HRMT20024 Managing Diversity and Work-life Balance

Describe the regulatory framework for pay in Australia

• Describe the way the rewards of managers and executives can be tied to company performance
• Discuss the influences of rewards on employees and describe three theories that explain the dynamics of performance-related rewards
• Identify and describe a number of performancerelated reward programs
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of performance-based reward programs
• Describe the way incentive plans can be integrated with a balanced scorecard

Describe the differences between diversity management and equal employment opportunity

• Discuss the role of diversity management for organisational performance
• Identify initiatives that can be used to manage diversity
• Identify challenges facing the development and implementation of initiatives to manage diversity
• Describe key features of a work–life balance program
• Identify the costs and benefits of implementing policies that assist employees to manage their work and nonwork

Diversity includes everyone; it is not defined by race or gender. It extends to age, personal and corporate background, education, function and personality. It includes lifestyle, sexual preference, geographic origin, tenure with the organisation, exempt or non-exempt status, and whether one is management or non-management

Answer:

Introduction

Agriculture is most important for survival because it is the sole provider of food and energy. Human beings, plants, animals and all the creatures living on the planet big or small require power to perform their day to day activities. That is why with an increasing population the demand for limited resources is also increasing. Directional research is essential to keep improving the productivity of the agriculture.  Many countries like Israel, Australia have been at the epitome of research in this domain. Scientific research backed by traditional knowledge is the way forward in the field of agriculture.

There are tremendous challenges for the agriculture sector. But for the study some critical problems have been taken into consideration like changing trends in agricultural practices, ways in which the Chinese government has stepped up in fostering zero environmental hazard farming methods, the inclusive growth of agriculture in African countries and the growth achieved in last decade or so. The report also discussed the use of insect feeds to farm animals which has increased the sustainable growth of popularity produce along with the increase in productivity levels for the farmers. All these studies are essential to understand the changing trends in this domain.

Article 1 : Trends in Australian Agriculture

Reference. Productivity Commission. (2005). Trends in Australian agriculture (No. 0502).

Keywords: indoor farming, supply-demand equilibrium

When the industrial revolutions saw its peak, the size and importance of the agriculture sector saw a decline in later half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. But with frequent famines and droughts, it was soon realized that things were going wrong, and the plan of action needs some amendments.  Then came the arena of green revolutions, first noticed in America followed by several agriculture-based economies like India, Africa and Latin American countries. Australia has also been the pioneer of research in the field of agriculture. The research paper referenced here mentions the critical trends in Australia's sector in the last half decade and how it has transformed the agriculture sector in India. The customer demands and the market dynamics have seen an abrupt shift when it comes to the agriculture sector.  The technology has affected the Australian market in a big way. Smart solutions based on science has helped the farmers to get better bargains on their produce. Market infrastructure also plays a vital role in determining and balancing the supply-demand equilibrium when it comes to perishable agriculture produce.

The agriculture sector is facing challenges due to changing weather conditions due to anthropogenic changes brought about my men. The floods and droughts are being noticed simultaneously in different parts of the world. This is due to changing weather which has affected the rain dynamics. Thus the farmers need to be on their toes to adapt to the weather conditions which are there. The technology which is ironically the reason for such about weather changes needs to come up with the solution to cope up with the problem. One of the most important thing which needs to be considered by the farmers is the adaptation to the changing conditions. The demand for agricultural products is going to keep rising regardless of changing weather conditions. Indoor farming, multi layer farming under artificial lights by artificially controlling the environment has seen some positive results from an increase in productivity. Such technologies are looking promising, but research needs to be done to ensure that they are safe and don't have a lasting impact on the health of the consumers.

Article 2: Contradictions in state- and civil society-driven developments in China’s ecological agriculture sector

Reference: Scott, S., Si, Z., Schumilas, T., & Chen, A. (2014). Contradictions in state-and civil society-driven developments in China’s ecological agriculture sector. Food Policy, 45, 158-166.

Keywords: bioaccumulation, bio magnification, organic farming

China is the country with the world's largest population. till date .It  accommodates vast areas is just about managing to provide for its large community. The agricultural revolution seen in later half of the 19th century witnessed a tremendous rise in agriculture productivity, but with time it became stagnant. The excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides also impacted the ecological conditions which polluted the environment. The government has come up with new policies for the new approach to agriculture productions having zero environmental impact. The state controls most of the things, and China is a communist country.  The government has mainly invested to support the research and practice of eco-friendly agriculture practices. The state has fostered high tech farming which is mostly afforded by bug farmers who can afford such investments. Such steps are moving towards commercialization of agriculture to attain maximum productivity without impacting the environment. The interests of the customers like healthy food and quality products at optimum costs is the aim of the government's policy.  China has successfully developed a unique system where the food is being produced in a hazard-free manner using organic techniques which ensure the quality produce without risking the health of the consumers.

Chinese governments are supporting big farmers who would exclude the small farmers from the equation. In the vast country like China, this is very dangerous for the social dynamics as it may lead to rising inequality in the society. The small farmers will be forced to work as laborers on these big farms.  Organic farming is the way forward, and China has set an example by implementing it is a big way. The use of chemical fertilizers leads to bioaccumulation and bio magnification of toxic substances. Bioaccumulation is the deposition of toxic substances in the organic at a particular trophic level. When such poisonous substances move up the trophic scale, this leads to the transfer of such toxins, this phenomenon is known as bio magnification. As agriculture products are consumed such toxins become a huge problem. As the size of the organism up the trophic level increases the amount of bioaccumulation also increases. Such toxins cause serious health hazards to the consumers. Organic farming promotes the usage of organic inputs which does not contain any toxins. That is why organic farming is the future and research needs to be done in this field on the lines of traditional knowledge of agriculture which was practiced by our ancestors when such chemical pesticides and fertilizers didn't even exist.

Article: Insects in animal feed: Acceptance and its determinants among farmers, agriculture sector stakeholders and citizens

Reference: Verbeke, W., Spranghers, T., De Clercq, P., De Smet, S., Sas, B., & Eeckhout, M. (2015). Insects in animal feed: Acceptance and its determinants among farmers, agriculture sector stakeholders and citizens. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 204, 72-87.

Keywords:

Insects are generally seen as threat to agriculture production. But farmers in Europe have recently developed a technique where they can use farm insects like bugs and earthworms to improve the productivity of the farm produce. The insects can be an asset rather than being a danger to the crops. It can add to extra benefits to the farmers as these insects can be used to feed the farm animals. They are a rich source of proteins which provides the healthy balanced diet for the farm animals. Such technique is being practised by the farmers of Belgium, Netherlands and other areas of western Europe.  The attitude towards the animal feed is continuously changing. At the earlier stage, farmers were sceptical about the use of insects but nowadays with increasing awareness and research activities the acceptance of his method is rising continuously. The insects are fed to the farm animals in raw or processed form. Such methods are extensively being used in the field of poultry and apiculture. The way as proven to be a sustainable method where all the stakeholders can support each other with better productivity and ecological sustainability.

Application of insects as an animal feed as proven to be a potentially successful method if meeting the animal diet which is rich in protein. This leads to better growth and development of the animals. The increase in demand for animals as a morsel of food. The need for poultry and pisciculture products in on a continuous rise. Thus it becomes imperative to ensure healthy growth of these sectors.
Moreover, these farm insects can also be used to increase the productivity of the land by processing the manure and preparing the field. The use of earthworms for the method is well known worldwide.  The study which was conducted to analyze the willingness and acceptance of such insect-based animal feed and foods among the 415 Farmers in Flanders, Belgium. The study found that two-thirds of the participants in the study were willing to implement this idea. This shows the majority acceptance of the idea which is a positive sign. The use of insect feeds has increased the productivity of the poultry which is one of the most important sources of protein for diet. The added benefits have reduced the dependency of the farmers on the crops which has made him economically more stable. The risks of crop failure are diminished as farmers now have additional income sources. The need of import of protein-rich sources for feeding the animals is also reduced in this method. So this method is beneficial on all fronts as input costs have, and output productivity has increased.

Article : Inclusive growth: an imperative for African agriculture

Reference: Kanu, B. S., Salami, A. O., & Numasawa, K. (2014). Inclusive growth: an imperative for African agriculture. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 14(3), A0COV-A0COV.

Keywords: Democratic, Forest, Connectivity,Farmers,Fertilizers

Africa was the colony of various European superpowers. These superpowers dominated over the resources of the continent and benefited themselves in a big way. But after the independence of multiple nations starting from mid 19th century. Growth has been witnessed in the field of agriculture. The democratic governments have stepped up to take various measures to improve the agriculture productivity. Last decade has seen the GDP growth which is twice the normal in many African countries. The continent has vast resources, but they are not well utilised because of various problems in the sector. Significant problems which lie in African nations is lack of infrastructure and technological advancements. Dense forest cover makes it very difficult to build roads and dig canals. Connectivity through waterways is also minimal and is limited only to specific areas. Thus it becomes challenging to transport the inputs to the fields and then the product to the markets. Because of this markets are mostly localised in nature. The farmers are not able to get a fair price for their produce as these local markets have limited competition of goods. The global markets remain away from the reach of these products.

Where everything seems blur regarding the past growth and development of agriculture in these African nations, there are various positives also. These areas have largely remained untouched by the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. When the entire world was increasing their productivity levels by using such toxins, these countries were still unaware and practiced their traditional methods of farming. Now the farming community all over the world has realized the impact of the use of such techniques. Now, these countries have to spend an extra dime to return to traditional farming methods backed by organic farming, green agriculture and sustainable use of resources. The way forward is inclusive growth in this sector where all the stakeholders must participate for maximum utilization for the resources.

Reference List

Kanu, B. S., Salami, A. O., & Numasawa, K. (2014). Inclusive growth: an imperative for African agriculture. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 14(3), A0COV-A0COV.

Verbeke, W., Spranghers, T., De Clercq, P., De Smet, S., Sas, B., & Eeckhout, M. (2015). Insects in animal feed: Acceptance and its determinants among farmers, agriculture sector stakeholders and citizens. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 204, 72-87.

Scott, S., Si, Z., Schumilas, T., & Chen, A. (2014). Contradictions in state-and civil society-driven developments in China’s ecological agriculture sector. Food Policy, 45, 158-166.

Productivity Commission. (2005). Trends in Australian agriculture (No. 0502).