The Motivation And Rewards Management Essay

The Motivation And Rewards Management Essay Motivation and rewards has been chosen as our topic for this assignment. Motivation and rewards is very important for any organization or even any industry. Motivation is a behavior that cannot be created but can be influence while rewards are something that the employees gained from doing a good job in their work (Thomas, 2009). AirAsia was the company that chosen for this assignment. AirAsia do implement the motivation and rewards in their company successfully. AirAsia is a low-cost airline business which had become more and more popular around the world. AirAsia was established on year 1993 and started its business in year 1996 (McNamara Troftgruben, n.d). Government owned corporation is the found of this company. AirAsia is the largest company that introducing pioneer of low-cost travel and largest low-fare and in Asia and they have their slogan which known as Now Everyone Can Fly. AirAsia is a successful example for other airline companies. It has been transformed as an unthinkable concept to be successful in airline industry. This success can be proved from a money-losing task to profitable. Although AirAsia introducing no-frills service to their customer and using second hand aircraft, but it would still be a threat for other Asia airline companies (Michael Swathe, 2011). AirAsia have a very good performance in consumer mind by offering low fares, majority on-time record for flights and maintaining staff with high productivity and work ethic. Based on the information in Indonesia Straits Times, it is stated that in August 2011, Malaysian Airline form an alliance with Air Asia but the agreement of both airlines were voided because the alliance was struck down by the Malaysian government. (Leslie Lopez, 2011) AirAsia now is a successful airline company which expand from 2 planes to 80 planes and from 200 000 passengers to over 75 million passengers in 7 years time. It is a visible success that we can see year by year. (McNamara, 2012) Content Motivation In management, motivation defined as a power to force someone to work in certain way so that it able to reach certain desired goal. As what people always said, motivated people always work harder as compare with those unmotivated people. According to Lavinsky (2012), a company should make the employees feel doing something meaningful. As a result of a survey done by BNET show that majority agrees doing something meaningful were the most motivating things about work. According to Lavinsky (2012), motivation is internal and external factors that inspire employee interest, in which they need to, listen, focus and understand employee needs and wants through an effective communication. A company manager should change the question from Whom to How. An example given by Lavinsky (2012), say How we can improved this process? rather than, Who screwed up this up? This action might able to motivate the employees so that they will be more careful for their work so that wont disappoint their company. To have motivated workers, a manager must treat workers as individual, empower employees, redesigning jobs, and provide a comfortable and flexible workplace. Below are the meaning of the effective management practices (Griffin, 2006) :- Effective management practices Description Empowering employees Empowering employees means that giving the individual in an organization authority, autonomy, trust and encouragement to complete their tasks. Redesigning jobs Redesigning jobs is one of the best motivations in the workplace. Usually individuals go to work every day doing the same routine. This makes the workers become less motivated. Something actually can be done by the managers to improve the condition before the employees become de-motivated and bored. The way that manager can use is job redesign. Concern and knowledge are required for managers and have them bring it with them to the organization and then apply motivational theories into their work to improve the productivity and satisfaction of the employees. Creating flexibility World nowadays is all about flexibility. People nowadays have too much things to take care of but they do not have enough time to do it. Employees value more about personal time. Due to the family needs, a traditional nine-to-five working hours every day except Sunday may not work for many people. Therefore, flexibility which let employees to control and set their own working hours is the best. In AirAsia point of view, they believe that their entire staff act as contributor for the company, therefore, they always been treated as a big family and equally. This is an example of empowering employees. The company will have constantly talked with their employee in order to understand their needs and wants. They will organized a monthly staff forum and create some fun programs to help them release their working stress. In the event, they also give employees an opportunity to speak out their point of view towards their working place (McNamara, 2012). According to Zhu (2010), even though the salaries gave to employees were low, but all employees were giving broad range of incentives. Such as, share offers stock options, productivity and performance-based bonus. Those motivations may give employees sense of ownership and it able to improve in effective and focused workforce. Despite that, Airasia employees are able to perform in multiple roles in flat organizational structure because the airline has implemented a flexible work rules (Zhu, 2010). This can be an example of creating flexibility. Flight attendants also can be work at check-in counter. They can change to different department after they work for one month. By doing this, the employees wont be bored to working in the same area. Flexibility will motivate the employees to work harder because they are happy with all the flexible rules given and thus, they can gain more experiences in that industry. Even though AirAsia always try to minimize their expenses cost, but they are very determined on employee work ethic. Therefore, AirAsia always provided their employees the best training and ensure that they are happy in their working place. (Foo, 2012) This can be called as redesigning jobs. As a result, AirAsia gets to establish a numbers of quality and excellence employees because the employees are sa tisfied with their jobs that are always fresh to them. Reward A reward is a scheme to support desirable behavior. Rewards can be in terms of financial and non-financial. Example of financial reward is bonus pay and example of non-financial reward is degree of achievement, opportunity to growth or even praise from the top management or manager for doing a good job. Reward is different from motivation. Reward is something that the worker or employees gain from putting effort in their jobs while motivation is something that they need to have in order to put more effort in their jobs. Intrinsic and extrinsic are the two types of rewards that can motivate employees. (Mcrill, n.d ). Types of rewards Description Intrinsic rewards Intrinsic rewards are self-administrated. An intrinsic reward refers to the motivation that comes from inside of an individual rather than from any outside rewards such as bonus, gifts and so on. It is an outcome that gives an individual personal satisfaction such as an experience after completing a job, professional growth and sense of pleasure. The individual will feel good because he or she have the feeling of learning and achieving something which can be also called as personal development. Besides that, the individual will also have the feeling of competency and self-control over her work. The motivational stimulus in intrinsic do not depends on the actions of other people. People always trust that the most powerful rewards come from a persons inside. Extrinsic rewards Extrinsic rewards are externally administrated. Extrinsic rewards are usually can be seen like financial in nature. For example, an increase in wages, special assignments or incentives for reaching some quota. In addition, extrinsic rewards can be also as simple as getting a verbal compliments, public recognition, and awards for achieving something, promotions and some other extra responsibility. The motivational stimulus in extrinsic depends on the actions of other people which is also opposite from the intrinsic rewards because it originates outside the individual. All those rewards are very important for most of the workers therefore the rewards can be motivating. They will feel they are valued or been appreciated. In every management, intrinsic reward is a must to be given to the employees. While in AirAsia, they have a very good relationship with their employees. Employees reward given by AirAsia is very worthy. Every year, some of the employees will be chosen to get free flights to different destinations if they do well in their jobs. They also provided up to 90% of discount for their employees on concession travel. This encourages employees to put more effort on their responsibility in order to get the rewards. Besides that, AirAsia awarding bonuses based upon each employees contribution to the company productivity, and expects to increase loyalty through its ESOS (Employee share awarding scheme) which will be available to all employees and it also may help employee to improve their performance. The groups management encourages open communication which creates a dynamic. AirAsia also awarding long service awards for their employees who work more than 10 years. Motivation and Rewards Although its mention above that reward is different from motivation, under some circumstances, reward able to build in motivation. In social psychological terms, it also referred as the hidden cost of rewards. According to Frey (n.d), he has using an economic concept to define this theory, which is bonus against effort. A purely price effect shown increase in bonus also can increase employee effort towards their work. In other word, motivation always link with reward. AirAsia do apply this in their management. Not only AirAsia, even other companies will do. Before they serve the customer, they do find many ways to satisfy the employees such as giving motivation and rewards. When the employees are satisfied and happy with the job, they will be more enjoying and run their tasks better. Thus, AirAsia customers will be treated in a better quality of service. Lastly, as what have discussed above, a financial or non-financial rewards might given by the company to their employee in order to motivate them to be more responsible towards their job. Example, AirAsia award bonuses to their employees based on their performance, so it is a kind of motivation that able motivate their employees to work harder in order to achieve the desired goal, which is to get the bonus. Findings Multiple roles performance of AirAsia in a flat organizational structure has the possibility as mentioned by Zhu (2010) which is to compromise the AirAsias production in the future as it evolves. The efficiency and the effectiveness on task maybe lowered when multiple tasks assign to the employee. This is because employee will feel de-motivated when the job scope assign to them is too wide for them to focus on the job. Besides that, too wide of job scope and multiple task assign to employee can lead to confusion on the job in the organization. Hence, this could possibly result in a low efficient state for the AirAsia as the organization trying to expand for a better growth and affecting the airlines productivity indirectly because the ability to perform is a short-term worthwhile competitive advantage due to over dependence on the employees (Zhu, 2010). http://business-strategy-competition.knoji.com/strengths-and-weaknesses-of-airasia/ Moreover, Air Asia receives a lot complaint from customers on their service (Solano, 2012). There are several complaints has been made from the Air Asia customers. Flight delays, unnecessary charge payment being conduct and not able to change the flight or get a refund when the customers could not make it on the booking date were some of the complaints that the customers made. There are also complaints like bad services from the staff that are in charge on the particular shift. Besides that, as what stated by Solano (2012), Air Asia did not have their own maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. Therefore, if Air Asia continually received the same complaints and did not make any improvements on the spot, this would result the loss of customers and also the productivity of the company. As confidence and satisfaction levels of customers drop, it affects Air Asia profitability. http://prezi.com/w-ee64ceukic/airasia/ In addition, Air Asia has fast track promotion as what mentioned by the Malaysia Airline Families. Fast track promotion actually means that it is the fastest and most direct route to achievement. Malaysia Airline Families says that if an employee worked for Air Asia since 1997, his or her salary will still remained based on the last drawn salary as of year 1997. Last drawn salary is the last drawn monthly essential salaries which also includes the pension allowance. When the payment of salaries are below their expectations and no increment that is being awarded from year to year, this could lead employees to be de-motivated from working in the organizations. Despite that, they might plan to shift to the other company that provides them with increment that they think they should have it. (Malaysiairlinefamilies, 2013) http://airasiafamilies.wordpress.com/category/experiencing-bad-services-with-airasia/ However, Air Asias employees were not unionized as been stated by Zhu (2010).Air Asia policy was mainly focused on maximizing efficiency and productivity of the company. Besides that, Air Asia also tends to keep their staff costs at a consistent level with low-cost carrier industry standards. This means that the Air Asia employees were provided with a wide range of incentives. Even though salaries offered to the employees were lower than the salaries of their rivals, at least Air Asia still offer their employees with a wide range of incentives. This shows that Air Asia still give their employees some benefits. The awards being given to the employees are the performance-based bonuses (PBB), share offers, and stock options (Zhu, 2010). http://business-strategy-competition.knoji.com/strategic-actions-adopted-by-airasia/ Other than that, pilots in Air Asia were provided with some rewards or benefits to improve the flight operation. Air Asia adopted a sector pay policy. They can both keep flight and minimum their operating time. Besides that, flight sectors can be covered as many as possible within a day. Therefore, Air Asia adopted a sector pay rather than an hourly pay scale for their pilots. Moreover, Air Asia gets to cut down the number of cabin crew or can be said by saving on employees cost is because of the absence of the in-flight services (Zhu, 2010). This can be said as a method of minimizing organizational expenses. It is a trend in the global airline industry nowadays especially in the Air Asia. http://business-strategy-competition.knoji.com/strategic-actions-adopted-by-airasia/ Recommendation We highly recommend that the management of AirAsia should reconsider their training course for their employees and provide re-training if possible. According to Adams (1998), management training courses fail because they: (i) are too generalized; (ii) fail to meet the specific needs of trainees; and (iii) fail to take into personal characteristics such as age, educational back-ground, previous work experience and willingness to participate in training. Besides that, Analoui (1997) mentioned that considering the perceptions, personal interests, objectives and preferences of trainees could result in greater understanding of training objectives. Hence, employees will have a clearer view of the roles in performing a certain task and carry it out more effectively. Role perception is one of the MARS model component which affects employees voluntary behaviour and performance. The management can kill two birds with one stone by implementing it because it will increase the effectiveness and e fficiency of the management. For example, every actions performed by the employees is in the best interest of the company and not otherwise. Besides that, AirAsias management should also further improve on their organizational (affective) commitment in the workplace. Affective commitment is the employees emotion attachment to, identification with and involvement in a particular organization. In another word, affective commitment is a persons feeling of loyalty to the place where he or she works. First and foremost, organizational commitment can be boosted via organizational comprehension. This refers to the overall comprehension of the organization, including its strategic direction, social dynamics and physical layout. For instance, giving staff information and opportunities to keep up to date about organizational events, communicate with co-workers, discover what circulating in different parts of the organization and study about organizations history and future plans. Besides that, trust is the key to unlock employees loyalty. This refers to the positive expectations that one person has towards another person or group in situation involving risk. AirAsia should increase employees job security to enhance trust that employees have in the management and the employment relationship. Last but not least, Four-drive theory can be practically applied to the management of AirAsia. The theory explains the innate drivers to acquire, bond, learn and defend and that incorporates both emotions and rationality. Besides that, emotions play a central role in employee motivation. These drives create emotions, which represent the prime mover or source of effort of individual behaviour. The first recommendation is that the management of AirAsia should create a best workplace that helps employees to fulfil all four drives. Therefore, the management should provide sufficient rewards, learning opportunities, social interaction and so forth for all employees. The second recommendation is that fulfilment of the four drives must be kept in balance; that is, AirAsia should avoid too much or too little opportunity to fulfil each drive because the four drives counterbalance each other. For example, change and novelty in the workplace will ease the drive to comprehend but too much of it will initiate the drive to defend to such extent that employees become territorial and resistant to change. Thus, it is vital for the management to provide balanced opportunity to fully utilize it. Conclusion Air Asia as known by everyone that a successful and well established airline company not only in our country Malaysia but also in the world. There have many way to define the successful of this airline company, one of it is using the correct way to manage the company, and the way is motivation and rewards towards the company, all of that we had mentioned above. Everyone knows that human capital is important for a company, and the human capital of a company means is employee of one company. A motivated and rewarded employee can be a productive employee. A productive employee can be a very profitable employee. While employees that are de-motivated, they will become less productive, less creative, and this may cause less of an asset towards the company. Now more than ever, company needs motivated employees. When the employees become more productive, the company will also become more productive, while productivity of a company increase, the profit of a company will also increase. With th is the company will stay in the competitive business and ready to go conquer the world. In this assignment, we have learned much of things, one of it is motivation and rewards are a good corporate culture that will direct a company to a successful way. Furthermore although Air Asia is a successful and well established airline company, it also may have some weaknesses that we mentioned in the findings part, but that is not a problem. We just need to find out the way to solve the problem. By this a company just can continue leading in the industry and unscathed in this kind of we call it competitive and cruel business world.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. Essay

The problem associated with this case is whether or not the company should introduce a new energy beverage brand into the market. If a profitable market opportunity exists for the company to enter the energy beverage market the next step would be to identify a target market and marketing mix along with a product line and brand positioning. The best opportunity for the company to gain market share is to target adult energy drinkers from ages 35 to 54 since none of the competitors are catering towards this segment. Bottlers, distributors, and retailers are unlikely to produce and stock more than two SKUs of a new energy drink brand so it would be best to introduce a regular 16ounce single-serve package that consists of two different flavors. Since regular energy beverages hold 80% share of the market selecting regular is best, and since the 16ounce energy drinks represent 50% of case sales in convenience stores and want a high turnover to maintain prevalence in convenience stores its best to go with a 16ounce size. Also having two different flavors to choose from will help increase chance of trial rather than have only one flavor and have regular and sugar free or have one flavor and two different sizes. In positioning the brand the company should differentiate the energy drink from competitors by basis of packaging and select the 16.9ounce single-serve aluminum bottle with a resealable screw cap, and also by ingredients in having lower carbohydrates in the formulation. The energy brand should be distributed to all types of off-premise retailers where beverages are sold for maximum sales. The company’s U.S. media expenditure should be $12.6 million, equal to that of Tag Energy’s U.S. media expenditure which lead to a 2.3% dollar market share, because Tag Energy was also new to the energy beverage market and targeted to a certain demographic the company should experience a similar result. The manufacturer’s suggested retail selling price should be $2.29. Higher than the average $2.00 per single-serve because of it’s unique  point of difference – lower carbohydrates and aluminum bottle with resealable screw cap. Market sales potential for the company’s target market is equal to $1.608 (Exhibit 1) billion and market sales forecast is equal to $133.202 million (Exhibit 2). With a retail trade margin equal to 40% the company’s selling price to retailers would be $.961 (Exhibit 3). Thus from the market sales forecast of $133.202 million the company would receive $79.921 million in revenue, and with the company’s contribution margin of 30% total profit would be equal to $22.378 million (Exhibit 4).

Current Issues in Business Law

Business law really tends to describe an extensive body of bylaws that tend to govern the business transactions. Business law also includes every major aspect of trade together with the advertising as well as marketing collection plus the bankruptcy, contracts, banking, secured transactions, negotiable instruments and trade as a general rule.It is sometimes considered as a branch of communal law however it deals with issues of public along with private law. Business law covers foreign and domestic trade hence it tends to regulate business among the states. In this same connection, there is a uniform commercial code which has by now been adopted in all the parts of every state within the United States which tends to be the main primary authority which governs the business transactions.Despite the fact that uniform commercial code normally controls so many aspects of domestic commercial law, state laws and other common law of contracts, it at the same time applies to other types of bus iness transactions which tend to arise as far as business is concerned. Consequently, business law is a very essential component of within this particular area.Even if the trade world faces a continuous change, the commercial laws have remained static in general. As a consequence, commercial law is not only uniform throughout the US but as well to those people who normally do business are at the position of proceeding with business transactions with some degree of confidence towards the law which governs these particular business transactions (Samuel, 2008).Commercial law encompasses titles as agent and principal, carriage by both sea as well as land. It is as well known because it regulates hiring practices, business contracts, manufacturing and the retailing of consumer goods. Thus there are so many countries which have really adopted the civil codes because these codes contain complete statements of their own business law.Looking back at the United States, business law is the mai n zone for the United States Congress beneath its powers to govern and rule the interstate business as well as other states under the authority of the police. These days they are really trying quite harder to create an amalgamated body of business law within the United States. They are going to succeed since they actually adopted the consistent commercial code.This identical commercial code has made things much easier as far as business law is concerned. However, there are quite a number of authoritarian schemes that tend to govern and control on the way business is supposed to be conducted. Some of the authoritarian schemes that control are the safety laws, privacy laws, and drug and food laws among others (Samuel, 2008).So many small and middle sized businesses currently lack the financial strength to make payments in the potential wrongful release awards in lump sum. So many labor and groups on employment defend successfully those businesses that are established well and mid size businesses from claims pertaining to wrongful removal from office from former employees.Whenever they seem not to be succeeding in the lawsuit, it seems like the company is forced in one way or the other into bankruptcy removing all the present workers from the office. Such cases are so many compared to previous days. Such developments are equally resulting in extensive businesses that survey the likelihood of gaining protection through the purchase of wrongful dismissal insurance.The current business law these days is very essential because it really helps people to realize the business ethics. It assists them to follow these business ethics in running their businesses in a proper and authenticated manner. This has to be in an agreement with the set of laws and guideline prevailing within the society.However, business law is mostly offered to those people who are intending to set up nice businesses together with an authenticated business registration and license in the future. Thi s is what makes the business law studies extraordinary essential. So many customers are very comfortable in doing their businesses as long as they have a government license at hand as well as an approval stamp for their individual businesses.However, the government policy that issues licenses is actually not complex. It is always very necessary that the business law studies are really considered very carefully. Currently business law studies are taught by the professionals who are experts in business law consultancy.These professionals normally plan a course structure which can assist an individual in realizing his business law obligations together with the rules which are applied into the business trade system. Current business laws help all the individuals in setting up their businesses in the future. These businesses do well because the owners are experienced and educated on how to carry them on. They use the knowledge to expand their type of businesses hence they are able to par ticipate in the market (Emmanuel, 2001).Any case study of business law tends to teach a business, a good manner in which the business is going to be initiated. Business processes have got so many matters for example the copyright issues, legalized marketing of the business, registration fees and so on. The business law case studies really focus on business activity.So many packages and relief are obtainable by trading and this will enable an individual to learn more about the methods of getting the governmental facilities. It involves tax cuts, tax write off, getting funds as well as government loans together with the raising any business right from franchise. To take a business law case study assists an individual to the greatest out of the facilities that the government has given to the business.Consequently, business law is very necessary for those people who need to run any line of business within the law agencies as well as the consultancy firms. An individual is actually taugh t all the main aspects of trade law plus the ethics. This automatically provides a person with a chance to begin a career as a legal advisor, consultant for very big budget businesses as well as trade mechanism.These days, business law is very important for very tiny businesses because these businesses are operated on a very limited financial resource because they are some kind of self employment. However, the government tries so much to encourage such small businesses as well as devises extraordinary laws, restricted to small business. Currently the tax cut offs are so much for these small businesses (Emmanuel, 2001).The modern commercial law has enabled business countries on civil and common law system to become more considerable in the extensive use of business arbitration that is comparable to the former private courts of merchants. In the United States, they are having similar commercial statutes that tend to smooth the progress of the business from end to end of a particular n ation.Certainly, Europe business law is still a separate subject matter due to its special courts. During the time when the business law got adopted by the state meeting during the year 1997, it appeared like a watershed within the country’s financial reforms.In any busy profit-making world, the business which is operated nicely must equally involve the agents.   Business law normally represents the emergent and ordinary morality of all the human beings. All the businesses are however seeking to partner themselves with the prevailing customs in proclaiming as right only whereby all the businesses perceive to be always right.They tend to be right in enforcing as law the rules that are considered by the great number of people or very powerful to be moral and just. For the reason that business law is and it is still supposed to be reflective in prevailing morality, societal control over the businesses is very necessary. The aim is self control which is based on the person†™s own moral philosophy (Manfred, 1929).As a matter of fact, all the business activities happen in an officially authorized system framework. Business law places business in its lawful framework and it also develops skills in compliance, risk assessment and troubleshooting.The program on business law focuses so much on the application of law in business as well as government sectors. Business law covers a very wide part of trade, consumer and commercial transactions. However, business law underpins the operation of regulates, markets conduct in the markets as well as the addresses instances of the market failure in which voluntary business mechanisms are not able to attain relevant policy objectives.The business law practitioners really identify lawful standards as the law gradually changes and determine important policies together with the practices in meeting the legal requirements. On the other hand, commercial law regulates hiring practices, corporate contracts and the manufac ture plus the sales of customer merchandise. This law sometimes regulates their directors, corporations, corporate relations and shareholders with the third parties.There is taxation law within this context which deals with taxation of persons and the businesses. This includes income tax, goods as well as services plus a diversity of nation taxes.

Global Population Growth Creates Environmental Problems

Environmentalists don’t dispute that many if not all of the environmental problems — from climate change to species loss to overzealous resource extraction — are either caused or exacerbated by population growth. â€Å"Trends such as the loss of half of the planet’s forests, the depletion of most of its major fisheries, and the alteration of its atmosphere and climate are closely related to the fact that human population expanded from mere millions in prehistoric times to over six billion today,† says Robert Engelman of Population Action International. Although the global rate of human population growth peaked around 1963, the number of people living on Earth — and sharing finite resources like water and food — has grown by more than two-thirds since then, topping out at over seven and a half billion today, and human population is expected to exceed nine billion by 2050. With more people coming, how is this going to affect the environment further? Population Growth Causes Multiple Environmental Problems According to Population Connection, population growth since 1950 is behind the clearing of 80 percent of rainforests, the loss of tens of thousands of plant and wildlife species, an increase in greenhouse gas emissions of some 400 percent, and the development or commercialization of as much as half of the Earth’s surface land. The group fears that in the coming decades half of the world’s population will be exposed to water-stress or â€Å"water-scarce† conditions, which are expected to â€Å"intensify difficulties in meeting...consumption levels, and wreak devastating effects on our delicately balanced ecosystems.† In less developed countries, lack of access to birth control, as well as cultural traditions that encourage women to stay home and have babies, lead to rapid population growth. The result is ever increasing numbers of poor people across Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere who suffer from malnourishment, lack of clean water, overcrowding, inadequate shelter, and AIDS and other diseases. And while population numbers in most developed nations are leveling off or diminishing today, high levels of consumption make for a huge drain on resources. Americans, for instance, who represent only four percent of world population, consume 25 percent of all resources. Industrialized countries also contribute far more to climate change, ozone depletion, and overfishing than developing countries. And as more and more residents of developing countries get access to Western media, or immigrate to the United States, they want to emulate the consumption-heavy lifestyles they see on their televisions and read about on the Internet. How Changing U.S. Policy Could Offset Environmental Harm Worldwide Given the overlap of population growth and environmental problems, many would like to see a change in U.S. policy on global family planning. In 2001, President George W. Bush instituted what some call the â€Å"global gag rule,† whereby foreign organizations that provide or endorse abortions were denied U.S. funding support. Environmentalists considered that stance to be shortsighted because support for family planning is the most effective way to check population growth and relieve pressure on the planet’s environment, and as a result, the global gag rule was rescinded in 2009 by President Obama but put back in place by Donald Trump in 2017. If only the United States would lead by example by cutting down on consuming, reducing deforestation practices, and relying more on renewable resources in our policies and practices, perhaps the rest of the world would follow suit — or, in some cases, lead the way and the U.S. follow — to ensure a better future for the planet.