Comparison between Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Essay

Comparison between Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment and A Brief Proposal for Strategic - Essay Example The environment is a vital force to reckon with when thinking about developing tourism business concerning the Forest. Hence, it is important to utilize the best environmental assessment system. This paper offers a critical comparison between the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) with the view of identifying the one that is better appropriate for measuring the environmental conditions in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Comparison of EIA and SEA There are some differences between Economic Impact Assessment, EIA and SEA. 1. F. Dow and S. Dow, U.S. National Forest Campground Guide, Pacific North Region—Washington, Moon Canyon Publishing, Seiad Valley CA, 2005, p. 99. 2 While EIA aims to minimize impacts, SEA aims to prevent impacts right from the onset. EIA offers limited review of cumulative effects, SEA considers cumulative effects assessment as a primary task. It is a known fact that EIA focuses on standard agenda and trea ts systems of environmental deterioration while SEA focuses on sustainability agenda and handles sources of environmental deterioration. Similarly, EIA emphasizes on mitigating and minimizing impacts while SEA emphasizes on meeting environmental objectives and maintains natural systems. 2 Background of the SEA Commissioned to the Proposal of Tourism Development SEA is usually applicable to the proposal of tourism development through the action of US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And this is done by adopting the methodologies of SEA through land-use planning, energy, waste management and transport. This multi-layered procedure requires that experts should be incorporated at every level or stage coupled with strong political will, constant funding and needful public participation in the process.3 The application of SEA supports the design of plans to regulate both the natural and infrastructural aspects of the management of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. 4 2. United Na tions University, Strategic Environmental Assessment. August 2011. Viewed on 14 August 2011, http://sea.unu.edu/course/?page_id=30 3. B. Bramwell, Coastal mass tourism: diversification and sustainable development in Southern Europe, Channel View Publication, 2004, pp.147-8. 3 GIS for support generation towards Strategic Environmental Assessment It has been discovered that Geographic Information System (GIS) can be used a supporting tool towards Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). Since SEA is concerned about land-use planning, spatial data and GIS can be used in SEA. This involves utilizing GIS applications and techniques that include but are not limited to digital mapping, spatial analysis (overlays and weighted overlays), modeling and participative GIS.5 The good news is that GIS can be applied to each stage of SEA, which is comprised of screening, scoping, baseline environment, strategic environmental objectives, development of alternatives, monitoring and public participat ion.6 This indicates that using GIS techniques will help to streamline the process of carrying out SEA. Although it is important that GIS methodology must be followed step by step before success could be recorded in this respect. There are limitations to the use of GIS towards SEA; for examples, some data are too complicated for SEA experts to analyze and apply, and they should be minimally utilized. 4. C. Jones, Strategic Enviro

Organisational Behaviour in Action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organisational Behaviour in Action - Essay Example Similarly Mill, Bentham and Locke tried to include the principles of pleasure, pain and hedonism in describing human motivation but could not distinguish what factors accounted for differences in individual motivation. It was Douglas McGregor who pointed out that in order to achieve organizational objectives, it was better to treat workers with respect and compassion (McGregor, 1960, 12). One’s morale can suffer on account of undue pressures at work, bad supervision or the state of the economy when others are being laid off. In this paper we will try to discover how to keep the employees motivated and happy despite the dismal conditions all around them. Using Equity Theory to Motivate Employees at Bain & Company Psychologists and social scientists have developed various theories to explain how to motivate employees towards greater productivity and satisfaction in the workplace. Among these are Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, Herzberg’s Two Factor or Hygiene t heory, Vroom’s Expectancy theory, J. Stacy Adams’ Equity theory and so forth. In the case cited, we have the example of Bain and Company, where the worldwide Managing Director Steve Ellis is still not afraid to hire new employees in hot growth areas despite the recessionary trends in the economy as of 2009. He has managed to placate and address employee fears of being fired by reducing their goals to achievable levels looking at the state of the economy. He is also raised the rewards for lower level and temporary employees, so that they remain motivated and happy to have a job despite the economic slowdown. The equity theory states that there should be a balance between the output or productivity of an employee on the job and the rewards given to them. If the rewards given are perceived to be less than equal, the employee becomes dissatisfied and his productivity will drop in the near future. If the rewards given to an employee are perceived to be matching the level of his efforts at work, he will be suitably satisfied and his productivity will remain at the same level in the near future. The theory also states that if we want to increase an employee’s productivity, we should reward him a little bit more than he expects for his efforts. The employee will thus be pleasantly surprised and will definitely be motivated to work harder considering the faith that management has put into him. This is what Bain and Company is trying to do with the lower level employees by reducing goals and giving more rewards at lower levels of achievement across the organization. It is also seen that when employees are made to work harder and longer hours without a commensurate rewards program, ultimately they will leave the organization when things get better in the economy. Perhaps this is the very thing that Bain and Company wants to avoid. So by rewarding employees in this fashion, staff is not only happy to come to work every day but also learn not to worry like their counterparts in other organizations who are living in fear and despair. They can produce without undue worry about tomorrow. Using Expectancy Theory to Explain Motivation in Bain & Company The case cited also mentions that Bain and Company is hiring employees in hot growth areas. Steve Ellis thinks that a downturn is the best time to hire some outstanding employees away from the competition because of economic uncertainty and layoffs adding to the fear