Role of Culture in Change Management

Executive Summary Culture refers to â€Å"a people’s way of life†. In the business context, the values and norms of an organization or company form the organization’s culture. Enhanced technology together with the increase in the number of products in the global market has led to a turbulent and dynamic business environment.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Role of Culture in Change Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For companies to remain afloat in the competitive environment, they must always be ready embrace change. Every organization in the 21st century is aware the change scenario, the only challenge lies in the manner in which the change strategy is implemented (Cameron and Quinn 2006). A company’s culture is lies in mission and vision. This paper looks at the role of the role of organization culture in managing change. In understanding the impact of a company’s culture on change management, the â€Å"integrated cultural framework† is used as a measuring tool (Krastchmer 2005). This takes into account the ability to influence, need to maintain the status quo, need to achieve, time and space as parameters of measurement. The paper also looks at the different organization cultures and how each of them affects change management in the organization. The Scope of Organizational Change The working environment in any company is faced by four types of change. These are classified under process, power, culture and functions. In the process dimension, companies are forced to adapt new working processes as they seek to align to changes brought about by technology. Recurrent innovations are yielding new and better ways of transacting businesses, making the old models obsolete and unprofitable. For any company or industry to survive in this scenario, it must put its operation processes on top and be ready to welcome new innovations every time. Fu nctional change entails possible changes that can be effected from time to time in the company’s organization structure. These changes are both vertical and horizontal. Most organizations in the current business era are finding reason to shift their management styles from bureaucratic models to open and network based models.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another model that has been in use in most organizations is the leader-follower model. The model develops an enhanced leader, follower relationship that results in a stable â€Å"internal locus of control† (Krastchmer 2005). Power change is about sharing of power as concerns decision making in the organization. This type of change dimension revolves around the formation of dominant centers of power that direct the rest of the actors in the company. The power change has been cited as the most difficult to app ly, and is often met by a lot of challenges in organizations. Formation of team coalitions in an organization helps in achieving effective and functional workforce as opposed to having a single centre of power (Cameron and Quinn 2006). The single centre of power is often responsible for formation of rebellious forces in the organization, which aim at countering the authority. The cultural change, which is the main part of this paper focuses on the values and norms of the people in the organization. Every organization has norms and values which are either productive or counterproductive to the organization’s set objectives. It is the duty of the leaders in the organization to weed out the unproductive norms and retain the ones that are aligned to good production. An organization can only succeed on changing the culture by ensuring total commitment to change by both the management and employees. There are three main steps to eliminate cultural resistance in an organization. The first step is to ensure every member of the organization feels worthy to be in the organization during the period of change. When members perceive the change as being directed to the benefit of the organization, and them being part of it, they commit themselves to the change. The second step is for the management to allow employees to take up the task of implementing the change. Employees should play the role as agents of change so that it is not perceived to be a forced idea on them from the management. The third step is to ensure respect of the leadership decision right from below. Leadership teams often encounter problems implementing change decisions because their decisions are not respected. The final step in eliminating cultural resistance is to â€Å"practice leadership through leaning† (Krastchmer 2005).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Role of Culture in Change Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Lea rn More Leadership is a learning process, every time a leader makes a decision, he or she learns lessons from the impact that the decision has on the organization. The learnt lessons should also be shared with the members of the organization to provide them a similar learning opportunity. Change Management Approaches There are two main approaches used in change management; they are planned and emergent approach. The planned approach is based on the assumption that what determines change can be planned for in advance. The approach also takes into account technology as an integral part of change management. In this approach, the organization managers are charged with the responsibility of directing the change process. This approach is slowly being replaced by the emergent approach due to high failure rates in its application occasioned by the complex nature of organizations in the current era (Cameron and Quinn 2006). The approach also puts more emphasis on technology as a component of the change process at the expense of other socio-cultural factors. The emergent approach takes into account the current behavior aspects of the organization in the change process. The approach does not vest all the responsibilities of directing change process to the senior management, all actors are encouraged to implement the change process in the organization. The approach looks at change as a continuous process in the organization thus helping the actors to understand the influence of culture on the change process. The Effect of Culture in Managing Organizational Change There is a concerted effort in every organization directed towards elimination of old cultural modes to more current business oriented modes. This involves a consistent â€Å"shift from cultural conformity† to a mode that is open to new ideas on ways of doing things (Cameron and Quinn 2006). Cameron and Quinn (2006, p. 35) note that there is a record number of failures in change management at organizati onal level, suggesting a fresh approach to â€Å"thinking and perceiving change†. Culture affects an organizations change management in a number of ways as will be described below. Strict Organization Management This is a culture where the management makes decisions in a dictatorial manner without consulting the staff. This could be seen in the manner in which the management decides to sideline the views of the junior staff in making decisions concerning buying of company equipment or machines and other resources.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Without consulting the actual user of the machine for example, the management can buy wrong equipment or even obsolete ones. In some cases, the management restricts the staff to using only certain types of technology platforms, and as a result impede on the productivity of the staff. The management in such cases aims at saving on the cost of training staff on the new processes or buying sophisticated machines. This culture tunes the mind of employees to work according to the orders without question the authority. It is difficult to effect and manage new changes in such organizations as workers are not usually part of the decisions body. Organization management needs to invest in research and development all the time to ensure they fully understand the effect of the changes effected in the organization. The Centralization Culture There are organizations in which core services to employees are centralized in one place. Such services could include; ICT support, staff welfare and human resource benefits. A centralized culture is quite cumbersome especially in large organizations where employees have to go through a lot of bureaucracy to get services (Schein 2010). A lot of time is wasted as one tries to go through a bureaucratic chain to get service. For example, in a large higher learning institution with several campuses operating in a centralized mode, services such as printing, course admission and examinations department would have to be coordinated from one place. This mode of operation leads to lose of time, results and poor performance (Krastchmer 2005). Centralization only helps in achieving uniformity in terms of the service provided by the organization. Proponents of this type of approach associate it with efficiency and low cost on facility maintenance (Cameron and Quinn 2006). The system however reduces the freedom of employees to carry out their duties, and also hampers knowledge creation in the organization. For organizations that apply knowledge fo r operation like schools, it’s not just enough to look at every operation in terms of efficiency and profitability. It matters also to look at how knowledge is created and shared across the organization. Employees need to have freedom to create knowledge that helps the organization to grow its network. Cameron and Quinn (2006, p. 52) note that some of the excellent organizations in the world have learnt to create small teams within the organization and setting them upon each other in a completion that is all geared towards the same goal. Changes in such an organization may proof difficult to effect as everything has to follow a long chain of bureaucracy causing a waste of time. Disregarding the Views of Employee’s In some organizations, the management does not consider the views of the employees especially on matters that regard their welfare. Before embarking on any change initiative, the management must seek to find out the effect the proposed change will have on the production of the workers. It’s important that they consider the views of the employees before phasing out or introducing any program so as to align the changes to the needs and aspirations of the workers. By locking out the views of the workers, the management propagates the status quo, which creates resistance to the change that could be suggested by employees (Schein 2010). Organizations need to invest in properly qualified workers whose ability and opinion they can trust. If a management team is in-charge of lowly qualified staff, they tend to make every decision without considering their â€Å"substandard† opinion. This often happens when an organization transits from small to large enterprise. It’s common for small organizations to hire employees with low qualifications, whose opinions can ignore (Alvesson and Sveningsson 2007). Such organizations develop the culture of disregarding the opinion of the workers. Organizations are now moving to appreciating and looking at employees as an important asset of the organization, who should be consulted in every decision. Schein (2010, p. 46) points out that appreciating employees’ opinion makes them feel part of the organization and gives them a feeling of ownership. Resistance to Change Research indicates that employees tend to resist changes that require further learning to acquire the necessary skills (Alvesson and Sveningsson 2007). A change involving new computer software in an organization may require that the intended users attend training to acquire new relevant skills to use the software. The old generation employees are often on the forefront to reject such changes; they instead prefer processes that they are used to. Organization Support Culture Support to employees by organization creates a sense of emotional belonging to the organization. This is especially when a staff member is in critical situations such as; sickness or grieving the loss of a loved one. It’s im portant for an organization to show support to employees who find themselves in such situations by standing with them during the period of the problem (Schein 2010). Most organizations have welfare committees that cater for the welfare of their staff by providing moral support in times of sickness of death of close ones. Besides support during difficult moments, organizations also need to develop a support culture to members who come with innovative ideas. Members of staff are more likely to come up new ideas mostly in their fields of specialization, which can help the organization grow. If the management fails to show support and even recognize such workers, other workers with similar ideas in future may shy away from presenting them to the organization. Members of staff can sacrifice and spend time to research and bring useful ideas to the organization, if they are assured of the organization’s support in the implementation of the idea. Collaborative Culture Organizations m ust seek to foster â€Å"a participative culture† in the organization. Organizations that fail to foster â€Å"a participative culture† often end up with employees who are always unwilling to take part in voluntary projects in an organization (Alvesson and Sveningsson 2007). An organization may want to take part in a voluntary activity such as tree planting or a charity walk, but if the employees have not developed a participative culture, only a few may take part. This attitude affects employees’ willingness to take part in free trainings or seminars organized by the organization. Alvesson and Sveningsson (2007, p. 89) claim that in the case of learning institutions, students and teachers may refuse to take on extra lessons or even participate in extracurricular activities. Sharing Knowledge in an Organization Knowledge grows when it’s shared, knowledge based organizations such as schools, colleges and universities have a duty to grow a culture of knowle dge creation and dissemination. University professors must make contributions in academic journals in their areas of specialization in order to attain certain qualifications. Academic institutions peg promotions to the number of publications a professor has on his or her account in various academic journals. This attitude breeds a habit of concealing ideas from the public in order to be the first to publish just to have an edge over the rest (Schein 2010). Organizations that organize the need of knowledge sharing organize forums that bring together both internal and external participants to share knowledge on various topics. If this is developed as a culture in an organization, more staff members can be willing to research and share information with their colleagues various issues. In the current era, where technology has taken the centre stage in every process, the internet is becoming an important platform for knowledge sharing. Blogs and social media such as facebook and twitter are gaining popularity in providing a forum for information sharing. Company or organization websites are also used as points of getting sharing information in between the organization and the public. This can be in form of a database containing information of employee and organization’s achievements and services offered by the organization (Schein 2010). This besides acting as a marketing tool, it provides a cheap and easier way for organizations to communicate with the workers. Most organizations do not provide forum for employees to engage the management especially on matters affecting their welfare. This is because the fear that employees can use the forum to send attacking messages to the management or to incite other workers. The Learning Culture Because of the dynamic nature of the business environment today, organizations must provide their employees with opportunities to learn and expand their skills in line with the core business of the organization. Learning opport unities include; part time classes, short skills training courses, conferences and seminars that are relevant to the core business of the organization. An organization can also develop a learning culture by providing fee subsidies or scholarships to members that are willing to pursue studies at higher levels (Alvesson and Sveningsson 2007). Through the information gained from the learning sessions, the staff members gain vital information to deal with change in the organization. Most of the current changes in business organizations require new skill sets that can only be acquired through learning. The Mentorship Culture Organizations should develop a mentorship and skills transfer program where senior and experienced members of staff transfer their skills and knowledge to new members. The senior members need to co-opt junior members of staff and walk them through the various operations processes of the organization. In this regard, the junior staffs learn from the seniors through sk ills transfer process. Though the junior members of staff have little working experience, they may be well informed in emerging issues especially in areas of technology, which may be of great help to the organization (Cameron and Quinn 2006). Mentorship culture also helps in maintaining the culture of the institution, by allowing senior staff members to pass on the values and norms of the company to new entrants in the organization. It also offers guidelines to the junior staffs to manage change as they transit either from college to work or one organization to another. Conclusion This paper demonstrates the extent to which organizational culture can impact on change management in an organization. Its proposition is that the changes that come along in the course of operation should be anchored on the culture of the organization. The organization management should take a participatory approach in implementing changes in the organization. The paper also shows that cultures of strict f irm control, centralization and ignoring workers’ opinion is detrimental to realizing change management in an organization. The management is responsible for the formation of cooperative teams in the organization that support change implementation. The teams should be empowered and to encourage every member in the organization feel part of the â€Å"family† in the organization. Reference List Alvesson, M and Sveningsson, S 2007, Changing Organizational Culture: Cultural Change Work in Progress, Routledge, New York. Cameron, S and Quinn, E 2006, Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture: Based on Competing Values Framework, John Wiley and Sons, New York. Krastchmer, P 2005, Organizational Culture is highly resistant to Change- Discuss, Books on Demand, Nordestedt. Schein, H 2010, Organizational Culture and Leadership, John Willey and Sons, New York. This report on Role of Culture in Change Management was written and submitted by user Averie W. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Motor Insurance Essays

Motor Insurance Essays Motor Insurance Essay Motor Insurance Essay Vehicle insurance Vehicle insurance ( besides known as car insurance. GAP insurance. auto insurance. or motor insurance ) is insurance purchased for autos. trucks. bikes. and other route vehicles. Its primary usage is to supply fiscal protection against physical harm and/or bodily injury ensuing from traffic hits and against liability that could besides originate therefrom. The specific footings of vehicle insurance vary with legal ordinances in each part. To a lesser grade vehicle insurance may to boot offer fiscal protection against larceny of the vehicle and perchance damage to the vehicle. sustained from things other than traffic hits. Vehicle insurance. in exchange for a premium. will pay valid claims originating out of traffic hits such as the above. India A Sample Vehicle Insurance Certificate in India Car Insurance in India trades with the insurance covers for the loss or harm caused to the car or its parts due to natural and semisynthetic catastrophes. It provides accident screen for single proprietors of the vehicle while driving and besides for riders and 3rd party legal liability. There are certain general insurance companies who besides offer on-line insurance service for the vehicle. Auto Insurance in India is a mandatory demand for all new vehicles used whether for commercial or personal usage. The insurance companies have affiliations with taking car makers. They offer their clients instant car quotation marks. Auto premium is determined by a figure of factors and the sum of premium additions with the rise in the monetary value of the vehicle. The claims of the Auto Insurance in India can be inadvertent. larceny claims or 3rd party claims. Certain paperss are required for claiming Auto Insurance in India. like duly signed claim signifier. RC transcript of the vehicle. Driving license transcript. FIR transcript. Original estimation and policy transcript. There are different types of Auto Insurance in India: Private Car Insurance – In the Auto Insurance in India. Private Car Insurance is the fastest turning sector as it is mandatory for all the new autos. The sum of premium depends on the brand and value of the auto. province where the auto is registered and the twelvemonth of industry. Two Wheeler Insurance – The Two Wheeler Insurance under the Auto Insurance in India screens inadvertent insurance for the drivers of the vehicle. The sum of premium depends on the current salesroom monetary value multiplied by the depreciation rate fixed by the Tariff Advisory Committee at the clip of the beginning of policy period. Commercial Vehicle Insurance – Commercial Vehicle Insurance under the Auto Insurance in India provides screen for all the vehicles which are non used for personal intents. like the Trucks and HMVs. The sum of premium depends on the salesroom monetary value of the vehicle at the beginning of the insurance period. brand of the vehicle and the topographic point of enrollment of the vehicle. The car insurance by and large includes: Loss or harm by accident. fire. lightning. self ignition. external detonation. burglary. break-in or larceny. malicious act. Liability for 3rd party injury/death. 3rd party belongings and liability to paid driver On payment of appropriate extra premium. loss/damage to electrical/electronic accoutrements The car insurance does non include: Consequential loss. depreciation. mechanical and electrical dislocation. failure or breakage When vehicle is used outside the geographical country War or atomic hazards and drunken drive

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Human Resource Management and Labor Relations - Essay Example The main challenges faced by domestic and global companies involve the challenge become more efficient or competitive, to overcome diversity and cultural differences, to introduce effective culture and good morale, organizational structure and change. In home country, difficulties in communication can arise with produc ­tion systems where workers are stationed continuously at a particular point with limited freedom of movement. Even when opportunities exist for interaction with colleagues, physical conditions may limit effective commu ­nication. Communication has an impact of organizational structure which is on the surface the elements or patterns of rules, and social relations (encounters and face to face co-presence) are articulated by discourse and ideology. Rather than being dependent upon information, organizational communication is embedded in trust. Surface relations must be seen in terms of a deeper code or structure that makes sense of the often conflicting surface even ts. An environment from which communication flows is interpreted and constructed, regardless of the networks from which the communication emerges or arises (dense, close, loose, tight, redundant, etc) (Campbell 45). In a global context, workforce diversity has a tremendous impact on communication and relations between employees. All employees come from different cultural and social environment; they have different social statuses and class location, different religious beliefs and belong to different cultures. Differences are bound to exist, due simply to the physical characteristics of the employees, such as sex, nation race (Gesteland 76). These differences create a certain tension between employees which requires special intervention actions of HR department to manage workforce diversity. The main challenges in communication involve cultural and language differences.

Slavery as a Cause of the Civil War Research Paper

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Stratospheric Ozone Depletion Research

Stratospheric Ozone Depletion Research A) Effects of Ozone on the Lower Atmosphere The lower atmosphere (Troposphere) includes 75% by mass of the atmosphere (concentrated). Natural sources of Ozone in the troposphere includes lightning. Approximately 10% of all atmospheric ozone is present in the troposphere. If ozone levels reach 20ppm, they are very poisonous to humans, animals and plants. It oxidises organic tissue which disrupts the normal biochemical reactions in the body, irritates the eyes and causes breathing difficulties. It can be detrimental to plants and agriculture, as it oxidises much more readily then oxygen, killing/spoiling the agriculture and destroying it. Sources of ozone in the troposphere include diffusion from the stratosphere, internal combustion engines, petrochemical smog, naturally from lightning and photochemically when nitrogen dioxide in polluted air is decomposed by sunlight. 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CFC’s generally contain â€Å"chloro† and â€Å"flouro† functional groups and no hydrogen atoms. The general structure of compounds classified as CFCs are haloalkanes whose hydrogens have been replaced by chlorine or fluorine atoms. E.g. B) Main Uses of CFC’s CFC’s were used as refrigerants and as propellants in aerosol spray cans. They have a variety of uses as demonstrated below. However due to the harmful effects of CFC to the environment and the ozone shield, CFCs are not used for these uses anymore. C) Reactions between CFC’s and Ozone that Result in the Destruction of Ozone in the Stratosphere. Effects of Small Concentrations of CFC’s that can Damage Large amounts of Ozone Reactions between CFCs and Ozone Synthetic CFCs are responsible for the destruction of the ozone shield, natural CFCs such as CH3Cl and HCl rarely reach the stratosphere as they readily oxidise in the troposphere. However, synthetic CFCs slowly diffuse from the troposphere into the stratosphere, where they undergo photodissociation (due to UV rays) to produce chlorine and bromine radicals that attack and destroy ozone molecules. e.g. CFC-11 Trichloroflouromethane (CFCl3) (Lifetime of 70 years) 1. In the stratosphere, the CFC comes into contact with short wavelength UV CFCl3(g) + UV → CFCl2 ·(g) + Cl ·(g) 2. The chlorine free radical then reacts with the ozone molecule Cl + O3 → ClO + O2 3. The ClO molecule reacts with free oxygen atoms which exist naturally from UV breakdown of O2 ClO + O → O2 + Cl This Cl Is then regenerated and able to attack more Ozone (Step 2) thus further demonstrating the harmful effects of even one CFC This reaction causes destruction of ozone in the stratosphere, due to the (previously used) synthetic CFCs for refrigeration, dry cleaning etc. Small Amounts of CFCs can still do harm: Evidence has shown that even small amounts of CFCs can damage large amounts of ozone. Firstly, CFCs generally have a long lifespan, ranging from approximately 57 (CFC-11) years to 333 years (CFC-12), and due to the fact that each Chlorine radical can be responsible for the breakdown of tens of thousands of ozone molecules, and due to their lifespan once released, even a small amount, will be around for many decades to come. In addition, most CFCs will almost definitely make their way up to the stratosphere as they cannot be destroyed at low altitudes as they are unreactive and they are insoluble in water and therefore cannot be washed out of the atmosphere by rain. Alternative Compounds for CFCs. A) Ozone Monitoring Instruments Ozone Concentrations in the Stratosphere Source: Earth System Research Laboratory, 2012, Viewed 07.06.14, http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/dv/spo_oz/spototal.html A) Analysis of Trends There are a variety of trends that can be interpreted from the above diagram. Based on the data above, before the 1980’s, the total ozone concentration was VERY high, at approximately 194 DU (Dobson Units), however there was a very rapid decrease in this concentration from 1980 – 1999, whereby in this 19 year period sees a 56% decrease in the amount of total ozone, a remarkably concerning figure. On a year round basis globally, total ozone concentration have caused a 3-8% decrease in the amount of ozone, this increased in the years between 1995-200, where there was a low of total ozone concentration. However, in more recent years, 2010 to 2014 there has been a general increase in total ozone concentration, which can be inferred from the replacement of CFCs finally starting to impact (slightly) on the total concentration of ozone, this increase based on the data is 31%. The general pattern is that the total column ozone decreases during spring time, it can be inferred that the overall concentration of ozone decreases during this time of the year. This is because in an Antarctic winter, there is no U.V light to convert the chlorine molecule Cl2 into a Cl radical, which then destroy ozone molecules, and thus the concentration of ozone is higher in winter. In spring, the U.V light converts the Cl2 into Cl which then destroys ozone in a chain reaction, thus decreasing the total ozone concentration There are various peaks in the graph, in the years of 1988, 2003, 2011 and 2013, which may be due to limitation so of the instruments used. B) Montreal Protocol Effectiveness The Montreal protocol occurred in 1987, which the main aim was to control the production of ozone depleting substances (CFCs) worldwide. A number of amendments have been adopted to further ride ozone depleting substances. The protocol is applied in 193 countries. The main aims of the original agreement is as follow: Halt the use of Halons by late 1994 By the early 21st century, phase out the use of HCFCs Stop manufacture of CFCs by 1996 Allow for leeway with less developed countries but still get them to rid the use of these substances The Montreal Protocol (and amendments) has been effective as by 2006, the consumption of ozone depleting substances has been reduced globally by 96%. However, due to the long lives of the previously used ozone depleting substances, the total concentration will take hundreds of years to be completely down. However, the total concentration in the troposphere has generally been declining since the mid-1990s. Bibliography Thickett, G 2006, Chemistry 2 HSC course, John Wiley and Sons, Queensland, Australia. Role of Ozone, 2013, viewed 05.06.14, http://www.easychem.com.au/monitoring-and-management/the-atmosphere/roles-of-ozone Allen, J, 2001, Ultraviolet Radiation – How it Affects life on Earth, viewed 05.06.14, http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/UVB/ Environmental Protection Agency, 2010, The Process of Ozone Depletion, Viewed 07.06.14, http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/process.html Clean Air Strategic Alliance, 2013, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Halons, Viewed 07.06.13, http://dwb.unl.edu/teacher/nsf/c09/c09links/www.casahome.org/chlorofl.htm Welch, C 2014, The Ozone Hole, Viewed 07.06.14, http://www.theozonehole.com/cfc.htm Cracknell, A 2012, Remote Sensing and Atmospheric Ozone, Viewed 07.06.14, http://books.google.com.au/books?id=YZzGFPnaEv0Cpg=PA94lpg=PA94dq=nimbus+4+satellite+ozonesource=blots=k3Ixvnqeupsig=Z_jW0D4jdcvG8hpjbb7d4QeUzBMhl=ensa=Xei=DpCSU-qHMsLtkQWJsIHQDQved=0CF8Q6AEwCg#v=onepageq=nimbus%204%20satellite%20ozonef=false ESA, 2013, Eathnet Online, Viewed 07.06.14, https://earth.esa.int/handbooks/gomos/CNTR1-2-2.htm The Canadian Ozone and Ultraviolet Measurement Program, 2010, Viewed 07.06.14 http://es-ee.tor.ec.gc.ca/e/ozone/ozonecanada.htm Earth System Research Laboratory, 2012, Viewed 07.06.14, http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/dv/spo_oz/spototal.html EPA, 2013, Ozone Layer Protection Glossary, Viewed 14.06.14, http://www.epa.gov/ozone/defns.html Bureau of Meteorology 2013, Ozone Frequently Asked Questions, Viewed 14.06.14, http://www.bom.gov.au/uv/faq.shtml Smith, R 2008, Conquering Chemistry Fourth Edition, The McGraw-Hill Companies, NSW, Australia 1 | Page

Government Restrictions on Encryption within the United States and Around the World :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Government Restrictions on Encryption within the United States and Around the World Introduction In today's society with the increased use of computers, internet, and wireless communications, the need for safety and security has risen dramatically. The internet has become the number one communication medium and is more accessible than ever. Through the internet, vast amount of information is being transmitted between computers. At times, some of the information transmitted can be intercepted illegally, such as personal information and private messages. The percentage of information that is illegally intercepted has been dramatically reduced due to the use of encryption software technology, which was once used by the United States military and government. This technology has given businesses and private users the sense of security in transmitting information through the internet as well as to maintain national security. The use of encryption has been a topic of discussion for the past 20 years. The U.S government has attempted several times to regulate encryption because they fel t that it was a matter of national security that they should have control of the technology and protect us from vulnerability if software is shared or sold to other countries. The effort of encryption regulation by the U.S. was unsuccessful and today there are least restrictions on the use and export of encryption technology. The introduction of encryption regulation in the United States has made a global impact. Other countries, such as China, Russia, and others around the world, have implemented encryption regulations to due to the influence of the U.S. but have restrictions that are far more stringent and harsh. The strong regulations by these countries are creating conflict among private users and foreign companies that export encryption software to these countries. This argument and debate continues between the government, businesses, and encryption companies. The question is should the government have the right to monitor and regulate encryption and what ethical questions does it raise? Background and History of Encryption What is encryption? Encryption is a technological technique that protects and secures the transfer of plain text information between two sources through the use of the internet. This is done by rearranging the text using a mathematical algorithm that renovates the message into an indecipherable form, which can only be unlocked and translated with a use of a key. The strength of the encryption key is measured by its length, which is determined by the number of bits and by the type of encryption program.