Assignment 2 - Individual Assignment 25 % (Management Practice) Essay

Assignment 2 - Individual Assignment 25 % (Management Practice) - Essay Example Businesses like BHP Billiton are required to comply with Australian laws relating to environmental responsibility, formulate and implement a strategy for environmental reporting and sustainable operations. This should be monitored and controlled on a regular basis. The board of directors has a primary obligation of ensuring that this is done. The report identifies that BHP Billiton has an active strategy for ensuring environmental responsibility. This is done through the Global Reporting Initiative (G3). This is monitored by the board of the company and given external assurance by KPMG. Additionally, the government environmental reporting guidelines are followed appropriately by the company. It shows promise of a commitment by the management of BHP Billiton to improve their environmental responsibility on an incremental basis. In order to improve environmental responsibility from the current position, BHP Billiton can consider segregating environmental matters and handling them with more focus. In addition, they can include significant elements of their operations in their reports. They can also use a futuristic approach in their reporting. Additionally, they will need to harmonise their environmental reporting standards around the world. ... As such, it is imperative on our generation to preserve the natural environment by using sustainable methods to exploit the available resources. The natural environment reflects humanity's impact on the environment and gives rise to an environmental footprint (Henriques, 2006: 121). As such, it is the obligation of corporate entities like BHP Billiton to address the issue of environmental degradation and ensure sustainable exploitation of natural resources (Boeger et al, 2008: 202). This can be done by identifying the relationship between the operation of BHP Billiton and the natural environment as well as the impact of our activities on the natural environment (Boeger et al, 2008: 202). Once this is known precisely, we can identify potential methods of reducing our impacts and find ways of ensuring sustainable operations. May et al (2007: 332) identify that there are five main elements that must be employed to ensure that we attain corporate environmental responsibility as a mining company. 1. Compliance: Mining companies like ours need to comply with relevant laws in the Australian Corporation Act, 2001 and the Australian Stock Exchange Listing Rules relating to environmental responsibility. 2. Openness: Need to be transparent in its operation by undertaking environmental reporting. This will show how much the company's operations are affecting the natural environment. This will give the impetus for environmental cuts. 3. Integration: Once the level of degradation from the mining company is identified, a strategy for cutting down on environmental degradation is formulated. Steps should be taken to ensure that all units of the organisation contribute to the strategy (Simpson, 2009: 85). 4. Collaboration: The management of the organisation will

The Effect of Workplace Conflicts on Productivity Essay

The Effect of Workplace Conflicts on Productivity - Essay Example Labour is one of the crucial factors of production, providing the necessary link between the raw materials, other factors of production, and the final products, their distribution and delivery to the final consumer. In simple terms, labour, otherwise known as workforce, comprises of all the various players including employees, their employers, managers, self-employed people, and in a sense, the unemployed population capable of providing labour (Reddy, 2004: 27). Though different perspectives have been taken, the argument that conflict in the workplace, in any of its forms, is not an important barrier to productivity nor is it an interesting topic for economic theory can be challenged. In several dimensions, work place conflicts have become normalities and facts of life. Diversity of opinions, which results from increasing labour in a workplace setting has contributed to different goals and objectives, which conflict in one way or the other. It can be argued from theoretical perspecti ve that though perceived negatively, conflicts in workplace are not at all times a negative thing. For as long as resolutions are effectively executed, chances of both personal and professional growth in the organization within which the conflicts exist can be promoted. However, management failure and evident reduced productivity have become the most common outcomes once an organization is faced by conflicts (Gramberg, 2006:68). Many of the factors that cause these conflicts are developed from within the organization. Through publications, several factors have been noted as the core contributors of workplace conflicts. For instance, poor wages by employees contributes immensely to these conflicts. Although workers have given their time and labor to contribute to the organizations’ progress, their efforts have not been reciprocated. As a result, they do not feel motivated. Though scholars believe that the result of reduced motivation is reduced output, which consequently reduc e productivity (Maravelas, 2008:14), the magnitude of the reduced productivity is not in any way negligible hence considered a factor to reduced productivity. Another factor contributing to workplace conflicts and believed to lower productivity is poor working condition. Companies that have recorded continuous growth from time to time have evidenced excellent working conditions, which include insurance and medical cover for all workers. When this covers are provided, workers feel part of the company or organization and feel protected at the same time hence productivity increases through increased individual output (Maravelas, 2008:69). Within organizations, bullying has taken place where by some individuals are considered less than others are. This trend still occurs during making of decision affecting the organizations. Whereby theorists advocate that all workers are involved in the process of decision-making, this is not the case. Management makes all the decisions on behalf of ot her people in the organization, including the decisions that affect the employees. Such a state is a form of bullying hence workers feel that they have been considered inferior and as a result relax in their work hence due to conflicts that result as they fight for their rights. This eventually leads to reduced produc