Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Risk Management - Essay Example Previously, the safety culture at BP had presented a cause for concern with the Texas City Refinery explosion and other events presenting an adverse image. Toney Hayward, the former CEO of BP, had tried to enhance safety at BP when he took office at a time when BP faced three criminal investigations. However, it would appear that the managerial decision-making processes at BP remained flawed as managers continued to take risks in efforts directed towards trying to manage costs and delays while neglecting safety. Although it is likely that a blowout preventer with a flawed design contributed to the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, the managerial emphasis on costs and delays caused BP subcontractors to become negligent. BP managers refused Halliburton recommendations to use twenty-one centralisers and proceeded to cement the well using only six centralisers. Halliburton used cement that did not pass its own laboratory tests to cement the well and this contributed to the flow of hydrocarb ons into the well. Transocean crew did not take adequate notice of the kick in the well that pointed to a loss of well control and proceeded to release gases from the well on to the rig through the mud gas separator instead of diverting the gas away from the rig. In addition, inadequate maintenance of the blowout preventer was to contribute to events. Because bonuses presented to BP project managers depended on completing projects close to budgeted costs and schedule, the wrong emphasis had persisted. It is likely that independent verification of managerial decision-making emphasising safety from a command that is distinct from the project management command at BP under a Chief Safety Officer reporting directly to the CEO at BP will help present the correct emphasis. BP did have a safety director at the time of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, but it will appear that this safety director lacked powers, a separate chain of command and a capacity for working effectively to give effe ct to his mandate. The new CEO at BP has promised to create a safety division at BP with sweeping powers. BP project managers should now receive bonuses that emphasise correctness of their managerial decision-making for a project instead of receiving rewards for trying to complete a job within budget and schedule while taking risks with safety. In addition, it will make sense for BP to try to contribute towards helping to improve the design and reliability of superior technology for offshore operations, including subsea blowout preventers. Contents Introduction 1 What Went Wrong? An Analysis of BP’s Approach to Risk Management that Influenced the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster 3 A Reasoned Discussion about How BP Should Progress in the Future with Regard to Risk Management 15 Conclusion 19 Bibliography / References 22 List of Figures Figure 1: Typical Subsea Blowout Preventer Stack 7 Figure 2: Deepwater Drilling with Subsea Blowout Preventer 8 (This page intentionally left bla nk) Introduction The word â€Å"risk† refers to the possibility of loss, injury or harm, and it is unfortunately true that it is not possible to assign absolute certainty to the occurrence of any one event because there will always be some level of uncertainty associated with the outcome of events (Bonham, 2008, Pp. 183 –

Faith and Health Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 25000 words

Faith and Health - Thesis Example with the health of the individuals during the contemporary era, where the diagnosis and spread of fatal diseases in almost all regions of the globe have created grave challenges for the political, social and cultural authorities on the one side, and for the people associated with the fields and professions of religious services on the other. Since the mental and physical well-being is one of the most dominant aspects of individual and collective life of the people, which is imperatively essential for performing their personal and professional duties and obligations in an effective manner, health and fitness of the clergy is particularly necessary for the religious guidance and spiritual uplift of the entire society. The following hypothesis has been developed for the present study: Superior healthcare measures being adopted and exercised within a social establishment for the mental and physical well-being of the clergy turns out to be highly supportive ones in respect of their rendering religious services to society in a better and more effective manner The present research has been supported with the Social Organism Theory by Spencer (1857) and Theory of Religion by Durkheim (1912); both of these perspectives maintain direct association with the topic selected for this study. The study will be conducted in North-East Mississippi Region, where the pastors, church ministers and other members of church administration will be the universe for the present research. The data for this study will be gathered on the basis of probability sampling. Questionnaire and Content Analysis will be applied as the tools for data collection in the present study. At the end, the research findings will be arrayed, and interpretation will be made in the light of the findings. The research findings will be presented with the help of tables and graphs in a precise and organized manner for the comfort and convenience of the readers. Religion is rightly claimed to be an essential part of

Learning Strategies In A Task Based Learning Education Essay

Learning Strategies In A Task Based Learning Education Essay Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) as one of the ways of implementing a Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach is a favorite method employed by English teachers in Asia; (Nunan, 2003) claimed that most Asian countries surveyed (Mainland China, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam) subscribe to the principles of CLT, and in a number of them, TBLT (the latest realization of CLT) is the central pillar of government rhetoric. Task is basically defined as a goal-oriented classroom activity (Ellis, 2003; Nunan, 2006; Oxford, 2006; Prabhu, 1987; Willis, 1998). It requires learners use of target language that is focused more on the conveying of meaning rather than on the practice of form (Ellis, 2003; Nunan, 2006; Skehan, 1998). Oxford (2006) completes the definition of tasks as behavioral classroom instructions that are externally imposed either on a person or a group. There are two basic reasons to select TBL as an English teaching and learning approach. The first reason is the desire for a meaning-focused approach that reflects real life language use (Leaver Willis, 2004). Language use needs to be transferred from real world activities into classroom activities, and this can be done through TBL. Another reason for selecting TBL is that task based interactions stimulate natural acquisition processes (Prabhu, 1987). A number of studies reveal the effectiveness of TBL in enhancing students language proficiency, especially their oral communication skills (eg., Ahmed, 1996; Lochana Deb, 2006). It is official policy that the teaching and learning process of English as a foreign language at the Business Administration Department of the State Polytechnic of Malang is through a Task-Based Learning (TBL) approach. TBL has been adopted by the Business Administration department of the State Polytechnic of Malang because, as the latest realization of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach, TBL is an implementation of the overarching Competency-Based curriculum the department employs. The selection of English teaching topics in this department is initiated with a needs analysis; the department regularly visits companies to survey employers expectation of their future employees skills. Most companies, especially the foreign companies, expect that their future employees possess adequate English oral communication skills as the first priority. Thus, the first goal of the teaching of English as a foreign language at this department is toward students adequate oral communica tion proficiency. In this study, I define a task as a classroom activity that is focused on meaning rather than on form and that requires the learners to achieve observable outcomes by employing English as the target language for oral communication skills as used in real life. Appendix 1 is an example of TBL activity to develop the required skills. The combination of needs analysis and appropriate TBL activities would seem to be the most effective way to develop the required skills. The implementation of Task-Based Learning has unfortunately had limited success to date. Most students graduating from the Business Administration department do not possess adequate oral communication skills. This problem is common among Indonesian tertiary education institutions, especially in the non-English departments. With my informal observation of teaching in this non-English department, this lack of success is in some part due to teachers limited familiarity with suitable and appropriate implementation of Task-Based Learning. Measures need to be taken to improve the quality of the implementation of the TBL and this can be done through appropriately manipulating task characteristics and conditions. However, manipulating task characteristics and conditions alone does not guarantee the meeting of a pedagogic outcome; attention also needs to be directed to the learners as the participants of the tasks. Learners attention and their own learning needs contribute to their efforts to gain task outcomes (Murphy, 2003). The more effort students make to reach the outcome, the better the result of the learning will be. Their strategies to accomplish the tasks largely determine their success in attaining the pedagogic goal. Learning strategies are personal efforts employed by learners to complete tasks , and students of different learning styles and different cultural background may employ different strategies to learn to communicate in a foreign language (Lam, 2007). Furthermore, appropriate employment of learning strategies plays an imperative role in promoting students self-confidence regarding the development of their communicative competence (Oxford, 1990). Successful learners are believed to effectively employ appropriate learning strategies. Regarding the teachability feature of learning strategies, a number of researchers (Griffiths Parr, 2001; Oxford, 1990, 1996) argue that learning strategies are relatively easy to teach and modify. Students can be trained to be aware of and more conscious of learning strategy use and more proficient at employing appropriate strategies. Task requirements and teachers expectations that are expressed through classroom instructional methods also shape students learning strategy choice. With the assumption that a task-based learning approach will help students in developing their communication skills and that the implementation of this approach will result in students use of effective learning strategies which in turn will elevate students success in developing their communication skills, I am interested in conducting a collaborative action research case study to produce an effective task-based learning program which aims to develop students verbal communication skills and to explore the impact of task-based learning on students employment of learning strategies. Purpose of the Study The prime concern of this study is to analyse non-English department students learning strategies in a task-based learning approach which focuses on their oral communication skills. Research Questions The aforementioned purpose of the study leads to the formulation of research questions as follow: What learning strategies do students with a range of oral proficiency levels employ during the implementation of a task-based learning approach? Do these learning strategies change during a TBL program? What are the students and teachers perception of the impact of TBL on the employment of learning strategies? Delimitation of the Study As reflected by the needs analysis conducted with prospective employers, the first required skills to be possessed by graduates of the Business Administration department of the State Polytechnic of Malang are their oral communication skills. Academically, the TBL program is designed to develop students oral communication skills. In accordance with this focus, my intention to explore students use of learning strategies is focused on the students employment of oral communication learning strategies. Methodology This research will be informed by a qualitative research paradigm and involve an action research case study. It is an action research approach in which I will work collaboratively with one of the English teachers to improve the quality of the EFL teaching and learning process in this vocational higher education institution in Indonesia which is using a TBL program. During the implementation of the TBL, I will explore students employment of learning strategies as a bounded system (a case) or multiple bounded systems (cases) over time, through detailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information (Creswell, 2007). Regarding the multiple sources of information, I will use some different instruments of data collection namely questionnaire, one on one interviews, focus group discussions, and document reviews (students scores of their oral communication skills which is always officially conducted by the teacher every semester, students learning journals, and teachers reflective journals). The research participants will be nine second year students of the Business Administration department of the State Polytechnic of Malang. These students are within a range of oral communication skills levels: three students are of the high rank, three are average, and the last three are of low rank. The determination of the students levels is based on their test scores (final semester scores). Because the first goal of teaching English in this department is developing oral communication skills, then, their final test scores are to measure their oral communication skills. Based on their scores, students who belong to the high rank, middle rank and low rank will be invited to be recruited as the participants of the study. Because this study, in one part, will be a collaborative action research, the class teacher will also be a participant in the study. The Methods of the study will include: Questionnaire (Oral Communication Strategy Inventory/OCSI), adopted from Nakatani (2006). For detail description of the strategies inventory please refer to appendix 2. Students learning journals (One entry per week) Teachers reflective journal (One entry per two weeks) Focus group discussion (see appendix 3 for the interview guide) One on one interviews (one to expand on students responses on the OCSI questionnaire, one for an interview with the teacher, and one interview for the Stimulated Recall) Direct observations of both students classroom activities and of videotaped students classroom activities. For these observations, checklist and field notes will be used. The observation checklist is presented in Appendix 4. The data collection process will be conducted following three stages: Stage One: Preliminary data collection Indication of students existing language levels (the oral communication proficiency levels). This procedure will be conducted following the official testing method as usually implemented by the institution. The oral production test rating scale including its description is attached. The result of this test will determine the participants whom I will invite to participate in my study. The first three students of the high, three of the average, and the last three of the low rank groups to volunteer will be recruited as the participants of my study. Completion of OCSI questionnaire (Oral Communication Strategy Inventory) which is adapted from Nakatani (2006). This inventory will be translated into Bahasa Indonesia in order to gain true response from the participants without foreign language difficulties that may intervene. This procedure will function to determine the existing language learning strategies that students employ. One -on- One interview This one -on- one interview will assist me to expand on the questionnaire data to gain deeper information from the participants regarding their use of learning strategies. The interview will also be conducted in Bahasa Indonesia Stage Two: During Data Collection Students learning journal (one entry per week, in Bahasa Indonesia) In this learning journal participants are expected to respond to the following questions: What strategy did you use in accomplishing the task? Why did you employ this strategy? Name the strategy and explain how (the context) in which you used the strategy. Classroom activities videotaping There will be classroom activities videotaping once per week with duration of 90 minutes per lesson. This will be conducted for 6 weeks. Stage Three: Final Data Collection Direct observation of classroom activities Redo of questionnaire completion (Oral Communication Strategies Inventory/OCSI) Videotaped pair work activities for use in the stimulated recall interview Final interview on the use of learning strategies as the extension of the OCSI questionnaire completion and Stimulated Recall (pair interview) Official administration of final test on oral communication using the same test administered in the initial process of data collection. Additional data will be collected through the collaborative relationship with the class teacher. Data collection will be in the following stages: Stage One: an interview in which the teacher is asked to explain his understanding of TBL and student learning strategies. Stage Two: a reflective journal Stage Three: a final interview in which the teacher is asked to revisit his understanding of TBL and learning strategies and to reflect on his perception of the impact of the above on the students language skills Details of data collection activities are as put in the data collection calendar in appendix 5. Data analysis approach The data analysis of this study will begin during the data collection process. To analyse qualitative data, it is preferred to do it simultaneously with data collection (eg. Merriam, 2009). The analysis will be focused on students employment of learning strategies during the accomplishment of TBL. This learning strategy exploration is the main tool to analyse the data. The analysis will be based on the Oral Communication Strategies Inventory (OCSI) developed by Nakatani (2006) which sees learning strategies as conscious cognitive behaviours with two main categories namely strategies for coping with speaking problems and strategies for coping with listening problems. The speaking strategies are composed of 8 factors while the listening strategies consist of 7 factors. I will also analyse students employment of learning strategies based on their oral communication levels: students of high rank, of middle rank, and of low rank. Appendix 6 shows the diagram of main framework of the data analysis. Since this study involves more than one subject, the data analysis will be within-case analysis followed with across-case analysis. To answer the second research question, I will analyse the data chronologically from the beginning of the semester until the end of the semester. There will be three periods of chronological analysis with one period covering five-week implementation of TBL. This is to analyse the change of learning strategy use. Data on students and the teachers perceptions of the impact of TBL on the development of learning strategies will answer the third research question. This may be an exploration of differences between students and the teachers perceptions. There may also be an analysis of differences in the teachers perceptions before the implementation of TBL and after the implementation of TBL. In general, the data analysis will follow these steps: Identifying units. This unit is a potential answer or part of an answer to the research questions. To answer the first research question, I will analyse students strategies for coping with speaking problems and strategies for coping with listening problems. Secondly, there will be units of analysis of individual students, a group of students with the same level of oral communication skills, and students of across levels of oral communication skills. Third, I will conduct a chronological analysis of the students learning strategies development/changes of every-five-week period of TBL implementation. Categorizing the units. This will be conducted through classifying units based on the recurring regularities of the data. Included in this stage is sorting or reducing redundant data and making a concrete description of observable data. The identified data of students use of learning strategies in the implementation of TBL will be described in detail. Interpreting the data. At this stage the categorized data will be interpreted and referred back to the theory. It is a process of making inferences or generating theory. I will refer back to the learning strategies theories (for example, Cohen Macaro, 2007; McDonough, 1995; OMalley Chamot, 1990; Oxford, 1990) including communication strategies theories (for example, Bialystok, 1990).

Social Justice In Education :: essays papers

Social Justice In Education â€Å"Social Justice in Education† by R. W. Connell discusses the role of education in society and the implications that social justice issues have on education. Connell begins by establishing that education and social justice can be examined separately yet they are inescapably linked through the social medium of their implementation. â€Å"Education concerns schools, colleges and universities, whose business is to pass knowledge on to the next generation. Social justice is about income, employment, pensions or physical assets like housing.†(Connell, 1993) Three points validating the equal importance of social justice and the education system to people of all delineations are: 1.) in Western society public schools are key forums of social interaction and comprise some of the largest social institutions 2.) educational institutions are highly economic bodies and have become â€Å"major public assets† (Connell, 1993) 3.) teaching becomes a vehicle by which so ciety is ultimately determined and has a great influence over society’s morality. Connell describes the meaning of justice in education as being â€Å"a question of fairness in distribution†¦ equality.†(Connell, 1993) â€Å"Justice cannot be achieved by distributing the same†¦ standard good to†¦ all social classes.†(Connell, 1993) By stating this, Connell summarizes that in the attempt to achieve equality, unequal means must be employed. The implications for teaching presented by Connell’s article are immense. The concept of equality in education and the equality of access to education are matters that are determined by the social constructs of the society in which we live. The notion of equality in education means that educators must approach all material and subject matter with a premise of unbiased predetermination. Music, math, science, fine arts, English, Japanese, history, etc†¦ must all be considered on a par. Our current educational system does not treat all subjects as equal in our public education system. The stereotypical reading, writing and arithmetic (primary subjects) take precedence over the fine arts and like subjects (secondary subjects). Social justice criteria as presented in this article, establish that economic variables are a means of determination for favouritism within the educational institution. Where the primary subjects receive ensured funding, the secondary subjects rec eive funding when deemed viable. This creates inequality at the very base of the institution itself. The result is degradation to all facets of the educational system. â€Å"The moral quality of education is inevitably affected by the moral character of educational institutions.

Sainsburys SWOT

The aim of this report is to analysis the financial performance of J Sainsbury plc by compare several ratios, in the view of an investor who seeking long term investment. Four sections will be illustrated, the background of Sainsbury, 10 ratio analysis, a suggestion of whether the company is worth to invest and a limitation of current financial statements and ratio analysis. J Sainsbury plc is the third largest chain company of supermarkets in the UK, which is generally known as Sainsbury’s. It takes over around 16. % in the UK supermarket sector and also has interests in property and banking (Bloomberg, 2011). Sainsbury’s was established by John James Sainsbury and his wife in London in 1869, and got a fast development during the Victorian era. SWOT analysis As one of the leading retailers in the UK, Sainsbury’s has a market share of around 16. 1% and serves over 19 million customers per week (J Sainsbury plc annual report, 2011). It has strengths in offering various services such as internet-based home delivery shopping services, which reach out to nearly 90% UK household. Strong presence in the UK imparts distinct competitive advantage and favorable market dynamics for Sainsbury’s, which facilitates revenue and business expansion growth prospects ‘(Datamonitor, 2010). It also has a significant advantage of providing portfolio renders that enables the company to have an increased sale. Besides, the company has a strong completive performance with offering discounts, compared to other retailer chains such as ASDA. However, Sainsbury’s has several weaknesses as well. One of them would be the limitation of market share. The company has generated all of its sales from UK, while the competitors, such as Tesco and Wal-Mart, have more equitable revenue generation from international operations, including areas of central Europe, Asia, and the US. They also have increased revenue in other industries like Tesco Bank, however, Sainsbury only has involved in retail industry (Datamonitor, 2010). Other weaknesses would be raising inflation and credit crisis resulted from the global economic showdown in recent years. As for some opportunities in the future, besides strategic shift in focus on expansion in emerging countries, the growth potential in the online distribution channel gets a jump. The potential market of the organic food in the UK has gotten an increase in recent years. ‘The UK organic food market grew by 3. 5% in 2010 to reach a value of $2,968. 3 million. By 2015, the market is forecast to have a value of $4,180. 8 million, an increase of 40. 8% since 2010’. The survey from Datamonitor said. As for Sainsbury’s, it is one of the largest companies of organic food market in the UK. The company markets more than 800 organic food product lines, with major growth about grocery, frozen foods and fresh meat. Threats always follow with opportunities. Sainsbury’s has to face competition from other major retailers like M&S and Tesco which have substantial operating base with Sainsbury’s (Datamonitor, 2010). The company might have to increase its cost for advertising or reduce prices because of such a competitive situation. However, it will cause declined profits and cannot get a great development for Sainsbury’s. The opportunities of Sainsbury’s growth might be limited by declined profits and sales growth Relevant ratios analysis The current ratio of Sainsbury’s has decreased from 66% in 2010 to 58% in 2011, resulted mainly from enhancive current liabilities. It is evident to find that the number of trade and other payables increased from 2,466 million pounds to 2,597 million pounds from the data of financial position. It might be because of global financial crisis of 2010 and purchasing 24 stores from the Co-operative (BBC, 2010). In short, it seems to decline the ability of debt paying. As for the Quick ratio, which assumes that inventory is not available as a part of the asset base to meeting the demands of immediate liabilities, there was a decrease from 41% to 31% between 2010 and 2011. It is fairer to consider investments for measuring the ability of meeting liabilities when combining the current ratio and the acid-test ratio. According to these figures, the funding liquidity of J Sainsbury plc is an indicator of plain performance in liquidity, because the data of current ratio is lower than 1 and that for quick ratio is lower than 0. 5. For instance, New Bristol Sainsbury's store is unstable in local business, and the study said the negative impact of the store, on Bristol City Football Club's ground, would outweigh any benefits (BBC, 2011). The gearing ratio displays the level of risks when investments happen. From the financial report of Sainsbury’s, it has an inconspicuous fall from 47% in 2010 to 43% in 2011 because the total shareholders’ equity got an increase from 4,966 million pounds to 5,424 million pounds. It looks that investors have to get lower profit margin, but it provided lower risks of investments and investors because higher gearing means a larger proportion of profits are used to pay interest on loans, instead of being reinvested or paid to shareholders. Therefore, it might be a good situation for most investors. In addition, Sainsbury's will create 20,000 new jobs over three years and the new jobs, which come after the creation of 13,000 jobs created in the last two years, will be at supermarkets and convenience stores across the UK(BBC, 2011). Most investors become more confident for Sainsbury’s. The operation capacity of Sainsbury’s can be reflected by the operating profit margin, which was 3. 56% in 2010 and 4. 03% in 2011. It is obvious to find that the ability of profit taking in Sainsbury’s went up between 2010 and 2011. The reason for this might be higher sales from 19,964 million pounds to 21,102 million pounds and higher profits. It is easy to find that from the news,’ In May 2010 Justin King announced that Sainsbury's pledged to involve each of its 850 stores in the promotion of the Paralympics after the multimillion-pound deal with the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games to be the main sponsor of the London 2012 Paralympic games’ (SkyNews, 2010) In terms of the return on capital employed ratio, it was 6. 4% in 2010 and 7. 47% in 2011. It is a result of increased total assets and some increasing in non-current assets such as property, plant and equipment between 2010 and 2011. According to the ROCE, the ability of value creation in J Sainsbury plc is very strong and fine management could be expressed. The asset turnover ratio plays a significant role in the target system of financial analysis. In the financial results of Sainsbury’s, it has a slight increase from 184% in 2010 to 185% in 2011. It means that the operating efficiency of total assets and marketing capacity in Sainsbury’s has become better, and then the company generated more profits. For example, Sainsbury's plans to open Whitchurch store and not only offer more jobs, but also get more profits (BBC, 2010). Conclusion In conclusion, J Sainsbury plc gets a great development in industries of supermarkets in UK, and it has an increase in its sales and higher profits. On the other hand, Sainsbury’s has utilized assets effectively and efficiently and had a strong management. However, compared to other competitors such as Tesco and Asda, it is lack of enough evident advantages such as profits of fast growth and strong capital turnover. The stable profit and lower risks can be provided if there are not better options. Limitation This report of J Sainsbury plc is limited by some factors such as quality of financial statements and inflation. Firstly, although all ratios from this report are based on financial statements of J Sainsbury plc annual report, some data which is excluded from usual financial statements such as human assets and internally-generated goodwill and brands is absent. Secondly, J Sainsbury plc annual report is between 2010 and 2011 so that the record from ratios only is a ‘snapshot’ of the business from 2010 to 2011. Thirdly, inflation is one of the most significant factors which affect the veracity and authenticity of this report. In recent years, the rate of inflation has kept up because of energy sources so that there is a time lag and it might cause the data of same parts in different years to display different trends.

American Spice Trade Association

The American Spice Trade Association is the central element of the spice industry in the United States, promoting its interests and working to expand the American presence in the international spice markets. â€Å"The American Spice Trade Association’s members manufacture and market the majority of spices sold in the Unites States at retail and to food processors† . Since the days of its foundation and until present, the American Spice Trade Association has played an increasing role in the American spice industry evolution, changing the industry’s legislative basis and offering spice manufacturers additional opportunities for business growth.Currently, the Association is actively involved into the process of developing close relations with the government and with other spice companies internationally. The Association is the central element of successful relations between its members and those who are closely related to spice industry in the United States. History At the end of the first decade of the 20th century, federal authorities have come to realizing the need for better legislative restrictions in the area of food and drug manufacturing.Spice manufacturers were facing a serious challenge: they had to protect their business interests and to align them with the growing need for better sanitary conditions in food manufacturing. On August 7, 1907, the rooms of the Underwriters’ Club in Chicago witnessed the formation of a completely new kind of trade association, which was later called the American Spice Trade Association.The new trade association had to be headquartered in New York and to perform under New York State Law; by the end of the 1930s the association has turned into organization well known for its arbitration fights and for its persistent striving to revive spice industry that was severely impacted by the Great Depression. â€Å"The American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) has played an important role in the evolution o f the U. S. spice industry for more than 50 years.For example, in 1969, the Association adopted its first Cleanliness Specifications for Unprocessed Spices, Seeds and Herbs. † The role of the Association was increasingly important after the tragic events in Chernobyl: the major portion of spice crops in Eastern Europe was contaminated with radioactive materials. Currently, the Association looks far into the future, being deeply engaged into resolving regulatory and legislative issues that negatively impact the quality of business relations in spice industry. Mission and strategic planThe official website of the American Spice Trade Association states that â€Å"ASTA, the voice of the U. S. spice industry, works to ensure clean, safe spice and address public policy on behalf of the global industry†. In this context, the Association pursues the three strategic objectives: to ensure clean and safe spice through education and standards; to become a well-known and credible a uthority, which can positively impact the spice industry; and to facilitate international relations, which could further benefit spice industry worldwide.ASTA is constantly involved into developing and implementing a whole set of legislative procedures that would facilitate and improve the quality of business performance in spice industry in the United States and worldwide. Membership Currently, the Association includes 175 member companies, which grow, dehydrate, or process spices. All Association members are integrally linked to the spice industry in the United States; that means that all Association members are either based in the U. S. , or grow their spice crops in the U. S. , or supply U. S. companies with spices.The Association offers active membership opportunities to the companies, which are involved into â€Å"growing, importation, exportation, processing, blending, trading, distribution, or sale at wholesale or retail of spices or seasonings†. Brokers, agents, impo rters, traders, growers, and distributors can participate in ASTA on equal terms. Legislative activity and relations with government The Cleanliness Specifications for Unprocessed Spices, Seeds, and Herbs have become the first step toward lobbying the interests of spice manufacturers at the federal level.Cleanliness Specifications were aimed at improving analytical and sampling procedures used by spice manufacturers in the U. S. In 2003 the Association along with other six trade associations filed a petition to the Federal Food and Drug Administration, requesting to conduct â€Å"a notice-and-comment rulemaking in order to implement the marking provision of the Bioterrorism Act†. In other words, American trade associations were striving to clarify the issues of foods and spices denied permission to entry the U. S. territory.Neither of the trade organizations in the U. S. had a clear definition nor understanding of the way the restricted goods had to be marked. The Association asserted that â€Å"the marking provision was not self-effectuating; the most significant substantive gap in the marking provision is that it did not specify the circumstances under which a mark would be required†. As a result of those group activities, the FDA had to reconsider previous marking criteria and to provide Trade associations with marking requirements in substantive and definitive language.The American Spice Trade Association lobbying and the new Administration The 100 years of the Association’s development and performance have proved the relevance of two-side communication between ASTA and the government. The American Spice Trade Association is actively lobbying its interests to guarantee the achievement of the three strategic objectives by 2010. The year 2008 was marked with the Association’s striving to maintain appropriate legislative balance and to communicate its positions on food safety in Presidential administration and Congress.The Associat ion has succeeded in forming stable alliances with the FDA; the legislative provisions limiting spice imports and requiring spice manufacturers to pay for import registration in the U. S. were reconsidered at the federal level. The Association has acquired its own seat at the table where issues relating to spice industry are being discussed. ASTA is asked to provide objective feedback on the major changes and legislative acts that may potentially change the balance of forces in the spice market.â€Å"As a result of solid relationships, ASTA was able to get the FDA Food â€Å"Czar† and a Member of Congress to speak at the 2008 Legislative / Regulatory Workshop. † The Association uses its monthly newsletter and the official website as the source and the instrument of delivering critical information to major spice manufacturers; the Government Relations Committee has become the integral element of the association’s organizational structure. The Committee represents strategic interests of ASTA in federal agencies and Congress.The Association constantly monitors legislative and regulatory changes that may potentially threaten the stability of business performance in the American spice industry. Conclusion The American Spice Trade Association is the central institution protecting the rights of spice manufacturers and importers in the United States. The Association is actively involved into developing positive and mutually beneficial relationships with government and other legislative bodies, and works to promote spice manufacturers’ interests in the U. S. markets.ASTA is known for its legislative activity; the Association currently includes 175 members, and promotes the importance of clean and safe spices through education and standards. ASTA has become the indispensable element of the American and international spice trade; throughout its long history, the Association has proved its decisions and legislative steps to be of utmost importa nce for the whole spice industry in the United States. BIBLIOGRAPHY ASTA, 100 years of industry leadership, 2008, retrieved 18 November 2008, http://www. astaspice. org/i4a/pages/index. cfm?pageid=3291 ASTA, About ASTA, 2008, retrieved 18 November 2008, http://www. astaspice. org/i4a/pages/index. cfm? pageid=3281 ASTA, Government relations, 2008, retrieved 18 November 2008, http://www. astaspice. org/i4a/pages/index. cfm? pageid=3284 ERS, U. S. spice consumption by sector, 2003, retrieved 18 November 2008, http://www. ers. usda. gov/publications/aib709/aib709d. pdf FDA, Citizen petition, 2003, retrieved 18 November 2008, http://www. fda. gov/ohrms/DOCKETS/dailys/03/Feb03/022703/03p-0078-cp00001-vol1. pdf HARRIS, M, ‘Spice it up’, E, 12 May 2001, pp. 8.