalties will surpass the cost of the failure of the project. The diversity of Costa Rico is thought by scientists to contain more biodiversity then any other planet on earth. Many unknown animals and plants exist in Costa Rico and have yet to be discovered. Merck is training local people to take samples and perform extractions. INBio will analyze the samples. Merck will evaluate samples for agricultural and pharmaceutical applications. This mutual beneficent relationship will aid both the environment and Merck. 13 By improving their product, cutting their costs, and improving their public image, Merck has made a profit from environmental friendliness. The envirometal centered policy has opened up new markets and gained a competitive advantage. This compliance is expensive, but seems well worth the expenditure for the return. The EPA also has developed incentives in recent years for environmental policy compliance. The Green Lights program gives companies EPA support to drive down lighting usage, which accounts for over 20% of overall electrical costs. Software, financing information, lighting product consumer reporting is provided free of charge. Public recognition is given through public service ads, news articles, marketing materials, broadcast specials and videotapes. Computer manufacturers who install automatic â€Å"power down† on their computers join the Energy Star program endorsed by the EPA. Consumers and businesses look specifically for this symbol in many cases, causing a gain for the computer manufacturer. Variable Speed Drives for heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems save 40% or more efficiency. The EPA has formed a special group buy to make them more affordable. Payback is within three years. Plans are on the board to endorse other â€Å"green† technologies this way. Refrigerators that are produced and function 30-50% more energy efficient then 1993 standards will receive a rebate. These are just a few incentives the EPA is providing. 14 Government and business have often debated over policies and laws. In the case of laws governing business practices and their effects on the environment, this holds true. The balance between being environmentally safe and still producing the quality and quantities needed is delicate. However, today's market makes environmental friendliness sellable, and the procedures involved often save businesses a considerable amount of money. Ben and Jerry's have utilized the market for environmentally aware products and combined it with their company philosophy. Merck has utilized the same business strategy and found ways to surpass SARA and other environmental acts. These businesses prove that being environmentally responsible is not only morally correct, but also profitable.