Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Foreign Policy 1776-1807 Dbq
During the Washington, Adams, and the Jefferson administrations, the United States was thrust into the decision of joining either Britain or France, the two most powerful European nations. In determining the effects of foreign policy on the developing nation, one must establish the overall direction of the United States took. As a budding nation, George Washington proposed the idea of neutrality in order for the country to have no involvement in European affairs. However, Federalists and Democratic Republicans were outraged by this decision since the Federalists supported the British while the Democratic Republicans supported the French. Neutrality also allowed the United States to temporarily smooth its relations with Europe because of commercial interest. Therefore, neutrality, instead of siding with either Britain or France or through their commercial interests, was the obvious direction taken by foreign policy. After witnessing and being involved in uncontrollable European affairs, the growing nation of the United States concluded that an international policy of neutrality would be the best option in the area of foreign affairs. During his presidency, Washington decided that it was best for America to stay neutral. As stated in his Proclamation of Neutrality that any American providing assistance to any country at war would be punished with legal proceedings (D). He was aware of the possible dangers that would occur when allying with a certain country. The country was too new to enter any wars or deal with wars of foreign countries. ââ¬Å"Europe has a set of primary interestsâ⬠¦Hence she must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concernsâ⬠(J). Even in his farewell address, Washington advised the fledgling nation to not get involved in European affairs or make permanent alliances, to avoid sectionalism, and to not form political parties. After Washington resigned from office, John Adams tried to maintain the position of neutrality as the second president of the United States. He did as much as he could in avoiding war with France. Even before his presidency, in response to a proposed alliance with France, he argued that ââ¬Å"â⬠¦we ought not to enter into any Alliance with her [France], which should entangle Us in any future wars in Europe, that We ought to lay it down as a first principle and a Maxim never to be forgotten, to maintain an entire Neutrality in all future European Warsâ⬠(A). However, after the XYZ Affair, in which French agents demanded a large bribe for the restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States, a Quasi War erupted between France and America. The Convention of 1800, also known as the Treaty of Mortefontaine, was a treaty between the United States and France to settle the hostilities that erupted during that war (I). When Thomas Jefferson became president, it was a peaceful transition from Federalist to Democratic Republican. Despite the differences between these political parties, Jefferson also tried to maintain Washingtonââ¬â¢s idea of neutrality. In his Inaugural Address in 1801, he states ââ¬Å"We are all Republicans, we are all Federalistsâ⬠and that there would be ââ¬Å"Equal and exact justice to all men, friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with noneâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ (K). Even as a last resort to the Louisiana Purchase, he told Monroe to make an alliance with Great Britain if the Louisiana Purchase did not work out. In all three of their presidencies, Washington, Adams, and Jefferson decided that it was best for the new nation to enter a state of neutrality. Despite its neutrality and unwillingness to enter war with the European nations, the United States were being forced to side with either Great Britain or France, Europeââ¬â¢s most powerful nations. During Washingtonââ¬â¢s presidency, the revolutionary government of France sent diplomat Edmond-Charles Genet, also known as Citizen Genet, to America to propagandize the case for France in the French war against Great Britain, which created the network of Democratic Republicans. Washington demanded the French government recall Genet, and denounced the societies. The United States were in a conflict with Britain, as the British were seizing American ships and impressing sailors. Hamilton and Washington designed the Jayââ¬â¢s Treaty to normalize trade relations with Britain, remove them from western forts, and resolve financial debts left over from the Revolution (F). John Jay negotiated and signed the treaty in 1794. However, many disputes rose from this decision. James Madison criticized that the treaty stated to open West India ports to the United States, yet Britain refused to follow these regulations (G). During Adamââ¬â¢s presidency, the XYZ Affair, which was supposed to have been the negotiation between America and France on the seizure of American ships, threw the United States into a Quasi War with the French. In the aftermath of the undeclared naval war with France, the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed, which allowed the president to deport hostile aliens, increased residency requirements for citizenship, and banned criticism of government policies or officials. After the United Statesââ¬â¢ conflict with France, Jefferson, a Democratic Republican, considered the possibility of an alliance with Britain. While Britain and France were both seizing American ships, Britain had the strongest navy and was thus able to force the American sailors into its navy (M). Jefferson believed that this conflict would cease if the United States agreed to establish an alliance with Britain. Torn between the conflict of siding with either France or Britain, the United States agreed to remain neutral. Although neutrality in the new nation was favored, there was a possibility of joining either Britain or France depending on which one was more financially beneficial. After Jayââ¬â¢s Treaty, which was signed with Great Britain during Washingtonââ¬â¢s presidency, Spain did not want the United States to side with the British and wanted to smooth its relations with the fledgling country. Pinckneyââ¬â¢s Treaty, signed on October 27, 1795, established the intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. The treaty also granted the States use of the Mississippi and right of deposit at New Orleans (H). In the Treaty of Paris in 1783, ââ¬Å"It is agreed that the people of the United States shall continue to enjoy unmolested the right to take fish of every kind on the Grand Bankâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ and that ââ¬Å"The navigation of the river Mississippi, from its source to the ocean, shall forever remain free and open to the subjects of Great Britain and the citizens of the United Statesâ⬠(E). Thomas Paine stated that commerce would secure the friendship with Europe because Europe wants America to have a free port (B). Jefferson, fearing the power of the neighboring French in the Louisiana Territory, sent Monroe to Paris to negotiate the purchase in 1802. Their interest was only in the port and its environs. They did not anticipate the much larger transfer of territory that would follow. The purchase greatly benefited the United States because it granted them access to the entire Mississippi River. Also, as a result of impressments of American sailors, Jefferson established the Embargo Act of 1807, also known as the Nonintercourse Acts, restricting American ships from engaging in foreign trade between the years 1807 to 1812. Jefferson believed that without trade with the United States, Britain and France would fall into an economic crisis. However, the Europeans nations did not bother with America and traded with other countries, causing the new nationââ¬â¢s economy to fall. This outraged the general public, and when Jefferson left office, these acts were repealed. Commercial interest helped the United States to choose between siding with either of the European nations or remaining neutral. Throughout the Washington, Adams, and Jefferson administrations, Britain and France tried to force the United States into allying with either of the two nations. Although it was tough to maintain, neutrality was established in the country by Washington. The decision brought various problems for the budding nation, but it still stayed strong.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Militant Nonviolence Essay
Erik Erikson, the world-renowned author of the book Gandhiââ¬â¢s truth has also been popular because of his stages of psychosocial development (Niolon, 2007) . The said stages are enumerated in this manner: Infancy (Birth ââ¬â 18 months) wherein the main psychosocial crisis is trust vs. mistrust, Toddler (1 1/2 ââ¬â 3 years) which usually involves autonomy vs. shame & doubt, Play Age (3-6 years), usually involving the psychosocial crisis of initiative vs. guilt, school age (7-12 years), which often related to industry vs. inferiority, adolescence (12-19 years), identity vs. role confusion, young adulthood (20-34 years old), intimacy vs. isolation, adulthood (35-60 years), generativity vs. stagnation, and finally, late adulthood (60 years and above that is usually associated with the psychosocial crisis integrity vs. despair (Niolon, 2007) . This paper shall look into the book authored by the same person, entitled Gandhiââ¬â¢s truth, a book that has been said to be the acclaimed study of Mahatma Gandhi, taking the psychoanalytic theory developed by its author into consideration. This non-fictional literary work shall be analyzed based on the theory developed by the same psychoanalyst together with the discussions obtained from the book Development and Aging by Papalia, Sterns, Feldman and Camp, including topics such as health and aging, intelligence and its measurements, creativity, mature thought, wisdom and moral intelligences; education, work and leisure, etc. It has been a known fact that humans face their decline when they reach a certain age. It is often heard from different people that this kind of decline happens as most people are not as productive as they were once was in their childhood or early adulthood. This is also most prevalent in most senior citizens (Godrej, 2002). Apparently, for most studies, development stops at a certain stage . On the contrary, Eriksonââ¬â¢s theory disproves the fact that development stops. In fact, it continues throughout the life cycle. According to the psychoanalyst and author of the very popular book, older people are not finished developing. Older people are said to come up to terms with their own morality, making them look deeper into their while lives. More often than not, they look back to the good times with gladness, at their hard times with self ââ¬ârespect, and finally, look at their mistakes and regrets with forgiveness (Lasch, 1969) . It is doing so that they rediscover integrity as they get ready for whatever challenges that life and death could bring upon them. On the other hand, those who remain isolated to the hurts and sadness that their life brought to them, shall be dissatisfied with the life that they have led and would easily get depressed. These are the concepts being described by Erik Erikson in his stages of psychosocial development. He has reflected these said concepts onto the life of Mohandas Gandhi, more popularly known as Mahatma or the great soul, the father of the Indian Nation. Almost everyone on the face of this planet has heard about the contributions of one of the humans who has been said to lead a great life to the history of India and the whole world (Anderson, n. d. ). He was generally known, as mentioned, as the father of the Indian nation who continuously fought for the independence of his nation from the British colonizers, despite the consequences he faced, despite his old age. Eriksonââ¬â¢s Gandhiââ¬â¢s truth is generally a psychological reconstruction of Gandhiââ¬â¢s early years in Kathiawar on the Arabian Sea as well as his exile in London and South Africa. In the same manner, it provided an in depth analysis of the 1918 textile workersââ¬â¢ strike in Ahmedabad where Gandhi was first seen to practice his doctrine of Satyagraha or non violence (Lasch, 1969) . Erikson looked into the other aspects of this great manââ¬â¢s life that influenced his adoption of Satyagraha. The said author looked into the precocious and relentless conscience of the great soul by looking onto these said events which included the way Gandhi nursed his father, the civil servant whose career and health declined during his sonââ¬â¢s youth, which helped him, set the pattern for a leadership that could defeat a superior opponent nonviolently (Lasch, 1969). Gandhiââ¬â¢s unsuccessful and premature marriageââ¬â¢s effect on his adoption of Satyagraha was also examined. Generally, this unsuccessful marriage of his left him in horror of his sexuality (Anderson, n. d. ). At the same time, it encouraged him to develop the religious and spiritual aspect of his life that played a very important role in his battle for the independence of his beloved country (Lasch, 1969). Of course, this has been the reason why Mahatma Gandhi started his quest for sainthood which had taken a political form. Gandhiââ¬â¢s leadership in the said textile strike has also been reexamined. It is where Erikson focused his study on the life of the great soul, in relation to that of his developed theory (Anderson, n. d. ). According to the said author, this has been one of the most unusual exercises in nonviolence though it led to the victory of Mahatma and the textile workers. This does not only reflect Mahatma Gandhiââ¬â¢s doctrine of nonviolence but his faithfulness to dharma (Lasch, 1969) . Aside from the religious life led by Mohandas K. Gandhi, more popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, his spatial intelligence and creativity should be reconsidered. These two has contributed so much to his doctrine as he was able to devise ways, using his intelligence as a wise man in devising ways to battle their colonizers (Lasch, 1969). Generally, his spatial intelligence allowed Gandhi a better and quicker ways of correcting mistakes than other forms of political action. Gandhiââ¬â¢s doctrine aims to cure men of their righteous and fanatic moralism that has been said to be the cause of violence that are quite irrational (Anderson, n. d. ). It is obviously seen that Gandhiââ¬â¢s actions as an aged man has not declined due to the challenges he experienced during his childhood and young adulthood (Chawla, 2001). In the same manner, his doctrine of non-violence or Satyagraha has not only been affected by his deteriorating health but of his beliefs, religiousness and faithfulness to dharma that has contributed so much in his fight for the freedom of his motherland, India, the land which had been infamously known for its division brought about by differences in religion (Anderson, n. d. ). Basically, the analysis of this book, together with the psychoanalytical theory developed by Erik Erikson, has provided the psychological foundations of what has been known all over the world as great leadership and non-violence. It showed how Gandhiââ¬â¢s previous experiences affected his life as an aged man. As Erikson suggest, the spirit that Gandhi had ever since his childhood has influenced standardization (Anderson, n. d. ). Every individual is then encouraged to follow his own path, a path that is based on his insights with regard to the realities of the world that he is living in as well as the realities by which he or she knows his or her own self. If this perceptions turn out to be true, then the path he has taken shall be the path of truth. This is what the life of Gandhi, based on Eriksonââ¬â¢s book showed us. His perceptions that have been developed and continuously developing throughout his own life has influenced the development of a doctrine and philosophy that has gained him the title of a great soul (Chawla, 2001) . It is through this that he was able to influence not just his countrymen but the whole world as well. Eventually, looking into the brighter side of life can do so much good to a person who is in the last stage of his psychosocial development. In Gandhiââ¬â¢s case, he did not allow his weaknesses to serve as barriers in his fight, instead, he utilized them in such a way that his opponents looked onto it as his strengths (Anderson, n.d. ). References Anderson, H. (1971. ) Gandhiââ¬â¢s Truth: On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence. Theology Today. Vol 28. No. 2 Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http://theologytoday. ptsem. edu/jul1971/v28-2-bookreview10. htm Chawla, A. (2001). MOVING BEYOND GANDHIââ¬â¢S TRUTH. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http://www. samarthbharat. com/truth. htm ERIKSONââ¬â¢S THEORY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (2007). Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http://www. fractaldomains. com/devpsych/erikson. htm Erikson, E. (1969). Gandhiââ¬â¢s Truth. Journal of Religion and Health. Volume 9, Number 3. Godrej. F. (2002). Gandhiââ¬â¢s Truth: Nonviolence as Epistemological Arbiter. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from Lasch, C. (1969). One Manââ¬â¢s Quest for Sainthood and the Revolutionary Philosophy to Which It Led. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http:// www. nytimes. com/books/99/08/22/specials/erikson-gandhi. html Niolon, R. (2007) Erickonââ¬â¢s Psychosocial Stages of Development. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http://www. psychpage. com/learning/library/person/erikson. html
Monday, July 29, 2019
Changes in the Business Environment of Shell and Subsequent Strategy
Changes in the Business Environment of Shell and Subsequent Strategy The main objective of this assignment deals with business environmental changes of ââ¬Å"Shell Companyâ⬠(Petroleum Company) from last 5 years. PESTEL analysis was applied in the following assignment, in order to present Shell Companyââ¬â¢s present status in all aspects and the changes that have taken place in the company. Moreover, the various types of strategies formulated were outlined and discussed. Introduction An organization is an entity that provides goods and services to consumers who need or want them and it does not function in isolation. Therefore, it is imperative to identify and understand all the factors within its environment that could potentially affect it. The environment of a business is normally divided into two categories, the micro environment and the macro environment. Below we shall discuss in details what each category means. Micro-environment: Internal factors like suppliers, competitors and employees are volatile and influence transformation of a business process and often it leads to undermining the current balance within the system. Suppliers: A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. www.overstockuniverse.com http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/A_company%27s_supply_chain_%28en%29.png/300px-A_company%27s_supply_chain_%28en%29.png Company should have a social responsibility towards their suppliers, as they transform the natural resources and raw materials into finished goods which are delivered to the end consumers. They also play a vital role during product shortage. They are the combination of all types of business practice and ethics. www.overstockuniverse.com Customers: Aà Client, buyer or purchaser, is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of theà productsà of an individual orà organization, called theà supplier,à seller, orà vendor. Slogans for the Customer: ââ¬Å"the customer is kingâ⬠or ââ¬Å"the customer is godâ⬠or ââ¬Å"the customer is always right. www.rajputbrotherhood.com Competitors: Competitionà is aà contestà between individuals, groups, nations, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. Competition arises whenever two or more parties strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Humans compete forà wealth, prestige, andà fame so that they met deep rivalries often arises over the pursuit of. Business is often associated with competition as most companies are in competition with at least one other firm over the same group of customers. Macro-environment: Decision making by managers are influenced by many factors that constitutes the macro environment in a business. The examples for the macro environment are Tax changes, trade barriers, demographic change and government policy changes. http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm The fo llowing factors are: Political factors: Political environment is an unpredictable element which effect specific organizations badly due to instability in government and rules passed by the political parties. Factors like political stability in the country, party in power, ideology of government and foreign policy greatly influence the business in political environment of the country. Example: Indian Government restricted coca-cola sales during late seventies following policy of restricting the growth of multinationals in Indian markets. But coco-cola was allowed after some years under the New Industrial policy of 1991. Under this new policy, government liberalized licensing, imports and exports, inflow of foreign capital and technology on more liberal terms.
Business Law and Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Business Law and Ethics - Case Study Example According to my opinion, when the managers at the Ford Company knew the danger of the faulty fuel tanks in their newly designed products, then it is very much unethical to do any cost-benefit analysis. It seems that Ford wants to do a cost and benefit analysis in the replacement of many people who are anxious to buy the first Fort Pinto car. In this situation of Ford Pinto Case analysis, the cost and benefit analysis play the same role as we say the rule of profit maximization. The rule of profit maximization says the taking care of profits irrespective of anything else is similar that we may do a cost analysis when we are aware of the fact that there are human lives involved in the situation. The managers should do a detailed analysis on the design and features of the product before taking any final decision. If the product safety may fall short behind the ethical boundary then it will be difficult for the business to cover up the losses in the form of a bad image of the company in the market. The ethical issue in the Ford Pinto case study is the faulty fuel tanks in the newly launched product and the top management is fully aware of the faults. The top most ethical conflict was the rejection of the Incharge of Ford Pinto to adopt any additional cost of giving the safety measures in the product. The most affected stakeholders of this unethical act are the customers who are willing to buy the newly launched Ford Pinto. Including them, many other stakeholders are also affected by this decision of Ford.
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Why the Renaissance has been called the birth of modernity Essay
Why the Renaissance has been called the birth of modernity - Essay Example Renaissance was a powerful humanistic and cultural movement, which was featured with bright and cheerful expectations from the future. It was the time when people finally believed in own powers, so they had no insurmountable obstacles to the historical ascent to freedom, happiness and justice.Thus, as the Renaissance, the Modernism got its reputation of being the age of rebirth of exploration and learning. In contrast to the eclecticism with its interest to the reliability of the playback of national and historic art individual parts Modernism tried to revive the spirit of stylistic unity of artistic organisms. It was inherent to medieval or folk art, as well as to the Renaissance art. Abandoning from attempts to "reanimate" outdated academic standards by copying the styles of the past, modernist artists came to the new principles by shaping styling features of various eras and styles art. Through the understanding of the new designs and materials and as well as through using the ric h ornamentation of natural motifs, modern art brought not only ornamental beginning but also unprecedented rhythms, especially the mobility of nervous lines and shapes, and that incorporated all kinds of art of this period.So, as you can see, the effects of the European Renaissance were felt during the Modernity, as well as it is prevalent in contemporary society, when the cyber revolution is well underway following Machiavelliââ¬â¢s tenet of acceptance any means for achievement of desired purpose.
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Philosophy of Mind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Philosophy of Mind - Essay Example It is this gap, according to Searle that makes individuals believe that they have the freedom of will. In his observation therefore, whether free will exists or not is a question that is open but the idea that it may be absent is more appealing given that it makes the feeling that freedom does really exist a secondary phenomenon (Searle, p.32). Free will is the apparent ability of agents to make their own choices from several kinds of constrains. Generally, these constraints have always been metaphysical. The test of free will has always been the question as to whether in choosing to do something; an individual would have chosen another option. Chances are holding everything constant, including the will, the choice would probably be the same. The issue that surrounds this concept is two sided. The concept of being free is normally free. It depends on what a person is free to do, or is free from. With an additional concept of constraint and ability, free develops the idea that it coul d only apply in a given context. Therefore, absolute freedom from everything or to do everything denies the concept of having an identity. This applies to all the abilities that an agent possesses. Consequently, the choices we make are obvious not totally free from such things as the knowledge we have, the values we hold or the perceptions of the environment and ourselves. Therefore, in order for free will to exist, is should not be considered by eliminating the influences of such factors but in reviewing the choices that one can ably make; as there is no freedom from these influences. On the other hand, determinism is the concept that the events that occur within a give paradigm are bound by a cause in a way that every state is to some extent determined by previous states. In physics, this principle is often referred to as the cause-and-effect principle. In philosophy, the term explains the concept that in every event including even those that involve human beings are usually deter mined by other events. This is often contrasted with free will. Proposers of determinism believe that any system that is determined is governed fully by the causal laws. Because of this concept, there could only be one option at every point in the system. The opposing positions that have created this debate come from the claim that determinism is false and for that reason, free will does exist, or there is a possibility of it existing on one hand; and those that claim that determinism is true and therefore free will cannot exist on the other. This debate is what gave birth to the concept of compatibilism. Compatibilism is the belief that determinism and free will are two compatible ideas and therefore, there is a possibility of believing in both without actually being inconsistent logically. Generally, those who propose this idea define free will in such a manner that it allows it to exist together with the idea of determinism. Under this concept therefore, free will is taken to mea n more or less the freedom to act according to the determined motives of an individual. According to Searle, the conscious, voluntary decision making aspects of the brain or the mind are not deterministic. As stated above, the fundamental feature that is involved is the perceivable presence of a gap that occurs when one deliberates on what action to take between the cause at every stage and the stage at which the decision and the action occur.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Individual Developmental Plan Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Individual Developmental Plan - Article Example While considering my future plans related to improving my education and professional level, I established that UNB best suites my inclinations and requirements. I intended to pursue my further studies for the Masters Degree in Business Administration at the University of New Brunswick, Canada. This was an opportunity for me to travel and reside in Canada where the culture was quite different from what I had been used to back in Saudi Arabia. Studying for my MBA at University of New Brunswick was a cultural experience in which I developed in the process of learning the new culture and adjusting to it. In essence, the Arabian and Canadian perceived me in different ways, and they brought out the dissimilar part of me through the social exemplification of culture and personality. Owing to the fact that the two cultures are quite dissimilar from each other, they exemplify different characters in me. For instance, the culture in Saudi Arabia portrayed me as a conservative, cultured and tra ditional man since the cultural inclination of Saudi Arabia rewards and appreciates such characters. So while in Saudi Arabia I epitomize the Arabian culture of being religious and cultured but in Canada, the culture perceived me as a liberal, talkative and funny individual due to the cultural background that appreciates such characters. Therefore, the cultural experience in Canada had a lot of impact on my personal character because it exposed certain areas in my personality that was perhaps hidden by the Arabian culture back in my native country. This was symbolized by the constant need for me to adjust to the new culture, which was quite dissimilar to my home culture that I was familiar with. Comparatively, the cultures of Saudi Arabia and Canada have a lot of features in common that I witnessed in my experience in both places. Basically, culture espouses similar values that bond the society together. For instance, the social values of Saudi Arabia and Canada are the same in the sense that they are governed by religious activities. Though the two cultures profess different religions, Islam for Saudi Arabia and Christianity for Canada, the religions play a defining role in social life and influence the social norms. Similarly, both cultures are based on strong family values which govern the society and the family values are founded on the principles of love, unity, and godliness. In my experience, I witnessed several points of divergence in the cultures, which stemmed from the fundamental principles governing the respective cultures. First and foremost is the aspect of religion, which is the basis of culture. In Saudi Arabia, the culture is purely based on the Islamic culture whereby worship is an integral aspect of the culture. The Arabian culture is inherently conservative, and social relations are restricted with boys and girls separated from each other. Canada, on the other hand, is a liberal society that is based on Christian ideals; the culture emphasi zes strong family values and contemporary social behaviors. My personal style had a lot of influence on the process of cultural development while studying in the University of New Brunswick. The similarities with the cultures lay in my
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Embodying the Characteristics of Great Leaders Essay
Embodying the Characteristics of Great Leaders - Essay Example From Robertââ¬â¢s perspective on leadership, a leader should make serving a mandatory requirement to ensure that other peopleââ¬â¢s needs and priorities are adequately met. Spears and Lawrence (2004) shed light into understanding the concept and philosophy of servant leadership. Spearââ¬â¢s essay centers on the development of the philosophy of servant leadership and the characteristics that a servant leader is required to possess. They include listening. A servant leader listens to what others have to say. A servant leader should have empathy and healing (Spears and Lawrence, 2004). A servant leader should be one who is in touch with the feelings and needs of the ones he comes into contact. In addition, a servant leader should be persuasive and aware of the prevailing situations around. Conceptualization and foresight are indispensable to any servant leader (Spears and Lawrence, 2004). Lastly, a servant leader should be committed to the growth of other people and building the community. A servant leader should be a steward of others. It is evident that servant leadership is a concept of humility that shy away from the ego. In addition to having all the above characteristics, Kouzes and Pozner (2007) advise that leadership and challenges go hand in hand. The leadership challenge entails how a leader can integrate various individuals with varying egos and beliefs to work and deliver results for an institution. Leadership entails how a leader can influence a climate that enables people to change challenging situations into a remarkable success. The closest I come to see the philosophy of servant leadership in action is in the South African iconic leader, Nelson Mandela. I like Mandela due to the remarkable leadership qualities that he possessed (Okoth-Okombo & Community Aid International, 2011). In his fight for apartheid, he was a visionary and had a
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Economic Policy of Obama and McCain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Economic Policy of Obama and McCain - Essay Example McCain claims that the country was successful in the development of the 'concept of the internationalization of national economies which required multiple measures to capture it adequately', and for this purpose the country was able to achieve prominent mark in economic indices relevant to 'economic internationalization, the volume of international commercial transactions', the candidate therefore strongly intends to continue with such plan. Democrat presidential candidate has promised that soon after his election he would impose tax cuts on wealthy, and will protect the interests of the middle class. The presidential candidate also promised appropriate usage of funds extracted through taxes; the funds shall be invested to offer health care, education and housing incentives to the middle class. The presidential candidate for Republican shared the similar belief, but he wanted people from middle class to be placed in higher tax bracket so broaden the scope of tax revenue generation. The presidential candidates Barack Obama and McCain shared difference of opinion towards tax imposition on oil exploration companies. McCain denied adoption of field specific policy towards imposition of taxes; the bracket for taxes shall be based upon profit earned by the company, and shall not be trade or industry specific. According to Robert (2008) Obama emerged as staunch supported for cut in emission gases, and for that he devised a spe cial taxation policy applicable on oil companies, "this shall cause drop in the momentum of explorations activities undertaken by the oil companies", and shall restrict their revenue generation outlook. McCain resisted such move, and wanted to adopt non-industry-specific tax policy, which shall be applicable on all and shall be function of revenue generation. Obama protested by claiming that such measure will curtail the investment plans of the companies adopted green technology. Title: Obama, McCain economic policies in spotlight as election approaches Author: Motoshige Itoh Obama has warned that the economic concerns related with the implementation of the globalization has been significant, although in some of the cases the impact has been as per the aspirations of the local traders, but in majority of the American economy has experienced jolts. Obama has evolved strategy such per which the declination on American exports shall be protected during counter measures and agreement which shall curtail the emergence of China and India as the economic hub for the Asian countries. Itoh (2008) explicitly mentioned that Democrats have expressed their intention to focus much upon the exploring the potential of US manpower and workforce, to improve the employment figure. Democrats have blamed Republicans for their failure on this particular front, and have failed to bring the shares back to its homeland. However, the corporate sector of the country in consultation with the government of United States have established their industrial units in China and India, ther efore the qualitative standards will be certified by the American company but the production will be fabricated
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7
Reading response - Essay Example en taken for granted could soon ceased to exist and most certainly have whatever extent rights that they do enjoy removed as a result of human exploitation, overuse, or general disregard. Within Christopher Stoneââ¬â¢s article entitled, ââ¬Å"Should Trees Have Standing? Toward Legal Rights for Natural Objectsâ⬠, the author presents the case for why natural objects should be given a degree of legal protection. Secondly, the understanding is presented to the reader that although such a series of steps may seem as a departure from logic and/or reason, the fact that matter is that a degree of legal rights for an animate objects has existed for decades within the developed world. As the author explains, this is a result of the fact that corporations and even certain types of municipalities Garner a degree of legal protection, it seems as foolish and rather uninformed that the natural objects which truly stand to disappear from the world entirely an impact upon the lives and quality of life of untold billions, should not have any form of legal protection. With regards to the actual response of this reader to the information presented, it must be stated that althou gh I was initially doubtful of the way in which such legal protection should be granted and provided to an animate/natural objects, the argument that the author lays out present its a convincing case for why such legal protection should be granted and
Immanuel Kant Essay Example for Free
Immanuel Kant Essay Introduction 1What does philosophy mean? -Everyone has a philosophy -We have ideas concerning things, people, the meaning of life, death, God, what is good and bad. -We may have certain attitudes to life, certain ways of looking at things. -For example: -I am an optimist. I can always see a positive side to most unhappy situations. -I donââ¬â¢t believe in worrying too much. I think about today. Tomorrow can take care of itself. -Although an individual claim this to be his philosophy and rightly so. But this is not philosophy as a discipline. It is too broad, vague, superficial, impersonal and unclear. It does not adequately describe the work of a philosopher. -We need to define philosophy more specifically. 2The word ââ¬Å"philosophyâ⬠. -The Word ââ¬Å"Philosophyâ⬠. -Philia (love) + Sophia (wisdom) = the love of wisdom. 3Definitions of philosophy a. The study of the nature and meaning of the universe and of human life Online Oxford Advanced Learnerââ¬â¢s Dictionary. b. Philosophy is a rational attempt to look at the world as a whole. 4What does philosophy seek to do? -Philosophy seeks to examine fundamental questions about the universe and about ourselves with the hope of coming up with consistent principles by which we can understand and live. 5Human beings have always sought answers to certain fundamental questions What are these fundamental questions? -What makes an action write or wrong? -What is my purpose in the world? -What is truth? -What makes a good life? -Is God important in our lives? -Where does knowledge come from and how do we know that our knowledge is true. -What is the relationship between mind and body? 6Why do we need philosophy? Why do we need philosophy when we have science and technology? -We have advanced so much in science and technology -We live in cities, we have conquered the air and have ventured into space? -Communication is so developed that distance no longer matters -We have immense power over nature -We are able to produce more goods and services than ever before -So, why do we still need philosophy? 7Yet all these advances cause us to be disturbed and anxious -There is a danger that the very technology we have developed could destroy us. -For example nuclear technology. -We seem to be unable to deal with the problems of war, famine, terror, distribution of wealth, pollution, the threatened extinction of wildlife, exploitation and oppression of the weak . -Knowledge and values appear to be divorced. -This is where philosophy comes in. It helps us to examine our lives as individuals and groups. -Philosophy may not be able to provide solutions to all the worldââ¬â¢s problems. But it helps to examine issues clearly, consider options and help us to make informed decisions. -With poor, incomplete and shallow reasoning we cannot build an enlightened society -If we are unable to distinguish between valid and invalid reasoning, then we become victims of persuasive orators, cult leaders and unscrupulous political leaders. -Philosophy helps us to see more deeply and clearly into an issue. It helps us to question traditional and outdate beliefs so that we can make informed choices -Knowledge of ethical systems help us to live ethical lives at the personal and communitarian level. -Knowledge of what constitutes beauty helps us to appreciate and respect differences in individual and cultural concepts of beauty and art. -Being able to think critically will help us to be aware of any irrational and oppressive beliefs in religion. 8The traditional divisions of philosophy. a. Logic b. Metaphysics c. Epistemology d. Value Theory LOGIC aLogic. -The systematic study of rules to distinguish or recognize good arguments from bad. -In an argument, groups will give opposing views. -How do we know which argument is good and which is not good. -Logic helps us to do so by providing rules to recognize right argument from wrong argument. -It is concerned with tests to find out which arguments are valid. -Logic runs through all the other branches of philosophy. METAPHYSICS -bMetaphysics The study of the nature of being and of the world. -It is concerned with the fundamental nature of all reality, both visible and invisible. -It asks what reality is, why it is, and how we can understand it. Ontology That part of metaphysics that studies being or existence. EPISTEMOLOGY cEpistemology The study of the sources, nature and validity of knowledge. -It deals with issues like: -What are the sources of knowledge? (Origin of knowledge) -Where does genuine knowledge come from? -How do we know? -What is the nature of knowledge? (Appearance and reality) -Is there a real world outside the mind? -If so, can we know it? -Is our knowledge valid? (Truth/Verification) -How do we distinguish truth from error? Two traditional schools of thought have sought to answer the questions above: -Rationalism -Human reason alone can discover the basic principles of the universe -Empiricism -All knowledge ultimately comes from sense experience, and therefore our knowledge is limited to what can be experienced. There is a relationship between metaphysics and epistemology. Our understanding of reality (metaphysics) depends on our understanding of what can be known (epistemology). Our theory of knowledge (epistemology) depends on how we understand ourselves in relation to the whole of reality (metaphysics). VALUE THEORY dValue Theory The branch of philosophy that studies values. -It can be subdivided into ethics, aesthetics, and social and political philosophy. iethics: is concerned with morality; right or wrong behavior. -the three areas of ethics are : descriptive, normative and metaethics. -descriptive ethics (what is ) identifies motives, desire and intentions of human conduct and acts. It describes moral actions. -normative ethics (what ought to be) proposes the principles by which people ought to act and live. These are called ethical theories. -Meta-ethics(analysis) on how we understand, know about, and what we mean when we talk about what is right and what is wrong. It deals with the meaning of key concepts, techniques of reasoning and analysis, and linguistic conventions It deals with matters like what do moral terms mean? What sort of mental state is involved in accepting a moral claim ââ¬â a belief, an emotion? Is there any sort of moral reality or facts? Is ethical knowledge attainable? If so, how? In fact, drawing the conceptual distinction between Metaethics, Normative Ethics, and Applied Ethics is itself a metaethical analysis. ii. Aestheticsis concerned with the theory of art and beauty. -Many philosophical problems in aesthetics involve critical judgements.? -It deals with concepts of concepts of beauty. Is beauty subjective or objective? iii. Social and political philosophyisconcerned with value judgments concerning society, the state and the individualââ¬â¢s relation to these institutions -It deals with issues like -Why should individuals live in society? -What should be the social ideals of liberty, rights, justice, equality and responsibility -Why should anyone obey any government? -Why should some individuals or groups have political power over others -Who should have political power over others? -What should the scope of political power be? -What are the goals of government? Glossary 1philosophyphilia (love) + Sophia (wisdom) = the love of wisdom 2logicThe systematic study of rules to distinguish or recognize good arguments from bad 3metaphysicsThe study of the nature of being and of the world 4epistemologyThe study of the sources, nature and validity of knowledge 5value theoryThe branch of philosophy that studies values. It can be subdivided into ethics, aesthetics, and social and political philosophy. 6rationalismHuman reason alone can discover the basic principles of the universe 7empiricismAll knowledge ultimately comes from sense experience, and therefore our knowledge is limited to what can be experienced 8aesthetics Is concerned with the theory of art and beauty.
Monday, July 22, 2019
The Greek Influence Essay Example for Free
The Greek Influence Essay In 6500 BC, the first settlers arrived in Greece. From there, Greece flourished to become one of the most advanced civilizations of its time. Ancient artifacts, monuments, and documents all serve to validate the sophisticated intellect of this civilization. Even more impressive is the impact that this culture has had on the western society, both past and present. From their scientific discoveries to their many philosophers, the ancient Greeks have helped shape western civilization and even thousands of years after their time, elements of their society remain present in todayââ¬â¢s world. The world of science in ancient Greece was centered around mathematical thinking and pure logic. Sparked by curiosity of the world around them, the Greeks studied everything including the sky, the earth, botany, and biology. Their discoveries marked some of mankindââ¬â¢s greatest advances, such as accurately determining the earthââ¬â¢s circumference as well as its physical makeup. They also classified and documented various species of plants, which contribute to the scientific names by which they are known today. Additionally, ancient Greece is accredited as one of the first civilizations to implement public water works and figure out a system of aqueducts the worldââ¬â¢s first plumbing system. Behind these scientific achievements, was an acute desire to learn and obtain knowledge. Greece has produced some of historyââ¬â¢s greatest thinkers and philosophers. Philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle formulated ideas about how the world worked. The study of history was created by Herodotus and Thucydides. Artists tried to find more natural and realistic ways of representing the world. Doctors, like Hippocrates, started to look for rational reasons for the causes of illness and disease. (The British Museum) Much of todayââ¬â¢s philosophy is based on the thinking of these Greek philosophers, as they are quoted and referred to constantly. Aristotle is quoted as saying, ââ¬Å"Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasionâ⬠; Socrates stated, ââ¬Å"I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothingâ⬠. The ideals of western culture alludes to these philosophers with its ideas of living life to the fullest, examining oneââ¬â¢s life, and realizing that money and materials do not equate virtue. Not only was their thinking representative of a high level of intellect, but their messages and philosophies still hold true today. Plato is quoted as saying the following: ââ¬Å"All men are be nature equal, made all of the same earth by one Workman; and however we deceive ourselves, as dear unto God is the poor peasant as the mighty princeâ⬠. Even though the Greeks believed in several gods and goddesses, this quote represents the backbone of western society as it is presently known. This outlook of equality pertains to democracy; the reference to ââ¬Å"one Workmanâ⬠alludes to the monotheistic quality of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Even the impressive Greek temples places of worship are shadowed today by churches, mosques, and synagogues. The advancements of ancient Greece continues to be awe-inspiring amongst todayââ¬â¢s society. Not only was their way of thinking advanced but its validity has proven to span nearly all of documented history, and remains applicable today. In all aspects of life, there are elements that can be traced back to these Greek philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists as their discoveries have withstood the test of time. Works Cited ââ¬Å"Ancient Greece. â⬠The British Museum. The British Museum, 2009. Web. 3 Aug. 2009. http://www. ancientgreece. co. uk.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
The Un Global Compact Politics Essay
The Un Global Compact Politics Essay The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is a worldwide initiative started by the United Nations in order to encourage businesses to take up more sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to also report their implementation. It consists of ten guiding principles pertaining to the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. It is the worlds largest corporate citizenship initiative with over 7700 members in 130 countries. UNGC is a unique platform that gives a strategic edge to its participants to advance their corporate commitments to the sustainability. UNGC is endorsed directly by the CEOs. It has been structured as a public-private initiative. The UNGC is a policy framework to advance the development as well as implementation, and also the disclosure of sustainability principles and practices. It offers its participants an array of specialized work streams, management tools and resources, and special programs and projects which have been designed to advance sustainable business models and markets in order build a more sustainable global economy.UNGC has two main objectives: First; Mainstream the ten principles in business activities around the world and Second; Catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals. TheUN Secretary-General at that time Mr. Kofi Annan in an address to The World Economic Forum announced the UNGC on January 31, 1999. Itwas officially launched at UN Headquarters in New York on July 26, 2000. The first two principles pertain to human rights. The next 4 principles deal with labor standards businesses should follow. The next 3 deals with environment protection and the last one advocated anti-corruption. The Global Compact is a voluntary initiative and a company that wants to subscribe to the Principles has to make a clear statement of support and has to include references in its annual report or in any other publically available documents detailing the progress it has made in adhering to the Principles. The company also needs to submit a brief description of this report to the Global Compact website. If the company fails to submit this description within two years of signing to be a part ofthe Compact (and after that every two years), the company will be removed from the list of participants. The participants to UNGC intend to lead through good example and setting a high moral tone. The main purpose of the Global Compact is to focus on the moral purpose of business. Kofi Annan summarizes it well in a quote: Let us choose to unite the power of markets with the authority of universal ideals. Let us choose to reconcile the creative forces of private entrepreneurship with the needs of the disadvantaged and the requirements of future generations. Then ten principles are as follows: Human Rights Principle 1:Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights within their sphere of influence; and Principle 2: Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. Labor Principle 3:Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 4: The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor; Principle 5: The effective abolition of child labor; and Principle 6: The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Environment Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; Principle 8: Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility, and Principle 9: Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. Corruption Principle 10:Business should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. Is the Global Compact a Product of Occidental Liberalism? International regimes are defined as social institutions around which actor expectations converge in a given area of international relations. Being true for any social institution, the participants discretion to act on issues that fall within the realm of the institution is by themselves limited by the international regime. The occidental international economic order that emerged post the Second World War was a highly advantageous combination of factors that led to long and sustained economic growth. The economic power was distributed worldwide in such a manner that it favored an open approach to organizing international economic relations. Worldwide there existed an ideological consensus regarding the role state should play to ensure domestic employment, price stability and social security. The body of economic analysis and policy prescriptions at that time prescribed the governments to act in this manner. Most of the major corporations were national in scope and the international e conomic relations more or less comprised of transactions amongst separate and distinct national economies. The Bretton Woods institutions, the GATT and the United Nations were the few international organizations that had been put in place to express and support the post WWII compromise of embedded liberalism. Major changes have taken place in the last half-century that has undermined the effectiveness of this set of understandings and arrangements. However, Globalization is the single greatest factor that has brought about these changes. Globalization has led to a complete disconnection between the world of production and the world of finance leading to an overall change in the system of institutional relationships. This has led to two disequilibria in the worlds political economy. The first disequilibrium exists between the economic sphere, and the broader frameworks of shared values and practices of which the economic sphere is a part. The second disequilibrium exists within the international governance structures. The major capitalist countries can withstand even the worst effects of this imbalance since they have the domestic and the institutional capacity to protect themselves but the rest of the developing world is extremely vulnerable, and this vulnerability has been further exacerbated by the neo-liberal orthodoxies of the so-called Washington consensus. Therefore, the international community has to devise the kind of institutional equilibrium that used to exist in the post WWII international economic order. The international community has to focus here on the long-term interaction between two key actors in the global economy, the multinational corporations (MNCs) and multinational Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). The key players of civil society have started to increasingly target MNCs and the international trading system as leverage to pursue social and environmental concerns. This dynamic interplay between the two creates a potential for to bridge the disequilibrium between economic globalization and the international governance structures. The United Nations Global Compact is one such initiative that challenges the international business community to help the UN in implementing the social values of human rights, environment and labor. John Gerard Ruggie who is the Kirkpatrick Professor of International Affairs at the Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government says that the basic problem is that MNCs, acting as non-territorial spaces and management, have given rise to global governance gaps and governance failures. Ruggie is well known in academic circles for coining the term embedded liberalism, that he uses to describe the post-WWII coupling of multilateralism with the aim to achieve domestic stability; and for having emphasized the roles that ideas play in world politics. He has explored the emergence of such gaps in governance in several of his works (e.g., Ruggie, 1998b, 2003, 2004). Ruggie helped UN Secretary- General Kofi Anan in designing and establishing the UN Global Compact, as the Assistant Secretary-general and Chief Adviser for strategic planning to Kofi Annan. Without speculating on the importance of Ruggies role in the creation of the compact, the speech Kofi Annan used to launch the Global Compact at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 1999, strongly suggests that John Ruggies influence was substantial. It appears that Kofi Annans suggestion that: Globalization is a fact of life. But I believe we have underestimated its fragility. The problem is this. The spread of markets outpaces the ability of societies and their political systems to adjust to them, let alone to guide the course they take. History teaches us that such an imbalance between the economic, social and political realms can never be sustained for very long. Seems to have been directly informed by Ruggies work on embedded liberalism (e.g. 1982, 1998b) According to Ruggie (2003), theà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¨ten principles of the UNGC are drawn from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, theà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¨ILOs Fundamental Principles on Rights at Work and theà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¨Rio Principles on Environment and Development. The UNGC is based on beliefs that have been universally recognized byà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¨governments, thus spelling out the goals of the whole international community. The UNGC partners with members of the corporate world and the civil society to reduce the gap betweenà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¨dreams and reality It aims to become an agency for the promotion of social customs. Thus, UNGC is another measure to the growing number of responses to globalizationsà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¨challenges that also partner with the private sector. The Challenge The UNGC is based on an ideology of the benefits of open markets. Various high-ranking UN officials describe the UN Global Compact as the only remotely viable means of hauling billions of people out of utter poverty. The term open markets sounds nice, but in the real world they translate into the skewed rules created by the WTO that benefit the developed nations at the expense of developing countries, poor farmers, consumers and the environment. It is apparent that most of the UN officials along with the corporate and government officials believe that globalization is principally beneficial and all it needs is just a bit of tinkering here and there. An editorial in the Washington Post on the UN Global Compact read that globalization only needs a softener to dull its sharp edges and increase the allocation of its benefits. In his speech to corporate leaders in 1999 at Davos, Switzerland, the Secretary General of UN Mr. Kofi Annan warned of a threatening backlash against globalization, he advocated that recognition of human and labor rights, and environmental principles are absolutely essential to avoid any threats to the open global market, and especially the multilateral trading regime. Mr. Annan by proclaiming that globalization must be protected by putting a more human face on it, and by declaring that social values need to be advanced as part and parcel of the globalization process, has clearly taken sides with the corporate agenda at a time when this agenda itself is increasingly under scrutiny. In order to keep it simple and attractive for companies, the ten principles of the UNDC are basically one-liners. They are just an example of the minimalist code of corporate conduct. The ten principles do not provide adequate guidance to corporations about the conduct that is expected from them and their responsibilities. Most of the UN Global Compacts ten principles cannot be defined with the precision that is required for creating a practical code of conduct. The ambiguity of the ten principles is in essence counter-productive from the perspective of both the sincere as well as the insincere corporate citizens. The language with which the principles are defined is so general that insincere corporations can easily side step or conform to the principles without doing anything to promote human rights or labor standards. The Secretary General of UN along with various agency heads have displayed very poor judgment by letting numerous known and proven human rights, labor rights and environmental violators to sign up with the UNGC. Specific partners of the Compact include companies like Shell (Oil major), Nike (Human rights violator), Rio Tinto, BP (Oil Major), Novartis, Aracruz, Daimler Chrysler, BASF, Bayer and DuPont (environment troubles). In a few of these cases, the choices are blatantly violating UNs own guidelines that read, Companies which violate human rights are not eligible for partnership.Many other companies are part of the compact that are not accused explicitly of such clear violations, but they are giants of industries like oil and petroleum, genetical engineering and heavy chemicals. People broadly oppose the impact of these companies on the community, the workers and the environment. Additionally, the International Chamber of Commerce, which mostly represents big businesses, has been a major force for the corporate side of the UN Global Compact. The International Chamber of Commerce more than often lobbies for diminishing the impact of international agreements that governs their members behavior-accords that are often brokered by the UN. One often sees Public-private partnerships being used for specific projects with definite goals. The UNs is however is using this term much more generally. One would normally assume that a partnership is created only when all the partners have the same goals. Its tough to understand why UN is partnering with corporations that have completely different goals. Modern corporations acknowledge that there are various other stakeholders than their shareholders, but in concrete terms they are only accountable to their shareholders, on the other hand the UN is based on a promise to promote ethical principles and is accountable to the people. Sometimes the UN and corporate agenda concur; but most of the times they are at odds. The Director of UNICEF Carol Bellamy once said that it was dangerous to assume that the goals of the private sector were somehow synonymous with those of the UN, because they most emphatically were not. It is quite obvious to everyone that its not possible to forge a partnership with an institution whose interests are antithetical to yours own. It is not possible for the UN to simultaneously regulate as well as partner with the same corporations. Its not that The UN can avoid all interactions with corporations; it has to interact with then when it needs to buy goods and services or to hold the corporations accountable, but UN should take care not to partner with them except when the organizations share its goals. Every company wants to project certain values and a certain image. Disney wants to represent wholesome family entertainment. McDonalds advertises itself as fast, friendly food. Nike is associated with the joy of sports and Shell, Chevron and BP and other oil companies promote their own commitment to environmental stewardship. But, to many people, Nike also means sweatshops in poor Asian countries, McDonalds often signifies unhealthy junk food that causes obesity and, Disney means sweatshops and promotion of stereotypes, Shell is linked with various human rights violations and environment destruction, and the whole oil industry is notorious for global warming, greed and abuse of its power. When Kofi Annan joins the CEOs of such companies on the main stage, or whenever a UN agency partners with such corporations in a joint venture, the message that is sent out to the public is very disturbing. As it is described in the UNDP guidelines, whenever a UN agency is engaged in a public relations activity within the framework of a corporate relationship, a mutual image transfer inevitably takes place. The image transfer that takes place tarnishes the pure UNs image, and gives the chance to big corporations to bluewash their bad image by associating themselves with the UN. When pharmaceutical majors like Novartis and Aventis are seen by the public as a part of the UN Global Compact, the public gets an impression that the UN has officially endorsed their products despite the enormous controversy surrounding these companies. The UN represents values such as world peace, security, human rights, environment consciousness and global well being. These values should remain distinct from the commercial values of companies. Once the image of UN is tarnished with corporate logos, the compromising of its noble values may follow. The most crucial aspect relating to the Global Compact is accountability. The reluctance of U.S. based companies to enlist with the Global Compact focuses on the issue of accountability. In todays environment of increasing skepticism about the true motives of the corporations, the legitimacy of the UN Global compact comes into question if it operates without a traditional accountability structure. The Global Compact does not have a monitoring or an enforcement mechanism. This means that the companies that enlist with the Compact get a chance to declare their commitment to UN principles without making any promise to follow up on them. The corporate partners of the UNGC have made it explicit that such a lax arrangement is precondition for their participation. Maria Livianos Cattui, the secretary-general of the ICC recently said that businesses would not agree to any suggestion that involves external assessment of their performance, whether it is by any special interest groups or by any UN agencies. The Global Compact is not a qualification the corporations have to meet; it is merely a joint commitment to shared social values. It is imperative that the Global Compact does not become a tool by which the governments burden business with prescriptive regulations. The critics on the Global Compact fall into two major categories and both need to be addressed. Most scholars researching on codes of conduct regard the Global Compact as just another code of conduct without any accountability, its merely a public relations document. The question that arises is that how can the public know that a business that claims to be following the principles prescribed under the Global Compact is actually doing so? These scholars argue that an independent monitoring group that translates general principles into operating standards with quantifiable and objective measures is the only way to insure that the companies are held accountable. A much more fundamental criticism arises from the Non Governmental Organizations and other organizations that are critical of economic globalization. Their view is that the Global Compact is a cover-up story that provides legitimacy to an idea, which has yet to prove itself. They argue for the creation of a mandatory legal framework that guarantees that the companies are held accountable even to the least advantaged in the global economy. Another difficulty with the accountability issue is the ambiguous nature of the Global Compacts principles on human rights. Is it possible to reach a consensus that genuinely captures the expectations of society? Most of the companies are in broad agreement with the Global Compacts principles relating to human rights, but there is a fear amongst them that enlisting with the Compact would create societal expectations that these companies are obligated to correct human rights abuses. Where and how can a line be drawn on the responsibilities of companies in the area of human rights? Few MNCs have come to understand that it is imperative for them to become proactive and live up to the expectations of society in a global economy, but these companies also understand that these expectations in the area of human rights are often unclear. In the litigious business environment of the United States, companies display reluctance in signing the Compact without having a clear idea of what their re sponsibilities are and what is their accountability. The Global Compact is not a state focused corporate citizenship program, but in spite of that nations are amongst the key stakeholders from which the Global Compact requires support. Blackett suggests that it might be necessary to highlight the role of governments in successfully implementing the Compact principles. But till now the UN has failed to work out a proper role of governments in ensuring that the participant of the Compact live up to their commitments. On the contrary, the Shanghai Declaration has suggested that businesses could use UNGC to set demands and exert undue influence over governments. If this go too far and the businesses start dictating the business of the Global Compact Office and international law generally, then even this partnership might face a crisis of legitimacy among states and other stakeholders.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Feminism And Gender Equality In The 1990s :: essays papers
Feminism And Gender Equality In The 1990's Overall, the rights and status of women have improved considerably in the last century; however, gender equality has recently been threatened within the last decade. Blatantly sexist laws and practices are slowly being eliminated while social perceptions of "women's roles" continue to stagnate and even degrade back to traditional ideals. It is these social perceptions that challenge the evolution of women as equal on all levels. In this study, I will argue that subtle and blatant sexism continues to exist throughout educational, economic, professional and legal arenas. Women who carefully follow their expected roles may never recognize sexism as an oppressive force in their life. I find many parallels between women's experiences in the nineties with Betty Friedan's, in her essay: The Way We Were - 1949. She dealt with a society that expected women to fulfill certain roles. Those roles completely disregarded the needs of educated and motivated business women and scientific women. Actually, the subtle message that society gave was that the educated woman was actually selfish and evil. I remember in particular the searing effect on me, who once intended to be a psychologist, of a story in McCall's in December 1949 called "A Weekend with Daddy." A little girl who lives a lonely life with her mother, divorced, an intellectual know-it-all psychologist, goes to the country to spend a weekend with her father and his new wife, who is wholesome, happy, and a good cook and gardener. And there is love and laughter and growing flowers and hot clams and a gourmet cheese omelet and square dancing, and she doesn't want to go home. But, pitying her poor mother typing away all by herself in the lonesome apartment, she keeps her guilty secret that from now on she will be living for the moments when she can escape to that dream home in the country where they know "what life is all about." (See Endnote #1) I have often consulted my grandparents about their experiences, and I find their historical perspective enlightening. My grandmother was pregnant with her third child in 1949. Her work experience included: interior design and modeling women's clothes for the Sears catalog. I asked her to read the Friedan essay and let me know if she felt as moved as I was, and to share with me her experiences of sexism. Her immediate reaction
Inuit Land Rights, Whaling Jurisdiction, and Education :: Essays Papers
Inuit Land Rights, Whaling Jurisdiction, and Education ââ¬Å"Common strategies are needed to confront a coming century of conflict and danger with our own imperatives for survival . . .[Common strategies are needed in] the quest for political and economic freedom with which to rebuild our own socially healthy and economically viable communitiesâ⬠. - Indian Country Today, July 2002. Today, the Inuit emerge on the modern global stage as one of many native groups claiming political sovereignty and national and international recognition of their collective rights. To be Inuit today is to be embedded in a constant, provocative political campaign against the influences of Western culture and assimilation. Indeed, in the last 40 years, the Inuit have lobbied and fought for the right to define themselves through the preservation of their traditions and customs: the Inuit fight for the right to whale, the right to control their own lands, and the autonomy to educate and raise their children as they see fit. Through grass roots organizations and skilled manipulation of our modern over-arching web of mass media, the Inuit share in ââ¬Å"the quest for political and economic freedomâ⬠from Western concepts of the nation state, ââ¬Å"primitiveâ⬠cultural idealism, and minority marginalization. To be identified as ââ¬Å"indigenousâ⬠in contemporary media is to be identified as a people allied in a highly sensitive internationalized struggle. In the Native world, ââ¬Å"all are struggling over territorial, economic, political and cultural ground with their nation-stateââ¬âover self-governance issues, jurisdictional sovereignties, and issues of land tenure and land use, hunting and fishing rightsâ⬠(Indian Country Today). For Inuit peoples in Canada, land and sea jurisdiction is implicit for cultural survival and preservation. The ITCââ¬â¢s Nunavik Naming Project manifested cultural preservation through land rights. In 1973, a study of Inuit aboriginal rights to Canadian Territories recognized the need for ââ¬Å"the Inuit conception of land use . . . [to be] translated into Qallunaat [non Inuit people] vernacular in order to ground the new claim: ââ¬Å"this is Inuit landâ⬠â⬠(Drummond 49). The Nunavik project, beginning among small committees and groups, became the mechanism that allowed for ââ¬Å"the Inuit to be fortified with the same geographical, linguistic, and legal armaments that Quallunat use to stake their claimsâ⬠(Drummond 50). In this effective grassroots movement, the Inuit claimed land ownership by creating and publicizing maps of the land they claim as their own, labeling all rivers and homesteads in the original Inuktitut, the Inuit language.
Friday, July 19, 2019
Education Philosophy Statement Essay -- Educating School Essays
Education Philosophy Statement Every person has his or her idea of what education should be. One wants to be educated or go to universities so he or she could have a higher degree. Some other person wants to get education just to fulfill one's self. Many people get college education thinking that they can make more money. Education is not about money; it is a lifetime process that enables one to satisfy one's inner self. It makes a person feel good for who they are inside. Jon Spayde's article "Learning in the Key of Life" made me think about the different aspects of education, such as college education or street education. Which one is a more necessity for survival in today's world. The question that arises in my mind is does education help us during everyday life. Maybe education does not provide the necessity tools to survive in the real world. We are not wasting our time in the institutions; however, the real world is a bigger school than any other schools that we attend. Unfortunately, 21st century's definition of school is technology for example computers, just like Jon Spayde states, "For our policy heads, education equals something called training for competitiveness, which often boils down to the mantra of "more computers, more computers." (60) Education is not based on technology and computers that our society is after today. Computers do not make a person happy or fulfill one's life. Canadian historian and critic John Ralston Saul claims, "Technical training is training in what is sure to be obsolete soon anyway; it's self-defeating, and it won't get you through the next 60 years of your life." (61) Education is a lifetime process, and one that will never complete in the sixteen years of normal schooling. .. ... daily than any other subject. There is nothing more truly than John Spayde's words that state "The whole world's a classroom." It is true that in today's society we do need computers, however, they are not the main ingredient to survive in real life. There are many people who are very well educated, but can not interact socially. There are many other ways to become educated besides in the classrooms. The school does not prepare us for the real world. Learning does take place around the span of a lifetime. I believe humanity courses will enlighten one's ability to understand what a true happiness really mean and make one's life better. Happiness should not be about unnecessary pleasure. Work Cited Spayde Jon. "Learning in the Key of LIfe." The Presence of Others. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: Bedford, / st. Martin's, 2000. 58-64.
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Roxanne Quimby
Why Is Roseanne Glumly successful? Roseanne is successful because she saw an opportunity to create something and went for it. She was persistent and dedicated to selling Burst's Bees products. She was a hard-worker, putting in 20-hour workdays. Her moneymaking skills helped her and her two children to survive. She has always felt that she was entrepreneurial because she was always in control.Reason's traits of being so debt-averse and cash aware helped drive the company to success, not having to rely on retailers that don't ay their bills within the 30 day limit. The company was completely debt-free, Roseanne never had a credit card, and they never took out a loan. She found a partner that was ââ¬Å"on the same wavelengthâ⬠as her who was more risk-averse than she was and had great ideas. Their partnership helped to grow Burst's Bees. 2. Life Style vs.. High Potential Venture. Your opinion on this?I think this Is a high potential venture, especially with the number of people lo oking for more natural products. The increase in consumers who are more aware of what they eat, where hey shop, and the ingredients that are in the products have increased exponentially. So, actually, this product caters to lifestyle as well. The venture has numerous possibilities and the product lines that could be created are endless. 3. Location Issues. Maine Vs.. North Carolina. Please list advantages and disadvantages.Maine (Advantages) * The business existed In the minds of the Maine employees; everyone had a mark on the process * cheap labor ($5 wages for the 44 employees ââ¬â all welfare Moms) * Cheap land ($100/acre) Cheap rent for the schoolhouse (production plant) ââ¬â $150 for the year (that was lust for the fire insurance) * Very few expenses ; No phone line -? so they were able to convince the local health food store to take messages for their orders Maine (Disadvantages) * High Transport Costs (Its location was too far from metropolitan areas; shipping and rec eiving were expensive) * High Payroll Taxes (being taxed 10% of payroll due to 20% unemployment) * Lack of Expertise (unskilled workers) * If the business stayed in Maine, Roseanne would have stunted its growth
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Organisational Design
golf-club tastes of governing tendency The weight of investigate and insight into boldnessal material body is heavy and growing. Michael Goold and Andrew Campbell trend through the complexity and emerge with a naked approach to formation excogitation which includes a rigorous frame bleed for jut out picks lasciviousd on nine divulge runnels of organisational effectiveness. Michael Goold is a film director of the Ashridge Strategic counsel focalize. His research inte peace of minds ar touch with corporal dodging and the counsel of multi-business companies, and he runs the center of attentions programme on assemblage Level Strategy.Product- grocery strategies What ar the factors that should guide the choice of organisation founding? There argon many managerial rules of thumb nigh things much(prenominal) as spans of project and reporting relationships. In addition, pedantics and consultants stick out produced a wide amount of work on organisation end eavor. But our research told us that managers quiesce lack a practical and opinionated framework to guide their organisation choices. An cardinal purpose of our work has been to condense previous ideas on organisation programme into a a few(prenominal) core rationales, on which to base a usable framework.Less an understanding triumph than a practical checklist for addressing the near authorized issues, FIGURE 1 textile FOR ORGANISATION normal GOOD protrude PRINCIPLES Specialisation prescript Email michael. goold in somatic strategy Co-ordination formula ashridge. org. uk ORGANISATION project raft tone down and commitment tenet companionship and competence principle Constraints cosmos and rendering principle 4 DIRECTIONS meet DRIVERS www. ashridge. com/directions The Ashridge ledger Summer 2002 Ashridge line of reasoning rail http//www. ashridge. org. ukFIGURE 2 NINE TESTS FOR ORGANISATIONAL DESIGN Product-market strategies GOOD DESIGN TESTS Specialist cu ltivations tribulation Specialisation principle Andrew Campbell is a director of the Ashridge Strategic Management Centre and see professor at City University. antecedently Redundant magnate structure running play Knowledge and competence principle Market bene fulfill screen out Corporate strategy demanding colligate test Co-ordination principle Parenting emolument test ORGANISATION DESIGN pile he was a Fellow in the Centre for lineage Strategy People test Accountability test Constraints Control and commitment principle t the capital of the United Kingdom business line teach, and a consultant at Feasibility test Flexibility test FIT TESTS Innovation and conformation principle McKinsey & Co. Email andrew. campbell our framework is grounded on nigh elemental principles. The first and most important, the accommodate principle, embraces iv drivers of reconcile productmarket strategies, corporate strategies, bulk and constraints. The other obedient design principles are the spareisation principle, the co-ordination principle, the friendship and competence principle, the checker and commitment principle, and the innovation and setation principle (Figure 1).The principles are broad in temperament and non al slipmodal value slatternly to turn into prescriptive guidance. They are much than worth(predicate) in orienting managers than in decide event organisational dilemmas. However, as we worked with the principles, we found shipway to convert them into some practical tests. perchance the most important contribution of this lies in the insights and understandings that the tests produce. The tests match the panorama drivers and the good design principles. (See Figure 2). ashridge. org. uk The obtain out tests One near universally agreed proposition is that organisations consider to be fit for purpose.Strategy, 5 DIRECTIONS www. ashridge. com/directions The Ashridge daybook Summer 2002 Ashridge Business School http//www. ashridg e. org. uk golf-club tests of organisation design in that locationfore, should be a underlying driver of organisation design, and we go through found it useful to distinguish amongst product-market strategies and corporatelevel strategy. But strategy is not the simply driver of organisational design. At least as important are the great unwashed. Many governing counsel against purpose an organisation rough people, preferring to build around the strategy and miscellany the people if inevitable.However, people seatnot al ways be changed and bracing ones with the required attitudes whitethorn be hard to find. So designs should take enumerate of the people available to lead and work in them. Finally, organisation design is radical to various constraints, ranging from laws laid down by governments to organisational capabilities or resources that are deeply embedded. The people test Does the design adequately resound the motivations, strengths and weaknesses of the available people? The feasibility test Does the design take account of the constraints that may represent the proposal unworkable? The fit tests bring out the most important inputs that should guide organisation design choices. Provided the design has been selected with these inputs in mind, in that respect should be no chore in passing the fit tests. However, organisation design choices are not always so rational. altogether overly often, organisations evolve in ways that are not decently related to to the strategy of the company, or else pay s rumpt prudence to the limitations of managers who testament fill key positions. In one company, we were told that the social organization had always been originally driven by the balance ofAll too often, organisations evolve in ways that are not fittedly related to the strategy of the company, or else pay s go offt attention to the limitations of managers who give fill key positions. power amid the four barons who ran the briny divis ions, resulting in business whole groupings that had dwarfish to do with the opportwholeies in the markets being served. nether these circumstances, the organisation provide be a barrier to successful strategy capital punishment and will damage competitiveness. The fit tests view that organisations that are pellucidly not fit for purpose will be exposed, and that more suitable alternatives will be adopted.The good design tests The fit drivers lead to four fit tests While the four drivers of the fit principle are The market avail test Does the design allocate fitting management attention to the in operation(p) priorities and intend sources of service in each product-market expanse? appreciate by most managers, we conceive the good design principles and tests represent more of an advance. They synthesise the vast quantity of academic research and managerial experience intimately what begets an organisation work fountainhead into The parenting advantage test Does the de sign allocate sufficient attention to the intended 6 DIRECTIONS few basic tests that should guide any organisation designer. The specialisation principle and co-ordination principle both concern the boundaries mingled with sources of added-value and strategic initiatives of the corporate parent? www. ashridge. com/directions The Ashridge Journal Summer 2002 Ashridge Business School http//www. ashridge. org. uk units. The specialisation principle states that boundaries should personify to encourage the victimization of specialiser skills, whereas the co-ordination principle emphasises that activities that need to be co-ordinated should be find at heart the boundaries of a single unit.Although these basic principles are clear, there are regrettably often trade-offs surrounded by specialisation and co-ordination. A broadly-based product structure may founder economies in purchasing and manufacturing, but be detrimental to the development of specialiser products for particular markets. A disaggregated geographical structure with many local units may support the special skills needed for contrastive regions, but clog effective co-ordination in product development or IT infrastructure. The tough organisational problems arise when there are trade-offs between different ways of grouping responsibilities.In order to attend to with these trade-offs, we have developed 2 tests, which eat more precision to the basic principles and make them more practi betokeny useful. business unit, with lesser or no contact with the rest of the company. Alternatively, instead of garnishting up a fragment unit, it may be workable for the corporate parent to ensure that the specialist glossiness receives sufficient protection by flexing corporate policies and procedures or by with child(p) it certain powers. The test focuses attention on the dangers of suppressing or damaging activities that fall right(prenominal) the mainstream corporate culture, dangers which are ea sy to overlook.The laborious tie in test recognises that many co-ordination benefits can be get tod through spontaneous networking between units, but that others will be more touchy. For example, best practice sharing can often be left to networking between units, whereas the establishment of common technical standards is marvelous without a corporate policy which makes them mandatory. organic law designers should focus only on the few co-ordination benefits that will be difficult where networking will not deliver the benefits.For these difficult links, it is necessary to develop appropriate co-ordination mechanisms or interventions to castigate the obstacle, or to The specialist cultures test Do any specialist cultures, units with cultures that need to be different from sister units and the layers above, have sufficient protection from the work of the dominant culture? readjust the design so that the co-ordination lies within the responsibilities of a single unit. This tes t makes managers prise which co-ordination benefits will be difficult to achieve if left to the network, and to think through whether and how the difficulty can be overcome.The difficult links test Does the organisation design call for any difficult links, co-ordination benefits that will be hard to achieve on a networking basis, and does it include solutions that will backup man the difficulty? Together, the specialist cultures test and difficult links test give managers a powerful means of assessing the trade-offs between the benefits that can be gained from co-ordination and from specialisation. In the 1980s, IBM decided to differentiate up its PC division as a very separate unit, relieve from the influence of the IBM corporate culture andThe specialist cultures test questions whether the required specialist skills will thrive only if the managers concerned are insulated from the influence of other parts of the organisation. For example, sometimes the best way to develop and market a immature product is to set it up as a separate policies. This promoted a specialist PC culture that was highly successful in livery the new product to market rapidly. exploitation a similar logic, many commentators argued that, when go active with writ of execution problems in the early 1990s, IBM should fly the coop up the whole company into separate, 7DIRECTIONS www. ashridge. com/directions The Ashridge Journal Summer 2002 Ashridge Business School http//www. ashridge. org. uk Nine tests of organisation design free units. Lou Gerstner, however, believed that the opportunity for IBM lay in providing combine customer solutions. He therefore unbroken the company together. But he recognised that co-ordination between separate product divisions was not proving a satisfactory means of oblation integrated solutions, due to conflicting divisional priorities and incompatible technologies.He therefore gave imprimatur to IBM Sales and Distribution division and to a new unit, the Global Services division, to concentrate, respectively, on customer solutions and services, victimization both IBM and rival products. These divisions have the power to offer a unified approach to customers and have dealt well with the previously difficult links between IBM divisions. At the same time, Gerstner has encouraged new business activities, such as Business Innovation Services, IBMs e-business initiative, not to be bound by IBMs conventional policies nd ways of doing things. IBMs structure now takes account of both the difficult links and the specialist cultures tests. The difficult links and specialist cultures tests care managers to address the organisation design issues faced by companies such as IBM, where there are evident advantages both from specialisation and co-ordination. The tests identify the true(a) trade-offs between co-ordination and specialisation and help managers to find ways of gaining the benefits of co-ordination without undermining the d evelopment of specialist skills.The knowledge and competence principle is mainly concerned with delegation. It states that responsibilities should be allocated to the person or team best placed to assemble the pertinent knowledge and competence at conceivable cost. The practical test that follows from the principle is This test is based on the premise that the scorn option should be to decentralise to operating units, only retaining responsibilities at higher levels if there is a knowledge and competence rationale.As we have argued in previous work, pecking order can only be justify if it adds some value to the functioning of the organisation. 1 Questions about whether and how the hierarchy adds value have helped numerous companies to sharpen their thinking about the design of their headquarters, group and division levels. The unornamented hierarchy test is a way of formalising these questions. The correspond and commitment principle concerns two challenges that arise in any alter organisation how to maintain appropriate control and how to ensure high levels of motivation.Units should feel backbreaking pressures to self-correct if they are failing to deliver, and parent-level managers to whom the units report should be able to identify problems easily and promptly. This leads to a further test The righteousness test Does the design facilitate the creation of a control process for each unit that is appropriate to the units responsibilities, sparing to implement, and motivating for the managers in the unit? The accountability test focuses managers on the pressures that exist for a unit to self-correct. These depend on the relationships the unit has with ts internal and outside customers, the performance measures for the unit, and the units reporting relationship. Market-facing business units with arms-length customer relationships and bottomline performance measures are relatively easy to control and motivate. Corporate functions with no external cu stomers, tied internal relationships and The redundant hierarchy test Are all levels in the hierarchy and all responsibilities well-kept by higher levels based on a knowledge and 8 DIRECTIONS subjective performance measures present more accountability problems.In a complex structure, it is all too easy to create a design that looks good on paper, but leaves unit managers de-motivated and unclear about their performance objectives, and competence advantage? www. ashridge. com/directions The Ashridge Journal Summer 2002 Ashridge Business School http//www. ashridge. org. uk parent managers unable to control those who report to them. The accountability test helps managers design units and establish performance measures that produce effective, low-priced controls that are highly motivating.The innovation and adaptation principle states that structures should be designed to bring out and adapt as uncertainties become exquisite and environments change. An organisation design that is s potless for right away is of little use if it cannot adapt to carry off with the conditions of tomorrow. The principle yields our last test. under-attending to product or from underattending to geography? Often there is no clear The flexibility test exit the design help the development of new strategies and be flexible enough to adapt to futurity changes? answer to these trade-offs, but do sure that the question is asked helps managers to find a reasonable balance between competing interests. By pointing out the trade-offs and weak points in a The test recognises that some structures allow for ontogenesis and adaptation, whereas others build in rigidity and power bases that resist change. It ensures that the designer considers the changes which may be needed and whether the design will be flexible enough to make them. chosen design, the tests help managers to be more paying attention about problems that may occur and future changes that may be needed.The tests also help mana gers weigh the advantages and disadvantages of different designs and provide a rigorous analytical structure for reservation design choices. An organisation design that is perfect for today is of little use if it cannot adapt to cope with the conditions of tomorrow. Using the tests The purpose of the tests is to get on issues. Some can be address by refining the structure, by designing process solutions, or by appointing different managers. A key benefit from using the tests comes from the ideas for design improvements that they suggest.For example, a common problem is the creation of a layer of management, tell apart a geographic region or a product group, without specifying what responsibilities should be retained by this layer and why. The redundant hierarchy test helps point out this design weakness, alerting managers to the need either to deplete the layer or to define the responsibilities, skills, management processes and leadership style that is needed to make the layer a positive influence on performance. Some issues raised by the tests point to unavoidable trade-offs do we leave out more fromThe nine tests are the core around which we have built our new approach to organisation design. This article is worn from Michael Goold and Andrew Campbells new book, Designing powerful Organizations (John Wiley & Sons, 2002). REFERENCE 1. Goold, Michael Campbell, Andrew and Alexander, Marcus. (1994). Corporate-level Strategy, John Wiley & Sons and Goold, Michael Pettifer, David and Young, David, Redefining the Corporate Centre , European Management Journal, February 2001. 9 DIRECTIONS www. ashridge. com/directions The Ashridge Journal Summer 2002 Ashridge Business School http//www. ashridge. org. uk
Mgt602 Case Study Sample
Starbuck scheme and Internal Initiatives to Return to Profitable Growth Shangze Li MGT 602 National University April 13, 2012 Starbucks Strategic Analysis military commission From the stuff of the textbook, there are roughly means about Starbucks mission statement. Howard Schultze who is the chairman and CEO of Starbucks would manage their mission statement to convey a operose sense of organizational purpose and to articulate Starbucks fundamental frequency beliefs and guiding principles. They re nakeded their mission statement in October, 2008.It is To inspire and nurture the human spirit- unrivaled person, one cupful, and one neighborhood at a eon here are the principles of how we live that every solar day (Thompson, 2012). The strategic mission of Starbucks is to establish Starbucks as the in force(p) about humpd and detected instigant name in coffee bean and for the fraternity to be admired for its corporal responsibility. Starbucks has six corporate values as i ts give birth internal guideline. Firstly, provide a great exercise environment and treat for each one other with respect and dignity.Secondly, embrace diversity as essential grammatical constituent in their wrinkle approaches. Thirdly, apply the highest standards of excellence to the get solve. Fourthly, roast and deliver fresh coffee. Fifthly, develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time. Sixthly, contri neverthelesse positively to comm social unities and environment, and recognize that profit baron is essential to their future success. As such(prenominal), Starbucks uses these principles as a guideline for all employees to achieve the companys goals (Starbucks, 2012). Store Expansion outlineThompson mentioned Starbucks expansion dodge in this case. From 1993, Starbucks began their geographic expansion strategy to rump areas. They believed Starbucks everywhere strategy cut d avouch on delivery and management approachs. The data showing that their run ma rgin was 14. 3% in monetary 2007, but declining store sales and depressed sparing conditions had drive the margin down to 6. 0% in pecuniary 2008 and 7. 5% in fiscal 2009. In 1995, Starbucks began immersion into licensing agreements for store locations in areas where it did not stupefy ability to locate its own outlets.Till kinsfolktember 2009, Starbucks had company-operated and licensed stores in 50 countries and expected to open 200 in the raw stored multinationally in fiscal 2010 (Thompson, 2012). Revenue issue is decreasing because Starbucks lacks experienced management. Schultz has never led a growth effort of such magnitude and is just learning what the job of DEO is all about. Additionally, the US economic slowdown makes Starbucks experience a steeper assume and the customers are more price sensitive the one-time(prenominal) year. Customers lose their jobs, they dont have cash to drink coffee in Starbucks.According to this situation, Starbucks should reduce their US expansion efforts. Continued aggressive expansion in the coupled States by adding as many unexampled store locations as in the past forget inevitably act to cannibalize existing locations equal store sales. The specialty coffee industry in the United State has entered the mature stage. One of the qualities essential to the mature stage of the industry lifecycle is overcapacity. Any fundamental expansion efforts in an environment where overcapacity is present streamletament be met with failure.By reducing their expansion efforts in the United States, Starbucks can redirect the capital saved into their international expansion efforts. The international market provides an ideal fag for expansion and the penetration rate of specialty coffee in many nations is low and these countries have the authorisation market share capacity (Larson, 2008). Business Strategy From the mid-1990, Starbucks started their products strategy. The strategic objectives were to capitalize on Starb ucks growing brand awareness and brand-name strength and create a broader debut for sustained long-term growth in revenues and mesh (Thompson, 2012).Starbucks should start parvenu independent business unit for new products, with decentralization for products-group structure. They should reduce cross utilitarian tasks to reduce confusion between employees and subjoin efficiency. Starbucks gets the outsiders of their get along with to gain potential new ideas in new business. Exploring new business is a blue oceanic strategy and gets a first mover avail (Paydirect, 2012). Marketing Starbucks had spent relatively little bills on advertising, preferring ins afternoon tead to build the brand cup by cup with customers and depend on countersignature of mouth and the appeal of its storefronts.Adverting expenditures were $126. 3million in fiscal 2009, versus $129. 0 million in fiscal in 2008. Starbucks stepped up advertising efforts in 2008 to combat the strategic initiatives of Mc Donalds and several other fast-food chains to begin offer premium coffees and coffee drinks at prices below those aerated by Starbucks (Thompson, 2012). Store Ambience Starbucks should create a store atmosphere that fits the topical anaesthetic settings and by instruct baristas to increase the personal connection between themselves and their customers.Starbucks sanction s feedback from their customers to induce a family like sense of smell and instructs all baristas to greet every customer. To further increase this emotional connection with their customers, Starbucks can implement digital picture frames in all store locations and uploads local customer photos and perhaps even customer supplied family photos, customers have the option of uploading some of their family photos into the digital picture frames Starbucks gives them the put on the line to personalize their local coffee shop and joins a community (Larson, 2008).Research and development Starbucks can continue in their research and development strategy by gentlemans gentleman the technological leader in the coffee sell business (Thompson, 2012). Starbucks should continually improve the coffees variety. Magazine consumer reports rated McDonalds drip coffee as tasting better than that of Starbucks in 2009. To ensure the part of their coffee, Starbucks should continually analyze their brewing systems and practices and considers renovations.The brewing process should at all times be judged base upon its ability to bring out the complexities and distinctive flavors of the worlds different exotic specialty coffees. Starbucks introduces their Tazo tea brand into the Japanese market. After a happy trial run in Japan, Tazo is brought into the US markets. Starbucks should shine in related business to secure its own business, as customers have brand preference such as Macdonald, Donuts and so on (Paydirect, 2012). FinanceIn March 2010, Starbucks announced it first-ever cash dividend of $0. 10 per shar e to be paying seatly starting with the second quarter of fiscal 2010. Net revenues increased 8. 6 percent in the second quarter of fiscal 2010 compared with the same quarter in fiscal 2009 (Thompson, 2012). Starbucks should use the best of their economies of outmatch to reduce costs. Starbucks should start new independent business unit for analyze the cost and return of new coffees product which is a cost driver.Accountants and auditors should follow the corporate governance to control some unnecessary expense and use performance test to identify the financial competitive advantage (Paydirect, 2012). Starbucks should appreciate their performance substantively and symbolically to avoid any cumulative financial losses to take quick tonic actions. The best evaluation method for Starbucks leave be measuring ROI for any new investment they do and for the old investments as well. Starbucks should measures net profit for each store to separate between profitable and non-profitable stores.Hence, Starbucks will have a clear financial stead (Paydirect, 2012). Reference Larson, R. C. (2008). Starbucks a strategic analysis. Retrieved on Sep 22,2012 from http// coe. brown. edu/documents/starbucksastrategicanalysis_ R. Larson_honors_2009. pdf Paydirect. (2012). About Us. starbucks. Retrieved from Sep 20, 2012 from http//www. starbucks. com/about-us Thompson, A. A. , Peteraf, M. A. , Gamble, J. E. , Strickland III, A. J. (2012). Crafting and Executing Strategy concepts and cases worldwide edition. New York, NY McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
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