How Does Diversity and Immigration Impact Innovation?

How Does Diversity and Immigration Impact Innovation? Anca Pop Nowadays, due to the increasingly competitive economic environment, and the constant danger of economic turn-downs, innovation has come into great prominence not only as an important source of competitive advantage, but also as a powerful driver of economic growth and prosperity. In this new context, attention has been drawn to the role that cultural diversity and immigration play in fostering innovation. Thus, the aim of this essay is to assess the impact of immigration on innovation. Furthermore, the question regarding whether or not a culturally diverse society represents an enabling environment for innovativeness shall be discussed. Nevertheless, a number of evidences and empirical data which support the linkage between cultural diversity, immigration and the innovation process shall be analysed. Statistical reports have shown that at the turn of the century â€Å"4.6% of world population was born in a different country from the one where it currently lived†. (Bratti and Conti, 2012:2). Given the size of this phenomenon, immigration has come into sharp focus on the global agenda, currently being at the centre of many economic and political debates and its economic consequences giving rise to a high level of research activity. Thus, it would be of highly importance to consider the contribution of increasingly cultural diversity in many societies to the innovation system especially when dealing with economic analysis and policy. However, in order to be able to analyse the effects of immigration and cultural diversity on innovation, firstly, the meaning of „innovation† as a concept along with its indicators should be tackled. Defining â€Å"innovation† could be rather a difficult task as it is a â€Å"multi-faceted phenomenon†, and a widely used concept in various ways and different contexts. (Venturini, 2005: 1) However, it could be generally agreed that †Innovation is different from pure invention. Innovation involves the successful implementation of a new product, service or process, which for most activities entails their commercial success.† (Gordon and McCann, 2005: 3). In addition to this, Ozgen, Nijkamp and Poot (2013: 3) state that innovation is achieved â€Å"by means of analytical knowledge† and argue that â€Å"The improvement of an existing product or the modification of an existing process or organizational arrangement can also be viewed as an innovation.† Regarding the measures of innovation, the most prominent ones are the number of patent applications and the Total Factor Productivity, used as proxies of technological growth and effective innovation s at both firm and country levels. Having now defined this process, leads the analysis further, to establishing how does immigration affect innovation. In recent years, research activities have demonstrated a rather positive correlation between migration and innovativeness, as â€Å"individuals coming from different countries usually have different, complementary skills with respect to natives, and the production of new ideas may be positively influenced by contacts and interchanges between culturally diverse individuals† (Bratti and Conti, 2012: 4). In addition to this, â€Å"migration brings youth to ageing countries, and allows ideas to circulate in millions of mobile minds. That is good both for those who arrive with suitcases and dreams and for those who should welcome them†. (The Economist, 2011) A rather more technical research on this matter is conducted by Ozgen, Nijkamp and Poot (2012) who study the impact of size, skills and diversity of immigration on the innovativeness of host regions using the number of patent applications per million inhabitants from 170 regions in Europe for the periods 1991-1995 and 2001-2005. According to this study, there are five mechanisms through which immigration may boost innovation: â€Å"the population size effect†; â€Å"the population density effect†; â€Å"the migrant share effect†; â€Å"the skill composition effect† and â€Å"the migrant diversity effect†. (Ozgen, Nijkamp and Poot, 2011:2). The first three mechanisms result from the fact that immigration increases the local aggregate demand. This boost in the aggregate demand could be met through an increase in the level and diversity of local production, which in the long run might need additional investment and thereby will encourage product and process innovation. Furthermore, local economy prosperity not only will generate firm growth but will also encourage additional start-up firms resulting into an innovation lift. Moreover, usually attracted to the large metropolitan areas with better job opportunities, migrants increase the urban population and thereby strengthen the forces of agglomeration which leads to greater innovation. (Ozgen, Nijkamp and Poot, 2011: 3). A more debated way through which the innovation system is enhanced by immigration refers to the skill composition effect on innovation. Given that the modern economy is in a constant quest for fresh ideas and better goods that would accelerate business growth, the global competition for highly-skilled migrants has gained magnitude. â€Å"Their role in innovation may seem obvious: the more clever people there are the more ideas are likely to flourish, especially if they can be commercialised.† (The Economist, 2009) Considerable empirical evidence for this is provided by Kerr who gathered data about the 8 million scientists who had acquired an American patent between 1975 and 2004. Hence, he found that the share of patents given to American-born scientists fell while the share of all patents awarded to immigrant scientists from China and India increased from 4.1% in the late 1970s to 13.9% between 2000 and 2004. (The Economist, 2009) Moreover, Kerr and William Lincoln (2008) ana lysed the way changes in the number of H-1B visa admissions reflected on patents in the years between 1995 and 2006. It is imperious to mention that H-1B visa is the United States work visa for skilled immigrants, which allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise as well as the attainment of a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent as a minimum. Thus, they point out that â€Å"the estimates suggest that a 10% growth in the H-1B worker population is associated with a 2% increase in patenting† (Kerr and Lincoln, 2008: 20) Bosetti, Cattaneo and Verdolini (2013: 1) predict that skilled immigration has a significant positive contribution not only to the knowledge creation in host countries as â€Å"they add to the pool of skills in destination markets†, but also enhances natives ‘productivity as the interaction of diverse cultures and approaches in problem solving and brain storming situations might give birth to new, original ideas. In order to support these predictions, they have studied the effect of skilled migrants on the number of patents applied for through the Patent Cooperation Treaty and citations of scientific publications, as proxies of innovation in a panel of twenty European countries from 1995 to 2008. Thus, in accordance with their initial prediction, Bosetti, Cattaneo and Verdolini (2013:11) found out that â€Å"the variable measuring the stock of knowledge in a given country (stock of RD expenditure) exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on innovation. A 1 percent increase in the stock of RD expenditures is associated with a 0.6 percent and a 0.4 percent increase in patent application and citation, respectively†. In a similar vein, Hunt and Gauthier-Loiselle (2009) measure the likeness of skilled immigrants to enrich innovation and at what extent. They do so by evaluating the differences in patenting behaviour between immigrants and natives as well as the state-level determinants of patenting using a panel of data from 1940-2000 in the Unites States. The results show that a 1% increase in the college graduate immigrants implied 6.1% rise in patents per capita while 1% increase in the share of college natives raise patents per capita only by 3.5%. Furthermore, â€Å"1.3 percentage point increase in the share of the population composed of immigrant college graduates and the 0.7 percentage point increase in the share of post-college immigrants both increased patenting per capita by about 12% (..). The 0.45 percentage point increase in immigrant scientists and engineers increased patenting per capita by about 13%.† (Hunt and Gauthier-Loiselle, 2009:20). Hence they discover that one way ski lled immigrants could boost patenting per capita is by engaging in science and engineering as the knowledge and skills these occupations request are more easily transferable across countries. Skilled immigrants could also enrich patenting per capita, if an immigration policy regarding immigrants’ selection according to their abilities and knowledge levels was introduced. This would attract more science and engineering orientated migrants and would encourage less skilled migrants to acquire higher education and engage themselves more into the innovation process. (Hunt and Gauthier-Loiselle, 2009: 2). Nevertheless, due to migration and globalisation, diversity has become an increasingly outstanding feature of today’s world. This brings into discussion the fifth mechanism through which immigration can boost the innovation system, the migrant diversity effect, as an important link to innovation. A say on this matter had the European Commission (2008: 8), in their work regarding the diversity journey in search for talent, competitiveness and innovation: â€Å"as innovation processes depend on harnessing creativity, and while dynamic as well as supportive systems of management can elicit the best from staff, like-minded people will usually produce like-minded results. Diversity in the workforce can, however, help companies to break this mould and the cycle of limited unilateral thinking and, in so doing, set them free to discover new products, markets, and ways of doing or leading business†. Empirical evidence that confirms the positive linkage between cultural diversity and innovation is provided by Niebuhr (2006). She investigates the impact of a cultural diverse labour force in German regions on innovation, using a sample of 200 different nationalities. The results show cultural diversity to be beneficial to innovation: â€Å"Due to their different cultural backgrounds, it is likely that migrants and native workers have fairly diverse abilities and knowledge. Thus, there might be skill complementarities between foreign workers and native in addition to those among workers of different qualification levels.† (Niebuhr, 2006: 564). But are cultural diversity and immigration always beneficial to innovation? According to Bratti and Conti (2012: 4), cultural diversity might also cause difficulties in communication, especially when natives and immigrants do not speak the same language. This might reduce social capital and therefore act as an impediment to innovation and economic performance. In addition, Ozgen (2013: 92) finds as outcomes of cultural diversity, lower levels of trust and higher discrimination within firms, â€Å"non-transferability of skills† or â€Å"non-recognition of qualifications† which play as impediments in ideas exchange or the formation of new knowledge. Similarly, â€Å"co-ethnic networks can lead to spatial or occupational segregation and clustering of migrant groups, which may also impede the contribution of immigrants to firm innovation†. Moreover, a few other situations which lie on the negative side of immigration could be observed. That would be the case of areas experiencing higher inflows of low-skilled or low educated migrants: â€Å"unskilled immigration can have a negative effect by reducing social capital, creating communication problems among workers or pushing firms to lower their efforts to introduce product and process innovations†. (Bratti and Conti, 2012:16). In order to uphold this statement, Bratti and Conti (2012: 22) evaluate the effect of low-skilled immigrants in Italian provinces on patent applications, as a proxy for innovativeness. Thus, they find evidence that there is a significant negative effect not only of low-skilled migrants, but also an overall negative effect of large inflows of immigrants on innovation: â€Å"rising immigrants’ share by 1 p.p. produces a 0.064 percent reduction in patents’ applications per 1,000 inhabitants.† This negative effect is proved to be mostly driven by the characteristics of immigrants who â€Å"mainly appear as a source of low-skilled and cheap labour force, which is employed in traditional economic sectors† (Bratti and Conti, 2012:11). Although it focuses especially on Italy, Bratti and Conti’s study is not necessarily a particular case, as their findings are also consistent with the Lewis’ work (2011: 1031) who has proved that areas rich in low-skilled immigrants areas adopted less machinery, giving technological change a slower evolution and: â€Å"plants added technology more slowly between 1988 and 1993 where immigration induced the ratio of high school dropouts to graduates to grow more quickly†. Hence, the substantial immigration boom from the end of the last century had a negative impact of knowledge formation and actively led to a slow growth in the supply of skills in the United States: â€Å"only after the large wave of immigration in the 1980s did high-immigration ci ties become more unskilled than low immigration cities.† (Lewis, 2011: 1031). On the other hand, there are also claims that even low-skill immigrants can indirectly enhance productivity gains and innovation: â€Å"Even low-skill immigrants who start small businesses that stay small are important to the American economy. They provide low cost services and access to more goods. There are also second-order effects, for example someone who provides child or elder care cheaply provide an invaluable service. This allows natives to works outside of their home† (The Economist, 2010). Similarly, Peri (2009: 17) has found a positive linkage between productivity gains and immigration in the United States in the years between 1960 and 2006, although the most majority of the immigrants in his sample were low-skilled and engaged in menial work. He proves that the inflow of unskilled migrants resulted in a more efficient allocation of skills and education to jobs amongst natives, thereby leading to an increase in the total factor productivity. Additionally, the negati ve effects of cultural diversity and unskilled immigrants could be overcome by properly exploiting the competencies of skilled immigrants as well as by attracting more highly educated immigrants. This could be achieved by introducing favourable immigration policies for high-skilled immigrants, in order to foster innovation and economic growth. Furthermore, free language courses and job-related training programs could be provided for immigrants in order to reduce language barriers and allow them to develop or upgrade their skills. To conclude, on theoretical grounds, there are several ways in which immigration and cultural diversity can affect both positively and negatively the innovation system. Given such a mixture of positive and negative effects, the overall impact of immigration on innovation should be considered in terms of empirical evidences. In this sense, this essay has presented a number of different studies and approaches from European countries, but also from the United States. What is more, five mechanisms through which immigration can boost innovation have been analysed. As opposed to this, several negative effects of cultural diversity and immigration with regards to the innovation process have been considered along with several ways these drawbacks could be overcome. Thus, all things considered, it could be consented that migration and cultural diversity represent an opportunity as much as a challenge, but if managed carefully it would lead to positive outcomes such as innovation, technologica l change, increasing productivity gains and ultimately to economic growth. References Bosetti V., Cattaneo C. and Verdolini E. (2012) â€Å"Migration, Cultural Diversity and Innovation: A European Perspective†, FEEM Working Paper No. 69.2012. Online at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2162836 (Accessed 14 January 2014) Bratti M. and Conti C. (2012) â€Å"Immigration, Population Diversity and Innovation of Italian regions† Online at: www.ecostat.unical.it/rd2013/Papers/Bratti_Conti.pdf‎ (Accessed 12 January 2014) European Commission (2008) â€Å"Continuing The Diversity Journey: Business Practices, Perspectives And Benefits† European Union Publications Office, Luxembourg. Gordon I.R. and McCann P. (2005) â€Å"Clusters, Innovation and Regional Development: An Analysis of Current Theories and Evidence†, in Johansson B., Karlsson C. and Stough R., (eds.), â€Å"Entrepreneurship, Spatial Industrial Clusters and Inter-Firm Network†s , Edward Elgar, Cheltenham Hunt, J. and M. Gauthier-Loiselle (2008) â€Å"How Much Does Immigration Boost Innovation?† NBER Working Paper14312, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge Mass. Online at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp3921.pdf (Accessed 12 January 2014) Kerr W.R.andLincoln W. F. (2008)â€Å"TheSupplySideofInnovation:Hà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 1BVisaReformsandU.S.EthnicInvention†JournalofLaborEconomics. Online at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w15768 (Accessed 13th January 2014) Lewis, E. (2011) â€Å"Immigration, skill mix, and capital skill complementarity†. The Quarterly Journal of Economics 126, 1029–1069. Online at: http://ideas.repec.org/a/oup/qjecon/v126y2011i2p1029-1069.html (Accessed 9 January 2014) Niebuhr A. (2006): â€Å"Migration and innovation: Does cultural diversity matter for regional RD activity?† IAB discussion paper, No. 2006,14. Online at: http://www.econstor.eu/handle/10419/31908 (Accessed 11 January 2014) Ozgen C. (2013) â€Å"Impacts of immigration and cultural diversity on innovation and economic growth† Online at: http://dare.ubvu.vu.nl/bitstream/handle/1871/47948/dissertation.pdf?sequence=1 (Accessed 13 January 2014) Ozgen, C., Nijkamp, P., Poot, J. (2011) Immigration and Innovation in European Regions IZA Discussion Papers 5676, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). Online at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp5676.pdf (Accessed 12 January 2014) Peri, G. (2009) â€Å"The Effect of Immigration on Productivity: Evidence from US States† NBER working paper September 2009. Online at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w15507 Accessed 14 January 2014 The Economist (17 September 2010) â€Å"Importing job growth† Online at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2010/09/economic_growth (Accessed 10 January 2014) The Economist (19 November 2011) â€Å"The magic of diasporas†. Online at: http://www.economist.com/node/21538742 (Accessed 10 January 2014) The Economist (5 March 2009) â€Å"Give me your scientists†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , Online at : http://www.economist.com/node/13234953 (Accessed10 January 2014) Venturini A. (2012) â€Å"Innovation and Migration† co-authored with F. Montobbio, C. Fassio, MPC Analytical Note, 2012/05. Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, San Domenico di Fiesole (FI): European University Institute, 2012. Pluripotent Stem Cells: Benefits, Properties and Uses Pluripotent Stem Cells: Benefits, Properties and Uses INTRODUCTION Pluripotent stem cells give rise to nearly all cells types of the body, like, muscle, nerve, heart, and blood. They hold huge promise for both research health care. The advance in human biology continues to generate interest among scientists, patients suffering from a wide range of diseases, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes, their families. Embryonic stem (ES) cells, is derived from inner cell mass of mammalian blastocysts they have the ability to grow for an indefinite period while maintaining pluripotency. These properties have led to hope that human Embryonic Stem cells might be useful to understand the disease mechanisms, to monitor effective and safe drugs, to treat patients of various diseases and injuries, such as juvenile diabetes and spinal cord injury. Cell culture is the one of the most important basic biomedical research. From many decades, many innumerable insights into both normal pathologic cellular processes have been gleaned by the study of human cells explanted in vitro. Primary human cells have a small life span in culture, there is a regulation of tissue formation, regeneration, and repair. Many human cell types have never closely been adapted for the expansion in vitro, and the lack of available models of normal pathologic tissue structure has render many new important questions in human growth and disease pathogenesis and it is hard to find. At present three types of methods have been reported to induce pluripotency artificially in mouse somatic cells. Embryonic stem like cells can also be recognized by long-term culture of bone marrow cells, and pluripotent stem cells can be generate adult germ cells, either by vitro culture of spermatogonial cells or by the parthenogenesis of unfertilized eggs. The capability to reprogram cells from the human blood will let the generation of patient-spec ific stem cells for the diseases. In this disease-causing somatic mutations are then restricted to the cells of the hematopoietic lineage. Depending on methods used, reprogramming of the adult cells to gain iPSCs may pose significant risk those could limit their use in humans. Many scientists around the world, announced the discovery of the method that could eliminate oncogenes after the induction of pluripotency, which will increase the potential use of iPSC in human disease. In April 2009, it was verified that generation of iPS cells is feasible without any genetic modification of the adult cell: a repetitive treatment of cells by means of certain proteins channelled into the cells viapoly-arginine anchorswas sufficient to induce pluripotency. Pluripotent stem cells are a unique scientific and medical source.The pluripotent stem cells are derived using non-Federal funds 8yat the beginning, embryos donated voluntarily by couples who are undergo fertility treatment in an vitro ferti lization clinic. Human embryonic stem cells isolated from more surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization clinics represent an immortal circulation of pluripotent cells that can theoretically generate any cell type inside the human body. PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS are generated from adults cells where induced pluripotent stem cells is the part of pluripotent stem cells and it is also called as iPS cells or iPSC’s. Pluripotent stem cells give rise to nearly all of the cells types of body, like muscle, nerve, heart, and blood. Pluripotent stem cells are called master cells because they are able to make cells from all three body layers, so they can produce any cells or body needs to repair itself, it is called pluripotency. Pluripotent stem have promising future in the area of regenerative medicine because it it is different in effect on the cells of the body which are neurons, heart, pancreatic liver cells. It can help in the representation of single cell which can remain to lost the damage or diseased cells. IPSC they are similar to natural pluripotent stem cells, like embryonic stem cells in many ways, like the appearance of certain stem cell genes proteins,  chromatin methylation  patterns, doubling time,  embryoid body  formation,  teratoma  formation, viable  chimera  formation, and potency and differentiability. Pluripotent stem cells EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS Embryonic stem cells is the most important type of pluripotent cells. Embryonic stem cells(ES cells) arepluripotentstem cellsthat are derived from theinner cell massof ablastocyst an early-stage preimplantation  embryo. Humanembryos reach the  blastocyst  stage 4–5 days postfertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells. From adult tissue iPSC has been derived. They cannot by pass the need of embryos but they can be matched in the patients which mean that pluripotent stem cells line will be present in the each individual. Without any risk of immune rejection autologous cells can be used for recognising the basic behaviour of disease present in the patients therapeutic transplants are not safe in iPSC technology. ESC that are appeared which have large domains of the genome that have a specific histone code, that are not found in more mature cells, which allows very fast inactivation or activation of gene expression. Embryonic stem cells arepluripotent th at are able todifferentiatein all derivatives of the three germ layers:ectoderm, endoderm, andmesoderm. It includes more than 220 cell types in the adult  body. Pluripotency distinguishes embryonic stem cells from  adult stem cells  found in  adults; while embryonic stem cells can produce all cell types in body, adult stem cells they are multipotent  and they can create only limited number of cell type. Human embryonic stem cell structure SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER The somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) means, transferring the nucleus from a somatic cell, any cell of the body, to an other cell, in this case it’s an egg cell. This kind of pluripotent stem cell called ntES cell, which has only been made successfully in the inferior animals. To make ntES cells in the human patients, an egg donor, would be needed. The process of transferring a differentnucleusinto the egg â€Å"reprograms† it to a pluripotent condition, reactivating full set of genes for creating all the tissues of the body. PRODUCTION OF INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS iPSCs are introduced in a set of pluripotency associated genes or reprogramming factors in to a given cell kind. The original set of reprogramming factor are genes Oct4 (Pou5f1), Sox2, cMyc, and Klf4. It is a slow and unsufficient process which takes 1-2 weeks in mouse cells 3-4 weeks in human. It has efficiency of 0.01%- 0.1%. For improving the efficiency and time taken to get ipsc considerable changes have been done. In reprogramming factor, cell start to make colonies that look like pluripotent stem cells. Pluripotency is maintained by a combination of epigenetic, transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms. PRODUCTION OF Ipsc CELLS GENERATION OF INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM cells. They divide culture donor cells. Transfect the stem cell-associated genes into cells by viral vectors. Harvest and culture the cells according to the Embryoic Stem cell culture by the use of mitotically in feeder cells. A small set of transfected cells become iPS cells generate ES-like colonies Generation of IPS cells Types of Pluripotent Stem Cells There are several types of pluripotent stem cells are Embryonic stem cells which are joined from the inner cell mass of blastocyst the embryos are produced from in vitro fertilisation, although this is important cause it eliminates the embryo, which could have been implanted for the formation of a baby. Embryonic germ cells which are obtained from the aborted foetuses and these pluripotent cells are copied from past cells. These past cells are those which can form sperm eggs. Embryonic carcinoma or the cancer cells which are cosset from tumour that sometimes are prevalent in a a foetus. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TOTIPOTENT,   PLURIPOTENT, AND MULTIPOTENT Totipotent cells can form all the kind of cell in a body, in addition the extraembryonic, or the placental cells. Embryonic cells, the 1st couple of cell divisions following fertilization are the only cells that are totipotent cells. Pluripotent cells can also give rise to all of the type of cells that make up the body. Embryonic stem cells are called pluripotent. Multipotent cells can expand into more than 1 cell type, but they are more limited than the pluripotent cells, adult stem cells cord blood stem cells are often considered as multipotent. BENEFITS OF PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS Pluripotent stem cells give a renewable basis of healthy cells tissues to treat many type of diseases similar to heart disease and diabetes. People who are burn those patients who suffer from autoimmune diseases like Parkinsons can give advantage from the usage of pluripotent stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells have large potential for treatment of diseases, because they give rise to majority of cell types in human body,which include muscle, blood, heart nerve cells. The use for pluripotent stem cells include the generation of cells tissues that are use in transplantation. Drug study research next method that pluripotent stem cells are beneficial. Animals are mostly used to measure the safety and use of drugs. Those drugs which are secure and used in development for testing on animals. TURNING PLURIPOTENT CELL INTO TREATMENT Over time, many techniques are developed, pluripotent stem cells could any one of the day allow doctors to create form, rejection-proof transplant to patch a scarred heart, revitalize damaged nerves or reboot an immune system which is not able of fighting infection. Doctors have first obtained  pluripotent  stem cells that match the patient genetically through genetic  reprogramming,  nuclear transfer, or parthenogenesis. There are four critical steps: To grow  pluripotent  stem cells that create a large quantity of healthy cells. Restore faulty genes,this would be needed if the cells are carrying a genetic disorder, such as sickle cell anemia which turn the stem cells into a specific cell kind or a tissue.A genetically healthy line of  pluripotent  cells is recognized, they must be creating specialized kinds of cells and this process is called as differentiation. To transplant cells or tissue to the diseased or damaged organ or tissue,the cells will require to reach right part of the body, take hold and start to function. Scientists know how to deliver blood to the stem cells, but they still need to develop some effective delivery method for other cell types. Getting the pluripotent stem cell The cells can be made in one of several ways: Nuclear transfer— By using a patient’s skin cell and then transferring it into an egg (possibly the patient’s own, or of an egg donor). Genetic  reprogramming— By transforming a skin cell or blood cell or other cell from the patient to a  pluripotent  stem cell. Parthenogenesis— This is done by using unfertilized eggs. A woman may be able to give her own eggs to make stem cells that match her genetically, or draw on master banks of stem cells which are made from eggs. WHY ARE PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS IMPORTANT? Pluripotent stem cells can be used to produce any cell or tissue the body might need to challenge a wide range of diseases, from diabetes to spinal cord injury, to childhood leukemia,or to heart disease. Pluripotent  stem cells can potentially be modified to provide a perfect genetic match for any patient. It means that the patient could get transplants of tissue and cells without matching tissue and tissue rejection problems. There is also no need to take powerful immune-suppressing drugs for the rest of their lives. Although there is time in achieving this, researchers have treated mouse models of human disease by using this strategy and hope that same can be done with human patients. Disease in a dish: Pluripotent stem cells create excellent laboratory models for studying how a disease unfolds, which further helps scientists to locate and track, very earliest disease-causing actions in cells. Immune deficiencies like type1 diabetes, muscular dystrophy, and myriad other disorders which are embedded in fetal development. In the lab, researchers monitor from where the first muscle cell comes from, or the first blood cell, and how this is different when the patient has a genetic disease. By the use of this information, doctors are able to correct the genetic defect before the disease advances. Applications: Pluripotent  stem cell has different characteristics that make it useful in different ways : Induced pluripotent cells(iPS cells) offer a unique chance to model many human disease and are already being used to make a lot of new discoveries about premature aging, disease,cancer, and more. They are made from a person’s own cells, they can be potentially manipulated to fix the defects that are causing disease and then used to create healthy cells for transplant that won’t be rejected by the immune system. Embryonic stem cells(ES cells) are standard for the biological theory of pluripotency. Scientists are continuosly working with Embryonic Stem cells to study more about a cell with pluripotency and discover safe better ways to create iPS cells. Each type of ES cell is important for different reasons: ES cells made from donating early embryos are unique tools for the understanding of earliest stages of human development specific tissues form, because they’re not modified to individual patients, their value is mainly in research. MEDICAL RESEARCH Disease modeling and drug development An attractive feature of the human iPS cells is their ability to derive them from adult patients for the study of cellular basis of human diseases. Since iPS cells have property of self-renewing and are pluripotent, they stand for a theoretically unlimited source of patient-derived cells which further can be turned into any kind of cell in the body. This is important because many other types of human cells which are derived from patients tend to stop rising after a few passages in laboratory culture. iPS have been generated for a broad variety of human genetic diseases, including common disorders such as Down syndrome and polycystic kidney disease. Organ synthesis A proof-of-concept by induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to make human organ for the transplantation  was reported by researchers of Japan. Human ‘liver  buds’ (iPSC-LBs) were grown from a mixture of three different types of stem cells: Hepatocytes  (for liver function) coaxed from iPSCs Endothelial stem cells  (to form lining of  blood vessels) from  umbilical cord blood Mesenchymal stem cells  (to form  connective tissue). This new approach allows different cell types to self-organize into complex organ, mimicking the process in  fetal development. After growing in vitro for few days, the liver buds were transplanted into mice where the ‘liver’ quickly connected with host blood vessels and then continued to grow. Tissue repair Embryonic cord-blood cells were induced to pluripotent stem cells by the use of plasmid DNA. Using cell surface endothelial/pericytic markers  CD31  and  CD146, researchers have identified vascular progenitor, which is high-quality, multipotent vascular stem cells. After the iPS cells were directly injected into the  vitreous  of damaged  retina  of mice, the stem cells then engrafted into retina, grow repaired the  vascular vessels. Red blood cells In 2014,  type O  red blood cells  were synthesized at Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service from iPSC. The cells were induced to become a  mesoderm   then  blood cells   then red blood cells. The final step was making them eject their nuclei mature properly. Type O rbc’s can be transfused into all patients. Each pint of the blood contain about 2 trillion red blood cells, although some 107 million blood donations are collected globally each year. Human transfusions were not expected to begin until 2016.

Impression Management

I decided to go with the sociologist Erving Goffman’s theory of how in certain social situations, we are all like actors and actresses playing a role, referred to as impression management. He sought to describe and explain the aspects of interaction in a consistently sociological matter. He called his research, or his field, â€Å"interaction order†. (Smith 1999). Erving Goffman used symbolic interactionism in his studies, his theory is that we all act differently in different settings. A person has the ability to chose the person that they want to present to certain social groups. A person can be an actor or actress, yet can also be their own â€Å"audience† at the same time. Goffman referrers the ability as using â€Å"front-stage † and â€Å"back-stage† behavior as we create identities to fit into social groups, and often present different identities in each social or group setting. Impression management is used as an attempt to influence perceptions of oneself to others. I believe that this sort of imagery goes hand in hand with Edward T. Hall’s theory of everyone using proxemics in social interactions. As stated in Introduction to Sociology, people are more comfortable having family and friends physically close when interacting in social settings. (Vissings 2011). There are three setting in which a person will use this impression behavior in. The main setting that a person will use this sort of impression management is in the work life. A person will present an image to those that they work with, that they probably, and more likely, do not show with their family and close friends. A person can use this sort of behavior to set an image of oneself to the people that they work around. If you want to get to a management position, a person who has no history of a leadership skill, can mimic a manager they work with, and can use what is called impression construction. (Dubrin 2010). A person is motivated by their desire to create a positive image, and take the steps to create a identity to fit the role of their desired status in the work environment. Using the example of wanting to become a manager, a person can work with their manager to learn the skills that they need, or can research the description and requirement to fit the role, and set in motion the steps to get to that status, using impression management. I have personally learned over the years at my company what it takes to be a leader for a team. I expressed my eagerness to learn more at my company to my manager who in return set me up for training in all departments that are available in my work site. I can successfully run a call, set up a call, book a call, trouble shoot a problem within a conference call, and can escalate and resolve issues on a managers level. I am able to help my fellow agents on Web calls that they are not familiar with, and have the credentials to log into the Admin sites and create or amend accounts. I am not a manager, at this point I chose not to be one, but I do have the ability to run a team, update agents on new information, as well as train anyone who comes to the floor. I have built my own professional impression that I present to those I work with, and agents from all over the site will come to me for help. I have made myself an asset to my company, and during lay off’s at the end of last year and early this year, I have survived because of my ability to keep things running. A person can also build a social impression on the internet. On Facebook to be precise. A person can project an image of their lives by certain posts, by their involvement in certain Events that are posted, and through pictures. I know of plenty of people that I work with that are on my face book that I know professionally, and see the different image that they project at work, and the one that they project online. A person who joins Facebook for the first time has to fill out some information about themselves. A person can be real and present their true selves, or they can use the impression behavior and look at other friends profiles and see what they have created on their accounts; and try to fit in by making their information match those of their peers. The pictures that a person posts of themselves, can signal meaningful things about themselves, either on purpose, or inadvertently. Media social standards emerge as people learn to read cues or signals from the Facebook â€Å"environment† and learn what behavior is involved with the social network, and either conform to what everyone else is doing, (acting) or present their true selves. For example, a person who was never popular or well liked in schools, can set up a profile on Facebook showing a life that is perfect, when in fact it isn’t, thus having created a false impression that they present to those from their past. A final setting that a person can use impression management is within their family. And I don’t mean close relatives who can pop in and really see what is real and what is an act. There are certain family members in my life that live far away from us, who like to project to everyone that their family is perfect, marriage is perfect, children are perfect. And while we aren’t there to really see what is fact or fiction, we know that they aren’t perfect. But, the image that they want for family not near them, is that they are living the good life, while drama and conflict rules every where else. These relatives will put on a front that shows that their life is better than ours, when we know that the oldest went to prison, and we know that the middle son got into trouble with the law repeatedly. They have went so far as to stay off of any social media sites where any of their family members could view their life, and have decided that they were no longer a part of the family name that they came from, and have more or less disowned the rest of us. But, it doesn’t bother me because I know the hard work I’ve put in to make my life a good one, its hard, but I have no shame in the things I have been through, because I have overcome them and learned from them. Erving Goffman’s theory is evident in everyday life, we all play a role of some sort, and sometimes a person can lose who they really are by pretending to be someone that they aren’t. I can relate to his theory, because I have had experience in every example that I have given, and know that this is truly a man who pegged the way that people act at home, socially, and at work. References Smith, Greg (1999) Goffman's Patrimony : Studies in a Sociological Legacy. London, GBR, Routledge Publisher. Retrieved from site. ebrary. com DuBrin Andrew (2010 ) Impression Management in the Workplace. Research Theory and Practice. Retrieved from books. google. com Boyd, Danah. (2007) â€Å"Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life. † MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Learning – Youth, Identity, and Digital Media Volume (ed. David Buckingham). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Vissing, Yvonne (2011) An Introduction to Sociology Impression management Impression management is considered the goal-directed conscious or insensate process in which people endeavor to influence the perceptions of other people about a certain individual object or event; the question was asked â€Å"In what situation are you most likely to use impression management? Most would argue that the times best for Impression management would be in the workplace.Most would agree that this type of action happens in the workplace all the time; this would be the attempt to alter the perceptions of others by acting In a certain way around them. One of the places that most would say you would not have to use Impression management Is at home. To be In an environment where you do not have to worry about others and what they think of you can be a reliever. When we feel that we can be who we are without having to Impress others, we tend to have a better chance to relax and truly be that person we want and truly are.The typical differences In these situations would be as f ollows; let's say you work at a company where there are many professionals who dress up to impress others on the job, So you would decide to do the same so that you will fit in and you will be accepted. The only difference is that when you are at home, you will not feel this has to be done because there is no one there to impress or if you have a family and are out with them, you dress as you would like because you feel that you do not have to impress the ones who love you for who you are.I can definitely recall a time when I was out at a party that was being held for my fiance ©e. All of his co workers and family were present, naturally I began to play the role of the great soon to be wife that everyone looked up too. I made sure I wore the best cloths, shared my greatest accomplishments, and interacted with workers, family, and friends to show I had a humorous side. I gave them everything I had to prove that I was a great person. After the event I found my self going back home e xhausted and wondering how will I do this again at the next function.Most would agree it is hard to pretend all the time it takes plenty of work to do. I was exhausted because normally I would not react or be open to speaking with every single person who I felt that I had nothing in common with. I have found that it Is best to let others like you for who you are, and not to work so hard to gain reindeer's from others who expect you to be what they want you to be, this Is simply because you are really not being you. If you can not be you then It Is not worth the headache.There was also a time, when I went out to a gathering to meet up with ladles from different parts of the city, when I arrived I Immediately went Into discussing my achievements, and sharing Jokes that did not seem to work with the crowd. I honestly do not know why It failed. I can only think the reason this happened was because I was with a more conservative group. They were not the over the top crowd I normally Inte ract with. I do not think that using the self handicap strategy would be a good idea for these cases.If I had to use a handicap strategy it would be refusing to even try so that I will not have to worry about failure. However, that would not be a good thing because I continued using this strategy it could allow me to never be successful or follow through any venture that I set out for myself. I would not recommend doing this at all. The importance is being able to have a balance, and knowing what to do and what not to do. Ultimately it is better to be your self and not strive to please others.

Striking the best deal: a closer look at negotiation

Negotiation styles must be dynamic and flexible; they ought to be adapted based on the context in which they shall be utilized. These styles may either be competitve or collaborative, depending on the extent to which the individual considers himself and the person he is negotiating with. The following scenario has been relayed for purposes of reflecting on my negotiation style and on the tangible means through which I can improve it.Negotiation has been overlooked as an important management competency / skill as it was limited to the confines of the conflict – resolution phase. This skill whose aim to is to minimize differences between parties, can also be effectively used as a tool for information-sharing, influencing and building or strengthening relationships. This tool is most helpful where the environment promotes openness in communication, particularly in the sharing of information and involvement of everyone in the decision-making in the organization.DiscussionThis pape r begins with a thorough discussion of the context in which the negotiation tool place. I have worked as a Human Resources Manager for a Battery Manufacturing company for two years now. After a careful review of my performance, I believe that my salary raise has been way overdue. There were several things which I had to adequately prepare prior to my negotiation with my boss. First, I had to gather as much objective / emprical evidence to back up my case.This meant going through my performance reviews, and seeing the achievements and the merits which I have accomplished for the past two years. I had to make sure that my claims were backed up by verifiable critical incidents. That is, my evidence must be as objective as possible so as to gain credence and strike up a reasonable bargain with my superior. My objective for the negotiation session was to convince my superior that I add value to the enterprise and therefor deserve a raise that will make my recent promotion worthwhile.I th en proceeded to schedule a meeting with my boss and went through the process of negotiating for a salary raise. I began the discussion with asking him about how he evaluated my performance for the past two years. He said that he thought my performance was exemplary and that I excelled more compared to the other managers of the department. I thanked him for his compliments and proceeded by giving a summary of my achievements within the past two years. I supported each of my traits with critical incidents. I ensured support for both technical exerptise and soft skills.I also gave a brief rundown of the training sessions which I have attended which demonstrated by authentic intent to improve myself further. I then showed my boss the strategic map of my company which illustrates the different strategic objectives of the organization, from the various perspectives of our Balanced Scorecard, encompassing financials, customer, best business practice, business development, and learning and growth. I again pointed out how the effective performance of my role is able to contribute to each of the strategic thrusts across these perspectives. He seemed to be convinced of the value of my role and my drive to excel.I then articulated my belief and feeling that my salary increase has been long overdue. He responded by saying that currently, the company has some financial considerations which has compelled him to be be very careful in giving raises lest we go beyond our operating budget. I responded by expressing empathy over his concern; â€Å"yes I understand the situation, Sir†. Since reason appealed more to my boss more than feelings, I decided to further rationalize the need for me to have a raise.I said that based on benchmark data, I feel that my pay is below the industry average when compared to parallel positions in other companies. I showed him the data. With salaries which are uncompetitive, I put forth that we will surely lose critical talent. I have also ad ded that with the addition of one more child to my family, I pragmatically need more financial resources more than ever. He seemed to agree with my arguments and yet he still maintained that the company was currently experiencing financial constraints which I must be able to consider. Again, I have expressed empathy of the situation.I then proceeded by asking him about his ideas about my proposition. This discussion was very important since both parties were engaged in the brainstorming and decision making process. He again reiterated the fact that the company then was experiencing certain financial constraints. After proposing severla alternatives, he agreed on a ‘conditional’ raise. First, I would have to show consistency in my performance within the next six months, exhibiting the same level of excellence and results orientation in my work.He said that the financial figures would have shown a turnaround by that time. I then reassured him that I am willing to compromi se and that I thought that the proposal was reasonable. I volunteered to summarize the discussion, and reiterated that I was expecting a 20% raise in my basic salary after an interim performance review, six months from the time of our discussion.. He finally agreed. Finally, for clarity of the agreements between us, I have volunteered to document all that was agreed upon so that we could sign for documentation purposes. He has also agreed with this proposal. I then proceeded to doing the minutes of the session and to have him concur to all that was stated in the document.There were several things which I have learned from myself from this experience on negotiation. First, it may be beneficial and reasonable to exhibit assertiveness when it is due. Had I not decided to muster all my courage to negotiate with my salary increase, I would not have gotten his word – also, considering the organization’s conservative position when it comes to giving out raises. I have also re alized that it is always beneficial to use key principles that ensure the smooth interpersonal relationship between two parties during the negotiation process.First, I have ensured to maintain or enhance his self-esteem despite being somehow frustrated with the fact that I have not received a raise for such a long time. I have expressed to him that I still felt motivated and driven in my work despite the lack of that hygiene factor – pay. Whenever there were instances wherein it appeared he lacked management skill, I always ‘balanced’ it off with a positive trait. This was to ensure that antagonism would not develop as a reaction from him. I found this very effective and critical in the process of negotiation.Next, I have also practiced the use of empathy. I always assured him that I understood the tight financial position that the company was experiencing then. I also assured him that I understood why he was not able to recommend a raise for me within 2 yearsâ⠂¬â„¢ time when he explained that the company was still in financial rehabilitation. Another effective technique was to engage him in brainstorming for ideas. If the idea solely came from me, he would surely not have buy-in with it and would tend to antagonize it. On the contrary, since he was part of the process of thinking of the best alternative for resolving the situation, he remained amiable and accepting throughout the whole process. This facilitated the discussion and made us arrive at a mutually beneficial option.There were also several things which I have learned about my superior following that session. I have realized that he was a very rational person, who bases his decisions on empirical data. He wanted support for all that was said. I feel that this was reasonable and has helped encourage objectivity from both parties. I came to the session prepared with all the necessary documents to support my arguments, knowing that he will be more appreciative given all these †˜evidence’. In effect, the sense of subjectivity from both parties is diminished which also helped maintain that atmosphere of amiability. I then realized from the experience that it is very important for a manager to be psychologically prepared before going through any negotiation or bargaining process.This experience was quite different from the parties whom I have negotiated with in the past. One difference was the personality of the party whom I was negotiating with – my superior was highly objective and was willing to negotiate. Such willingness and objectivity are very important. There were parties in the past who appear to be very antagonistic to begin with, and were not willing to compromise. In effect, the session was simply about manipulation and getting the other party to agree to what one wants.This is a wrong assumption, and is marked by close-mindedness. Another difference which I have noted was the willingness of my boss to reach a reasonable compromise . He listened to my arguments and assessed if they held water. If they did, he acknowledged them and were open to them. He also considered the financial constraints of the company and had to adjust his proposition so that both parties may benefit.It should also be noted that in the process of negotiation, managerial-level bargaining is controlled by the organization in such a way that the company’s interest is placed at top priority, unshadowed by the personal interest of the manager (Ramundo, 1992). The effectivity of the negotiation is also seen in the prevalence of the organizational interest as negotiation can be exploited to serve the manager’s or negotiator’s personal objectives. In the future, I would proceed by researching not only about the profile and the ways of my superior per se, but also of other factors which may influence the bargain.For instance, I was not able to take into consideration the fact that the company was then experiencing financial constraints at that time. A profound knowledge of all the factors that may affect the negotiation process is critical, so that the alternative reached after the process is one that is realistic and that does not put undue pressure on either party.ConclusionThe competency of negotiation is a must for every manager. As a business leader, the ability to communicate with persuasion, presenting an idea and coming up with options in order to reach an agreement between parties is a well-known, yet unmastered competency. Studies have shown that this skill has been linked to Emotional Intelligence. Ergo, being a good negotiator entails possessing a high EQ. But like any other skill, the researcher believes that negotiation can be developed through training, concepts, knowledge of the techniques and practice. I have learned from the experience that it is important to exhibit assertiveness and effective interpersonal techniques during the negotiation process. Moreover, it may also be helpful t o ‘size up’ the party you are bargaining with to be able to use the most suitable bargaining techniques.I have realized, too, that more than convincing or influencing decisions, negotiating is also about developing and maintaining relationships. In the field of business, this is one of, if not the most important aspects in surviving in its tough arena. The negotiating table is a staple in the life cycle of business – from the start of the partnership, to term modifications until the end of the business relationship.When one speaks about the skill or process of negotiation, it is usually associated with business deals, bargaining or conflict resolution. However, little did most people know that it is also one form of influencing which is aimed at achieving win-win outcomes (Manning & Robertson, 2004).   It was also described as the process wherein parties meet having different objectives and / or values basing from their motives or interests.The end product of s uch process is to at least minimize the conflicting differences, so as to reach a mutual agreement. In the experience which I have just related, I was willing to compromise in having a raise, but within a time frame proposed by my boss. If I had insisted on what I wanted and was not willing to delay gratification, this could have possibly breeded antagonism and would have pre-empted the smooth closure of the negotiation process.Though the definition may sound too theoretical, managers are very aware of its practical power in the lifeblood of businesses in all industries. It is through negotiation that the business is opened up for partnership, whether it is for dealers, suppliers or customers. For issues that may be surrounding the deal or service, the negotiating table is the venue for smoothing out these issues and maintaining the business relationship. And in the final stages of the business partnership, remaining issues or options on the business are discussed in the process. Fo llowing these circumstances, conflict can readily emerge in the process due to the premise of persuading another party to be performing an action or agree to an idea which may be quite disagreeable for some reason.More specific examples of negotiation can be seen in the following: Managers do negotiation with union contracts (Walton & Mackenzie, 1965), resource prices and allocations, delivery schedules, promotions, compensation packages (Lax & Sebenius, 1986; Murninghan, 1992), and a myriad of other aspects of organizational outcomes ( Wall & Blum, 1991).This was further emphasized by Mintzberg (1993), pointing out that negotiation was identified as a primary managerial role, particularly in decision-making. Ramundo (1992) postulated that almost two-third of the managerial function is devoted to dialogues in all levels within the organization even if this was not primarily considered in orthodox writings on management. Over the years, organization-based negotiations have not only i ncreased in frequency, but also has become more critically complex.Wall & Blum (1992) observed that it has likewise put on a more ambiguous and changeable which could be attributed to the interdependencies between organizations brought by the globalization and the trend of diminishing boundaries. In addition, they also cited the cross-cultural differences brought by international business as well as the current pack of employees who are well-educated possessing knowledge of expert caliber.Thus, as a manager, I feel that negotiation ought to be a core competency, since in the organizational setting, there are many conflicts where negotiation may be useful. Through a thorough knowledge and practice of negotiation techniques, these situations may be handled with greater ease.ReferencesLax, D.L. & Sebenius, J.K. (1986). The manager as negotiator: Bargaining for cooperation and competitive gain. New York: Free PressWall, J.A. & Blum, M.W. (1991). Negotiations. Journal of Management, 17, 273-303Ramundo, B.R. (1994). The Bargaining Manager: Enhancing Organizational Results Through Negotiation. Westport, CT: Quorum BooksMintzberg, H. (1973). The nature of managerial work. New York: Harper and RowWalton, R.E. &   McKersie, R.B. (1965). A behavioral theory of labor negotiations: an analysis of a social interaction system. Ithaca, NY: BLRManning, T. & Robertson, B. (2004). Influencing, negotiating skills and conflict-handling: some additional research and reflections. Industrial and Commermcial Training, 36, 104 Striking the best deal: a closer look at negotiation IntroductionNegotiation styles must be dynamic and flexible; they ought to be adapted based on the context in which they shall be utilized. These styles may either be competitve or collaborative, depending on the extent to which the individual considers himself and the person he is negotiating with. The following scenario has been relayed for purposes of reflecting on my negotiation style and on the tangible means through which I can improve it.Negotiation has been overlooked as an important management competency / skill as it was limited to the confines of the conflict – resolution phase. This skill whose aim to is to minimize differences between parties, can also be effectively used as a tool for information-sharing, influencing and building or strengthening relationships. This tool is most helpful where the environment promotes openness in communication, particularly in the sharing of information and involvement of everyone in the decision-making in the organization.Discuss ionThis paper begins with a thorough discussion of the context in which the negotiation tool place. I have worked as a Human Resources Manager for a Battery Manufacturing company for two years now. After a careful review of my performance, I believe that my salary raise has been way overdue. There were several things which I had to adequately prepare prior to my negotiation with my boss. First, I had to gather as much objective / emprical evidence to back up my case. This meant going through my performance reviews, and seeing the achievements and the merits which I have accomplished for the past two years. I had to make sure that my claims were backed up by verifiable critical incidents. That is, my evidence must be as objective as possible so as to gain credence and strike up a reasonable bargain with my superior. My objective for the negotiation session was to convince my superior that I add value to the enterprise and therefor deserve a raise that will make my recent promotion wo rthwhile.I then proceeded to schedule a meeting with my boss and went through the process of negotiating for a salary raise. I began the discussion with asking him about how he evaluated my performance for the past two years. He said that he thought my performance was exemplary and that I excelled more compared to the other managers of the department. I thanked him for his compliments and proceeded by giving a summary of my achievements within the past two years. I supported each of my traits with critical incidents. I ensured support for both technical exerptise and soft skills. I also gave a brief rundown of the training sessions which I have attended which demonstrated by authentic intent to improve myself further.I then showed my boss the strategic map of my company which illustrates the different strategic objectives of the organization, from the various perspectives of our Balanced Scorecard, encompassing financials, customer, best business practice, business development, and learning and growth. I again pointed out how the effective performance of my role is able to contribute to each of the strategic thrusts across these perspectives. He seemed to be convinced of the value of my role and my drive to excel. I then articulated my belief and feeling that my salary increase has been long overdue.He responded by saying that currently, the company has some financial considerations which has compelled him to be be very careful in giving raises lest we go beyond our operating budget. I responded by expressing empathy over his concern; â€Å"yes I understand the situation, Sir†. Since reason appealed more to my boss more than feelings, I decided to further rationalize the need for me to have a raise. I said that based on benchmark data, I feel that my pay is below the industry average when compared to parallel positions in other companies.I showed him the data. With salaries which are uncompetitive, I put forth that we will surely lose critical talent. I have also added that with the addition of one more child to my family, I pragmatically need more financial resources more than ever. He seemed to agree with my arguments and yet he still maintained that the company was currently experiencing financial constraints which I must be able to consider. Again, I have expressed empathy of the situation.I then proceeded by asking him about his ideas about my proposition. This discussion was very important since both parties were engaged in the brainstorming and decision making process. He again reiterated the fact that the company then was experiencing certain financial constraints. After proposing severla alternatives, he agreed on a ‘conditional’ raise. First, I would have to show consistency in my performance within the next six months, exhibiting the same level of excellence and results orientation in my work. He said that the financial figures would have shown a turnaround by that time.I then reassured him that I am willin g to compromise and that I thought that the proposal was reasonable. I volunteered to summarize the discussion, and reiterated that I was expecting a 20% raise in my basic salary after an interim performance review, six months from the time of our discussion.. He finally agreed. Finally, for clarity of the agreements between us, I have volunteered to document all that was agreed upon so that we could sign for documentation purposes. He has also agreed with this proposal. I then proceeded to doing the minutes of the session and to have him concur to all that was stated in the document.There were several things which I have learned from myself from this experience on negotiation. First, it may be beneficial and reasonable to exhibit assertiveness when it is due. Had I not decided to muster all my courage to negotiate with my salary increase, I would not have gotten his word – also, considering the organization’s conservative position when it comes to giving out raises. I have also realized that it is always beneficial to use key principles that ensure the smooth interpersonal relationship between two parties during the negotiation process.First, I have ensured to maintain or enhance his self-esteem despite being somehow frustrated with the fact that I have not received a raise for such a long time. I have expressed to him that I still felt motivated and driven in my work despite the lack of that hygiene factor – pay. Whenever there were instances wherein it appeared he lacked management skill, I always ‘balanced’ it off with a positive trait. This was to ensure that antagonism would not develop as a reaction from him. I found this very effective and critical in the process of negotiation. Next, I have also practiced the use of empathy.I always assured him that I understood the tight financial position that the company was experiencing then. I also assured him that I understood why he was not able to recommend a raise for me with in 2 years’ time when he explained that the company was still in financial rehabilitation. Another effective technique was to engage him in brainstorming for ideas. If the idea solely came from me, he would surely not have buy-in with it and would tend to antagonize it. On the contrary, since he was part of the process of thinking of the best alternative for resolving the situation, he remained amiable and accepting throughout the whole process. This facilitated the discussion and made us arrive at a mutually beneficial option.There were also several things which I have learned about my superior following that session. I have realized that he was a very rational person, who bases his decisions on empirical data. He wanted support for all that was said. I feel that this was reasonable and has helped encourage objectivity from both parties. I came to the session prepared with all the necessary documents to support my arguments, knowing that he will be more appreciative given al l these ‘evidence’. In effect, the sense of subjectivity from both parties is diminished which also helped maintain that atmosphere of amiability. I then realized from the experience that it is very important for a manager to be psychologically prepared before going through any negotiation or bargaining process.This experience was quite different from the parties whom I have negotiated with in the past. One difference was the personality of the party whom I was negotiating with – my superior was highly objective and was willing to negotiate. Such willingness and objectivity are very important. There were parties in the past who appear to be very antagonistic to begin with, and were not willing to compromise. In effect, the session was simply about manipulation and getting the other party to agree to what one wants. This is a wrong assumption, and is marked by close-mindedness. Another difference which I have noted was the willingness of my boss to reach a reasona ble compromise. He listened to my arguments and assessed if they held water. If they did, he acknowledged them and were open to them. He also considered the financial constraints of the company and had to adjust his proposition so that both parties may benefit.It should also be noted that in the process of negotiation, managerial-level bargaining is controlled by the organization in such a way that the company’s interest is placed at top priority, unshadowed by the personal interest of the manager (Ramundo, 1992). The effectivity of the negotiation is also seen in the prevalence of the organizational interest as negotiation can be exploited to serve the manager’s or negotiator’s personal objectives. In the future, I would proceed by researching not only about the profile and the ways of my superior per se, but also of other factors which may influence the bargain. For instance, I was not able to take into consideration the fact that the company was then experien cing financial constraints at that time. A profound knowledge of all the factors that may affect the negotiation process is critical, so that the alternative reached after the process is one that is realistic and that does not put undue pressure on either party.ConclusionThe competency of negotiation is a must for every manager. As a business leader, the ability to communicate with persuasion, presenting an idea and coming up with options in order to reach an agreement between parties is a well-known, yet unmastered competency. Studies have shown that this skill has been linked to Emotional Intelligence. Ergo, being a good negotiator entails possessing a high EQ. But like any other skill, the researcher believes that negotiation can be developed through training, concepts, knowledge of the techniques and practice. I have learned from the experience that it is important to exhibit assertiveness and effective interpersonal techniques during the negotiation process. Moreover, it may al so be helpful to ‘size up’ the party you are bargaining with to be able to use the most suitable bargaining techniques.I have realized, too, that more than convincing or influencing decisions, negotiating is also about developing and maintaining relationships. In the field of business, this is one of, if not the most important aspects in surviving in its tough arena. The negotiating table is a staple in the life cycle of business – from the start of the partnership, to term modifications until the end of the business relationship.When one speaks about the skill or process of negotiation, it is usually associated with business deals, bargaining or conflict resolution. However, little did most people know that it is also one form of influencing which is aimed at achieving win-win outcomes (Manning & Robertson, 2004).   It was also described as the process wherein parties meet having different objectives and / or values basing from their motives or interests. The end product of such process is to at least minimize the conflicting differences, so as to reach a mutual agreement. In the experience which I have just related, I was willing to compromise in having a raise, but within a time frame proposed by my boss. If I had insisted on what I wanted and was not willing to delay gratification, this could have possibly breeded antagonism and would have pre-empted the smooth closure of the negotiation process.Though the definition may sound too theoretical, managers are very aware of its practical power in the lifeblood of businesses in all industries. It is through negotiation that the business is opened up for partnership, whether it is for dealers, suppliers or customers. For issues that may be surrounding the deal or service, the negotiating table is the venue for smoothing out these issues and maintaining the business relationship. And in the final stages of the business partnership, remaining issues or options on the business are discussed in the process. Following these circumstances, conflict can readily emerge in the process due to the premise of persuading another party to be performing an action or agree to an idea which may be quite disagreeable for some reason.More specific examples of negotiation can be seen in the following: Managers do negotiation with union contracts (Walton & Mackenzie, 1965), resource prices and allocations, delivery schedules, promotions, compensation packages (Lax & Sebenius, 1986; Murninghan, 1992), and a myriad of other aspects of organizational outcomes ( Wall & Blum, 1991).This was further emphasized by Mintzberg (1993), pointing out that negotiation was identified as a primary managerial role, particularly in decision-making. Ramundo (1992) postulated that almost two-third of the managerial function is devoted to dialogues in all levels within the organization even if this was not primarily considered in orthodox writings on management. Over the years, organization-based negotiations have not only increased in frequency, but also has become more critically complex. Wall & Blum (1992) observed that it has likewise put on a more ambiguous and changeable which could be attributed to the interdependencies between organizations brought by the globalization and the trend of diminishing boundaries. In addition, they also cited the cross-cultural differences brought by international business as well as the current pack of employees who are well-educated possessing knowledge of expert caliber.Thus, as a manager, I feel that negotiation ought to be a core competency, since in the organizational setting, there are many conflicts where negotiation may be useful. Through a thorough knowledge and practice of negotiation techniques, these situations may be handled with greater ease.ReferencesLax, D.L. & Sebenius, J.K. (1986). The manager as negotiator: Bargaining for cooperation and competitive gain. New York: Free PressWall, J.A. & Blum, M.W. (1991). Negotiations. Journal of Management, 17, 273-303Ramundo, B.R. (1994). The Bargaining Manager: Enhancing Organizational Results Through Negotiation. Westport, CT: Quorum BooksMintzberg, H. (1973). The nature of managerial work. New York: Harper and RowWalton, R.E. &   McKersie, R.B. (1965). A behavioral theory of labor negotiations: an analysis of a social interaction system. Ithaca, NY: BLRManning, T. & Robertson, B. (2004). Influencing, negotiating skills and conflict-handling: some additional research and reflections. Industrial and Commermcial Training, 36, 104

Business Ethics Organizational Governance and CSR

Business Ethics, Organizational Governance, and CSR Living an ethical life rests upon an assumption of both identifying and acting upon the good. If humankind identifies the instrumental means to attain the ultimate good, then consistency and reason should motivate a responsibility to pursue the ethical end. Paralleling the desire for individual good, evaluating the aims and actions of business necessitates developing an organizational ethics system, otherwise the objective pursuit of profits appears as the only prima facie guide. However, in the context of morally questionable business activities and government deregulation, Milton Friedmans famous indictment of corporate social responsibility, that, there is one and only one social responsibility of business to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud, emerges unconvincing, although logically consistent. Friedmans singular focus on profits not only implies that all non-shareholders are merely instrumental, but fails to consider the balance of short and long-term strategy. While the simplistic profit motive is convincing in the abstract, this assumes that immediate gains embody contingencies for finite resources and organizational continuity. 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