The Idea Of Corporate Social Responsibility Marketing Essay

The Idea Of Corporate Social Responsibility Marketing Essay Nowadays, the idea of Corporate Social Responsibility is not new to the business industry. The society and corporations have been paying more and more attention on the initiatives of CSR, which is if a particular corporations business processes are producing an overall positive influence on society. In other words, CSR is defined as a firms sense of responsibility towards the environment and community in which it operates (Crane Matten, 2010). The increasing attention that paid to CSR has not been entirely voluntary. Many businesses only realised their CSR after being shocked by public responses to the issues they had not previously put in mind, and which were part of their business responsibilities (Porter Kramer, 2006). However, if companies could foreseen their CSR and react in advance, it would not only create competitive advantages for them, but it could also improve their brand images (Banerjee, 2008). Starbucks Corporation is a famous brand which sells coffee and has opened a massive number of stores all over the world. This essay will firstly focus on analysing Starbucks efforts of CSR, followed by identifying and discussing different stakeholder groups of Starbucks. Finally, whether the stakeholder analysis of Starbucks provides useful framework for the development and assessment of CSR will be discussed and a conclusion will be drawn. 2.0 Starbucks CSR efforts 2.1 Historical CSR efforts of Starbucks In 1992, Starbucks established the Starbucks Environmental Mission Statement, which committed that the company will positively contributed to the environment. Since then, Starbucks has been expanding their definition of their environmental responsibility within the context of their company growth and their business which has become more complex. Starbucks CSR report (2006) has included their several positive contribution to the environment. As Starbucks is concerned about the climate change will effect the quality of coffee beans, the company has been evolving and implementing an environmental strategy focused on the climate change. What is more, in 2006, Starbucks established a three-year climate change mitigation strategy. This strategy includes purchasing renewable energy, joining with other organisations to raise the awareness of climate change in order to save more energy together. At the same time, Starbucks introduced a new strategy for producing their cupts in order to reduce the negative impacts on environments. This strategy includes three main actions: a) by eliminating most double-cupping, 60 per cent of post-consumer recycled fiber; b) customers who use their own reusable cups are offered a $0.10 discount, this allowed Starbucks to save 674,000 pounds of paper from going to the landfill in 2006; c) Starbucks introduced the hot beverage paper cups which received a positive safety review from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. What is more, the company improved its environmental footprint by greening the store through design, operations and waste and recycling management. In recent years, apart from maintaining the established strategies, Starbucks have began to focus on other social responsibilities such as donations to charity or reducing tissue waste in stores. According to the Starbucks official website, the company pays a minimum of $1.26 per pound for Fair Trade certified ingredients in order to buy Fair Trade CertifiedTM coffee for the companys supply chain strategy (Businessgreen, 2010). Heath (2006) argued that even though firms are not entitled to solve all the worlds social issues, nor could they do so. Each individual firm can identify their own set of societal issues that it is able to solve. By doing so, the firm could gain the greatest competitive advantages. Moreover, Starbucks supply chain strategy has helped the company to gain the advantage of high-quality products, which also improved Starbucks brand image (Maloni Brown, 2006). Harnrungchalotorn and Phayonlerd (2005, p35) stated that: Starbucks has ran its business by driving Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a tool that covers the company in every sector of their business. Therefore, Starbucks have indeed identified their social responsibilities and have put much effort into the issues, and these efforts have been realised by the society. This is one of the reasons why Starbucks have created a such successful brand image (Thompson A rsel, 2004). 2.2 Stakeholder Groups of Starbucks Stakeholder theory is a organisational management and business ethics theory. It addresses values and morals in managing a business. Edward (1984) was the first author to detail this theory, and he identified the stakeholders groups of a corporation. Traditionally, the stockholders and shareholders are considered as the owners of the business, and their needs and interested were ought to be put in the first place. However, stakeholders theory suggests that apart from them, there are other parties need to be considered as well. These include political groups, trade unions, governmental bodies, trade associations, financiers, communities, suppliers, customers and employees. In some cases even the competitors are considered as stakeholders as well. In this section, the following three stakeholder groups of Starbucks will be analysed and discussed: customers, suppliers (farmers) and employees (Friedman, 1970). 2.2.1 Customers Nature of Interest and Power The customer stakeholder group is very important to all firms, because customers have the power of purchasing goods or services from firms. In other words, customers provide huge contribution to firms revenue and profits. Not only that, customers also have the power of boycotting firms who provide unsatisfactory goods and services, or whose company policies are unacceptable (Griseri and Seppala, 2010). All these apply to Starbucks. In order to make customers feel good about the Starbucks places and the coffee they drink, Starbucks have been aiming to provide long-term high quality coffee. Starbucks strategies to achieve sustaining coffee quality include sustainable trade and quality assurance and product recall. Starbucks always make sure that they purchased high-quality materials agriculture and manufactured goods, as well as their non-coffee products such as Cocoa, Tea, Bakery and Dairy etc. Starbucks also use high quality water to produce their drinks including Ethos water. The ap proach of quality assurance and product recall allows Starbucks to control their overall product quality and to reduce the amount of customer complains, hence to increase customers level of satisfactory. In fact, Starbucks have never stopped travelling worldwide to look for high-quality coffee beans in order to always provide coffee that has premium quality (Mystarbucksidea, 2010). In 2004, Starbucks established a guideline which is known as Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.), which is used to ensure the sustainable supply of high-quality coffee. What is more, Starbucks have considered other aspects to achieve higher customer loyalty (Findarticles, 2010). Customer loyalty can be obtained through high quality products, friendly workers, excellent customer services, good location of the stores that are easy to access, and comfortable environment in the stores (Crane and Matten, 2010). Starbucks have more than 16,000 stores in more than 60 different countries. Customers are able to fi nd a Starbucks store easily even they are in a foreign country. Workers are productive and friendly as they enjoy their work. What is more, Starbucks are designed to be a place for customers to relax, so the comfortable space in the stores have attracted many customers (Michelli, 2007). Therefore, Starbucks see customers as a very important group of stakeholder and as a famous brand name in the coffee industry, Starbucks have been able to raise the values that customers are interested in. 2.2.2 Suppliers (Farmers) Nature of Interest and Power Like customers, as one of the stakeholder groups, suppliers also have their own nature of power and interests. Suppliers have the power of selling same products to a firms competitors at a different rate. At the same, like customers, suppliers also have the same power of boycotting a firm and stopping providing a firms any materials, if they are unhappy about the firms policy and quality of products. Suppliers interests are to receive regular order of goods from a firm, and to be paid promptly for goods that they delivered (Scott Lane, 2000). For Starbucks, their main suppliers are farmers who have direct influence on Starbucks product quality. Starbucks always make sure that premium prices are paid to suppliers if coffee that are linked to premium quality is provided. The company also sees economic transparency as a very important approach for evaluating whether their suppliers or farmers receive equitable payment for their crops and other products. Starbucks have established stron g relationships and direct engagement with their suppliers and coffee farmers, which will keep Starbucks in touch with all the suppliers issues and progress (Starbucks Corporation, 2006). Farmers have access to credit and resources which are provided by Starbucks, this will help farmers to improve their products quality hence to strengthen their businesses as well as Starbucks business. What is more, Starbucks provide certification labels, including organic and Fair Trade CertifiedTM in order to achieve sustainable coffee farming. Therefore, the evidences show that Starbucks treat suppliers and farmers as another important stakeholder group, and have successfully raised the values they are interested in. Starbucks have achieved high loyalty of suppliers and farmers by providing on time payment, fair rates of payment and practice fair trade with them (Starbucks, 2010). 2.2.3 Employees Nature of Interest and Power The last group of stakeholders will be analysed is employees. Workers have the power union bargaining, work actions or strikes. As human capitals are very important assets to a company, their interests have to be considered carefully as well. Employees are looking for a firm that could provide stable employment and fair rate of pay for them. Also, employees want to work in a safe and comfortable environment (Friedman and Miles, 2006). According to Starbucks official webise: Starbucks believe every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, and is entitled to a fair, safe and humane work environment. This is deeply held value at Starbucks and one of our Guiding Principles. Our commitment to this value applies as much to our own workforce as it does to the workers employed by our suppliers (www.starbucks.com). Starbucks also take international labour standards and principles related to working conditions into consideration, including employees health and safety, minimum wa ge, freedom of association and security etc. As part of C.A.F.E. Practices, Starbucks developed a comprehensive system to verify the companys coffee suppliers compliance with international labour standards, including forced labour and child labour practices as well as other environmentally and socially responsible practices. Starbucks goal is to provide the best possible working environment for their employees in order to attracts and retains talented workers and make them love their jobs. Starbucks regularly collect surveys from employees to review their feeling and opinions, and to offer workers competitive benefits including international benefits. What is more, Starbucks often reward workers with excellent performances and recognise employees efforts. Training opportunities are regularly provided in order to give the workers more chance to improve. At Starbucks, workers rights are respected and workplace policies are always upheld. Finally, Starbucks always ensures employees are working in a safe and healthy work environment (Scribd, 2010). 3.0 Stakeholder Analysis and CSR Stakeholder theory is a way of clarifying and responding to the demand and expectations placed on companies, and this is why stakeholder management has been seen as something that companies can do to become more socially responsible. (Griseri and Seppala, 2010, p44). It is true that Starbucks have considered employees interests thus paid more attention to reducing child and forced workers; and customers demand of high-quality coffee have let Starbucks to consider the environmental issues and so on. Therefore, from this point of view, stakeholder analysis do help firms to further assess and develop their corporate social responsibility such as workers rights, environmental sustainability and obligations to the broader community. However, Griseri and Seppala (2010) also suggested that there is no clear relationship between stakeholder interest and CSR. This is because currently the stakeholder analysis does not offer ways to analyse stakeholders interests based on CSR principles, but b y taking wider range of values into considerations, stakeholder analysis should to some extent help firms to make better decisions (Scherer Palazzo, 2010). 4.0 Conclusion In conclusion, this essay has defined CSR and introduced Starbucks historical CSR efforts for environmental issues, climate change and broader community issues etc. These analysis have showed that as a famous and successful brand name, Starbucks have contributed much efforts to its obligated CSR. These efforts have been realised by the society and hence helped Starbucks to further strengthen its brand image. By carrying out stakeholder analysis, three different group of stakeholders were outlined in the essay, and their interests were discussed. Starbucks have concerned these stakeholders power and interests and have been reacting to their requirements and demands. The analyses showed that Starbucks have successfully improved the values that different stakeholders are interested in. Finally, the relationship between stakeholder analysis and CSR was discussed, which concluded that even though there is no clear relationship between them, but stakeholder analysis should allow firms make decisions with higher quality (Scherer Palazzo, 2010).

Learning Perspectives in Education

Learning Perspectives in Education Learning: Perspectives, Perceptions and Performance â€Å"Learning† is a vague, important term. When mentioned, common associations are often relegated to the association with young schoolchildren and not so often as one of the most intriguing and inquired upon aspects of psychology. Prior to further elucidation, as if oft the case, the examination of â€Å"learning† merits a definition. Though it seems to be a word of self-evident meaning, because it is hard to study directly, some further refining must be utilized. This self-evident ‘acquisition of knowledge’ can only be measured with behavioral outcomes and should be observationally able to be distinguished from reflexive or instinctive responses. A behavioral outcome might consist of a high test score, a rat that quickly presses a lever, an employee that receives bonus compensation or any other number of commonly conceived examples. In discussing the nature of learning, there are perhaps two or three popularly dominant perspectives which are essential to understand in the formation of any reasonably comprehensive review. These perspectives include the behaviorist, the social learning, and the cognitive schools. Though it becomes apparent that these three influences are not without critique and that, even within each, there exists what might be labeled ‘factions’, their fundamental contributions cannot be ignored. Behaviorism The first of these perspectives is the behaviorist. In this scheme, there are two broad branches: classical conditioning and instrumental conditioning. In classical conditioning, learning occurs by the pairing of the stimulus with a desired response of the subject. Experimentally, this is an example of Pavlov’s famous dogs and the learning that results is a consequence of the learned associative relationship and is not contingent upon any action by the subject. The alternative to this method is instrumental conditioning in which the subject gets to â€Å"choose†. By this, it is meant that the reinforcement is contingent upon what the subject â€Å"chooses† as evidenced by the behaviorally discernibly different response. Within the realm of behaviorism, one key contributor and voluminous icon of psychology in general is Thorndike. As a function of his experiments with cats in boxes for which they had to perform some specific behavior to escape, he concluded that learning was a process of an incremental nature and that their was became a neural link between the stimulus and response. This was evidenced by his successive experiments in which the cats became ‘smarter’, that is, they learned what specific behavior was required in order to be released. As the number of trials progressed, there was an inverse relationship with the time needed to escape. The work of Skinner furthered the science of behaviorism by his greater elucidation of the four broad categories of reinforcement: Application of a positive stimulus – Commonly referred to as a reward, this involves the presentation of something the subject desires. Removal of a positive stimulus – An example of this for children would be â€Å"time-out†. Theoretically and often in reality, this method is useful to extinguish unwanted behaviors. In fact, according to Skinner, the most effective way to eliminate a behavior is to ignore it, thus removing any external reinforcement. Application of a negative stimulus – Typically referred to as â€Å"punishment†, this involves the application of an unwanted or noxious stimulus to shape behavior. Removal of a negative stimulus – This is the be the restoration of â€Å"normal† conditions upon cessation of an undesirable action or commission of some desired behavior. A parenting example would be the removal of a ‘grounded’ condition upon acceptable repentance of some past action. In addition Skinner identified another type of reinforcer that he labeled a â€Å"general reinforcer† due to its wide applicability. Money is one such item and is so labeled because subjects desire it regardless of their state of depravity. This is in contrast to food which is not an adequate stimulus unless one is hungry, that is deprived of food. Another theorist, Guthrie provides yet additional insight into the theories and methods of learning. One of his key contributions to the field is with his â€Å"Law of Continuity†. In this, Guthrie proposes eloquently that, â€Å"a combination of stimuli which has been accompanied by movement will on its recurrence tend to be followed by that movement†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ in other words, an action in a given situation will likely be repeated when the subject finds themselves in a similar situation. The Cognitive Approach While there is the well-known debate of nature versus nuture that runs throughout science, such polarity also exists within the field of psychology and learning. A pure behaviorist would insist that so-called ‘choices’ are really nothing more than an animal-like actions in all behavior is reducible to stimulus and response type mechanisms. As behaviorism has significantly added to our understanding of the human condition, there exist alternative perspectives that are also quite useful. One such branch of the more cognitive division of psychology is referred to a Gestalt psychology. From this perspective, the insight that the brain is not the passive recipient of stimulus but actively involved in the perception and construction of reality is posited. Further, Gestalt psychologists attest that a given stimulus exists not in isolation but in the total context of the perception of the subject. For example, Wertheimer, the father of Gestalt psychology, cited the example of two blinking lights being able to present the perception of apparent motion. This as well as the popular psychology examples in which a certain line has the appearance of being longer than another depending on the lines and figures around it speaks to the tenet of Gestalt psychology that an experience as a whole, is greater than the sum of the individual parts that make it up. From these and other example, the idea that the mind is able to shape its own perspective of reality by virtue of its own beliefs about how things should be or how they are desired to be is a major enduring contribution of t he Gestalt movement. Though not a cognitivist, Piaget’s contribution to learning could arguably be filed in this area. Particularly noted for his contributions to developmental psychology and thus much appropriate for child rather than adult learning, Piaget declared the existence of fairly defined period of development. During these periods, a child was able to learn specific skills and acquire certain abilities with not being able to achieve certain others due to the maturation and innate abilities that of a developing brain. For example, the period of approximately seven to twelve years old is referred to as the concrete operations period. During this range, reasoning and problem solving abilities are generally limited to â€Å"concrete† phenomena that can be seen and observed rather than abstract in nature. Observational or Social Learning Though cognitive in nature, these theories have been treated separately due to both their easy discernment by more ‘pure’ cognitive perspectives and by the distinctness of the contributions of the key theorists. Up to this point, the models of learning that have been postulated, whether behaviorist or cognitive, have been focused on the subject only. Moving somewhat further away from the ‘clean’ and ‘pure’ perspective of behaviorism, social learning theory attests that the focus must extend beyond the subject to the contextual influence on others. In describing the views of social learning, some of the most controversial and informative experiments in modern psychology have be conducted. For example, Bandura’s famed ‘prison experiment’ in which subjects were put into a mock prison with some subjects assigned to be â€Å"guards† while others were simply â€Å"prisoners†. The experiment was terminated early due so me of the subjects ‘taking their roles a bit too seriously’. In another classic experiment, children were shown a film showing an adult acting aggressively by hitting a doll or shown an adult being kind to a doll. These same children later modeled the demonstrated behavior, whether aggressive or not. Such findings are reinforced by LeBon’s work on â€Å"crowd psychology† in which individuals and groups are influenced by others to model or imitate certain implicit behaviors. Implications on Health Well-Being Animals, depending on the species, have a number of unlearned, innate behavioral responses to certain stimuli. Examples such as sea turtles that ‘automatically’ head toward the sea upon birth on a sandy beach to dogs that seek the warmth and scent of their mothers while they cannot see after birth abound in literature. On the other hand, humans seem to come into the world as a blank slate to be written upon by life’s experiences. It is this aspect of humanity that makes learning play such a pivotal role in our development and beyond. Further, after even a short perusal of the various schools of thought, it becomes apparent that the human animal is complex enough to warrant the consideration and application of all perspectives. By doing so, it is possible not only achieve specific learning goals but also to achieve the avoidance of certain other issues that may occur from situations in which learning does not occur. One such example of this is the child who is raised with excessive punishments to shape behavior. According Skinner and other behaviorists, this can produce a ‘maladapted’ adult who has emotional issues. These emotional issues may manifest themselves in any manner of behaviors such as avoidance of others or difficulties in relationships to, at the extreme, sociopaths who ‘act out’ their frustrations upon others. From a cognitive perspective, much of the therapeutic approach of this school is in bringing the â€Å"cognitive errors† that a person commits to their conscious awareness. These â€Å"errors in thinking† occur when a person creates false assumptions or acts utilizing illogical conclusions in choosing their responses to stimuli. Extreme but common examples are those who express feelings of being a â€Å"total failure† and consider suicide. In most cases, such errors are much more subtle but just as insidious with regards to their ability to alter behavior. Clearly, learning plays not just a role in the development of humans but is an ongoing factor in the ‘success’ of daily living. Psychologists, human resource specialists, trainers and managers and supervisors of any business are vitally concerned about learning in the workplace. As the business world grows more sophisticated, new skills are needed. These new skills must be taught, learned and successfully applied for the mutual success of the individual and the enterprise. As such, lessons from all three perspectives are quite relevant. By utilizing key components of each perspective and theorist, one can gain a flexible paradigm by which there is greater understanding and application to additional circumstances. It is with this goal of greater applicability that a number of specific contributions are outlined below: Thorndike on Education Thorndike had much to say in regards to educational process and the efficacy of teaching methods and styles. This insight is relevant regardless of the age of the learner. Consider the situation the student faces. Consider the response the wish to connect with this situation. Form the bond. All else equal, from no bond that will have to be broken. All else equal, from as few bonds as possible. All else equal, form bonds in the way they are required to act later. Favor the situations and responses that naturally occur in life (Hergenhahn and Olson 2005, p. 72). The bond that Thorndike refers to is the previously mentioned neural bond that exists between the stimulus and the response. Though these recommendations contain a number of Thorndike’s behavioral precepts, a key ‘learning’ for typical occupational settings is the last advisement. Reminiscent of the idea that if one is going to train for a five-kilometer road race, it is at some point necessary to train by running reinforces the point that training for a specific task should, as much as possible for effective learning, resemble the task itself. Skinner on punishment Just as Thorndike â€Å"lectured† on educational process, the iconic behaviorist Skinner advises in regards to punishment. This topic is perhaps most salient to child-rearing, an occupation in which there exists considerable frustration that might be at least slightly abated by the application of a learning theory. From a behaviorist standpoint, â€Å"punishment† is the application of a negative or undesired stimulus in order to shape behavior. While commonly utilized, Skinner cautions that punishment: Causes unfortunate emotional byproducts Indicates what an organism should not do rather than what it should do. Justifies inflicting pain on others. Being in a situation where previously punished behavior could be engaged in without being punished may excuse a child to do so. Punishment inflicts aggression toward the punishing agent and others. Punishment often replaces one undesirable response with another (Hergenhahn and Olson 2005, pp. 92-94). Guthrie on breaking habits Also a behaviorist, Guthrie addressed the issue of â€Å"habits†. From a behavioral perspective, habits are simply a specific response to a large number of stimuli in which the greater the number of the stimuli, the greater the strength of the habit. As habits can be a significant annoyance and possibly quite maladaptive, insight into their extinguishment is valuable. According to Guthrie, the following four methods are useful and valid: Threshold Method – In this method, the technique of ‘warming up’ to an idea is utilized rather than the sudden presentation of the stimulus in order to attenuate the response. Fatigue – This method demonstrates the futility of a response to gain the desired results but simply letting a subject ‘wear themselves out’ when a stimulus is presented. Incompatible Response Method – This method relies upon the pairing of a stimulus which generates an unacceptable response with a stimulus in which the response is not compatible with the unacceptable response. Such action has the effect of lessening the ability of the former stimulus to evoke and undesirable response. Though this is a behavioral percept, it has the net effect of forcing the subject to cognitively â€Å"rethink† the pairing and its meaning. Sidetracking – This method is one in which a habit in not so much eliminated as simply avoided. By removing the stimulation, one can effectively sidetrack the response (Hergenhahn and Olson 2005, pp. 220-224). Wertheimer’s Facts versus Principles According to Wertheimer, the father of Gestalt psychology, real â€Å"learning† occurs not by the simple recitation of facts but rather by the understanding of underlying principles. As apt illustration of this idea is the following example: A school inspector who was impressed by the children he had observed but wanted to ask one more question before departing. â€Å"How many hairs does a horse have?† he asked. Much to the amazement of both the inspector and the teacher, a nine-year old boy raised his hand and answered, â€Å"3,571,962.† â€Å"How do you know that your answer is correct?† asked the inspector. If you do not believe me,† answered the boy, â€Å"count them yourself.† The inspector broke into laughter and vowed to tell the story to his colleagues when eh returned to Vienna. When the inspector returned the following year for his annual visit, the teacher asked him how his colleagues responded to the story. Disappointedly, the inspector said, â€Å"I wanted very much to tell the story but I couldn’t. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember how many hairs the boy said the horse had.† (Hergenhahn and Olson 2005, p. 281). Enough said. Piaget’s â€Å"Learning depends on failure† Though we generally judge the success of learning by achievement, the noted developmental psychologist Piaget suggests that perhaps this should be reconsidered to some extent. Specifically, Piaget indicated that learning occurs only when the dilemma of ‘not learning’ or a failure to learn is present. To elaborate, the inability or failure of previous learning to account for a given set of circumstances makes it possible for new situations to be assimilated and accommodated, thus providing the raw material for learning to occur. Important to this assimilation and accommodation, or learning process is the ability of the teacher to gradually challenge rather than overwhelm the individual ((Hergenhahn and Olson 2005, pp. 302-303). Bandura: Human Monkeys are Different†¦ In early behaviorist experiments, animal subjects did not â€Å"look† at other animals to learn adaptive strategies. While more recent experiments have indeed demonstrated this phenomena, is was the failure of these early experiments that led Bandura to postulate model learning. In this system, Bandura explained and predicted human behavior by such as means that the stimulus was simultaneously internal and external to the subject. This is, to some extent, a cognitive behavioral approach and aptly illustrates the importance of positive role models and the influence that others can have upon learning and behavior. Conclusion Human learning simply cannot be fully understood by the use of a single perspective. It is not that any one paradigm is incorrect but rather each is only a partial representation of the range and diversity of the human condition. By availing oneself of multiple perspectives, one becomes the beneficiary of significantly more vast knowledge by which life, through work-, school- or home-life can be improved through the application of numerous principles and precepts designed to foster adaptive responses to the stimulation life brings. Works Consulted Hergenhahn, B. and M. Olson. (2005). An Introduction to the Theories of Learning, 7th Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, US: Pearson Prentice-Hall. Le Bon, G. (1914). The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind. London: T.F. Unwin.

Uncle Toms Cabin Essay example -- Uncle Toms Cabin Essays

Uncle Tom's Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote this novel during the time of the debates that lead to the Civil War and near the time of the Compromise of 1850. The book provides a defiant protest against the social and political conditions of that era. The division between the northern industrial states and the southern agrarian states was very prominent and apparent. There was fierce competition between them. This lead to differing viewpoints about slavery. The competition helped the South justify it and gave the North reason to denounce it. Information like this is not provided by the author because her target audience at the time she wrote the story was living through these conflicts. To make up for this, I would suggest that before reading this work you have at least a minimal knowledge of the aspects of slavery and its geographical distribution in early America. Also, it is important to have basic understanding of the Christian faith and its two major kinds of believers at the time. There were those who believed that all were equal and that all had souls that were to be treated with compassion, and those who argued that God had created them superior to all blacks. Keep in mind that Mrs. Stowe was living through all of what is in her story. So while providing social, political, and religious commentary, she also spatters her work with racism and subtle bigotry that would not be found in most modern writing. Uncle Tom's Cabin is a novel about how trust in God can conque...

Fishing :: essays research papers

For those who are curious about fishing, but never seem to have any luck, here are a few simple guidelines to follow which will have you reeling them in in no time. Catching fish can be really easy to do if one has the correct equipment, location, weather, and presentation. First, when fishing, equipment is very important. It would not be prudent to bring knife to a gunfight, and fishing is just the same. When catching 500 lb. swordfish in saltwater it is important to not bring an ultra-light fly rod. The first step to having the correct equipment is identifying the species to be targeted. Let’s say the target is black bass. Then it id important to have a bait-casting reel with 15 to 20 lb. test line, and a heavy action rod with plenty of length for good hook set. Now I’m not saying it is impossible to catch a bass on lighter tackle, and there is probably fun to be had doing it as well. It is just that this is the most efficient way. Lures and or bait are also extremely important pieces of equipment when fishing. Some examples of lures for black bass would be spinners, jigs, plastic worms, top-water lures, and buzz baits. Bait for black bass fishing would be live minnows, crawfish, or worms, and some dead baits work too such as cut pieces of shad. Once all the equipment has been taken care of, the location is the next concern. Fishing in a puddle in the driveway will not be very productive. The location will depend on what kind of fish one wants to catch. Once a species has been determined, a location should be easy to find. Again let’s say the target is black bass. Several types of bass can be caught in fresh water creeks, lakes, rivers, and ponds up to certain latitudes. Any of these fresh water sources should hold bass if it has been stocked, if it has a tributary, or if it has been established for a number of years. It is important to make sure that the location you are fishing has the type of fish you are fishing for. Weather plays a key role in whether or not fish will be caught. Wind affects the distance and direction that the lure or bait can be cast. It is very difficult to cast with any accuracy in a high wind.

Evaluation of Telémakhos’ Actions Essay -- Aristotle Telemakhos Essays

Evaluation of Telà ©makhos’ Actions Authors and poets in ancient and modern literature laud the actions of heroes and condemn the actions of villains—judging which is laudable action comes from understanding the virtues. Our greatest stories are nothing if not conflict between antagonist and protagonist, a battle against that esteemed as good and that which is evil. In ancient literature, our understanding of virtuous action comes principally from Aristotle. The path of virtue is the middle ground, such that it â€Å"is an intermediate between excess and defect† (Aristotle 1220). Just as Aristotle gives a framework with which to judge virtuous action, so Dante presents a framework with which to punish actions deemed outside of virtue. In Dante’s Inferno we meet non-Christians, those not baptized, whom God punishes according to the severity of their sin. At the entrance to Hell, Dante reads an inscription above the gate that says, â€Å"Abandon every hope, you who enter here† (Dante 1416). He ll is a place of stasis—the dead found there can never leave. Drawing from Homer’s Odyssey, this essay explores the actions of Odysseus’ son Telà ©makhos. By applying Aristotle’s Nichomacean Ethics and incorporating Dante’s system of punishment, this essay evaluates Telà ©makhos’ actions and places him in his proper place in hell: submerged in a hot river of blood forever. In order to know what virtuous action is, one must carefully choose between too much and too little. Aristotle says, â€Å"It is possible to fail in many ways, while to succeed is possible only in one way† (Aristotle 1221). This teaching is the premise of Nichomacean Ethics; Aristotle teaches what modern readers know as â€Å"The Golden Mean†Ã¢â‚¬â€the understanding that moral virtue â€Å"is a mean bet... ... audience just as Virgil warns Dante of his own fate. In the opening lines of the Inferno Dante says, â€Å"In the middle of the journey of our life I came to my senses in a dark forest, for I had lost the straight path† (1408). This straight path is the way of virtue. The relevance of virtue is as applicable today as it was in the time of Homer, Aristotle, and Dante—and in a Dantean understanding of the world, failure to follow the mean carries with it the punishment of an eternity in Hell. Works Cited Aristotle. Nichomacean Ethics. Trans. W. D. Ross. Wilkie and Hurt 1220-1225. Dante, Alighieri. The Divine Comedy. Trans. H. R. Huse. Wilkie and Hurt 1398-1571. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. Wilkie and Hurt 273-594. Wilkie, Brian, and James Hurt, ed. Literature of the Western World Volume 1. 5th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 2001.

Information Governance

Information governance is generally the act of storing, protecting and integrating data acquired from different sources. Efficient maintenance of the stored health care data provides space for health institutions to create a friendly atmosphere with the patients, individualize treatments,improve communication levels and thus health outcomes. Electronic health records (EHR) technology, which records and stores patients' information electronically, helps the healthcare administrators to consolidate, centralize and securely get in touch with patients' data. This technology has become helpful in information governance system because it enhance a comprehensive knowledge about the patient and enables personalized interactions by integrating patients' data from all required sources. Health analysts play a key role in the data management system by providing insightful knowledge from patterns and correlations on healthcare data. From this, one can deduce a health problem that mainly affects a certain age group, hence elevate population health results through tracking present health trends and foresee upcoming ones. The incorporation of mobile health tools and patients' portals in the health data management systems has made it easier for the patients to interact with the healthcare personnel. The personal interaction between the physician and the patient has enhanced the privacy level, which every patient desires.Information about a physician derived from claims data enables a healthcare management system to deduce his or her behavior and decide on the physician's placement area. By understanding the physician's area of specialization in a certain department and assigning him to his specialty it will lead to increase in volume of the referral rates hence high revenue income.Physicians and healthcare management personnel ought to be very keen when collecting patients' data and marketing department need to focus on creating awareness on stabilizing data management systems. Knowledgeable and impactful business decisions based on the provided data will be attained due to the involvement of every party in the healthcare sector.

Economics and ethics Essay

Describe the tension that exists in businesses today between economics and ethics. Do you think that there really does have to be a tradeoff between economics and ethics? What strategies can be implemented to avoid this tension? Provide examples and research to support your thinking. The reading by Tima Bansal describes the back and forth tension of economics versus ethics. The article states, â€Å"On the one hand, social programs come at an economic cost and firms should not engage in activities that do not have a clear return. On the other hand, economic returns create social costs (Bansal, 2005).† The author then proceeds to explain that this tradeoff between ethics and economics isn’t necessary and that companies should find the overlapping space where activities are both financially profitable, and socially and environmentally responsible (Bansal, 2005) I agree with the author that companies need to be smart and make good decisions and it may take more effort, but if the effort is given the reward will be worth it. I don’t think a tradeoff is necessary if the effort is put forth like in the examples the author gives. By having cross-functional team meetings or involving the shareholders through community involvement in the two examples provided, the companies were able to meet the middle ground and maintain their responsibility (Bansal, 2005). I work for a small company and every month a charitable organization is supported through donations and the company matches what the employees contribute. I think it’s nice to have this involvement. With so many options, the company may have a tough time deciding on where it should contribute to society, but by letting the employees have a voice, they can openly affect those organizations that the employees feel would impact the most. Bansal, T. (2005). Building sustainable value through fiscal and social responsibility. Ivey Business Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/building-sustainable-value-through-fiscal-and-social-responsibility/ Final Project Milestone #2: The Three Spheres In a journal post titled 2-2: The Three Spheres, explain how your chosen company has demonstrated corporate citizenship in the economic, political, and civil spheres. Provide specific examples. Be sure to examine what the company says about itself, what you have experienced, and what other stakeholders have said or experienced. Cite at least two sources. This milestone will be graded using the Journal Rubric. Be sure to clearly address the questions in the prompt in your journal entry. The post should be at least 350-500 words, applying relevant research, citing at least two sources in each entry. Be as clear and scholarly as you can in your writing style; and of course, be sure your entry is free of errors in organization and grammar. Courtney Croce 2.2: The Three Spheres Target Corporation The three spheres of corporate social responsibility include economical, political, and civic. To achieve and maintain profitability, it’s said that corporations must learn to operate successfully within all three. Economics includes initiatives that help increase profits to the shareholders. Politics includes abiding by rules and laws and business power in society. Civil surrounds enhancing lives of the shareholders. Economically, Target has reduced it’s packaging on many levels of the items it sells. They also began using flexible envelopes in shipping online orders, which reduced packaging by 89 percent. As a result they expect to ship 50000 fewer pounds of cardboard every year. Other than offering lower prices Target wants its products to be made with integrity by qualified vendors who treat workers well, who obey the law, and whose processes minimize their effect on the environment. They’ve begun to do this by working closely with their vendors and setting clear expectations through Standards of Vendor Engagement. They require all vendors to behave to the principles they’ve established and they monitor their progress. Target starts with the basics from the political standpoint, which is ensuring they are abiding by every law and regulation that pertains to the business. They also expect all team members to behave with personal and professional integrity. To support their team members they clearly list the requirements in the Business Conduct Guide, they have a dedicated Corporate Compliance and Ethics Team, have teams focused on building and sustaining business compliance programs and offer integrity training. All of these initiatives help ensure that everyone at Target is abiding by the laws and regulations. Target’s civil responsibility is currently focusing on education. They have set a goal to $1 billion to education by the end of 2015. They have started doing several things like donating books, and providing food pantries for families to help set students, parents, and teachers up for success. They’ve decided to focus on education after gathering information from their customers indicating that that is a popular concern amongst. The EVP also expressed concerns about the reading level and that those who are unable to read by the age of three are less likely to graduate. https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility/education https://corporate.target.com/_media/TargetCorp/csr/pdf/2013-corporate-responsibility-report.pdf