Is Corporate Social Responsibility a Myth - 620 Words

Although Vaz’s (2014, May 14) earlier paper focuses on the modern awareness of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it seems to be biased, clearly avoiding the ill-effects of corporate branding of CSR, as the friendly new face of capitalism. This paper concentrates on the indirect impacts of CSR, such as increased prices on common consumer goods like organic foods, etc. In an attempt to answer a new question, â€Å"Is Corporate Social Responsibility a myth?† this paper also tries to evaluate what Poruthiyil (2013) eloquently states: Throughout their long history, business ethicists have been aware that theorizations intending to address societal goals can be rendered ineffectual when economic goals are prioritized [Arnold (2010); Marens (2010,2007); Worden (2009); Karnani (2007); Wry (2009); Hartman et al. (2003); Freeman (2000); Boatright (1998)]. Is CSR just a marketing tool? Khurana’s (2012) presentation appears to be very idealistic; he refers to Max Weber, Joseph Schumpeter and Emil Durkheim, the great social theorists, when he states that great leaders create a sense of connection and meaning to people. While idealism is always good, Lorenzo-Molo’s (2009) paper is more realistic, as she provides stark examples to submit that, CSR tends to focus on the significance of proper reporting (or communication) of a corporations do-gooder or rhetoric activities, while overlooking the back stage or hidden activities. Lorenzo-Molo’s (2009) cites Campbell to showShow MoreRelated`` Reign Of Error Is American Education For The Lives Of Our Children? Essay1247 Words   |  5 Pagesfor reform being promoted by the government and adopted by many states? What should we do to improve our schools and the lives of our children? According to Ravitch, the â€Å"crisis† concerning American education is actually a myth. 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The Economic Reforms Of Argentina Essay - 1809 Words

In December 2015, Argentina’s newly elected â€Å"Cambiemos† party (Lets Change) announced it planned on lifting all restrictions on capital flows, allowing practically unlimited access to foreign currency in a process intended to push the peso’s value to float towards its true market value. The move to liberalize capital flows was a desperate attempt to increase exports and spur economic growth in an economy that has been battling low foreign reserves and double-digit inflation for the past several years. The free-market candidate, Mauricio Macri, was determined to restore investor confidence in Argentina, utterly destroyed by its 2002 record default, a lack of transparency in its economic institutions, and heavy state intervention. With the backing of big business, both domestic and foreign, Macri was able to mobilize a dissatisfied middle-class tired of the leftist protectionism of the past decade. 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Childcare Policy Proposal Free Essays

The social welfare concern I chose for analysis is the growing concern for affordable daycare in the United States. Two specific problems I will be analyzing are â€Å"latch-key kids† and child neglect which are a direct result of not having access to affordable daycare. One of the main factors that contribute to these issues is poverty. We will write a custom essay sample on Childcare Policy Proposal or any similar topic only for you Order Now Poverty has plagued children throughout United States history. Poverty rates are higher among the youngest children ages birth to four years. These children are more vulnerable to long term effects of poverty. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, â€Å"An estimated forty-two percent of children under the age of eighteen are living below the poverty line. † (NCSC, 2009). About half of the forty-two percent live close to two hundred percent below the line. As the poverty rate rises, more single and low- income parents are in need of affordable daycare. A recent study showed that â€Å"Forty percent of low-income or single-income families spend almost half of their total income on childcare† (Associated Press, 2007). Although subsidized programs are available, the waiting process can be long and tedious. For example, programs like Operation 3 Breakthrough which provide daycare at no cost to families have close to a thousand families on their waiting list. Because cities are not providing for the growing need childcare, parents are â€Å"forced† to seek alternative methods. One alternative parents chose is to leave their children either at home alone or with other siblings. An estimated seventy-seven percent of American kids are considered â€Å"latch-key’ kids† (Another study showed that â€Å"nationwide, parents report leaving more than three million children under thirteen, some as young as five, to care for homeless for at least a few hours a week on a regular basis† (Associated Press, 2007). SAFETIES is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to reduce and stop preventable child injury and death. SAFETIES recommends that no child under the age of twelve be left alone for any period of time. There is no federal statute on the age a child can be safely left alone; it is left up to the states to decide. In Kansas, the current age a child can be left alone is twelve; however, in Missouri there is no age requirement. Although a child may be aware of emergency and accident prevention, any times they do not have the cognitive capability and Judgment to handle the situation when it occurs. Children four and under require interaction and supervision that another child can not adequately provide to them. â€Å"Children four and under are at a higher risk and make up half of the unintentional injury-related deaths among children fourteen and under† (Safe Kids, 2010). The bottom line is that the latch-key method of childcare results in an increasing amount of preventable child injury and death. NEGLECT 4 Neglect is federally defined as â€Å"Failure of a parent or guardian to provide needed DOD, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision such that the child’s health, safety, and well-being are threatened with harm† (HAS, 2009). â€Å"An estimated 5. 8 million children are neglected or abused each year† (HAS, 2009). Parents that do not have older children rely on neighbors, family members or friends to watch their children. This is sometimes referred to as â€Å"patchwork† childcare. Out of desperation, other parents leave their children alone at home, public parks, or public libraries. â€Å"Children and their families may be in need of services even though the parent may not be intentionally gleeful. When poverty limits a parent’s resources to adequately provide necessities for the child, services may be offered to help families provide for their children† (American Humane society, 2010). Attachment Theory, (Bowl, 1969) shows certain aspects that all children require and need in order to flourish and grow healthy. In order to have â€Å"Secure attachment† children need human physical contact. â€Å"Physical connection means plenty of touch and eye contact. Such things as cradling an infant while feeding, cuddling with a toddler before bedtime, and hugging a teenager increase the sense of physical injection, especially if touch and eye contact take place on a daily basis throughout childhood years† (Wassermann, 2006). Many times the child goes from place to place, to different locations and sometimes watched by â€Å"strangers†. The child has no stability, permanency or sense of â€Å"home. Permanency is a key factor for early child development. A â€Å"safe haven† is needed so that when a child feels threatened or afraid, he or she can return to the caregiver for comfort and soothing. If the child is alone or does not receive POLICY PROPOSAL 5 this comfort, they will eventually stop relying on the caregiver and become outdrawn. Children also need a â€Å"secure ba se† that is provided by the caregiver. This gives them safe and dependable place to explore the world. In many cases the caregiver is not intentionally putting the child in danger, but is simply unaware of the many household dangers to children. Separation distress† is also detrimental too child’s well-being. When separated from the primary caregiver, the child will immediately become upset and depressed. Many children experience this even in the most â€Å"normal†, ideal family circumstances. A deficiency in any of these areas can affect a child later down the road. LEGISLATION In the past, the United States has tried to correct this problem through legislation. The Aid to Families with Dependent Children (FADE) was first passed in 1935, provided money for â€Å"relief† to help families provide for their children. In 1972, President Nixon built on the idea but changing it to Aid to Dependent Children (DC) trying to switch focus on to the children as opposed to the family. Republicans typically have a â€Å"laissez fairer† attitude, however all sides felt this was an important issue. Later Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANK) was created in 1996 and reformed the DC. With TANK, time limits were put in place, and subsidies were provided to parents to help them care for their children. Currently the federal government allows up to thirty percent of each state’s TANK funds to be used alongside current child care grants. In the sass’s The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare act focused on keeping the child with the biological parents at any cost. Later this was reformed into the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. The new act switched the focus from family preservation to safety and permanency of the child. 6 The Child Care and Development Block Grant (JDBC) is a block grant given to tastes to subsidize child care for low-income families if parents are currently employed or enrolled in school. â€Å"Approximately 1. 8 million US children receive funds, 36,300 in Missouri alone† (IDS, 2009). The grant only applies to children thirteen and under offering in-kind assistance to their families. â€Å"An average of sixty-six dollars per week given in vouchers to subsidize child care† (Almanac of Economic Policy, 1995). Another step in the right direction is provided by the Early Childhood Development, Education, and Care Fund (SEDUCE). This is another block grant that is provided to tastes and has many programs set in place to allow the child to remain in the home instead of utilizing facilitated child care. They offer a program called Stay At Home Parent (ASAP) which allows families with children three and younger to receive in- cash and in-kind benefits in order to provide childcare themselves. Other qualifications this program include teen moms, high risk, no permanent residence, unemployed, The family must also be 185% below the poverty line to be eligible. While these programs have been successful with goals regarding abuse, safety, and permanency; the poverty level continues to be at an all time high. LOOKING ABROAD – THE NETHERLANDS I chose to compare our policies with The Netherlands. I found that the Netherlands is more progressive with its view of social welfare than the United States, however is far behind almost all other European countries. In The Netherlands they offer what are considered â€Å"General Provisions. † Basically every citizen is entitled to certain basic needs and provisions. General provisions include Child development groups, pre- school playgroups, child day-care, out of school child care, special education, primary 7 education, and youth health services. All of these programs are universal and available to all citizens. The majority of the provisions are geared towards children staying with parents if possible to have a strong family unit. They offer extended maternity and parental leave for both parents to lower the cost and need for facilitated child care centers. The funding fro child care and maternity/parental leave is provided by both national and local municipal authorities. All citizens pay in for the â€Å"greater good† of country. LOOKING AHEAD – REFORM I propose not to create a new policy but reform the currant policy. I feel that the Child Care and Development Block Grant (JDBC) is meeting the expectations and Laos the program was designed for. Because the problem is growing rapidly, changes need to be made so that we don’t lose control of the situation. The program’s goals would continue to focus on importance of family, and strive to provide stability, permanency, and enrichment to families. I also feel that we need more focus on early child development (birth to four years) because it will play a dramatic role later in these children’s lives. Working and collaborating with programs such as Head Start provide care givers tools to provide young children with what they need to thrive. Graduated assignment should be another key factor in the success of the program. Graduated disengagement is one of the most important core functions of social work. As social workers we need to help people build their own support system so that when they complete the process, they don’t feel alone or back where they started. Finding activities and helping them build new trusting relationships is a key factor in this step. They need a support system in place so that when crisis or hardship happens, they POLICY PROPOSAL do not feel hopeless. SERVICES 8 The program I am proposing would be separated into two main groups. The first group is children ages birth to four years and the second would reach children ages five to eighteen years old. Playgroups which are used in the Netherlands as well as many other European countries give young children ages birth to four years old a chance to interact and socialize with other children their age. Licensed facilitators specializing in early education and development will guide volunteers in providing educational and stimulating activities. Meetings would be held three times a week at local schools, churches, parks, and community centers. Keeping the locations in the neighborhoods of he people they are serving will make attending the programs easier for these families. Child day care will also be provided to families that qualify. Accredited programs are required for all programs receiving grant funding implementing the core value competency. The number of locations should be based on the need for each individual community. For example, in areas of greater need, there should also be greater access to programs. I would also like to propose â€Å"Emergency’ child care. This program would be a temporary â€Å"safe† arrangement to offer parents â€Å"peace of mind† if their usual arrangements fall through. For example if the baby-sitter doesn’t show up, or you have a family emergency, you could drop your child off for a short period of time. Children must already be enrolled in the program or be on some corresponding program such TANK to qualify. Companies that provide on-site day care centers for employees will also receive funding as well as tax incentives. This will give the parents incentive to want to keep their Job as well as peace of mind knowing their children are close by. 9 I also feel that more funds should be used for the Stay At Home Parent program to allow children ages four and under to be with their parents. Families that qualify will receive subsidies while working or attending school part-time and stay home with their child rest of the time. For older children ages five to eighteen the program would continue to offer rewarding after school and summer activities. The objective is to get these kids away from the TV and teach them about the world around them. These activities should based on the strengths perspective model. It is important to find something that the child is interested in or desires, so that they can feel like they have a skill or purpose. After school programs would include tutoring, mentoring, counseling, skill building social interaction, violence prevention, and other similar programs. As social workers we must first build a trusting, positive relationship with the people we are working with. Finding common interests help to bridge partnerships and giving them someone they feel they can â€Å"turn to. † It is important to focus on forming positive relationships instead of trying â€Å"treat† them. These programs will give the children the skills they need to be responsible for their own behavior and become productive members of their communities. I would also like to provide subsidies for summer camps. I found some programs such as the YMCA that offer subsidized summer programs for under-privileged youth already. Many families struggle the most during the summer months when their children are out of school. This would eliminate having to pay for child care the entire three months of summer, as well as give the child something enjoyable to do. 10 Parents would be provided education and resources on child development and health. The program would offer employment resources, resume help, transportation assistance, interview techniques, internet access, and listings for local Job openings in the How to cite Childcare Policy Proposal, Papers

Violence In The Arts Essay Example For Students

Violence In The Arts Essay Nowadays, it is hard to turn on a television program, catch a movie or buy your younger sibling a video game without encountering a warning for extreme violence. Everyday, our lives are exposed to violence on the screen, whether it is in the latest Sopranos episode or even watching the six oclock news. For quite a while now, people have been demanding that stricter censorship be placed on the media, especially those programs and video games that can easily be obtained by the youth, due to their feelings that this violence can influence people to act out. However, this is not a new idea. Back in ancient Greece, the philosopher Plato believed that exposure to the emotions of the arts (especially drama) would encourage people to act out violent emotions portrayed in the drama. As documented in his work The Republic, Plato believed strongly that the perfect life was comprised of total balance and harmony in ones mindset and that any stimulated emotions would result in an imbalance. The first theorist to challenge Platos idea was his well-known student, Aristotle. We will write a custom essay on Violence In The Arts specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Aristotle felt that exposure to the strong emotions of the arts had a positive psychological effect on people because it gave them a chance to let out any emotional frustrations that they might have bottled up inside. I concur with the ideas of Plato, being that the media has become such an influential authority in our society, and the constant exposure to violent behavior within the media is creating numbness to it, especially within our children, who are less able to distinguish between factual and fictional. Our society, beginning with a childs parents, should become stricter with Limiting exposure to violent visual entertainment, and only allow a moderate, if any, amount of violence to be seen by impressionable children and young adults. Drama had only recently developed in Ancient Greece when Plato began speaking against it, however it was already a popular part of Greek tradition. The somewhat violent plots that were also deeply entrenched in religious and family tradition, showed morbid situations; such as Oedipus Rex in which a son kills his father and marries his mother. Plato perceived the dramas as dangerous, because he felt that they created confusion, miscommunication and ignorance. He also felt that the entire worlds evils came from a defective sense of reality and that these dramas promoted that. For example, take a young child who grew up somewhat isolated from the outside world and whose only outlet to our society is through the media. His steady contact with violent programs (which in the end, show a happy conclusion no matter what happens throughout) may convince him that this type of behavior is normal and accepted. Plato was concerned especially about the influence that drama and even pornography would have on children, because he felt that their minds were not developed to the full extent in order to differentiate between the right and wrong that they see in the dramas. Many people will be quick to agree that a child should not watch a rated R action movie, yet they still allow them to view a Saturday morning cartoon in which the main character gets run over every episode and still comes back the next week. This can create a faulty understanding of reality to a child, as well as an unsuspecting adult, because it does not clarify that death is final. What about the movies that emulate and perhaps glorify the lives of drug dealers and gangs? Are they encouraging one to participate in this type of lifestyle by making it seem cool and their answer to their life situation or are they simply depicting reality of what goes on in todays inner cities? These questions are similar to an old saying: which came first, the chicken or the egg? .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 , .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 .postImageUrl , .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 , .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197:hover , .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197:visited , .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197:active { border:0!important; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197:active , .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197 .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uca9a4ef31943b6e16170bc4a904d9197:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Preserving Our Earth EssayThe skewed perspective portrayed by movies, television, and video games can create a lack of sensitivity to emotional and/or physical harm. It may even cause them to want to emulate the kind of lifestyle they are seeing, thinking that it is a reflection of real life. Aristotle, on the other hand, believed that the best dramas were those which an ordinary person greatly misjudges, because this allowed the ordinary people who viewed it to realize the error and make it a moral learning experience a moral laboratory in which we can see our inner urges acted out and learn from the tragic consequences. (Rosenstand, pg. 52) I agree somewhat with Platos views on censorship, since you never know exactly how someone will react to viewing a violent situation and whether they will be able to use their common sense and judgment to refrain from copying the actions of the characters. There have been many examples of copycats who have gotten their ideas from watching a violent film, but many will still argue that the majority is simply coincidence. In the end of the thriller Scream, Billy makes an important comment to Sidney, telling her not to blame the movies! Movies dont create psychos! Movies make psychos more creative! . However, a point that must be understood is that even though Aristotle was for the viewing of emotionally charged dramas, he also advocated a moderation of these violent stories. We should remember that the drama that Aristotle recommended as beneficial was not available twenty-four hours a day, as it is on a TV set; Greek dramas were originally performed once a year? . (Rosenstand, pg. ) If Aristotle were around today, he probably would advise about the effects of being overly exposed to the elements of moral decay in the visual entertainment and suggest a need for censorship as well. Viewing a documentary on the Civil War in a students classroom is one thing, since those are factual events that took place in our societys history, but allowing a child to play the video game Mortal Combat on a daily basis is unnecessary and does not provide an educational experience or an emotional outlet when constantly employed as a means of entertainment. Plato felt that censorship was necessary, especially for childrens materials, because he didnt trust people to distinguish between right and wrong on their own. In order to avoid a complete and rigid censorship put on by our societys government, parents should on their own monitor what their children are exposed to. I believe that the parent should decide what amount of violence, if any, they want their child to be exposed to and regulate that amount strictly until that child has reached an age in which he or she can determine between fantasy/reality, good/bad. Parents should also explain that the reality that is depicted in films, television programs and video games are not necessarily how real life is conducted. Parents with young children may want to compare it to a fairy tale, such as Hansel and Gretel, to illustrate a moralistic point. I feel that in order to reduce the chances of violent behavior later on in a persons life, they need to be taught, as a child that the way they see disagreements and issues being handled in violent entertainment is not the appropriate manner of solving them. This way the child will grow to understand and refrain from acting out the emotions represented in their favorite action movie or video game. In summary, I feel that after reflecting on Plato and Aristotles views on the problem of over stimulation of the emotions by drama, I found that I have been influenced by both of their opinions. Both philosophers made valid points, which should be recognized by todays society.

Mods and Rockers Essay Example

Mods and Rockers Paper What Is A Moral Panic? What Does This Tell Us About Crime And Criminality? Support Your Discussion With At Least Four Identified Examples Of Moral Panics Experienced In The Past. This essay will commence by examining the origins of the term moral panic and will discuss definitions of the phrase. Following from this, examples of moral panics will be considered, to aid clarification of this subject. Having identified incidences of the phenomenon, four will be discussed in further detail. These will be the panics that surrounded Mods and Rockers, drug use, video nasties and paedophilia. The concepts within these occurrences will provide features such as how they occur, who labels them as such and the way in which a moral panic gains in momentum within society. During this essay, a discourse will question links between moral panic and affects on crime and criminality. It may be stated that it is almost impossible to read literature on the subject matter, without promptly coming across references to the author Stanley Cohen and his book written in 1972, named Folk Devils And Moral Panics. Cohen, a sociologist, coined the phrase moral panic within this tome, to describe the phenomenon that he witnessed of over dramatization by the media and politicians of deviant behaviour, causing a public reaction which was out of all proportion to the conduct of the deviants. It may be suggested that the concept has become a useful addition to the vocabulary of sociology and used by sociologists and criminologists to describe incidences of similar behaviour. Cohen discusses: Societies appear to be subject every now and then, to periods of moral panic. We will write a custom essay sample on Mods and Rockers specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mods and Rockers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mods and Rockers specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; its nature is presented in a stylised and stereotypical fashion by the mass media sometimes the object of the panic is quite novel and other times it is something which has been in existence long enough, but suddenly appears in the limelight. (Cohen, 1972. p. 9). The Penguin Dictionary Of Sociology defines the term Moral Panic in another explanatory manner, which it could be argued, provides a better understanding of the term, for those without background knowledge of the experience: Episodes of widespread anxiety and fear triggered by apparently trivial events. Moral panics have a long and varied history from accusations of witchcraft in the sixteenth century to fears about drug users or muggers in contemporary society. They usually involve the identification of a folk devil who is held to be responsible for whatever moral or social damage has occurred In contemporary societies, the mass media may play a very large role in moral panics, spreading rumour and contributing to a spiral of anxiety and fear. (Abercrombie, Hill and Turner. 2000. p. 231. ). Although this definition seemingly provides a further understanding of the term, it could be understood that the source is firmly entrenched within Cohens findings. Since Cohens study, it may be agreed that a great many folk devils and moral panics have been identified. It could be argued that major concern has been mounted regarding issues such as drugs, football hooliganism, asylum seekers, AIDS and homosexuality, paedophiles, pornography, teenage pregnancy, video nasties and youths, to name but a few. Cohens influential study commenced primarily with two youth groups of the 1960s, the Mods and Rockers. The Mods were neat, chic and cool. The Rocker was mean, moody and masculine (Teenage Kicks. n. d. ). Burns mentions in her study that on Easter bank holiday, 1964 in Clacton, Essex, the groups clashed. The conflict caused a number of beach huts to be damaged, windows broken and scuffles to break out resulting in ninety-seven arrests. During the following week, national newspapers grabbed attention of readers with headlines such as Day Of Terror By Scooter Groups and Wild Ones Invade Seaside 97 Arrests. Phrases such as orgy, riot siege and screaming mob were included. Thus, sensationalised by the press with exaggeration of facts and numbers, came a supposition by society that the event was a more violent incident than the facts supported (Burns, 2000). Burns states that Cohen criticised the media for the amplification of the situation, which caused Mods and Rockers to be seen as a threat to law and order. He named this theory control culture, an incident whereby the media purposely sensationalise an event and then call for punishment of the perpetrators, creating folk devils amongst society (Burns, 2000. ). Richard Ives (n. d. ) argues that on following bank holidays, public panic came to be out of all proportion to the size of the problem. Young people were turned away from the beaches; youths were reported to the police and punitive measures such as fines were put into place, which were disproportionate to offences committed. These reactions caused more arrests, more tension between the groups and further incidences throughout the country (Ives, n. d. ). It may be stated that this moral panic therefore had a direct impact upon crime and criminality, causing a self fulfilling prophecy. Ives mentions that eventually, the moral panic over Mods and Rockers died away. What stopped it? From the point of view of the public and mass media, it was largely a waning of interest. Mods and Rockers as folk devils were replaced by other new and newsworthy phenomenon. (Ives, n. d. ). Before looking more closely at three further incidences of moral panics, it could be considered important to look at the way in which moral panics can be broken down into five elements, which define it: concern, hostility, consensus, disproportionality and volatility (Goode and Ben-Yehuda 1994, p. 33-40).

Hiding Behind the Words †Anthropology Research Paper (300 Level Course)

Hiding Behind the Words – Anthropology Research Paper (300 Level Course) Free Online Research Papers Hiding Behind the Words Anthropology Research Paper(300 Level Course) Within cultures across the world people express themselves and what their cultures stand for through song, stories, films, and poetry. Through her studies in the community of Awlad ‘Ali and in her book Veiled Sentiments, Lila Abu-Lughod interprets and describes the importance the poetry genre has in the Bedouin culture which exists there. Though poetry was not initially the focus for her ethnography, it became clear that it is an extremely important staple in Bedouin life that many anthropologists before her ignored or did not notice. This poetry or ghinnawa is used by the people of Awlad ‘Ali, especially women, in specific social contexts to describe private personal situations and close relationships. Ghinnawas are means to let out everything that must usually remain hidden during everyday social life, like the faces of these women, which also are hidden day to day. The ghinnawas are more than just little poems speckled throughout conversations and seeming to serve no purpose. As Abu-Lughod discovered after finally paying attention to the lines she constantly heard, they had a meaning and a purpose for those that spoke them. To the women of Awlad ‘Ali and other Bedouin cultures, they served to convey the hidden feelings possessed by them in a world where they must keep their emotions to themselves. Abu-Lughod found herself intimately related to the Awlad ‘Ali which allowed her to really concentrate on areas of inner social life rather than political ideas or other areas solely focused on by other main anthropologists covering the same types of people. Abu-Lughod ultimately was able to draw a clear relationship between Bedouin poetry and society. One of the most important discoveries made by Abu-Lughod was the fact that there was a â€Å"radical difference between the sentiments expressed in [the ghinnawas] and those expressed about the same situations in ordinary social interactions and conversations,†(Abu-Lughod 31). In other words, Bedouins joke and deny concern in personal matters and express anger in difficult situations making them seem defensive. All the while they express grief and actual feelings and sentiments in their lyrics that convey vulnerability and deep attachment to others. Some of the manners of expression for the Bedouins may be understood as more authentic. The significance of the poetry is especially clear in this situation for messages portrayed through the ghinnawas are deeply meaningful and culturally central. Messages conveyed in normal social situations may be misread making the poems â€Å"critical to an understanding of Awlad ‘Ali experience,† (Abu-Lughod 32). Abu-Lughod argues that the ghinnawas deepen understanding of central aspects of Bedouin culture. They express the way the culture really affects the individuals within the community as opposed to what the individuals say or are prompted to say about their lives. The ghinnawa is about feelings people have about situations and human relationships. Like most oral poetry though, ghinnawas tend to be formulaic and traditional but this does not restrain them from varying immensely in creativity and they are not limited by their formulas. According to Abu-Lughod, the range of sentiments is wide and the objects of these sentiments are varied (Abu-Lughod 183). Though this is true, two generalizations can still be made about the ghinnawas. First, the poetry tends to be negative and sad (this excludes ghinnawas sung at weddings and circumcision celebrations). Bedouins express the notion that when they are happy there is nothing to sing about. These people turn to poetry to help them through personal difficulties such as lost loves. An example taken from Veiled Sentiments shows this pain, â€Å"Tears increased, oh Lord†¦ the beloved came to mind in the time of sadness,†(Abu-Lughod 179). Ghinnawas are rarely happy and in Veiled Sentiments, an old man said, â€Å"I sing to soothe myself. Especially in times of trouble that is when you sing,† (Abu-Lughod 183). The second generalization to be made about ghinnawas is that nearly all of the poems Abu-Lughod heard had to do with sentiments arising from interpersonal relationships. The most common references were to romantic love relationships between men and women (Abu-Lughod 183). Lovers use ghinnawas as a language of love and communication. In the past lovers would exchange the poetry and as some do now but now the form is written rather than sung. It was most noted though that people sing the ghinnawas when in the presence of the same sex when the opposite is nowhere nearby. At these times, most people recite rather than sing the ghinnawas and they do so in the middle of conversations. In these informal situations, people tend to sing about themselves and they situations in life. Usually in the context of these situations, the speakers either recite comments about the situation or actual sentiments felt about the situation. When related to Abu-Lughod’s argument about the central aspe cts of Bedouin culture, we see that the expressions of the sentiments of personal life and intimacy are also discourses of defiance. A reason for this may spark from the need for people to be strong and invulnerable in public. Hearing someone share sentiments makes them appear weak. If we examine the ramifications this could have on Bedouin culture, weakness in public could represent a weakness when standing up to evil elements and succumbing to temptation. The possibility of this could spell disaster in a culture where the utmost purity and protection against evil is most highly valued. Defiance comes from the conscious descending of the speaker’s guard allowing things to possibly enter the mind and corrupt it. For the most part though, ghinnawas are not viewed as defiant and rather they are valued for their resourcefulness in sharing personal thoughts and feelings. Culturally, on a gender level and perhaps of most importance to Abu-Lughod’s argument is the idea that ghinnawas most benefit women in a society where they are not to be heard any more than they are seen, which is not much. From the start boys are more desirable and more highly valued in Bedouin society than girls. Girls are seen as necessary for help with a mother’s household work, companionship with the mother, later care in life and an emotionally close relationship. Unfortunately though, they are still not preferred to boys even by their emotionally close brothers for economically, the brothers are the woman’s social security. A daughter will eventually leave and belong to somebody else but a boy will provide and support the mother in the future. This secondary status placed on girls is â€Å"based on a kind of moral inferiority defined by the standards of the honor code by which individuals are measured,† (Abu-Lughod 123). According to Abu-Lughod, mal es and females are symbolically opposed in Bedouin thought. Being opposing forces and secondary in status only leaves women with the obligation to come second and leave their feelings and desires covered so that they may work and do as they are supposed to in front of and for men. In this society which demands a woman to remain hidden both physically and emotionally, ghinnawas are the perfect emotional outlet. Ghinnawas not only allow feelings to be conveyed to others, but they are done so in a manner that the poems can almost only be understood in the context by which they were spoken. Those that hear a poem will not really understand it until they know who it was that spoke it. Sometimes the speaker can be determined by the poem before she is actually revealed. Knowledge of the life of a woman and her experiences allows the analysis of the poetry given and her feelings depicted are understood as those she felt at the time of the situation. This is all while keeping in mind most poems are negative, thus the situations tend to be sad ones such as a lost love or death. The secrecy of understanding poems only in their contexts permits women to continue sharing sentiments in their own world that is lived in silence while in the presence of men. The main way to maintain this secrecy amongst the women though is to not even share their ghinnawas in front of men at all, for they are sacred amongst the women and are only shared within the female groups. In her early studies of the ghinnawas, the male leader’s wife scolds Abu-Lughod herself when she shared a woman’s poem with him and asked him to decipher it. She was told never to reveal women’s poetry to men (Abu-Lughod 27). A woman’s sentiments and body are to remain hidden in Bedouin society and Abu-Lughod really aims to express the value ghinnawas have culturally in a world where honor is given to those that shut themselves up and out from the polluting outer world. A woman that veils is raised to understand that purity and modesty is achieved and respected by protecting herself from the outer world which can possess evils and temptations. A woman who wears a veil is untouched and unseen making her desirable for she has established an honorable reputation as one who has not tempted others herself. If the woman were to expose herself to the elements, her soul and body would become vulnerable to the evils that lurk and her entire belief system could be sacrificed. This observation is highly linked to Abu-Lughod’s argument about the cultural importance of the ghinnawas. A woman who keeps her mouth closed and does not demonstrate any real feelings to upsetting situations is honored and revered as one who is strong. She also is not vulnerable to the elements for she can keep herself together for practical purposes. When work is to be done, there is no room or time to stop and lament a lost love. Thus, much like the veiling, sentiments are to remain hidden away. In this respect, we can understand how Abu-Lughod’s title Veiled Sentiments related to her argument. Ghinnawas are indeed just that, sentiments which are veiled or hidden from the main players in society and only revealed in more intimate circumstances such as around women who can associate and understand the emotions being experienced. Once one comprehends Abu-Lughod’s work it is understandable to concede that without ghinnawas, the Bedouin society would be a most cold, defensive, and shallow environment. Thus, it is of utmost importance for these short poems to exist so that the real members and the souls of Bedouin society can be seen rather than the decoys they consciously present. It becomes possible after hearing and analyzing ghinnawas to grasp a real understanding for the central aspects of Bedouin culture, which we cannot usually see such as the importance love and family. This is wonderfully argued and examined by Lila Abu-Lughod in her important book, Veiled Sentiments. 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The aims and Proposed plan of work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The aims and Proposed plan of work - Essay Example Proposed plan of work, including its relationship to previous work, with key references. Please avoid excessive use of technical terms, however if unavoidable provide a glossary of terms as indicated in section 4.5. (Please only use the space provided below – no more than 1,000 words and written for a non specialist audience. References may be attached on a separate sheet): To achieve the aims of this thesis, the researcher conducted an analysis of three relevant arbitration laws: the new Saudi Arbitration Law 2012; the former Saudi Arbitration Law 1983; and, the English Arbitration Act 1996 (attached). The researcher is of the opinion that this will establish a clear framework by which the research questions can be addressed since these are the main legal sources of both Saudi and English arbitration jurisdictions. The structure of this study follows a logical approach, beginning with the legal basis of arbitration as represented in the arbitration agreement. It is followed b y the discussion of the arbitral tribunal, which oversees the arbitral process, issues arbitral decision and decide on the arbitral award. Finally, a section will be devoted to third and last stage in the process, which is the outcome of the arbitral process: the arbitral award and its enforcement. The supervisory team suggested to begin the study with the discussion and analysis of the Qualifications of Arbitrator. The reason for this is that the arbitrator qualifications constitute the fundamental framework that outlines the limitations of freedom for parties to arbitration in the selection of arbitral tribunal. Presently, the arbitration agreement is being analyzed and examined. This will include the validity and scope of arbitration agreement, which is expected to shed light on the extent of freedom of parties to arbitration in terms of drafting an arbitration agreement to resolve either standing disputes between them or those that may arise in the future. The next section will concentrate on the extent of freedom of arbitration parties and the arbitral tribunal regarding the selection of procedural rules and substantive law under: 1) SAL 2012; 2) Sharia, as it is considered the applicable law in Saudi; and, 3) under the EAA 1996. In addition, key issues will also be analyzed including the controversial application of the Sharia law such the concepts of Riba and the loss of future profits, in addition to the extent of differences in the viewpoints within Sharia in case one or both of arbitration parties are religiously neutral. The third section will be devoted to the discussion of the arbitral tribunal. This will undertaken by analyzing three important factors: duties, powers and jurisdictions of the arbitral tribunal. Again, this will be carried out in the context of Sharia and SAL 2012, and in comparison with the EAA 1996 and the case laws in the UK. The final stage (PhD) will include the role of national courts and their impact on the success of the ar bitral process. This will be divided into three sections. The first section will analytically and critically examine the role of national courts in the arbitral process in the commencement of and during the arbitral process under the two Saudi and English jurisdictions. Second section will deal with the concept of arbitral award and

New Deal, One topic to choose among 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

New Deal, One topic to choose among 6 - Essay Example Despite the fact that Roosevelt got elected to the White House for record four-terms, but it is said that his popularity waned in all subsequent elections due to the unpopularity of New Deal. The success of New Deal, however, remains widely contested among economist, political scientists and historians to this day. Roosevelt began his election campaign with two things in mind; to check economic distress and provide employment (Eliot). During the first days in office, the Roosevelt called for a special session of Congress and got passed bills for facilitation of such New Deal programs like Works Project Administration (WPA), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), National Youth Administration (NYA), Farm Security Administration (FSA), National Recovery Administration (NRA), and Public Works Administration. These Acts and Programs were intended ensuring reasonable farm prices, generating employment and providing economic and social security to the people. This era is typified by a political adage: Roosevelt proposed, Congress passed. Later Congress, the Congress passed important legislations like the Agricultural Adjustment Act, National Housing Act, and the Social Security Act. However, New Deal opponents felt that these legislations while on one hand made the Executive (the President) much more powerful transgressing into the Congress area, and on the other tried to make the federal power more pervasive over states. Roosevelt was blamed for trying to pursue centralization of power intended to replace free-enterprise with state-owned economy: Fascism or Communist style (Flynn, 1944, quoted by Gordon). Venn (1998) feels that the task of administering the New Deal was complex and demanding one. â€Å"The sheer scale of legislation and the proliferation of agencies meant that the operation of the federal government was far more fluid than it had been previously, as well as requiring a vastly increased bureaucracy. (Venn, 68). New Deal also

Movie review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Movie Review Example The opening scene can also be said to be well executed and even prepares the viewer for what is expected in the film at a later stage. The film later on transits to the main scene that touches on the return of Victor to Buenos Aires after the demise of his father (The Princess of France, 2014). Victor hopes to revive his previous work on the acting group for the radio play that was motivated by his getting a grant to produce Shakespeare’s plays. This style is indeed catchy and attractive to most of the viewers since they understand the theatrics applied by director Pià ±ero. The film also presents dramatic scenes of the female characters, but later the director shifts the story to the theme of the story that is explained by the Victor who struggles with the loss of his father by engaging in internet radio plays (The Princess of France, 2014). With this content and stylistic approach, the audience is glued to the next story and the ultimate end of the story. The most intriguing aspect about the film is the love triangle of Victor. The director explains how Victor learns that his longtime lover Paula had vanished and was also unfaithful to him. He slowly gets attracted to Ana who they had already conversed through email (The Princess of France, 2014). However, a great percentage of the women in the cast seem to have a strong attachment to him. In the course of his plays, Victor gets into rehearsals and recording plays. What makes this part noteworthy is the manner in which the camera focuses on Victor recounting lines from a play that show him swearing off women (The Princess of France, 2014). One can tell the confusion that Victor is going through, especially considering that he had a nasty past with the women. It would actually be argued that women have actually become a puzzle in Victor’ life. The most disturbing is how Victor struggles with the death of his father. It is even worse when he realizes that his former girlfriend h ad taken off.

FedEx Organisational Resources Management

FedEx Organisational Resources Management FedEx is a transportation corporation started in 1973, who came in to the industry with a very different approach and tried to outperform their competitors. In fact there were quite successful to a large extent in doing that. This paper contains discussion about the various strategies they have used to do so, as well as the end results. It also contains analysis on how they have made changes to their strategies as there were changes in the Information technology or Economic environments. Introduction Strategy defines how all the elements of what a company does fit together. (Porter, 2001) Having a vision for a company is quite different from having a strategy. Vision is the aims or objectives we have for our business that we would like to achieve over a period of time and Strategy is the design or steps that we use to achieve those objectives. FedEx started in 1973 with a vision to gain the market share by targeting a niche market and providing them with a different service. They want to use the 3 factors which they thought are going to be very helpful to make them succeed. Globalisation Advances in IT Application of new technologies for process efficiencies (Ali and Pauline, 2000) With the implementation of IT and the boom to the internet, they made sure they had the proper use of their Value and Supply chain, thus transforming and making a huge success in the Logistics industry. In this paper I am going to discuss as in how they have managed to achieve the success as well as the mistakes they have made after the success. Strategy Having a Strategy is one of the most important parts of being successful in a business, as sometime that is what leads to the success. Strategy defines the goals for the organisation over a long period of time and helps the organisation in achieving them. Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long term: which achieves advantage for the organization through its configuration of resources within a challenging business environment, to meet that needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations (Johnson and Scholes, 2008) Strategy can be defined as the rules and actions used to steer a business towards making much more money (Richard Koch and Peter Nieuwenhuizen, 2006) 2.1 Need for Strategy There is a definite need for organisations to have a Global Corporate Strategy, as it not only directs them towards achieving the goals they have, but will also help them in achieving them in a planned way. Some of factors or concepts that organisations depend on while designing their Strategy are What are the goals and aims of the business? How can they face the competition? What does the consumers, employee, management and all the stakeholders expect from the organisation? What are the resources available? 2.2 Porters Generic Strategic Framework According to porter, having a strategy is nothing but making sure the expenses and the cost of production are lower than the sale price, thus making a profit on the initial investment. In other words the firm may choose to provide products at the lowest possible price, or seek to provide products which although perhaps more expensive are differentiated on the basis which the customer finds important. He has identified the three strategies as overall cost leadership, Differentiation and focus. (Marios I. Katsioloudes, 2002) The Generic Strategy framework Adapter from (Michael E Porter, 1985) Cost Leadership Differentiation Cost Focus Differentiation Focus Being Different from the Competition as well as being a Cost Leader is what FedEx has achieved from the time it has started. With the vision they have for company they have started the business different to what their competitors were offering to the consumers. Even though they have started the business targeting a Niche market that were willing to pay a premium to get the goods delivered the next day, FedEx were able to transforms from a focussed Strategy to more of a Differentiation and Cost effective Strategy. 2.3 Strategic Vision behind FedEx Corporation, The aim of having a strategy is to gain advantage over the competition and thus getting the market share to make profits. The goal of strategy is to achieve a superior long-term return on investment and Economic value is created when customers are willing to pay a price for a product or service that exceeds the cost of producing it. (Porter, 2001) Under the leadership of Fred Smith, FedEx not only made sure it had a strategic vision, but it also proved that with by using proper techniques it can grow and gain the market share. Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long term: which achieves advantage for the organization through its configuration of resources within a challenging business environment, to meet that needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations (Johnson and Scholes, 2008) Human resource management is responsible for how people are treated in organizations. It is responsible for the bringing people into the organization, helping them perform their work, compensating them for their labors and solving the problems that arise (Cherrington 1995, p.5). 2.4 STRATEGIC ADVANTAGES FOR HR PLANNING There are a number of more specific reasons for resorting to HR planning exercises at the level of the undertaking, reasons that can make the exercise essential. These are: 1. To establish the best cost balance between plant and manpower utilization. 2. To determine recruitment, level wise and occupation wise 3. Ensure that we do not inherit surplus manpower hired on account of an incompetent CEO. 4. To provide a basis for management development programs www.jnj.com 3 STRATEGIES FOR HUMAN RESOURCE Recruitment: This is the very basic function of the human resource management dept. The first step in the development of a concerns personals activity is to employ the right type of person to operate the organization. Employing people are one of the most critical step in establishing and growth of business. Recruitment is the major step in the total staffing process. Recruitment is the process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the concern. FedEx being a global company, a separate HR dept works out for this function. Given below is the process of their recruitment- Inviting the application Screening and selecting the appropriate applications Aptitude test Interviews (both HR and operation) Placement induction and orientation Remuneration: Right remuneration should be given to employees according to their services rendered to the organization. For deciding fair remuneration following points should be considered: 1) Job evaluation and job analysis. 2) Merit rating of employees/ performance appraisal. 3) Incentive schemes 4) Profit sharing Being a job requiring high level of skills and motivation, FedEx keeps a constant eye on performance of employees to fix remuneration. Promotion, Transfer Termination: Promotion and transfers are essential features of human resource management. For increasing the skills and high level of efficiency, it is essential to frame proper promotion policy. Systematic promotional programmers should be arranged which are based upon seniority, qualifications, period of service, experience, etc. Transfer involves shifting of an employee from one job to another job without changing responsibilities and remuneration .In order to adjust existing staff internal transfers are essential. Within various departments of FedEx and within various group companies, transfers take place. www.cipd.co.uk Rewards Incentives Almost 50% of all FedEx spending goes to employee pay and benefits. Employee compensation is structured to acknowledge individual effort, stimulate new ideas, encourage outstanding performance and promote teamwork. All of these factors are reflected in the employees Compensation and Rewards.   4 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Human Resource Management is considered as the philosophy, policies, procedures and practices that are connected to the administration of the employees of an organization. It is connected and related to the administration of the employees of a company. It has a great contribution in successful process of attracting, developing, motivating as well as maintaining a high-performing workforce that helps to add to the competitive advantage of the organization (Sims 2002 pp. 2 3).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Furthermore, HR has a great impact with the institution and the implementation of the different policies, programs and procedures that can affect the success and failure of the performance, competences as well as the loyalty of the entire workforce of the organization. Because of the policies and procedures, individuals are being attracted, retained, motivated as well as developed in order to perform the work of the organization. This is due to the fact that through these policies and procedures, the organization will seek to mold as well as shape the actions of the employees in order to operate successfully. Thus, comply with the different public policies, offer high quality of employment that will help to improve and maintain the position of the company in the market by the process of reinforced ability to compete and serve (Clardy 1996, p. 1).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Above all, the process of incorporating the top managements goals to the HRM practices and policies will help to bring out as well as reward the different types of behavior that are important in achieving the strategy of organization. The effectiveness of the HRM practices can help to improve the competitive advantage in creating both the cist leadership and differentiation (Sims 2002, p. 5). 5 Strategic Human Resource Management   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  The main goal of the strategic human resource or SHRM is the improvement of the way HR are managed in strategic manner in the organization, with the connection to the definitive goal of the improvement organizational performance, that are judged by its influence on the corporate strategy of the company, and the concern of the customers and shareholders (Brewster Mayrhofer 2000, p.6).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   HRM can help to determine the HR needs in order to support the strategic objectives as well as to ensure that all of the employees are selected, trained, evaluated as well as rewarded in ways that helps to achieve the objectives of the business. In addition, the strategic HRM is a linear, balanced process that begins with the identification of the goals that will server as guidelines in the HR practices. Above all, the integration of the HR programs with the goals of the entire organization can help to increase the value of the organization (Burke Cooper 2004, p. 92). 6 FedEx Express and Strategic Human Resource   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  One of the most important strategies of the company that made them different from their competitor is their superior customer service and effective and efficient on-time deliveries. On the other hand, since the same basic and vital technologies are also available and offered in other competitors such as UPS and DHL, the workforce of FedEx is considered as the crucial competitive advantage for the company (Ahmed Ullah 2006).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The overall HR strategy of the company focuses on the process of building a committed, competent as well as customer-oriented workforce.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Training is considered as the most important events at FedEx, in order for the company to meet their goal of 100% customer satisfactory. It has a promotion from within policy. It undertakes as well as arranges extensive training for all of the employees as well as the managers that covers the quality management, leadership concepts as well as the philosophy of the company (Ahmed Ullah 2006).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The retention of talents is also one of the most important strategies of the company. It has a turnover rate of 1%, having to show that they have the most effective way of keeping their employees. The main reason behind the said success is that the company is offering high career opportunities, the result of the policy that employees are being promoted from within. Because of the said policy, the company had been able to recognize the efforts of its people through awards, open communications as well as other incentives. Employee retention is directly connected with the recruitment and employee relations of the company. They influenced each other. In the case of Federal Express, it begins its retention efforts by the process of centralizing its recruitment efforts. By doing the said activity, the company had been able to maintain and retain their employees, and improves their skills, by making sure that each and every employee is receiving proper training in terms of job performance skills (Denton 1992). It helped the productivity of the company, by making sure that all of its employees are experienced and knowledgeable. People-Service-Profits   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Like any other companies, Federal Express Corporation believes that people is its greatest asset. The main focus of the company is to promote a good working environment where in all of the stakeholders will feel respected, satisfied as well as appreciated. The main thinking of FedEx is that there people are the primary entity in the value chain, that is why it is important to focus on the employees first.   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   The People-Service-Profits policy is being implemented by asking as well as answering different basic questions, such as what are the expectations and things that must do. The company tries to spend times in order to answer the questions for their personnel by extensive orientation programs that will show and define the entire values of the company (Denton, 1992).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Above all, the company strictly implements their promotion from within and with connection to the progression policy. It also uses Information Technology or IT in order to implement an extensive job posting system that will enables the employees to be informed regarding the different opportunities. When a specific position is open and available, notices are all posted in the entire vicinity of the company in order to inform the employees (Denton, 1992) 7 Recommendation   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   It had been showed that FedEx has a strong relationship with the most important entity or stakeholder, the employees or human resource. The company had been able to retain their talents that helped them to maintain productivity, thus maintain competitive advantage of FedEx. There are different aspects that must be maintain and done such as the career development. This is an ongoing, formalized effort of the organization that aims on the development and enrichment of the human resource of the company that will target both the needs of the employees as well as the entire organization (Denton 1992).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Another important thing that must be considered is the internal communications. By doing this, the company will be able to maintain their direct and sound relationship and communication with the employees that will enable them to know what are the employees needs and demands that will help and push motivation. 8 Conclusion Even though there were major dips in the profits I personally feel FedEx having the advantage of the Brand name behind them would be and should be able to gain the advantage back on its consumers and adding on to that the company anticipated having to spend 100 million dollar over the changes they have made and the new method they have implemented (Ali and Pauline, 2000) Even though it was a major mistake not to include their acquisitions in to their brand as and when they were acquired, as well as merging the subsidiaries who were in to the same logistics business was a huge mistake that should never be done and especially considering the fact that FedEx is a huge corporation, it learned it mistake and hopefully will be able to achieve what Smith has mentioned before the rebranding in 2000 (Ali and Pauline, 2000) Organizations are driven by human capital and it is crucial to have a scientific look at this factor of production. Human resource is a key economic resource, and a scare one. It therefore demands the same attention a company gives to planning sales, investment or profits. It is this fact that has led to the development of manpower planning among an increasing number of business organizations. For the company, the returns from manpower planning can be measured in term of higher efficiency and productivity as a result of better utilization of its manpower resources and the elimination of waste in recruitment, training and other personnel schemes. The benefits to the individual employee and the country are not less important.

Coal Extraction and Black Lung :: Environment Energy Essays

Coal Extraction and Black Lung Coal is an indispensable fossil fuel that is very important to today’s society. With out coal, one would have to live without many of the luxuries we have today. There would be no lights to light a house, no movie cinemas, no electrical heaters, and no televisions or phones. â€Å"Coal has many important uses, but most significancy in electricity generation, steel and cement manufacture, and industrial process heating. Coal provides over 23% of global primary energy need and generates about 39% of the world’s electricity† (Source 1). Coal is also used as fuel for steam locomotives, to make synfuels, and in home heating. Some other miscellaneous items made by coal are insecticides, paint thinners, batteries, disinfectants, varnish and insulin. (Source 2) Coal, obviously, is very important to our society and we cannot do without it. The extraction of coal from the ground, however, can be a dangerous process that has serious health effects. The ways coal has been extracted from the ground has changed many times over time due to improved mining techniques and different geological formations. In the early history of mining a technique called bell pitting was used where the coal was â€Å"obtained by digging it from where it appears on the surface† . This method was replaced by more efficient methods. Today, â€Å"the three methods of extraction are open cast, drift and deep mine† (Source 3). These methods are not safe and many miners who work with these methods suffer many health problems. Coal miners suffer from many different health problems that are caused from mining. Among these diseases is the well known Black Lung. â€Å"Black Lung is a legal term describing man-made, occupational lung diseases that are contracted by prolonged breathing of coal mine dust. Call in miner’s asthma, silicosis, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovovanoconiosis, coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, or black lung–they are all dust diseases with the same symptoms† (Source 4). Black Lung usually effects workers who are over 50 and who have worked as a miner for most of their lives. The symptoms of black lung are coughing, spitting, and breathlessness. Another symptom is that the lung has black pigmentation on it. â€Å"In Severe cases, an enlargement and strain of the right side of the heart may occur. This is caused by chronic lung disease. The strain on the heart may eventually cause right side heart failure.