Effective Communication in Groups and Teams - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 2918 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? 1.0 Introduction Based on my research on the topic of differences between teams and groups,i have learned that team members work jointly toward one common goal and share responsibility for the teams achievements. A group is made up of 2 or more individuals in which share common interests as well as characteristics, and its members identify with each other due to be able to similar attributes.Next is using the communication process model which managers ensure effective communication within teams.Some of the method i have used to carry out the research are as following through observation, online search, and book references. In these segment of my research, I had learned that how the organisation do their negotiation.Regarding to the topic of research there also found the factors which consider to ensure a successful outcome negotiation for teams and groups.The references i used in section is through searching website and book references. 2.0 Differences Be tween Teams And Groups. Some people used what team and group interchangeably, but you will find a variety of differences involving a team and a group in real world applications. Quite a few leadership courses intended for the corporate world stress benefit of team building, not group building, as an illustration. A teams strength is dependent upon the commonality of purpose and inter connectivity involving individual users, whereas a new groups strength will come from absolute volume or even willingness to carry out a sole leaders directions. It is often much much better to form a bunch than a new team. In case you had a location filled using professional accountants, for instance, they could possibly be grouped based on gender, encounter, fields of expertise, grow older, or additional common components. Forming a bunch based on the certain commonality is just not particularly complicated, although the potency of the groups can be variable. A groups public dynamics can cover a nything from complete compatibility to perform intolerance, which may make consensus building very hard for a new leader. The team, however, can be a lot more difficult to create. Members of a team can be selected with regards to complementary knowledge, not a single commonality. An enterprise team may include things like an accountant, a new salesman, a company executive and a secretary, for instance. Each member of the team features a purpose and a function within just that workforce, so the complete success is dependent upon a well-designed interpersonal vibrant. There is generally much less room for conflict as soon as working being a team. The success of a group is often measured by means of its effects, not necessarily the process used to arrive at these results. Tubbs (2001) state that a group may use equal elements discussion, argumentation and peer pressure to steer individual users towards a new consensus(p41). A trial run jury could well be an illustration of this a group for action, not a new team. This foreperson represents the management role, looking to turn 11 additional opinions into one unanimous choice. Since your jury users usually have no idea one one more personally, there may be rarely a feat to build a team vibrant. The choice process for any verdict is a result of group assistance. According to Coile (2002) stated that a workforce, by comparison, does not rely on groupthink to arrive at it is conclusions. An car accident investigation team could well be an illustration of this a real world team vibrant. Each member of the workforce is assigned to guage one area of the car accident(p83). The teams specialist on accident scene reconstruction wont have to seek advice from the teams specialist on forensic research, for example. The members of a team use their individual abilities to arrive at a new cohesive consequence. There is often a team associate working being a facilitator with the process, and not necessarily a particular l eader. Group constructing can virtually take only a few minutes, but team building can consider years. Individual members of a group often be capable of walk far from the group when their particular services or even input turn out to be unnecessary. A workforce members shortage can really hamper the relevant skills of other associates to conduct effectively, its the same not rare for individual members to create an exceptionally strong allegiance to the team overall. An professional military unit including the US Fast SEALS or even the Military Rangers could possibly be considered examples of team constructing at it is best. 3.0 Communication Process Model In Previous Workplace. Within the last decade,this is about my last working place an organizations have progressively shifted towards hiring an increasingly mobile labor force.Findings on the 2010 Cisco Attached Technology World Report, which has been conducted throughout thirteen places, indicate of which employees be ex pecting greater flexibility in their own jobs understanding that over 65% of which rate flexibility to be a more important factor than income. As a result, the volume of companies adopting an increasingly collaborative virtual workspace is usually on this rise, along with the projections signify a growing growth rate as direction.Some great benefits of telecommuting usually are obvious: cheaper travel fees, access to a more diversified experience, greater employee satisfaction, and increased productiveness. However, a single drawback towards surge throughout telecommuting methods is of which it has created additional troubles for virtual teams, and particularly with regard to project managers. 3.1 Effective Communication Within Teams. Listed below are seven recommendations that the actual virtual task manager must implement for more appropriate communication among members of his or her team: I) Establish a Clear Communication Plan II) Account for Informal Discussions III) Be a Master of Technology IV) Conduct Structured Meetings V) Leverage Video When Needed VI) Determine a Range for Time-Zone Differences VII) Use Email Effectively 3.1.1 Establish a Clear Communication Plan. Although this may seem clear, it is probably the most overlooked by simply virtual venture managers. A connection plan really should define the guidelines of engagement and the frequency connected with communication. The plan should also have a repository connected with contact information for all those team people, as effectively as all of the all the particular status bring up to date meetings. Perhaps most significantly, the prepare should contain the project managerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s choices in conditions of how he / she would love to be called. For example, according to Extejt(1998) one venture manager may wish to have just about all requests documented through email so that messages can easily be followed, and always be contacted by simply phone p rovided that something urgent comes up(p62).Another venture manager may well prefer to use instant messaging software for all those minor issues and work with email for better requests. Simply by defining upfront what her or his preferences tend to be, the venture manager will begin a more efficient communication flow along with members in the team. 3.1.2 Account for Informal Discussions. In the virtual workforce, the everyday conversations that always occur around cubicle walls in the office or near the water chillier are absent. Such discussions are essential to developing team rapport and cohesiveness and also ultimately building trust plus more successful verbal exchanges within the team; therefore, it is essential for the virtual project manager to replace with this reduction. 3.1.3 Be a Master of Technology. According to Keyton(2002) stated that provided that virtual undertaking managers have to rely generally on technological innovation to get in touch with the ir spread teams, it truly is imperative that they become specialists at utilizing it(p82). Managers should know the features of online relationship software to make sound decisions about effective connection practices. For example, when employing Cisco WebEx Conference Center, the undertaking managers should understand how to share files and programs, pass handle to various other presenters, work with networkbased recording, and permit webcam conferencing. They will also come to be experts at using various other scheduling, undertaking management, information management, and document managing software. Just remember, managers should understand the actual limitations and degrees of integration across the many software programs, mainly on account of overlapping attributes, which can become a tautology and befuddle the staff. 3.1.4 Conduct Structured Meetings. One issue, which can be attributed in order to wasting time and effort in electronic teams, is deficiencies in structure in meetings. According to Mead(1993) stated that it really is counterproductive when a total team attends a meeting that lacks a great objective or even sense connected with facilitation(p161).Ultimately, the excellent virtual getting together with has four attributes: I) First, the meeting needs to have a unique agenda,that will be communicated towards the team in advance of time period. II) Second, the meeting ought to be facilitated because of the project administrator who makes sure that the crew remains for the topic. Its the project managerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s job to ensure any off-agenda talks be postponed completely to another meeting. III) Third, the undertaking manager really should capture almost any risks, issues, and action things that come up over the meeting, and designate owners to all of them. IV) Final steps, and the most vital step, is for the project manager to follow along with up on the meeting by having an email which summarizes your meetingà ¢Ã¢â€ š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s decisions. 3.1.5 Leverage Video When Needed. In face-to-face meetings, project operators have the advantage of projecting and also reading this facial expression and mannerisms of their audience; nevertheless, in on-line meetings, such non-verbal cues are obviously missing, which simply leaves the challenge manager with a disadvantage inside sensing this teamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s opinions. In vulnerable meetings, while tensions are elevated, the challenge manager need to request the employment of webcam conferencing to help in mitigating the uncomfortable side effects of non-visual conversation. 3.1.6 Determine a Range for Time-Zone Differences. Whenever working together in several countries, it is quite frequent for different associates to are now living in different moment zones. This creates an issue for this project supervisor, who usually needs to include this majority from the team throughout important conferences. Of training course, it just isnt always simple for every workforce member to produce it for you to every assembly, but it is sometimes necessary to possess those à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“all-handsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  conversations when issues appear. According to Johnson Chung(2000) state that the communication plan must define some sort of prime moment range intended for meetings(p238). If the project supervisor, for example, is using the east shoreline of the united states, and several associates live on the west shoreline, then beginning meetings no sooner than 11:00 a.m as being a lower limit adds up. Moreover, if other associates are based in India, next scheduling conferences after 3:00 p.m. might be too later, which shows that the excellent time range of 11:00 a.m for you to 3:00 p.m. can be ideal intended for meetings. Documenting this specific range in a very project schedule helps this project supervisor effectively schedule meetings whenever every workforce member ought to be included in a important talk. 3.1.7 Use Email Effectively. Email is often a double-edged sword. Using the item inefficiently as a tool to control virtual teams could be inundating along with confusing, but putting it on effectively assists facilitate the particular teamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s conversation flow. 4.0 What is a Negotiation. Certo(1992) suggested negotiation is often a valuable skill divorce lawyers Atlanta part in your life. When executed effectively negotiation can generate an outcome that is mutually good for both parties(p24). Negotiation is actually most pleasurable when both parties think they have gained something and when both parties allow us a beneficial working romantic relationship. Since a lot of your negotiations at your workplace and in the home involve people you can be in close contact with for a long period, the longterm advantages of building a mutually respectful relationship are generally as important because short term gains that may result from any provided negotiation. 4.1 Successful And Skillful Negotiation For Teams And Groups. Successful and skilled negotiation requires empathy, excellent listening expertise, and skimp. Although you do not always get what you need just by simply asking, it is usually highly unlikely that youre walking what you need if you dont ask whatsoever. Good discussions skills doesnt just allow you to get what you need, but also allow you to enhance ones professional and personal living. Fottler,Blair,Whitehead,LausSavage (1989) suggested that while the particular examples here pay attention to the workplace, keep planned that discussions skills are generally transferable and everything inside life is usually negotiable(p530). 4.2 Factors For Successful Outcome In Teams And Groups. You will find a large number of environmental factors which is often applied towards conduct connected with negotiations.According to Thiederman(1996) suggest that care needs to be taken in deciding no matter whether to adopt environmental tactics a s they can be very obvious the tactics have been employed(p181). Use these tactics sometimes appears as disrespectful which enables it to have a tremendous and negative influence on the progress of talks. Examples connected with environmental factors add the following: I) Location à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Generally its going to be an advantages to carry out negotiations with home turf using the comfort that derives from familiar environment. Conducting negotiations at your own office space will increase the opportunities to take advantage of other the environmental factors. There can be down sides in talking through your unique place. Especially, there exists better prospect of disorders or maybe intended for critical business friends being mobile phone simply by additional pressing concerns. It usually is more difficult to help depend upon deficiencies in specialist to help acknowledge a certain concession for anyone who is talking in your mind place of work using the TOP DOG in a reg ional place of work. II) Meeting facilities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Control on the negotiation position gives control on the primary achieving room as well as over break-out rooms. This will give the major meeting room to become set up prior to a arrival from the other discussion team so that environmental strengths are maximized. By way of example, the readers could be asked to sit quietly of a new table which often faces into glaring windows or which offers a distracting view. Table styles and seating positions also needs to be thought to be. Generally proper seating agreements are considerably better round desk or casual arrangements. It can be very intimidating with the team members from the other celebration to need to sit aside, or near opposition business friends or capable where theyve insufficient workspace space as well as elbow room. Ideally temperatures must be kept a tad too cool to stop sleepiness. Nonetheless, the visitorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s break-out room could possibly be kept at the warmer temperatures to impact the effectiveness of work through break-outs. III) Fatigue à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" In the event the visiting arbitration team get travelled through interstate, they might not be well-rested once they arrive at the meeting and they will suffer through fatigue and loss in concentration through protracted discussions. Sessions in addition to topics could be planned for you to capitalise with this. The sponsor team can easily conduct the actual negotiations in such a way that the actual host team can easily rest through break-out classes whilst the actual visiting team is required to work by using an issue in the break-out period (e. gary. the host associates could possibly rest in addition to eat a meal while the actual visiting staff is focusing on an issue such as re-pricing on an alternative service). While in extended discussions, this might have a compounding impact and weaken the effectiveness of the visiting associates. IV) Time à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Group member who travel from interstate could have flight promises which set a strong closing time for just a negotiation session or which often create the particular unattractive prospect of needing to organise overnight accommodation in the event the negotiations are not finalised. This makes it possible for the coordinator negotiation team to face issues so the time stress is working against the visiting team for the end on the day. By selectively parking more challenging issues, the coordinator team might be able to orchestrate a position where the particular horse trading towards the end of the day produces an optimal outcome for the host discussing team. V) Food drink à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Failure to offer refreshments at proper points in the operation can be considered bad good manners. However, hunger (particularly when put together with fatigue) can reduce the effectiveness of members of a negotiation team. Conversely, an overly large or rich meal also can result in drowsiness, bad concentration in addition to reduced discussion effectiveness. 5.0 Conclusion In conclusion it is sometimes difficult for you to draw the distinction involving a team along with a group. As an example, a group of coworkers could possibly meet on occasion to discuss a worry or produce input over a decision. While such meetings typically have an agenda and therefore a purpose plus some structure, we would not necessarily consider those in attendance like a team. The activity scope along with duration is just too small for you to involve the quantity of coordination connected with resources along with effort of which teamwork requires. In the final analysis negotiation is really a process that could be approached in several ways. At duration, negotiators must be able to keep occasions in perspective and grow as sensible and sincere as situation allows. By thinking about the other side as a partner instead of an adversary and by simply working together , negotiators have a way to craft an answer which is to be beneficial for you to both attributes. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Effective Communication in Groups and Teams" essay for you Create order

Strengths and Weaknesses - 1033 Words

I have heard from a professor that writing is not an easy thing to do. Many people fail to get their point across the first time when writing. I would agree with what the professor said. Many essays I have written are not perfect. I have made many mistakes when writing essays. I not only dislike writing, I get tired of writing when I have to write a lot. So my mind wanders off, and my body sits in class. Maybe I do not like to write because I am not good at it. Maybe I just need to practice more on my writing skills, and that way I can feel confident about myself. After all, I have never seen someone give up on something they are good at. Despite all these excuses as to why I am not a good writer, I still try and do my†¦show more content†¦Now my essays are more strengthened when it comes down to punctuation errors and comma splices. As I revised my essays after the professor gave me feedback, I noticed that my mistakes were fading away. I know that my essays had fewer weak nesses and more strengths. Both my strengths and weaknesses were brought out when I wrote these essays. In my essays I got back from the professor, I saw some improvement with my transition words. I used to see that I needed to put down more transition words so that my paragraphs could relate to one another. Although I have not gotten rid of this problem completely, I have shown some improvement over the past few essay I wrote. In my whole process paper, I started off using very few transition words. As I progressed I learned to use more transitions with my paragraphs. Another improvement I have made is that I had few examples in my essays and I was not specific. For example, in my argumentative essay I first had little to no examples to support my idea. I had marks that the professor put saying, â€Å"need more specific detail† and â€Å"be specific†. As I improved, my essays had less of these comments. 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An Objection to Mandatory Drug Testing in High Sch Essay Example For Students

An Objection to Mandatory Drug Testing in High Sch Essay ools for theParticipation ofExtra-Curricular Activities:Primarily Student AthletesFor LA: 401: Science, Technology, and Human ValuesSpring, 2004IntroductionWith the recent steroid a scandal in Major League Baseball, debatesover mandatory drug testing polices have sparked interest across thecountry. One issue that is highly controversial, but has taken a back seatin the in the debate, is the issue of mandatory drug testing policies inhigh schools. With teenage drug use on the rise in the 90s the federalgovernment and the United States Supreme Court gave the green light tomandatory drug testing policies for student athletes and participants ofextra-curricular activities. In this paper I hope to prove that mandatorydrug testing of student athletes and participants of extra-curricular atthe high school level is a well-meaning but wrong-headed approach to teendrug prevention. Although mandatory drug testing is necessary at the collegiate andprofessional levels of competition in order to ensure a level playing fieldamong athletes, to preserve the credibility and integrity of the particularsport, and to prevent and protect athletes from drug abuse, mandatory drugtesting should be removed at the high school level because mandatory drugtesting can have a negative effect on the classroom or team, is a waste ofvaluable school financial resources, may be a potential barrier to joiningextra-curricular activities because drug testing is typically aimed atstudents who want to participate in those activities, drug tests being usedby high schools have been known to give false positives, which could punishinnocent students, and may cause several unintended consequences such as:students turning to more dangerous drugs that are not detectable by thetests currently being used, students out smarting the tests, and studentslearning that they are assumed guilty until they a re proven innocent. DefinitionsAnabolic steroids are, synthetic substances related to male sexhormones (androgens). They promote growth of skeletal muscle (anaboliceffect) and the development of male sexual characteristics (androgeniceffects). Users of anabolic steroids run the risk of stunted bone growth,permanent damage to the heart, liver, kidneys, and a known seventy othermajor physical and psychological side effects. Currently, anabolic steroidsare only legal in the United States by doctor prescription. Doctors usethese steroids to treat patients who have developed certain conditions thatforce the body to produce low amounts of testosterone, such as delaypuberty and some types of impotence, and also to treat body wasting inpatients with AIDS and other diseases. Finally, anabolic steroids aredifferent from steroidal supplements sold over the counter in the UnitedStates, such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and androstenedione (known asAndro). Users buy theses supplements through commercial sources includinghealth food stores, because they believe the supplements have anaboliceffects. This supplement was made popular during Mark McGwires recordsetting home run season and the controversy surround his admittance ofusing the supplement. Currently, there are three common drug-testing methods employed bythe public school system, they include urinalysis test, hair follicle test,and the use of a sweat patch test. The urinalysis test is the most commontest used in high schools, primarily because of its low cost per a test,usually ranging from $10 to $30 per test, however with the relative lowcost comes several problems. The first is a urinalysis test cannot detectalcohol or tobacco uses, both are illegal at the high school age. Secondly,by using a urinalysis test a specimen has a possibility of beingadulterated. Finally, the urinalysis test is the most invasive of all drugtests because someone must be present when the specimen is collected. The second method of drug testing used by high schools is the hairfollicle test. The hair follicle test is the mot expensive test used byhigh schools at a cost of $60 to $75 per test. The test is limited to thefive basic drug panel, which include marijuana, cocaine, opiate,amphetamines, and PCP. The test cannot detect alcohol use or recent druguse. Even though the hair follicle test is look at to be one of the morereliable drug tests, it does have its share problems. The test tends to bediscriminatory: dark haired people are more likely to test positive thanblondes, and African-Americans are more likely to test positive thanCaucasians. In addition, exposure to drugs in the environment may lead tofalse positives, especially if those drugs are smoked. Finally, the third method of drug testing used by high schools is thesweat patch test. The sweat patch test is also relatively cheap at $20 to$30 per test. The sweat patch test is able to detect the most drugs of outof the three tests, but the test is plagued with several problems. First,very few labs in this country are able to process the results, which causesan inconvenience to school districts. Secondly, passive exposure to drugscould result in false positives, due to contamination of the patch. Finally, any individual with excessive body hair, scrapes or cuts, and skineruptions cannot wear the patch. New drug testing techniques are being developed to be more accurateand less invasive. One of theses new techniques is the saliva test. Thistest is said to be almost unbeatable because it uses a persons DNA. However, this test opens up new doors of controversy, because it looks deepinto ones past creating privacy issues and could open the door foremployers to genetically test for certain types of employees. Monitoring the Future is an ongoing study conducted by the institutefor Social Research at the University of Michigan, which surveys thebehaviors, attitudes, and values of American secondary school students,college students, and young adults. The study first began in 1975, whenabout 50,000 12th graders were surveyed. In 1991, 8th and 1oth graders wereadded to the survey. In addition to the survey, follow up questionnairesare mailed to a sample of each graduating class for a number of years afterthe initial survey. History of the IssueIn order to understand the mandatory drug testing issue completely,it is essential that we examine the background and history of eventscontributing to the establishment of mandatory drug testing of studentathletes and participates of extra-curricular activities in high schools. The testing of student athletes and extra-curricular participates did notbegin just recently. However: until recently, the debate of drug testingeffectiveness was minimal. Impact of the 60sIn the mid 1960s with the coming of age of the Baby Boom generationand counter-culture revolution brought narcotics into the mainstream ofAmericas culture. By the late 1960s middle-class youths and soldiersserving in Vietnam spurred on by popular music, had embraced certain drugslike marijuana, hallucinogens, and several others. In 1968, President Nixonwas elected president on a law-and-order platform that emphasized a crackdown on drug use. That same year mandatory drug testing was instituted bythe military, because of a growing number of drug addicted Vietnam vetsreturning home. War on DrugsIn 1970, Congress passed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention andControl Act. This act significantly lessened penalties for possession ofmany drugs. A year later, President Nixon declared the first war ondrugs. In 1975, the University of Michigans Institute of Social Researchconducted the first of its series of Monitoring the Future studies onstudent drug use. In 1977, President Carter called for thedecriminalization of marijuana, but later he drops the idea. In 1979, druguse peaks and an anti-drug movement began, led mostly by parents. Just Say NoThe 1980s brought about many changes in the drug policy of theUnited States. The drug cocaine was gaining popularity, especially amongyoung, white, urban, professionals. In 1982, President Reagan declared asecond war on drugs. In July of 1985, an Arkansas court ruled that theexcessive intrusive nature of drug testing student athletes withoutreasonable suspicion is not justified by its need. On June 19, 1986,University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias died of a cocaine overdose,his death prompted almost immediate change, when it came to drug testing. A few months after Biass death, President Reagan and the first ladylaunched the national Just say no anti-drug campaign. President Reaganalso issued Executive Order 12564, calling for a drug free workplace inall federal agencies. In addition, in a symbolic gesture he and his senioradvisors provide urine samples to be tested for illegal drugs. Congressedfollowed suit and passed into law the Drug Free Schools and CommunitiesAct, which provide schools with funds to start anti-drug programs. ThePresident signed the law on Oct. 27, 1986. States across the country alsobegan to pass their own Drug Free School Zone laws. That same year,Biass death prompted the NCAA to approve mandatory drug testing for allits athletes. The late 80s brought on a continued focus on illegal drug use. In1988, President Bush established the White House Office of National DrugControl Policy. November 1988, Congress passed the Drug Free Work PlaceAct, which required all federal contractors or grant recipients to maintaindrug free work places. This prompted many employers begin to set voluntarytesting programs. This also leads to lawsuits brought by employees,claiming drug testing is a violation of individual privacy rights. Thecourts responded and allowed suspicion less drug testing. In 1989,President Bush unveils his National Drug Control Strategy, which encourageddrug for workplace policies in the private sector and in state and localgovernment. That same year the Supreme Court upholds random drug testingwhen a special need outweighs individual privacy rights, in the NationalTreasury Employees Union v. Von Raab decision. Roller Coaster 90sThe 1990s began with teen drug at an all time low and the expansionof drug testing policies. President Bush expanded the federal drug-testingprogram to include all White House personnel. In 1991, Congress passes theOmnibus Transportation and Employment Testing Act, which mandated drug andalcohol testing to 8 million private-sector pilots, drivers, and equipmentoperators. In 1992, President Clinton is elected and drug use beginsincreasing. Some say the increase was due to the Persian Gulf War and themedia, especially the recording industry, with messages of sex, drug, androck-and-roll. One of President Clintons first acts in the White House wasto expand on the drug testing policies of Presidents Reagan and Bush; hestarts by authorizing mandatory drug testing in prisons. In 1995, the United States Supreme Court gave the green light tomandatory drug testing of high school athletes. In the case of VeroniaSchool District v. Acton, the supreme court ruled that mandatory drugtesting in high school athletics programs was not an unreasonable search orseizure, nor was the testing an invasion of the student athletes privacy. The Supreme Court ruled that suspicion less; random urinalysis drug testingof high school athletes was justified because the drug crisis in the schooldistrict had reached epidemic proportions. In the four and half yearsprior to the case, the Veronica school district had found only 12 positivedrug tests. Ten years earlier the Supreme Court had struck down asunreasonable a New Jersey schools athlete drug testing program, in which28 student athletes tested positive for drugs in a single year. In the Veronia case Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the majority opinion;he was the same justice that wrote scornful dissent in the Von Raabdecision. Justice Scalia argued that student athletes have less privacyrights than the general student body because they dress and shower in closeproximity. Legitimate privacy expectations are even less with regard tostudent athletes. School sports are not for the bashful. They requiresuiting up before each practice or event, and showering and changingafterward. Public school locker rooms, the usual sites of these activities,are not notable for the privacy they afford. The locker rooms in Vernoniaare typical: no individual dressing rooms are provided; shower heads arelined up along the wall, unseparated by any sort of partition or curtain;not even all the toilet stalls have doors. Justice Scalia wrote. JusticeScalia went on to add that the increase of drug use by the student body waslargely fueled by the role model effect of athletes drug use.Curren t SituationIn 2001, Congress allocated $185 million to the Office of NationalDrug Control Policy for advertisements and campaign projects, in 2002 theadministration only asked for $180 million. On February 12 of 2002,President George W. Bush unveiled a $19 billion anti-drug package thataimed to cut drug use in the United States by 10 percent in two years andby 25 percent in five years. Also, the DARE program would receive $644million, $103 million less than it received in 2001. The decrease was dueto the program in recent years being ineffective and wasteful. PresidentBushs plan also called for more emphasis on treatment and prevention, andfederal grants for drug treatment would be increased by more than 6percent, to $3.8 billion for the fiscal year of 2003. Later that year theSupreme Court ruled on the landmark case of Board of Education ofIndependent School District No.92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls. In the case of the BOE v. Earls, the Supreme Court ruled that anOklahoma school policy of randomly drug testing students who participate incompetitive, non-athletic extra-curricular activities was in factconstitutional. In a 5-4 decision the court reversed a federal courtruling. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority said that thecourt found such a policy a reasonably effective means of addressing theschool districts legitimate concerns in preventing, deterring, anddetecting drug use. In the dissent, Justice Ruth Ginsburg said the testingprogram was capricious, even perverse, infringing on the rights of astudent population least likely to be at risk from illicit drugs and theirdamaging effects.Clarification of the ProblemMandatory drug testing plays a vital role in protecting individualsand sports at both the collegiate and professional levels. Unfortunately,when mandatory drug testing is carried over to the high school level,several consequences arise. When teenage drug u se began to rise in the mid90s public school districts began to adopt mandatory drug testingpolicies, these policies have since been upheld as constitutional by theUnited States Supreme Court. However, research has shown that thesepolicies are unsuccessful at deterring drug use among teenagers and mayeven hamper the process. The reason is simple mandatory drug testingpolicies at the high school level are aimed at the students who are at theleast risk of abusing drugs the athletes and extra-curricular participants. Arguments For Removal of Mandatory Drug Testing at the High School LevelIt is extremely important for the government to remove mandatory drugtesting in high schools for student athletes and extra-curricularparticipates. Research has shown that mandatory drug testing at the highschool level is not effective for several reasons. Negative Impact on the Classroom or TeamThe first argument for the removal of mandatory drug testing at thehigh school level is that mandatory drug testing can have a negative effecton the classroom and on the team. Mandatory drug testing can underminestudent-teacher relationships by pitting students against teachers,administrators, school nurses, and coaches who have to test them, becauseit erodes trust between the student and the tester and leaves the studentfeeling ashamed and resentful. Whether a school district buys drug testdirectly from a manufacturer and administers the test themselves or has anindependent source brought in to administer the tests, someone must bepresent as the student urinates to be sure the sample is their own. Thiscollection process can be a humiliating violation of the students privacy,and can be especially embarrassing for adolescent. Music And Violence Argumentative EssayThis test alone raises questions on whether mandatory drug testing in highschools is a wise investment. Level Playing FieldA third objection to the removal of mandatory drug testing at thehigh school level is that mandatory drug testing is necessary at the highschool level to ensure a level playing field among athletes. The 2001Monitoring the Future study, showed an increase of steroid use between the8th and 12th grades. The tend also suggests that these adolescents perceivesteroids as a harmless way of bulking up and are unaware of the long termhealth risks involved with steroid abuse. Steroid use is also seen adramatic increase in the southern states. A 2001 survey conducted by theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 11.2% of high schoolboys in Louisiana and 5.7% of high school girls in Tennessee use steroids. With the current trend of rising steroid users among adolescents,some student athletes want mandatory drug testing to ensure a level playingfield. Ed Boos, supervisor of prevention, health, and wellness for the PolkCounty School District in Florida, said he has heard from student athletesthat support steroid testing because of the unfair advantage of performanceenhancing drugs give to those who use them. To date only a handful school districts perform tests that can detectthe use of steroids. One school district that does is the wealthy ParadiseValley School District in Phoenix, Arizona. They randomly administer $50urinalysis tests to students participating in everything from football tobadminton. Most of the tests conducted by other school districts only testfor the five basic drugs. The reason why school districts do not test forsteroids is the costs per test. A reliable steroid test can cost between$50 and $100 and that is for the test alone, it does not include thecollecting and handling of the test. Few schools are willing to spend thatkind of money on extra tests. Supreme CourtA fourth objection to the removal of mandatory drug testing at thehigh school level is mandatory drug testing of athletes and extra-curricular participants at the high school level was ruled to beconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. In the 1995 ruling inthe Veronia v. Acton case and the 2002 ruling in the Pottawatomie v. Earlscase the Supreme Court established precedent for the testing of studentathletes and extra-curricular participants at the high school level. In the Veronia v. Acton and Pottawatomie v. Earls the Supreme Courtruled it was constitutional to test student athletes and participants inextra-curricular activities. However, the court did not say that schoolsare required to test those involved in competitive extra-curricularactivities, drug testing of the entire student body or groups outside ofcompetitive extra-curricular activities was constitutional, it isconstitutional to drug test elementary students, it is constitutional totest by means other than urinalysis, and schools are protected fromlawsuits under their respective state law. When the Supreme Court made its rulings they were interpretingfederal law, however school districts are also subject to state law, whichmay provide greater protection for student privacy rights. Privacy lawsvary greatly from state to state and in many states the law has yet to bewell defined. In several states including: Arkansas, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan,Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Washington, lawsuits have been filedagainst school districts for their drug testing policies. These schooldistricts could spend thousands of taxpayers dollars and several yearsfighting lawsuits that have no guarantee of victory. Public PolicyWhat Is Being Done?Currently, the NCAA conducts test on their athletes annually. TheNCAA visits each university once a year and tests three or four varsityteams. The universities are then left up to test their athletes at theirdiscretion. The NCAA also randomly tests their athletes at NCAAchampionship events and before all football bowl games. Institutions thathave been randomly selected are notified by the NCAA 48 hours before thetesting is to be performed. The tests are conducted by the National Centerfor Drug Free Sport. Any athlete that tests positives may lose theireligibility for a year. The athlete could possibly lose his or herscholarship depending on the policy set forth by his or her institution. In the National Basketball Association, rookie players are tested upto four times a season. Veterans are subject to one test and that takesplace during training camp. The NBA prohibits the use of amphetamines,cocaine, LSD, opiates, PCP, marijuana, and steroids. Any player who testspositive on a drug test can face anywhere from game suspensions to alifetime ban. In the National Football League, steroid use is banned. Players arerandomly drug tested and those who test positive could face gamesuspensions. There is no mandatory drug testing policy in the National HockeyLeague. Mandatory drug testing is only conducted on players that arecurrently in the leagues substance abuse aftercare program. Players whoare abusers can seek help the first time with facing exposure orsuspension. In boxing, policies vary from state to state, though most do not testboxers. The state of Nevada began testing boxers in 2002 for use of illegalsteroids. Using the urinalysis test samples are checked for 25 differentsteroids. Currently the Professional Golf Association does not test itsathletes for performance enhancing drugs. The reason for this is there hasbeen no evidence that performance-enhancing drugs can improve a playersgame. However, they will begin to test for unfair clubs next year. Major League Baseball has come under scrutiny lately for its drugtesting policy. Starting next year all players will be tested for steroids. The first time a player tests positive, he will be placed in a treatmentprogram. For any subsequent positive tests the player will be fined between$10,000 and $100,000 and could be suspended from 30 days to a year withoutpay. Testing of all players will continue until positive tests drop below2.5% in two consecutive years. At the high school level a national survey conducted six years afterthe Veronia v. Acton ruling showed only 5% of school districts havemandatory drug testing policies for student athletes, and only 3% for extra-curricular participants. The survey indicated that mandatory drug testingwas most common in rural school districts. It also showed that no schooldistrict tests all their students and none of the ten largest schoolsystems in the United States have mandatory drug testing policies in place. Also, currently no school district tests for anabolic steroids, primarilybecause of the costs of tests. The justification for mandatory drug testingin school districts vary from school to school as much as drug testingpolicies themselves, but most school districts that decide not to testtheir students acknowledge that money is more wisely spent on education,counseling, and treatment. Today, several state legislatures have tabled or defeated bills thatwould allow mandatory drug testing in high schools over concerns of privacyconfidentiality, liability issues, and the overall effectiveness of drugtesting programs. In other states, steroid abuse seems to be the hot topicof debate. In Florida, state representative Marcelo Llorente is pushing abill that would require counties to test a percentage of their high schoolathletes for steroids. In California, state Senator Jackie Speier hasintroduced legislation to ban the sale of supplements such as ANDRO toteens. She is also pushing for the state to focus on statewide testing ofhigh school athletes for steroids and supplements. The federal government has also stepped up its efforts in the preventionof steroid abuse. Congress has introduced several bills to aid in thisgrowing epidemic. The first bill introduced was to direct the NationalInstitute of Standards and Technology to establish a program to supportresearch and training in new methods of detecting the use of performance-enhancing drugs by athletes and for other purposes. The second bill wasdesigned to clarify a definition of anabolic steroids and to providefunding fund for steroid research and education. Finally the last bill wasdesigned to give Major League Baseball a wake up call to improve their drugtesting policies or Congress would step in and improve the policies forthem. President George W. Bush also stepped up his drug policies for theupcoming election year. During this years State of the Union address,President Bush proposed to expand federal monies for school drug testingprograms more than tenfold, to $23 million. During his speech, thePresident called drug testing the silver bullet that would eliminate teendrug use. The Presidents Office of National Drug Control Policy said partof the new money would go towards the study of a nationwide expansion oftesting. President Bushs justification for this use of this new federalmoney is the reduction of teen drug use the past two years and arguing thatdrug testing in schools were an effective part in the decrease. What Should Be Done?There are several things we can do to decrease the use of drugs amongteenagers. The first step would be the removal of mandatory drug testing atthe high school level. Mandatory drug testing has proven to be a: negativeeffect on the classroom or team, waste of valuable school financialresources, potential barrier to joining extra-curricular activities, falsepositive result could punish an innocent student. and could produce severalunintended consequences. Another reason for the removal of mandatory drugtesting at the high school level is that research has shown that the drugtesting policies have no real effect on deterring teen drug use. Money that was to be spent on drug testing should go into other meansof drug prevention such as: counselors, anti-drug campaigns or education,drug awareness programs for athletes, and training for coaches, teachers,and administrators to help with spotting potential drug abusers. Teenagersare not like pilots or military personnel that will confine to drugscreening. Teenagers rebel against authority and someone is forcing them tobe tested they will rebel against the school district. The second step to reducing teenage drug use is stricter drugpolicies at the professional level of athletics, especially in Major LeagueBaseball. Professional athletes are seen as role models for todays youth. If a teenager sees an athlete using performance enhancing drugs or steroidsto improve themselves, they may see that as a sign that those drugs arentpotentially dangerous. An example of this happened when Mark McGwire brokethe home run record and admitted to using ANDRO. Almost immediately ANDROsales rose and most of the consumers were teenagers looking to get an edgeover their competition. Finally, the third step to reducing teenage drug use is federalgovernment increase its efforts in more productive manners. Congress needto continue to pass bills that allowing funding for research of bettertechniques of finding drug abuses. Congress also needs to step in and crackdown on steroid and performance enhancing drug use. The first step is tocome up with a solid definition of performance enhancing drugs, then put inplace measures to prevent the use of them by athletes and teenagers. President Bush needs to spend the money he proposed to spend on drugtesting for more effective ways of prevention like drug education andresearch to find more reliable and less invasive way of testing for drugs. President Bush also needs to step up and address the nation on the dangersof performance enhancing drugs and steroids. The President also needs toencourage the American people to voice their opinions and force stricterdrug testing policies at the professional levels of sports. ConclusionAfter researching mandatory drug testing, it has become apparent thatmandatory drug testing in schools is an issue that needs to be addressed. It not only affects adolescents who must go through the tests, but itaffects teachers, coaches, administrators, the school district, parents,and society as a whole. Mandatory drug testing has been proven valuable inthe work place, collegiate athletics, and professional athletics. However,mandatory drug testing has proven to be a costly tool that is not effectivein a middle or high school environment. Therefore, local, state, andfederal authorities must work to ensure theses types of tests remain out ofthe school system. It is also the duty of the government to continue toeducate teenagers, both students and athletes, about the dangers of drugabuse. The government also has an obligation to continue funding researchto find new and effective ways of reducing drug abuse. Appendix AAppendix BBibliography1. Dlouhy, Jennifer. House Bill to Combat Use of New Steroid-Like DrugsAdvanced byJudiciary Panel. CQ Weekly. 816. 3 Apr. 2004. (Apr. 2004)http.//library2.cqpress.com/cqweekly/document. 2. Dunn, Andrew. SCHOOL MAY ALSO TEST FOR STEROIDS; EXPANSION OFDRUG SCREENING. The Ledger 2 Apr. 20043. Floersheim, Ryan. NCAA drug testing levels playing field. Daily LOBO9 Apr. 2004. 4. Gloster, Rob. High Schools Struggling With Steroid Use. AssociatedPress25 Mar. 2004. 5. Gloster, Rob. For many high schools, tests for steroids are toexpensive.Associated Press 25 Mar. 2004. 6. Gunja, Fatema., Alexandra Cox., Marsha Rosenbaum, PhD., and JudithAppel, JD. Making Sense of Student Drug Testing: Why Educators are Saying No. ACLU, Jan. 20047. Hatcher, Donald. Science, Ethics, and Technological Assessment. 3rd Edt. American Press, Boston, Massachusetts 2001. 8. Johnson, Alicia. NCAA Drug tests a success. District Chronicles 3 Oct. 2002. 9. Koch, Kathy. Drug Testing. CQ Researcher. 8.43. 20 Nov. 1998. (Apr. 2004)http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document. 10. Leshanski, Jonathan. Baseball Needs A Real Drug Policy. At HomePlate. 18 Nov. 2003. (Apr. 2004) http://www.athomeplate.com/drugs2.shtml. 11. Leshanski, Jonathan. MLBs Drug Problem. At Home Plate. 23 Jun. 2003. (Apr. 2004) http://www.athomeplate.com/drug.shtml. 12. Locy, Tony. High courts OKs drug testing for students. USA Today. Unknown. http://www.xpressdrugtest.com/schools.html. 13. Louria, Donald. Mandatory Drug Testing of High School Athletes:UnethicalEvaluation, Unethical Policy. American Journal of Bioethics (Winter2004): 35. 14. Luna, Erik. What is Legal Is Not Necessarily Ethical: The Limits ofLaw andDrug-Testing Programs. American Journal of Bioethics (Winter 2004):41. 15. Masci, David. Preventing Teen Drug Use. CQ Researcher.12.10 15 Mar. 2002. (Apr. 2004) http://library.cqpress.com/cqreseacher/document.html. 16. McLure, Jason. Guilty Until Proven Innocent. Newsweek. 25 Feb. 2004. (Apr. 2004) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4375351/.html. 17. Rosenbaum, Marsha. Save Your Time and Money; Random Testing DoesntWork.Fresno Bee. 18 Mar. 2004. 18. Slater, Jim. PGA will test for unfair clubs but not for dopedplayers.Agence France Presse 6 Nov. 2003. 19. Toland, Jennifer. Test finds cheaters among college athletes.Worcester Telegram Gazette 28 Mar. 2004. 20. Associated Press. Anti-drug chief rips MLB plan. MSNBC. 2004. (Apr. 2004)http://msnbc.com/news/993326.asp?0sl=-20Monitoring the Future: a continue study of American youth. 11 Feb. 2004. The RegentsOf the University of Michigan, Ann arbor, MI 48109 (Apr 2004)http://monitoringthefuture.com.html. 21. National Institute of Drug Abuse. NIDA Community Drug Alert Bulletin AnabolicSteroids. Apr. 2000. 11 Apr 2004http://165.112.78.61/SteroidAlert/Steroidalert.html22. Oxford English Dictionary. 2004. Oxford University Press. 4 Apr. 2004http://dictionary.oed.com/Student Drug Testing: Relevant Case Law. 21 Oct. 2002. American CivilLibertiesUnion. 22 Apr. 2004. http://www.aclu.org/news/. 23. Sports Law: Drug Use in Sports. FindLaw Sports. 11 Apr. 2004http://sports.findlaw.com/sports_law/drugs/testing/.html. What the Experts Say on Student Drug Testing. 15 Mar. 2002. AmericanCivilLiberties Union. 22 Apr. 2004. http://www.aclu.org/news/. Why Parents and Other Adults Should Care About Drug Testing: SomeQuestions andAnswers. Drug Policy Alliance. 22 Apr. 2004. http://drugtestingfails.org/faq.html. 24. Win Without Steroids. About The Sport. 9 Apr. 2004http://www.usafootball.com/aboutthesport/steroids.html. 25. United States Congress. A Bill. 11 Apr. 2004http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:8:./temp/~c1080u12AZ::.html.

Mumbai Dabbawalah Essay Example

Mumbai Dabbawalah Essay - Dabbawala From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mumbai Dabbahwalas A  dabbawala  (Marathi:   ); also spelled as  dabbawalla  or  dabbawallah; literally meaning (box person), is a person in  India, most commonly found in the city of  Mumbai, who is employed in a unique service industry whose primary business is collecting freshly cooked food in  lunch boxes  from the residences of the  office workers  (mostly in the suburbs), delivering it to their respective workplaces and returning the empty boxes back to the customers residence by using various modes of transport. Tiffin is an old-fashioned English word for a light lunch or afternoon snack, and sometimes, by extension, for the box it is carried in. For this reason, the  dabbawalas are sometimes called  Tiffin Wallahs. Contents  Ã‚  [hide]   * 1  Etymology and historical roots * 1. 1  The Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust * 2  Supply chain * 2. 1  Appearance and coding * 2. 2  Uninte rrupted services * 3  Economic analysis * 3. 1  Awards and recognition * 4  In Media * 5  References * 6  Further reading * 7  External links| - edit]Etymology and historical roots A  dabba, or Indian-style tiffin box. The word Dabbawala in  Marathi  when literally translated, means one who carries a box. Dabba means a box (usually a cylindrical tin or aluminium container), while wala is a suffix, denoting a doer or holder of the preceding word. [1]  The closest meaning of the  Dabbawala  in English would be the lunch box delivery man. Though this profession seems to be simple, it is actually a highly specialized service in Mumbai which is over a century old and has become integral to the cultural life of this city. The concept of the  dabbawala  originated when India was under  British rule. Many British people who came to the  colony  did not like the local food, so a service was set up to bring lunch to these people in their workplace straight from their home. Nowadays, although Indian businesspersons are the main  customers  for the dabbawalas, increasingly affluent families employ them instead for lunch delivery to their school-aged children. Even though the services provided might include cooking, it primarily consists of only delivery either home-made or in that latter case, food ordered from a restaurant. edit]The Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust This service originated in 1880. In 1890, Mahadeo Havaji Bachche and Ananth Mandra Reddy started a lunch delivery service with about 100 men. [2]In 1930, he informally attempted to unionize the  dabbawallas. Later a charitable trust was registered in 1956 under the name of  Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust. The co mmercial arm of this trust was registered in 1968 as  Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association. The present President of the association is Raghunath Medge. Nowadays, the service often includes cooking of food in addition to the delivery. [edit]Supply chain A collecting Dabbawala on a bicycle Mumbai is a very densely populated  city of millions  with huge flows of  traffic. Because of this, lengthy commutes to workplaces are common, with many workers traveling by train. Instead of going home for  lunch  or paying for a meal and eating out every day in a  cafe, many office workers have a cooked meal sent either from their home, or sometimes from a caterer who essentially cooks and delivers the meal in lunch boxes and then have the empty lunch boxes collected and re-sent the same day. We will write a custom essay sample on Mumbai Dabbawalah specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mumbai Dabbawalah specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mumbai Dabbawalah specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This is usually done for a monthly fee of about 450 Indian rupees. The meal is  cookedin the morning and sent in lunch boxes carried by dabbawalas, who have a complex association and hierarchy across the city. Dabbawalas in action at a  Mumbai Suburban Railway  station. A  collecting dabbawala, usually on  bicycle, collects dabbas either from a workers home or from the dabba makers. As many of the carriers are illiterate, the dabbas have some sort of distinguishing mark on them, such as a colour or group of symbols. The dabbawala then takes them to a designated sorting place, where he and other collecting dabbawalas sort (and sometimes bundle) the lunch boxes into groups. The grouped boxes are put in the coaches of  trains, with markings to identify the destination of the box (usually there is a designated car for the boxes). The markings include the  railway station  to unload the boxes and the building address where the box has to be delivered. At each station, boxes are handed over to a  local dabbawala, who delivers them. The empty boxes are collected after lunch or the next day and sent back to the respective houses. edit]Appearance and coding Markings: (1) abbreviations for collection points, (2) colour code for starting station, (3) number for destination station and (4) markings for handling dabbawala at destination, building and floor. [3] A typical  dabbawala  lunch. It was estimated in 2007 that the dabbawala industry was still growing by 5-10%  per annum. [4] Although t he service remains essentially low-tech, with the delivery men as the prime movers, the dabbawalas have started to embrace technology, and now allow tanuj wadhi for delivery through  SMS. 5]  An on-line poll on the web site ensures that customer feedback is given pride of place. The success of the system depends on teamwork and time management. Such is the dedication and commitment of the barely literate and barefoot delivery men (there are only a few delivery women) who form links in the extensive delivery chain, that there is no system of documentation at all. A simple colour-coding system doubles as an ID system for the destination and recipient. There are no multiple elaborate layers of management either — just three layers. Each dabbawala is also required to contribute a minimum capital in kind, in the form of two bicycles, a wooden crate for the tiffins, white cotton  kurta-pyjamas, and the white trademarkGandhi cap  (topi). The return on capital is ensured by monthly division of the earnings of each unit. [edit]Uninterrupted services The service is almost always uninterrupted, even on the days of severe weather such as  monsoons. The local dabbawalas and population know each other well, and often form bonds of trust. Dabbawalas are generally well accustomed to the local areas they cater to, and use shortcuts and other low profile routes to deliver their goods on time. Occasionally, people communicate between home and work by putting messages inside the boxes; however, with the rise of instant communication such as SMS and instant messaging, this trend is vanishing. Since 1890 ,the year in which the Dabbawalas formally came into existence ,none of its members had ever gone on a strike. This trend was broken in 2011 when the members decided to head towards Azad Maidan to support Anna Hazare in his campaign against corruption. [6] - [edit]Economic analysis Each  dabbawala, regardless of role, gets paid about eight thousand rupees per month. In 1998,  Forbes Magazine  found its reliability to be that of a  six sigma  standard. [better  source  needed]  This implies that the Dabbawalas make less than one mistake in every 6 million deliveries, despite most of the delivery staff being illiterate. 7]  More than 175,000 to 200,000 lunch boxes get moved every day by an estimated 4,500 to 5,000  dabbawalas, all with an extremely small nominal fee and with utmost punctuality. The  BBC  has produced a  documentary  on  dabbawalas[citation needed]  and  Prince Charles, during his visit to India, visited them (he had to fit in with their schedule, since their timing was too precise to permit any flexibility). Prince Charles also invited them to his wedding withCamilla Parker Bowles  in London on 9 April 2005. Owing to the tremendous publicity, some of the dabbawalas were invited to give guest lectures in some of the top  business schools  of India, which is very unusual. Most remarkably in the eyes of many Westerners, the success of the dabbawala trade has involved no advanced technology,[8]  except for trains (and as mentioned above, SMS services for booking). The New York Times  reported in 2007 that the 125-year-old  dabbawala  industry continues to grow at a rate of 5–10% per year. [4] [edit]Awards and recognition ISO 9001:2000 certified by the  Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand  [9] - [edit]In Media On 28 December 2011, the British series, Top Gear broadcasted the episode India Special where Clarkson, Hammond, and May travel to India for a trade mission. In Mumbai, they aimed to beat the efficiency of the dabbawala by using a car instead of a train. The mission fails when Clarkson, in a rush to beat the train, did not take enough cargo, le aving Hammond to carry Clarksons load as well as his own. Hammond accidentally loses and subsequently ruins some of his cargo, and May, trying to take a ring road approach to the station, takes a wrong turn and ends up in the countryside. [10] - [edit]References 1. ^  Pathak R. C. (1946, Reprint 2000). The Standard Dictionary of the Hindi Language, Varanasi: Bhargava Book Depot,pp. 300,680 2. ^  Bombay Dabbawalas go high-tech. Physorg. com. Retrieved 2011-09-15. 3. ^  Mumbais amazing Dabbawalas. Rediff. com  (November 11, 2005). 4.   a  b  In India, Grandma Cooks, They Deliver  from  The New York Times 5. ^  BBC News: Indias tiffinwalas fuel economy 6. ^  http://www. thehindubusinessline. com/industry-and-economy/economy/dabbawalas-to-strike-for-the-first-time-in-120-years/article2369850. ece 7. ^  The Guardian. A Bombay lunchbox  (June 24, 2002). 8. ^  Amberish K Diwanji, Dabbawallahs: Mumbais best managed business, Rediff. com, November 4, 2003 9. ^  Mydabbawala. com: Accolades To Dabbawala 10. ^  http://en . wikipedia. org/wiki/Top_Gear:_India_Special