Critical discussion of Business Ethics and the Internet Essay

Critical discussion of Business Ethics and the Internet - Essay Example Moreover, it is widely accepted that the organisations often tends to improve their range of social responsiveness activities to reduce or to protect themselves from various external hindrances (McGraw-Hill Education n.d.). Emphasising upon the changing phase of the organisational policies associated with business ethics, the primary objective of this report is to briefly analyse the ethical performance of a Social Networking Site (SNS) named Facebook in the global social networking industry. The discussion of this paper will incorporate the core ethical practices that perform by Facebook along with different issues are likely to hinder its overall business performance. Additionally, the report will provide adequate suggestions intending to protect the organisation from encountering various ethical dilemmas. Facebook and its Ethical Performances Brief Overview of Facebook By providing exceptional experience of social media service to the millions of global users, Facebook has recogni sed itself as one of the leading and dominating organisations throughout the globe. It was established in the year 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg through his unique thoughts of connecting a range number of global users on a single platform. According to the present day context, Facebook has been able to acquire nearly 1.1 billion of Monthly Active Users (MAUs) across different parts of the globe. Moreover, the company is also renowned for its transformational growth since its commencement in the global social media network. The company basically earns its revenues from advertising amounted to US$1.46 billion which has surpassed the rate of 38% growth as compared to the year 2012 (Facebook, 2013). Ethical Performance of Facebook An effective practice of business ethics can significantly increase the performance of the organisations which ensures to enhance their credibility in the competitive business environment. In this regard, the practice of adequate code of ethics can assist the organi sations to deliver quality products or services to the customers enable them to attract as well as retain a huge group of loyal customers (Brimmer, 2011). Moreover, adequate quality assurance of the organisational offerings can also facilitate the organisations to meet the desired expectations of the customers. Moreover, practicing a well-built set of business ethics can also ensure to improve the organisational productivity that can be considered as one of the major beneficial factors for the present business environment. Additionally, an appropriate ethical performance of the organisations also brings different advantages and enables it to gain competitiveness in the growing global business environment (Dimitriades, 2007). In order to determine the ethical performance of Facebook, it has been viewed that it incorporates a wide practice of ethical conducts which ensures protecting from various ethics related concerns. In relation to the ethical practice of Facebook, the company bro adly adopts as well as executes well-built ethical guidelines with regard to its independent nature in the global social media services. An effective governance system enables the company to efficiently perform its business operations in different global nations. The code of business ethi

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or Essay - 1

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences - Essay Example One of the important information that I gained in the business is ensuring safety in the workplace. Oil is highly flammable and it is an important matter to secure all the areas to avoid accidents which could damage the company or worse, kill people. One of the vital things one has to check daily in the oil business is leaks, to keep the working environment safe. The business has a lot of delicate and meticulous jobs and the information I gained in my few months stay with the oil company has been very limited. Nevertheless, I believe it is a good start for me as I continue to consider the processes I have to go through to gain all the knowledge and skills I need in managing my own oil company. One thing is for sure, that the experience I gained from the work was illuminating and it has strengthened my will power all the more to continue in pursuing my

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Chapter 1 Introduction Corporate Social Responsibility is a rapidly developing, key business issue. It is a concept that has attracted worldwide attention. Due to the demands for enhanced transparency and corporate citizenship, CSR started to embrace social, ethical as well as environmental challenges. Today, companies are aware of the social and environmental impacts of international production. It is accepted that Companies should not be only profitable, but also good corporate citizens. Through globalization of the economy, multinational companies are increasingly involved with suppliers and customers worldwide, especially if they operate in developing countries. The CSR agenda has a close relationship with international development. CSR within multinational companies is seen as a vehicle through which larger, well known corporations can contribute to the well being of developing countries by operating responsibly in terms of social and environmental issues. However, the promoted CSR in the developing world by multinationals is not real CSR, despite significant contribution to development in some cases. Very little is known about the companies CSR policies and practices in an international context, developing countries in particular. As reality shows, most of the larger corporations abuse the CSR and behave unethically and irresponsibly towards both society and the environment. Issues such as unsafe working conditions, unfair payment, gender discrimination, sexual h arassment, toxic emissions and the hazardous pollution of water and soil have all raised fair allegations by consumers, non-governmental organizations and the larger society. . Famous global brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, GAP and McDonalds are often under intense pressure from the public. Much of those pressures are due to their unethical behaviour in developing countries, where their main operations take place. Though companies operate in host countries, their reputation extends across numerous national boundaries. The actions of multinational companies in a host country can cause significant loss of reputation in the developed world, where the general public have become more sensitive to environmental issues and social impact. The public have the power to boycott the goods and products of multinational corporations in cases of unethical behaviour where organisations are thought not to fulfil their social and environmental obligations. However, international reputation side effects a re not the only reason behind the potential increased level of social and environmental responsibilities faced by multinational companies; there are many drivers for the correct implementation of CSR by business entities. However, for many companies, corporate reputation and brand image are the fundamental components of business success. Corporate Social Responsibility in developing countries represents the formal and informal ways in which multinational business enterprises contribute to improving the social, ethical and environmental conditions of the developing countries in which they operate. However, the rational approach to the CSR in the developing world is different from CSR in developed countries. For example, developing countries represent the ongoing growth of the economy; hence the most attractive growth markets for many foreign companies. They provide cheap labour, an absence of strong regulations and a rich availability of resources; all crucial concerns for multinational enterprises for conducting their businesses in developing world. It has been found that the public and the government are not as critical of unethical business practices within foreign companies. In addition, developing countries are where globalization, economic growth, investments and business activities are likely to have both posit ive and negative social and environmental impacts. Therefore, developing countries represent a different set of CSR agenda for multinational companies to those operating in the developed world. In this research paper the CSR practices of multinational corporations will be examined. Their CSR commitment as well as irresponsible practices will be highlighted. In the first chapter, there will be overview on the previous works in this field. As CSR is a new concept, especially in developing countries, the short history of the development of CSR and main contributions will be presented. Literature review will give us the background knowledge about CSR. In chapter two, research methodology and relating this to the subject matter will be discussed. As research will be based on case study, there will be some examples of multinational corporations experience in developing countries. The examples of their commitments towards environmental and social sustainability as well as negative impacts caused by their unethical operations will be provided. The opinions and critics of analysts and experts will provide a clear understanding of companies CSR practices in the developing world. The well known multinational companies like Nestle, Nike, KFC, Apple iPod and many others will be examined for their irresponsible and unethical behaviour in developing countries such as China, Indonesia, India, Southeast Asia and Africa. For the main research point the Coca-Cola crisis in India has been chosen, as Coca-cola, despite its CSR commitment towards society and environment, has caused damages to both the community and environment where it operates. From the case study, we are able to make some conclusions regarding CSR practices and make suggestions and recommendations for future of Corporate Social Responsibility, as it will undoubtedly increasingly become a major issue and integral part of business practise. Chapter 2 Literature review The 21st Century has seen much advancement in the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR), and there has been particular interest in the impact CSR could have globally. This literature review will begin by defining what is meant by corporate social responsibility. There are a lot of debates about the origins of CSR; however it is clear that CSR is a modern term, a consequence arising from the history of business responsibility. The modern term is considered to have western origin; however it has developed from different countries ideas and theories. This has created a number of definitions of CSR. This can lead to confusion making CSR less effective. It is interesting to observe that none of the definitions actually defines the social responsibility of businesses, as so famously discussed by Milton Friedman (1970), but rather describe it as a phenomenon. The Government sees CSR as a business contribution to sustainable development. However, the modern concept of CSR has been i nfluenced by Globalization and so CSR has developed and is taken in different context worldwide. (Crane, Matten, Spence, 2008). In addition, organizations such as the European Union (EU) see CSR as a concept integrating social and environmental concerns in business operations and in their interactions with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. However, others like Ethics in Action Awards (2003), describe CSR as a companys obligation to be accountable to all of its stakeholders in all operations and activities (Dahlsrud, 2006). There are a number of debates raised in academic literature over the issue of to whom the business must have responsibility. Various authors have referred to the common approaches: shareholder, stakeholder and societal approaches. According to shareholder approach, the classical view on CSR maximizing the profits of shareholders (Friedman, 1962). This approach can also be interpreted as being that the company should make contributions to the extent, to whic h it can be connected with the creation of long-term value for the shareholders (Foley, 2000). From the stakeholder theory, it is obvious that organisations should be accountable towards other groups of stakeholders, who can affect or be affected by a companys objectives (Freeman, 1984). The last approach, which is regarded to give the broader view on CSR, argues that the organisations should be responsible to societies as a whole, of which they are an integral part. The aim of the following literature review is to identify the most valuable academic studies and important practical investigations. The field of Corporate Social Responsibility can be divided into several parts; definitions of CSR, analysis of CSR approaches, CSR in supply chain, CSR in developed countries as well as in developing ones, the link between CSR and globalization and last, but not least the global understanding of CSR. The history of CSR The development concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been carried out mainly in western countries; particularly in United States. Literature picks up the issue from the 1950s when attention was devoted to the responsibility of businessmen ( Bowen, 1953) to the 1980s when the argument with stakeholder theory took place (Freeman, 1984) and of course, to the 1990s when most studies were devoted to the analysis of the relationship between CSR and corporate financial performance (Roman et al, 1999). In the beginning of the 1950s, Howard Bowen tried to give rational and systematic arguments in favour of CSR and its connection with big corporations and their influence on social consequences and undoubtedly, their primary societal responsibilities. The one of the earliest books on CSR, The Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, was written by Bowen in 1953. Bowens book was specifically concerned with the doctrine of social responsibility. Bowen argued that social responsibility is not panacea for all business social problems, but that it contains an important truth that must guide business in the future (Asongu, 2007). Because of Bowens early and very valuable work, Carroll has argued that Howard Bowen should be called the Father of Corporate Social Responsibility (Carroll, 2000). The decade of the 1 960s is characterized as seeing a growing interest in the formalizing or more precisely, defining the meaning of CSR. One of the prominent writers in this period was Keith Davis, who later extensively wrote about the topic in his business and society textbooks, later revisions and articles. He argued that social responsibility is a nebulous idea, but should be seen in a managerial context (Mahon, 1991). Another influential contributor to the early research into CSR was Friedman. The argument made by Friedman (1962) that the main corporations responsibility is toward shareholders has created much debate among academics. It was not until 1970, that Wallich and McGowan first made attempts to demonstrate the link between corporations social responsibility and shareholders interests. They argued that the aim of corporations long-term interest should be linked to the environment to which a corporation belongs. If society and environment became worse, a business would lose their critical s upport structure and customer base (Keim, 1978). In the 1970s there are a wide range of references, increasingly being made to corporate social responsiveness, corporate social performance as well as corporate social responsibility. In the 90s, literature tried to find out answers to questions such as why some companies are doing well and if CSR could be identified as a competitive advantage. Most academics and scholars started to apply the stakeholder theory to CSR, because stakeholders, other than shareholders have interest in the well-being of a company in relation to employees, customers, governments and others. This model renewed the interest in CSR and more research was devoted to this subject. Also, there is great interest in the linkage between CSR and corporate competitiveness; but bbbthere is a shortcoming of quantitative translation of socially responsible practices into specific results affecting the income and loss of particular organization (Murillo and Lozano, 2006). Many scholars connect CSR with the competitive advantage that a company can gain. The most well-known work in this field is Professor Michel Porters The competitive advantage of corporate philanthropy in which he describes how a company is able to improve its long-term potential by linking financial and societal goals (Porter, 2003). Further development in this area was made by Kramer (2003). Problems with CSR research We know very little about CSR initiatives and undoubtedly, there are some questions about both the efficiency of CSR approaches and the tangible benefits for stakeholder groups. Also, we know very little about the social and environmental impacts of CSR initiatives. For example, many business schools analyzed and devoted their works to studying the content of codes of conduct. They looked at specific issues such as child labour, but they failed to study the wider societal impacts of CSR. The most notable study about societal impacts came from development study scholars, not from business schools. The study by Barrientos and Smiths (2007) reviled that there are, in particular in those countries where empirical investigation took place such as South Africa, India, Vietnam and Costa Rica, some benefits from codes of conduct and initiatives implementing CSR by multinational companies. However there are failures in the areas of noncompliance and ensuring the improvement of working conditi ons. In addition to this, Barrientos and Smiths questioned the methods used by the business communities in investigating the societal impacts of CSR, doubting the efficiency of the tools used to monitor CSR performance. Due to the lack of empirical study and evidence regarding CSR impacts, there are still analytical limitations in the current CSR field. For example, some academics (Lantos, 2001) wrote about conceptualization of CSR, however, current field of CSR and business scholars fail to answer vital questions. For example, how can CSR tackle a development challenge like poverty, without an understanding of the negative influence caused by multinational companies operating in host communities? Even if there is agreement about societal benefits of CSR initiatives, there is still uncertainty about the way in which CSR should be studied and analyzed. Lockett, Moon and Wisser (2006) argued that CSR knowledge should be best described as a continuing state of emergence. Indeed, many s cholars study CSR initiatives without any reference to theoretical perspectives. Milton Friedman and other authors highlighted the agency problem of CSR for a long time. For example, Friedman argued that the pursuit of societal and environmental objectives will undoubtedly hurt shareholders by lowering profits. However, other scholars like Margolis and Walsh (2003) oppose the arguments of Friedman. They found that, between 1972 and 2002, at least 172 empirical studies investigated the positive relationship between social responsible behaviour of an organization and its financial performance. Levels of CSR Another main contribution to the development of CSR made by Carroll (1991), considered the economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic levels of CSR. These levels represent what is required, expected and desired for CSR strategies (Crane, Matten, Spence, 2008). According to Crane, Matten and Spence, Carrolls pyramid of CSR is the most widely accepted definition of CSR. Until the 1980s, environmental corporate responsibility was the part of social responsibility, which was used as a frame term that covered a wide field of ideas. However, corporations became to understand the importance of environmental responsibility. For this reason, the concept of corporate environmental responsibility has started to be used by researchers such as Rondinelli and Berry (2000) in parallel with the development of corporate social responsibility by Carroll (1998), Maignan and Ferrel (2000) and Zarkada-Fraser (2004). CSR and Corporate Social Reporting The great number of scholars, who have since the 1970s (Fenn, Ackerman,), analyzed the complex issue of Corporate Social Responsibility and the advantage of reporting on a wider scale, have given the possibility to evaluate social performance (Levis, 2006). The theme of social reporting has been developed along with the CSR. The approach for researching reporting is different in comparison with past decades due to the growing number of organizations that have published a social report. (Belal, 2002; Bitcha, 2003; Weaver et al, 1999). The reason for the growing interest in this field is linked to progress in business ethics (Donaldson, 1999) and the significant importance of the stakeholder approach, which has led to an increase of interest in studying the causes and real meaning of the phenomenon. The present approach to social reporting activities can be divided into two parts: fists, those who still think that it is a responsiveness approach and others, who argue that it is much mo re than communication; it is a tool of strategic management. Research in CSR worldwide Cultural differences affect CSR dynamics as well as companies practising responsible behaviour. For instance, research by Juholin (2004) reviled that long-term profitability is the prominent driving force behind CSR in Finland. Research by Fulop et al. (2000) discovered differences in CSR orientations between large and small firms. A similar study by Uhlaner et al. (2004) suggests a mixture of CSR perspectives (economic benefits, legal, ethical and philanthropic considerations) as useful in explaining variations in CSR orientations amongst Dutch firms. Despite cross-cultural and national differences, there are differences in the variety of methodologies adopted in examining and analyzing CSR. Some studies considered CSR as a philanthropic and ethical responsibility; however other studies have made a distinction between CSR as simple legal compliance vs. CSR as conducting business with high regard for morality. As noted previously, the debate about CSR has existed since the 1950s. In the first academic papers, a narrow concept of corporate social responsibility was used. Most of the authors like Bragdon and Marlin (1972) and Spicer (1975), tried to approach CSR through the main social and environmental problems such as pollution and contributions to the local community. The data used for their analysis was based on information issued by the Council on Economic Priorities. However they were not able to cover the whole aspects of CSR and their works were not valid for every industry (Dooley, 2004). Later, a broader valuation and examination was provided by Moskowitz (1972, 1975). In his work he tried to cover almost every aspect of corporate social responsibility such as equal employment opportunities, charitable contributions, fair dealing with customers, product quality and more. CSR in developing world Despite the great interest in ethical and responsible behaviour in business, very little is known of the practise of CSR in developing countries. For example, Belal (2001) notes that there are a wide range of academic publications, describing CSR in the context of developed countries such as Western Europe, the USA and Australia. Also that we still know too little about practices of corporate responsibility in ex-colonial, smaller and developing countries. He suggests doing more research into developing countries as it will give a valuable insight to the western meaning of CSR in context (Jamali, 2007). There are no large scale developmental studies of CSR in developing countries as there are in western countries. However, the CSR discussion traditionally revolved around the multinational companies operating in developing countries. The multinational companies response to CSR has great impact on the future global CSR agenda. The first notions of corporate social responsibility in developing countries emerged in the 1960s amongst American companies operating in developing countries, particularly in Asia and Africa. Perhaps a simple definition, truly reflecting the responsible behaviour of current multinational companies operating in developing countries is presented by Davies, who suggested CSR as a framework for the role of business in society. The implication of this definition is that it includes any society in which the company operates, including the global society (Engle, 2006). Within the Asian context, most academics paid attention to describing the governance aspects of environmental responsibility (Hong Kong: Hills and Welford; China: Bi; The Philippines: Forsyth). In contrast, in India, Mohan has focused on social responsibilities and corporate citizenships. Also, there is some research into the normative aspects of CSR such as the evolution of business ethics in Taiwanese companies (Wu). In the study of CSR in Malaysia, Teoh and Thong found that the most foreign multinational companies seemed more inclined to accept their responsibilities towards environment and society (Chapple, 2005). CSR in the Global Context CSR and multinational corporations. Relatively little is known about management of corporate social responsibility by multinational companies (Gnyawali, 1996). In general, little is known about the management of CSR in multinational companies, either practically or academically. While many areas of research have examined the nature of cultural or business preference to social equality (Adler, 1997; George and Jones, 2002; Lantos, 2002), there has previously been no research regarding the role of CSR in the expansion of organizations into new territories or cultures. The dominant theoretical approach to studying CSR practices among multinational companies, operating in developing countries, is the works of Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989) and Prahalad and Doz (1987), who tried to analyze general multinational companies management practices in CSR. This framework was then extended by Yip (1992) and Husted and Allen (2006) to cover CSR practices (Geppert et al., 2006). The studies of these researchers enabled interesting insights such as how CSR is being managed, the potential barriers to successful implementation of CSR practices within domestic p laces into operation among multinational corporations. However, mainstream research of CSR was concentrated particularly on domestic issues such as labour issues, racial discrimination, the position of women and the environment. To date there has been limited analysis in the developing countries context, in particular regarding foreign multinational companies. Further detailed analysis is needed of what instrumental, moral and relational motives exist in systems very different to the western context in which they were developed. CSR and Globalization With Globalization, CSR has been propelled into a global context. Ruggie (2004) identified three particular aspects of social responsibility in the context of global governance. Firstly, nowadays it is expected that multinational companies will build new capacities and take care of issues such as working conditions, healthcare and education as well as respect human rights. So that, if corporations insist on setting up in developing countries, they are forced to consider challenges, normally associated with developing countries like poverty or child labour. Nowadays, most multinational companies face a lot of new and challenging problems in this era of Globalization. According to Weber, Lawrence and Post, multinational companies are able to solve such problems. They have introduced the idea of Three sector world, compromising multinational companies, non governmental organizations and community. In their research, they compared both strengths and weaknesses of each sector and analyzed their contributions to solving global problems. The research method was based on comparing attempts of two multinational companies in implementing CSR in developing countries (Young, 2008). Based on their findings, it is obvious that a collaborative partnership with community and non governmental organizations can carry better results in implementing CSR. Therefore CSR in the global context involves more than business implementation, it needs business cooperation with other organizations whose focus is greater on CSR. From the vast majority of literature, it is clear that CSR has gained major significance in the era of Globalization and multinational companies should take responsibilities for their actions worldwide, especially in developing countries. Multinational corporations should behave as a moral leader in an area where there are no legal requirements (Scherer and Smid, 2000). CSR is considered a Western idea, which has now to be applied to problems in the developing world ( Scherer and Smid, 2000). The literature review is an account of what has been published on corporate social responsibility; it acknowledges the critical points highlighted by scholars and researchers. The literature review conveys what knowledge and ideas have been established on corporate social responsibility and it enables further research to compare and contrast these ideas in order to create new theories. Therefore a literature review provides the basis for the analytical framework of this research (Bryman, 2004). It has also helped with the interpretation of the results and has led to other questions being asked. The literature review also highlighted that there had been little research carried out on the societal impacts of CSR and implementation of CSR by multinational companies in developing world. This gives further importance and emphasis to the analysis of literature in giving rise to new questions and theories. The literature review has provided the framework of following deep research about cor porate social responsibility of multinational companies in developing countries, in particular the problems and benefits of implementing of CSR and the role of huge corporations in this issue. The literature review has helped to identify key themes within CSR by multinationals and from this more questions have evolved. Chapter 3 Methodology In this research paper the case study was employed as the research strategy. Usually descriptive or exploratory research is associated with the case study, and this might be particularly useful when the phenomenon under investigation is difficult to study outside its natural setting. Using case study research methodology is also helpful when the concepts and variables need to be considered where experimental or survey methods are regarded to be inappropriate (Yin, 1994). Case study is used particularly in looking at the specific questions such as how and why that is set in the contemporary environment (Yin, 1989) Case study methodology has a lot of advantages over some other methodologies. First, it allows the use of multiple data collection techniques in order to build a more comprehensive picture of the case being investigated. Second, this in turn leads to the ability to capture both qualitative and quantitative data. Case studies can provide a solid understanding required for hyp othesis development that then leads to improved theory development. The main advantage of case based research is that results are considered to be interesting and important and can shift the focus of investigation towards a new area of interest (Scapens, 1990). The case study is usually considered more accurate, diverse and rich, if it is based on several sources of data (Alasuutari, 2000). Advantages of using secondary data for research purposes As the research is concerned with multinational companies operating internationally, secondary data will probably provide the main source of necessary information. As our research strategy is case study, it is better to use compiled data that have already been sorted or summarised (Kervin, 1999). Secondary data can be obtained from different sources aimed at the same geographic area, where our case study takes place such as the Coca-Colas crisis in India. Area-based multiple sources of data are usually easily available in different forms, especially in published forms. Also tracking the original source of secondary data is much easier, especially when time restrictions are severe. As it will be a case study, it is even preferable to use newspapers, journals and media on a regular basis, as they may provide recent events within the business world. Research will concern the specific country i.e. India, data from government sources are also useful due to their high quality. Because of t ime constraints, secondary data can be obtained very quickly, in addition they have better quality standards in comparison with collecting own data (Stewart and Kamins, 1993). Using secondary data within collection also has a wide range of benefits, as they have already been collected and analyzed (Cowton, 1998). Unlike the data collected by myself, secondary data are permanently available and easily accessible, so that it can be checked relatively easily to others (Denscombe, 1998). Problems with collecting primary data for research purposes Access for some primary data can be problematic and difficult. Therefore it is unlikely that gaining permission for physical access will be easy and will be time consuming. As an interview is way for collecting primary data, however it is difficult to seek access to a range of participants such as employees, suppliers, customers and other stakeholder groups. The main cause might be restricted access to companys data either directly or indirectly (Bunchanan et.al., 1998; Raimond, 1993). As a full time master student, you are not able to have prior contact with huge multinational companies and you will be required to negotiate in order to gain any access to each level of information. Also, the major obstacle in obtaining primary data is time constrains. There is not sufficient time for all methods of collecting primary data, as physical access may take weeks or even months (Bunchanan et.al., 1998). Even, if there are time allowances, nobody can guarantee that replies will be quick and contain all necessary information. In case of opportunities for conducting interviews, undertaking questionnaires or engaging in observation, unfortunately, this would take several weeks. Whichever method will be chosen, almost all methods for gathering primary data are very time consuming (Bryman, 1988). However, due to the growing significance of the topic, many researchers have used primary data to conduct research. They collected primary data through interviews, observation and questionnaires. There are some examples of case study based research approaches. The implementation of CSR in developing countries was examined by Christina L. Anderson and Rebecca L. Bieniaszewska in the paper The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Oil Companys Expansion into New Territories. The aims of the study were to analyse the role of CSR in British Petroleums overall business strategy and to examin the benefits of employing CSR as a part of business strategy when it was operating in new territories and cultures. The case study approach was conducted through providing interviews with representatives from BP, social auditing and accounting specialists. Recent company reports and website information were also examined. Another example came from Richard Welford and Stephen Frosts research that provides an overview of CSR practices in Asia. The aim of the research paper is to review the benefits of the implementation of CSR in supply chains and arising obstacles. In order to collect data for research purposes, interviews were undertaken with six CSR managers working for well-known brand corporations, ten factory managers and eight CSR experts. Interviews were held confidentiality and anonymously. All participants have extensive experience of CSR issues and provide a good overview of the challenges for CSR by multinational companies in Asia. The case study based approach showed that multinational corporations such a

Comparing Characterization in Steinbecks Of Mice and Men and The Pearl :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays

Of Mice and Men and The Pearl: Characterization What is depth, and what does it mean? Depth is the extent, the intensity, depth is a distinct level of detail. When someone talks about depth of characterization, they are talking about the level of intensity that someone is using in order to describe a character. John Ernst Steinbeck, in The Pearl, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath describes many of his main characters in great depth. Steinbeck and Characterization What is depth, and what does it mean? Depth is the extent, the intensity, depth is a distinct level of detail. When someone talks about depth of characterization, they are talking about the level of intensity that someone is using in order to describe a character. John Ernst Steinbeck, in The Pearl, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes of Wrath describes many of his main characters in great depth. In Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, a story of two traveling laborers who are on their way to a job loading barley at a California ranch. The two most important characters in the novel are George Milton and Lennie Small. They are ordinary workmen, moving from town to town and job to job, but they symbolize much more than that. Their names give us our first hints about them. One of Steinbeck's favorite books when he was growing up was Paradise Lost by John Milton. In this long poem, Milton describes the beginnings of evil in the world. He tells of Lucifer's fall from heaven and the creation of hell. He also describes Adam and Eve's fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. By giving George the last name of Milton, Steinbeck seems to be showing that he is an example of fallen man, someone who is doomed to loneliness and who wants to return to the Garden of Eden. Perhaps this is why George is always talking about having his own place and living "off the fat of the land," as Adam and Eve did before their fall. Lennie is anything but small physically. He is a big man who is often described with animal images. In the opening scene of the book his hands are called paws and he snorts like a horse (Steinbeck, Mice 3). Yet Lennie is small on brains and on responsibility. Someone has always taken care of Lennie and done his thinking and talking for him. First his Aunt Clara looked after him, and now George does. He is like a child, a term George uses several times in describing Lennie to Slim.

In The Tulip Touch Was Tulip Born Evil? Essay

This essay is about the statement above it will show how this can be shown as true or false. You could feel that Tulip is Evil by Nature or Nurture, but you might consider in which way she is, which would be different to what you firstly thought. How is Tulip evil, nature or nurture? Nature is what they’re born like that and nurture is her surroundings something they picked up after birth. There was not many evidence in the book that suggested it was her nature. While reading this book I could mainly find suggestions that it was nurture so that is my option so far. Firstly I will show evidence in which it is nurture. Tulip was said to have portrayed â€Å"her cocky self-confident self.† While at the Palace but when at her own ghastly dwelling it was a different story. Natalie thinks when Tulip is there she is as empty as a shell. Tulip dose drowned kittens sometimes, but only because if her dad dose it, it takes hours. So she does it to save the suffering of the kitten, this shows she has some humanitarian. Natalie’s dad thinks that she is purely evil by nurture. â€Å"Don’t be silly. You know as well as I do that Tulip has had a rotten start to life, that it is hardly a surprise that she’s insensitive to other people’s feelings.† So that could be a fight on how she is evil by nurture. At this point I am still for nurture but it could change after this. Now I will show how it could be nature. Natalie’s mum thinks that â€Å"Tulip is not stupid. Tulip knows the rules.† So in other words she thinks that Tulip is smart enough to know her boundaries. â€Å"Tulip is downright evil† Natalie’s mum and Miss Ferguson both think. Miss Ferguson also thinks that â€Å"That Pierce girl is malevolent by nature!† â€Å"Is Tulip mad or bad?† Natalie thinks that she could have just been born mad which makes her bad. Every one finds it atrocious that Tulip had been visiting the Brackenbury’s house, and then asking for their dead child to come out and play. Natalie wonders about her morbidity and finds out about the kitten drowning. Some of the hotel guests think that Tulip is as wicked as a witch. In conclusion I believe that my overall judgement is that Tulip Pierce is purely evil by Nurture. As I believe that no one can be born evil in less they have mental illnesses. As her dad threatens her she becomes evil by the way she is talked to and treated. Like when Mr Pierce yelled out â€Å"Better get home before me, Tulip, or I’ll snatch you bald headed!† So I think it was her upbringing and environment that caused her to be evil. I think If Tulip was a real flower and was planted in the palace she would of bloom bright and colourful. But at her own dwelling she was a shrivelled and dead flower who had not yet had a chance to bloom.

Battleship Sailor by Theodore Mason

Ensuring one’s safety is a task we ought to do for ourselves. However, serving in battle for one’s country is not very common to all. In this way, we can say that military officers are real heroes. Being in the service, they promise to do their best not only to defend lives in danger, but guard the nation’s security. In his book, Theodore Mason details the war he witnessed as a navy officer during the bombing of the Pearl Harbor. Set in 1941, the author provides details on the struggles of being in the navy—the challenges and boredom, success and fears.Unlike other accounts of wars, this book takes a different angle in that the author is not a colored officer, rather a low-rank radio operator who was not well-trained in ammunitions. At first, the book is a bit monotonous, as it talks about the usual everyday life of the members of the navy. Mason's use of acronyms and his namecalling could almost make the ordinary reader sleep for difficulty of relating wi th the characters and things he mentioned. Nevertheless, he is good at describing virtually the environment and the people around him.He wrote about the drinking sprees they had in Honolulu, San Francisco and Seattle when they went on shore. Just like the usual navy officers, they had fun drinking, dancing, and watching girls. The main part of the book is the Japanese plot on the ships, which is made intense by the fact that the navy officials that time were on shore, thus the ammunitions were all locked up. To worsen the situation, Mason states that crews did not have much knowledge of defense, and were not trained to hold ammunitions.When the Japanese attacked on the Pearl Harbor, Mason was sent to USS California's maintop, which allowed him a bird's eyeview of everything happening, including the sinking of their ship and the devastation caused by the enemies. At the end of the book, the author gives his reflections about the war. From what he witnessed, he expressed sadness from the ruins of war to a nation so beautiful and great. Work Cited Mason, Theodore. â€Å"Battleship Sailor. † Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1994.

When Is the April ACT Should You Take It

When Is the April ACT Should You Take It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're planning to take the ACT in the spring, you might be wondering: should you take the April ACT? Or will you be better off taking the ACT on a different test date? In this article, we cover everything you need to know about the April ACT, including when the exam is, whether your scores will get to your schools in time, and the pros and cons of taking the ACT in April. When Is the April ACT? The April ACT generally takes place on the second Saturday of the month. Below are the April ACT dates and deadlines for 2020, 2021, and 2022. The 2020 dates have all been confirmed by ACT, Inc., whereas the others are projections based on historical data: Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline / Deadline for Changes Standby Request Deadline April 4, 2020 February 28, 2020 March 13, 2020 March 27, 2020 April 3, 2021 February 26, 2021 March 12, 2021 April 2, 2021 April 2, 2022 February 25, 2022 March 11, 2022 April 1, 2022 Source: ACT.org The ACT registration fees are $67 with the Writing section and $50.50 without the Writing section. The April ACT is offered in the US, US territories, and Canada, as well as internationally. Most students register for the April ACT by the normal registration deadline. If you register during the late registration period, you must pay an additional late registration fee of $30. If you miss both registration deadlines, you might still be able to take the ACT in April- as long as you sign up for standby testing by the standby deadline (which is normally eight days before the test date). Students on standby are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. To request standby, you must pay both the regular registration fee and a $53 standby fee. (However, both of these fees will be refunded to you if you are denied admission on test day.) Once the standby deadline has passed, there is no way to take the April ACT, and you will have to select a different ACT test date. When Will April ACT Scores Be Released? Each year, April ACT scores are released to test takers online starting 10 days after test day and may continue to be released until as late as June. These dates are only for the multiple-choice scores and do not include your Writing score (which is separate from your composite score out of 36 points). If you opt for the essay, expect to receive your essay score approximately two weeks after your multiple-choice and composite ACT scores. Most test takers will receive their April ACT scores within two weeks after the test date. If your scores take longer to process, the delay might be due to potential problems such as testing irregularities, incorrect identification information, or outstanding registration fees. As for your colleges, when schools receive April ACT scores can vary significantly. ACT, Inc. will send your ACT scores to the colleges you chose during registration as soon as your official scores are released online, which usually happens in late April. However, some colleges don't process scores right away or as often as other schools do, so be sure to give your schools ample time to process your scores long before any of your college applications are due. For those who are taking the April ACT with Writing, your ACT scores will not be reported or sent to colleges until the essay has been graded as well. This means that most test takers will have to wait around a minimum of four weeks (two weeks for the multiple-choice scores and two extra weeks for the Writing score) until their official ACT scores are reported online and sent to their designated schools. Will Your April ACT Scores Get to Your Schools in Time? In a word, yes! Official ACT scores are reported online (and sent to your schools) usually by mid- to late April. Assuming you are taking the ACT your junior year of high school and have not yet finished your college applications, these scores should have ample time to get to your schools before any deadlines. The bulk of college application deadlines in the US are anywhere from mid-autumn to early winter, and this applies to early action/early decision deadlines, too. Worst case scenario, even if your April ACT scores aren't released until June and your colleges take one month to process your scores, you should still have more than enough time before any of your applications are due! Pros and Cons of Taking the April ACT Struggling to decide whether to take the April ACT? No matter what year you're thinking of taking it, here are some of the pros and cons to consider before you make your decision. Pros of Taking the April ACT Your scores are guaranteed to arrive to your schools in time- even for early action or early decision plans. As I mentioned above, the vast majority of April ACT scores should be reported within two weeks after the test date and by June at the latest. Luckily, all these time frames leave you with plenty of time to get your ACT scores to your colleges well before even the earliest of autumn deadlines. You can get the ACT out of the way before starting your college applications. If you take the April ACT as a junior (or even as a sophomore) and do well on it- meaning you don't need to retake it as a 12th grader- you'll have the entire summer and first semester of your senior year to focus entirely on college applications. You'll have at least one final shot to get the scores you want in the fall of your senior year. We normally recommend that students take the ACT two to three times in total: first in the fall of your junior year, second in the spring of your junior year, and third (if necessary) in the fall of your senior year. By taking the April ACT, even if your scores aren't where you want them to be, you'll have the entire summer and first semester of your senior year to study and prep for the September or October ACT. Cons of Taking the April ACT You'll have to study primarily during the school year. In order to do well on the April ACT, you'll have to study for the exam in the months leading up to it- that is, for most of your spring semester your junior (or sophomore) year. But this can be difficult to do, especially if you're also trying to study for AP exams (which are in May) and finals. If you think you'll get easily overwhelmed, or you're expecting to have tons of activities going on spring semester, consider taking the ACT on a different date. You might need to study during your spring break. Those planning to take the April ACT will likely have to spend the bulk of their spring breaks preparing for the exam (unless your spring break is after the test- if so, lucky you!). Although you don't need to dedicate your entire spring break to ACT prep, it's advisable that you spend as much time as you can studying, particularly if your break is right around test day. Sadly, this means you might not be able to enjoy your "time off" as much as you'd like to! Key Takeaways: Taking the ACT in April The next April ACT date will be on Saturday, April 4, 2020. Regardless of whether you're reading this guide before the April test date or way after it, you can still use this information to plan ahead and prepare for the next April ACT. April ACT scores are typically released starting 10 days after the test date. (If you registered for the Writing section, you'll get your essay score about two weeks after you get your multiple-choice and composite ACT scores.) Assuming you take the April ACT in your junior or sophomore year, your scores should have plenty of time to get to colleges prior to application deadlines. Before registering for the ACT in April, take time to consider whether you're OK with spending most of your spring semester and spring break preparing for the exam. If not, a different date might be a better option for you! What's Next? Need help deciding when to take the ACT? Learn when you should take the ACT for the first time, and get expert tips on how to find the best test date for you. For more information on when you can take the ACT, check out our detailed guide to this year's and future ACT test dates. Ready to ace the ACT? Then you'll love our 15 ACT tips and tricks guaranteed to improve your score. And don't forget about our comprehensive guide to getting a perfect ACT score- written by a 36 full scorer! Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Nav1.7 is a sodium ion channel that in humans is encoded by the SCN9A gene The WritePass Journal

Nav1.7 is a sodium ion channel that in humans is encoded by the SCN9A gene Introduction Nav1.7 is a sodium ion channel that in humans is encoded by the SCN9A gene IntroductionLiteratureCombining investigation of Nav1.7 Variation with Pain CohortsClinical analysis of rs6746030ReferencesRelated Introduction Literature Nav1.7 is a sodium ion channel that in humans is encoded by the SCN9A gene(Stewart et al, 2003).   It is highly expressed in pain sensing neurons which are of two types, the nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and sympathetic ganglion neurons, which are parts of the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system (Cox et al, 2006). In human’s mutation in SCN9A cause three human pain disorders, resulting in bi-allelic loss of function mutations in Channelopathy-associated insensitivity to pain (CIP), while activating mutations causes temporal pain in Paroxysmal External Pain Disorder (PEPD) and primary Erythermalgia (PE) (Drenth et al, 2007). Mutations in SCN9A leads to a complete inability to experience pain, which is due to lack of protein production. In organisms such as mammals amphibians and reptiles, it is of upmost significances to have the intelligence to feel harmful situations (Shevelkin et al, 2005). Pain which is a sense protects us from damage of the tissue by notifying us of situations that are able to cause injuries and stimulate tissue recovery. Combining investigation of Nav1.7 Variation with Pain Cohorts The increased activity of Nav1.7 due to SCN9A mutations are due to very serious pain connected to paroxysmal extreme pain disorder and primary erythermalgia which has clearly noticeable association of several clinically recognizable features (Estacion et al. 2009). In this research they investigated 578 individuals who shared similar characteristics with osteoarthritis (OA), five showed an important relationship with pain score in a linear relapse which include a modification in age, sex, body mass index and age-gender interaction; rs6432896, P = 0.048; rs7604448, P = 0.036; rs10930214,P = 0.027; rs6746030, P= 0.016; and rs7595255, P = 0.02, after 27 SNPs were been screened in SCN9A. Out of the five single nucleotide polymorphisms that showed an important association with pain, the last four were in a bond or union that lacked stability, after the disequilibrium bond analysis. Four of the SNPs which have important affiliation with pain score are all located in the introns and did not influence mRNA order. Cepeda et al (2007) state that SNP rs6746030 with little frequency encodes a tryptophan (Nav1.7-1150W), while a higher frequency encodes for arginine (Nav1.7-1150R) and is found on exon 18 and it influences the amino acid at point 1150 of Nav1.7, in other words, 1150R is a preserved amino acid and can be added to the normal action or work of Nav1.7.   It is evident that an individual in the general public having rs6746030 A allele would be assumed to feel pain provocation when compared to others. The limitations of this research are in the modification of their age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and also the examination of individuals with similar characteristics (cohorts).Further research and examination could be carried out on SNP rs6746030 for analysis with additional pain cohorts and also with individuals having different characteristics because of its active result in regression examination. Clinical analysis of rs6746030 Diatchenko et al (2005) point out that pain reaction to various investigative processes was examined. The result was achieved that C-fiber activation was actively combined with rs6746030. The result suggests that A-allele-driven clinical pain is mediated by the arousal or stimulation of C-fiber   which indicates the feeling of diffuse, dull, aching pain. Diatchenko et al. (2007) further claim that individual having the genotype AA feels more pain while individual having GG genotype feels less pain because clinical and investigative pain analysis backs   an additive idea for the result of rs6746030 alleles. Similarly, Waxman et al. (2005) point out that SCN9A is a consequential contributor to human pain sensation and clinical pain ailments and this is as a result of the stimulation of mutation in SCN9A which leads to an acute irregular pain while an unstimulated mutation results in a total absence of pain. Diatchenko et al. (2005) feel that pharmacological materials that alter the responsibility of SCN9A(Nav1.7) are possibly beneficial in the treatment of this condition. Individual suffering from distinct amount of pain for each stimulus is due to their rs6746030 genotype. As each individual seems to have distinct genetic susceptiveness to pain, further analysis should be carried out to be conscious of the fact that openness to various class of anaesthetic is also genetically determined.    References Cepeda M.S, Camargo F, Zea C, Valencia L.(2007). Tramadol for osteoarthritis: A systematic review and metaanalysis.   34:543–555. Cox j.j, Reimann F, Nicholas A. K, Thornton G, Roberts E, Springell K, Karbani G, Jafri H, Mannan J, Raashid Y, Al-Gazali L, Hamamy H, Valente E.M, Gorman S, Williams R, McHale D.P, Wood J.N, Gribble F.M, Woods C.G.(2006). An SCN9A channelopathy causes congenital inability to experience pain. Nature. 444:894–8. Diatchenko L, Nackley A.G, Tchivileva I.E, Shabalina S.A, Maixner W.(2007). Genetic architecture of human pain perception. Trends Genet. 23:605–613. Drenth J.P, Waxman S.G.(2007). Mutations in sodium-channel gene SCN9A cause a spectrum of human genetic pain disorders. J Clin Invest. 117:3603–9. Estacion M, et al.(2007). A sodium channel gene SCN9A polymorphism that increases nociceptor excitability. Ann Neurol. 66:862–866. Shevelkin A.V, Kozyrev S.A, Nikitin V.P, Sherstnev V.V.(2005). In vivo investigation of genome activity and synaptic plasticity of neurons in snails during learning. Neurosci Behav Physiol. 35:595–603. Stewart W.F, Ricci J.A, Chee E, Morganstein D, Lipton R.(2003). Lost productive time and cost due to common pain conditions in the US workforce. Jama. 290:2443–54. Waxman S.G, Dib-Hajj S.(2005). Erythermalgia: Molecular basis for an inherited pain syndrome. Trends Mol Med. 11:555–562.

Verb Tenses in English - ESL Overview

Verb Tenses in English - ESL Overview In English grammar, verb tenses or forms indicate the moment when something happens, such as the past, present, or future. These three primary forms can be subdivided further to add detail and specificity, such as whether the action is ongoing or to describe the order in which events occurred. For example, the present simple verb tense concerns actions that happen every day, while the past simple verb tense refers to something that happens in the past. In all, there are 13 tenses. Verb Tense Chart Here are simple explanations of the tenses in English that give the most common use of each tense in English. There are a number of exceptions to the rules, other uses for certain tenses in English and so on. Each tense has examples, a link to a page that goes into detail for each tense in English, as well as a visual tense chart and a quiz to check your understanding. Simple present: things that happen every day. He usually goes for a walk every afternoon. Petra doesnt work in the city. Where do you live? Simple past:  something that happened at some time in the past. Jeff bought a new car last week. Peter didnt go to the meeting yesterday. When did you leave for work? Simple future: paired with will  to express a future act. She will come to the meeting tomorrow. They wont help you. Will you come to the party? Simple future: paired with going to to indicate future plans. Im going to visit my parents in Chicago next week. Alice isnt going to attend the conference. When are you going to leave? Present perfect: something that began in the past and continues into the present. Tim has lived in that house for 10  years. She hasnt played golf for long. How long have you been married? Past perfect: what happened before something else in the past. Jack had already eaten when he arrived. I hadnt finished the report when my boss asked for it. Had you spent all your money? Future perfect: what will have happened up to a point in the future. Brian will have finished the report by five oclock. Susan wont have driven far by the end of the evening. How many years will you have studied by the time you get your degree? Present continuous:  what is happening at the moment. Im working at the computer at the moment. He isnt sleeping now. Are you working? Past continuous: what was happening at a specific moment in the past. I was playing tennis at 7 p.m. She wasnt watching TV when he called. What were you doing at that time? Future continuous: what will be happening at a specific moment in the future. I will be lying on the beach this time next week. She wont be having any fun this time tomorrow. Will you be working this time tomorrow? Present perfect continuous: what has been happening up to the present moment in time. Ive been working for three hours. She hasnt been working in the garden for long. How long have you been cooking? Past perfect continuous: what had been happening up to a specific moment in the past. They had been working for three hours by the time he arrived. We hadnt been playing golf for long. Had you been working hard when he asked for it? Future perfect continuous: what will be happening up to a specific moment in the future. They will have been working for eight hours by the end of the day. She wont have been studying for very long when she takes the test. How long will you have been playing that game by the time you finish? More Resources If you want to continue your studies, this  tense table  will help you learn more about verb tenses. Educators can find activities and lesson plans in this guide to teaching tenses.

Critically discuss the business case for diversity and inclusion by Essay

Critically discuss the business case for diversity and inclusion by drawing on academic theories, research evidence and practice - Essay Example In addition, the business rationale behind embracing a diverse workforce will be also underlined. Finally the popularity and benefits that an organization draws for having diverse and inclusive workforce will be portrayed. The discussion section will illustrate the effect of diversity and inclusion on the factors such as -corporate success, profit, innovation, risk, creativity, individuality, experience and personality of employee. Also some of other aspects of diversity an inclusion will be underpinned. The management of diversity at the micro level, macro level and meso level will be also discussed. Furthermore, challenges pertaining to the implementation of diversity will be also examined. Based on the findings from different sources, a conclusion will be drawn that will mark the importance and benefits of a having a diverse and inclusive workforce. Finally some suggestions for managing and encouraging diversity in an organization will be provided. Background There will be only fe w people in this world who will disagree with the fact that positive relationship with colleagues and having respect for each other promotes better working environment and results in higher productivity. A number of organizations around the world proudly exhibit their espoused values like teamwork, individual dignity, integrity and respect among the employees (Bailne, 2007, p.2). They also have a sense of harmony throughout the organization. However there are also organizations which face several complexities in maintaining the workforce and internal harmony. The employees of those organizations are faced with large number of obstacles in carrying out their day to day activities. These issues do not arises for less qualification or low performance levels, rather it generates for some group membership activities. Several scholars stresses on the fact that the only way to curb such occurrences is implementation of workforce diversity and creating an inclusive workforce. Organizations should try their level best to embrace diversity in their human resources. Thus considering the present business environment there is a need for a shift in paradigm for the way organizations look towards the subject of creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. Defining Diversity Diversity is a broader aspect. From the perspective of human resource of an organization, diversity signifies having employees from different segments of the society. It is therefore defined as the element or aspect which is being used by the organizations to differentiate people and group from each other. This comes in the form of national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, education and disability. Nevertheless diversity in an organization does not remain constrained with those elements only. It also takes into account life style, working experience and culture. Hence diversity is considered as a ‘big idea’ or a ‘big thing’ in a society as well as in a business venture. Moreover, it help organizations to embrace large variety of people within the system (Gatrell and Swan, 2008, p.3). Defining Inclusion Inclusion is the

Accident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Accident - Essay Example For days while the driver is facing this terrible situation, his father is calling many friends and community leaders to try to get them help. The father is upset as he believes strongly that the situation is not his son’s fault and he finally finds a lawyer willing to represent the case. The attorney is a respected businessman who is kindly waiting at the courthouse, ready to do his level best to defend the driver. Though glad to have help, it is a very hard day at the court since everyone being seen by the judge is a killer. The driver feels very strongly that he is being compared to very violent criminals by the authorities. Fortunately the judge informs the driver that if he does not get into any kind of legal trouble over the next year, he will not be punished for the accident. This was very good because he is obviously so very nervous that the court will not believe that it was the riders fault. The driver agrees to stay out of trouble for a year which he claims is not much of a problem since he has never been arrested before. What a very lucky driver to have support and not have to go to

Salvation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Salvation - Term Paper Example t Taylor points out that God through the Bible is: Telling mankind that every effort to save them will continue until they themselves find that they are lost and require Salvation. The Bible starts with the perception on how the universe was created. Then it comes to the creation of the first human, Adam, and later his spouse, Eve. It was both of them who did the first sin of the mankind, and that was the reason why God pulled them out of the paradise. From then on, man was forced to earn his livelihood by himself, and there started the diversion of man from God. All these things happened in the Old Testament, and man became a subject to the rage of God as an outcome of his sins. He longed for peace, and that’s when man’s run for Salvation commenced. The Old Testament cites the laws or commandments that man had to follow to take the road to Salvation. At this juncture, it is important to understand the Greek, Hebrew meanings of the word Salvation. In Greek, the word tha t refers to salvation is ‘Sozo’, which is very comprehensive in meaning like ‘to save, to make whole’ etc. In King James Version of the Bible, from Gen 49:18 to Psa 18:46, the term Salvation occurs 164 times in  158  verses (Strong's Concordance with  Hebrew and Greek Lexicon). At the same time, in Hebrew, the word for Salvation found in the Bible is ‘Yeshuwah’ which indicates "deliverance" or ‘something saved’. Since man continued to sin, in the Old Testament, God made a promise to lead the mankind to Salvation, which paved the way for the advent of Jesus Christ, the son of God to the Earth to save the mankind. It is mentioned in the New Testament that God gave the commandments to make mankind aware that they crave Salvation; they were never intended to be the means of salvation. As... The researcher of this essay analyzes the Bible, that is a standard parameter whenever there is debate or discussion on faith and science. Salvation is a topic that often comes up in discussions about the Bible, and, of course, the core element of the entire New Testament. Theologians are deeply at odds regarding the extent to which the concept of salvation is used in the Old Testament. James Barr points out that Salvation has not been given ‘central prominence’ in the Old Testament. Salvation in religion refers to the saving of the soul from sins and its aftermaths. Biblical Salvation rarely refers to Salvation from hell. Absolution from hindrances in life is the common meaning given to Salvation in the Old Testament. To sum up, the researcher mentions that human Salvation was foreseen by God even before creation in time immemorial. Post creation, God executed the plan of Salvation, which he intended to implement through his Son. He promised the coming of the Messiah, a saviour, to attain mankind’s Salvation. The Old Testament is thus an account of God trying to make mankind realize the need of Salvation and the coming of the Messiah. The New Testament is the account of life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah by which Salvation was attained in its real sense. In culmination the researcher states that the Old Testament is the substratum of the New Testament and though it is the materialization of the plan of Salvation, that is depicted from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

An External Cost Is a Produced-to-Producer or Consumer-to-Consumer Cos Assignment - 7

An External Cost Is a Produced-to-Producer or Consumer-to-Consumer Cost - Assignment Example Through profits, businesses have the capacity to reward its employees, who in turn get the ability to cater to their needs. For instance, through online jobs, I find some extra income for my upkeep. The other principle is economic viability. This enables businesses to have the capacity to cater for the needs of individuals in the society in future. For this to occur, businesses need to avoid the depletion of their resources and save for future usage. 5. The life cycle costs allow a business to undertake a lifetime comparison of the available options in making a purchase. This allows the conversion of future costs to their present value to account for inflation, and that has the lowest cost in its lifecycle is the most viable. 6. Effective EPR policies ensure that businesses have a liability of future external costs that for instance, relate to land contamination. Companies will internalize the costs in the form of business decisions that results in the pricing of raw materials commercially. This leads to the reduction of the external costs. 9. Ecological footprint relies on the fact that the earth produces all the renewable resources. It is the reliability of such resources for the production of goods and services, in order to sustain a particular lifestyle. 10. External costs lead to an increase in credit risks that cause a decrease in opportunities due to the limitation of resources such as bank loans. Therefore, businesses have a constraint in competing effectively in the market. 12. Third-party certifiers subject the products of a given company to sustainability tests. They determine the sales of certain products due to strict conditions that only certified products should be available in the market. 13. It is cheaper to purchase products that have negative impacts on the environment, as compared to the products that have a less environmental impact. Businesses do not have a strict obligation to pay the taxes on their operations on a full scale. Therefore, it has been hard to define equity in most businesses and this has led to the maintenance of external costs.

The Key Agent of Socialization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Key Agent of Socialization - Assignment Example Therefore, as a young adult, they taught me to be free and to view everyone as equal and friendly. The inter-gender interaction was not frowned upon, and we could play with our neighbors freely. In addition, I learned to respect my elders but not to be mistreated just because I am a kid, therefore, I should do as told. I could question some aspects of life that my parents took upon themselves to explain why some things had to be done without questioning. The story is different with my grandfather; aged eighty-seven. During his time as a young parent, all parents were more like dictators. They shared the same parenting skills, and could command everything to be done without questioning. The children during their time were not allowed to question their parents; hence, they followed everything to the latter without raising an eyebrow. When it comes to inter-gender interaction, boys were only allowed to play with boys and so were girls. They only interacted with each other after they were deemed to have matured, as young adults. This was quite a contrast to how I was raised during a period considered as the ‘digital

Disucssion Board 4-3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disucssion Board 4-3 - Assignment Example Despite warning Sheila that it may not be in her best interest to disclose these records, she has refused to assert the privilege. By releasing her records, Sheila may be placing herself at a disadvantage in the sense that this involves privileged communication that is antagonistic to the system of justice. Since courts and legislatures have been reluctant to extend privilege to relationships between the counselor and the clients, the other party will be able to hold back information that ma eventually be used against Sheila. Since my obligations regarding confidentiality and privileged communication in this case are a bit unclear, I will have to consult to get some help and more information. In responding to this subpoena, the communication is priviledged, and so the judge cannot order the revelation of the information in court. As such, I will retain this right and not disclose the records, because the communication is recognized by law

The Key Agent of Socialization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Key Agent of Socialization - Assignment Example Therefore, as a young adult, they taught me to be free and to view everyone as equal and friendly. The inter-gender interaction was not frowned upon, and we could play with our neighbors freely. In addition, I learned to respect my elders but not to be mistreated just because I am a kid, therefore, I should do as told. I could question some aspects of life that my parents took upon themselves to explain why some things had to be done without questioning. The story is different with my grandfather; aged eighty-seven. During his time as a young parent, all parents were more like dictators. They shared the same parenting skills, and could command everything to be done without questioning. The children during their time were not allowed to question their parents; hence, they followed everything to the latter without raising an eyebrow. When it comes to inter-gender interaction, boys were only allowed to play with boys and so were girls. They only interacted with each other after they were deemed to have matured, as young adults. This was quite a contrast to how I was raised during a period considered as the ‘digital

Information Security Essay Example for Free

Information Security Essay Information Security is a fundamental function of any organization expecting to be competitive in the global market. As more and more developing countries make the leap into capitalism, competiveness will only become more essential. With Asian nations like China, Korea and India stepping up to make their presence noticed taking more of the market share than ever before other organizations must remain competitive which means keeping their piece of the pie safe and secure. Organizations’ proprietary information if left unsecure could mean loss of their competitive edge. In the IndustryWeek. com article by, â€Å"Manufacturers Must Think Virtually to Ensure Data is Protected† Chris Benco contends; â€Å"Data is what all manufacturers rely upon, and with the ever-increasing influx of it, companies need to ensure that it is protected in the event of a natural disaster, human error or other problems. With this heavy reliance on data to maintain day-to-day operations, manufacturers cannot afford to overlook data protection as it is the key in maintaining production, optimizing productivity and guaranteeing profit. Information security though takes on another aspect when you consider an often over looked key element of corporate information. We think of information security in terms of protecting what is on paper and in data bases, but knowledge is much harder to nail down. Knowledge, information that is stored in the minds of the organization’s personnel is just as important as any other data or product information and should be gathered and stored just the same. As we could see in the reading material for this case assignment there are many methods for obtaining, sharing, and storing knowledge information. Some such methods were discussed by Ann Field in her article â€Å"Locking Up What Your Employees Know†. The step according to Ms. Fields are to first Create a knowledge profile, then foster mentoring relationships, encourage communities of practice, ensure that passing knowledge on is rewarded, Protect peoples privacy, and decide whether youre interested in recorded knowledge as well.

Neo Neo Debate in International Relations

Neo Neo Debate in International Relations The study of international relations is best thought as a protracted competition between the realist, liberal, and radical traditions (Stephen,1998). In international relations theory, there are four Great Debates argued by the international relations scholars. In this paper, the neo-neo debate to the study of international relations is the topic used to talk about. The neo-neo debate in international relations is known as a debate between scholars of neo-realist international relations theory and neo-liberal institutionalism (Steve, 2001). The neo-neo debate is not a debate between two completely opposite viewpoint. This paper is finished under the hammer at revealing the key features and the main contributions of the neo-neo debate to the study of International Relations. This paper is divided into three sections to finish the work. In the first section, the key features of the neo-neo debate to the study of International Relations show in this part. Section two focuses on the main contributions of the neo-neo debate to the study of International Relations. The last section relates to the conclusion of the whole paper. 2.0 Discussion about the features and contributions Neorealism and neoliberalism are the two most contemporary approached to international relations theory and they create the neo-neo debate which has dominated much of international relations theory for the last decade (Powell, 1994). Arguments on the consequence of both anarchy and gains and the prospect for peace form the basis of the neo-neo debate (Taylor, 2006). Though neorealist and neoliberal international relations theorists pursue different arguments, the neo-neo debate is not a debate between two polar opposite worldviews. They share assumptions which focus on similar questions and they agree on very similar, through not identical, set of assumptions about international politics. In a word, there are both similarities and disparity between neorealism and neoliberalism. Taylor (2006) thinks the similarities between thee two schools are from the neorealism. First, both of them think states are rational egoists. Unlikely the classical liberal proposition that the idealistic sel f-abnegation and self-regarding motivations of states (Hobson 2000), neoliberal scholars agree with neorealists that states are rational egoists so that they are self -interested. This similarity formed those baseline assumptions that neoliberalists began to question and argue with neorealism. Despite there are similarities between neorealism and neoliberalism, neoliberals maintained many of the key assumptions from the classical liberals. In this paper, there are some points under the neo-neo debate of international relations to show the incomplete opposite between neorealist and neoliberal international relations theories. Exactly those assumptions borrowed from neorealism and core classical liberalism produce the debate between neorealism and neoliberalism. First, the notion of anarchy in international relations is the most significant part among these two schools. To the classical realist, anarchy means that there is no government of governments and no authority in the world greater than the sovereign state (Fraser, 2010). But to the neorealist, anarchy is the organizing principle that makes states to act the way they do. The world is constituted of nations which are governed by states in relative anarchy (Axelrod Keohane 1993). States are supposed to be rational and unitary actors. In the world of anarchy, states have to use self-help as a predominant tool (Setear, 2010). Waltz (1979) thinks that the effect of anarchy is to create the principle of self-help, because a state can only depend on itself for its survival. States are unable to control in an anarchic climate so that they should prepare to be challenged by opportunistic, stronger states (Hobson 2000). Neorealists stand on the belief that the state is the most important actor in international politics to peace, but they also feel powerless to influence the peaceful action of other states. Though neoliberalism is different from Neorealism, it does not vote down the anarchic nature of the international relations. Scholars of neoliberalism emphasis the neorealists have exaggerated the importance and effect of anarchy. They think anarchy can be mitigated by international regimes and institutions. That is to say they argue that the neorealists underestimate the effect of institutionalised co operation. Neoliberalism believes that interstate cooperation could create institutions and regimes for the peaceful settlement of conflicts (Sheldon, 1994). Another core disparity within the neo-neo debate is the problem of absolute and relative gains. The difference of this disparity is obvious. Neorealists think that all states must be concerned with the absolute and relative gains which produce by international agreements and cooperative efforts. While neoliberals are less concerned about relative gains and considers that both of them will benefit from absolute gains. For neorealists, winning at all costs can make their friends be their enemy in war in the pursuit of relative gains (Taylor, 2006). For neoliberals, if states only pursue absolute gains, they can cooperate with each other and avoid conflict by maintaining the international principle through a positive game (Viotti and Kauppi 1987). This disparity has significant implications on the problems of security concerns of states and the prospects of world peace (Taylor, 2006). Hence neorealists consider conflicts as inevitable outcomes of international relations. Besides, neorea lists focus more on the short-term gains of states in competition while neoliberals pay more attention on longer-term absolute gains (Taylor, 2006). Hence neorealists place a higher emphasis on power-maximizing and security dilemma than economic prosperity (Baldwin, 1993). Neoliberals support that international institution can play an important role in resolving conflicts and that it can make states cooperate and work toward long-term gains rather than relay on short-term gains. Though neoliberals agree with neorealists on that states act only out of self-interest, they can not share the suggestion of neorealists about the possibility of international cooperation. The neo-neo debate has been the dominant focus in international relations theory scholarship in the USA for the last dozen years (Baylis Smith, 2006). Neorealism and neoliberalism turn to be conceptual frameworks which show people the images of the world rather than just theories. Both neorealism and neoliberalism have its limits and deficiencies. Neoliberalism emerged as a new liberal response to realism during the last decade of the Cold War. Interestingly, the neoliberals borrow many neorealist assumptions but distance themselves from the classical liberalist theory so they can restore integrity to liberal ideals (Taylor, 2006). Neoliberalism is always named as neoliberal institutionalism in the academic world. The development of neoliberal institutionalism presents a serious challenge for neorealist analysis. But the debate between them is still an inter-paradigm one. The neo-neo debate refers to the problems of state power, relations among different states, and relations betwee n state and non-state actors. Baylis and Smith (2006) point out neorealism and neoliberalism share many assumptions about actors, values, issues and power arrangements in the international relations theories. During the 1960s and 1970s, the appearance of non-state actors induced the world structure to change. Keohane and Nyne (1972) argue that a definition of politics in terms of state behaviours alone may lead us to ignore important non-governmental actors that allocate view. Then the neoliberalism came out to explain the changes of world structure. Neoliberals think states should not be seen as the unique actor in international politics. Its assumptions clearly challenges and distinguishes itself from neorealism. Neorealists think that states are the primary and unitary actors in international politics. But the truth is globalization provides opportunities and resource for transnational social movements have challenged the state authority and control in some areas (Baylis and Smith, 2006). That is no exaggeration to say that the neo-neo debate comply with the development of international politics. During the development of international relations theory, the development of each school is rooted in argument between different schools. Through those arguments, scholars of international relations extend their thoughts and explore more possibilities, shine their studies, and finally accept the strong points of the others and the weak points belong to themselves. Then they can rethink profoundly on their own theories and make recreation on their works. That is how neorealists and neoliberals affect each other and the development of international relations theories. Powell (1994) points out that much of the neo-neo debate can be seen as a response to Waltzs Theory of international politics and a reaction to those response. Waltzs key contribution to the international relations theories is the creation of neorealism which is also called structural realism by him. Neorealism is a reaction to the classical realism and leads the response from neoliberals. Then the debate between neoreali sm and neoliberals came out to discuss problems which exit in the international politics. The debate between neorealism and neoliberalism is much more deepen and careful than the debate between realism and liberalism. The approach used within the debate has its new features in evidence. It also opens up a new from of debate which not exclude each other and not easy to assert the fault of the other. Some scholars also think the neo-neo debate between these two theories have failed to contribute as much as they could have to the international relations theory. Powell (1994) thinks neorealism and neoliberalism have serious internal weakness and limitations which lead to the neo-neo debate present confuse rather than clarification. Maybe this shortcoming can also be looked as a contribution to the international relations theories. Scholars need to find much more directions for the future theoretical work after they have realized there were weakness and limitations within the neo-neo debate. 3.0 Conclusion Today, many of foundations of the interstate system are challenged by change in international norms. These changes have led to a debate among scholars about whether those international relations theories will survive in its current form or evolve into another theory that does not come out. Neoliberals believe economics is a driving force which can encouragingly increase cooperation among nations in international relations. While neorealists think that military force will continue decide what happens in the world. Both of them are right to some extant. And none of them will replace another. May another new debate will replace them someday, the neo-neo debate is still a great evolution of the study of international relations.

Sex and Music Videos in the 21st Century :: Music Essays

Sex and Music Videos in the 21st Century Females have been portrayed as sex objects in music videos since MTV began. Some of the earlier stars on MTV consisted of Prince, Kiss and Aerosmith, just to name a few. Even those videos contained images of women in bikini’s, so why are we so shocked and appalled when Kid Rock has 20 surgically enhanced women parading around him as if he is king? Is it really that shocking that Sisqo’s, â€Å"The Thong Song† was voted 2000’s summer anthem, by Jet Magazine? His most recent album contained thirteen tracks. Of those thirteen tracks, 50 % contained sexual content. (www.cwrl.utexas.edu) It isn’t that society is shocked that men portray women as sex objects, it’s the fact that males in general still view women as sex objects. This is the 21st century. Women have fought long and hard to be treated as equals to men. They wanted to prove that women are not a trophy, yet not required to be bare foot and pregnant. Just when women think they have won the fight, models, such as Pamela Anderson, whom willingly prance around in skimpy shorts and tight, revealing, leather tops and sporting high heels become the competition. This is an image that respectable women have fought so hard to rid society of. What a slap in the face. Young, impressionable males do not understand what the subliminal messages in popular music videos are. Subconsciously, boys think that they understand what rock and rap videos are saying. The children do not understand that producers, directors and the artists, work as a team to strategically use camera angles, positioning, poses and sexual innuendoes to make their point. In fact, according to Kathleen Turkel, an assistant professor of women’s studies at the University of Massachusetts, â€Å"The fantasy world of rock videos is not innocent or accidental, but it is a carefully designed advertising technique used to sell CD’s, tapes and videos to a target audience of 14 to 34 year-old consumers.† (Rhodes) The final result of all of these messages is a very skewed image of who and what women are. Young girls viewing these videos is actually quite disturbing because what they watch on television is what they will grow up wanting to become. With all of these gr aphic images allowed on television, is it any wonder why we have horrible rape cases and other sexual assault crimes? Sex and Music Videos in the 21st Century :: Music Essays Sex and Music Videos in the 21st Century Females have been portrayed as sex objects in music videos since MTV began. Some of the earlier stars on MTV consisted of Prince, Kiss and Aerosmith, just to name a few. Even those videos contained images of women in bikini’s, so why are we so shocked and appalled when Kid Rock has 20 surgically enhanced women parading around him as if he is king? Is it really that shocking that Sisqo’s, â€Å"The Thong Song† was voted 2000’s summer anthem, by Jet Magazine? His most recent album contained thirteen tracks. Of those thirteen tracks, 50 % contained sexual content. (www.cwrl.utexas.edu) It isn’t that society is shocked that men portray women as sex objects, it’s the fact that males in general still view women as sex objects. This is the 21st century. Women have fought long and hard to be treated as equals to men. They wanted to prove that women are not a trophy, yet not required to be bare foot and pregnant. Just when women think they have won the fight, models, such as Pamela Anderson, whom willingly prance around in skimpy shorts and tight, revealing, leather tops and sporting high heels become the competition. This is an image that respectable women have fought so hard to rid society of. What a slap in the face. Young, impressionable males do not understand what the subliminal messages in popular music videos are. Subconsciously, boys think that they understand what rock and rap videos are saying. The children do not understand that producers, directors and the artists, work as a team to strategically use camera angles, positioning, poses and sexual innuendoes to make their point. In fact, according to Kathleen Turkel, an assistant professor of women’s studies at the University of Massachusetts, â€Å"The fantasy world of rock videos is not innocent or accidental, but it is a carefully designed advertising technique used to sell CD’s, tapes and videos to a target audience of 14 to 34 year-old consumers.† (Rhodes) The final result of all of these messages is a very skewed image of who and what women are. Young girls viewing these videos is actually quite disturbing because what they watch on television is what they will grow up wanting to become. With all of these gr aphic images allowed on television, is it any wonder why we have horrible rape cases and other sexual assault crimes?

Entrance to the Profession Narrative :: Essays Papers

Entrance to the Profession Narrative I remember seventh grade Open House at my suburban Catholic grade school in the southern curve of St. Louis’ Mississippi River. I remember the glaring, bowl-shaped auditorium lights hovering over milling parents and sheepish classmates, everyone looking for their own, or their own child’s work so they could make their exclamations and get on with the night. I remember it so well because on my orange poster-board balloon, under a fifth grade school photo—with the red pullover sweater, plaid Peter Pan collar, and bouffant bow—someone had written â€Å"Aspiring Author.† I didn’t know anyone knew. I didn’t even know myself. Maybe it was in the stories I wrote for our weekly vocabulary sentences. Or the dramas I enacted for book reports that ran fifteen minutes over our allotted five. Perhaps I revealed it in my Social Studies notebook with pages upon pages of illustrated, full-paragraphed definitions of Civil War details, in the three-page poem I recited from memory in front of the class, in zealous literature projects, in my natural ability to crank out grammar trees, or in the novella I turned in for a one-page writing assignment. It never occurred to me to articulate such an aspiration—perhaps because it was too close. But others could see it—this love affair with language. For whatever reasons, I continued to dismiss that orange balloon discovery until several years after I left—I thought—the academic world behind for good. I understand now why my undergraduate years were such a struggle. This bouffant-bowed aspirant hooked flailing arms around a biology major, when math and science had been only sources of tedium and misery. After a year of unbearable classes, I switched my major to English—more out of a sense of failure than a sense of right. My motivation for grasping onto science was the thought of a clear, and perhaps interesting, job-title after four years. My motivation for running back into the arms of my former lover was that it felt familiar and natural. I cringed every time I heard someone say, â€Å"Oh, an English major†¦what will you do? Teach?† Was that my only option? I couldn’t do it. Yes, I loved to read and write, to crawl into glittering tunnels of analysis, to discover ideas as they revealed themselves under my pen, but it all seemed so†¦removed from life. Entrance to the Profession Narrative :: Essays Papers Entrance to the Profession Narrative I remember seventh grade Open House at my suburban Catholic grade school in the southern curve of St. Louis’ Mississippi River. I remember the glaring, bowl-shaped auditorium lights hovering over milling parents and sheepish classmates, everyone looking for their own, or their own child’s work so they could make their exclamations and get on with the night. I remember it so well because on my orange poster-board balloon, under a fifth grade school photo—with the red pullover sweater, plaid Peter Pan collar, and bouffant bow—someone had written â€Å"Aspiring Author.† I didn’t know anyone knew. I didn’t even know myself. Maybe it was in the stories I wrote for our weekly vocabulary sentences. Or the dramas I enacted for book reports that ran fifteen minutes over our allotted five. Perhaps I revealed it in my Social Studies notebook with pages upon pages of illustrated, full-paragraphed definitions of Civil War details, in the three-page poem I recited from memory in front of the class, in zealous literature projects, in my natural ability to crank out grammar trees, or in the novella I turned in for a one-page writing assignment. It never occurred to me to articulate such an aspiration—perhaps because it was too close. But others could see it—this love affair with language. For whatever reasons, I continued to dismiss that orange balloon discovery until several years after I left—I thought—the academic world behind for good. I understand now why my undergraduate years were such a struggle. This bouffant-bowed aspirant hooked flailing arms around a biology major, when math and science had been only sources of tedium and misery. After a year of unbearable classes, I switched my major to English—more out of a sense of failure than a sense of right. My motivation for grasping onto science was the thought of a clear, and perhaps interesting, job-title after four years. My motivation for running back into the arms of my former lover was that it felt familiar and natural. I cringed every time I heard someone say, â€Å"Oh, an English major†¦what will you do? Teach?† Was that my only option? I couldn’t do it. Yes, I loved to read and write, to crawl into glittering tunnels of analysis, to discover ideas as they revealed themselves under my pen, but it all seemed so†¦removed from life.