Organization Behavior Concepts on the US Army Essay

Many organizations today offer unique perspectives into the possibilities for organizational structure, culture and behavior. Given the United States’ system of government and inherent freedoms, these areas are not often easily controlled or mandated. Corporations tend to impart a â€Å"feel-good† attitude were employees are asked to be nice to one another and the hierarchy seeks to keep a stable, friendly atmosphere. Promotions are based on performance evaluations, sometimes aligned with the contents of a grievance folder. If any grievances have been filed against an individual, these items are considered during the promotion process, but the contents are not standardized typically. The US Army handles this entire environment differently. Personnel voluntarily sign up with the organization, but are there after held to a strict moral code for three to eight years. The US Army has created a model of organizational structure, which gives them direct control over its anticipated culture and behavior. Reprimands are swift and complete. This paper will consider the many aspects of US Army organization and the impacts this has on three Main Organizational Behavior concepts as presented in the 2005 Robbins text: Organizational Structure, Organizational Culture and Group Behavior, suggesting the US Army has created an efficient and proscriptive model. The Viet Nam war caused many changes within the US Army. The conflicts and reprimands of soldiers from civilian and military personnel increased because of this Conflict. Theft and dishonesty grew from the distinct depression of morale in soldiers, causing a ripple effect of poor behavior. The US Army formed a committee to address the issue, which met at Fort Ord in California. Organizational Effectiveness grew from this time, giving the Army its own program to change the behaviors and attitudes of it members. â€Å"The Merit Reward System evolved from this project. Trainees and cadre members were rewarded for behavior that was clearly related to high performance and to high morale,† (Deaner, 1991, p. 13). This particular aspect of the former system lives on as a mainstay in US Army culture. In offering a payment for soldier behavior as well as performance, the US Army sets itself apart from the usual difficulties of control. Soldiers are beholden to its employers for the length of their contract, defunct behavior landing them in an â€Å"employee jail† or the brig. But, this overall control also allows the US Army to solely promote from within, reward through medals and advancement, and to offer prime employment locations through station selection. This reward structure is not available to other organizations, setting the US Army apart in its control of Organizational Structure and Culture, as well Group Behavior. The US Army no longer uses Organizational Effectiveness program. Its failing has been labeled as self-inflicted† by Deaner (1991, p. 18) although it is still used by outside organizations today. The basic principles as tested in the former system have evolved into a much more efficient and serviceable behavior model. Leadership remains the focal point in controlling the atmosphere in any organization. â€Å"In choosing the most appropriate procedures for developing leaders, an organization must first determine what leadership precisely entails,† (Campbell & Dardis, 2004, p. 27). The US Army has developed a definitive set of cultural guidelines for its organization. Leaders are expected to possess certain qualities, which will not only allow them the capacity to perform, but also to guide and influence others to do the right thing. In maintaining this strict code of ethics through promotion and contractual continuation, the US Army offers a unique perspective on Group Behavior, Organizational Structure and Culture. This format has been aligned into what is known as the â€Å"Be, Know, Do† model. Shaped and modeled by actual experience in developing officers and non-commissioned officers in the different branches of the U. S. Army, various drafts and versions of the BKD model have influenced Army leadership doctrine for over 50 years. Thus, the Army’s long-term continuing reliance on the model offers strong evidence of its robustness,† (Campbell & Dardis, 2004, p. 27). This model offers a construct for the entire premise behind the core value system imbedded within the structure of the US Army. Group behavior is aligned through a definitive chain of expectation prior to advancement to higher paying status. Cadence to control stepping in the same foothold, formations to align each body within the group, uniform control: all of these contribute to the maintenance of group behavior, offering individuals the chance to see themselves as a working part of a group. â€Å"Now a typical American soldier has a high school diploma, and many are college-educated. More than 50 percent of the military service members are married, and many have children attending the US Department of Defense dependent school system,† (Macdonald & Myers, 2005, p. 18). This distinct change in personnel adds to the efficiency of the US Army machine. Increasingly educated, ethics are becoming a fundamental staple in US Army culture. Although there are obvious inconsistencies (as with the Iraqi Prisoner of War scandal), the US Army still emerges as a leader in influencing the moral and ethical decisions its employees make. The most obvious difference between the US Army culture and that of typical business organizations comes from the complete sense of community created. â€Å"Like all civilian cities or counties, on-base military neighborhoods have key stakeholders that contribute to the growth of the entire community,† (MacDonald & Myers, 2005, p. 1). Where the typical corporation has employees living anywhere they chose, many US Army employees live either on base, or very near by. This close proximity offers the employees a direct influence on their environment and living arrangements. The spouses of employed personnel are involved in the â€Å"company† as it were. Complete communities are created to draw the family units of personnel into the mix, offering shopping centers, gas stations, libraries, schools, hospitals and even its own selections of medical personnel. Every aspect of life is shared and standardized. Cookie-cutter style housing offers levels of improvement within the ranking status. Similar-ranked people are afforded duplicate housing, often times on the same street or area of the base. High-ranking officials live in homes of higher value, yet still grouped in the same area of the base. This allows the employees a chance to solidify their performance and solidify the cohesiveness of the group. If an employee wants the better housing, salary and playground, he or she must gain education, perform admirably and meet specified standards in performance. The rewards are visibly set before the individual to further entice coherence and unity. A study performed by Pascale, Millemann and Goija considered the cultural differences in Sears, Shell and the US Army searching for key identifiers in how the culture of these organizations are affected by the employees in terms of culture within the companies. They concluded â€Å"power, identity, conflict and learning† were the base elements in these organizations (Pascale, Millemann & Goija, 1997, p. 129). Nowhere is the transformational power of re-socialization more evident than at three highly unusual U.  S. Army training centers-at Fort Irwin, California; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Hoenfelds, Germany. In fact, the training is sufficiently remarkable to have been studied by the chief education officers at Shell, Sears, Motorola, and GE, and by senior delegations from every country in Western Europe, Russia, and most nations of Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. † (Pascale, Millemann & Goija, 1997, p. 134) The US Army has proven itself a leader in the creation of group behavior inline with the culture mandated by the organization. The interest of some many other countries indicates the US Army is an innovator in terms of structure and culture when sending troops and families off to become a part of another base. The culture remains under the same umbrella, allowing each a smooth transition despite the massive size of the organization. The very nature of military structure is unified in many countries. Soldiers are most often located in a central area, with families supported directly from the pay of the soldiers in question. In maintaining the group atmosphere of the military units, the governments expect, and often see a solidified goal structure. Group effectiveness is the extent to which explicit groups goals, that are assigned by the organization, are achieved. The successful attainment of such goals includes both the quality of group outputs as well as their timeliness,† (Langfred, 2000, p. 569). Although Langfred did an empirical study of the Danish Army to prove his theories of unit cohesion, the structure of the tests directly applies to the US Army as well. Cohesiveness in terms of group goals and communications were paramount in forming the cohesive units required for standardization. The US Army, however, is a leader in community structure in that the support often far-outreaches the constructs of similar organizations. The uniformity is across the board in terms of family support, job description, promotional evaluations and ethical standards. The beginnings of the US Army are directly connected to its cohesiveness of today. Originally designed as a conscription service where legions were formed by required participation of any and all applicable men, the organization itself has transformed into a voluntary unit of men and women. Originally devised from people of all age, economic and social stratus, anyone can now enlist provided they have at least a General Education Diploma (GED). The elitist nature from the past of the upper echelon serving as officers, and their subsequent promotions based on time-in-service over actual performance has changed drastically. According to an article written by Andrew Birtle, the change took a long time, but now allows anyone proving their worth and moral code can advance. Socio-economic status no longer remains as a qualifier for promotion or advancement. Although not a perfect system by any means, nepotism being obvious in some lines of service, the US Army provides a distinct design for the creation of cohesiveness and unification across behavior and cultural lines of organization (2003). The US Army has taken the advantages and cultural mores within its organization and applied them to harmony among all lines, to include race relations. â€Å"The Army has no peer in its broad record of promotions of blacks to positions of influence,† (Racial Integration, 2001, p. 35). Although not perfect by any means, the US Army still maintains this distinct line of communication and promotion for all its soldiers. Within each unit, the Army maintains an Equal Opportunity Officer who will listen and record any and all forms of complaint due to discrimination, sexual, racial, or other. All complaints are written down and added to applicable personnel files following a thorough investigation. At each promotional stage in the soldiers career, these files are considered, thus offering a distinct incentive to avoid disharmony or bigoted hate. â€Å"The Army is probably the only important institution in the U.  S. where whites don’t get promoted if they show racist behavior,† (Racial Integration, 2001, p. 35). In conclusion, the US Army offers a unique environment controlling and influencing the Organizational Culture and Group Behavior through its differentiated Organizational Structure. In maintaining a similar environment for soldiers and their families, the US Army homogenizes the livelihood of its employees through unification across the board. The promotional structure offered directly entices soldiers to conform in order to gain a better life and environment for themselves and their families. Although not easily duplicated in the business world, many companies have studied the US Army for innovative approaches to standardizing their own commercial culture. â€Å"The first step toward restoring organizational vitality is to engage every employee in the company’s principal challenges,† (Pascale, Millemann & Gioja, 1997, p. 131). The model used by the US Army controls the majority of situations within its construct and if studied further would offer commercial enterprises a blueprint applicable to other avenues of business organizations and their organizational behavior models. The unique Organizational Structure of the US Army dictates not only the Organizational Culture and Group Behavior; it also influences the Decision Making process, Motivation, Communication, Power and Politics, Human Resource Management and Change Management inherent in any large organization. The unique structure considers each of these aspects of organizational behavior and builds a concise view and standard operating procedures to control and maintain its vision of it future and mission. Although this paper looked at only three aspects, the US Army offers a distinctive model for any Organizational Behavior study.

My View of the World Essay

As I stand here looking over the lush green foliage of thousands of trees, I glanced down toward the base of the mountain to see curvy, windy roads, weaving in and out between tiny little box houses, plotted around here and there. I can see for miles and miles, the views are breath taking. That’s mostly why people come to see me, to look out with me, to see the fantastic views. My arms are sore from standing here for about 75 years, just doing nothing but wondering. For many months I have started to think what is beyond the horizon of the sea. There could be a whole new world over the edge. Is there even an edge? Who knows? Years ago those little things climbed on my feet, just to get a better view or to pose in front of a compact box, with a blinding flash for a couple of seconds, but now there are large metallic fences at my feet. This is predominantly because I am old, weary and wearing out so I need protecting. People get here in many different ways, clear boxes which travel up and down continuously, moving stairs, or climbing 222 steps reaching the summit, exhausted. Oh yeah! I forgot to say about the odd people that walk all the way up the ridge of mount Corcovado who wear small shorts, long pulled up socks, big chunky boots, weird hats and really, really big bags on their backs. They come in there hordes, they come in all shapes and sizes; big ones; small ones; fat ones; thin ones; some are noisy; some are quiet; some just scream and laugh; some are in awe of me and gaze up at me, as I gaze out at the horizon. These people see me as a god, but if only it were true because all I want to do is just fly to the moon, to the white wonderful wide space, where I could rest my sore painful arms and legs. No one knows the pain I’m in or even know I have any feelings. I remember the journey of how I came to be here. I was created by a local engineer called Heitor da Silva Costa. He made me out of reinforced concrete and layers of soap stone. Firstly I was going to be made out of steel but that wouldn’t of had much of a chance against extreme weather conditions. I was built in small chunks and slowly brought to the top by a struggling train on the Corcovado Rack Railway. Then I was pieced together bit by bit, slowly rising above the ridge to embrace the people of the world. Through my amazingly large nostrils I can smell the wondrous cuisine from the land below swirling and rising up the mountain side. Just after dark the surroundings black out and all attention is drawn towards the bright lights of the city. Although no one else sees it, it’s not all happiness up here. I have seen many things in my life like robbery’s, suicides, murders, but what always happens almost every night is groups of people sell drugs and sit there injecting liquids into their arms, snorting dust and sniffing corrosive fumes of acids. The fumes are so strong even I get a headache and my heads made out of concrete! It is disgusting what they do, but it is what they want to do, and what could I do any way. As dawn emerges it makes up for the previous night. The sun rises and a new day begins. In the early morning, the mountain air is fresh and crisp; the sun rises leisurely, bringing a slow warmth to the city. The most beautiful part of the day is now, when it is peaceful and you can hear the chirping of the birds below. The heat from the sun breaks through my layers of soap stone reaching into the hard cold concrete inside.

Modeling and guided practice in a literacy lesson Research Paper

Modeling and guided practice in a literacy lesson - Research Paper Example For instance, in a literacy lesson, the teacher may give the learners an example then allow them do another task to test their comprehension based on the example. If the educator is teaching about verbs, the educator may focus on attaining the learning objective then ask the learners to identify verbs from a listing of words by reading them loudly. Through this guided practice McCormack  & Pasquarelli (2012) indicate that it is achievable to achieve a great percentage of proficiency from the learners. The learners may then be given a chance for comprehension of what verbs are through silent reading after guided practice by their teachers. Modeling, on the other hand, refers to a demonstration of the thinking procedure (McCormack  & Pasquarelli, 2012). This explains the manner in which something is done and why it is done. Through the modeling process, the teacher takes the learner through the learning procedure, the demonstration made are explicit, and the students are expected to be actively involved in these demonstrations (McCormack  & Pasquarelli, 2012). The authors also argue that in modeling repetition must ensue and think aloud statements used (McCormack  & Pasquarelli, 2012). This allows the learners get actively involved in comprehension lessons. In a literacy lesson setting, the teacher may focus on aiding the learners think through the ideas of the author as opposed to the outcome of the comprehension. This is a good example of self modeling whilst reading the comprehension. If the learners focus on one concept while reading they are likely to get the concept being portrayed by the author. For a lesson to be successful, it is vital to assess if the learners have comprehended what they have read. According to the American Education Publishing (2012) it is possible to know what a student has read if they are able to recount what they have read in a chronological manner. For

Mrs. Fields' Cookies Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mrs. Fields' Cookies - Case Study Example Expansion of business makes it excessively difficult for an entrepreneur to maintain ties with the customers and obtain immediate responses when need be. As such, customers lose the sense of belonging to the business and feel less appreciated and might avoid buying from the business thus impacting negatively on the business’ revenues and reputation. Similarly, effective communication is vital in the success of any business. Mrs. Fields’ allowed communication to take place freely irrespective of positions, a factor that can cause rumormongering and leaking of vital information that might confound the business’ operations. Effective arrangement of stock entices customers to a business. If stock is disorganized, customers tend to avert shopping in such places and sales plummets. Expansion into international markets requires that a business is acquainted with the culture, tastes and preferences of the people in the new country to avoid being rejected and circumvented by customers for violating important cultural norms. In expanding a business, one should guarantee that the touch with the customers is not lost and this can be attained by maintaining an operation level that can meritoriously be managed and pay attention to any customer feedback received. Additionally, the vine-yard communication system should be maintained to ensure that messages are passed ceremoniously and professionally to avoid misleading information from spreading. Stock should be arranged dexterously to attract customers’ attention and shun placing unconnected items on the serving counter. Finally, when expanding into new markets with different cultures, one should be able to culturally appeal to the new customers by manufacturing and offering products that are culturally acceptable as well as suit the tastes, wants and preferences. This should be ascertained by conducting an extensive cultural screening prior to

Rational Analysis of Oral Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rational Analysis of Oral Communication - Essay Example Unlike oral interaction which requires immediate processing of information to turn them into comprehensible messages, writing can evaluate and process information in a longer period of time (Rosenberg, 1987, p. 125). Thus, the impenetrability of orality to certain language processes can be processed by writing. Scholars Marlene Scardamalia and Carl Bereiter also supported the existence of Goody-Havelock-McLuhan-Ong theory. They demonstrated that knowledge can more easily be transformed in writing composition than in oral communication, thus giving way for man’s cultivation of knowledge. Scardamalia and Bereiter constructed a knowledge-telling model in writing. The first element is the mental representation of assignment followed by several knowledge-telling processes towards perfection of the composition. These include locating topic and genre identifiers, constructing memory clues, retrieving content from memory and run tests of appropriateness. (Rosenberg, 1987, p. 144). Such processes are rarely executed in oral communication because of immediacy orality requires. Therefore, writing as the driving force of man’s civilization is beyond doubt, considering its several knowledge-cultivating processes.

Robot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Robot - Essay Example Since then, due to the immense technological development, robots are capable of interacting with people and being involved in various aspects of modern life. Robots have significantly affected the industry technology, involving in both mechanical and medicinal aspects, integrated themselves in society and had ambiguous effects on the protection of the environment. Effects on Industrial development The first aspect that robots involved heavily is the industrial development, facilitating great innovations and successfully replacing human help. After the inception of robots during the 1950’s, the process of using robots as industrial tools was proposed by George Davol and Joseph Engelberger. The first industrial robots manufacturing company named â€Å"Unimate† was made and in 1959, the first industrial robot prototype was made. After the Unimate concept received great interest from companies in Japan, the General Motor automobile factory installed the first Unimate robot in order to serve the assembly line (Engelberger, 2007). The subsequent acquisition of the technology by the Japanese Kawasaki factory marked the development of the first robotic association J.I.R.A (Japanese Industrial Robot Association) in 1971, setting a new milestone for the industrial robot technology. New emerging technologies were implemented to facilitate better control of robots and accelerate production. The positive and negative impacts in the mechanical and medical fields are discussed below. Mechanical involvement Introducing robots in manufacturing companies had a significant advantage both for the companies and the workers. Robots were able to perform repeated and boring tasks for longer periods compared to workers while not needing expensive healthcare insurances and didn’t get sick (Henderson, 2006). This improved many aspects of manufacturing process such as improvement of product quality, avoidance of hazardous accidents by the more precise directions i n dangerous tasks and increased productivity while keeping manufacturing costs low. On the other hand, while small companies were benefited from opening new trade perspectives such as selling specialized equipment, most small businesses that could not afford the new technology were led to foreclosure. In workers, while it was originally feared that jobs could be destroyed by replacing human labour with machines, it was later proved that this had a strongly positive impact on improving the working conditions because robots replaced jobs that were dangerous or toxic to humans. An example of this is the robot ANATROLLER ARI-100 which was developed to clean toxic environments. The requirement of maintenance and supervision for the machines opened up new opportunities for work which had a better working life and benefits for workers. The only negative social impact is the replacement of uneducated workers or workers with limited skills, as they could only perform repeated tasks, which st ill exists until today. Medical involvement When robots were introduced to the medical sector, the first robot-assisted surgery was facilitated in 1985, with PUMA 520 performing a neurological biopsy. As doctors learned to operate the machines better, major operations were made possible by only a few incisions by the robots. The patients benefited from less trauma, decreased healing time and faster release from

There are many popularly suggested business objectives, while Essay

There are many popularly suggested business objectives, while academically the objective to maximise shareholder wealth is considered superior. Discuss. (In y - Essay Example Despite these claims, research suggests that maximizing shareholder wealth is considered superior to all objectives. Wal-Mart claims to hold down inflation in the US (Fishman, 2003), create jobs, and has customer-centered strategy as their prices are unbeatable, but they ultimately squeeze the vendors and under-pay the staff (Heyer, 2005) with the ultimate goal of maximizing shareholder wealth. They even have an efficient supply chain and source their products from developing countries and claim to be a part of their growth. Nevertheless, employee wages at Wal-Mart are as much as 31% lower than competitors (Nester, 2006). It pays practically no benefits and very often employees have to work overtime without any additional compensation. Wal-Mart ranked fourth in terms of social responsibility in terms of its dealings with its stakeholders but there were 4851 claims filed against it in the court (Papasolomou-Doukakis, Krambia-Kapardis & Katsioloudes, 2005). Corporate giants like the CEO of Coca-Cola too make tall claims that by being more efficient and more profitable, it makes businesses better for the community (Ash, 2004) but findings reveal otherwise. They have committed as many as 179 major Human Rights violations (Cairns, 2005). The union leader was shot dead at the Columbia bottling plant. Turkish and Indonesian workers face mass firings for their union activity. Multination Monitor, an American non–profit organization, listed coke amongst the worst ten companies in US. In India they are diverting potable water from local residents for the production of soft drinks. During the processing of soda pop in India, Coke has contaminated soil and underground water with toxic cadmium, which was found in the sludge. They have also been charged and found guilty of bribing the Pollution Control Board in South India. They are accused of inflating profits, selling contaminated beverages and violating contracts. Under the garb of commu nity

Modern and Contemporary Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Modern and Contemporary Style - Essay Example However, it is clear that the positioning of the portrait and transition of colour variation towards the background expresses isolation (Figura and Peter 65). It is therefore important to note the significant application of art to express the level of Isolation Gerany suufered after World War I. The shape of the portrait is an element of art that stands out very effective in addressing the central issue under consideration. Texture application reflects significant dejection and blends well with the color to give the portrait a captivating visual impression. Fauvism was an improvement on the impressionism and sought to give elaborate visual taste. The portrait is a painted work of the great French artist Henri Mattise. It was completed in 1923 and emphasizes the significance of color tonal variation in a painting. The genre of this art is consistent with its post-impressionist style which has significant style utilization (Cunningham and John 480). Texture is an element which plays a central role in giving a fascinating appearance of the work. It is clear that color differences indicate the level of creativity of the artist in influencing the emotional aspect of the audience. The positioning of the object is well done with central spacing which explores the beauty of the woman. The shape of the object is consistent with its size and offers a better balance in terms of the realistic imagination of the audience. The artist seems to have utilized lines appropriately to draw the differences between the object, background and shape. A combin ation of this artistic style gives the work maximum attraction and explores the heights of imagination. This work is a 20th century innovation that revolutionized various aspects of art in music, architecture among others. The piece of art is commonly referred to as Gebirge (Mountains) [formerly Landschaft (Landscape)] and was created in 1911-1912. It is a painting of oil on canvas. The artist has emphasized

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 19

Human Resource Management - Essay Example In response, a discussion of how HR managers can improve organizational performance through recruitment and selection, training and development, equality/diversity policies and employee involvement would be presented. All resources – man, money, methods, market, materials, minutes (representing time) and machines are the domain of general management. Human resources management solely involves man. Through and by men, the other m’s are acquired and utilized. The quality and utilization of the rest of the resources are almost always affected by decisions about and by human resources. Indeed, the accomplishment of the goals of an organization depends upon the availability and utilization of all these ingredients, the interaction of which, are people-caused. The acquisition, utilization and development of financial, material, technological and market resources which may be exhaustible are dependent on human resources. If the latter is available and capable, the other factors can be of great use to the organization. It is through people that they can be either harnessed and developed or dissipated and lost. Man does or undoes what exists; man creates or bypasses opportunities and scenarios. Hence, people power is the most significant and potent factor of all the resources available to an organization. An organization may start with zero funding, but with creative, resourceful, hardworking and honest people, it becomes financially viable. On the other hand, a plethora of financial and material resources in an organization may go down the drain if handled by an incompetent and dishonest staff. The significance of human resources in an organization has been emphasized by various scholars, to wit: Andres (2003: 48) averred that â€Å"the place of organizational objective is largely attributable to successful human resources management†. Clements

Allama Muhammed Iqbal Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Allama Muhammed Iqbal - Article Example His father, Shaikh Nur Muhammed, was a very reputed tailor and a great devotee to Islam. Iqbal was raised in a strong religious background. Iqbal initially started learning languages like Urdu, English and Persian along with history, poetry and religion. One of his tutors, Sayyid Mir Hassan, recognized a hidden poet and a writer in Iqbal. He encouraged him to continue his studies and polish himself as a poet at the Scotch Mission College in Sialkot. He graduated as a poet and writer in 1892. At the age of 15, he got married to Karim Bibi, the daughter of a well- known physician. They had two children, a girl and a boy. Iqbal lost his third child soon after birth. Since, the couple could not meet up to each other's expectation, their marriage ended in 1916. From the Government College Lahore, he studied Philosophy, English literature and Arabic and came out as a gold medalist with a Bachelors of Arts degree. While doing his masters, he met Sir Thomas Arnold who was a scholar in Islam and modern philosophy. Sir Arnold made him familiar with the western culture and ideas. He taught him to relate the eastern ideas with the western ones. In 1903, Iqbal published his first book, "The Knowledge of Economics", in Urdu. Later in 1905, he published a patriotic poem, "Song of India".

Health care Essay Example for Free

Health care Essay Leaders are the key people for any organization’s success, for they play an important role in directing and influencing how employees work. Leaders have a lot to do in order to promote healthy behavior by employees for instance in a health organization, leaders need to influence workers in away such that they maintain their healthy behavior at hand. Since health is a very sensitive issue, it needs a lot of concentration as pertains the behaviors of the employees. Leaders need to effect financial incentives to the workforce to encourage health behavior. This incentive tends to upgrade the health of the employee through reduction in the risk that he/she would have faced. This also have an impact on the target and efficiency on the output. For a health organization for instance, workers will produce better result for they are comfortable. There should be provision of tools that encourage safety and wellness. This helps to improve the health of the worker throughout the working period. With general fitness, the worker is healthy at the same time able to behave well when it comes to delivering, urgency and proficiency. Leaders need to involve senior management in promoting emotional health and productivity. Since the management is the one that is much close to the workforce and are the ones implementing strategies, in campaigning for this will make it possible for the out come to be a good healthy behavior from the work force. Leaders need to offer economic incentives for the betterment of the lives of the workers. When it comes to economic wellbeing, one needs to access social amenities with ease. When assisting workers in their workload as providers of their houses through gaining from the economies of scale the health organization gets, workers will access appliances easily thus enabling them to get what they need utmost cheaply. This will make their life well as they have the full diet affordably thus better health. Better health leads to better behavior. Leaders need to educate employees on safety at work. This tends to ensure they get to know how to handle things with care as health organization tend to operate with lots of risky items. With their knowledge on this, they will tend to observe correct protocol with respect thus remaining discipline. With correct protocol follower, they will never be infected thus which means they are adhering to the healthy behavior taught by the responsible body. Health care is a broad field that deals with lives of individuals. For the preparation of interviews, many areas need to be covered for the exact and discrete information to be unveiled. For my analysis, I will consider my interview questions directed to the health care interviewees. It will be categorized into five major items that need to be emphasized on.

The Host Of Community Perception Towards Tourism Development Tourism Essay

The Host Of Community Perception Towards Tourism Development Tourism Essay Over the past few years, Grand-Baie witnessed an increase in tourism development and the number of international tourists. Though tourism development plays an important role in enhancing economies, tourism development may conflict with the regions conservative traditions and culture. The purpose of this research is to identify the attitudes and perceptions of residents of Grand Baie towards tourism development based on socio-cultural aspect by: (1) applying Ap Cromptons (1998), (2) measuring social or cultural environments, and the residents acceptance of visitors, (3) by identifying resident attitudes based upon demographic factor. Respondents were selected using a random sampling technique to complete a survey instrument. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, independent t-tests and One way Annova were used to describe data and to better understand resident attitudes. Survey findings reveal that resident attitudes differed according to respondents age, length of residence, and ethnicity, particularly with respect to perceptions of change in local services and natural environment. Acknowledgements A project of this magnitude is not an individual endeavor. Consequently, I dedicate this mini dissertation to the many individuals who provided support, encouragement and assistance for its realization. A very special gratitude goes to my team members, Mr. Shaktisham Soobhow and Miss Anousha Keetaruth for their support and input. I would also like to thank my lecturer, Associate Professor Ramesh Durbarry, Head of School of Sustainable Development and Tourism , for his helpful input and guidance which helped me every step of the way and enabled me to fulfill my assignment requirements Last but not the least; we are grateful to our parents and friends for their support and understanding and also the team working at the Resource Centre of University of Technology for extending their help. Table of content List of tables Table 3.1: Types of Dataà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 16 Table 4.1 Respondent Profile Table: 4.2 Host Community Perception based on a Socio-Cultural Aspect Table 4.3: One Way Anova Table: 4.4 One Way Anova Table 4.5 Host Community Perception Towards a Positive Socio-Cultural impact INTRODUCTION 1.0 Tourism in Mauritius Mauritius has become a well known tourism destination the world over with arrivals rising from 103,000 in 1977 to 915,000 in 2010 for the first trimester. Since the mid 1990s Mauritius more precisely the northern part of the island has experienced a remarkable growth in tourist numbers with international arrivals doubling. It is estimated that this trend is having a significant impact upon host communities in Grand-Baie. Given the fact that tourism development can flourish in an area only with the support of the host community, it is thought that the perception of the host community toward tourism development and impacts serve as crucially important inputs in identifying the strategic and managerial priorities of the tourism sector. The host community remains one of the most important tools for the promotion and continuous development of the tourism industry in Mauritius. Tourists have direct and constant contacts with the host community and it is the attitude of the host that will determine whether tourism development can be implemented or whether it is successful. Without the host community participation, any tourism development that will be implemented will not be a flourishing one. 1.1 Problem Statement It is very important to explore host community perception towards tourism because tourists have direct and constant contact with host community. Besides, the measurement of the host communitys perceptions of tourism development plays a vital role in the future success of a destination (Sheldon and Abenoja, 2001). The benefits received from tourism development may not always be plausible if the negative impacts, such as crime and traffic congestion, outweigh the economic benefits (Chen, 2000). hosts perceptions toward tourism development are critical to sustain the growth of community tourism businesses. If the level of hosts loyalty to tourism development is high, the potential conflicts between hosts and tourism establishments should be avoided. Host perception towards tourism development in Grand-Baie Mauritius is a very crucial because the tourism industry there is growing at a rapid pace with the development in that region. Since hosts are there to stay, as such their perception are fundamental to the smooth pace of tourism development. 1.2 Objectives of the Study The aim of the study is to analyse host community perceptions on the tourism development based on socio-cultural in the region of Grand-Baie in Mauritius. Therefore, the objectives of the study are to analyse the different components of host community perceptions towards tourism development based on Socio-cultural aspects; Evaluate the socio-cultural impacts of tourism development on host community Measure the demographic perception of the Host Community on the tourism development. 2.0 Literature review 2.0 Introduction Tourism is a product that relies totally upon simultaneous production and consumption. The implication of this for the destinations host community is that it will come into contact with an alien population during the production process. This contact can be beneficial or detrimental to the host community depending upon the difference in cultures and the nature of the contact. Tourism can develop and grow when host community has a positive attitude toward it and when they see their role in the process of the tourism development. At the point when a tourism destination is born, the quality if the life of the local hosts goes through radical changes, which are not necessarily negative. Literature suggests that tourism development has created both positive and negative impacts on host communities. The most complex problems that accompany tourism development, reside in the relationship between local host and tourist. Furthermore, there are limits of tourism growth that are closely associated with the place capacity and with the quality of life in the local community. The most complex problems that accompany tourism development, reside in the relationship between tourists and local host and also the impacts on their society and culutre. 2.1 Tourism Development Tourism development is an expression that encompasses not only destinations, origins, motivations and impacts, but also the complex linkage that exist between all the people and institutions of that interconnecting, global supply and demand system ( Pearce, 1989). In general, tourism development within a host community often impacts the community both in negative and positive ways. Residents attitudes will be positive if they can use tourism resources such as recreational facilities or if they perceive that tourism development will protect or preserve the environment ( Lankford et al, 2003). Conversely attitudes towards tourism were found to be negative if residents perceived the impacts as negative, or if the resources within a host community diminish as a result of tourist activity ( Lankford et al.,2003; Perdue et al., 1990). The host community perception toward tourism will be affected due to impacts. 2.3 Host community According to Sherlock (1999), it is difficult to define the term community precisely; nevertheless, the word can be used to refer to a group of people who exist in one particular location. Aramberri (2001) suggests that host societies are in fact communities, made of one piece. For Williams and Lawson (2001) community is defined as a group of people who share common goals or opinions. Host Community is particular is defined by Mathieson and Wall (1982) as the Inhabitants of the destination area. Similarly, Swarbrooke (1999) defines it as all those who live within a tourist destination.. In the light of the previous definition, it can be concluded that a host community consists of all those people in the destination, whether they are homogeneous or heterogeneous and regardless of whether the impacts of tourism are beneficial or otherwise.. However, the host is community is often the last to be notified of tourism development (Thyne and Lawson,2001) and quite often they are not given a chance or encouraged to give their opinioin on tourism issues. 2.4 Relationship Between Host Community and Guest A good relationship between local hosts and tourist is essential for the long term development of tourism destination. ( Ap and Crompton, 1998). The relationship between host community and tourists is mainly affected by the socio-cultural impacts that are caused due to tourism development (Smith, 1995). Smith (1989) conclude that contacts between tourist and host community if different cultural background take the form of direct face to face encounters between tourists and host of different cultural groups. The interaction between hosts and international guests raises another issue linked to cultural tolerance. As argued by Bochner (1982), the mutual understanding between cultures can create an opportunity for acquaintance leading towards enhanced understanding and tolerance and, consequently, reduce prejudice, conflict and tension between hosts and tourists. This type of contact is experienced by tourists when they travel from home culture to a host culture by hosts when they serve tourists from a foreign culture. That is, both tourist and the host community participate in exploring each others culture. 2.4.1 Doxeys Irridex Model In 1975, Doxey devised a theoretical model in which it states that an increase in numbers of tourists and a more developed tourism industry at the destination results in irritation in the host community. In this case the perception of host community vary from euphoria ( a feeling of happiness or comfort) to apathy when locals start losing interest in tourism; to annoyance after the number of tourists and the unfavorable impacts have increased ; and finally antagonism ( a generation of hostile reactions against tourism) (Cordero 2008). Although Doxeys model is a useful approach towards identifying the four stages of tourism evolution at a destination, it has been criticized for its limitation by Wall and Mathieson (2006) because it is a unidirectional model intended to represent the entire nature of the host community. 2.5 Host community perception towards tourism development Research has been conducted for the convenience of tourists, while local community perceptions and attitudes towards the industry have been given less of a priority (Murphy 1985). Butler (1980) claimed that there is a correlation between the development of tourism and the attitude of the domestic people towards the tourists. Positive attitude is gradually replaced by the negative attitude as the time passes. Studying host community attitudes and the antecedents of resident reaction can help both residents and planners (Williams and Lawson 2001).Williams and Lawson argued that it was possible to select those developments that can minimize negative impacts and maximize support for the industry. By doing so, on one hand the quality of life of residents can be maintained or enhanced; and, on the other hand, the negative impacts of tourism in the community will be reduced. 2.6 Tourism Impacts Researchers in the early years of the twenty first century list an impressive range of both positive and negative impacts on the host community as a result of tourism development (Fredline and Faulkner, 2000; Upchurch and Teivane, 2000; Gursoy et al., 2002; Besculides et al., 2002). The study of impacts from tourism on local communities takes in a range of literature that includes both the positive and negative effects of hosting tourists to a community. However, researchers agree that a necessary condition of successful tourism development strategy is the inclusion of residents of the entire community if tourism investment is to yield substantial returns (Allen et al., 1988, 1993; Jurowski Uysal, 1997; Long et al ., 1990; Snepenger Johnson, 1991). 2.6.1 Socio-cultural Impacts Tourism is a socio-cultural event for both the guest and host (Murphy, 1985) and the contact between host and tourists can be beneficial or detrimental to the host community depending upon the difference in cultures and the nature of the contact .Tourism development also affects the social, cultural and environmental aspects within a destination. Socio-cultural impacts are concerned with the ways in which tourism is contributing to changes in value systems, individual behaviour, family relationships, collective lifestyles, moral conduct, creative expressions, traditional ceremonies and community organization (Pizam Milman, 1984, cited in Haralambopoulos Pizam, 1996, p.503). Tourism development increases and promotes cultural exchange between tourists and residents. Tourism can also be a force to preserve and revitalize the cultural identity and traditional practices of host communities and act as a source of income to protect heritage sites (Easterling, 2004). However, the cultural changes caused by tourism threatens to destroy traditional cultures and societies (Brunt Courtney 199, p 495) and to others it represented an opportunity for peace, understanding and greater knowledge (Brunt Courtney 1999, p.495). 2.7 Factors Influencing Host community perception towards tourism development To understand the antecedents of host communities perception towards tourism development, extensive literature has attempted to examine the influences of socio-demographics on attitudes, such gender ( Ritchie 1988; Weaver Lawton 2001), age (Brougham Butler 1981; Fredline Faulkner 2000; Madrigal 1995; weaver Lawton 2001), length of residency ( Allen et al 1988), Education ( Weaver Lawton 2001). Those tested variables are classified as the intrinsic dimension which includes residents demographic attributes. 2.7.1 Demographic Factors The use of socioeconomic factors (Harill, 2004) like income, ethnicity and length of residency to explain host community perception has been widely used. These variables are included simply as standard point of survey instrument. 2.7.2 Gender Regarding gender, it was found that woman were more opposed to tourism development than men due to perceived negative impacts, such as increase in traffic, noise and crime although acknowledging positive benefits, including community facilities and regional economic benefits. In a study in California, (Harrill and Potts, 2003) also found gender to be a significant predictor of tourisms perceived economic benefits, with more women than men negatively disposed toward tourism development. 2.7.3 Education It was found that more educated people having more positive views of tourism (Weaver, 2001). Hosts who have a tourism education background were more in favor of tourism because of the economic and social improvements. In the context of Samos, Greece Haralambopoulos and Pizam (1996) indicated that well-educated people were more correlated with positive tourism attitudes. 2.7.4 Age Age has also been explored as a factor in host community perception toward tourism development and received more attention as the baby boomers retire and seek tourist destination in which to work and have vacation. Older hosts are generally as favourably inclined toward tourism development as young resident (Tomljenovic and Faulkner, 1999). In addition, older hosts are more tolerant of international tourists and less concerned about tourisms adverse environmental impacts. However, a study of Kusadasi, Turkey revealed that older hosts had more negative perceptions than youngsters. 2.7.5 Length of Residency Length of residency (Girard and Gartner, 1993) found that for those host who has a second home in the tourism development community appreciate the availability of goods and services from increased tourism, but long term host community who stay permanently in the community do not want to see any increased in tourism development. Thus, long term host had a less favorable perception of tourism than did short term hosts. 2.8 Summary This chapter provided reviews of literature relevant to the present study. The review provided the basis of the entire research design. Furthermore, the review results would be brought into the Discussion chapter to compare the findings of the present study with the existing literature. 3. Methodology 3.0 Introduction This chapter provides the methodology of the survey envisaged on host community perception towards tourism development based on socio-cultural aspect. In this vein, it represents the crux of the study. It offers a framework about how the research was carried out and elaborates on the questionnaire design and enumerates several limitations pertaining to the survey. 3.1 Research Design For this research both primary and secondary data were used. Table 3.1: Types of Data Primary Research Secondary Research Questionnaire Books Academic Journals The research method used to collect and analyse the primary data was based upon a quantitative approach. This is so because it made it possible for the respondent that is the host community to express their feeling and perception towards tourism development. For this purpose, a questionnaire was designed and distributed to the targeted population. 3.2 Sampling Frame This study was conducted in the Northern region of Mauritius that is in Grand-Baie which is one of the major tourist destinations. As such, the targeted population for this study comprised of hosts community of Grand-Baie. This is so because tourism development in Grand-Baie has reached the maturity stage (Butler Destination Life Cycle). There is a high concentration of tourism development in this northern village compare to the other region. 60 questionnaires were used for the survey. 3.3 Questionnaire Design The questionnaire was prepared following a review of existing literature dealing with hosts perception toward tourism development based on socio-cultural aspect. For this particular study, the scales from Ap and Crompton (1998) as well as Lankford and Howard (1994) were adopted and modified. An interviewee completed questionnaire was designed and it consists of 38 questions. The questionnaire was categorized into section A, B and C, where A and B were measured using likert Scale and C the respondent profile background. (Refer to Appendix A) 3.4 Hypothesis Testing The following hypotheses were tested: H1: Tourism Development has an impact on Socio-Cultural aspect H2: Residents Perception towards cooperation between local people and tourism development differs across gender and level of education. H3: the level of hostility towards tourists differs across length of residency and occupation. 3.5 Pilot Survey To judge the validity of the questionnaire a pilot survey of 10 questionnaires were undertaken with host community to check whether there is a proper and broad flow of questioning. The number of questions were reduced and also the rephrasing of sentence. 3.6 Data Collection An informal interview was chosen as a method of data collection with the host community. Questionnaires were distributed door to door using a random sampling procedure. Interviews were conducted during the day so as to obtain a more representative sample within households. during the week day. The overall data collection lasted for 1 day, with a total of 53 questionnaires completed, which result in 88.33% response rate. 3.7 Data Analysis A number of statistical procedures were carried out for this study using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The socio-demographic factors like education, occupation, level of education and gender were used as independent variables and the 32 Likert scale statements as the dependent variables. One-way ANOVA and descriptive analysis were used. 3.8 Limitation of Study Normally, no survey can experience a perfect evolution. Similarly, the present one had to undergo certain constraints and was subject to various limitations as exhibited below. Host people were busy working. They didnt want to expressed themselves as they felt embarrassed 3.9 Conclusion This chapter provides a thorough explanation of how data was collected, processed and analysed for the methods of data collection. It gives further details on the purpose of the research and describes how the questionnaire was designed. Lastly, the sampling frame as well as the limitations of the research was discussed. 4. Results and Findings 4.0 Introduction This chapter discusses the findings of the questionnaire survey. It not only deals with the individual analysis of each question, but also compares one question in relation to others and tries to establish a link between the results found. 4.1 Profile of the Respondents Demographic information about the respondents is provided in Table 4.1. Males account for a larger share of the respondents, which is 50%, following 38% for female. More respondents were married, with a percentage of 53.33, and 28.33% were single. The majority, 35.33% were employed or working in the tourism sector, 23.33%. Most of the respondents of Grand-Baie work in hotels nearby their house but also many of them worked for themselves. More than one half of the respondents, 65.33%, lived in Grand-Baie for more than 15 years. Around 52.33% reported that they have studied till School Certificate . Table 4.1 Respondent Profile Number % Gender Male 30 50 Female 23 38.33 Marital Status Married 32 53.33 Single 17 28.33 Divorced 2 3.33 Widowed 2 3.33 Occupation Student 5 8.33 Employed 21 35.33 Retired 1 2.33 Own Business 12 20.33 Tourism Sector 14 23.33 Education CPE 8 13.33 SC 31 52.33 HSC 10 17.33 Undergraduate 3 5.33 Graduate 1 2.33 Length of Residency Less than 5 years 2 3.33 5-10 11 18.33 11-15 1 2.33 More than 15 years 39 65.33 Total questionnaire 53 88.33 4.2 Host community perception based on a Socio-Cultural Aspect Table 4.2 illustrates the overall results of the descriptive analysis of section A and B of the questionnaire, which in turn show that there is a significant variation (according to the Mean and SD values) between the perceptions of the respondents towards socio-cultural aspect according to the degree of exposure. The domestic people show a very positive attitude towards the increasing number of tourists in the region at the beginning because they have high expectations from the tourist in long term basis. Furthermore, from the table itself, the mean is ranged from 4.81 to 2.57. Demonstrating that the host community highly accepts the presence of tourists in their area although the level of tourist has increased for the recent years. The results clearly shows that the presence of tourist in Grand-Baie help for the conservation of prestigious monument and also the awareness of the culture. The host community of Grand-Baie stated that their tradition are not being affected at all, as shown in the statement 5. The analysis shows that the tourism development does not make enough effort for the tourist to be aware of the host community culture. Moreover, another reason why the host community perception is low is that the tourism development is much more profit making. Table: 4.2 Host Community Perception based on a Socio-Cultural Aspect Factors N Mean Std. Deviation 1A Residents accept the presence of tourists 53 4.81 0.441 2 There is awareness and recognition of the culture and heritage 53 4.28 0.744 3 Historical buildings are restored and protected 53 3.89 1.155 4 There is cooperation between local people and tourism development 53 3.96 1.270 5 Traditions of the local is affected 53 2.91 1.458 6 Local people changes their way of living 53 3.47 1.422 7 There is a variety of entertainment in the community 53 3.49 1.120 8 Tourism increases the level of education in Grand-Baie 53 3.60 1.166 9 Tourism encourages some immoral behavior of some people of the locality 53 2.57 1.352 10 Earnings from tourism lure children in your community to leave school at an early age 53 2.75 1.580 11 Tourism is the reason of some younger`s misbehavior 53 2.98 1.337 12 Tourist make the effort to understand your culture and society 53 4.28 0.632 13 Tourism development give the opportunity to put your culture on display 53 3.89 1.050 14B Do you welcome the fact that tourist comes in your region 53 4.70 0.696 15 Is tourism only a way of profit making or much more 53 4.36 1.058 16 Due to the number increasing number of tourist arrival in your region can you still support the impacts 53 3.34 1.159 17 Do you feel that there is a feeling of hostility towards tourist due to those impacts by the local community actually 53 3.28 1.215 4.3 There is cooperation between local people and tourism development Table 4.3 shows the p-value as well as the F value obtained through an ANOVA analysis for both the Gender and Education Level. This analysis shows that there is a difference in the level of perception that varies according to the gender since the p-value is less than 0.05 (= 0.017) which confirms the statement that there is a difference in the level of perception between male and female. In order, to determine where the difference lays a Tukey Test was carried out (Refer to Appendix B). According to the Post Hoc Test Table (Appendix B), where men disagree with the fact that there is cooperation between local people and tourism development, we found that women strongly agree with the perception that there is cooperation between local people and tourism development which is contrary to what Harill and Potts, (2003) study found. This is so because the p=value is less than 0.05 (= 0.045). The reasons for the level of perception between male and female may vary for different reasons. First of all, Female may view tourism development in a more positively way as with tourism development many women may find it beneficial for them because they are able to find a job easily or benefit indirectly with small businesses such as craft. However, the perception do not differs across Education since the p-value is greater than 0.05 (= 0.741). This can conclude that irrespective of the level of education the level of perception is the same. According to the study of Weaver (2001) which states that the educated people mainly those who have a tourism education background are in favor of tourism development. However, the study made in Grand-Baie demonstrates that the level of education of host community do not has an impact on the level of perception. The reason for this may be because whether a host community is educated or not he or she may find employment due to the tourism development taking place in his locality. Table 4.3 : One Way Anova Factor Item Demographic Variable F Sig There is cooperation between local people and tourism development Gender 3.327 0.017 Education 0.493 0.741 4.4 There is a feeling of hostility towards tourist due to those impacts Table 4.4 shows the p-value as well as the F value obtained through an ANOVA analysis for both the Length of Residency and Occupation. This shows that there is a difference in the level of perception that varies according to the length of residency of the host in Grand-Baie since the p-value is less than 0.05 (= 0.031). In other words which mean that there is a difference in the level of perception of those living in the region of Grand- Baie. In order to determine where the difference lies a Tukey Test was carried out (Refer to Appendix B). Referring to the Post Hoc Test Table (Appendix B), where those living in Grand-Baie whether living over there for a long time or short time, it has been found that they do not express a feeling of hostility vis-à  -vis the tourist due to the impacts that tourism industry in the region brings in. This is so because the p=value is less than 0.05 (= 0.016). However, the perception do not differs across Occupation since the p-value is greater than 0.05 (= 0.952). This can conclude that irrespective of the work being done by the host community, the level of perception is the same. In other words, this demonstrates that the level of Occupation do not has an impact upon the perception of host community. Reason why it is so is because whether they are employed or unemployed or working in the tourism sector, the host find tourism as beneficial for them directly or indirectly. Table: 4.4 One Way Anova Factor Item Demographic Variable F Sig There is a feeling of hostility towards tourist due to those impacts Length of Residency 2.909 0.031 Occupation 0.171 0.952 4.5 Host Community Perception towards a Positive Socio-Cultural Impact Table 4.5 illustrates the different perception of the host community towards the different aspect. The host community of Grand-Baie has a relatively high positive perception towards the presence of tourist in the region as it benefit from different point of view. This is so because the tourist make an effort to learn the culture of the host community and a

An Islamic Perspective On Human Resource Management Religion Essay

An Islamic Perspective On Human Resource Management Religion Essay Human behavior is a direct function of perspectives. How an individual human subject would behave and react under certain specific circumstances would depend entirely on the outlook that his psyche wants him to view certain situation or event as. And herein life the distinct contrasts between the two most widely talked about perspectives- The Western Thought and The Islamic View. Relating the same fundamentals to a business viewpoint, organizations manipulate themselves as per the legal, political and social values of the particular country where they exist. The values and culture of countries which are western and those which are Islamic differ. As a result the operations and human resources of business entities are handled as the environmental fabric of that country suggests. Some authors have emphasized the universality and similarities between organizations (e.g. Cole, 1973; Form, 1979; Hickson et al., 1974; Kerr et al., 1952; Negandhi, 1979; 1985), and some others the uniqueness of organizations given their cultural contexts (e.g. Hofstede, 1980; Laurent, 1983; Lincoln et al., 1981; Meyer and Rowan, 1977). Hofstede (1993) argued that a societys values are among the most influential cultural differences. He studied national culture in sixty countries and identified five major dimensions that accounted for the sharpest differences among employees. These ma y be called individual-difference factors. * Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, AMU, Aligarh. ** Lecturer, Department of Business Administration, AMU, Aligarh. *** Research Scholar, Department of Business Administration, AMU, Aligarh. However, as Tayeb (1988) argues, the two sides of the debate are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they complement one another. That is, certain aspects of organizations are more likely to be universal, such as shopfloor layout, hierarchical structure, division of functions, organizational process, information management; and some areas are more culture-specific, such as human resource management (HRM). HRM is a significant aspect of organizations which is most likely to be subject to cultural influences. Human resource management practices reflect the Islamic values in the countries where Islam plays a dominant role. This paper deals with different aspects of Islam which teach the management of the most significant resources of any organization- Human Resources. Two key issues which will be addressed are: human resource management and the teachings of Islam highlighting the manners in which human resources should be dealt with. ÙÂ ¡ HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT The origin of HRM in modern organizations is a largely Western phenomenon that can be raced to the personnel management function (Burack and Smith,1977). The gradual parting of ways of personnel management and HRM culminated in a total separation when HRM, as a distinctive discipline, was introduced to their MBA curriculum by the Harvard group (Beer et al., 1984) and Michigan/Columbia group (Fombrun et al., 1984) in the USA in the early 1980s. Experience has shown that human resources are the most valuable asset of any business. It is more valuable than capital or equipment. Unfortunately, it is also the most wasted. People can be your biggest asset or your biggest liability (Khera, 1999). The scope for HRM varies across organizations. Walton and Lawrence (1985), for instance, identified four major areas of HRM policy: reward systems, including compensation and benefits; employee influence mechanisms such as participation; job design and work organization; and employee selection and development. Generally the components of manpower planning are: recruitment, selection, training, and performance appraisal. The purpose of having a manpower plan is to have an accurate estimate of the number of employees required, with matching skill requirements to accomplish organization goals. Recruitment is the process of locating and promoting potential applicants to apply for existing or an anticipated job openings (Sherman et.al., 1996) . It could be through advertisement, employment exchange agencies or private employment agencies and present employees. The component selection can be defined as the process of offering jobs to one or more applicants from the applications. Great attention has to be paid to selection because it means establishing best fit between job requirements on the one hand, and the candidates qualification on the other (Monappa and Saiyadain, 1989). Different kinds of selection tests are achievement tests, aptitude tests, interest tests, personality tests and intelligence tests. After recruitment and selection, training provided to the employee focuses on improving skills, or to add to the existing level of knowledge so that the employee is better equipped to do his present job, or to prepare him for higher responsibilities. In order to identify employee for salary increase and promotion, to determine training needs for further refinement of the skills of employee and to motivate them by inform ing them about their performance levels, performance appraisal technique is used. Appraisals are judgements of the characteristics, traits and performance of others. Techniques for performance appraisal includes confidential report, rating scales, ranking system, paired- comparison method, force- choice method, critical incident method, cost accounting method and forced distribution method (Monappa and Saiyadain, 1989). HRM policies are generally decided by the companies senior managers, with or without consultation with their employees. But they are often adopted and implemented with some reference from the national context within which the organizations operate (Tayeb, 1996). These include: national culture, political ideology of the government, the economic conditions, trade unions, and the legal system. In countries where the government and political environment is honest, generally one finds that the people are honest, law abiding and helpful. And the reverse is true too. In a corrupt environment, an honest person has a tough time. Whereas in an honest environment, the corrupt one has a tough time (Khera, 1999). Similarly, religions in many countries, with either secular or religious constitutions, have a certain degree of influence on the cultural characteristics of their people and their institutions. This influence is far more extensive and inclusive in the countries that follow a model base d on religious ideals, as illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 1:Contextual Influence on HRM Source: Adapted from Tayeb (1997) LITERATURE REVIEW Naeur Jabnoun (1994), in his book Islam and Management says that the Islamic evolution has made tremendous and highly essential contributions in many areas of human life. In regards to management and leadership, he presented several traits, as to how Muslim leaders should behave to deserve good followers. Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr. (1998) developed and wrote modules for training in leadership skills from Islamic perspective since he was motivated by the fact that leadership is an essential aspect for management. Islamic Management for Excellence: Revitalizing People for the Future, a book written by Al- Habshi et al. (1994), explains the significance of a stable family institution. Khaliq Ahmad (2002) explains the importance of Islamic ethics in business and management in his book Ethics in Business and Management: Islamic and Mainstream Approaches. Muhammad Zafrullah Khan (1999) talks about human rights in the light of Islam in his book Islam and Human Rights. Chodhury (1989) presented Islam as a comprehensive way of life for its adherents. The spiritual and ethical reconstruction of individuals, societies and the world order are given in a socio- economic framework. Metwally (1997) highlights the desire of many Muslim countries to turn to Islamic laws and teachings in modelling their way of life, including their economic behavior in Economic consequences of applying Islamic principles in Muslim Societies. This paper attempts to investigate the consequences of applying Islamic principles in Muslim societies. In Islamic Revival in Asia and Human Resource Management, Tayeb (1997) clearly describes the ethics and values to be followed at the workplace and how different Islamic countries are managing their employees. The purpose of the conceptual paper, Corporate Governance in Islamic Perspective by Chodhury and Hoque (2006) was to develop a discussion expounding the Islamic perspective of corporate governance as a special case of a broader de cision-making theory that uses the premise of Islamic socio-scientific epistemology. The end results of the conceptual framework of this paper on corporate governance are contrasted with the approach to corporate governance in mainstream literature. Ali and Owaihan (2008) presented a coherent but critical treatment of Islamic work ethic in their article Islamic work ethic: a critical review. They found Islamic work ethic has economicas well as moral and social dimensions. In Problem solving: an Islamic management approach, Fontaine (2008) presented a problem- solving model that incorporates Islamic values and concerns. He found out that the focus in the international business literature has been on the Quran alone and not on the verses of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). METHODOLOGY This paper deals with the Islamic Perspective of Human Resource Management. Islam helps in teaching the various manners in which we can manage our most valuable assets effectively. This way a Muslim manager can not only deal ethically but can also please God (Allah). This paper is based on secondary data which has been collected from books, journals, newspapers, and internet. A conceptual framework has been developed describing the aspects of modern day HRM and HRM from Islamic perspective. The framework is presented in five broad categories- The message of Islam, Islam in different nations, Islam and Work, Islam and Managerial Dimensions, and Islam and HRM Practices. THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM Islam is an Arabic word, derived from the root which means both peace and submission. It thus connotes the attainment of peace, here and Hereafter, through submission to Allah, or, in other words, through conformity to His Will. A person who thus submits is a Muslim. In the Quran (the scripture of Islam), the appellation Muslim is applied to all the righteousness. For Muslims, Islam is not a man-made institution; the Quran contains the words of God, revealed syllable by syllable to Mohammed some 1,400 years ago. The deeds of its adherents are therefore inseparable from divine commandments. Islam is generally viewed by some non-Muslims as being a fatalist religion. But the Quran specifically asserts that humans are able to choose and to intervene in their destiny, and that they are held responsible for the consequences of their deeds. However, they are not left alone to run their life. God has equipped them with the Quran and the traditions of Prophet Mohammed, which in Islamic view is one of the most important sources of guidance that humans can use to steer their actions and beliefs (Tayeb, 1997). Social Values All values affecting man are based on the common concept that every human being is capable of achieving highest stage of moral and spiritual development and that his personality must be respected. The Quran takes note of diversities of race, color, language, wealth, etc., which serve their own useful purpose in the social scheme, and describe them as Signs of God for those who hear and possess knowledge (30:23). But none of these confers any privilege or imposes any disability. The Quran says God has divided mankind into tribes and nations for greater facility of intercourse. Neither membership of a tribe nor citizenship of a state confers any privilege, nor are they sources of honor. The true source of honor in the sight of God is the righteous life (49:14). The prophet said: The best among you is who treats the members of his family best. With regard to servants, the Prophet said: They are your brothers, and you should treat them as such. Provide them with the kind of clothes you w ear, and if you set them a hard task, join them in it to help them complete it. The wages of the laborer must be paid to him before the sweat dries upon his body (Ibn Maja). Younger people are admonished to show due respect and consideration to older people, and older people are exhorted to treat younger people with kindness. The Prophet said: He who does not behave kindly towards younger people and does not show due respect of Allah and His blessings. The Quran directs that one should greet his fellow beings with a better greeting than one receives oneself, or atleast return the same (4:87). Perhaps the most comprehensive dimensions within the domain of social values is: Help one another in the righteousness and virtue; but help not one another in sin and transgression (5:3). When the Prophet said on one occasion, Go to the help of your brother whether oppressor or oppressed, he was asked We know what is meant by going to the help of brother who is oppressed, but how shall we help a brother who is oppressor? The Prophet replied: By restraining them from oppressing others (Bukhari II). Economic Values In the economic sphere the basic concept of Islam is the basic ownership of everything belongs to God Alone (2:108, 3:190). Man is Gods vicegerent on earth. The objective of the Islamic economic system is to secure widest and most beneficent distribution of wealth through institutions set up by it and through moral exhortation. Wealth must remain in constant circulation among all sections of the community and should not become the monopoly of the rich (59:8). Islam recognizes the diversity of capacities and talents, which is in itself beneficent, and consequently the diversity in earnings and material rewards (4:33). It does not approve of a dead- level equality in the distribution of wealth, as that would defeat the very purpose of diversity, and would amount to denying the favor of Allah (16:72). It is obvious that if the incentive of the proportionate reward for labor, effort, skill and talent were to be removed, not only would initiative and enterprise be adversely affected, but intellectual progress would also be arrested. That is why the doctrine of equal reward irrespective of the diversity of skill, capacities and talents that have gone into the production of wealth has never been maintained for long, even when it has been proclaimed as State policy, and has had to be modified through recourse to various devices designed to secure diversity in reward. On the other hand, Islam does not leave the principle of competition and proportionate rewards to work itself out mechanically; that too would lead to hardship and injustice and would retard the moral and spiritual development of individuals and of society as a whole (Khan, 1999). Another major provision is the prohibition against the making of loans on interest. The word used in this connection in Quran is riba, the connotation of which is not identical with that of the word interest as commonly understood; but for the present purpose interest may be used as a rough equivalent. Riba is prohibited because it tends to draw wealth into the hands of a small circle and to restrict the exercise of beneficence towards ones fellow beings (2:281). ISLAM IN DIFFERENT NATIONS In the Islamic republic of Iran, for instance, all social institutions mentioned above and many more, such as the educational establishments and their priorities, the media, the arts, the political structure, the army, and private and public sector organizations, are all required to conform to Islamic values and instructions (Tayeb, 1997). An important point to note is that although Muslim nations have a great deal in common, there are also differences among them. And these differences can be observed in economic and business as well as social aspects of life. Saudi Arabia, for instance, adheres strictly to the Sacred law {Sharia) in many spheres of life, while Turkey has turned to secular laws for the administration of its economic and social affairs. The position of women in society and socially acceptable codes of behavior for people in general, and in business life, are cases in point (Tayeb, 1997). In Malaysia, the government has been implementing an Islamization policy for some time now, according to which companies have to organize their activities and manage their employees in accordance with the Quranic teachings. The chief Minister of the State of Kelantan has taken this further {The Economist, 1996). In Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to drive their own cars. As far aswork is concerned, they are barred from public office. As a result, they have turned to business and professions for employment. But here too they work under certain constraints. According to The Economist (1995) most women whoare active in private businesses (as owners) are in the retail trade: in a shopping mall in Jeddah, eight out of 20 shops are owned and run by women and notices forbid men to enter the shops women run. Teaching is a profession open to women but it is difficult for them to apply for positions which are located outside their home towns. In this patriarchal society, women must have written permission from their husbands or fathers before they can travel. In Kazakhistan, now that the country is independent, its old, predominantly patriarchal culture, which lay dormant under the Soviet rule, is enjoying a revival, replacing the Russian Communist culture. As a result, the perception of the role of women in society and in the workplace is changing. In the short term at least it is unlikely that women will have the same opportunities as they had before (Pollard, 1994). Furthermore, the reviving Kazakh Islamic culture places a great emphasis on age and seniority and prescribes proper junior-senior relationships, stemming from its nomadic traditions (Rywkin, 1982). This could have repercussions for organizational issues such as hierarchy, authority structure, and promotion and compensation policies. Tayeb (1997) adds information regarding women in Iran who have to follow a strict Islamic dress code at work, and indeed elsewhere. Men and women remain separate in prayers, wedding ceremonies, public transport, etc. However, unlike Arab women in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf states, Iranian women are doing well in many spheres of public life. Some 95 per cent of young girls go to primary school. Older girls get less chance of getting higher education, but the gap is closing. Girls are doing well in technical schools, colleges and universities. Women can go into most jobs and professions, and, unlike their Saudi counterparts, they can drive their cars and vote. They can stand for parliament and there are many women members of parliament. Latifi (1997), who closely observed a sample of Iranian managers at work over a period of time, discovered traces of Islamic values in Iranian managers Human Resource Management style. She found that Iranian employees viewed their managers as sympathetic brothers and sisters or compassionate fathers and mothers. In addition, this family-like relationship also includes social and teacher roles for the managers. They were frequently involved in the private lives and family matters of subordinates to make them feel they are family. A survey of nine organizations was conducted in Malaysia by Endot (1995). The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahatir, initiated and implemented an Islamization processes in the country which aimed at infusing Islamic values throughout the society at all levels, from individual to institution. In pursuance of Islamic teachings one company offers its workers interest free loans for vehicle or house purchase, or for arrangements of wedding ceremony. Another company organizes Islamic study circles for managers where they can participate and get together once a week to discuss different aspects of teachings of Islam and socio- political issues with an intention to develop their Islamic personality. It also helps in creating cohesiveness of relationships and unity of thoughts on the issue discussed. One organization sends its employees on short courses in Islamic teachings with the main objective to make them understand Islam and its values. The process of selection for new recruits and their training are also influenced by the Islamization process. One organization recruits individuals who have graduated in Islamic studies. They are then exposed to techniques for modern management. Another recruits business-related graduates and then trains them on the Islamic aspects of their work. In all the firms in Endots study, the management made their subordinates understand and believe that they were accountable for their work not only to the organization, but to God (Allah), and that Islam consider their work as a form of worship of Allah. ISLAM AND WORK Islam is more a way of life than a mere religion. In a nutshell, it teaches how a believer has to oblige to the commitment to his faith. In the context of Islam and Work, it sheds light on the obligations of the worker towards his work in particular and his employer or employee in general. The more committed to his religion, the more committed he has to be to his work. Hence, as per the teachings of Islam- by working more dedicatedly as per the agreed terms of his employment, the employee justifies his earning and livelihood and at the same time stands out as a role model for the believers and non- believers alike. Sherif (1975) identified nobility, patience, self-discipline, good appearance, abstinence, resolve, sincerity, truthfulness, servitude and trust as major Islamic values. These could clearly have an impact on both management and productivity of employees. Islamic Values Related to Work Latifi (1997) identified the following work-related characteristics: Equality before God; Individual responsibility within a framework of co-operation with others; Employees respect and honor should be prominent; Principle of Equity to be followed; Fatalism but also a recognition of personal choice; Consultation at all levels of decision making In order to plan Human Resources on the lines of Islamic Culture, the manipulations which are common in the modern business world must be avoided. The will of Allah and messages of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) are to be followed by the managers if they want to be successful in both the worlds- Here and Hereafter. Below are the few areas discussed from Islamic perspective which are to be taken care of for an effective Human Resource Management. Characteristics of Good Managers from Islamic Perspective In the modern world, business managers major aim is to earn profits. Sometimes they forget to follow the correct path and move on the most traveled path, because they believe materialistic accumulation is all they are living for. If they try to come out of this misconception, they will see the world from a different perspective. They will realize that this material which they aim to earn is only a temporary asset. But what will remain forever is their good deeds and behavior with people with whom they are associated. The ethical path consisting of the message of Allah and Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) will give them internal peace and help them pleasing God- which is the ultimate aim of any Muslim. Motivated leaders clarify goals, set objectives, consult and respect followers, deal with followers kindly, humanely and with fairness. Spiritually people are classified as those who have: Nafs Ammarah, Nafs Lawwamah, Nafs Mutmainnah. Nafs Ammarah are those who possess negative motivation due to worries, lack of self- confidence, never respect others right and are not able to make followers feel secure. Nafs Lawwamah are the motivating ones who believe work is challenging, meaningful and provides directions for advancement, learning and personal growth. Nafs Mutmainnah provides a high level of the sense of responsibility towards Allah and contentment since there is a feeling of being away from fear and anxiety; and gives job satisfaction (Kazmi and Ahmad, 2006). In one of the Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), a person is encouraged to develop good characteristics and behaviors (Bukhari). It implies a manager should have a balanced personality where he is strong but not violent, lenient but not weak, and generous but not extravagant (Ahmad, 2006). According to another Hadith, kindness is a strength and, therefore, managers are expected to be kind enough to others whether they are your employees, customers, or suppliers (Muslim). Islam emphasizes on relationships among people which should advocate equal rights for all, and urges leaders to seek advice or information from their followers in the carrying out their affairs. If this is translated into behavior at workplace then this should mean a consultative decision-making process, and a fairly diffused power structure. Self-discipline, trustfulness, honesty, respect, resolve, and loyalty should encourage managers to trust their subordinates judgement and integrity, which could result in a participative management. Co-operation, perseverance, and family-like relationships among people, should encourage teamwork and mutual support, and enhance productivity within an organization (Tayeb, 1997). Manager should be trustworthy since trust is a moral responsibility for everyone in the performance of their duties and their social, political and economic lives (Hanafy and Sallam, 2006). The Quran says Allah doth commend you to render back your trust to those to whom they are due and when ye judge between man and man. That ye judge with justice. (4:58) In one of the Hadith, the Prophet (s.a.w.) mentioned the importance of trust in this public administration as: Any ruler who has been entrusted with the affairs of a group of Muslims and who dies as a dishonest ruler, to him paradise is forbidden by Allah. To treat people equally is a prerequisite of fairness and justice, an ethical code that modern corporations are trying to achieve. Islam has emphasized justice among human beings (Hanafy and Sallam, 2006). Averse in the Quran says, Allah commands justice, the doing of good and liberality to kith and kin. He forbids all shameful deeds, injustice and rebellion; he instructs you, that ye may receive administration. (16:90) Another verse from Quran says, To those who believe and to deeds of righteousness hath Allah promised forgiveness and a great reward. A manager should judge employees in an unbiased manner, because employees expect justice from their employer. ISLAM AND MANAGERIAL DIMENSIONS Corporate Culture Culture is the particular way of life in a specific society (Foster, 1965). With respect to corporate, Pettigrew (1979) explained culture as a system of publicity and collectively accepted meanings operating for a given group at a given time. This system of terms, forms, categories, and images interprets peoples own situation to themselves. The idea of collectively accepted meanings is prominent which suggests that the culture is related to those things that can be shared. Louis (1983) also came up with the idea of common understanding. She believed organizations are culture-bearing milieux, that is, they are distinctive social units possessed of a set of common understanding for organizing action. The Islamic Culture is derived from Islamic worldview that does not necessarily reflect contemporary Muslims societies. Ideal Islamic culture neither subscribes high power distance nor low (Kazmi and Ahmad, 2006). Islam teaches to respect and care others at workplace irrespective of the power or position one holds. Prophet (s.a.w) says, someone who fails to be affectionate to young, respect elderly and accords high honor to scholars, dont belong to me (being a Muslim). Therefore any power distance and authoritys respect is due to the benevolence in mutual relationship. Islamic culture promotes the feeling of social belongingness where a respect for individuals right is guaranteed. For the cultivation of an Islamic corporate culture, Islam has provided a number of values to be applied in organizations such as sincerity, conscientiousness and good knowledge to be applied in all endeavors, justice, truthfulness, patience, prohibition of loving world and wealth, and avoidance of pride. The modern ways to compete in fast growing environment and Islamic culture to succeed in accordance to the teachings of Quran are most of the times contrast to each other as depicted in Figure 2. Figure 2: Distinction between Modern Culture and Islamic Culture Modern Culture Islamic Culture Pure individualism Collectivism Pure materialism Aesthetical Value Supports Favoritism Favoritism is unethical Social belongingness missing Social belongingness guaranteed Competition with personal differences Healthy competition without envy and jealousy Training for deserved ones Training and knowledge for all Power Concentration Power Distribution Respect those who are in power Respect irrespective of power and position Planning Planning to reach the final aim should be done in such a way that it goes parallel to Allahs will. If one has to follow the Islamic perspective to plan and compete then the intention should be to strive and achieve in the cause of Allah. While competing one should remember the teachings of Quran and Prophet (s.a.w.). If the intention is dishonorable such as envy, jealousy, mutual rivalry, etc., then it does not follow the Islamic view (Kazmi and Ahmad, 2006) Leading Robbins (2001) defines leadership as the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of goals. Great leaders possess distinct qualities of confidence, iron-will, determination and strong decision power. (Kazmi and Ahmad, 2006) informs that in Islam, leadership is trust. It is psychological contract between a leader and his followers that he will try his best to guide them, to protect them and to treat them fairly and with justice. The focus of leadership in Islam is on doing good. According to Islam, the two major roles of a leader are those of servant- leader and guardian- leader. A leader is the servant of his followers (Saiyyad Al- Qawn Khadimuhum). He is to seek their welfare and guide them towards good. On the other hand as the guardian- leader, the Muslim leader should protect his community against tyranny and oppression, encourage God- consciousness and promotes justice. Leadership in Islam is rooted in belief and willing submission to the Creator, Allah. It aims at serving Allah. To serve God, a Muslim leader is to act in accordance with the order of God and His Prophet (s.a.w.), and must develop a strong Islamic character. Kazmi and Ahmad (2006) highlight the four moral bases of Islamic Leadership- Islam Iman (faith in God), Taqwa (inner consciousness) and Ihsan (love of God). Islam means achievement of peace, with oneself and with the creation of God, through willing submission to Him. Iman implies in the Oneness of God and the prophethood of Muhammad (s.a.w.). A leader with strong Iman will consider himself and all his possessions as belongings to God. He will bow his ego, his ideas, his passions and his thinking to God. A leader with firm Iman will not dodge responsibility for his actions, and will continuously emphasize good deeds. Taqwa is the all- encompassing, inner- consciousness of duty towards God and awareness of ones a

Napoleon :: essays research papers

The Napoleonic wars did have a large impact on industrialization in Europe as a result of realizations and actions taken to better their countries after the Napoleonic wars. Although the Industrial Revolution began in Britain during the 1700’s it was boosted in the early 1800’s after the Napoleonic wars because of reform that was needed. Industrialization then started spreading throughout Europe and into North America in the early 1800’s. By the mid-1800’s industrialization was widespread. This was all a result, somewhat indirectly of the Napoleonic wars. The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain for several reasons. By the mid-1700's, the country had become the world's leading colonial power. Great Britain's colonies not only provided raw materials, but also provided markets for manufactured products. These colonial markets helped stimulate the textile and iron industries, which were probably the two most important industries during the Industrial Revolution. The demand for British goods grew rapidly during the late 1700's both in Britain and in other countries. This demand forced businesses to compete with each other for the limited supply of labor and raw materials, which raised production costs. The rising costs began to cut into profits. Further demand could not be satisfied until Britain enlarged its capacity to produce goods inexpensively. British merchants did not want to raise the prices of their goods and discourage demand. So, they sought more economical and efficient ways of using money and labor so the amount each worker produced would increase faster than the cost of production. The merchants achieved their goal through the development of factories, machines, and technical skills, thus, industrialization. The French Revolution began in 1789, after the start of industrialization. At first, many British approved the revolution as a triumph of liberty for the French people. But they changed their mind after the revolution grew more violent. Britain’s foreign policy was based on keeping the balance of power in Europe so that no country could gain control of another. This led them to form alliances with weak countries when they were in need. Therefore, when the new French government seized Belgium and threatened the Netherlands Britain protested and in 1793 they went to war. Napoleon Bonaparte led the French beginning in 1799. In 1803 he began to plan to invade Britain, but his naval power was crushed in the Battle of Trafalgar. He then tried to defeat them by ordering all of the countries under his command to close their markets off to Britain.