Thursday, October 31, 2019
Session Long Project 1 - WalMart - SHRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Session Long Project 1 - WalMart - SHRM - Essay Example From the essay it is clear that the HRM team of the company does not contribute to the overall strategic growth of the company. It is important to note that although there is a strong strategy that the company adopts in terms of the recruitment process, there is little or no proper management post the recruitment. The company clearly uses SHRM; however the main elements of SHRM are not taken into account here. The lack of care and attention to the employee needs and development of the strategies based on these, leads the company’s overall employee attrition rate to be high. This clearly also impacts the business decisions and strategic planning.This discussion stresses that an excellent example which has been made public about the organization is that of the articles which show that the company pays employees a salary which is way below the poverty line and employees have confessed that they cannot live out of the pay received from WalMart alone. The average hours worked by em ployees is around 40 hours a week. However the pay received is very low and for some of the employees it is just enough to live out of a Dodge truck. Also, in terms of personal experience, a friend of mine worked for the company and she was forced to work almost twelve hour days, with no extra compensation, or even any other form of benefits. Over the past years the company has been able to gain the position of the world’s largest retail company and is thrice as big as its closest competitor.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Post Partum Depression Essay Example for Free
Post Partum Depression Essay ABSTRACT                Every woman who becomes a mother has their own reasons of being happy after giving birth to a child. The first days of a child in their arms seems to be the greatest gift that they have ever received in their entire lives. However, things at times turn out uneasily different as the view of the mother to her new born child and at times even towards her husband changes. At some point, she treats the people visiting her in a wrong manner. Being overly anxious about things and extremely depressed in either the morning or the evening becomes her usual reaction to the things happening around her. Is she going crazy? No, she is simply experiencing Post Partum Depression. It is a matter of situation by which a new mother’s hormones are unstable that her emotions are controlled by the changes that her body undergoes after giving birth to her child. This is the main issue that shall be tackled within the paper that follows.                How does one understand what Post Partum Depression really is? How is it supposed to be dealt with by the mother and by other people living around her? Is it a serious problem that needs medical treatment? How will the family members know when to ask for professional help? TO the women experiencing this particular matter of situation, how would they be able to overcome it? These are only among the few questions that shall be addressed in the paper that shall be presented herein. Through the discussions that shall be noted in this paper, the importance of addressing the matter shall be noted clearly as to how the procedures of dealing with the issue could be practically applied in actual situations. POST PARTUM DEPRESSION: Dealing With the Ups and Downs of New Motherhood Introduction            The wonder of giving birth is something that is considered as a given gift solely to the feminine gender of the human population. However, the after effects of this particular wonder also belong solely to the women. What is it that makes giving birth a highly depressive matter for some women? This is where the issue of Post Partum Depression comes into light. Undeniably, the process of dealing with this issue is something that needs careful attention not only be the women involved in the situation but also by the people living around them. The term â€Å"postpartum depression†refers to depressive episodes following childbirth. These can occur after the birth of any child, not just the first. Depressive episodes can even follow a miscarriage or termination of a pregnancy. According to the Office on Women’s Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there is a wide range in the severity of the symptoms. Many women experience postpartum blues, or baby blues, characterized by mild sadness, anxiety, irritability, fluctuating moods, and fatigue. These blues are considered normal and are short-lived, resolving themselves without medical help within about ten days after childbirth. However, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that in 1 out of 10 new mothers, these feelings escalate and go beyond the first few days. They can even appear several months after the birth. This may be full-fledged postpartum depression, in which the feelings of sadness, anxiety, or despair are so intense that the new mother has trouble coping with her daily tasks. Additionally, between 1 and 3 new mothers in every 1,000 suffer from an even more severe form of depression called postpartum psychosis, in which the mother has delusions or hallucinations that often focus on hurting herself or her baby. This latter condition requires immediate medical attention. There is no single clearly defined cause of postpartum depression. Both physical and emotional factors seem to be involved. One physical factor may be that in the first 24 to 48 hours after delivery, estrogen and progesterone levels drop sharply, to a point lower than before conception, creating an abrupt change in the physiological state of the body. This may trigger depression in much the same way as mood swings and tension are triggered before menstrual periods. The level of hormones produced by the thyroid may also drop after childbirth. This could result in symptoms that mimic depression. For these reasons researchers are calling PPD a â€Å"biochemical and hormonal disorder.†Interestingly, one medical newsletter suggests that postpartum depression may be caused by a nutritional imbalance, perhaps a B-complex deficiency. Fatigue and lack of sleep can also play a role. Says Dr. Steven I. Altchuler, a psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, U.S.A.: â€Å"In the period shortly after childbirth, lack of energy and an inability to sleep may make minor problems seem much more major. Some women might be frustrated to find that they have difficulty coping with things that they had handled well before delivery, without the baby blues, and with a full night’s sleep.†Emotional factors such as an unplanned pregnancy, a premature birth, loss of freedom, concern about attractiveness and lack of support can also add to depression. Additionally, there are several common myths about being a mother that can contribute to a woman’s feeling depressed and feeling that she is a failure. These include the idea that motherhood skills are instinctive, that bonding should be immediate, that the baby will be perfect and never fussy, and that the new mother should be perfect. In real life this is not the case. Mothering skills need to be learned, bonding often takes time, some babies are easier to care for than others, and no mother is perfect or a super mom. Obviously from this particular overview of the situation, post partum depression stands as a common thing that is experienced by women who have given birth to young infants. As common as it is, the situation is indeed something that could be dealt with conscientiously. Through the process of understanding the situation towards the process of making amends with the person dealing with the dilemma, the problem with Post Partum Depression could be won. Methodology and Result Presentation            To understand how women affected by Post partum Depression react towards the problem, the researcher of this paper decided to interview at least 20 women who have just given birth with at least three days from the actual delivery of their babies. This interview-survey has been delivered by the researcher to finally give a lighter view of the dilemma that women deal with after giving birth to their infants.            The interviewees consisted of both first time mothers and experienced mothers alike so as to set the matter of differences and similarities between the cases that needs concern in the issue of dealing with PPD [Post Partum Depression]. Until recently, postpartum depression was often not taken seriously. Dr. Laurence Kruckman points out: â€Å"Women’s mental health issues have been overlooked and labeled in the past as hysteria, not worthy of concern. The American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual (DSM IV) has never fully acknowledged the presence of postpartum illness, and as a result, doctors have not been educated about it nor has reliable data been obtained. . . . And unlike 30 years ago, mothers often go home from the hospital within 24 hours. Most postpartum psychoses, blues and some depression occur within three to 14 days following birth. So the mothers are already at home and not screened by professionals who know the symptoms.†However, according to Dr. Carol E. Watkins of the Northern County Psychiatric Associates in Baltimore, Maryland, if left undiagnosed or untreated, postpartum depression can lead to long-term depression and difficulty in bonding with the baby. Depressed mothers may passively ignore their baby’s needs or, conversely, lose control and use physical punishment to discipline their infants. This can negatively affect the cognitive and emotional development of the child. For example, an article in the journal American Family Physician suggests that young children of depressed mothers perform more poorly on cognitive tests than those of mothers who were not depressed. Additionally, postpartum depression can adversely affect the other children and the husband.            Furthermore the results of the interview-survey used in this research yielded the following diagrammatic presentations. To understand the issue clearly, the illustrations are to be presented as follows: The Elements of POST PARTUM DEPRESSION: DIAGRAM 1:            Explanation: From the diagram noted herein, it is noticeable enough that the women involved with Post Partum Depression deal with different anxieties causing the situation to worsen. Being overly anxious about not being cared about and being less treated well by the other members of the family because of the arrival of the new infant is indeed a matter of elemental factor that brings a greater pressure on the mother experiencing PDD.            This is the major reason why dealing with the issue involves not only the woman or her husband alone but also the other members of the family as well. The following points are considered to be among the most effective procedures of dealing with the dilemma according to the studies that had been made under the topic of Post Partum Depression. The said points of consideration are as follows: Talk to someone about your feelings, particularly other mothers. Ask others to help you with child care, household chores, and errands. Ask your husband to share in nighttime feeding duties and household chores. Find time to do something positive for yourself, even if it is for only 15 minutes a day. Try reading, taking a walk, taking a relaxing bath. Even if you can get only one thing done in any given day, this is a step in the right direction. There may be days when you cannot get anything done. Try not to be angry with yourself when this happens.  Isolation often perpetuates depression. Get dressed, and leave the house for at least a short while each day. Fresh air and a change of scenery will do you and your baby a lot of good. These particular patterns of dealing with the situation needs to be carefully understood by the person themselves. This means that the adjustment must come from the mother herself. What can be done? Do you just have to tough it out? It is comforting to know that postpartum depression has been found to be both temporary and treatable. While rest and family support may be all that is needed for mild symptoms, the key sign that medical attention is necessary is if the depression disrupts your ability to function, says the Office on Women’s Health. Common treatments are antidepressant medication, talking with a mental-health expert, hormone treatment, or a combination of these, depending upon the severity of the case. Kangaroo, or skin-to-skin, care of the baby may also lessen maternal depression. There are also such alternative treatments as herbs, acupuncture, and homeopathic remedies. However, there are some things that you can do personally to cope. These include eating a nutritious diet (including fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain cereals); avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and sugar; exercising in moderation; and taking a nap when your baby is asleep. Since a major factor in postpartum depression is lack of proper rest, other people can help by assuming some of the household chores and sharing in child care. Studies show that far less postpartum depression occurs where the extended family rallies around to provide support and instruction. Many times a person can be of great assistance by just being a sympathetic listener, giving the new mother reassurance, and avoiding criticizing or judging. Remember, PPD is a physical disorder and is not self-induced. As the organization Postpartum Education for Parents points out, â€Å"a woman cannot ‘pull herself together’ any more than she could if she had the flu, diabetes, or heart disease.†From the foregoing, it can be seen that although the postpartum period can be a wonderful time for new mothers, it can also be stressful. Understanding it can help us to give the support new mothers need. The Use of Hoe Massage Therapy            Every massage therapy is supposed to make close amends with the situation of the persons being affected by post partum depression. A touch therapy such as that of massage could play a great help for those suffering from the dilemma. Undoubtedly, the Hoe massage therapy which is a Japanese originated massage procedure is sure to make a sufferer of post partum depression feel relaxed as it rejuvenates the being of a person through natural scents and aroma therapy altogether. The holistic process of massaging the body would make the patient feel relived and rejuvenated to face another day of turmoil.            In short, the hoe massage is an undoubted process that is now being applied to most patients undergoing the effects of Post Partum Depression. Such patients who have experienced this massage have given considerable reactions that they were certainly given the best approach of healing that they could ever imagine through the Hoe Massage Therapy applied on them for several weeks and even months. They even said that when they feel stressful, even when the postpartum dilemma is over, they resort to how massage therapy just the same to calm things down and bring their spirit to a renewed state. Conclusion            Understanding Post Partum Depression is a vital part in dealing with the dilemma that new mothers mostly deal with. The after birth depression among new mothers, both first time and non-first-timers have naturally brought problems to new families. Not understanding the situation underlying this particular matter would make things certainly confusing as the mother would naturally require the same level of attention that is further given by the father or other members of the family to the newly born infant. Scheduling activities and providing further assistance with that of the relaxing time of the mother should be given close attention by the family members.            Understandably, Post Partum Depression is a matter of situation that could be dealt with through the application of full control of the situation with ample patience and understanding from the people involved. Constant understanding of the situation with the application of the necessary measures needed to treat the dilemma should be well viewed so as to bring fine results to the mother of the child and the other family members as well. Through this, the development of the dilemma could be expected to yield fine results on the part of the woman or the mother overcoming the dilemma brought about bu Post Partum Depression. References: Appleby, Louis, Rachel Warner, Brian Faragher, and Anna Whitton. A Controlled Study of Fluoxetine and Cognitive-Behavioural Counseling in the Treatment of Postnatal Depression. British Medical Journal. 314.n7085. 932-937  Appleby, Louis, Rachel Warner, Brian Faragher, and Anna Whitton. A Controlled Study of Fluoxetine and Cognitive-Behavioural Counseling in the Treatment of Postnatal Depression. British Medical Journal. 314.n7085. 932-937 Appleby, Louis, Rachel Warner, Brian Faragher, and Anna Whitton. A Controlled Study of Fluoxetine and Cognitive-Behavioural Counseling in the Treatment of Postnatal Depression. British Medical Journal. 314.n7085. 932-937 Fray, Kathy: Oh BabyBirth, Babies Motherhood Uncensored, pages 364-381, Random House NZ, 2005
Saturday, October 26, 2019
History of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
History of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) 2.1 Introduction to the Chapter This chapter provides a selection of literature relevant to the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). It starts with a brief history of CSR, it provides some definitions and it moves further to examine aspects like the Layers of CSR, the relation between CSR and Business Ethics and the Drivers of CSR. Some benefits and criticism over the concept are discussed and the strong relation between CSR and the companys Stakeholders is examined. The chapter continues with the Areas and the Activities of CSR and the Levels that influencing the adoption of CSR are analysed. Finally, some Global CSR tools as the United Nations Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative are presented. 2.2 The History of CSR through the Centuries The Business Relations, Accountability, Sustainability and Society Centre, known as BRASS, in its report History of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability (2007), states that The history of social and environmental concern about business is as old as trade and business itself. Commercial logging operations for example, together with laws to protect forests, can both be traced back almost 5,000 years. In Ancient Mesopotamia around 1700 BC, King Hammurabi introduced a code in which builders, innkeepers or farmers were put to death if their negligence caused the deaths of others, or major inconvenience to local citizens. In Ancient Rome senators grumbled about the failure of businesses to contribute sufficient taxes to fund their military campaigns, while in 1622 disgruntled shareholders in the Dutch East India Company started issuing pamphlets complaining about management secrecy and self-enrichment . Moving further, Eberstadt (1977) claims in his study that phenomena of social responsibility were already presented in the ancient Greece, while todays corporate responsibility movement is an attempt to restore a 2,000-year-old tradition of businesses being connected to the community (cited in Panwar, Rinne, Hansen Juslin, 2006). In the 18th century the businesses started to anticipate that having an efficient labour force was essential for the successful delivery of their activities. During that period Adam Smith, the great moral philosopher and pioneer in economics, present for the first time the traditional or classical economic model. The model suggested that the needs and the interests of the public would best be met if the individuals act in self-interest manner. Driven by their own self-interests, the individuals would produce and deliver goods and services which would earn them profit, but also meet the needs of the others (Fernando, 2009). According to Brown (2005), the companies in order to keep their employees satisfied, because of the negative effects that the lack of food, housing and healthcare had in the labour force efficiency, they started to invest in housing, healthcare and nourishment. Thus, the worker villages of the industrial revolution, company medical facilities and the subsidized wor ks canteen appeared. That action of social philanthropy by the companies can be considered as the forerunner of the modern day CSR. Sims (2003) claims that the contemporary CSR originated back to the beginning of the 20th century and is based upon two principles. The first, the principle of charity, is based on religious tradition and suggests that those who are well financially should give to those with difficulties. The second one, the principle of stewardship, says that the organisations have an obligation to serve the society and satisfy the publics needs since their wealth and the power that they have springs through their activities within the society. This second principle had an impact on affected how companies were faced by governments, press and other groups and led to the conduction of new more socially responsible laws. The turn of the businesses to the society and the development of a more societal thinking led the organisations to increase their responsibility and consideration for both social and environmental well-being. This response to environmental and social matters by the corporations is what it is known today as Corporate Social Responsibility (Panwar et al., 2006). 2.3 Definitions of Corporate Social Responsibility The rise of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility during the past decades resulted to the continuous debate about the exact meaning of the term. The only generally accepted view about the term CSR is that is a concept which covers several aspects. Frankental (2001), comments that CSR is a vague and intangible term which can mean anything to anybody, and therefore is effectively without meaning. Castka, Bamber, Bamber and Sharp (2004) argue that there is no single authoritative definition of CSR. The CSR concept seems to be a loosely defined umbrella embracing a vast number of concepts traditionally framed as environmental concerns, sustainable development public relations, corporate philanthropy, human resource management and community relations. During the examination of various literatures it can be seen that there is not a single generally accepted definition, although many authors and worldwide institutions defined the term CSR in similar ways. The first academically accepted definition of CSR can be found in the book Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, written by Howard Bowen in 1953. Bowen defines CSR as an obligation to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action that are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society (cited in Panwar et al., 2006). Carroll (2004) argues that the social responsibility of businesses encompasses the economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary (philanthropic) expectations that society has of organizations at a given point in time, while Buhmann (2006) simply defines CSR as doing more than what is required by law. Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2005), define CSR as the ways in which an organisation exceeds its minimum obligations to stakeholders specified through regulation. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) defines CSR as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large (cited in Castka et al., 2004). Finally, the internationally known law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in the report The Development and Impact of CSR on the Construction Industry (2006), defines CSR as the voluntary integration of environmental, social and human rights considerations into business operations, over and above legal requirements and contractual obligations. To conclude, it can be clearly seen that the base line of the above definitions is the volunteering obligation that the organisations must have over their employees and their families, the environment and the general public which sometimes may go further their legal requirements. 2.4 Layers of Corporate Social Responsibility According to Sachs, Ruhli, and Mittnacht (2005) the probably best known economic paradigm that prepare the ground for further research on the concept of CSR is the Carroll Pyramid (Figure 1). FIGURE 1 Carroll (1991) suggests that there are four kind of social responsibilities that an organisation should take into account while conducting its activities and those responsibilities constitute total CSR. Those four social responsibilities of an organisation were presented into a four-layered pyramid model, called The Pyramid of Responsibilities. The four layers of responsibilities are economical, legal, ethical and philanthropic. The bottom layer and the foundation of the pyramid is the Economic Responsibilities. The business must be profitable in order to keep its shareholders satisfied, produce goods and services necessary to the consumers and be able to create new jobs and promote innovation. The second layer of responsibilities is the legal and is all about following the law. The businesses should not only be profit driven but at the same time they must respect the laws and regulations produced by government and it is expected that the businesses would keep their economic activities inside the framework of the law and pay by the rules of the game. The ethical responsibilities are related to fairness and morality. The peoples rights and beliefs must be respected, any kind of harm, physical or social, must be avoided and any harm caused by others must be prevented. The last layer is the philanthropic responsibilities which urge the businesses to be good corporate citizens. The businesses through their activities must contribute resources to the community and most importantly must be able to help to improvement of the quality of life. Carroll placed the four layers of responsibility in a pyramid in order to show the strong connection between the four kinds of responsibilities. If a kind of responsibility in the pyramid model is absent then the ones above cannot be achieved. Lantos (2001) characterises the Carrolls pyramid model of CSR as altruistic or humanitarian and argued that the firm will be good to use it as marketing too in order to promote its image. Following this view Lantos (2001) proposes a new model of responsibilities by reclassifying Carrolls pyramid from four to three layers. The first layer of Lantos model is the Ethical CSR and includes economic, legal and ethical responsibilities as one group. The second layer is the Altruistic CSR which is equal to Carrolls philanthropic layer and suggests that businesses must contribute to the community even if a part of the profits must be sacrificed. The last layer of Lantos model is the Strategic CSR where businesses are fulfilling their philanthropic responsibilities not only because of generosity but also because they expect financial returns from the positive publicity. 2.5 Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility are two close related concepts but they are not identical. As it can be seen Business Ethics play a very important role in Carrolls Pyramid of responsibilities as Ethics Responsibilities are placed in the second highest layer. Both concepts refer to values, goals and decision making based on something more than just making a profit (Mullerat, 2010). In general terms the bottom line of ethics is individually doing the right thing while avoid evil and harmful actions for you and the others in your activities. On the other hand CSR is more about the obligations that an organisation must have over its stakeholders than just its shareholders. A socially responsible organisation must act ethically (Mullerat, 2010). Phatak, Bhagat and Kashlak (2005) define Business Ethics as the moral thinking and analysis by corporate decision-makers and other members regarding the motives and consequences of their decisions and actions. Furthermore, Ferrell and Fraedrich (1998) add that business ethics compromises moral principles and standards that guide behaviour in the world of business. The concept of Business Ethics is vital for every self-respected organisation and this is why many companies today develop codes of ethics and make commitments about their ethical behaviour to the public (Fisher, 2003). According to Seitel (2001), the organisations develop ethics codes in order to: Increase public confidence: Due to various scandals, mainly concerning corruption and briberies inside organisations, the publics trust for businesses has been declined. Thus, companies have decided to adopt the ethics code in order to improve their image. Stem the tight of regulation: Due to the declining trust and confidence of the public for businesses, the governments increased their legislations and regulations in order to reverse the situation. The companies adopted the ethics codes in order to show that they have ethical behaviour and can be trusted. Improve internal regulations: Due to the increase of the size of organisations and the development of multinational operations it is essential that some codes of conduct must be created in order to have the same behaviour standards among the employees. Business ethics depend on two main factors, culture and time (Svensson and Wood, 2003). The business environment culture is influenced by traditions, religion, ethical values and individuals and can be defined as what is accepted and what is unaccepted. The companys success can be affected if different opinions, that is to say different cultures, cannot be adopted satisfactory by the organisation. Additionally, what is accepted and what is unaccepted can be affected by the business time element. The business world is a fast changing environment and what is considered ethical today it can turn out to be unethical tomorrow. As it can be seen the success or the failure of a business is closely connected with ethics and that is why Business Ethics must be used as a corporate philosophy rather than a corporate code in every organisation. To conclude, Johnson et al. (2005) argue that the societys expectations, which have major influence on companies and organisations, are based on three levels of Business Ethics. The macro level is the first one and is related to the ethical posture of the company. Simply, the macro level is related to the extent in which the organisations are willing to do more than their legal requirements in order to satisfy their stakeholders. The second one is a part of the macro level and is the Corporate Social Responsibility level. This level is concerned the ability of organisations to surpass the minimum requirements needed in order to maintain the organisations ethical stance. The individual or managerial level is the last level of Business Ethics. This is a very important level since is connected with the behaviour and actions of individuals inside the organisation. 2.6 Drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility The current momentum behind Corporate Social Responsibility is being built based on a variety of very important factors. Ernst and Young (2002) mention that there are five key drivers which encourage the increasing business focus on CSR. These are: (1) greater stakeholder awareness of corporate ethical, social and environmental behaviour, (2) direct stakeholder pressures, (3) investor pressure, (4) peer pressure and (5) an increased sense of social responsibility (cited in Jones, Comfort and Hillier, 2006). Panwar et al. (2006), argue that there are diverse motivations that lead to the adoption of CSR by the organisations. For example a business is adopting CSR in order to meet mandatory legal requirements aimed at controlling destructive business practices while another business is using CSR in order to increase its productivity and improve its financial performance. It is also suggested that a company by using CSR in its practises can improve functional areas such as market positioning and risk management. According to Wood (1991), the concept of CSR is being driven by three major principles. Firstly, businesses are obliged to use their power responsibly since they are above all social institutions. Secondly, the responsibility for the outcomes of the involvement with the public is upon businesses. Lastly, discretion must be exercised in decision making processes by the individual managers who are also moral agents. Andriof and McIntosh (2001) believe that the driving force behind the concept of CSR is the consumers and employees. These two categories are holding the power in the market system nowadays. Consumers and employees are now well informed about the several challenges the world has to face and they do not really believe that the governments can change things. They accept that corporations are the most powerful social institutions of the present era and most importantly they are willing to reward those corporations who are responsive to their concerns. Finally, Girod and Bryane (2003) use a strategic marketing view arguing that CSR is a key tool to create, develop and sustain differentiated brand names. Furthermore, the Commission of the European Communities (2002) argues that the organisations in order to better respond to the fundamental changes in the overall business environment they adopted CSR and used it as an important element in new and emerging forms of governance. These changes include globalisation and the responsibilities companies feel the need to address, as they increasingly source products and services in developing countries; the issues of image and reputation, which have become increasingly important elements in corporate success; and the need for companies to recruit and retain highly skilled personnel (cited in Jones, et al., 2006). 2.7 Benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility Many organisations are using nowadays CSR as a marketing tool due to the fact that the implementation of CSR practices can bring to the organisation a wide range of potential benefits, both direct and indirect. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has said that implementing a CSR policy, can bring real business benefits by reducing risk, by enhancing brand value, by opening doors and creating good will, and by improving staff efficiency and morale. It can also attract stable and ethical investment and add competitive edge (Chartered Institute of Building, Report) According to Mackey, Mackey Barney (2005) in the case that a company surpasses the minimum CSR requirements then the potential benefits can lead to a positive effect to the companys performance and value. Gildea (1994) and Zaman et al. (1991), stress out that research has shown that companies that care for the environment and exhibit good CSR practices experience increased consumer purchase preference in addition to increased investment appeal (cited in Panwar et al., 2006). Many consumers prefer to buy for ethical business. A survey conducted by Cone Inc. (2004) showed that 91% of the consumers have a more positive image of a product or a company when it supports a cause. The 90% of the consumers would consider switching to another companys product or services if they found out about a companys any unlawful or unethical practises. In addition, Muckiewicz (1993) supports that the reputation of an organisation plays a vital role as research studies show that 9 out of 10 consumers use it in order to decide which product or service they will buy from those that are similar in price and quality. According to Bernstein (2004), CSR benefits both the company and the community. Due to use of CSR the corporate culture and corporate name of the company can be improved significantly thus the best employees can be attracted and the motivation of the workforce will remain in high levels. The society benefits from CSR practices as well through a variety of services and action, though the company has to create some sort of societal benefit in order to be called socially responsible. Some of the potential benefits that a business can have from the use of CSR practices can include improved financial performance and profitability; reduced operating costs; long-term sustainability for companies and their employees; increased staff commitment and involvement; enhanced capacity to innovate; good relations with government and communities; better risk and crisis management; enhanced reputation and brand value; and the development of closer links with customers and greater awareness of their needs (cited in Jones et al., 2006) . Table 1 presents a summary of business benefits of CSR. TABLE 1 Concluding, it must be noted that the benefits from the adoption of CSR practises can never be predicted or be constant since each company operates in a different and always changing environment. Barnett (2007) adds that this unpredictability could lead to limited support for CSR initiatives from the board, in times of financial instability. Thus, the business case supporting CSR has to be specific for every company and based on Rowley and Berman (2000) CSR achievements of an organisation cannot be collated against some standards, since those does not exist. Furthermore, McWilliams and Siegel (2001) point out that the potential existence of those standards would allow CSR to be considered as part of the investment decisions, as the company would be able to make judgements for its business case in a more formal way. 2.8 Criticism against Corporate Social Responsibility The concept of CSR, as it can be seen from the various definitions presented on previous paragraphs, is based upon the principle that businesses do have another responsibility than just making profits. Every organisation has a responsibility towards the society, its people and the environment as well. At the same time, many are those who are opposed the idea of integrating CSR practices into their corporations and they believe that shareholders interest can be conflicted by operating a good business. Dr Milton Friedmann (1970), a renowned economist, in his article The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits affirms that there is one and only one social responsibility of business is to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud. According to his economic model the organisation is an economic institution which should only focus in the economic scope. Organisations are seen purely as legal entities incapable of value decisions. A manager who uses a firms resources for non-profit social purposes is thought to be diverting economic efficiency and levying an illegal tax on the organisation (Balabanis, Phillips and Lyall, 1998). Following this view Dr Robert Barrington (2008) states that the managers are concentrated on soft issues rather than hard issues of the bottom line and this is something that is costing money to the shareholders. Moving further Frankental (2001), conclude that CSR is simply a public relations invention and it will remain like this. He believes that CSR can only have real substance if it embraces all the stakeholders of a company, if it is reinforced by changes in company law relating to governance, if it is rewarded by financial markets, if its definition relates to the goals of social and ecological sustainability, if its implementation is benchmarked and audited, if it is open to public scrutiny, if the compliance mechanisms are in place, and if it is embedded across the organisation horizontally and vertically. Henderson (2001) after the examination of various issues related to the concept of CSR comments that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the current widely-held doctrine of CSR is deeply flawed. It rests on a mistaken view of issues and events, and its general adoption by businesses would reduce welfare and undermine the market economy. In the same motion Moir (2001) suggests that those who adopt the neoclassical model of business would follow the view that the only social responsibilities that a corporation can have are to provide employment, pay taxes and mainly to maximise its profits; therefore, maximise its shareholders value. On the other extreme of the arguments above, Dave Packard, the co-founder of Hewlett Packard Company once said I think many people assume, wrongly, that a company exists simply to make money. While this is an important result of a companys existence, we have to go deeper and find the real reasons for our beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. We inevitably come to the conclusion that a group of people get together and exist as an institution that we call a company so that they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately they make a contribution to society (cited in Handy, 2002). Concluding, Freeman (1984) argues that a corporation is wrong to be seen just as a private economic institution, as it was suggested by Friedman (1970), but it has to be also seen as a social institution. This way, corporations would be responsible for any of their actions against the people, the community and the environment. Based on his Stakeholder Theory, companies operations should not be based on the interests of their shareholders but they have to be based on the interested of their stakeholders. 2.9 Corporate Social Responsibility and Stakeholders The definition given about the concept of CSR from Johnson et al. (2005) includes the words obligations to stakeholders, which indicates that stakeholders have an important role to play in this extent. Freeman (1984), the father of the Stakeholder Theory of the firm, defines stakeholders as any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organizations objectives. The Stakeholder Theory of the firm is used as a basis to analyse those groups to whom the firm should be responsible (Moir, 2001). The identification of the different stakeholder groups of the organisation is extremely important during the implementation of CSR practices. Usually the stakeholder groups are separated into primary and secondary stakeholders. According to Clarkson (1995) a primary stakeholder group is one without whose continuing participation the corporation cannot survive as a going concern, while a secondary stakeholder group is those who influence or affect, or are influenced or affected by the corporation, but they are not engaged in transactions with the corporation and are not essential for its survival. Based on those definitions a primary stakeholder group contains shareholders and investors, employees, customers, suppliers, governments and communities. The secondary stakeholder group includes the media and a wide range of special interest groups (Clarkson, 1995). According to Freemans (1984) definition of stakeholders the relation between the company and its stakeholders can be described as two-way. Castka et al. (2006) support the view that the implementation of CSR is all about the right choices and strategic decisions and comment that the dilemmas that an organisations stakeholders can have are which choices and decision must choose in order to satisfy. Berman, Wicks, Kotha and Jones (1999), in order to find a solution for those dilemmas, derived two distinct stakeholder management approaches; the instrumental and the normative approach. The first, instrumental approach, suggests that concern for stakeholders is motivated by the perception that financial performance can be improved. The second, intrinsic stakeholder commitment approach, assumes that organisations have a normative (moral) commitment to advance stakeholders interests (Castka et al. 2006). The instrumental approach was the one empirically supported in Berman et al. (1999) res earch while Harrison and Freeman (1999) mention that the conduction of more research is essential in order to clarify the model of the normative approach. Although further research is required it can be clearly anticipated, through the examination of various literature, that the instrumental approach is the most desirable among researchers. McWilliams and Siegel (2001) suggest that corporations need to carefully consider in which aspects of the CSR to invest in and they comment that by using cost-benefit analysis the managers can ideally determine the level of CSR. Additionally, Agle, Mitchell and Sonnenfeld (1999) argue that the decision to make a CSR investment is driven by the needs of the most powerful stakeholders within the organisation, such as top management staff and is usually connected with their desire to gain more profits and increase the shareholders value. Finally Castka et al (2004) believe that the purpose of CSR is an investment and it must be considered and treated like one. Moving further they suggest that the balance between the need for maximizing profit from CSR and the demand for CSR from multiple stakeholders is the key to a core return on investment in CSR (Figure 2). In order to achieve this balance stakeholders expectations should be assessed and examined through dialogues and must be translated and included into the companys strategy plan. FIGURE 2 2.10 Areas of Corporate Social Responsibility Andriof and McIntosh (2001) write that CSR is not chequebook philanthropy, nor a study based on business ethics. They argue that the concept of CSR can be described as a vision that corporate leaders have for their business which is beyond of just making profits. CSR has an impact on every activity of the company and can affect areas either inside or outside the company. According to Andriof and McIntosh (2001) the four distinct areas that CSR encompasses are: The Community The Environment The Marketplace The Workplace By operating within these four areas companies can conduct specific programmes and make the difference and can actively monitor, evaluate and change their effects of their activities. The implementation of CSR and the thinking behind becoming involved in these areas represents the new way of doing business. 2.11 Activities of Corporate Social Responsibility The concept of CSR can be divided into many and diverse domains. Sen and Bhattacharya (2001) provide six broad domains of CSR activities, based on a comprehensive summarisation of CSR domains contained in Socrates: The Corporate Social Ratings Monitor (Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini Co. Inc. 1999), a database that describes and rates more than 600 companies in terms of their CSR records. These domains of CSR activities are: Community Support: The company provides support to the community with the use of health and educational and housing programs for financially disadvantaged. The generous and innovative giving is promoted Diversity: The company provides initiatives for sex, race, family, sexual orientation and disability diversity Employee Support: The company promotes health and safety, ensures job security and profit sharing, develops relations with the labour unions and allows employees involvement. Environment: The company avoids the use of hazardous waste management techniques, uses and produces environmental friendly products, develops pollution control and recycling techniques. Non-domestic Operations: The company prevents operations in countries where human right violations occur or unhealthy labour practices take place. Product: The company produces safe products and promotes research and development and innovation. Following the same line Johnson et al (2005) present a checklist of the organisations responsibilities. Those responsibilities are divided into two categories, the internal and the external aspects of CSR, based on the areas that the organisations activities can affect. Internal aspects of the companys activities can include employee welfare, working conditions, job design and intellectual property. External aspects of activities can include environmental issues, products, markets and marketing, suppliers, employment, community activity and human rights. 2.12 Levels influencing the firms Corporate Social Responsibility strategy Based on the literature it can be seen that there are some important levels which can play a crucial role in the adoption of a CSR strategy from the firm. These levels can be grouped into four different categories which are the region where the company operates, the nation, the industry and the company itself. According to Aguilera, Rupp, Williams and Ganapathi (2005) the four levels are strongly connected as a firms commitment to CSR can be influenced by micro (individual), meso (organisati
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Urine Therapy :: Health Medicine Papers
Urine Therapy At the end of the winter of 1996, something historic occurred. During that February in India, the First World Conference on Urine Therapy took place. Scholars around the world gathered together to discuss the age-old practice of "urine therapy." Although urine therapy had been around for thousands of years, it had fallen into obscurity over the last century. Now, urine therapy was officially back in business. So what exactly was this alternative practice that dealt with one’s own bodily fluid? And how does it help? What are the claims of effectiveness? What does the scientific and medical world have to say about it? How does it work? Does it work? These, were the questions that demanded discussion. What is urine therapy? The basic definition of "urine therapy" is using (your own) urine internally or externally as a way to aid or sustain your health. Urine therapy, which includes drinking, injecting, massaging with-, and/or bathing in- urine, is an ancient practice that is used today, not only in times of sickness, but also in times of good health for preventive health maintenance. It has been claimed to have proven helpful in a great number of varying illnesses, ranging from a simple cold and a throat-ache, to tuberculosis and asthma, from minor skin problems such as itching to major skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis and even skin cancer. But you probably ask, "How can your own urine benefit your health? Besides, isn’t it toxic?" Urine as a lifesaver: During the NBC Nightly News on October 16, 1992, Tom Brokaw reported that, "In Egypt, rescue workers found a 37-year old man alive in earthquake rubble. He survived almost 82 hours by drinking his own urine. His wife, daughter and mother would not and they died" (http://www.all-natural.com/urine.html ). We’ve all heard stories of individuals who have either lived or died by being trapped in places without food or water for days. In those stories, the survivors were always the ones that drank their own urine. The ones that died probably could not overcome the misguided thoughts that urine is an unhealthy waste product of the body. But it’s not; urine is simply a substance that the body does not need at the time, and a substance that the body secretes. And sometimes, it’s a lifesaver. What’s in urine? Urine, 95% of which is water, 2.5% of which is urea, and 2.5% of which is a mixture of minerals, salts, hormones, and enzymes, is not a toxic waste product.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
A Literature Review of Health Promotion
Literature Review of Health Promotions Grand Canyon University NRS 429 September 12, 2010 Literature Review Traditionally the United States health care system has been sickness-oriented. However, in the last two decades, a new paradigm has emerged. This new paradigm emphasizes wellness rather than sickness. As a result in this change in focus, health promotion is now an integral part of the nursing profession. This research paper will review current literature from three professional sources relative to the nursing profession and health promotion.This paper will analyze: 1. How is health promotion defined? 2. What is the purpose of health promotion? 3. How has the role of a nurse changed as the result of the emphasis on health promotion? 4. How are nurses implementing health promotion? 5. Identify, compare and contrast the three levels of health promotion prevention. Health promotion simply stated are the activities and behaviors that help individuals stay healthy. These behaviors an d activities include self-responsibility, physical fitness, nutritional awareness and stress reduction and management.In their research for â€Å"Brunner and Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing,†Smeltzer and Bare (2006) state â€Å"health promotion can be defined as activities that by accentuating the positive assist a person to develop those resources that will maintain or enhance well-being and improve the quality of life. It refers to the activities that a person does personally in the absence of symptoms in an attempt to remain healthy. These activities do not be assistance of a member of the health care team. (Smeltzer & Bare, 2006).Health promotion in the United States has a single purpose. That purpose according to Smeltzer and Bare (2006) is â€Å"to focus on the person's potential for wellness and to encourage him or her to alter personal habits, lifestyle and environment in ways that will reduce risk and enhance health and will being. †T he role of nurse’s has changed dramatically as a result of the emphasis on health promotion. Historically, nurses focused on the diagnosis and treatment of a disease, sickness or condition and emphasis on health promotion was nonexistent. However, today that has all changed.Nurses are now expected to expand their primary care services to include psychosocial nursing, advocacy, behavioral science, counseling and advocacy in addition to patient assessment, clinical diagnosis and patient-case management. In the article â€Å"Defining Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice: Expanding Primary Care Services,†Sherwood, Brown, and Wardell (1997) state â€Å"the role of the nurse practitioner continues to evolve in response to changing societal and health care needs as consumers in all settings seek increasing services†. (Sherwood, Brown and Wardell, 1997).Nurses implement health promotion strategies in a variety of ways. Due to the high level of credibility nurse’ s have with their patients, they greatly influence their patients with their passion. By emphasizing health promotion strategies such as self-responsibility, proper nutrition, exercise and stress management, nurses plant the seeds of wellness in the minds of their patients. While ultimately, it is up to the individual to make healthy changes in their lives, the role of the nurse practitioner plays a huge role in motivating individuals to adopt healthy habits.There are three levels of health promotion prevention. They are the primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention. These levels are stages of the disease process during which preventive actions can be highly effective. Primary prevention focuses on preventing illness or trauma. An example of a primary prevention intervention would be an immunization. The objective of primary prevention strategies is to reach as many individuals (who may be at risk) as possible. The majority of health promotion programs in the United States are implemented at this level.According to Liburd, Collins, Giles, et al (2007) â€Å"In the decades since chronic illnesses replaced infectious diseases as the leading causes of death, public health researchers, particularly those in the field of health promotion and chronic disease prevention, have shifted their focus from the individual to the community in recognition that community-level changes will foster and sustain individual behavior change. †Secondary prevention emphasizes early detection and intervention against illnesses and disease.An example of a secondary prevention strategy would be a screening program. The objective of secondary prevention strategies is to limit the spread of infectious diseases as well as treat those individuals identified with a disease or condition before the illness fully develops. According to Peek, Cargill and Huang (2007) â€Å"health care interventions improved the quality of care for racial/ethnic minorities, improved health outcomes (such as diabetes control and reduced diabetes complications), and possibly reduced health disparities in quality of care. Tertiary prevention focuses on recovery and rehabilitation after a disease, condition or illness has occurred. The objective of tertiary prevention strategies is to prevent and limit further patient deterioration resulting from a sickness, condition or disease. Joseph Betancourt and Joan Quinlan (2007) state â€Å"The paradigm of personal responsibility for one’s health, which includes the responsibility of patients to follow their physician’s instructions and adhere to their treatment plan, now carries great weight among health care providers. A careful review of the literature presented strongly indicates the fact that nurses are key components in the health promotion phenomenon. Their influence can be identified every step of the way. Their roles have changed (expanded) significantly in the last ten years. Nurses are no longer limited to explaining to individuals how to get well but also how to remain healthy. The importance of this change cannot be understated. In the article ‘The Future Role of Nursing in Health Promotion†the authors Chiverton, Votava and Tortoretti (2003) state â€Å"never before has health promotion been more important than it is today.Nurses in education, practice, and research settings participate in the advancement of health promotion not only to the mainstream but to the forefront of nursing practice. Historically, nurse educators have taught patients how to manage illness; in the future, the focus must be on teaching people how to remain healthy. †(Chiverton, Votava and Tortoretti, 2003).
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Managing the Product through Its Lifecycle (Introduction to Decline)
Managing the Product through Its Lifecycle (Introduction to Decline) Introduction To introduce a brand new product into the market, one will have to analyze not only the demands of the target audience, but also the challenges that the launch of the given product will trigger, the opportunities for creating an intriguing promotion campaign and the threats that the high competition rates pose to the product.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing the Product through Its Lifecycle (Introduction to Decline) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Speaking of offering customers a candy bar that will be linked to sportswear and, therefore, related to the concept of healthy lifestyle, creating a promotion campaign that appeals to people’s willingness to keep trim and be on a healthy diet seems reasonable enough. Growth To increase the growth of the product popularity, one will have to create a viable legend behind the product, therefore, molding a brand. At the point when the promotion of the product starts leading to its growth, a steep rise in competition can be expected. The given issue can be dealt with by providing customers with additional options, such as customized bar filling (e.g., peanuts, raisins, etc.). Thus, the goods provided by the given company will stand out of the range of similar snacks flooding the market. Maturity The stage of maturity will show how well the brand coined previously works. At the given point of the product promotion and retail, one can assume that it will become recognizable enough so that it could be sold to a gym, which is linked to the MySportsClub chain for $2.5. Since the gym will be allowed to sell the protein bars for $3, it can be expected that the gym owners will be excited about the idea of making quick money on a regular basis. Decline Unfortunately, sooner or later, the tidal wave of the fascination with the Nike protein bar will die down, and it is necessary to shape the product strategy in order to address the given phase adequately. It will be unreasonable to spur the product’s popularity artificially as soon as its novelty wears off. Therefore, instead of forcing the no longer interesting product onto the audience, it will be reasonable to come up with the means to market the product so that it could become a household name and, therefore, become an integral part of everyday routine. The examples of numerous cereals, which have been claimed to be a part of a complete breakfast so frequently that the given phrase has become a household name. Product Strategy and Its Impact on the Channel Strategy and Decisions In many ways, the effects that the product strategy has had on its popularity define the future channel strategy for the product in question. To be more exact, the less encouraging the effects of the product strategy are, the less funds are invested into the channel strategy.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Involving the issues related to the product distribution, product channeling is extremely time-consuming; moreover, it takes much money, which means that there is no need to use the given strategy once the product was considered unviable. In the given case, channel strategy will depend on how many people will buy it in the course of the first two weeks. Once the number of people reaches the required mark (e.g., at least 50 people buy the snack), the product will be considered worth being promoted even further.
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