Sunday, November 24, 2019

How Managers Should Treat Employees

How Managers Should Treat Employees Introduction Increased productivity is a major goal for all organizations and companies. This is especially the case in the current economic environment where a lot of competitive forces exist and each business has to look for means to avoid being forced out of the market. The management of an organization is critical in ensuring that the goals of increased productivity are met.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How Managers Should Treat Employees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Managers are the individuals who are charged with the important task of organizing the human resources of an organization to ensure growth and development (Pugh Hickson, 2007). However, these managers have to work through employees so as to accomplish organizational goals. It is therefore in the best interest of the manager to ensure that the employees are successful in their tasks. Invariably, they act in differing ways in their que st to get increase employee productivity. While some are aggressive and stern, others are caring and set out to command the respect of their employees. Each approach used by the manager has different outcomes since the manner in which managers treat their employees affects the output obtained from them. This paper will set out to demonstrate that a manager who is considerate and respectful to his employees will get higher productivity than one who engages in aggressive behavior towards his staff. The paper will also suggest leadership styles and other approaches that managers can use to increase employee productivity and therefore aid in the increased profitability of the organization. Effects of Aggression on Employees Positive effects Aggressive behavior by the manager can at times yield in improved employee performance. This is because such behavior will prompt the employees to act in a desirable manner. For example, a manager can make use of negative consequences so as to modify the behavior of his employees to what he/she sees as desirable. This desirable behavior will ideally result in higher productivity for the organization. Fournies (1999) reveals that punishments work since employees will be keen to decrease the frequency of the behavior that brings about the negative consequence. People who receive negative consequences become more apprehensive and are therefore more likely to avoid making future mistakes. The manager will also benefit from using punishments since other employees are less likely to engage in the behavior that brought about punishment to their co-worker.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Fournies (1999) asserts that it is sometimes necessary for the manager to be strict and uncompromising with his staff. Such a stance might be necessary when the manager is fulfilling Fayol’s commanding role which is th e process of â€Å"maintaining activity among the personnel in order to obtain the optimum returns from the employees (Pugh Hickson, 2007, p.145). In this role, the best results are achieved if the manager is able to push his staff to work according to set schedules. The manager might find it necessary to be strict and stern so as to obtain the best results. Being stern may also be productive when the manager wishes to express the severity of a situation. Negative Effects Using punishments will decrease the frequency of the behavior that is causing the punishment (which is undesirable) to the employees. However, using punishments to modify the behavior of employees may have some negative repercussions. Fournies (1999) demonstrates that punishments may cause employees to react aggressively by holding work back, causing disruptive actions or even sabotaging work performance. These actions by the employees will be aimed at reducing performance and therefore injuring the boss or his/h er reputation. Fournies (1999) suggests that instead of using punishments to modify employee behavior, it would be more beneficial to use positive reinforcement to increase the desirable employee behavior. Managers who display aggressive, belittling and blaming behavior towards the employees under their command obtain devastating effect. Research indicates that such behavior results in increased job dissatisfaction and it might also lead to high turnover rates among employees. In addition to this, employees engage in deviance behavior which is primarily aimed at hurting the reputation of the aggressive boss. Donaldson-Feilder, Lewis and Yarker (2011) go on to reveal that aggressive behavior by managers results in a range of psychological outcomes such as anxiety, depression, burnout and somatic health complaints in the employees. Such outcomes further reduce the performance of the employees and therefore reduce the overall productivity of the organization. Effects of Considerate Tre atment Genuine concern for the employees by the manager will increase the productivity of the workers significantly. Research by Kellerman (2007) demonstrated that when managers showed concern for their staff, the staff reciprocated by increased productivity. The reason for this is that all employees at some point experience levels of stress and even de-motivation as they carry out their work.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on How Managers Should Treat Employees specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More When the manager shows concern, the employees feel that he/she can identify with their circumstances. They will therefore be more willing to be guided by such a manager and work hard to achieve the set goals and objectives. Another considerate treatment that the manager can use to increase employee productivity is to show consideration for work-life balance. Employees suffer from conflicts between work and non-work res ponsibilities with such conflicts resulting in stress and burnout. Donaldson-Feilder et al. (2011) reveals that stress and overwork are increasing in prevalence among today’s workforce. Anderson et al. (2002) demonstrates that stress and burnout result in cognitive difficulties and lead to decreased performance of the employees. Work-life balance has therefore gained great significance since this stress and overwork has a negative impact on the productivity of the workers. Research indicates that provision of work-life practices has the potential of generating positive attitudes by the employees towards the manager and by extension the organization (Donaldson-Feilder et al., 2011). When employees perceive that the manager is treating them fairly, the social exchange theory explains that they will feel obliged to reciprocate by engaging in behavior that is beneficial to the manager. They will therefore be more willing to increase performance and therefore achieve set organizat ional goals. Approaches for increasing production Managers are tasked with marshalling the organizations’ resources to accomplish some goals and it is therefore imperative that they be able to make sure that their employees have a high degree of motivation in their performance. Motivation is defined by Martocchio (2005) as â€Å"the process of arousing, directing and maintaining behavior towards a goal (p.22). An important point to consider is that motivations should not only be restricted to monetary benefits. While it is true that money is the core motivating factor for many employees, there are other important aspects that employees look at.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Donaldson-Feilder, et al. (2011) suggests that many employees are also concerned about their professional growth. A manager who considers this will take on a mentoring role to the employee and also ensure that the employees are provided with schedules that improve and encourage growth. Managers should also engage in regular evaluations of the performance of their employees. These evaluations should be aimed at improving the productivity of individual employees. It is therefore critical for the manager to provide feedback on the evaluations to the staff. Moss and Sanchez (2004) reveal that the manner in which the manager delivers feedback determines whether it will aid or hinder improvement. While failures are bound to be observed in employees, this should be seen as learning opportunities. The manager should therefore try to capture and reveal to the employee the lesson behind any failure (Moss Sanchez, 2004). The manager should ensure that there are set performance standards which the employees should seek to achieve. Performance evaluations should then be measured by these set standards as opposed to comparing employees’ performances against each other. Donaldson-Feilder et al. (2011) note that there are times when a manager may feel overwhelmed and fail to control their negative emotions to the team. In such a situation, it is crucial for the manager to be honest and communicate with the employees what happened. Even more important is that the manager should have the capacity to take responsibility and apologize for their behavior. Apologizing for poor behavior will show employees that the manager is willing to take responsibility for his actions and it will reestablish the perceived integrity of the manager. Many performance problems are blamed on poor communication between managers and employees. Communication is critical for the success of all relationships and its prominence in organizations cannot be over emphasized. Lack of communication by ma nagers may cause low levels of morale among the staff (Fournies, 1999). This is especially the case when there are increased levels of uncertainty about what is going on in the organization. Through open and regular communication, the manager can boost the level of confidence that employees have in the organization and therefore foster positive attitudes. Most managers only talk to their employees when they are issuing instructions or when the employees have done something wrong. This makes it hard for employees to know when they have done a good job since the manager does not provide any feedback at such times. The level of engagement that employees have to the organizations is determined by communication. Kellerman (2007) demonstrates that managers who communicate to their employees on a frequent basis foster followers who are passionately committed and deeply involved in the organizational affairs. Managers should make use of motivating language so as to increase employee job sat isfaction and performance. Leadership Styles for Increasing Productivity A leadership approach that would be beneficial for increasing employee performance is transformational leadership. This style is highly favored by many Western nations and the transformational leader looks for â€Å"potential motives in followers, seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the follower† (Harris Nelson 2007, p.356). A manager who practices transformation leadership is able to not only steer the followers towards achieving set goals but also identify with their needs and concerns both at the job and outside. Such a manager is able to show consideration to his followers. This will require the manager to take on the role of a considerate leader that is; one who is able to show concern and respect for his followers. Donaldson-Feilder et al. (2011) articulate that this kind of leaders is able to look out for the welfare of his staff and express appreciation and support for their efforts. This leadership behavior is associated with many positive employee outcomes including: higher job satisfaction, reduced burnout and tension and most importantly, increased performance and productivity. In addition to this, research indicates that considerate behavior by managers has been consistently linked with improved employee well-being. The transactional leadership approach can also assist the manager to obtain superior results from his employees. Harris and Nelson (2007) define this form of leadership as one where the interaction between leaders and subordinates is characterized by a transactional exchange of rewards for services. The manager is about to offer rewards such as promotions, granting favors, and continued employment in exchange for continued good performance by the employee. This approach helps the manager to get the most out of employees since it clarifies to the staff what is expected of them (Harris Nelson, 2007). However, the manager should ens ure that the set goals are tangible, verifiable, and measurable. If the manager sets goals that are too aggressive, the employees will be discouraged and may therefore not even try to reach them. Creating Boundaries While it is important for the manager to establish a good relationship with the staff, it is important for work boundaries to be set. Without boundaries, the employees may fail to afford the manager the respect that is required for his/her to fulfill his managerial duties effectively. Donaldson-Feilder (2011) suggests that boundaries can be established by ensuring that employees follow protocol when they wish to bring up issues with the manager. In addition to this, the manager should be afforded the authority that comes with his position with the organization. In disputes between or among employees, the manager should act as the dispute handler. Conflicts are a reality in all environments where people are working together. Martocchio (2005) declares that while contentio us issues are bound to occur in all organizations, the way in which these conflicts are handled may influence the future success or failure of the organization. A manager who is skilled at conflict resolution will be able to reconcile fighting employees and therefore ensure that disputes do not hamper productivity. Conclusion The success of an organization depends on the productivity of its workforce. With this consideration, this paper set out to discuss how managers should treat employees so as to get more productivity from them. This paper has conclusively shown that managers who are aggressive and use punishment to try and increase performance from their employees fail. Instead, managers who establish relationships with their employees and make use of positive reinforcement are more successful in getting increased productivity. Transformational leadership and transactional leadership have been highlighted as two leadership styles that can be used to increase performance from emp loyees. The workplace is full of many stressful situations and an understanding and considerate manager will motivate his employees to increase their performance. The paper has underscored the important role that communication plays in motivating employees. By applying the approaches highlighted in this paper, the manager can increase employee performance and therefore achieve the desirable goal of increased organization productivity. References Anderson, S., Coffey, B. Byerly, R. (2002). Formal organizational initiatives and informal workplace practices: Links to work-life conflict and job-related outcomes. Journal of Management, 28(6), 787-810. Donaldson-Feilder, E., Lewis, R. Yarker, J. (2011). Preventing stress in organizations: how to develop positive managers. Boston: John Wiley Sons. Fournies, F.F. (1999). Coaching for improved work performance. NY: McGraw-Hill Professional. Harris, T.E. Nelson, M. (2007). Applied organizational communication: theory and practice in a glo bal environment. London: Taylor Francis. Kellerman, B. (2007). What Every Leader needs to know About Followers. Harvard Business Review, 85(12), 84-91. Martocchio, J. J. (2005). Research in personnel and human resources management. Washington: Emerald Group Publishing. Moss, S.E. Sanchez, J.I. (2004). Are your employees avoiding you? Managerial strategies for closing the feedback gap. Academy of Management Executive, 18 (1), 34-54. Pugh, D. Hickson, J. (2007). Great writers on organization. NY: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Principles of Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Principles of Corporate Finance - Essay Example For example, the year 2008 witnessed a global financial crisis, which had a significant impact on the cash flows of firms that depend on banks for funding. Even if Timbercorp may not have been directly affected, it may have indirectly been affected by a reduction in demand for its products on a global scale as consumers find it difficult meeting up with payments. Secondly, the economic environment is constantly changing. Interest rates and exchange rates continue to change and this has an effect on Timbercorp’s financing and investment decisions. As earlier mentioned, the company is a leading participant in the agribusiness sector through the food and fiber industries and the land and water rights and infrastructure associated with these industries. The sector provides a lot of opportunities and threats. As far as opportunities are concerned, the agribusiness sector remains a crucial part of the global economy and it is estimated to be worth approximately US$5trillion. In addi tion to its importance for delivering food security, it also encompasses half of the world’s labor force and assets as well as 40% of consumer purchases. Global population is expected to grow to approximately 8.3billion by the year 2030. These developments will help boost demand for Timbercorp’s products. The company anticipates a 60% rise in the demand for food and fiber products by 2030. However, there are also challenges for the company. For example, the amount of arable land is declining and these may adversely affect the company’s ability to meet rising demand for its products. Other challenges facing the company include rising operational costs, limitations on the access of water resources, as well as rising oil and gas prices.  The company reports that high oil and gas prices had a material adverse impact on harvesting and transportation costs as well as on the costs of fertilizers.  

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Evolution - Essay Example one has ever seen evolution happen, and that if it were a process in progress, evolution should still be right on course with numerous observable "transitional" forms of evidence. The arguments above are but valid in a sense for evolutionary processes in terms of changes in the genetic makeup across populations deem to have been observed in an array of scientific contexts, that include basic laboratory experiments with fruit flies, scientifically known as Drosophila melanogaster and even bacteria have never produced new types of insects. Chemically induced mutations in such organisms have only resulted in mild changes, which include, in the case of fruit flies, those with oversized to no wings, white or even purple eyes (DeBenedictis 383). The minor changes have never had significant change on the organisms, with the changes limited to variations. Even with such experiments being repeated over and over again since Darwin invented the theory, fruit flies remain fruit flies; not a single experiment has successfully changed the organism to a different species (Franklin

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Logic of Descartes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Logic of Descartes - Essay Example The Logic of Descartes Descartes felt the only way to obtain true knowledge was to rely solely upon human reason while ignoring the senses. Descartes wrote several books regarding the nature of existence and knowledge, providing us with plenty of material to study and has had tremendous influence on those who have come after him. These books are typically divided into segments Descartes labels meditations. In these meditations, Descartes reflects upon the nature of the individual and determines that he does indeed exist as both a physical and a metaphysical being through a detailed consideration of the various elements that contribute to his awareness. Through statements such as ‘I am not lodged in my body like a pilot in a vessel’ and ‘I am not that set of limbs called the human body’, Descartes attempts to bridge the difference between the new sciences and the sensory perceptions of the old philosophy, introducing in the process a new way of thinking about thinking. In Descartes ’ Meditations on First Philosophy (1989), Descartes states emphatically ‘I think, therefore I am.’ This simple-sounding statement is the result of a discourse in which Descartes calls into question all of the assumptions he’s come to know as a result of the philosophical thought of his day. To seek a higher version of the truth, Descartes felt it was necessary to question every assumption that had even the shadow of a doubt. Through this questioning process, he demonstrates how thought, not observation or the senses, is really the right foundation for knowledge. â€Å"When I considered that the very same thoughts (presentations) which we experience when awake may also be experienced when we are asleep, while there is at that time not one of them true, I supposed that all the objects (presentations) that had ever entered into my mind when awake, had in them no more truth than the illusions of my dreams† (Descartes, 2001). The first issue to be overco me was the concept that knowledge defined by a â€Å"clear and distinct perception† as being clear of sensation is foiled by its own dependence on the senses within the definition. Descartes argues that in order to fool a mind, a mind must first exist, indicating that the senses are not necessary to the development of a thinking being, so we must be something more than the physical material we are made of, something more than ‘the set of limbs.’ In the process of breaking down all of his perceptions to determine the very basic, deepest thought that is not based on the senses, Descartes admits that there may be some way in which all of his senses could be fooled all of the time into thinking he exists; this in itself proves his existence. â€Å"But there is I know not what being, who is possessed at once of the highest power and the deepest cunning, who is constantly employing all his ingenuity in deceiving me. Doubtless, then, I exist, since I am deceived; and, let him deceive me as he may, he can never bring it about that I am nothing, so long as I shall be conscious that I am something† (Descartes, 1989). Meditation III builds off of Descartes’ earlier idea that he exists because he is capable of thinking – â€Å"I think, therefore I am.† Assuming that what he is able to perceive as distinct must be true, he strives to erase his mind of all information that has been gained through his five senses to arrive at what he knows deep within himself. â€Å"In this item of first knowledge, there is simply a clear and distinct

Friday, November 15, 2019

Preserving Minority Languages

Preserving Minority Languages On the other hand, according to Anthony Ellis, it would be trifling to insist that extinction of language causes extinction of culture because language is not whole culture but just one part of it (Ellis, 2005). Nevertheless, according to David Harrison, linguist and professor of the Swarthmore College, languages have been shaped by people to serve as repositories for cultural knowledge, efficiently packaged and readily transmittable across generations. (Harrison, 2007:7). In other words, it is crucial for human race to keep the conservation of minority language due to its cultural values: academic, ethnic and social values. The first cultural value of minority language is its academic value. Linguists especially have academic passion for protecting and researching minority languages. They should study many different languages to restore their all functions and structures of endangered languages. It must also be noted that linguists need to train many youngsters at school to transmit their native languages to next generations. Moreover, one of most important reason why it is needed to keep minority languages researching is that academically new and attractive facts are always discovered in minority languages. Ubykh, one of minority language of the North-western Caucasian group spoken by the Ubykh people until the early 1990s, was regarded as a language which has a large number of consonants (Romaine, 2007). Recent researches, however, show that some African language have more consonants than Ubykhs. Furthermore, linguists found an African language called Hixkaryana, which has about 350 speakers. The reason why this language and its adjacent languages have an attention is that they are cases of language which place their object first when they make a sentence. For an instance, if the English sentence, I love you, is made, the sentence in Hixkaryana should be you love I instead of I love you. In the case of Korean and Japanese, they have the archetypal structural order, Subject + Object + Verb(SOV). They say I you love whilst English speakers say I love you. It is clear that contemporary English has self-evident sentence order, Subject + Verb + Object(SVO). However, Irish puts its verb firs t. Unfortunately, linguists predict that object-initial languages such as Hixkaryana will vanish in the next century. (Nettle Romaine, 2000:11) At this point, it should be academically asked that why object-initial languages are hard to survive in the modern era. This is the academic question which needs to be examined by researching minority languages. There will be a number of these kinds of academic questions from minority languages. This academic knowledge will be a great legacy for human race. This is why we preserve minority languages. The second cultural value of minority language is the value about its ethnic identity. One of the most important factors of ethnic identity is language. In the time of globalisation, identity of people is defined by the language that they speak and write rather than the region that people live. For an example, although every people in London speak common language, English, it is unsure that all of them are English people because some of them have their native languages. It means that people can find their ethnic identity when they speak their native languages. The importance of ethnic identity acquired by using native languages is closely related with national stature of each country. For example, one of the urgent issues of Ukraine after independence in 1991 was to establish its linguistic identity to rise up the stature of nation-state. After breaking up Soviet-union, one of differences between other nation-states and Ukraine was the influence of Russian. Unlike other nation-states, Russians was used in more widely and still made an impact on culture, science, management and so on in Ukraine. In this situation, Ukraine declared the new constitution and it expressed clearly that there is only one national language. By this process, Ukrainian became only one official language of Ukraine. People who used Ukrainian thought that people who still used Russian didnt have any ethnic identity as the member of Ukraine (Zhurzhenko, 2002). For another example of historically dark side, during the Japanese occupation in the past, Hangeul, Korean native language made by Sejong the Great in 1443, was strictly banned to use among Koreans as a colonial policy for ethnocide. Koreans were forced to change even their Hangeul names to Japanese names. Koreas national stature could not help fall. These historical facts above clearly demonstrate that language can not be divided from the ethnic identity. For this reason, if minority languages become extinct, the ethnic identity of those who use minority language will be disappeared as well. The third cultural value of minority language is its aesthetic value. Every language has its aesthetic values. This is expressed by art works through languages such as novels, poets and even music. Research has shown that there is the tendency to regard analogies between artforms and linguistic structures as relevant and illuminating. (Kraut, 2007:177). It is said that Jazz improvisation is analogous to spontaneous speech.'(ibid). In other words, it means that all minority languages have their unique aesthetic values. For an instance, China is unified multiracial nation and 56 tribes are living together in an extensive land. The numbers of minority tribes languages are around 60. Even though they are minority languages, their aesthetic values are proved by their literatures. Tibetians literary value is excellent and its Gesaer, written in the 13th century BC, has been well-known as the longest heroic epic over the world. Dong, one of minority ethnic groups in China has their native language, Kradai. It is told that Kradai is a profusion of musical value because it has various tones and vocabularies. Kradai has been developed in unique musical ways of Dongs people. It is known that Kradai is the most complex language over the world because it has 15 tones whilst the language of the Han race in China has 4 tones. As a matter of fact, its complexity contributed to make its aesthetic value. Therefore, it is natural that this great value dies if minority languages of Chinas minority ethnic groups die. For these three cultural values, which are academic, ethnic and aesthetic values, it is self-evident that minority languages are definitely deserved to be protected and transmit to their next generations as their great legacy. That is to say, minority languages are not a part of culture and a method of communications but culture itself. When a language dies, a culture dies. Conclusion In conclusion, it is urgently asked at this time to protect minority languages. Firstly, it is essential that the endangered languages ought to be found, stabilised all linguistic functions and all people help them be transmitted to next generations. Secondly, it is needed to make preserving minority languages be an important part of Conservation ethic. It means that people should realise that our language is equally one of the great natural environments and endeavour to protect our linguistic environment. Lastly, there has to be unremitting exertion for native language education even if it is minority language. For an instance, some Korean scholars pointed out to Koreas education environment just focused on English instead of Hangeul, Korean language and predicted there will be no Hangeul after 200 years if we keep this education system. Minority language education is important especially for next generations. Therefore, the fact that extinction of a language engenders extinction of a culture should be remembered to all generations and make a great effort to preserve minority languages. Bibliography Ellis, Anthony (2005). Minority Rights and the Preservation of Languages. Cambridge Journals: 199-217. The Royal institute of Philosophy. Harrison, David. K. (2007). When Languages Die: The Extinction of the Worlds Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge. USA, Oxford University Press. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7206411.stm (Accessed 08 November 2010). Kraut, Robert. (2007). Artworld Metaphysics. Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2008. Nettle, D. and S. Romaine (2000). Vanishing voices : the extinction of the worlds languages. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Romaine, Suzanne. (2007). Preserving Endangered Languages. Language and Linguistics compass 1/1-2:115-132. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Zhurzhenko, Tatiana. (2002). Language Politics in Contemporary Ukraine: Nationalism and Identity Formation. IWM Junior Visiting Fellows Conferences, Vol. XII/2.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

City Ordinances and State Laws :: Expository Essays

City Ordinances and State Laws In the spirit of civic duty, I thought I'd inform you, the responsible citizen of Mount Vernon, of some of the important laws that we live by. Combining my copious amounts of free time with my love of the mundane, I dug through our city's ordinance code as well as state law to unearth some rules we all need to know about. First off, let it be known that many of these crimes come with penalties. State laws can carry heavy prison time while city ordinances come with fines up to $500. Bearing this serious business in mind, let us begin. We all know not to start fights or provoke violence, but there are other more important things to know about. For instance, never ever harass someone via a telegraph. Don't even think about it. In fact, don't "circulate a report or warning" of an epidemic, either. Imagine the pandemonium that could result if you convinced them that your incessant smoker's cough could spread syphilis. State law prohibits these things. Public nuisances, usually found in the city code, are my personal favorites. Do not, for goodness sake, keep flammable, "unreasonably" offensively smelling, "noisome," toxic or otherwise objectionable stuff on your lawn. Leaving exploded gas station burritos in your dorm microwave is OK. Furthermore, keeping diseased animals (even if they're tied up) or animal carcasses (even if they just look like they're asleep) is not just a bad idea; it's also against the law. The city's ordinances go to great lengths to protect our beloved streets and sidewalks and the inhabitants thereof. If you cannot find a safe sidewalk to walk or run on in Mount Vernon, you must stay on the left side of the road. No exceptions. Considering tying your sled to the back of a car and riding it around? Don't even think about it. Sled/car combinations are illegal. Thinking about building some kind of device to launch cantaloupes or other large melons at oncoming traffic? Forget it. Shooting things into the street is prohibited. In fact, simply obstructing a sidewalk is a serious offense. Leaving something like grass clippings or a car on a sidewalk is illegal. Waiting more than 48 hours to clear the sidewalk of snow or ice is illegal. Leaving an open flame or unspent fuel on a sidewalk is illegal too. If you encounter anyone committing these offenses, call the police immediately and tell them it is a critical emergency.