Understand the Relationship Between Organizational Structure and Culture

Introduction The aim of this unit is to give learners an understanding of individual and group behaviour in organisations and to examine current theories and their application in managing behaviour in the workplace. Areas of Learning 1 Understand the relationship between organisational structure and culture Types of organisation and associated structures, organisational culture, Diagnosing behavioral problems, perception, significance and of individual difference, Individual behaviour at work 2 Understand different approaches to management and leadershipDevelopment of management thought, functions of management, managerial roles, nature of managerial authority, Frames of reference for leadership activities 3 Understand ways of using motivational theories in organisations Motivation theories, motivation and performance, leadership, Leadership and successful change in organizations 4 Understand mechanisms for developing effective teamwork in organisations Teams and team building, team dynamics, Impact of technology on team functioning: 1|Page BTEC HND in Business/ Organisation and Behaviour/Sept12 -BLANK PAGE- 2|PageBTEC HND in Business/ Organisation and Behaviour/Sept12 UNIT INTRODUCTION This unit focuses on the behaviour of individuals and groups within organisations. It explores the links between the structure and culture of organisations and how these interact and influence the behaviour of the workforce. The structure of a large multinational company, with thousands of employees worldwide, will be very different from a small local business with 20 employees. The way in which an organisation structures and organises its workforce will impact on the development of its culture.A collection of shared values and beliefs will determine and shape the accepted patterns of behaviour of an organisations workforce. Depending upon various factors such as type of industry/sector of the economy, culture of the external community in which the organization operates, physica l environment, profile of the workforce, and size, the cultures of different organizations can vary significantly. The structure and culture of an organisation are key factors that contribute to motivating the workforce at all levels of the organisation.The Japanese were instrumental in developing a culture of ‘continuous improvement through teamwork’ in their manufacturing industry. This feature of a culture has now been exported around the world and plays a major role in the way in which structure and culture contribute to patterns of behaviour in the workplace. This unit, through studying the dynamic relationships between structure and culture, will help learners to appreciate how these two aspects of a business organization can impact the behavior and outcomes of its workforce.SCENARIO You are newly appointed store manager of one of the biggest TESCOS supermarkets in Ireland with members of staff from different cultural and racial background, which required an organ izational culture, teamwork, and participatory decision making style, in order to achieve your short-term and long-term goals. You were recommended to the CEO and Board of Directors to take the above position based on your achievements as a Mini TESCOS supermarket in London.As part of your responsibilities, you are also required to apply different management styles and motivational theories, in order to achieve positive results from the company’s activities. In order to achieve the above objectives, you have to complete the following four (4) tasks: 3|Page BTEC HND in Business/ Organisation and Behaviour/Sept12 Task 1: Understand the relationship between organisational structure and culture 1. 1 Compare and contrast three different organizational structures and cultures. 1. 2 Explain how the relationship between an organization’s tructure and culture can influence on the performance of the TESCOS’ activities at this Irish site. 1. 3 Identify and provide an overv iew of four factors that can influence individual behavior in the workplace at the Irish TESCOS. Task 2:Understand different approaches to management and leadership 2. 1: Compare and contrast three different leadership styles for three different business organizations. 2. 2: Explain how organizational theory underpins the practice of management for the Irish TESCOS scenario. 2. 3: Evaluate four different approaches to management used by different organizations.Task 3: Understand ways of using motivational theories in organisations 3. 1 Discuss how different leadership styles may impact employee motivation in organizations in periods of change. In tackling this task, discuss to what extent specific leadership styles may positively or negatively could affect performance in specific change scenarios (e. g. adoption of new staff rota, etc. ). Please provide how this could help with a change at TESCOS in Ireland. 3. 2 Identify and discuss the application of three different motivational t heories within the workplace. 3. Evaluate the usefulness of a motivation theory for managers at the TESCOS in Ireland. Task 4: Understand mechanisms for developing effective teamwork in organisations 4. 1 Explain the nature of groups and group behaviour within organizations. 4. 2 Discuss factors that may promote or inhibit, limit, or undermine the development of effective teamwork in organizations (physical, social, etc. ) 4. 3 Evaluate the impact of technology on team functioning within such an organization as TESCOS in Ireland. 4|Page BTEC HND in Business/ Organisation and Behaviour/Sept12Submissions Deadlines Tasks 1 (Assignment) 2 (Assignment) 3 & 4 (Assignment) Submissions Guidelines Deadline 4th Week of September 3rd week of October 4th week of November Hardcopy of the assignment should be submitted at the college reception on or before at 4. 00 pm on the date specified. There is no stipulated length for the work but it should not be less exceed 3000 words for all tasks. All w ork must be delivered in softcopy versions. The softcopy should be uploaded on to the security purposes, learners should keep both copies with them. All be properly referenced. han 2000 words or both hardcopy and student portal. For assignments should 5|Page BTEC HND in Business/ Organisation and Behaviour/Sept12 Assessment Information Grading Criteria All Assignments will be assessed according to the following grading. Pass: To achieve each outcome a learner must demonstrate the ability to: LO1 Understand the relationship between organisational structure and culture 1. 1 compare and contrast different organisational structures and culture 1. 2 explain how the relationship between an organisation’s structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business 1. discuss the factors which influence individual behaviour at work LO2 Understand different approaches to management and leadership 2. 1 compare the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organi sations 2. 2 explain how organisational theory underpins the practice of management 2. 3 evaluate the different approaches to management used by different organisations LO3 Understand ways of using motivational theories in organisations 3. 1 discuss the impact that different leadership styles may have on motivation in organisations in periods of change 3. compare the application of different motivational theories within the workplace 3. 3 evaluate the usefulness of a motivation theory for managers LO4 Understand mechanisms for developing effective teamwork in organisations 4. 1 explain the nature of groups and group behaviour within organisations 4. 2 discuss factors that may promote or inhibit the development of effective teamwork in organisations 4. 3 evaluate the impact of technology on team functioning within a given organisation. 6|Page BTEC HND in Business/ Organisation and Behaviour/Sept12 Merit and Distinction: The grade descriptors provide a framework for the reation of gra ding criteria to be written and set within the context of the assignment. The grade descriptors describe the expected qualities of the learner’s work at Merit and distinction levels. The merit and distinction levels have three descriptors. Merit Descriptors: M1- Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions. Answers reflect that effective judgments have been made about the specific content and the information. The answers show that an effective approach to study and research has been applied within the scenario e. g. comparing features, theories and models comparison etc.M2 – Select /Design and apply appropriate methods / techniques An accurate standard method has been used in defining information sources is well justified and summarized. M3 – Present and communicate appropriate findings A clear, accurate standard for presenting information has been used in terms of diagrams, charts, tables. Distinction Descriptors D1- Use Critical reflection to ev aluate own work and justify valid conclusions Proper evaluation and justification shown in all the answers and relevant conclusions have been arrived at thorough synthesis of ideas.D2- Take responsibility for managing and organizing activities Independence – Tasks have been attempted with minimal assistance provided by the lecturer D3- Demonstrate convergent/lateral/ creative thinking Ideas have been generated and proper evaluation and decisions taken based on facts gathered within the scenario 7|Page BTEC HND in Business/ Organisation and Behaviour/Sept12 Assessment Marking Grid Task Assessment Criteria (A. C) 1. 1 Pass Merit Distinction ? ? –M1 -M2 D2 —-D1 D3 —D1 — One 1. 2 1. 3 2. 1 Two 2. 2 ? 2. 3 3. 1 Three 3. 2 3. ? -Four 4. 1 4. 2 ? 4. 3 ? -? -? M3 —- ? ? ? ? 8|Page BTEC HND in Business/ Organisation and Behaviour/Sept12 Assignment Instructions Students are requested to comply with the following instructions on handing in their assign ment work †¢ †¢ Work should be comprehensively referenced Sources must be acknowledged fully by reference books, journals used and URL visited Include the Harvard Referencing System (guide is available on the college resources portal) All work should be word-processed, font size of 12 and font style of Times New Roman or Arial.Subtitles of the assignment should be in the font size of 14. Pages should be numbered in bottom right hand corner Spell check the document and read thoroughly for grammatical errors 1. 5-line spacing is preferable Bibliography at the end of the assignment All paragraphs should be aligned in justified mode. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 9|Page BTEC HND in Business/ Organisation and Behaviour/Sept12 References Textbooks Buchanan, D. and Huczynski, A. (2004) Organizational Behaviour: An Introduction Text (5th Ed). Harlow: Prentice Hall. French, W. Bell, C. (1984) Organization development: behavioral science Interventions for o rganization improvement. (3rd ed. ) New Jersey: Prentice hall Kinicki, A. and Kreitner, R. (2006) Organizational Behavior: key concepts, skills, & best practices ( 2nd ed. ) McGraw Hill Mullins, L. (2007) Management and Organizational Behaviour. (8th ed. ) London: FT/Prentice Hall Robbins, S. & Judge, T. (2008) Essentials of Organizational Behavior (9th Ed. ) New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall Smith, M. et al (1982) Introducing organizational behavior.London: Macmillan Brooks I — Organisational Behaviour, Individuals, Groups and Organisation 2nd Edition(Prentice Hall, 2003) ISBN: 0877781265 Huczynski A and Buchanan D — Organisational Behaviour: An Introductory Text (Prentice Hall, 2000) ISBN: 0273651021 Maccoby M — Why Work: Motivating and Leading the New Generation (Simon and Schuster, New York, 1998) ISBN: 067147281X (Outlines the changing nature of the workplace and categorises people into five types, giving the characteristics and sources of motivation and de motivation of each. ) 10 | P a g e BTEC HND in Business/ Organisation and Behaviour/Sept12

Performance of Information Systems through Organizational Culture Essay

The objective of this paper is to determine the importance of the connection between the organizational culture and the information system which can be vital to achieve essential business goals. However the proper definition of information system (IS) is important, as different people create confusion in this respect, which according to Anderson (1992) it is the system which captures, records, and reorganize data then provides results which are useful for managerial purposes. On the other hand information technology IT is only the technological part of IS and the organizational culture is simply the way things are done in a firm. The interaction of these systems would result in huge advantages. Now it is that we have precisely viewed the explanation of IT, IS and organizational culture. We should now look at their interconnectedness. IT and organizational culture are incorporated in order to have statistical and meaningful information from the raw and unarranged data which is the information for decision making, however the feasibility of the implementation of such system is important in terms of technology and its cost. Once an idea or belief is accepted by a larger group it is said o be powerful and if it is accepted by a specific group then subcultures are said to exist and it is important to determine that which culture is dominant, and on the basis of this culture two opinions are created one which says that yes IT is important and the second which identifies IT as the fundamental basis of the IS, however it is also important that the new culture should be implemented or meant for a foreseeable future in the long-term and not in the short-term, as the short-term creates complexity quite earlier as compared to long-term approach, if there is some element of deviation of opinion. No matter what is the final decision is, the carrying out of the implementation process is important, currently in most firms there exists a ‘’IT specialist culture’’ which involves only the IT personnel in this process and obviously is not much effective. Therefore it is important that in the implementation of an IS, not only IT personnel should be involved but also the top management and the users of this IS should also be involved so that their requirements are catered in an efficient and effective way. Theoretical principles or basics Today the world is turned into a dynamic market place, where firms need to compete in terms of prices, efficiency and technology. For this purpose experts have realized the importance of information systems (IS) with information technology (IT) as its basis, combined together with the organizational culture. The perfect combination of these three important systems of a firm a firm is able to achieve a competitive status in the world market. Therefore it is important to have such elements in the firm in order to achieve businesses vital goals. For this purpose cultural change is to be incorporated, provided that it is the way things are done or the set of norms of the firm, therefore the bubble-like approach of incorporating cultural changes is said to be the most effective one. Under this idea of bubble-like cultural change, comes the idea of informatics and informational culture. The idea of IS is also important, however majority of people confuse it with IT however the correct expl anation are the one discussed earlier. The implementation of IS’s in most of the firms has resulted into various advantaged to the firms; briefly it enables the management to acquire meaningful information from the raw data and later to help decision making. But the successful implmetation and usage of the IS requires three important components which are: 1, the data or information, the people (implementers and users) and the material resources. Here the data can be any data form example businesses truncations or employee’s records, and the material resources are the mechanical supportive equipment for example office furniture and computers etc and lastly the people are the user and the implementers of the IS. Now with people here comes the notion of organizational culture, the culture in accordance with the IS and IT plays an important role if these three things are in line or are in agreement then vital advantages can be observed which are discussed as follows: Â · As it decreases the anxiety and confusion created by the IT/IS, it supports the adaptation of the environmental changes, therefore it contributes positively to the overall satisfaction level of the internal staff who have been involved in its implementation. Â · Â   Enables the management to know if the implantation id accepted by the users. Â · Â   Social relations are created when the implementers and users of different departments meet to implement the system. This adds to the motivation level of the employees. Â · Tells the users that which information will be available at what location in what time. Â · Â   Determines the effectiveness of the IT/IS associated to the means of communication, as both inside and outside, it is a vital way correspondence. Â · Â   As it explains that what are the norms and practices of the entity, a feeling of strong unity is created. Interconnectedness of IT, IS and Organizational Culture An IS is created so that meaningful information can be derived out of the raw data, therefore it is that an IS is responsible for converting data into information and therefore quantity and quality of the information is important. However the relationship between data, culture and information system is important. Only an effective IS can be developed when there is perfect correlation between these three. And then only information which is meaningful can be obtained and used for managerial purposes. We have discussed that appropriate people in appropriated places is important, another point about the feasibility in terms of technology and finance. If there are no sufficient financial and technological assistance and resources then the application of the IS may not be successful, for example if due to lack of finance some important features of the IS are excluded from the plan then it won’t produce accurate and meaningful results. Another way in which the relationship of IT and organizational can be reviewed can be provided with two questions that whether it is the IT which creates the lines of an organizational culture or whether it is the organizational culture that decides that whether IT solutions should be incorporated or not; answers to these can be this if there is strong feeling among the users of the IS and other supporting staff that the use of IT has resulted into the benefits of some particular group, department or a person then incorporation of computerized solution will form as the firms norms or in other words culture because majority thinks that yes IT is important. However it is also possible that opposite can happen, which can be further elaborated in a way that there have been opposite behaviors in respect of the discussion between the service and manufacturing sector. This is because in manufacturing businesses there is more of manual labor work and computerization and IT is incorporated to a lesser extent thus a culture in manufacturing would be less compatible to the IT, whilst in the service sector more of IT solutions are required and computerization is involved to a larger extent therefore there is strong evidence of the fact that information technology can set the value’s and norms of the firm. Now there is a question that which approach is the best? This is difficult question to answer because the two have enormous effects on each other, but in light of modern business techniques IT/IS solutions have been more effective on the cultural practices, this is because an IS not only automates the flow of data but also provides manage ment with alternatives ways of doing things in respect of efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness. Specific Relationship of Information System and the Organizational Culture It is possible that there exists a conflict between the norms or cultural practices of two groups in an entity. Therefore, it is in vital interest of the firms that these differences are rectified, because when there is one common way of doing things efficiency and timeliness are prone to occur along with economies of scale ( reaching a position when per unit cost is lowest). More specifically these divergences can be that a larger group supports one view and a smaller group supports the contrary this is known as the subculture. Distinction between these two opinions is necessary so that there might be an informatics or an in informational culture. Where informatics is that for example usage of IT is important, and the informational culture is with more detail where it says in order to make correct and accurate decisions IT should be incorporated as the basis of an IS. The first culture is easy to understand but the second one goes into more detail, it also includes in it the first culture and also the organizational behavior and the information data. It however necessary that in order to have a successful transformation of IT into an IS, conversion of informatics culture into the in informational culture is necessary. Informational and Informatics Culture; Features It is now that we have come to know that what are the two cultures now we must discuss that which one is to be transformed into the other through administrative intervention. When we talk about the informatics culture the case is that it only considers the costs of the IT department only in the short term, therefore it ignores the long-term research and development process which can result into the firms inters this is why it is a usual case that firms end up in spending more and earning less from IT centers as proper consideration are not taken when purchasing its equipment and employing staff. However on the contrary the informational culture approach considers the outputs of an IT center to a larger extent; it not only considers the quantitative aspects of the IT solution but also the long-term usefulness to the firms in respects of tactical and strategic planning, it not only sees the IT solution in terms of an IS as cost, but also highlights it advantages and long-term benefits in terms if research and development and therefore upon this approach distributes its cost over its useful life.

An Overview of the Life of John F Kennedy

John F. Kennedy was one of the most liked and dedicated presidents of the United States of America. His presidency ran The second of nine children, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in a three story wooden house on May 29, 1917; in Brooklyn, Massachusetts. His parents were Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Joseph Kennedy intended for his sons to receive the finest private school education possible. Johns education started at a private Dexter school in Brookline. During fourth, fifth, and sixth grades John enrolled at Riverdale Country Day School. At the age of thirteen, John entered the Canterbury School in Milford, Connecticut. The spring of 1931, John suffered an attack of appendicitis. He had to stay home and rest for the remainder of the school year. Kennedy†s† parents decided to hire a tutor to help him catch-up during the summer. John passed Math, English, and Latin. When he finally recovered completely, he entered Choate, a fine prep school in Wallingford, Connecticut. When John graduated from Choate, in 1935, he planned to study for a year at Londons School of Economics. Then at eighteen years old, John came down with an illness called Jaundice. In the fall, John joined his friends, Lem Billings and Rip Horton at Princeton University. He later had another attack of Jaundice that forced him to miss school for one semester. Johns father then encouraged his son to enter Harvard University in the fall of 1936. John graduated from Harvard in 1940, with a degree in Political Science. He then entered Stanford University in California. While there he studied Economics and tried his hand at writing. During this time, the war was raging in Europe. John decided to enlist in the Navy on September 22, 1941. He served four years and was ischarged when the war ended in 1945. At 28 years of age, he was heading for a successful career as a newspaperman. His father began pushing him towards another career— Politics — He believed that since Johns older brother was dead, that it was his responsibility to run On January 3, 1947, John took the oath of office as a US Congressman. Later, in 1952, Kennedy decided to run for United States Senate. In 1953†¦. Kennedy decided to marry and wed Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. He was 36 and she was just 24 when they were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony. Later that year, John began suffering terrible back pain. In 1955, he underwent surgery to repair a spinal injury. While recuperating, he wrote a book called, Profile in Courage The book was about American Political leaders who defied the publics opinion to vote according to their consciences. For this work, he received the Pulitzer Prize. He then returned to his political career. Although John barely lost the Democratic Vice-presidential nomination in 1956, his overwhelming re-election as Senator in 1958 helped him towards his goal of becoming a Presidential Candidate. In 1960 John Fitzgerald Kennedy became President of the United States. At 43 years of age, he was the youngest man to ever hold this title. On November 22, 1963 John was 46 years old and just ending his third year as President. He was just planning his campaign to run for a second term as President. On this date, John and his wife, Jackie, flew to Texas to take part in his political tour. After there arrival, they got into the back of an open limousine with Texas Governor, John B. Connally and his wife. About 12:30 Mrs. Connally remarked, â€Å"you certainly can†t say that the people f Dallas haven†t given you a nice welcome,† as people lined up everywhere. Before Kennedy could respond, a shot was fired. From a sixth-floor window. a sudden rifle shot rang out, fatally wounding the president, a second shot hit the Governor, and a third shot struck Kennedy in the back of the head, causing his death. At one p. m. , that same day, reporters rushed from the hospital to spread the horrible news. As a victim of assassination— the President of the United States was dead. The whole country mourned the death of J. F. K. Those who knew him or knew of him will forever remember this wonderful man.

Nursing care study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Nursing care study - Essay Example A description of the condition and symptoms that brought Mrs Davies to the surgical ward from Mrs Davies own perspective will be provided. This information was obtained by asking Mrs Davies and her family relevant questions.The main body of the care study will discuss the nursing assessment and holistic care of Mrs Davies. Although Mrs Davies was continually assessed throughout her stay on the ward, two main problems associated with abdominoplasty will be concentrated upon from the initial assessment, they are mobility and pain and will discussed throughout with reference to appropriate literature and evidence. A conclusion will be drawn with regards to the information discussed in the body of the essay. This will be to provide an overview of the evidence based practice employed in the nursing care of the patient. Prior to beginning this care study verbal consent was obtained from the patient and family, and objectives to doing the study were explained to them. In accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, â€Å"The code of professional conduct† (NMC, 2008) patient confidentiality will be maintained throughout and a pseudonym will be use protect the patients identity therefore throughout this study the patient will be known as Mrs Davies. A 45 year old lady Mrs. Davies is happily married to Mr Davies they have been married for 25 years. They and have 3 daughters; the oldest one is married and lives in London with her family while the other two live with her. She works as a cook supervisor in a secondary school while her husband is a carpenter and has his own business and works from home. However, Mrs Davies mentioned that she did enjoy swimming and walking 2-3 times a week. Over the last 10 years, she has gained a tremendous amount of weight. She gained 15 kilograms of weight in that time which now puts her in to the obese category this is evident from the fact that her current

Communication in Health & Social Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication in Health & Social Care - Essay Example This paper will look at communication in the health and social care area and the factor that affect communication in this sector. Factors that affect communication in health and social care area include beliefs and values. Service providers should embrace cultural diversity in order to be able to offer services. If the care giver is not aware of cultural diversity, it is impossible to communicate effectively. Care givers should be competent in the knowledge of culture. This is because people in every culture have their beliefs and values. In a place where there is multiculturalism it may be difficult to communicate (Dickson, Hargie & Morrow, 1996). This calls for care givers to be well informed when it comes to the culture of people they are serving. People perception and understanding of heath and heath care process is developed through their culture and social values. Peoples’ thinking on health and social care is based on their beliefs and values. In the United States health and social care providers are socialized into the culture of their profession. They are trained in the western scientific or bi omedical global view (Argyle, 1994). This teaches the professionals to hold and accept beliefs, norms, and values. This is good because the care givers who know their culture can also appreciate other people’s culture. The more a care giver knows of their culture the more they can accept the patients’ world view. Beliefs of people can affect their compliance with treatment, thus a health care giver should always be able to understand the beliefs of a patient for the service provided to be useful. The care giver should respect the patients’ beliefs and not dismiss their traditional practices. Some beliefs can make a patient lose trust on the care provider thus losing cooperation needed for successful healing and therapeutic relationship. For example, beliefs on herbal medicine may make a

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 11

Management - Essay Example Managerial communication is the element of an organization or business that helps the managers of those organizations to communicate with each other, that is if there is more than one manager, as well as with the other employees within the organization.â€Å"Managers must be efficient and effective communicators in a fast-paced highly competitive environment.† (Hynes, Geraldine E, P18).If information is not shared, then it is of no use to the organization and will bring no benefit. In order to share this information, there has to be proper communication techniques that will help the individual members of an organization stay up to date with the latest on goings, events and developments. Good communication helps ease the transfer of valuable information between members of one party to members of another, otherwise known as the sender and the receiver. Managers of an organization that are working towards a common goal, are required to smooth out the flow of information by using effective managerial techniques. Managerial communication is divided into two sub categories, namely; interpersonal communication and organizational communication. Interpersonal communication is the communication or the transfer of information that takes place between two or more individuals at a workplace, whereas organizational communication is one that occurs at all levels of an organization. ... Understanding of a manager’s message is based on the receiver’s perception and message interpretation† (Larry R Smeltzer, Donald J. Leonard, 1994, p27). Many of these issues are related to decision making that turn out to be controversial and not too favorable for some of the subordinates. A controversial decision will incur anxiety and resistance, especially decisions that speak about any sort of change or alteration to the structure of the organization. Changing an organization’s goals for example, will definitely create uncertainty in groups, leading eventually to anxiety and protest. Although lying or half truths are sometimes spread for the benefit of the organization, the process of doing so can destroy the trust that an employee has built with the employer. Due to this, the employee will begin to question the employer’s sincerity and most probably seek a new job where the employer is someone he/she can trust. The employee might even tend to sp read the notion of the employer being insincere and this could be disastrous for the organization, potentially losing valuable employees. Another issue that arises in the management of an organization is caused when the realities of power are not recognized. If a manager is found to be really high in the organization’s hierarchal structure, it is possible for problems that occur in the organization, to reach that manager a little too late and also softened in nature so as to cause minimal blow. Every employee who passes on the problem ensures to reduce the degree of that problem. If the manager is unable to properly recognize the integrity of the situation, the problem might not be dealt with in the right way and may lead to undesirable consequences. In the same way, messages and information

Health Care Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Care Reform - Essay Example With Federal Government playing a pivotal role and funding at the national level, a community network of public/private health care should be developed by identifying people and localities where high quality care is lacking. Both public and private agencies should be engaged to arrive at expert consensus on end-of-life care models sensitive to the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of the patients and their families. Health care professionals should be trained to be proactive and to give personalized care with proper communication amongst care providers, patients and their families. Funds should be made available at the community level to all possible support services that are non-medical with the objective of providing dying patients and their families with the best comfort possible during their last days. (Citizens' Health Care Working Group 2007) These recommendations will soon be in the hands of the new American President for implementation. The two presidential candidates Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party and Jon McCain for Republican Party have already spelt out their about their stand on health care as part of their election campaigns. Hillary Clinton is on record having spelt out her remarks on health care. Universal health care is her key word as other wise she fears millions and millions of people will be left out.

Close Analysis of Rear Window Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Close Analysis of Rear Window - Essay Example He similarly crafts a countless atmosphere, as a bamboo curtain is raised and the yard is exposed, which is what the entire movie orbits around. According to Laura Mulvey, who perceives it radiantly; the look is outlining, however the man is constantly the observer, whereas the lady is the observed. To restatement her thoroughly, movie takes up a males need to clarify, devaluate, and overestimate the lady. Cinemas ought to learn to halt with agreement, to permit the look of the camera into loving objectivity. Jeff spends time observing his neighbors through binoculars. The spectators are literally shown life via Jefferies eyes in the 6 weeks in which he is restrained to a wheelchair. The opening looks out onto a yard and shows a number of unlike openings which are symbolic of diverse traditions of living in U.S in the 1950s.   In the movie the spectators are shown diverse characters and each opening signifies a diverse style of living and extracts of these charismas exists as Jefferies perceives them. Generally, there are 3 core characters in the movie, the 1st, is Jefferies, the 2nd being Jefferies lover named Lisa and the 3rd being Jefferies doctor called Stella. The connections between these key characters change because of the alteration of events which disclose in front of Jefferies when he considers one of the neighbors of which he has been closely following murders his companion. Lisa is embodied as the faultless lady as she is stylish, attractive and a prosperous business lady; in this movie when she is presented, she is constantly denoted faultlessly and lighting is deployed to limitlessly make her spark. She is continuously tremendously fashionable and elegant. When examining the visual organization of â€Å"Rear Window†, there is a corresponding structure in which everybody handling their day-to-day lives. The spectators are even shown persons shaving and picking up calls. This signifies the fact that every opening demonstrates a sneak

What Role Should Government Play In a Globalised World Essay

What Role Should Government Play In a Globalised World - Essay Example This essay stresses that the government of China in the light of the reforms brought about in the policy structure relating to economic, social and technological development is also focusing on the optimal utilization of the natural resource base. Optimal utilization of the existing resource base would help the country gain the due potential in gaining economic and social developments in sustained manner. This paper makes a conclusion that the event of globalization has paved the way for the mutual development of both developing and developed economies through the process of mutual interaction and the transfer of needed funds and infrastructural skills and expertise. With the gaining of needed know-how along with funding support through the gaining of foreign investments the countries are found to grow and develop along the parameters pertaining to manufacturing, innovation, social and economic fronts. However the government of different countries is required to incorporate changes in the policy and reform structures on such a note as would assist in the effective optimization of the opportunities gained in such a global climate. Herein focusing on the region of China the government of the region is found to bring about changes in the policy structure related to manufacturing, research and development functions and also related to labor relations to contribute in the overall developme nt of the social and economic situation of the region.

Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 6

Interview - Essay Example To begin with, her school, being all female offered all kinds of sports activities. These included but were not limited to swimming, basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, track and field, and Karate. Needless to say, almost all of the students participated in the school sanctioned sports activities. However, while some of them did it just for want of an activity to do after classes, there were those who took the sports seriously. These were the women who were considered â€Å"jocks† on campus and who sometimes found their sexuality called into question due to their diligence and dedication to their training programs. During her era, most of the women would go to the nearby soda shops and restaurants for a snack with their friends in order to unwind after a long day of classes. This is where the rest of the plans for their day were usually created. More often than not, this get together would continue either at a classmates house or at a nearby shopping area where they would look at entertainment magazines or see a movie. During her era, my interviewees favorite activity was going to the movies. She had always been a fan of Hollywood films and seeing those films helped her learn about the country and culture of the country that, unknown to her at the time, she would one day call her home. The 70s was the era of consciousness for the people in her country. For women of her age, sexual encounters were done but not spoken about openly for fear of social repercussion. There was a double standard of morality existing at that time for women. While men could openly discuss having sex with various women, women who engaged in sex needed to do it secretly and always with just one partner or else she would be deemed a woman of tremendously loose morals if word ever got out. Since my interviewees favorite activity when she was younger was going to the movies, she has been able to continue that activity of hers to this very day. Although

Human Resource Management and the Banking Sector Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Management and the Banking Sector Essay tHuman resource management and the banking sector By Imran Samad Human resource management (HRM) has long been overlooked in the corporate sector in the country where a small section, comprising mostly the multi-national companies was practising the same. With the growing realization of proper HRM in the corporate sector, it has grown into an important activity. Now the head of HRM is an important member of the senior teams of any thriving business. Although the idea is new for many local businesses where entrepreneurs are at the beginning of the learning curve yet in reality the theme is getting support from the organized entrepreneurs. The banking sector has grown from a few institutions primarily involved in deposit acceptance and trade finance into a complex multi player markets where large number of commercial banks, financial institutions and specialized banks are operating with various products and activities. The banking has become a complex activity within the financial market linked directly and indirectly with an over-all national growth and its impact as an integral part of regional segment of a global banking environment. Almost every bank and financial institution is involved in various functions in a days job and thus requires a highly effective team and appropriate manpower to run the show. Corporate goals are translated into viable realities and profits only with human element who play their due role in achieving the desired results. Thus even the high automation would require proper man behind the machine to make things happen. This idea has been realized by top managements in progressive banks. Like many other organized sectors, banking requires a multi layer manpower for its various requirements of professionals and support staff. The range may require reasonably educated security guards on the one end and a highly educated and trained professional as head of corporate finance at the other. With liberalization of activities within the banking sector, for example, more emphasis on consumer and house finance and personal loans, etc. banking has turned itself into a more market-based business where banks have expanded their reach more to customers door steps in a big way making banking more practical. This has further highlighted the need for proper deployment of man-power to run banks efficiently. For many years, HRM banks like other institutions have been handling this sensitive activity through respective personnel departments. This means human resources were managed like other physical assets e. g. pieces of furniture, calculators, equipment and appliances. Personnel departments were primarily engaged in approval of leaves, handling of staff loans, issuance of show cause, conducting disciplinary enquiries and termination from service. Recruitment was a routine function and was done in a mechanical way to hire people with specific educational background irrespective of their real value to the institution. Success stories of large banking companies have been evident of the fact that HRM is quite different from management of physical assets. Human brain has its own peculiar chemistry. Its strong sensory and decision-making capacity has to be greatly emphasized by the employers. The work force constituting all levels of employees are constantly thinking in many dimensions. On the one hand it is the assigned duty and task they are to perform and for which they are paid by their employer, on the other they think of their long run goals and objectives. By no means, their brains can be controlled to think beyond the current situation of employment. Managing this educated, skillful and trustworthy work force is not an easy job. A few of the current challenges faced by the banking industry in terms of human resource management may be the following: Effective work force:Â  A time-consuming and hectic job is to hunt the right talent. Its just sitting by the river and waiting for the right fish to catch. Higher the professional value of the vacancy, tougher is the search. Identifying the right stuff followed by negotiation is the element which makes the job tough for the employer. Banks are keenly interested to fill up two types of breads of professionals. Ones who are outstanding professionals with high job hopping attitude these are those who come in work for some time and then leave for better prospects. Others are those who are keenly picked-up, trained and are some how retained to be developed as future management within the bank. Management trainees are a growing popular phenomenon where freshly qualified business graduates are engaged by banks and a certain percentage of these well equipped professionals stay back within the organization to grow into the footsteps of senior managers. Banking jobs being apparently lucrative for many, attract a large number of candidates against advertised vacancies in media creating a large data base management problem. This has been facilitated by specialised hiring agencies who may take up the job of hiring in case of large number of vacancies. Right people:Â  The most difficult agenda of HRM across the banking sector is to retain the right people. Sudden growth of retail banking and other services has put pressure on HR mangers in banks to engage more professionals within shorter span of time thereby attracting manpower in other banks on attractive packages has made the job market very competing. A bank in a normal course invests time and money to hire and train the appropriate work force for its own operations. This ready-made force is often identified and subsequently picked-up on better terms by others. Compensation:Â  How much to pay to the right employee and how much to the outstanding performer. Banks have traditionally followed pay scales with predetermined increments, salary slabs, bonuses and time-based fringe benefits like car and house advance, gratuity, pension, etc. The situation is not the same anymore. An increment of Rs500-800 per annum is no more a source of attraction for a professional anymore. A basic pay with traditional formulas of linkage with medical and other facilities has no soothing effect today. A promise of future growth, learning culture and corporate loyalty is out of dictionary and does not mean anything to this energetic and competent performer today. A waiting period of 3-4 years in each cadre haunts the incumbents who strongly believe in immediate compensation. There are examples to this. Thanks to the car financing modalities car is no more a fantasy item any more. A freshly hired professional requires a brand new car or car loan on resuming office quite contrary to his previous breed of bankers who would wait for the job seniority to qualify for a car loan. Job satisfaction: Everybody in the bank wants to work in the preferential department, preferential location, city of his own choice and boss of his liking. An administrative deviation from any of these results in lowered job satisfaction. Although hiring is normally based on regional requirement matching the area of activity with that of employees nativity yet other elements like appointment in the department of choice and preference makes the job of HR manager quite challenging. What the HR manger cannot afford is the dissatisfied employee who not only disrupts the smooth working himself but also spreads the negativity to others by his de-motivated attitude. Morale boosting:Â  What has long been overlooked is the morale boosting of the employees by the organizations. Human beings even if satisfied of material wellbeing need to be appraised and encouraged constantly. Smart banks have realized this need and have taken steps to keep their work force motivated through proper encouragement like man of the month awards, repeat get-togethers, conferences, sports events, dinners, company sponsored travel, reunions, etc. This is the way employees create a feeling of belongingness.

Tracing the Stars Essay Example for Free

Tracing the Stars Essay I. Introduction One of the biggest global brands in history is Converse, which stands for a casual and sports-oriented lifestyle popular among the young, and often with specific subcultures. Of its several lines, arguably the most recognized is the Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Chucks, which are combination canvas and rubber sneakers. First produced in 1917, these were originally known simply as the â€Å"All Star† until they were modified and endorsed by Chuck Taylor—one of the biggest basketball players of the time. To this day, the shoes carry Taylor’s signature and go by his name. Currently, the brand is no longer an entity on its own as Converse had been bought by Nike in 2003—thereby resulting in several physical and noticeable changes in the original design and make—yet is still a symbol of youth, vibrancy, and active lifestyle. II. From Basketball to Popular Culture The 1950s marked a landmark episode in the Chucks’ history as it made the successful shift from being exclusive to basketball to becoming part of American consciousness. The appeal of the shoes’ casual and affordable nature made it a status symbol for American teenagers, particularly when Hollywood actor James Dean made the white version part of his t-shirt-and-jeans image. Musicians ranging from rockers in the 1960s to 1980s punk rock artists emulated Dean’s choice, and started wearing Chucks as their uniform—particularly those in black canvas. Because of this growing popularity, Converse decided to add more colors and styles to the Chucks line. Currently, Chucks are still the shoes of choice of many young artists and celebrities; pop musician Avril Lavigne and actress Reese Witherspoon are just some of the personalities who prefer wearing the sneakers—with a particular preference of Lavigne for black ones—which echo the choices of legendary 1970s punk rocker Joey Ramone, who was never seen without a pair of well-worn black Chucks. Fashion designers and models have also been noted as being fans of the sneakers, owing to the rock-and-roll persona alluded to by a classic or trendy pair. III. Chucks in Sports In the midst of the shoes’ popularity among the younger set, Converse stayed true to its original intent for Chucks; during the decades of the 1960s and 70s, its move to add more colors to its classic line was also evident in the basketball industry. While this was not always met with complete approval by the athletes who wore them, the new hues definitely created yet another trend among the sport’s fans. However, the 1980s came and with it arrived the obsession for technology and new materials. The brands of Adidas, Reebok, and Pony arrived to take much of Converse’s basketball shoe business, and the inimitable Nike sealed the deal by having its basketball shoes endorsed by then-rookie Michael Jordan. This caused the decline of the Chucks brand in the sport, and by 1988 they were no longer the staple basketball shoes of serious athletes. Most of them now opted for the leather make and quality offered by other brands, which gave better support compared to the canvas body of the All-Stars. IV. Nike and Controversies Nike bought the brand in 2003, and immediately modified some of the signature details of Chucks—form material to design. The company enjoys a wildly popular following to this day, and is apparent in the use of high-profile athletes as endorsers in its multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns. But the reputation of Nike as a supporter of sweatshops set up in developing countries goes against the established image of Chucks associated with punk and left-wing ideologies—thereby forcing former Chucks patrons to shift to any of several Chucks imitations that are not produced through this kind of arrangement. V. Stepping Forward In a Pair of Chucks The enduring fame and existence of Chuck Taylor All-Stars is as permanent and unchanging as its classic design; materials may be altered, a few details may be added—but the concept remains the same. The future of Chucks may still be seen in the realm of the youth culture, through a role of greater relevance to the rest of the world. Using recyclable materials to produce a pair of Chucks may be one of the directions best for the brand, considering its tried-and-tested design principles. Environmental awareness should now be the focal point of the young and vibrant lifestyle it represents, which will also negate any bad impressions regarding its association with controversial Nike work processes. The time is right for Chucks to assume an image both traditional and innovative, without resorting to technology-related improvements. Ecology, rather than technology, is most apt for Chucks as it celebrates its hundredth anniversary this year, and as it represents the kind of mindset that has made it the shoe of choice of millions worldwide.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the UK

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the UK ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION Corporate social responsibility (CSR) involves with differentiating right from wrong and doing right (Scott, 2007). CSR is the compulsion to make choice and take actions that will contribute toward the wellbeing, interest, and benefits of the society as well as the company. 1.1 Problem of CSR CRS does not act like law which require people to follow. In contrast, it covers wide range of issues and many of which are unclear with respect to right and wrong (Frankental, 2001). As CSR is a self-interest practice, thus it is difficult to control the use of CSR because different companies which have different beliefs about which actions improve the welfare and benefits of the society (Luck, 2006). Companies can find themselves in difficult situations where they do not know how to act or what to do. In recent years, CRS is the key issue in all business sectors, including retailing industry. It is rather controversial to discuss whether supermarkets like Waitrose and Tesco should focus on driving toward or go beyond the field of strategic management. In countries with a dynamic market economy like the UK and the US, it is widely agreed that firms should not only concentrate on pursuing strategies that make economic profitability, but they must also have certain social responsibilities that must be fulfilled as well (Enquist et al., 2006). However, the agreement for firms to pursue both profitability and social responsibility and this should be the end of the discussion. Opinion about the issue, however, differs more or less with regard to the importance of profitability and social responsibility (Downey, 2004). Some people in a society look at the view of profitability as the most important purpose for economic organisations and that only social responsibility of companies is to achieve and pursue profitability within the boundary of law. Tesco is the UK leading supermarket with largest market share in retailing industry. As a face of capitalism, Tesco has been accused, criticised and involved in many social responsibility issues. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC, 2007), with substantial evidences, Tesco was revealed to make huge profits at the expense of farmers, communities and the environment. It is also abusing the power that results from its huge market share. In Tescos CSR report (BBC, 2007), Tesco was exposed to fail in supporting the UK farmers. In 2002, at the height of the UK apple season it was disclosed that less than half of apples on Tesco shelves were UK sourced. This practice is obviously contrasted with the Supermarket Code of Practice, which was meant to redress the balance between the biggest supermarkets and their suppliers. The big four supermarkets, including Tesco, were still using the same unfair trading practices that the Code was meant to stop. In response to such claim, Tesco states: We have a long-standing commitment to source as much UK produce as possible (Tesco, 2007). Tesco refers to its commitment to UK farming and claims that it has always provided support to British farmers in the past years. It said that as its business grows, so has that of its suppliers. It claimed that it has been developing long term working relationships with its suppliers and by working together, they can both meet customer needs and have both grown their market share together. In addition, according to the BBC (2006), Tesco has been blamed after one of its suppliers, Northern Foods which announced that it will close its Trafford Park Bakery in Manchester and this action lead to 690 jobs cut. The closure of Northern Foods is part of a shake-up announced in May after poor sales triggered two profit warnings. Critics claimed that as part of CSR practice, Tesco should be more supportive as promised in its CSR policy which stated that it has always been supportive to everyone involved in its business. In contrast, Tesco surprised and shocked the General Workers Union by doing nothing to support these 690 workers. Critics stated that this action of Tesco showed that it is throwing its buying power weight about by depressing prices and moving production at will to other plants (BBC, 2006). In response to the claim that it does not employ CSR practice and abuse power, a spokeswoman of Tesco said in respond that Tesco is regret to learn that Trafford Park is closing and that Northern Foods have taken the decision to resign Tescos pastry business at the site. Tesco spokesman said that they have been as supportive as they can be to improve the performance of the site. A spokesman of Tesco also added that when it was told by Northern Foods about the closure of Trafford Park, Tesco did ask if it could move this business to another site or sites. However, Northern Foods told that there is not enough capacity to do the business. Tescos spokesman also said that Tesco will continue to work closely with Northern Foods who will still supply it with a significant number of other products across other areas of its business. Tesco also emphasised that it will be working with its supply base to ensure the availability of sausage rolls, pies and quiches for its customers (BBC, 2006). However, from the eyes of critics, Tescos action does not fall into the scope of CSR practice. In the past years, many retailers have been taking part in Fare Trade products as they have become in the interest of customers. Thus, as the demand in for Fair Trade products, especially bananas has been increasing, Tesco has decided to support the scheme. However, a survey has revealed that Fair Trade bananas in Tesco are fall in the scope of Unfair Trade (Friend of the Earth, 2003). Banana Link, a small and dynamic not-for-profit co-operative founded in 1996 to campaign for a fair and sustainable banana trade, approximated the weekly profit from banana in Tesco for  £1 million and this is enough to employ 30,000 full-time banana plantation workers at a living wage. And this would be twice of what they are earning now. This means that workers in banana plantation are paid just a penny for every pounds worth of bananas sold in Tesco and this without a doubt is not enough to feed their families. While Tesco takes  £0.40p, importers hardly hit break even point just to stay as Tes co suppliers. If Tesco finds that suppliers make a mistake in packaging requirements, they have to pay Tesco  £25,000 as emergency product withdrawals (Friend of the Earth, 2003). Tesco requests suppliers to make the payments to cover the costs of its compliance with the Ethical Trading Initiative. This means that this demanded payment would be tough for smaller businesses. Supermarkets, including Tesco use bananas as a key item in their price wars. However, Tesco is not the one that suffers the cut in price. Since 2003, Tesco banana contract put its suppliers in the position where they cannot pay legal minimum prices in most banana exporting countries and are forced to supply fruit from the most environmentally and abusive socially sources. To rid such claim, Tesco insisted: Tesco supports the work of the Fair Trade Foundation. This year we launched our own brand Fair Trade bananas sourced from the Windward Islands (Tesco, 2008). However, many critics still find that this statement is unjustified and that the public did not get the whole truth, suggesting that Tesco needs to fully employ CSR practice. In term of sustaining communities, Tesco failed to meet the code of CSR practice. According to the BBC (2004) Tesco is facing a challenge to its purchase of the London-based Europa, Harts and Cullens stores. Trade body the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) made an appeal with the Competition Appeals Tribunal with an aim to block the deal. Tesco had received a clearance from the Office of Fair Trading to buy the convenience stores from their parent company Adminstore. However, the FWD said the deal would be both bad for consumers, competition and communities. This is because the FWD found that every time a large supermarket like Tesco opens, there would an average 276 jobs lost (BBC, 2007). The FWD said that Tesco may use convincing evidences to perverse that it boosts the local economy every time it opens new stores. However, what Tesco does is the opposite when it opens new supermarkets. It has been approximated that a supermarket opening will cause the closure of all village shops within a seven mile radius (BBC, 2007). And Tesco tends to import food into the area, making local sourcing to be just a niche market. To deal with such criticism, Tesco states in its official website and CSR policy: Tesco invests in all types of communities throughout the UK, providing jobs and careers for local people. Making jobs and economic activities stay in, or close to, local neighbourhoods starts to boost the local economy (Tesco, 2008). With regards to environment, the BBC (2007) disclosed that Tesco recycling campaign and its claim in the CSR report do not relate to the products on Tesco shelves. It was revealed Tesco stated its success rate of recycling in its CSR report as nearly 80% of its packaging waste relates to waste from its own operations, mainly from a long distance transit of produce which requires additional packaging. Thus, critics suggested that the best way for Tesco is to reduce packaging waste is to lessen the use of packaging materials in the first place rather than to recycle the materials after use. In response to this critic, Tesco say in its CSR report: Tesco is committed to protecting the environment by doing what we can to reduce our waste. We are looking for ways to minimise product packaging recycling wherever possible (Tesco, 2008). CHAPTER 2 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Overview of Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) According to Kotler. P and Lee.n (2005, p.2) doing the most good for your company and your cause. By comparing good it has too many sights to give attention. A quick browse of different web sites for the fortune 500 reveals that good goes by many names, including corporate social responsibility, corporate community involvement, community relations, community affairs, community development, corporate responsibility, global citizenship, and corporate societal marketing. In order to do the best practice of CSR the authors prefer to use following definition: Corporate social responsibility is a commitment to improve community well being through discretionary business practices and contributions of corporate resources. A key element of this definition is the word discretionary, it referring to business activities, which are managed by law or moral ethics. Like as voluntary commitment to its serving community. If this sort of practices is managed by the company than it will be describe as socially responsible. According to Price Waterhouse Coopers (2005-2008) the greatest asset of any retail and consumer product company is its reputation and its perceived value among consumers. Today, consumers around the world, particularly in Europe, are concerned how a company manufacturers its product and whether it is managing for continued sustainability through attention to economic, environmental, and social performance. If not, a brands reputation can decline, and with it, an attendant decreases in future sales and profits. It is especially important for retail and consumer product companies to maintain the reputation integrity of their brand and to be socially responsible throughout their business operations since their products and services are usually marketed directly to product purchasers. According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) defines CSR as the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their families and the local communities (WBCSD, 2001). Hence the fundamental idea of CSR is that business corporations have an obligation to work towards meeting the needs of a wider area of stakeholders (Clarkson, 1995; Wad dock et al., 2002). More generally, CSR is a set of management practices that ensures the company maximizes the positive impacts of its operations on society or operating in a manner that meets and even exceeds the legal, ethical, commercial and public expectations that society has of business(BSR, 2001). 2.2 Definition of CSR The Institute of Directors, a UK-based trade group, has also presented another Good definition of CSR: CSR is about businesses and other organizations going beyond the legal obligations to manage the impact they have on the environment and society. In Particular, this could include how organizations interact with their employees, suppliers, customers and the communities in which they operate, as well as the extent they attempt to protect the environment (Lea, 2002). I think the above definition captures most of what CSR is all about. According to Tom Cannon (1994, p, 32, 33, 38, 44, 45,) corporate responsibility, the role of business in society is depending on business types and as well time of change. Business corporations exist primarily to produce goods and service that society wants and needs. Achieving this objective is their first and foremost responsibility; if they are unsuccessful in this mission, they cannot reasonably be expected to assume others. Simultaneously, business depends for its survival and long-term prosperity on society providing the resources such as people, raw materials, services, infrastructure which it needs to convert inputs into profitable goods or services. Business relies on society supplying a means of exchange typically money to allow it to convert the goods it produces into assets. Society is expected to provide an environment in which business can develop and prosper, allowing investors to earn returns while ensuring that the stakeholders and their dependents can enjoy the benefits of their involvement without fear of arbitrary or unjust action. An organization must support the established or prestigious programme; develop those activities, which endorse or sustain its position; and concentrate its investment in certain areas. Society expects many things of its corporate sectors, from the corporate its stakeholders expects lots of outcomes and they are classified by the relationship to the business. For the owners point of view the primary expectation will be financial returns, if the corporate is able to return good financial returns to its owners then the corporate will added values to the company. Same like the employees pay and additionally the working environment and training facilities. For customer it needs to supply of goods and services and secondly the quality of goods. Creditors need to have the assurance and secondly the security of money backs on time. The supplier wants firstly their payment and secondly long-term relationships. The community wants safety and security and secondly wants contribution to community. And the government wants from the business the compliance and secondly wants the improved competitiveness. According to Ramanathan (1976) argued that there is a social contract between organization and society. Jaggi and Zhao (1996) also agreed with the social contract view when they argued that organizations do not exit in a vacuum, but are part of a society, which creates and supports them. Society will not take too kindly to corporations, which fail to recognize and support important social values. Organizations are aware that society will not hesitate to use different sanctions to punish or bring to book any irresponsible act or omission by an organization as and when deemed necessary. In work done by (Gray et al, 1995, 1996; Guthrie and Parker, 1990; Patten, 1992; Roberts, 1992). Holland and Foo (2003) noted that the unregulated nature of the disclosure in CSR reports could only allow the development the relationship of reporter, which provides a degree of accountability. Corporate stakeholders have the right to know what contributions corporate entities are making to society. The provision of information, which satisfies this need, is known as accountability; hence Gray et al. (1996) defined accountability as the duty to provide an account of action or reckoning of those actions for Which one is held responsible. Hackston and Milne (1996) also supported the view that corporate entities should be held responsible for their actions that affect society. In the light of this, a recent survey (DTI, 2001) of 45 global and large companies operating in the EU showed that over 90 per cent reported on their mission, vision and values, workplace climate, community involvement, local economic development, market place and environmental impact. 2.3 History of CSR The nature and scope of corporate social responsibility has changed over time. The concept of CSR is a relatively new one—the phrase has only been in wide use since the 1960s.In the eighteenth century the great economist and philosopher Adam Smith expressed the traditional or classical economic model of business. In essence, this model suggested that the needs and desires of society could best be met by the unfettered interaction of individuals and organizations in the marketplace. By acting in a self-interested manner, individuals would produce and deliver the goods and services that would earn them a profit, but also meet the needs of others. The viewpoint expressed by Adam Smith over 200 years ago still forms the basis for free-market economies in the twenty-first century. In the century after Adam Smith, the Industrial Revolution contributed to radical change, especially in Europe and the United States. Millions of people obtained jobs that paid more than they had ever made before and the standard of living greatly improved. Large organizations developed and acquired great power, and their founders and owners became some of the richest and most powerful men in the world. In the late nineteenth century many of these individuals believed in and practiced a philosophy that came to be called Social Darwinism, which, in simple form, is the idea that the principles of natural selection and survival of the fittest are applicable to business and social policy. This type of philosophy justified cutthroat, even brutal, competitive strategies and did not allow for much concern about the impact of the successful corporation on employees, the community, or the larger society. In the 1960s and 1970s the civil rights movement, consumerism, and environmentalism affected societys expectations of business. Based on the general idea that those with great power have great responsibility, many called for the business world to be more proactive in (1) ceasing to cause societal problems and (2) starting to participate in solving societal problems. Many legal mandates were placed on business related to equal employment opportunity, product safety, worker safety, and the environment. Furthermore, society began to expect business to voluntarily participate in solving societal problems whether they had caused the problems or not. This view of corporate social responsibility is the prevailing view in much of the world today. 2.4 Benefits of CSR Disclosure Implementing the CSR concept in an organization, there are lots of benefits an organization can get examples are: increased customer loyalty, more supportive communities, the recruitment and retention of more talented employees, improved quality and productivity and the avoidance of potential reputational risks which may arise from environmental incidents. However, Cooper (2003) noted that the practical experience of early adopters of CSR reports was mixed. Some companies noticed that instead of the provision of the reports enhancing companies reputation, it actually attracted adverse comments by drawing attention to divergences between the values espoused by the company and its actual behavior. One can only view this as an inevitable teething problem, which would over time disappear from the corporate scene. Coopers survey of FTSE 250 companies found that less than 33 per cent of companies considered that their CSR activities resulted in improved customer loyalty while only 20 per c ent believed that it enhanced staff recruitment and retention. Cooper concluded that the benefits may be more subtle and realized over a longer timescale than is sometimes suggested, but there is no doubt that the resulting benefit will be enormous in the long run. Despite these perceived benefits, Schaltegger et al. (1996) have argued that one of the driving forces in the popularity of CSR reports was the need to appease some user groups, e.g. environmental activists. 2.5 Framework of CSR CSR framework provides a standard for social and ethical accounting, auditing and reporting. It includes mandatory external verification and stakeholder engagement. Tescos CSR report published in annually and it has KPI, where the CSR people have to work hard to develop in next financial year. Work has done by the Institute of Business Ethics covers the fairness to employees, suppliers, customers, equity and loan creditors, contribution to community and protection of the environment. The framework provides that an independent verifier should assess the company performance annually. According to Social Accountability (SA) there are lots of fields to look at which are trade union, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the basis of International Labors Organization (ILO) conventions the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN convention on the Rights of the Child. This standard focuses on child labors, forced labors, health and safety, working hours, discrimination, discipline, free association and collective bargaining. Any organization recognizes that it has a duty to act as a responsible corporate citizen, by meeting its obligations to all its stakeholders shareholders, customers, employees and the local, national and global communities in which it operates. In this work done by Peter Jones, David Hillier, Daphne Comfort, Ian Eastwood in Management Research News, at Patrington: 2005. Vol. 28, Iss. 1; pg. 34, 11 pgs describes the awareness of consumerism and sustainable development. It provides the basic outline of sustainable development and how it relates to the business as a successful retailer. Here the retailers are increasingly recommending on social issues, for example, social inclusion, ethnical trading, healthy living, training, health and safety, community support initiatives under a broadly sustainable agenda. However, on this report there is no model used for measuring the standard of CSR. Here the author looking in different companys report and letting the reader, sustainable development is important and it gives the stakeholders enough confidences to invest or employees to work for the company. If the author add the model of Key performance Indicator (KPI) then it will be good enough to measure the level of CSR. In this wor k done by Peter Jones, David Hillier, Daphne Comfort, Ian Eastwood in International Journal and Retail and distribution Management, Bradford: 2005. Vol. 33, Iss. 2/3; pg. 207, 8 pgs suggests that the majority of the major retailers are addressing sustainability agendas, that they recognize, albeit in varying measure, the impacts their businesses have on the environment, the economy and society and several of them are looking to measure and benchmark their performance. But on this report the author did not mentions about fair trade and how it will impact on the supply chain on the organization. If any organization can build up a good relation between supplier and consumer providing good money to the supplier and best product and service to their customer then it will increase the market loyalty, which will increase the goodwill to its whole stakeholders. 2.6 CSR in UK Practice Within the last few decades corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been fast momentum across the business community and it is seen to be gradually higher on boardroom agendas. Many of the UKs top retailers are major employers, they continue to be very much at the leading edging of innovation and growth and many of them recognized the impacts they have on the environment, on society and on the economy. They are increasingly keen to communicate their commitment to CSR to their shareholders, their customers, their employees, to government and to the public at large. Mixtures of factors are cited as being essential in building the current momentum behind CSR. Ernst Young (2002) recommend that there are five key drivers, which have influenced the increasing business, focus on CSR namely greater stakeholder awareness of corporate ethical, social and environmental behavior; direct stakeholder pressures; investor pressure; peer pressure and a heightened sense of social responsibility. Th e Governments approach is to encourage and incentive the adoption and reporting of CSR through best practice guidance, and, where appropriate, intelligent regulation and fiscal incentives. The government also looks at Pensions Act Amendment, Transparency. The Government encourages companies to report on their CSR performance in a number of ways such as Issued guidance on environmental reporting, Supported initiatives promoting company reporting, Provide the guidance for the financial services sector and the ACCA sustainability reporting awards, Supported the Global reporting Initiative and The enhanced business review requirements of the Companies Act. The UK government focusing their attention in four key areas, namely promoting good practice, supporting work to demonstrate the business case, promoting international action on CSR and joining up action across government (DTI, 2001). The recommendations in the European Unions Fifth Action Programme on the Environment embedded in the report Towards Sustainability (1992) has contributed to the current interests in this area. The report calls on organizations to provide information on a number of areas, namely: details of their environmental policy and activities and the effects thereof in their annual reports, their expenses on environmental programmers, and make provisions in their accounts for environmental risks and future environmental expenses. A number of the top ten retailers report on the improvement and/or use of CSR Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Tesco, for example, employs some 18 CSR KPIs covering economic, environmental and economic issues and containing 24 specific targets. In choosing these KPIs the company uses one or more of four criteria, namely customer priorities; staff priorities; business priorities; and compliance with legislation or public policy. The companys CSR report provides a brief description of the annual target for each KPI, outlines the actual performance against each target and sets a target for the following year. During 2003/2004 the company exceeded expectations on 18 of its targets, met 13 and was below target on three. Where possible verification of the data used for the KPIs is carried out using external sources including market share data, independent surveys, services bills and audits for the Emissions Trading Scheme and Climate Change Levy Agreement. 2.7 Criteria of CSR practices and Effectiveness In order to practices effectively it needs accuracy of commitment, facing the challenge and work with coordination in between corporate bodies in the entire business. In this case the effective can be measured by (KPI) at annually while doing the financial report. It also monitored and justified their work by different independent person for whole year and makes a comment for improvement if needed. By doing survey, how the business can improve such as expectation from stakeholders, community, and government and for its own employees then it can find some direction, which they can follow. By following those steps the company can reach its most effective practices at CSR level. 2.8 Conclusion This chapter has reviewed the literature regarding the CSR, measuring the performance within organizations. The literature review has examined some common themes emerging from the implementation of the CSR in real practices. After reviewing the past works, it is very clear that CSR is vast growing concern and its important in business is essential. So in real business CSR is seen quite common and practices by the corporate bodies effectively. In order to measurement the performances of CSR, they have to maintain the model, which called (KPI). Around the business many related groups looking for improvement of CSR performances because of their profit interest. CHAPTER 3 3. METHODOLOGY 3.1 Data collection After some deliberation, we decided on asking for perceptual data from the middle management individual responsible for CSR activity at the firm. Previous studies have principally relied on aggregate measures of financial performance that have provided inconclusive evidence for a CSR-financial performance linkage. Accordingly, we have focused on the firm project level in order to discover how value is created by strategic CSR. We began this paper by stating that Corporate social Responsibility in Tesco . As we argued earlier, there is no consensus that CSR can, or even should, be managed for profit, just as other business processes are managed for profit. As a result, well-intentioned CSR researchers have sought to find a way to demonstrate CSR profitability without having to claim that management takes strategic action to create value. This research agenda did not succeed because it could not specify how competitive advantage and value are created. In order to do so, we have chosen to focus on middle management, precisely because they are in the best position to explain the strategic intent of their portfolio of social action projects, Working from managerial intent requires accepting certain trade-offs. By shifting to a more micro focus, we also leave behind more objective indicators of value creation. On the project level, one would almost have to engage in a cost-benefit analysis of each project in order to determine the value created. Firms do not yet engage in such fine-grained evaluation of their CSR projects. Given the current state of the art of CSR management and reporting, we decided that we needed to rely on the perceptions of the managers responsible for CSR regarding the strategic goals of CSR projects. Such perceptions of firm benefits and of the quality of stakeholder relations may be biased. In response to this issue, we have applied the necessary methods to control for possible bias. Support for using perceptual managerial data rather than external stakeholders and other secondary databases come from the theoretical literature and from practical research issues. There is considerable theoretical support for using perceptual data if, in fact, managerial decision making is driven by the beliefs of top management, it makes sense to ask how management perceive the environment and the extent to which they believe they are responding to CSR challenges in a strategic fashion. It is crucial to test the extent to which top management seeks competitive advantage and value creation via CSR in an uncertain environment. On a practical level, external databases of CSR and reputation surveys in UK principally ask top management which firms they most admire. The resultant reputation and CSR rankings overweight firm size and profitability. External stakeholder groups, in particular NGOs, rarely deal with a large cross-section of firms and either speak favourably of partners with whom they collaborate or negatively of large firms that have conflicts with specific stakeholders. However, the managers we questioned are well aware of their firms PR and marketing programs for CSR and corporate reputation. These managers from the kinds of large companies we surveyed are well aware of their rankings in the CSR and reputation surveys. Our use of perceptual measures

Paper Cranes :: Creative Writing Essays

Paper Cranes 1. From the Menninger Institute's seven criteria for emotional maturity: The capacity to find more satisfaction in giving than receiving. The capacity to relate to other people in a consistent manner with mutual satisfaction and helpfulness. The capacity to love. 2. In the opening scene of the film L.I.E., the main character, Howie, a fifteen-year-old boy with baggie jeans and hair that does a chipmunk tail flip at the top of his forehead, jumps up to stand on the railing of an overpass on the Long Island Expressway. Arms extended to the sides, he tightrope walks to the left. He stops, turns, and begins back. Then stops again and lifts one foot so he's balanced only on the tip of one sneaker, on a metal beam the width of a cassette tape. We, the audience, see him from behind: a thin figure in too-big clothes, car after car after car whizzing by beneath him, all oblivious to the boy who, with just the slightest sudden gust, could land, crumpled, on their roof. As you watch, all you want to do is wrap your arms around the boy and hug him to the ground, to safety, to chiding words about what could've happened, and keep on hugging him. And as you watch the rest of the movie, that feeling never leaves: Howie only seems more and more alone. You see th e already motherless Howie abandoned by his father, abandoned by the boy he'd thought was his best friend, bullied at school, until the only person left to listen to him at all is a middle-aged man who also happens to be a pedophile. At first I was outraged that the director portrayed this pedophile as the only person willing to put a supportive arm around Howie's shoulder. After all, aren't pedophiles scum? But then I realized that maybe that was the point. It's easy to judge. And it's easy to keep speeding home, aware only of the other metal boxes zooming along next to you in tenuous synchrony. 3. When I was little I got fevers. They were uncomfortable fevers that made it so all I could think about was feeling nauseous and anticipating the moment when I would feel well enough to eat the promised popsicle. But the worst part was at night, when I'd float somewhere in and out of consciousness: since I wasn't always sure if I was sleeping or not, I wasn't sure when I was dreaming or not, either.

Radio Frequency Weapons and the Next Phase of Terrorism :: September 11 Terrorism Essays

Radio Frequency Weapons and the Next Phase of Terrorism         Ã‚  Ã‚  Abstract:   This paper examines different types of radio frequency ("RF") weapons that are currently being developed.   It discusses the different types of weapons that currently exist, explains why they would be useful to terrorists, and explores different ways to defend against them.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recent media articles have put forth the idea of the "RF weapon," something that has been described as if it were a magical gun that can bring the United States to its knees.   While these weapons do exist, the threat they pose is far less widespread and dangerous than articles such as "RF Weapons Attacking Our Freedom?" propose.   Having said that, however, the threat is real, and steps need to be taken to defend against RF weaponry.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the first distinctions that should be drawn in this discussion is that between RF weapons and EMP weapons.   An EMP (electromagnetic pulse) is usually employed by detonating a thermonuclear devices at high altitudes (500 miles or more) above the Earth.   The resulting electromagnetic pulse cripples any electronic equipment within its path.   Thus, one nuclear device can be used to cripple the modern infrastructure of an entire nation [1].   An RF device is effective over a much smaller range, but it can cause just as much damage [2].      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to David Shriner, a former military engineer and expert on RF technology, there are a number of different types of RF weapons, which are also referred to as High Powered Microwave (HPM) weapons.   The first type is the conventional RF weapon, which sends out a concentrated band of radio waves toward a target.   These radio waves act in a way similar to the waves inside a normal microwave oven; given a sufficient amount of power, they can be used to heat and damage electronic equipment operating at the same frequency.   Because of this need to match frequency with the target, conventional RF weapons require prior research and intelligence before they can be deployed effectively by terrorists [3].      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A second, more insidious type of HPM weapon is what Shriner calls the Transient Electromagnetic Device (TED).   Instead of producing a sine wave at a particular frequency (as conventional RF devices do), the TED creates a sudden spike of energy that can last as little as 100 picoseconds (the amount of time it takes light to travel about 1.

Stoppards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-Five :: comparison compare contrast essays

Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five That we, people, are "bugs in amber" is one of the main themes of Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse-Five; or Children's Crusade. Tom Stoppard's play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is, in my opinion, very similar to this book. While Slaugterhouse-Five is an American novel, a mixture of the author's Second World War experiences and science fiction genre, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is a British play set into William Shakespeare's Hamlet. What are these two literary works similar in, then? It is the central theme. Both works show that we are physically stuck in this world, our future is already given, and we have no way of escaping our destiny. Both writers provide a little room for their character's imagination which is, in my opinion, crucial item of both literary works. In this paper I will try to use Kurt Vonnegut's novel to help me point out the major theme of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and to explain and clarify the theme's meaning and main message. The main theme of Slaughterhouse-Five is expressed several times throughout the novel. One of the examples is the passage which shows (from the view of the Tralfamadorians -- alien beings) that the future is given and that one cannot change it. "All moments, past, present, and future, always have existed, always will exist. The Tralfamadorians can look at all the different moments just the way we can look at a stretch of the Rocky Mountains, for instance." (Vonnegut:27) Another passage of the novel describes the theme more directly. It is the part when the Tralfamadorians kidnap Billy Pilgrim and he asks "why?". "Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber? Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this

Electrical safety Essay

1. Perform an Internet search about home electrical safety. What are the advantages of using a circuit with a GFI detector when completing a physics lab that uses hot water? (2 points) The advantages of using a circuit with a GFI detector when completing a physics lab that uses hot water is that it prevents you from getting shocked. If part of your body were to be touching water or the ground the GFI detector would help prevent electrocution should the equipment have a short in it. 2. Conduct an Internet search for information on home fire safety. Discuss several common, careless practices that may lead to a home fire while conducting a home physics experiment. (2 points) There are a number of dangers that may lead to a fire when doing a physics experiment if one is being careless. Some common examples are as follows; handling flammable liquids carelessly, a Bunsen burner or other gas emitting equipment that has cracks or leaks, not heating flammable chemicals in a water bath and a student who is not paying attention and leaves an open flame unattended. All these examples may cause dangerous situations and can all be easily prevented should the experiment be done with caution. 3. Discuss three things you can do to protect yourself from contamination/injury in the laboratory. (3 points) Aside from merely being careful there are a number of ways you can protect yourself from contamination and or injury in the laboratory. The first would be to not have an open beverage and or food in the laboratory as this could easily become contaminated. Pens, pencils and all other materials should be kept out of your mouth. Avoid having long hair dangling in the work space as well as loose clothing, jewelry and wearing open toed shoes as these can all cause dangerous situations for injury. Always dispose of glass material in the appropriate labeled container, know all locations for emergency equipment such as a fire extinguisher and first aid kit and always know how  to operate the equipment you are using before doing so. 4. Discuss the steps of the scientific method. (5 points) The scientific method is a series of steps we use in order to perform an experiment. The first of these steps is to observe, at this stage you are creating an interest or wonder in something. The second step is to hypothesize or form a question of what you think the outcome of the experiment will be with support from your observations. Experimenting is the third step which includes two groups both identical except for the variable you are trying to test called the independent variable. These groups are known as the control (remains unchanged) and the experimental group (the one with a changed variable). The conclusion is the final step and at this stage the hypothesis is either accepted or rejected. 5. Compare and contrast a scientific law or principle with a scientific theory. (2 points) A scientific law or principle is different than a scientific theory in a few crucial ways. A scientific law is something that has been proven correct by numerous different people a number of different times all concluding that it is correct. A scientific theory is a guess or belief that something is true and may or may not be correct, some may support it and others may not but it has not been proven overwhelmingly true. 6. Imagine you are a tour guide for a major science laboratory. Write a short script for a tour that summarizes what scientists should (or shouldn’t) wear in the lab, what safety precautions they should take, their cleanliness rules, and what they should do in case of an accident. Your script should contain at least ten of the rules or other important points from the lesson. (5 points) â€Å"Good morning prospective scientists my name is Heather Klein and I will be your tour guide this wonderful day. We are going to begin our tour with some important safety guides in order for everyone to be the best, safest scientists they can be!† â€Å"There will be no eating or drinking out of an open container in the lab! We are all to be wearing close toed shoes, with no baggy clothing or jewelry and hair is to be tied back as all of these can cause dangerous situations. It is important that no one  wear contact lenses and we all wear glasses or goggles when working with dangerous chemicals. Before beginning labs we are to disinfect our counter tops with a 10% bleach solution. Upon beginning the lab each of our scientists makes sure there is only necessary materials at the work place. They are also very aware of how to use the equipment before they begin and make a mental note of all the exits and safety material in case of an accident. When it’s time to dispose of chemicals our scientists always do so in the appropriate containers especially glass. Should there be an injury in the lab, it is to be reported to the instructor or medical professional immediately. We always conclude our experiments with thoroughly cleaning the area and our hands as dangerous chemicals may go unnoticed otherwise. We hope everyone enjoys the tour and respects the important safety rules.† 7. How can you use the information regarding laboratory safety, or how can you apply this knowledge to your everyday life as a non-scientist? (2 points) The knowledge of laboratory safety may be used in everyday life in a number of ways. In the laboratory it is important to pay attention to what you are doing, use something and then put it back in the correct location and not use equipment you are unfamiliar with. These same ideals can be incorporated into everyday life as it is also important to pay attention, not leave dangerous items unattended and to not use things without first permission or knowledge on how to use them. Even non-scientists should abide by these rules in everyday life as it can prevent accidents or dangerous situations. 8. In the morning, you get in your car on the way to work, turn the key, and nothing happens! Use the steps of the scientific method to explain how you would solve this problem. (4 points) In order to solve the problem of my car not starting I would use the steps in the scientific method to first observe if there are any obvious signs as to why the car isn’t starting. I would then form a hypothesis as to why I believe the car isn’t starting such as, â€Å"The car wont start due to the fact the battery is dead from a light being left on†. In order to test my experiment I would hook my car up to another car via some jumper cables and then again try and start it again. If it worked my hypothesis is correct and I am off to work for another day. If the car does not start than I am  incorrect and I must again observe, hypothesize, test my hypothesis in experiment and find my conclusion.