Corporate Social Responsibility College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate Social Responsibility College - Essay Example (Marrewijk 2003 p 95). The European Commission (2001) defines CSR so that it incorporates social, environmental and economical aspects: CSR is a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis." (European Commission 2001) Companies like UPS, FedEx, DHL and a large number of other multinational and smaller organisations are beginning to, or indeed already have taken the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) very seriously. The logistics and transportation sector plays a positive role in the economic development of societies, spreading opportunity and acting as a backbone for global development and communication, as well as contributing to communities. However, this sector also faces some strong emerging challenges to its perceived social responsibilities. The core business of this industry's direct relation with major sustainability issues such as environmental impact, traffic congestion, energy waste, safety and security, and sustainable infrastructure, puts logistics firms under the careful inspection of various stakeholders. There is a group of consumers who consider CSR in their purchasing decisions (Mohr Webb Harris 2001 p 45). 0ver the past few years, socially responsible consumers have been studied in relation to boycott behaviour (e.g. Klein 2003 p10 ) and cause related marketing (e.g. Polonsky 2001 p8) and it has been found that "negative CSR associations can have a detrimental effect on overall product evaluations, whereas positive CSR associations can enhance product evaluations" (Brown and Dacin 1997, p. 80). Recent surveys in Europe, the U.S. and Australia also suggest consumers do consider CSR policies in their purchasing decisions. The majority of surveyed consumers say they would pay more for goods and services marketed by socially responsible companies. (MORI 2001; Lloyd 2003 p58). Furthermore, as Kotler (1972) predicted, socially responsible consumer behaviour is growing . UPS UPS is one of the most active corporations in logistics sector on CSR issues. They are the biggest of 8 logistic companies in the world with a full triple bottom line report which is aligned with GRI; both sustainability and CSR are mentioned in their annual report for the last 3 years. The UPS website states that sustainability is in the heart of their business strategy. All CSR programs and initiatives are seen as business-as-usual in a well-managed company. Both the Chairman's statement and company mission statement explicitly states the importance of being a good corporate citizen. The Annual report includes a section called "Our Sustainability Statement". UPS has consistently ranked among the most admired companies in the country. They have reinforced the reputation of dependability and reliability by being conservative financially, being good corporate citizens and emphasizing social responsibility in the community. UPS is a tough competitive company but they understand the responsibility of a market leader. UPS policy promotes initiatives with the United Way, developing sustainability, increasing diversity, and limiting

China - Literature Development, Confucianism and Revolutions Essay

China - Literature Development, Confucianism and Revolutions - Essay Example Additionally, the essay discusses the philosophy of Confucius herein referred as Confucianism and how it has influenced the lives of the people of China in reality to date. Finally, the paper provides an in-depth analysis of the 1911 – 1949 revolution as the revolution with the greatest impact on China socially, economically and politically. A brief summary conclusion shall be provided that summarizes the thoughts in this essay. Redness or red as it were was a term used to refer to certain attitudes that were political and ideological. They were prescribed by the doctrine of Maoist. The expert on the other hand usually juxtaposed with the reds was used to denote special skills or knowledge in science or technology. As such tension existed between the two groups in the twentieth century in China with the two terms used in juxtaposition to one another (Schoppa, pg.112). Therefore redness had to do with the political and ideological attitudes while experts were intellectuals in this period. As such during the twentieth century, the two sides conflicted with beliefs that the two were mutually exclusive and could not be combined. Strauss, (578 -580) explains: As the two sides differed in ideologies it became difficult for them to strike a balance between the two in China. Chinese literature was indeed very crucial for nation building having a very resilient traditional cultural legacy. Thus it defined Chinese nationalism. Therefore striking a balance between reds and experts became one great challenge for this nation. The nation then took to carry out education reforms from the 1950s onwards and Chinese literature entangled with the nation building. As such the nation’s culture was defined by its literature. In the wake of a movement called the new culture, Kaozheng (reds) method came to be first provided. This was in 1917. Through this, a novel was written in vernacular focusing on canonizing the literature of Chinese.

Strategic Human Resource Management Essay Example for Free

Strategic Human Resource Management Essay To simply define Human Resource Management (HRM), it is a management function that helps managers recruit, select, train and develop members for an organization. Obviously, HRM is concerned with the people’s dimension in organizations. When we say HRM of the organization, it is concerned with all the departments of it. In the marketing department, people consult products or services that lead to the sale. In the sales department, people sell products or give services to the customers. And also in finance, people manage and forecast the flow of money in the organization. All these functions cannot be accomplished without the help of the human resources and people are the ones that can make the organization achieve its objectives. And when the strategies come together with HRM, there comes Strategic Human Resource Management (strategic HRM or SHRM). It may be regarded as an approach to the management of human resources that provides a strategic framework to support long-term business goals and outcomes. The approach is concerned with longer-term people issues and macro-concerns about structure, quality, culture, values, commitment and matching resources to future need. First, according to Strategic Marketing Management by Wilson, Gilligan and Pearson, I would like to express the different levels within the organization that strategies must be developed. They are: * Corporate strategy, which deals with the allocation of resources among the various businesses or divisions of an organization. * Business strategy, which exists at the level of the individual business or division, dealing primarily with the question of competitive position. * Functional level strategy, that is limited to the actions of specific functions within specific businesses. The above strategies are set at the different levels to achieve a major or overall aim of the organization. The strategic approach addresses issues and needs relating to changes in structure and culture, organizational effectiveness and performance — matching human resources to future requirements, the development of distinctive capabilities and intellectual capital and the management of change. There are five functional areas identified by Bratton and Gold in forming the core of human resource management activities. Staffing: Obtaining people with appropriate skills, abilities, knowledge and experience to fill jobs in the work organization. This role encompasses human resource planning, job analysis, recruitment and selection. * Rewards: The design and administration of reward systems. This role includes job evaluation, performance appraisal and benefits. * Employee development: Analyzing training requirements to ensure that employees possess the knowledge and skills to perfo rm satisfactory in their jobs or to advance in the organization. Employee maintenance: The administration and monitoring of workplace safety, health and welfare policies to retain a competent workforce and comply with statutory standards and regulations. * Employee relations: Under this heading may be a range of employee involvement/ participation schemes in union or non-union workplaces. In a union environment, it also includes negotiations between management and union representatives over decisions affecting the employment contract. With the best HRM policies and practices, HRM strategy does more than drawing boundaries; it also recognizes and addresses peoples needs. The best HRM practices contribute the four outcomes as follow: * Competence: Employees are versatile in their skills and can take on new roles and jobs as needed and are better able to respond to changes in environmental demands. * Commitment: Enhance mutual trust and better communication between employees and managers. * Congruence: All stakeholders share a common purpose and collaborate in solving problems brought about by changes in environmental demands. * Cost effectiveness: HRM policies are cost-effective in terms of wages, benefits, turnover, absenteeism, strikes, and similar factors. Here is the example of â€Å"Starbucks† which is one of the best known and fastest growing companies in the world that invest a lot in human resources. Starbucks believed that the companys success and rapid growth could be attributed largely to its committed and motivated workforce. Consequently, the companys human resource policies reflected its commitment to its employees. Starbucks cared about its employees and was one of the few companies in the retail sector to provide generous benefits to both full time workers as well as part timers. This ensured that employees remained motivated, and Starbucks had a relatively low employee turnover. However, in the early 2000s, the company faced the challenge of finding and retaining the right number and kind of employees to man its future growth. Despite the fact that employees, especially those on the frontline, are critical to the success of retail businesses, most companies do not have a strong relationship with their employees, and consequently suffer from a high rate of employee turnover (In the early 2000s, employee turnover in the retail industry was around 200 percent). In this scenario, Starbucks stood out for its employee-friendly policies and supportive work culture. The company was especially noted for the extension of its benefits program to part-time workers something that not many other companies offered. They are offered health and dental coverage, vision care, life and disability insurance, paid time off, a retirement savings plan, stock options and a discounted stock purchase plan, adoption assistance, domestic partner benefits, emergency financial aid and a free pound of coffee every week. As a result, Starbucks employees were among the most productive in the industry and the company had a relatively low employee turnover. The above example proves that HRM is the crucial source of competitive advantage to be a successful organization in the business environment. Thus, as I have discussed so far, you may have some ideas about Human Resource Management and notice how much it is important for an organization. Reference 1. Aswathappa, K. Human Resource and Personnel Management (Fourth Edition ed. ), (pg. 5) 2. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Starbucks. (2013, January 17 Thursday). Retrieved from en. wikipedia. org. 3. http://www. hrtutorials. com/cs-model-evaluating-human-resources/. (2013, January 17 Thursday). Retrieved from www. hrtutorials. com. 4. http://www. icmrindia. org/casestudies/catalogue/Human%20Resource%20and%20Organization%20Behavior/HROB068. htm. (2013, January 15 Tuesday). Retrieved from www. icmrindia. org. 5. http://www. mainstreet. com/article/career/employment/4-employers-great-part-time-benefits. (2013, January 17 Thursday). Retrieved from www. mainstreet. com. 6. Manual, ABE Study, Strategic Human Resource Management, (pg. 4,5)

Reaction time of visual response

Reaction time of visual response Data Collection and Processing In this experiment, the reaction time of visual and tactile response has been investigated by measuring how both hands reacted when eyes were open and then when eyes were closed. For a better comparison of the two, the averages have been compared as well. The rulers centimetres have been turned into time counted in seconds using the formula; Observations The tactile responses where faster to visual stimuli presented As time passed, the reflexes where becoming reasonably slower, however, at some point, it was easy to expect when the other student would let go of the ruler due to the many trials. Using the measurements obtained from the above tables, graphs have been organised so as to better comprehend the outcomes of this experiment. Observations; In general, the right hand seems to have a faster response to tactile stimulation than visual one. Some values seem to not comply with the rest of them, probably due to the existence of other factors affecting the outcome of the experiment. Observations; In general, the left hand seems to have a faster response to visual stimulation than tactile one. Some values seem to not comply again with the rest of them, probably due to the existence of other factors affecting the outcome of the experiment. Overall, the tactile responses seem to be faster than the visual ones, dependent nevertheless from factors such as left-handedness and/or right-handedness. Observations; The left hand had a faster response to the visual stimuli compared to the right hand Observations; The right hand had a faster response to tactile stimuli than the left hand. Bearing the previous observations into consideration, a relation could be made between different parts of processing the stimuli (spinal cord and brain) and the reactions of each of the hands and hence the brains functioning. From the graphs, it becomes evident that tactile responses are faster than the visual ones. Furthermore, from the averages, we can conclude that the two hands much varied in their performance of the visual and tactile responses. It has also been observed that some of the values do not comply with the general tendency of the other results, thus indicating the existence of other, uncontrolled, factors affecting the results. Conclusion and Evaluation As our literary sources command, the main function of our nervous system is the coordination of rapid responses to stimuli, including reflexes. A stimulus is a change in the environment which is detected by receptors. Once perceived by the organism, a certain response is elicited and a change in the organism occurs. In this experiment, we investigated the speed of a humans response to tactile and visual stimuli. The findings of this experiment agree to the fact that our tactile responses (performed with closed eyes) are considerably faster from our visual responses (performed with the eyes open). This happens because the signal transmitted from the sensory neurons of our eyes is directly processed by our brain, whereas the signal received from our skin, as the feeling of touch, is processed at the spinal cord and are involved with the local segmental reflexes. As the results of this experiment agree to the general knowledge given from various other literary sources, it can be characterized as reliable. Despite the many efforts to control for the confounding variables which might affect the very outcome of the experiment, some values have been observed to not comply with the general rule, generated by the rest of them. A number of factors could be responsible for this. In order to make the measurements of height, a ruler has been used, causing the possibility of error to rise. The possible error that might have been involved is that of a 0.05cm At times, the ruler was not caught at all by the participant and the trial was repeated until a positive number was achieved. It could be argued though that these times are important as well since the inability to react fast could be thought of as a visual or tactile response. External factors might have affected the results of this experiment. Even though it was conducted in a laboratory, noise or distraction could have occurred due to the other classmates. Ways to improve the methodology of the experiment A control of the external confounding variables, such as noise, could help the experiment acquire more focused results. A more precise ruler could have been used A second verification of the data would be beneficial to the better support of the results found. It would also be good if more participants were used as well. The participants to this study should not be aware of the theoretical points in biology, which would affect their performance due to biases. Future work Suggested future work, related to this study and its theoretical points, could involve the study of how fast a message is transported through the nervous system or how can this speed be affected by variables such as attention and stress or other neurological conditions. Moreover, individuals could be assessed with visual and tactile stimuli so as to test the different responses between the reaction time of their left and right hands, correlating the results to whether they are left-handed, ambidextrous or right-handed.

Essay --

PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE SMOKING POLICY ON CAMPUS INTRODUCTION Purpose This proposal is to improve the campus environment. Non- smokers does not like the smell of nicotine so it is their right to have a smoke-free environment where they pay tons of thousands of dollars in tuition every year, every semester in many cases. It is designed to encourage better health for everybody. Scope This report covers up policies on our campus. It also compares the policy with policies from other colleges and schools. There are few ways we can deal with this growing issue and improve atmosphere around us. BACKGROUND General Information Every year, there are hundreds of new students admitted to our campus. We are given the student handbook at beginning of the year, which includes school policies. Majority of students do not read the book or just read it for once. We have to start encouraging students to read the policies about smoking and tobacco usage on and around the university properties. Most of the students do not smoke but the other half population that does come from experience in smoking. They start smoking from high school. Research For this issue, I decided to talk to some of the smokers, non-smokers, faculty, and nurses. Most of them had the same opinion on smoking on campus. I also used internet to find policies on our campus and other colleges around us. Some of them had very strict policies on smoking and usage of tobacco around their campuses. When I looked at the smoking policy on our campus, I found that it has not been updated since 2006. It is a long time to overlook an issue of this level. Findings/ Issues Through my research, I came over with few ways we can make our campus green. I also came across the issue of cig... ...ial parking spots just for smokers away from the campus buildings. They can smoke there whenever they without jeopardizing other people’s health. Like proposed before, we can establish â€Å"Smoking Huts† one far end of the parking lot. 7. We can recommend students using the electronic cigarettes instead of traditional smokes. 8. Like many major universities across the nation, we can ban smoking altogether on the campus. This proposal is least likely to pass but as a non-smoker, that is the best way to make our campus environment fresh and clean. CONCLUSION Speaking as a non-smoker, this issue is very serious for us. We definitely have to respect smokers’ choice to smoke but they have to respect ours as well. Not many people like the smell or burning nicotine. These proposals certainly can help clean our community and provide better environment for future generations.

The Relationship of Drug-Trafficking and Terrorism in the United States Of America :: Essays Papers

The Relationship of Drug-Trafficking and Terrorism in the United States Of America It’s so Important for Americans to know that the traffic of drugs finances the work of terror, sustaining terrorists, that terrorists use drug profits to fund their cells to commit acts of murder. If you quit drugs you join the fight against terror in America. - President George W. Bush Upon recently watching a movie titled â€Å"Blow,† I found myself asking how something like such could be related to the embassy bombing events and others, like the bombing of the World Trade Centers, and I quickly discovered that there are thousands of ways in which this is possible. In fact it is relevant enough that the past two Presidents (Clinton/Bush Jr.) have drawn up plans to stop it and it appears that America has an opportunity to tackle two rather large problems in one fight, killing two birds with one stone per say. The only question left too answer would be what sacrifices will the citizens of America be forced to make? Where will the line be drawn in the security and privacy of citizens. How much are you willing to give up to lower your chances of being the recipient of a terrorist attack? (Drug Enforcement Agency hosts symposium on topic) â€Å"The links between terrorism and narcotrafficking are real and growing, according to current and former U.S. officials who participated in a special symposium December 4 at the headquarters of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Hosted by the DEA Museum & Visitors Center, ‘Target America: Traffickers, Terrorists and Your Kids’ brought together government officials with the private-sector experts in an effort to educate the American public about what DEA Administrator Asa Hutchingson called the ‘extraordinary link between drugs and terrorism.’ The symposium was part of an effort by the Association of Former federal Narcotics Agents (AFFNA) to develop a museum exhibit and educational program that will explore this theme. In remarks opening the symposium, Hutchinson said there is ‘a strong case to be made that drug trafficking proceeds are being funneled to terrorists organizations,’ such as the Taliban, the FARC group in Colombia and Islamic Jihad. ‘It is clear the bin Laden’s terrorism has been protected by a regime funded by opium trafficking,’ he added. U.S. Representative Mark Souder (Republican, Indiana) told symposium participants that the interrelationship between drugs and terrorism is not new.

Corruption in Bolt’s ‘Man for All Seasons’

Most of us, politically, mentally, morally, socially, live somewhere between the negative pole of Robert Bolt’s â€Å"terrifying cosmos [where] †¦no laws, no sanctions, no mores obtain† (xvi), the nadir of the human spirit and self, and the positive pole he finds in Thomas More, who makes, not only in oaths but in all his dealings, â€Å"an identity between the truth †¦ and his own virtue,† and â€Å"offers himself as a guarantee† (xiii-xiv) – a self which proves incorruptible by either promise or punishment. Near to More’s level of righteousness are his wife and daughter, though he feels the need to protect them from perjuring themselves, a corruption stemming from one of the hardest temptations, protecting their family from harm. Rich and Cromwell are nearer to the lower pole in the play, the former making the complete arc from innocence to its opposite, and the latter starting from a place of moral bankruptcy and guiding Rich there with him. In between is the political corruption of King Henry who won’t let â€Å"all the Popes back to St. Peter [get] between me and my duty† (54), and of Woolsey’s appeal to More along patriotic and anti-war lines. With the exception of More, and those who anchor themselves to him like his family and Will Roper, they are all, like the Boatman’s wife, â€Å"losing [their] shape, sir. Losing it fast† (28). Richard Rich is the play’s most developed exemplar of the gradual, and gradually accelerating, course t hat leads, through corrupt action, to corruption’s end-point: a shell without a self. As the Common Man, in the guise of Matthew, correctly predicts, Rich â€Å"come[s] to nothing† (17), despite his final worldly status, symbolized by his rich robes which, as that same Man says elsewhere of all clothing, say nothing about the man inside them, â€Å"barely cover[ing] one man’s nakedness† (3). Oliver Cromwell, a disciple of Machiavelli, and unashamedly corrupt, is Rich’s teacher and exhorter along that road. Rich is bullied into telling Cromwell information that might harm Thomas More, a betrayal. Cromwell uses this sin as a teaching opportunity – the more you give in to corruption (and therefore the less of you there is left to struggle against it), the easier it becomes: CROMWELL There, that wasn’t too painful, was it? RICH (laughing a little and a little rueful) No! CROMWELL That’s all there is, and you’ll find it easier next time. (76) Richard Rich sums up the teachings of Machiavelli, embodied in Cromwell, as quintessentially empty (though Rich is too fearful for his worldly status to be afraid of the legitimately fearful consequence of following those teachings): â€Å"properly apprehended, [Macchiavelli] has no doctrine. Master Cromwell has the sense of it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (13). In following Cromwell into philosophical corruption, Rich will reap the rewards of such pragmatism. More, at the apex of Rich’s ascent to influence and wealth (he’s been named Attorney General for Wales as a reward for perjury), reminds Rich that â€Å"it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world† (158). That word, â€Å"nothing,† both represents that he doesn’t gain anything worth having, and that he will, in consequence, add to the absence of his being – what he will gain is nothingness. The reasons Rich and Cromwell are tempted are simple in that they (the reasons) are particular to self-profit (More, and perhaps Bolt through More, would find that an ironic term): personal wealth, influence and power, and escape from suffering. Cardinal Woolsey tempts More with a form of corruption less black-and-white: not merely Cromwell’s short-sited â€Å"administrative convenience† (73), but a seemingly moral and patriotic act: possibly preventing a war of succession like the War of the Roses had been. â€Å"Oh your conscience is your own affair,† the Cardinal tells More, â€Å"but you’re a statesman! Do you remember the Yorkist wars? All right [my solution to this problem is, in that it isn’t perfectly moral,] regrettable, but necessary†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (22). It is a dilemma: whether the good of a country (or the prevention of an evil to a country) somehow outweighs the evil of achieving that end by corrupt means. More’s â€Å"horrible moral squint† (19), as Woolsey calls it, sees through the Cardinal’s assumption that such corruption, simply because it has a good in sight for that greater self that is one’s homeland, won’t open the door to further corruption, as a precedent that many (as it affects many) will follow, that will in fact â€Å"lead their country by a short route to chaos† (22). The form of corruption with which Thomas More will have to grapple most desperately, and from which he will protect his family most carefully, is the temptation to act against conscience, not for personal gain, or for the sake of an abstract like ‘the common good,’ but for loved ones. More knows that temptation, in this case to perjure themselves for his own sake, might topple even the upright Alice and Margaret. For that eason, despite the anger and suffering his wife and daughter evidence at being kept in the dark, he never once opens his mind to them about those issues (the real reason behind his resignation, which lands them in poverty, and imprisonment over taking an oath, which deprives them of father and husband, and puts them in danger) – a relief he must have craved were they the picture of understanding. However, though they are not – he tell’s Margaret â€Å"the King’s more merciful than you; he doesn’t use the rack† ( 142) – he holds firm. This he also does for himself, never taking the oath and perjuring himself to God (as, he says, â€Å"what is an oath then, but words we say to God† (140)), though he knows his family will suffer his ultimate loss. For that reason, though, he can go to his death with a special tranquility, telling the headsman â€Å"you send me to God †¦ He will not refuse one who is so blithe to go to him† (160). We are left, then, with so many who died long ago, and the tale that history, and this play, tells of them. Richard Rich loses himself to corruption for purely personal gain, and while he lives with outward wealth, he is inwardly rotten, and ends in obscurity. Cardinal Woolsey, who ruthlessly pursues personal power and uses the same tactics in pursuit of patriotic goals, is remembered as an influencer of the policies of Europe, but, in the play, paves the way for greater evil, though he tries to stave it off by electing More Lord Chancellor. That evil is personified in Cromwell, a man with no morals, patriotic or otherwise. That â€Å"short route to chaos† More warns of shows up as well in the escalation of the scale of resistance Henry levels against the Church, eventually destroying most of the monasteries in England, and sparking a bloodily put down revolution. More, meanwhile, is an inspiration not only for his family, but has inspired conscience and nobility of spirit for almost five hundred years since his death, which is its own kind of immortality.