Why is Ethical Considerations Important in a Social Research? Illustrate your answer with examples from real research.

Why is Ethical Considerations Important in a Social Research? Illustrate your answer with examples from real research. In this assignment I will attempt to define ethics and explore its significance when conducting social research. Firstly I will present many different views of ethics in social research by analyzing some common considerations that a researcher must take into account if he/she is to conduct a piece of research properly without breaching ethical principles.   Examples from real research will also be utilized to demonstrate some consequences of unethical procedures in social research. This assignment will then culminate with a critical analysis of why ethical considerations are important when conducting social research. Ethics is defined as the values and morals upheld during interaction with others during the collection of data and the dissemination of findings (Merriam, 1988).   Some ethical considerations include an over-involvement of the researcher, confidentiality of data, the need to preserve the anonymity of participants and problems emerging from a misinterpretation of findings.   As in any research, the researcher should take responsibility for ensuring that guidelines and regulations are followed.   Where there is an extensive analysis of participants behavior and interaction over a period of time, the well-being, confidentiality, privacy and safety of individual participants must take precedence at all times. In addition to this, the British Sociological Association code of ethics states: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Guarantees of confidentiality and anonymity given to research participants must be honored, unless there are clear and overriding reasons to do otherwise (British Sociological Association, 1996). Homan (1991) contends that during the process of designing and implementing a piece of research one needs to consider the ethical implications on undertaking the research. Homan also note that ethics is the science of morality: those who engage in it determine values for the regulation of human behavior, collecting information about people, raise ethical issues in the focus of attention, chosen methods adopted and in the form and use of the findings. In such a contextualized situation, the researcher must seek to cultivate a high degree of trust without influencing the behaviors of participants.   The researcher therefore must ensure that the true identity of the participants is not revealed and that any documents used are kept confidential at all times. Douglas (1979) notes that the development of ethics in social research provides something of a safeguard against the researcher encroaching on freedom of speech and the outcome of the research. Douglas also believes that ethical guidelines serve to remind the social researcher about their obligation in the conduct of their work. According to Bell (2006) research ethics is about the nature of the agreement that the researcher has entered with the research participants or contacts. Bell further added that ethical research involves getting the informed consent of those you are going to interview observe or take materials from. It also involves the agreements reached about the use of this data and how the analysis will be reported and disseminated. Then adding to all of this is an obligation of the researcher to adhere to the agreements when they have been reached. When carrying out social research, the researcher should take into account ethical considerations, policies and guidelines. Alcock et al (2008) stated that ethical considerations underpin all social policy research. For example, it is unacceptable to conduct research that would harm the participants or place the researchers themselves into danger. Data must be collected and stored in a place where it is secure and which will protect the anonymity of participants. Participants should give their informed consent to taking part in the research rather than being coerced, bribed or misled. There are ethical codes and protocols for conducting research in social policy, other research frameworks and it is very important that these are adhered to in all enquires. It would be seen as an indicator of the quality of social research study where there is evidence that ethical procedures have been followed.   Brown (1997) in Gross (2001, 2005) made the point that, although à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"protection of participants is one of the specific principles in the Ethical Principles, theyre all designed to prevent any harm coming to the participant, or the avoidance of overt à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"sins. This view is reinforced by Cohen et al (2007) who stated that whatever the specific nature of their work, social researchers must take into account the effects of the research on participants and in such a way to protect their dignity as human beings. There are several instances where ethical principles are lacking in some social research and result in unethical practices. An example of this is in an extreme case of deception: In an experiment designed to study the establishment of a conditioned response in a situation that is traumatic but not painful, Campbell et al (1964) in Cohen (2007) induced through the use of drugs a temporary interruption of respiration in their subjects. The subjects reports confirmed that the experiment was a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"horrific experience for them. All the subjects thought they were dying. The subjects, male alcoholic patients who volunteered for the experiment when they were told that it was connected with a possible therapy for alcoholism, were not warned in advance about the effect of the drugs, since this information would have reduced the traumatic impact of the experience. In relation to the case presented in the above paragraph it could be argued that the researcher could have given more thought to the ethical consideration of informed consent. Frankfort and Nachmaias Nachmaias (1992) suggest that informed consent is particularly important if participants are going to be exposed to any stress, pain, invasion or if they are going to lose control over what happens. An important example is in drug research; such informed consent requires full information about the possible consequences and dangers. Cohen et al (2007) argue that the principle of informed consent arise from the subjects right to freedom and self determination. Being free is a condition of living in a democracy and when restrictions and limitations are placed on that freedom they must be justified and consented to, as in research. Also, as part of the right to self determination, the subject has a right to refuse to take part or to withdraw once the research has begun. Thus informed consent also implies informed refusal. There are several other reasons why ethical considerations are important when conducting social research. Although the use of deception has already being explored in the previous paragraph it appears to be a very common way of breaching ethical principles in social research. The use of deception resulting in particularly harmful consequences would be another occasion where ethical considerations would need to be given priority.   An example here would be the study by Festinger et al (1956) in Bryman (2008) of a religious cult; it is quite likely that the fact that the researchers joined the group at a crucial close to the projected end of the world fuelled the delusions of group members. Frankfort and Nachmaias Nachmaias (1992) explains that conducting research that may violate the rights and welfare of the research participants should neither be the intent or of major interest of the social scientist. They further argue that the underlying objective of research is to contribute to the development of systematic, verifiable knowledge. These ethical considerations help to guarantee that the researcher can be held accountable to the public.   Cohen (2007) agrees that the researcher has responsibilities to the research community, for example, not to jeopardize the reputation of the research community (e.g. the university) or spoil the opportunities for further research. Thus, a novice researcher working for a higher degree may approach a school directly, using a clumsy approach, with inadequate data collection instruments and a poor research design and then proceeds to publicize the results as though they are valid and reliable. Cohen (2007) also believes that such a r esearcher , at the very least, should have sought and gained advice from the supervisor, modified the research as necessary, gained approval for the research, made suitably sensitive overtures to the school, and agree rights of disclosure. The quality and integrity of research is very important to the public and when ethical considerations are applied public support is more than likely to be achieved. Bryman (2008) argues that possibly one of the most interesting developments in connection with ethical issues is that the criterion of the ethical integrity of an investigation is its quality. To add to this is the government involvement with the conduct of research. Bower (1979) indicated that the government plays an instrumental role in taking responsibility for subjects involved in research it sponsors but also its accountability in light of the vast amount of public monies on social research. Finally, lapses in ethical considerations in research can significantly harm human, researcher and the public in general. Some examples here could be a researcher who fabricates data in a potentially harmful experiment and may harm or kill participants similarly a researcher who fails to adhere to strict regulations and guidelines relating to safety may jeopardize his health and safety and the health and safety of all those who are involved in the research.   An example of where this actually happened is where the participants in the Milgram (1963) experiment on obedience to authority, experienced high levels of stress and anxiety as a consequence of being incited to administer electric shocks. It is against things like these happening why ethical considerations are so important. Punch (2005) explained that a thorough research proposal will have anticipated the ethical issues involved, and will show how they will be dealt with.

Five Hundred Days Of Summer Analysis Film Studies Essay

Five Hundred Days Of Summer Analysis Film Studies Essay (500) Days of Summer (2009) is a creative approach to the romantic comedy genre. An unidentified male narrator  warns us early on that This is a story of boy meets girl. This is not a love story. The film is a story about love while it may or may not end the way we expect, its a more real, complicated, and a believable love story then any number of romantic comedies that we been exposed to.   Most movies usually tell us that true love is possible with whomever we choose if only we want it enough. Hollywood likes to distort reality and put most romantic entanglements into a happy ending with a cute bow on it, this movie brings us back to the reality. The film deceives the viewers to believe that the narrative will be from both protagonists perspectives: Tom and Summer.   In fact, it is told through its main protagonist Toms (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) perspective. The boy, Tom Hansen of Margate, New Jersey grew up believing that hed never truly be happy until the day he met the one. His belief originated from early exposure to sad British pop music and a total misinterpretation of the movie The Graduate. The girl, Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) of Shinnecock, Michigan did not share this belief since the collapse of her parents marriage. In referring to the main title the five hundred days is about how long Toms life is spent with a girl named Summer. This movie doesnt play out chronologically, but instead  jumps back and forth through time using flash back (Giannetti Leach 2008, p.48). In depicting the relationships struggles faced by Tom , (500) Days of Summer addresses the main theme dealing with those small but significant moments between two people and taking a risk at love when uncertainty remains. Moments that can make someone wonder if the other person was feeling the same thing or if it was only an illusion. This is a different kind of love story but, not told in a conventional way about how our romantic preconceptions can cloud relationships and tryi ng to understand the truth and nature of love. This film is a work of fiction. It has a formalist narrative structure told out of chronological order and relies on flash backs plus flash forwards with creativity in nearly every scene.   The Director frequently plays around with ideas from the visual to the aural.   The movie at beginning uses a split screen look at the main characters childhood growth before they cross paths somewhere in time in the future at a greeting card company. The use of narration made you want to see the two main characters live happily ever after. The film starts on day (290) with urgency using non-diegetic (Giannetti Leach 2008, p.212) music through cinematic images and sequences of a girl riding on a bike through the dark streets of LA arriving at a gated apartment to a visually heartbroken, plate smashing Tom. Tom retells his sister (Rachel) and friends about what has gone awry with his relationship with Summer. The clichà ©s of the younger know it all smart sister, giving him vodka to loosen up in order to open up and retell his story about Summer works. He starts from his recollection of the beginning and what happened. A montage of happy moments between Summer and Tom laughing, kissing, holding hands, hugging and buying music together. Summer suggests they should stop seeing each other in a diner setting which is a clichà © moment and this scene visually reminded me of when Harry met Sally. The mise en scene of his apartment reflects an educated, middle class, cultured person who enjoys reading and music. Another clichà © moment is reference to Sid and Nancy Sid Vicious stabbed Nancy seven times with a kitchen knife. They have some disagreements but he hardly thinks he is Sid Vicious. She replies No. Im Sid. Summer says the words that is death to all guys Youre still my best friend! We visually see Tom moving in slow motion after Summer says the word friend It is like the bottom drops out emotionally for Tom. This movie is filled with more clichà ©s like theres plent y of other fish in the sea or a recurring theme in many romances I dont want to get over her. I want to get her back. The unseen narrator states There are only two kinds of people in the world. There are women and there are men. He is reminding us of the differences between the genders. There are black and white images of a scene of shots or descriptive play by play on Summer Finn. The director tells the story using his stylistic choices and including gimmicks from sketchbook-like transitions to an impromptu dance number and the Bergman inspired black and white film montage. A significant visual scene is shown, after Tom has sex for the first time with Summer. This scene represents his feelings of being in love, people smiling, life is wonderful, Tom checks out his reflection in a car window at the peak of his happiness and sees Hans Solo wink at him. The scene continues with the fountain exploding while the music is diegetic, the song by Hall Oates ballad You Make My Dreams Come True is heard and ending with a dance number reminiscent of Ferris Buellers day off. The music selections are inspiring, reflective and the slow motion bits add to the nostalgic mood. The pure range of ideas keeps audiences not only eagerly interested in what is to come next but for the most part benefits the plotline.   The creative vision gives the ordinary story a life of its own with very real feelings. Many viewers, who have experienced an important relationship, will be surprised in at least one unique way the film tackles its themes. (500) Days of Summer left a uplifting message about putting yourself out there and taking the risks and the hardships that go with them is the only way to find happiness. A defining moment scene in (500) Days of Summer occurs day (259) when Tom defends his relationship with Summer at a bar and hits the stranger. Tom and Summer (alternating close-up shots between two characters) come back to her apartment where they break-up, the scene ends with a high angle shot of Tom running down a spiraling staircase. His life seems to be spiraling out of control. Summer eventually comes back to him. We see homage to Annie Hall in an art gallery. There is a black and white neo-realist or film noir of suffering in the shot of Tom consoling himself at a movie theatre. Day (154) The officially in love with Summer scene in extreme close-ups of Summers body parts hearing shes like the wind by Patrick Swayze and the contrary scene I hate Summer, same shots as the love ones but dialogue is expresses the distaste for everything he liked about her teeth, smile, hair style, knees and her birth mark, not to mention he now hates the song shes like the wind by Patrick Swayze. The greatest use of imagery or editing is the split screen shot of expectations and reality a fantastic use of parallel editing (Giannetti Leach 2008, p.186) plus the non-diegetic sound he runs down the spiraling staircase from high angle to low angle shot into the streets with a sketch drawing of his world fading away and he is standing alone. Day (450) Toms sister says she is not the one, your just remembering the good stuff next time you look back at the relationship you should give it a better look. Tom is inspired to move forward after the end of his relationship with Summer and starts drawing again. We see close-up sketching of linear buildings drawn on a blackboard in his apartment, next a sketch pad and jarring movements in fast motion. There are a lot of fast pace, movement scenes of the world around him. Next, we switch to a parallel/split screen scene with Tom on a bus expressionless and the other parallel screen of Summer smiling in the process of getting married. Anothe r important scene is where Tom has closure with Summer at his favourite park bench scene, this is a medium two shot. Summer reveals she was never sure of love with Tom. Tom realizes love does not ever make sense. The final scene in (500) Days of Summer is completed by answering the question fate does exist and there is the one or soul mate out there and you will never know when it happens. The final scene first shows a shot from a birds eye view (Giannetti Leach 2008, p.72) inside a building with the narrator remarking most days of the year are unremarkable they begin and they end. Tom sits on a chair in personal proxemic pattern (Giannetti Leach 2008, p.126) from a female interviewing for the same job. They both reply to each other I hope you dont get the job in a medium shot. They then share a laugh. Tom appears to have a revelation coincidence or fate his pessimistic view is transformed upon meeting Autumn. Tom looks into the camera in a way to acknowledging us as an audience that he might be wrong and still believe in fate or the one. In conclusion, the energetic art style and architectural look at the scenery of Los Angeles adds to overall ambience of the environments and characters in each scene. The story telling is in one way conventional, about a boy meets girl love story. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel), they fall in love, break up, maybe get back together, and then ends abruptly. The film is also unconventional in an indie sort of way. The storytelling is not chronological; there are unexpected camera angles, clever editing, split screens, variety of eclectic songs and combination of references throughout the film like The Graduate. Its a film that embraces love among the ruins of a modern society. (500) Days of Summer is about how our romantic preconceptions can alter our understanding of relationships and trying to understand the true nature of love is not something we can truly define. This is not a love story. This is a story about love.

Nonprofit and For-Profit Hospitals Essay -- Health Care, Long Term Car

Describe the differences between nonprofit and for-profit hospitals. William & Torres provided a table to reflect hospitals ownership, and noted that some hospitals, while owned by one type of entity, may be operating under a contract by another entity, such as a hospital management company (Williams & Torrens, page 185). Some of the largest groups of hospitals in the nation are nonprofit community hospitals (Williams & Torrens, page 185). Nonprofit entities, including hospitals, function under special provisions of corporation law in each state, and under federal and state tax provisions that recognize their community service function (Williams & Torrens, page 185). The nation has approximately 1 million nonprofit entities of various sorts and hospitals have long been a traditional service provider in the nonprofit sector (Williams & Torrens, page 185). Nonprofit entities are generally exempt from most taxes at the federal, state, and local levels including income and property taxes (Williams & Torrens, page 185). These facilities are govern ed by a community based board that has ultimate authority for running these entities. Sponsorship for a nonprofit can come from various organizations, unlike other hospitals with traditional religious sponsorship (Williams & Torrens, page 185). A small percentage of the nation’s hospitals are operated by for-profit businesses (Williams & Torrens, page 186). For-profit hospitals have owners and issue stock to those owners to reflect their equity position (Williams & Torrens, page 185). For-profit hospitals are not just accountable to the community but must also provide a return on investment to the shareholders; they expect to generate a profit to pay a return to the equity inves... ... pays for 47 percent of all nursing facility care, and residents and their families pay for one-third. (Williams & Torrens, page 205). As for as the hospital, Medicare and private insurance are the primary payers from hospital services, with individuals paying relatively little from their pockets (Williams & Torrens, page 205). Critique the current state of long-term care policy in the U.S. After reviewing the current state of the long-term care policy from the United States, it appears to be slowly moving toward extinction. Public policy is not likely to provide any over- arching continuity for long-term care in the near future (Williams & Torrens, page 218). I agree with the idea of Americans engaging in personal planning. Personal planning will assure individual that if he or she needs long-term care it will be available.

Increase in Young Criminals :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers

Increase in Young Criminals Increased youth crime rate is caused largely by absent fathers as a result of divorce made too easy. Consider this chilling forecast. When we pass the year 2000, we will see two groups of working age adults emerging. One group will have received psychological, social, economic, educational and moral benefits and the other group will have been denied them all. The first group will have grown up with a father present in the house and the second group will have not had a father present. The groups will be roughly equal in size. In order to be divorced in my parent's era of the fifties, one mate had to be proven adulterous. Legally, one party was deemed guilty and one was innocent. That finding affected each party financially and socially enough so that most couples tried hard not to divorce. In Canada the rate of divorce in 1951 was one out of twenty couples. In the late sixties, the "sexual revolution" began and couples rebelled against the constraints of marriage. Movie makers and journalists became rich extolling the virtues of free love and liberation. The addition of more grounds for divorce and the elimination of the need to appear in court made it easier for couples to split. Now there are "no fault" divorces which further decrease the stigma. By 1987 one out of two couples divorced. Since then, the annual divorce rate has dipped slightly. The stigma is almost gone. Books are written about doing your own divorce. One can obtain a low budget quickie divorce by phone or fax to the Dominican Republic in about three days. There are "divorce parties". Even the Royal Family discusses its divorce dilemmas on t.v. The divorce picture is not all rosy. According to sociologist Lenore Weitzman, divorced women get by on about 64% of the income they had during marriage. For their children, this translates into less money for school activities, clothes, opportunities for traveling and learning, day care and sometimes food. Children can be called on to do adult tasks before they are ready, like caring for younger siblings. Older children may be required to work long hours at a job to help bring money to the family. As a result, they may fall behind in their school work. After a while, the child may feel it is hopeless to try to keep up and decide to quit school.

Controversy Over Full-Body Scanners

Having security inside an airport is a necessary and important safety precaution, but there is controversy as to how to achieve an effective airport screening system, and yet provide privacy to travelers. A recent national debate has arisen on the topic of installing new Full Body Scanners into airport security systems nationwide. The scanners are thought to be an invasion of privacy, have a very high cost, and are an ineffective security method.One of the key issues for the usage of full body scans is that it can be a major invasion of privacy to people being screened during the airport security process. For instance in the article â€Å"Debate Over Full Body Scans vs. Invasion of Privacy Flares After Incident,† the author John Schwartz explains that â€Å"images produced by the machine can be startlingly detailed†(1). So despite claims of â€Å"blurry and opaque images† they can in fact have the potential to become detailed images.This could potentially make th e security process a humiliating experience and discourage some people from air travel. In another article by U. S. A today â€Å"Our View On Transportation Security: Airport Body Scanners Balance Safety and Privacy,† they found out that â€Å"TSA sought to buy scanners that can store and send images in test mode†(1). If the scanners that can store photos are utilized by airport security systems, then it is possible that the images could be copied or shared.People should not have to worry that their semi nude images are going to be shared, however slight the risk. Is it not true that travellers should feel comfortable during the check in process and not need to be concerned about a humiliating or undignified experience? Another important argument against the instillation of full body scanners is that they can be overly expensive relative to traditional screening methods. Jessica Ravidz supports this argument in her article â€Å"Airport Security Bares All, or does it? ,† saying â€Å" each machine can cost up to a total of $170,000 per scanner†(1). It is a costly and unnecessary project because there is already a effective security system in place. It would be cheaper to stay with the current methods of security, such as metal detectors and pat downs than to incorporate a much more costly alternative. A story in The Wall Street Journal â€Å"TSA Pressed on Full-Body Scans Despite Concerns,† Cam Simpson and Daniel Michaels say in the paper that â€Å"The U. S.Transporation Security Administration plans to buy 450 body scanners, and that the Department of Homeland Security announced that they are purchasing 300 more this year†(1). This is a large fund of money that could be used for better training, different technologies, and more efficient systems moving people through the airport security process. Another way the money could be used is to fund investigations and intelligence work and detect threats before they even arr ive at the airport. The financial costs vs benefits to airport security does not appear to support adding Full Body Scanners to our current methods.A different debate on the usage of body scanners is that they are an ineffective security system and cannot detect certain objects. An example is in the story â€Å"Debate Over Full Body Scanner vs. Invasion of Privacy Flares Anew After Incident,† by John Schwartz states that â€Å"the machines cannot, for example, detect objects stowed in bodily orifices or concealed within folds of an obese person’s flesh†(2). This proves that the scanner technology is limited and can be deceived under certain circumstances. Therefore the scanners are only useful against a limited number of threats.In the same article Bruce Schneider, a technological security expert is interviewed and says â€Å"If there are a hundred tactics and I protect against two of them, I’m not making you safer, if we use full body scanning, they are going to use something else†(2). He brings up a point that even though the scanners can detect certain concealed objects they still only protect against a few specific threats. And now that people know about the scans and how they work they now also know how to get around them. Those are the reasons on why it is an inefficient security method and should not be put into use as primary airport security.In conclusion this proves that the usage of Full Body Scanners in airports would not be a conventional method to replacing current security processes. The reasons being on why they would not be viable solution are that they are an invasion of privacy to travelers, a costly national project, and would be an ineffective method for increasing security. The solution to the problem dealing with body scanners is to not install them in airports at all, but to stay with traditional methods and finding other means to improve on the current system.

Early Man

The base of all human accomplishment derives from the Paleolithic era. These beginnings of mankind could be considered our most important. The first tools were developed, stone tools used to shape wood, dig for food, or weaponry. The progression in tools shows the growth in thinking, first using objects for tools then creating tools to fit a certain need such as sharpening stone for cutting. Tools were used to fashion weapons like a bow and arrow. Man learned how to make fire with friction for heat and cooking food (Baldwin).Art provides an insight into life for early man, their location and migration, and the animals they hunted or domesticated. Paintings, statues, and carvings show ingenuity and awareness to the surrounding world. Languages developed with migration allowing communication. Human behaviors were established on religious ideas and formal conduct. An idea of the afterlife was present, burying the dead with prized possessions. These slow developments foreshadowed the adv ance to come. With the end of the ice age, changes in available game and a warmer climate encouraged a new idea on how to live.Fostering the agricultural developments already learned the hunter/gatherer way of life was no longer necessary. With dogs already domesticated, new animals became useful – farms owned pigs, sheep, goats, and cattle. These animals were vital several ways, providing meat, milk, or labor. As well as food, they could also be used for leather and furs. Working the land aggressively enough to live off was difficult and required many hands. Families began to grow. Women were able to produce more offspring with a more permanent settlement.The children were raised with strong work ethics, expected to be useful cultivating what might one day be theirs. The society became largely patriarchal since men harvested the land and women spent most of their time caring for children. The population growth was immense, multiplying tenfold. The need for access to water cr eated small communities resulting in culture and society changes. Houses were built, some more extravagant than others depending on profits generated from the farm. Social statuses were developed.Art, in all forms – painting, sculpture, embellishment in clothing and accessories – were encouraged. Some farms produced excess and gained the ability to trade for items they could not themselves produce. This surplus of food allowed people to learn other trades. A weekly system was prevalent in almost all societies, based on market days, seasonal harvest, or religion. Language began to meld together making communication with a broader range of communities. This culture is the first to spread worldwide (Baldwin). With technological progress, recovering artifacts and what we can learn from them advances daily.Weather and climate changes can unearth new artifacts and expand knowledge of prehistoric life. The ability to accurately pinpoint the age of an artifact, and historians interpretation of an object could give us insight into many aspects of prehistoric life. â€Å"It’s very important, telling us something about species close to us but not quite ‘us’† (Cornoe). (Baldwin) http://socsci. gulfcoast. edu/rbaldwin/early_man. htm (Cornoe) http://www. smh. com. au/national/scientists-stumped-by-prehistoric-human-whose-face-doesnt-fit-20120314-1v3m0. html

Challenges Facing Canadian Organizations Essay

Canada. They are the world’s largest producer of newsprint, nickel, and asbestos. Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver are rated some of the best cities in the world. There is also Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), which bring us Canadians radio and television broadcasts the news, music, and entertainment. (Schwind, 2010, p. 3) Even though Canada is a leader and a top competitor around the world in regards to business, resources, talent, and innovation, there are still many challenges facing Canadian organizations. In this paper I will discuss the many ways that Canada, from a business stand point and as whole, faces challenges and what we as a country are doing to rise and succeed through these challenges. There are five major challenges that are facing Canadian businesses; Economic, Technological, Demographic, Cultural, and Legal. Economic challenges are broken down into three separate categories; surviving a recessionary cycle, facing the global trade challenge, and meeting the challenge of productivity improvement. All three of these are interrelated and I will briefly describe each section of the challenges. Surviving the recessionary cycle is a tough challenge especially for the Human Resource Managers, who are tasked with planning, coordinating and ultimately implementing layoffs. Recessions are a misfortune that affects everyone and every company, big or small. Job security and overall high morale of employees at a company are troubled as well in these hard times. The global trade industry is another issue that Canadians are facing. International trade has been critical to Canada’s prosperity and growth. (Schwind, 2010, p. 5) Canada is ranked number nine in the world for exporting internationally, (Metcalfe, 2008), but per capita we export more than the United States or Japan. To face this challenge Canadian organizations are expanding abroad by opening new plants and increasing activity rates in foreign countries. This is to be closer to the customers and also for the lower labour costs. Being a multicultural nation has given Canada a competitive advantage in regards to trading with other countries. However, other countries have a lower-cost based trading system due to factors such as lower labour costs, has caused Canada to lose our market share in some industries such as pulp and paper, cotton yarn, and steel manufacturing. (Schwind, 2010, p. 6) Productivity is the third aspect of economic challenges we face. Technically, productivity is the ratio of output to input. It is a measure of how efficiently and effectively a business or an economy uses inputs such as labour and capital to produce outputs such as goods and services. Alan Greenspan, an ex-chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States, was quoted as saying â€Å"Productivity – the goods and services produced from each hour of work – is the magic elixir of economic progress. It’s why we live better than our grandparents did, without working longer hours.† (Demos, 2011) Canada’s largest trading partner, the United States, has been improving their productivity faster than we have. We have to increase our productivity as a nation in order to continue to thrive and grow. A report conducted in 2000 stated that if the productivity gap between Canada and the U.S. were to continue, it would reduce Canada’s living standards from 61 percent of U.S. levels in 1999 to 52 percent in 2010. (McCallum, 2000) In order to maintain and improve its productivity, Canada must update its technology to increase its levels. There are two technological changes and challenges face the Canadian businesses today, computerization and automation. Computers and their technology are rapidly growing and they affect all aspects of work. They produce large amounts of information in a timely matter, and have the ability to massively store and transfer the information. There is an increase in flexibility, such as being able to work at home, or even while on vacation, if need be, due to the internet, emails and data transfers. Telecommunicating is also a factor in helping with productivity, morale and cost reduction. Not only is there internet, many companies also have intranet, which are a private information network within the company. The mix of telecommunicating and intranet increase communication and information knowledge between members of an organization to also increase productivity. Automation is the automatically controlled operation of a process, system, or equipment by mechanical or electronic devices. The two major reasons for automation is speed and better service. In some capital equipment items, Canada takes six to twelve months to make, where Japan takes six to twelve weeks. (Schwind, 2010, p. 10) This is a major challenge that Canada must face. The service factor is continuous. A machine is programed to do the same exact operation over and over to ensure quality and effectiveness, where as a human might make an error on one or more areas of the operation. Another challenge with technology and automation is cost. Machines are expensive and not all companies can afford the high-tech equipment, and therefore must rely on manual labour. Demographic challenges include the changes associated with the labour force, such as education levels, age, and participation levels which occur slowly and are usually known in advance. The number of female workers in the workforce has greatly increased over the last three decades, and with that so has the way organizations are ran. In the past the men worked and the women stayed home and took care of the house and home. Now, more and more women are out in the workforce and companies have had to change the way to operate, in order to accommodate. Also, more and more workers are getting higher educations and becoming more knowledgeable in many areas of the field. Canada’s challenge with these issues are to be able to find, keep in home country, and continually train and increase the overall knowledge to promote further success in Canadian organizations in the future. Age is a key factor that has started in will continue to affect Canadian operations. The term â€Å"baby-boomer† is defined as any one born between the years 1946-1966. (Krotki, 2012), and the majority of that population is already, or getting ready for retirement. This is social (health care) and organizational challenge facing the workforce is termed as the â€Å"old age crisis†. (McLean’s, 1983) The challenge facing Canada now is the vast amount of workers that will be retiring, and the knowledge that they take with them. The largest sector that this â€Å"crisis† will affect is the trades department. According to Statistics Canada, in 2007, the ratio for non-trades was 0.7, indicating significantly more workers nearing retirement than in the early stages of their careers. This was substantially lower than the ratio of 1.6 in 1987 and illustrates the well-known phenomenon of the baby boom generation—now approaching retirement—and the subsequent significantly smaller generation beginning their careers. When this ratio is below one, meaning fewer people in the early stages of their careers than will be retiring soon, it points to a potential net out-flow of workers (Pyper, 2008) So as the baby-boomers retire, there will be a shortage of skilled workers to fill their shoes. The last factor of the demographic challenge is that of the part-time workers and contractors or contingent workers. There is a disadvantage as well as an advantage to this line of work. For the employee it means less benefits and lower pay than that of a full-time worker. But on the other hand, the employer will in turn pay less labour cost, and benefit payouts, to part-time workers, as well as contractors, who are not on the pay roll, thus reducing long-term costs. The cultural challenges facing Canada today are crucial due to the multicultural nation that we are. The main areas are work-related attitudes and ethnic diversity. People now are requesting more vacations and holidays than before and a varied workweek. Instead of the typical two week vacation a year, and Monday to Friday 9-5, they expect more and want more flexibility. There is also a major attitude difference between the baby-boomer generation, Generation X, and Generation Y workers. Canadian organizations have to accept these differences and find ways to accommodate each group. Society as a whole are also more ethically orientated now. Business can run like they used to two decades ago. People and employees are more aware of the ethics and expect to be treated fairer and with respect. Canada’s society and workforce is a cultural mosaic. Hosting and employing a variety of ethnics, races, cultures and social groups. Having this vast array of differences poses opportunities as well as challenges for Canadian organizations. They prosper by gaining knowledge of each different group, but they must also take into consideration that they are all different and have different views, beliefs, and backgrounds than other people. The final factor is that of legal matters, which are categorized into five sections; employment equity, human rights laws, charter of rights, minimum wage acts, and safety-related legislation. Employment equity is an act that was amended in 1996 and is a federal law that states one must remove employment barriers and promote equality. It was set to ensure equal opportunities for four different groups; women, persons with disability, Aboriginal people, and people of a visible minority. The Canadian Human Rights Act, in effect March 1978, proclaims that all people regardless of; age, sex, race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability, or conviction for which a pardon has been granted, shall not be discriminated upon, and should have equal opportunity to make for themselves a life which they choose. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a federal law enacted in 1982, guaranteeing individuals equal rights before the law. Federal government passed the Minimum Wage Act in 1935, but minimum wage jurisdiction falls under provincial legislation. So each province has their own set of wages and rules to follow. The safety-related legislation is an area concerned with the safety and well-being of individuals in the workforce. These above mentioned legal matters are a definite challenge facing Canada’s organizations. More than ever people know their rights and freedoms, and expect safety in the workplace. The challenge for organizations is to uphold the law, and ensure safety and wellbeing for not only themselves but to the employees, their families and everyone involved whether it’s internally or externally. References Demos, D. (2011, Feburary). The New Formula for Branch Productivity. Retrieved Janurary 27, 2013, from Novantas: http://www.novantas.com/article.php?id=303 Krotki, K. J. (2012). â€Å"Baby Boom†. Retrieved Janurary 28, 2013, from The Canadian Encyclopedia: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/baby-boom McCallum, J. (2000, May). â€Å"Will Canada Matter in 2020?†. Royal Bank Current Analysis, Royal Bank of Canada Economics Department, p. 5. McLean’s. (1983, Janurary 17). â€Å"Our Coming Old Age Crisis†. MacLean’s, p. 24. Metcalfe, L. (2008, March 2011). Economic Statistics. Retrieved Janurary 27, 2013, from Nation Master.com: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_exp-economy-exports Pyper, W. (2008, October). Skilled Trades Employment. Perspectives on Labour and Income, 9(10). Schwind, H. F. (2010). Canadian Human Resource Managment (9th ed.). (J. Cotton, Ed.) Whitby, Ontario, Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.