Friday, December 27, 2019

The Effects Of Media On Eating Disorders - 1034 Words

Introduction As of the year 2013, an estimated 805 million people worldwide suffer from Hunger. This number represents a group of people who suffer from food insecurity. This means they have inadequate access to food and don’t know when their next meal will be. This being said, an estimated 70 million people worldwide suffer from some sort of eating disorders as of 2015 with 30 million being made up of Americans. Eating Disorders can be defined as any eating habit that negatively affects ones overall health. Media has had a large impact on how both males and females see their bodies. A majority of the people who suffer from eating disorders are young adults and teenagers. This can be linked to the pressure put on them to have what society declares the â€Å"ideal† body image. For most of history, the ideal female body was plump and voluptuous. This was before the neolithic people settled down and created some of the first civilizations. Women with large hips w ere â€Å"valued† because it meant that birth would be easier for them. They had â€Å"birthing hips† as they are called today. This meant there was a higher chance that there wouldn t be complications during birth. When civilizations started to take root and grow, body images began to change. In Ancient Egypt, thin slender women were preferred while in Ancient Greece, plump women with curves were still the ideal. In fact, in Ancient Greece, women didn’t have a â€Å"body image† to live up to, it was men. This is one ofShow MoreRelatedSocial Media and its Effect on Eating Disorders793 Words   |  3 Pagesthe internet on social media websites, leaving harsh marks on all who read them, especially the extremely impressionable youth of America. Today’s youth is becoming heavily reliant on social media outlets such as Tumblr, Instagram, and Facebook, but it comes with a problematic cost, mental disorders on the rise. Eating disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental disorders are rapidly becoming more and more common in hospitals all across the nation, and social media is fueling the fireRead MoreEssay on An Analysis of the Effects of Eating Disorders and the Media824 Words   |  4 PagesMany young Americans cope with this â€Å"perfect† image by developing eating disorders. Although eating disorders can affect everyone the most common stereotype is young American women. Evidence shows that eleven million women and one million men have developed an eating disorder (Stephens et al). The social pressure to conform to a certain standard mainly affects girls, due to gender socialization and the objective theory. Eating disorders consisting of anorexia nervosa and bulimia are the result of aRead MoreThe Between Media And Body Image1348 Words   |  6 Pagesconstructed by the society and by the media. But women are affected that kind of construction. Mass media give narrow definition about the standard of beauty. Delis noticed this massage everywhere, especially in the media, â€Å"I am so affected by Glamour magazine and Vogue and all that; I’m looking at all these beautiful women. They’re thin. I want to be just as beautiful. I want to be just as thin. Because that is what guys like† (Hesse-Biber, Sharlene Nagy 12). The media representation of the thin idealRead MoreMedias Effect on Eating Disorders1164 Words   |  5 PagesMedia’s Effect On Eating Disorders Symbolic Interactionism is a theory focusing on the approach that has evolved from social behaviorism and that stresses the symbolic nature of human interaction (p. 46). In society, there are norms and expectations that people are expected to follow and live by and trying to achieve this ideal self-image, people sometime behave in a self-destructing behavior. Because the media creates an image that we are suppose to fit, people will go to the extreme measuresRead MoreInfluence of American Mass Media Ideals on Body Image and Eating Disorders in the U.S1243 Words   |  5 PagesMass media have an enormous impact on society and how people act, especially in developed countries. How do mass media influence views of body image and the development of eating disorders? People living in countries influenced by Western culture show concern for their appearance or dietary habits daily. This paper will analyze the effect of mass media on the issues of body image and eating disorders in th e United States. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TRRead MorePromotion Of Eating Disorders And Social Medi Research Prospectus1110 Words   |  5 PagesPromotion of Eating Disorders in Social Media: Research Prospectus Background Eating disorders are defined as any range of psychological disorders, characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits. And in today’s society these disorders are fairly common. Anorexia is a disorder characterized by a desire to lose weight by refusing to eat. And bulimia is a disorder involving distortion of body image, and an obsessive desire to lose weight, in which bouts of extreme overeating are followed by depressionRead MoreThe Medi A Helping Hand For Eating Disorders1279 Words   |  6 Pages Crystal Medina-Corchado Professor DeLuise ENGL-1105-40-F15 25 October 2015 The Media: A Helping Hand for Eating Disorders The media has taken a majority of time in the modern world, while morphing the ability to influence thought processes and how the brain perceives things around it. Television, for example, and even more so relevant—the Internet are the most powerful forms of media as they are able to produce advertisements that reflect and are more relatable to the targeted audience. Since theRead MoreNegative Body Image Essay1679 Words   |  7 Pagesreally need to stop eating so much†, and so on. The girl has never really thought about her body in these ways; she has felt neutral about it until now. She looks down, cautiously grabbing at her stomach in the same way that the other girls are. Later, when she goes on social media, she begins noticing how flawless celebrities are and how perfect their bodies seem in comparison to hers. Her mind begins swirling with thoughts. Body image, eating disorders, and their effects plague America todayRead MoreThe Impact Of Mass Media On Body Image1255 Words   |  6 Pagesrelated images and videos on social media, online magazines/blogs, and mass media in general. Mass media has caused an enormous amount of controversy within the last few years concerning body image and what is politically correct. However, mass media’s impact on health can be beneficial if it is used the correct way. The social media aspect of mass media has become something that is involved in most people’s everyday lives; and it’s not going away anytime soon. Mass media posts need to be controlled soRead MoreAnorexia Nervosa And Its Effects On Society1514 Words   |  7 Pagesfrom Anorexia. Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which people suffering drastically restrict food intake due to an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image. There has been an unfortunate increase in people suffering from Anorexia Nervosa over the past several decades. Anorexia can be caused by a combination of social, interpersonal, and psychological factors that must be resolved through treatment. Anorexia is an extremely dangerous disorder that results in death for many people

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Argument Against Affirmative Action Policies Essay

Groups that are in refutation of Affirmative Action professor Gary Becker, who states â€Å"Affirmative Action policies lowers standards of account ability need to push employees or student to perform better.† (Becker) Becker’s meaning behind this argument is that students or employees who are affecting by affirmative action tend to try harder than they should know that they are going to be accepted just because of Affirmative Action policies. Becker say this type of polices eventually hurts more than it helps. Another group supporting refutation of Affirmative Action policies is a student by the name of Abigail Fisher, who accused the University of Texas of not accepting her into one of their school program because of Affirmative Action polices. Fisher argument against the University of Texas was that she had higher test scores than most of the minority applicants that were accepted into the program instead of her. Fisher blamed the University Affirmative Action polic ies that allowed the school to consider race in its admission process. Fisher then sued the University of Texas because of this and after years of going back and forth a federal court ruled in favor of the University of Texas. The reasoning behind this was that the court believed the University was justified in creating a diverse student body and race simply has to be a factor in the decision process. With both sides having very valid points and arguments Affirmative Action policies promotes diversity andShow MoreRelatedRace Based Affirmative Action On Higher Education Essay1445 Words   |  6 PagesRace-Based Affirmative Action in Higher Education In 1961, President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 10925, which created the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, or CEEO. One purpose of the CEEO was to â€Å"recommend additional affirmative steps which should be taken by executive departments and agencies to realize more fully the national policy of nondiscrimination† (Kennedy). This executive order planted the seeds that grew into what is today known as â€Å"race-based affirmative action,† or theRead MoreAffirmative Action : Discrimination And Ethnicity Essay1459 Words   |  6 PagesLucia Lopez Intro to Philosophy Professor Gill Affirmative Action In â€Å"Arguing Affirmative Action,† Harvard professor Michael J. Sandel discusses the arguments that have arisen from the entry of affirmative action into practice. Affirmative action refers to admission policies, in this case put into effect by universities, that provide equal access to education for groups that have been historically excluded or underrepresented, such as women and minorities. In his essay, Sandel asks whether itRead MoreWhy We Still Need Affirmitive Action1493 Words   |  6 PagesWhy we still need affirmative action Because of the complex nature of the discussion on affirmative action and the controversies and the emotion surrounding it, it is imperative to first recap on the causes of race and inequality in the United States of America. The policies on affirmative action were proposed as a fractional remedy for the socio-economic impacts of past and present disadvantage faced by certain groups in the population, especially with regard to biases on gender and race. Such disadvantagesRead More The Importance of Affirmative Action in America Essay867 Words   |  4 PagesThe Importance of Affirmative Action in America Affirmative action is a much debated topic based on the efforts of our government to overcome prejudicial treatment through inclusion. Affirmative action is a way of helping minorities in our country get jobs and avoid racial injustice. Many large companies have increased their employment of minorities after adopting these policies (Plous). Despite the efforts of affirmative action today, women still only earn 76 cents for every dollar earnedRead MoreAn Argument Against Affirmative Action Essay1716 Words   |  7 PagesPaved with Good Intentions: An Argument Against Affirmative Action Out of the jaws of civil war, the new United States had emerged. Broken and burning and minus 620,000 men, a new challenge lay before the nation: social equality. How would we address the sickening grievances endured by these African American now-citizens? That question has hallmarked fiery debates from dinner tables all the way to the Supreme Court for more than a century. During the Civil Rights Movement, millions of American citizensRead MoreAffirmative Action : Gender Action Essay970 Words   |  4 PagesAffirmative Action (ADD PROPER INTRO) Affirmative action, in its broadest sense, are attempts to help create labor and educational opportunities for groups that have been disadvantaged in the past. (Miriam Webster). Evidence has shown that throughout history, many groups have been discriminated against, and because of past (discriminations?), they continue to experience obstacles in areas of hiring, promotion, renting, buying, gaining education, and everyday economic activities. Thus, affirmativeRead MoreAffirmative Action On Equal Rights1655 Words   |  7 PagesAffirmative Action in Employment The Universal Human Rights declaration states that all human beings have a natural right to equal freedoms thereby providing the basis for proactive measures to guarantee the enjoyment of equal rights in employment. Discourse on the controversial employment edicts of affirmative action and exceptions to the at-will employment doctrine signify the ambiguity in the implementation of the declaration on equal freedoms. White-male employees feel that the preferentialRead MoreAffirmative Action: Social Policy1348 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative Action Affirmative action is a social policy created to promote the welfare of minorities by supporting the idea that individuals are all created equal and should not be judged by race or gender. Therefore, in situations like job and university applications, we should consider minorities to be as feasible a choice for hire as a white male candidate, taking into consideration their background. In short, it tries to give minorities that have been at a disadvantage their whole life, anRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Affirmative Action Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesEssay The Affirmative Action Debate Affirmative Action Defined Affirmative Action can be defined as â€Å"positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)†. However because those steps involve â€Å"preferential† selection affirmative action generates intense controversy (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Affirmative Action (Negative)Read More Affirmative Action Is Not the Solution Essay1340 Words   |  6 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Affirmative action is a social policy created to promote the welfare of minorities by supporting the idea that individuals are all created equal and should not be judged by race or gender. Therefore, in situations like job and university applications, we should consider minorities to be as feasible a choice for hire as a white male candidate, taking into consideration their background. In short, it tries to give minorities that have been at a disadvantage their whole

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Freedom and Opression in Literature Essay Example For Students

Freedom and Opression in Literature Essay Freedom. The basic, yet insubstantial, ideal for which America was founded. Described as liberty, autonomy, or sovereignty, freedom is possibly the most common basic right of humans. Despite this commonality, it is perhaps the one word in the dictionary that has an extraordinarily individualistic meaning to every single person. The studied authors of American literature represent this belief in each of their writings. The coercion of personal freedom is one of the worst travesties one might ever face, as many individuals did face in our readings. Predominantly Native Americans, Blacks, and women are found most commonly oppressed due to ignorance of others and society of their respective times. Native Americans, perhaps, embody the purest thoughts of simple freedom. We came to these mountains about us; no one lived here, and so we took them for our home and country (277), Cochise says in his narration, I am alone. During the westward expansion of the mid and late 1800s, Native Americans were stripped of their freedom, along with their land. He illustrates not only why Native Americans love their freedom of land and nature, but also why this freedom should not be oppressed and why Native Americans should not be forced from their homelands. Charlot also supports this: We cherished himyes, befriended him, and showed him the fords and defiles of our lands (280). Native Americans, according to Charlot, were willing to compromise with the white man and share their land as long as they could maintain their freedom and land. Eastman also supported Charlots compromise. In his work From the Deep Woods (633), he says, There is only one thing for us to do and be just to both sides. We must use every means for peaceful settlement in this difficulty (639). Whites, in ignorant belief that Native Americans had no freedoms, savagely invaded Indian settlements and camps, as Eastman continues, Troops opened fire form all sides, killing not only unarmed men, women, and children, but their own comrades who stood opposite them, for the camp was entirely surrounded (644). Here, freedom is atrociously stripped with the repression of the Native Americans. Although freedom has different individual meanings for each of the African-American writers we have studied, they all translate freedom into the achievement of equality, esteem, and full rights and emancipation equivalent to those of whites. Booker T. Washington vividly illustrates the sacredness of his freedom as he recalls his own experiences as a slave in Up From Slavery (581). He is a prime example of someone who is proud to the utmost degree of his personal freedom, and that of his entire race; with this, he tells how Blacks now must keep themselves free and bring themselves up to the freedom of whites. He says, When you have gotten the full story of the heroic conduct of the Negro in the Spanish-American warthen decide within yourselves whether a race that is thus willing to die for its country should not be given the highest opportunity to live for its country (611). More sanguine with his poetry, Langston Hughes I, Too (1733), implies that the black man today is seen as beneath whites and still less than human, despite emancipation almost a century before. The narrator tells of his woes of being the darker brother and how whites, shown when he is sent to eat in the kitchen when company comes, demean him. Optimistic, be brightens his tone, Tomorrow, Ill sit at the table/When company comes (1733). He reminds himself and the reader that one day soon, he will be a racial equal to whites and they will be ashamed for belittling him, seen when she says, I too, am America (1734). .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf , .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf .postImageUrl , .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf , .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf:hover , .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf:visited , .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf:active { border:0!important; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf:active , .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9be9cb0cfa9d7a2b8a103be367e11fcf:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Miles Davis (276 words) Essay In The Wife of His Youth, Charles Chesnutt writes a symbolic romance to show his personal views on freedom in the antebellum period. Once the wife of his youth, Liza Jane, finds Mr. Ryder, the husband of her own youth, Ryder is faced with the chance to maintain his self-attained freedom of high-class mulatto society, or return to Liza Jane, allowing himself to harbor the freedom of fate in this situation. Finally, Zora Neale Hurston exhibits her racial freedom proudly in How It Feels

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Spains Geography and Culture

Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Spain’s Geography and Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Spain, claiming over half a million acres on the Iberian Peninsula, fronts on the North Atlantic, the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Balearic Sea. It borders the Pyrenees of France. and Portugal to the West. Morocco is its nearest Southern neighbor, across the Straits of Gibraltar (known in Classical times as the Pillars of Hercules) (n.a., Spain) . Archeological evidence shows long habitation ranging from the pre-human (n.a., Spain History). Today’s populations represent a mix of Iron-Age Celtiberians, and subsequent conquerors; Romans, Visigoths, and Arabs, plus European allies/enemies (Gascoigne) . More recently, Spain has absorbed expatriates, ‘snow birds’ (Govan), and immigrants from less advantaged regions, including former New World colonies (Worden). Gypsies have alwa ys had a presence as well (n.a., Spain – The Gypsies). The rich legacy thereby bequeathed includes the Paleolithic cave art of Altamira to the north, Neolithic passage tombs at Los Millares to the South (n.a., Los Millares (3200-2200 B.C.)), Alhambra’s Moorish beauty (n.a., Alhambra), traditional bull-fighting, Flamenco music and dancing, the Prado’s treasures, medieval walled communities such as Toledo, and magnificent cathedrals and shrines everywhere. All are compelling. Daily life in Spain is idiosyncratic, although the siesta is disappearing (Deschenaux) . One wonders whether its demise will doom the nightly round of tapas bars; only feasible given a daytime rest. Gastronomy is unlikely to abate, given Madrid’s self-proclaimed ‘museum of ham’ (McLane). The distinctive cuisine of Spain includes the bounty of sea and land, plus colonial acquisitions such as potatoes and tomatoes.Advertising Looking for essay on geography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When might we journey there? Works Cited Deschenaux, Joanne. Less Time for Lunch: the siesta in Spain is disappearing under the pressures of international business and big-city commuting, from HR Magazine. June 2008. 5 January 2010 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_6_53/ai_n27875070/. Gascoigne, Bamber. History of Spain. From 2001, ongoing. 5 January 2010 http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ab50. Govan, Fiona. â€Å"British Expatriates March In Spain To Protest Against Chaotic Planning Laws.† 10 January 2009. The Telegraph. 5 January 2010 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/4213997/British-expatriates-march-in-Spain-to-protest-against-chaotic-planning-laws.html. McLane, Daisann. â€Å"In Madrid There’s No Such Thing As Too Much Ham.† 9 July 2000. New York Times. 5 January 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/09/travel/frugal-tra veler-in-madrid-there-s-no-such-thing-as-too-much-ham.html. n.a. A Traveller’s Geography of Spain. 2010. 5 January 2010 http://goeurope.about.com/library/bl_spain_geography.htm. —. Alhambra. 2010. 5 January 2010 http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/The_Alhambra.html.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Spain’s Geography and Culture specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More —. Los Millares (3200-2200 B.C.). 2010. 5 January 2010 http://www.unique-almeria.com/los-millares.html. —. Spain. 27 December 2010. Central Intelligence Agency. 5 January 2010 https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sp.html. —. â€Å"Spain – The Gypsies.† Country Studies. US Library Of Congress. 5 January 2010 http://countrystudies.us/spain/41.htm. —. â€Å"Spain History.† 2010. Brittanica. 5 January 2010 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/557573/Spain/ 214578/History. Worden, Tom. â€Å"Spain Sees Six-Fold Increase in Immigration Over Decade.† 10 February 2010. The Guardian. 5 January 2011 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/08/spain-sixfold-increase-immigrants. This essay on Spain’s Geography and Culture was written and submitted by user Malik B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

20 Obscure Rhetorical Terms and Figures of Speech

20 Obscure Rhetorical Terms and Figures of Speech You probably know many figures of speech, such terms as metaphor and metonymy, irony and understatement- all the rhetorical terms that you probably learned in school. But what about some of the less familiar figures and tropes? There are hundreds of them, after all.  And while we may not recognize their names, we use and hear a good number of these devices every day. So lets take a look at 20 uncommon words (most of them Latin or Greek) for some fairly common rhetorical strategies. Accismus  - Coyness; a form of irony in which a person feigns a lack of interest in something that he or she actually desires.Anadiplosis  - Repetition of the last word of one line or clause to begin the next.Apophasis  - Emphasizing a point by seeming to pass over it- that is, mentioning something while disclaiming any intention of mentioning it.Aposiopesis  - An unfinished thought or broken sentence.Bdelygmia  - A litany of abuse- a series of critical epithets, descriptions, or attributes.Boosting  - An adverbial construction used to support a claim or express a viewpoint more assertively and convincingly.Chleuasmos - A sarcastic reply that mocks an opponent, leaving him or her without an answer.Dehortatio  -  Dissuasive advice given with authority.Diatyposis  - Recommending useful precepts or advice to someone else.Epexegesis  - Adding words or phrases to further clarify or specify a statement already made.Epimone  - Frequent repetition of a phrase or questio n; dwelling on a point.Epizeuxis  - Repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis (usually with no words in between). Hypocrisis  - Exaggerating the gestures or speech habits of another in order to mock him.Paronomasia  -  Punning, playing with words.Prolepsis  - ​A figurative device by which a future event is presumed to have already occurred.Skotison  - Intentionally obscure speech or writing, designed to confuse an audience rather than clarify an issue.Synathroesmus  - The piling up of adjectives, often in the spirit of invective.Tapinosis  - Name calling; undignified language that debases a person or thing.Tetracolon Climax  - A series of four members, usually in parallel form.Zeugma  - Use of a word to modify or govern two or more words although its use may be grammatically or logically correct with only one.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Role of Technology in Organization Development

The Role of Technology in Organization Development Summary The article focuses on the connection that exists between the technologies and the development of a company. There are three main issues used by the authors: organizational development (OD) as a data The case of PepsiCo helps to observe how a huge consumer-products company strives for some changes and uses technologies to enhance the change within a short period of time. The prior state of the company is successful indeed as the company takes the leading position on the global market; still, the need of some training programs and HR-related processes that can promote a further development of the company is obvious. This is why PepsiCo should develop a platform on the basis of which OD surveys, career planning tools, and management processes can be integrated (Church et al. 2002). The MyDevelopNet website has been developed to drive the required culture change process. It helps the employees and managers share their experience, define their goals, and realize what they actuall y expect from the work at this company. Of course, some workers face the challenges based on the lack of experience with new technologies, still, in general, the results help to improve the current state of affairs and implement the required change. The offered technology serves as a powerful tool to show that PepsiCo remains to be a powerful world-class company that respects the choice of people and tries to do everything possible to promote its workers’ development and create new ideas to attract more people and retain its managers’ talent. Debates Taking into consideration the need of a constant change within a company, a number of ethical questions and doubts may take place. The debates around the following issue should encourage people to think about a true worth of a current technological process: whether it is actually fair to pay more attention to the role of technology in organization development at the expense of the maturity of the company’s workers a nd managers. In other words, it is necessary to analyze the situation when an experienced employee is cut off a number of opportunities due to lack of practice with the current technologies. When the time to choose between practical knowledge and technology comes, what turns out to be more important? OD through technologies and its importance Organizations should think about the possible ways of improvement on a regularly basis to promote consumers with the necessary services in regards with their demands and expectations and help employees create appropriate working conditions. Technologies cannot be neglected even if changes may lead to some problems, as their solutions make each member of a team stronger and ready for new adjustments.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Role of Technology in Organization Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sometimes changes are not necessary. Workers should focus on imp roving their skills and providing qualified services. There is no need to follow the current technological progress as human experience and knowledge are priceless. People recognize technologies as something crucial and indispensible People cannot imagine their lives without a number of technologies. They depend on the Internet and cell phones. OD is impossible if people fail to define technologies essential for their lives. People should learn how to use them to be ready to find practical application of their theoretical knowledge. It is so wrong for people to depend on some technological things they create. People have to be independent so that the absence of the Internet or electricity or inability to charge the mobile phone may not influence a working process and the results of work. People have to realize that their abilities should not depend on the level of knowledge about different technologies. They should pay more attention to the development of practical skills. Involveme nt of ordinary workers in OD through technologies OD is a data-driven process that leads for some changes. Workers as no one else know what is necessary for a successful application of various interventions and what interventions are actually needed. Each worker should have a chance to share his/her own idea and prove its necessity. And workers should know how to use technologies and be ready to introduce their own concepts. Workers should not waste their time on promoting OD as they have much work to do. There are people, who develop changes in organizations. Still, it is wrong to use workers, ask learn technologies better, and distract from the tasks they have to perform. The role of technologies is crucial for OD, still, these technologies should never be imposed. Reference List Church, AH, Gilbert, M, Oliver, DH, Paquet, K, Surface, C 2002, ‘The role of technology in organization development and change’, Developing Human Resources, vol. 4, no.4, pp. 493-511.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Marriott International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marriott International - Essay Example It should be noted that the company tries to occupy different positions on the mind of each customer through its different product lines. After looking at its different positioning strategy, this paper will identify the strategic issues or risks faced by the organization. Lastly, it will also offer recommendations based on the conducted analysis. Marriott International offers an extensive array of accommodation products and services. The company's products range from affordable to luxurious lodging. It can be deduced that the company provides customers with the most basic accommodation packages at lower prices while it also excels in offering the luxury of value added services and fulfilling even the unfulfilled wishes of their guests. Marriott International's portfolio is composed of 16 brands: Marriott's Hotels and Resorts; JW Marriott Hotels and Resort; Renaissance Hotels and Resorts; Courtyard; Residence Inn; Fairfield Inn; Marriott Conference; TownePlace Suites; SpringHill Suites; Marriott Vacation Club International; Horizons; Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company; Ritz-Carlton Club; Marriott Execustay; Marriott Executive Apartment; and Grand Residences (Mariott International 2006). These various brands are marketed using different marketing mixes. However, it can be seen that Marriott International generally uses five major strategies-cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership, focused differentiation, and integrated cost leadership and differentiation. It should be noted that Marriott pursue cost leadership in its Fairfield Inn brand which provides "consistent quality lodging at an affordable price." Differentiation is applied to its luxury brand Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott. It should be noted these hotels offer plain accommodation services but "experiences." Focused differentiation is applied to Marriott Vacation Club, ExecuStay, and Renaissance which accommodates a narrow segment of the market by offering highly differentiated service. The company employs focused cost leadership through its SpringHill Suites. Much of its product line banks on integrated cost leadership and differentiation like Courtyard and TownePlace Suites. The sales trend of Marriott International proves that both corporate and business unit strategies of the firm are working for its benefit. Right now, the company boasts of recording approximately $20 billion. Even though Marriott occupies different places in the mind of its customers, the company was able to strengthen its competitive position through its aggressive marketing efforts. The company was able to avoid confusion by strategically designing marketing mixes which clearly delineates one brand from the other. This was done by differentiating the products, promotion, and price strategies for each brand. What is notable though is Marriott's strong commitment in extending excellent service to its guests. The company often differentiates its products not only on the unique lodging designs and features but also on the service extended by its staff. Marriott banks on its capacity of knowing the needs and wants of its clientele. The company's aggressive effort of instilling unique f eatures to its products in its entire portfolio really paid off. 3.0 Recommendation Since

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Distributed Computer System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Distributed Computer System - Essay Example The paper tells that the role of computer systems continues to evolve with businesses adopting it to execute various business operations. In business, computer systems have made significant inroad that have allowed business to achieve leverage on the use of data to support businesses transaction, as well as making strategic decisions. In particular, distribute computer systems have found use in business in areas such as business commerce where these systems have enabled business to achieve high levels of business performance. There are varied definitions of distributed systems, but most of them tend to have some commonalities. A distributed system is one that is made up of independent computer systems that work together and appear to those using it as a unified system. The core of a distribute computer systems is the interconnectedness between its components making users think of it as a single system. The development of distributed computer systems coincides with the increasing dema nd for distributed systems in business. For instance, businesses that require e-commerce applications are more likely to achieve greater benefits using a distributed computer system. The merits of deploying distributed computer systems have pushed for increased research that aims at refining how businesses deploy these systems. Research in the development of distributed computer systems reinforces the desire for computer professionals to overcome challenges in this field. Indeed, computer firms have made much progress in rolling out various types of distributed computer systems. ... 1.1 What are distributed computer systems? Distributed compute systems are an example of distributed system, which is a system that links heterogeneous systems through networks to offer users with a single system. Distribute computer systems bring together different components to create a unified system that can provide users with high performance (Mikkilineni, 2011). In a distributed computing environment, workstations connect to each other using networks enabling them to pool system resources. The use of distributed computer systems signals a shift from centralized systems because businesses and organizations are demanding re-centralization of the computing environment. The success of distributed systems rests in the interconnectedness of various components to achieve a unified system. Today, distributed computing environment, has made it possible because of different technologies that computer vendors develop. These technologies work together to create a coherent system that provi des transparency to users, successfully hiding non-critical features from users. Use of distributed computers systems provide users with resources, as well as improved performance. With more improvement on technologies, supporting distributed systems, business and organization continue to adopt distributed computing environment. 1.2 Goals of distributed computer systems There are several incentives for using distributed systems over centralised systems. The merits of using distributed computer systems underscore the push for businesses and other organizations into adopting the distributed environment. These goals are: 1.2.1 Access to resources The first reason for the adopting of distributed systems is the demand for resources accessibility. Despite the ease, of developing centralised

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Whole Foods Essay Example for Free

Whole Foods Essay Whole Food’s chief elements of the strategy are to position the company as a market leader in the natural and organic foods, expand the brand internationally, provide the highest quality, and be the best food retailer in every community in which Whole Foods stores are located. Is Whole Foods’ strategy well matched to market conditions in the food retailing industry (one of the criteria for a winning strategy discussed in Chapter 1)? Whole Foods’ strategy is definitely well matched to market conditions. Currently, there is a huge demand for healthy food. People are more health conscious, expect taste and quality, and look for convenience in shopping. Whole Foods is able to address all the current trends through its strategic vision. The CEO John Mackey’s vision was for Whole Foods to become an international brand, carry the highest quality natural and organic foods, and be the best food retailer in every community. The products are free of pesticides, hormones, and other genetically engineered products that could affect health, community, and agriculture. In addition, Whole Foods is recognized by the USDA as being a Certified Organic grocer by Quality Assurance International. This means that all their products are grown organically; the products are grown without the usage of pesticides, fertilizers, bioengineered organisms, growth hormones, or antibiotics. Whole Foods had successfully addressed the economic conditions of 2008; as sales dropped due to the recession, Whole Foods executives changed the company’s strategy to better match the economic downturn. For instance, they reduced prices of certain foods, offered family sized meals, offered coupons, and managed to cut certain products’ costs. Based on the financial statement data in case Exhibits 9, 10, and 11, how well is Whole Foods Market performing? Use the financial ratio information in Table 4.1 of Chapter 4 (pages 98-99) to assist you in calculating a revealing set of` financial ratios and interpreting them. According to Exhibits 9, 10, and 11, there is an increase of their net income from $136,351in 2005 to $203,828 in 2006. In 2007 and 2008 Whole Foods net income decreased gradually, in 2009 net income increased to $146,804 due to the change in the company’s strategy. According to Yahoo finance net income has been increasing since 2009; in 2011 the company’s net income was $342,612. Whole foods’ balance sheet shows total assets of $3,783,388 and total liabilities of $2,155,512 in 2009. In 2011 total assets were $4,292,075 and total liabilities were $ 1,300,770. Ash The cash flow data shows a net cash provided by operating activities of $587,721 in 2009. Also, the company has invested $386,283 in 2009 as part of the growth strategy. Based on these recent information Whole Foods has recorded a strong financial performance. Fiantial Ratios 2009 Gross Profit Margin= Revenues-Cost of goods sold= $8,031,620-$5,277,310=34.3% Revenues $8,031,620 34.3% is the percentage of revenues available to cover operating expenses. Current Ratio= Current assets =$1,055,380= 1.54 Current liabilities $684,024 Since the current ratio is greater than 1, Whole Foods is able to pay current liabilities using assets that can be converted to cash in the near term. Debt to assets ratio=Total debt = $2,155,512= 0.057 Total assets $3,783,388 This ratio is very low, in other words the company’s operations are not financed through the use of debt.

Friday, November 15, 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

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Chemistry open book paper Essay

During radioactive decay, atoms of one element are changed into atoms of another element through the emission of alpha or beta particles from their unstable nuclei. With alpha decay the nucleus emits an alpha particle, which is essentially a helium nucleus; a group of two protons and two neutrons. It is a form of nuclear fission where the parent atom splits into two daughter products. The atomic nucleus emits an alpha particle and transforms (or ‘decays’) into an atom with a mass number 4 less and atomic number 2 less. For example: An alpha particle is the same as a helium-4 nucleus. Unlike beta decay, alpha decay is governed by the strong nuclear force. In beta decay, a neutron in the nucleus of an atom is converted into a proton and an electron. The electron is released as a beta particle. Below is the beta decay of Thorium to produce Protactinium. . In beta minus decay, the weak interaction converts a neutron into a proton while emitting an electron and an anti-neutrino. During beta-plus decay, a proton in an atom’s nucleus turns into a neutron, emitting a positron and a neutrino. Alpha rays can be blocked by a sheet of paper, shielding against beta rays needs a sheet of metal like aluminium. Nuclear fission differs from other forms of radioactive decay in that it can be harnessed and controlled via a chain reaction: free neutrons released by each fission event can trigger yet more events. Radioactive decay is spontaneous. Most nuclear fuels undergo spontaneous fission only very slowly. Nucleosynthesis in stars Hydrogen and helium are the most abundant elements in the universe. Elements heavier than lithium are all synthesized in stars. This first process of primordial nucleosynthesis may also be called nucleogenesis. In the Sun hydrogen is converted to helium in nuclear fusion reactions: 41H 4He + subatomic particles During the late stages of stellar evolution, massive stars burn helium to carbon, oxygen, silicon, sulphur, and iron. The production of small amounts of hydrogen and helium nuclei makes it possible for the star to synthesise most of the elements in the first three periods of the Periodic table. Two routes for the generation of lithium are: Route 1: 4He + 3H   7Li Route 2: 4He + 3He   7Be 7Be + electron 7Li The second route is interesting; this is because it is a form of electron capture. This is where the collision between an atom and an electron causes the proton to convert to a neutron and a neutrino is released. It is sometimes called inverse beta decay, the proton number and the structure of the nucleus is changed. Fission and Fusion Nuclear fission is the splitting of the nucleus of an atom into lighter nuclei often producing free neutrons and other smaller nuclei. The emission of these neutrons can cause further fission in other nuclei, thus producing a chain reaction. Fission of heavy elements is an exothermic reaction which can release large amounts of energy both as electromagnetic radiation and as kinetic energy of the fragments. Below is an example of nuclear fission, showing Uranium-235 splitting to create strontium-90 and xenon-143: Inside the reactor of an atomic power plant, Uranium atoms are split apart in a controlled chain reaction. This chain reaction gives off heat energy. This heat energy is used to boil water in the core of the reactor. So, instead of burning a fuel, nuclear power plants use the chain reaction of atoms splitting to change the energy of atoms into heat energy. This water from around the nuclear core is sent to another section of the power plant. Here, in the heat exchanger, it heats another set of pipes filled with water to make steam. The steam in this second set of pipes turns a turbine to generate electricity. Uranium-238 is used as a natural way to control the reaction due to the fact that it does not undergo fission. Two other mechanisms used for controlling the reaction are the graphite moderator and the control rods, which are made of boron coated steel. The neutrons that are produced when a nucleus splits are very fast moving; the graphite slows them down enough so that they cause fission reactions when they collide with Uranium-235 nuclei. The control rods which are made of Boron which absorb neutrons; they can be moved in and out of the reactor to control the rate of fission reactions. A typical absorption reaction is: Below is a cross section of the inside of a typical nuclear power plant: Notable advantages of fission include the fact that relatively little fuel is needed and the fuel is relatively inexpensive and available in trace amounts around the world. Also, it is not believed to contribute to global warming or other pollution effects associated with fossil fuel combustion. However, its major concerns include the possibility for a nuclear meltdown; an example could be the Chernobyl Disaster. Also, waste products can be used to manufacture weapons; waste from plutonium power stations remains dangerous for thousands of years. There is also high initial cost because the plant requires containment safeguards; even then, the power plants are still vulnerable from sabotage and attacks. Nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple atomic particles join together to form a heavier nucleus. It is accompanied by the release or absorption of energy. The fusion of two nuclei lighter than iron or nickel generally releases energy. Below is an example of a fusion reaction: Excess energy is released from the fusion reaction because of the lower binding energy of the helium nuclei compared to those in deuterium and tritium. The combined mass of the products is less than the mass of the reactants; the ‘lost’ mass is converted to energy, according to Einstein’s equation: E=mc2 For the below reaction to occur the particles need to form a high-density, super hot, ionized gas – plasma. 2H + 3H i 4He + 1n Tritium is produced by using lithium in the reactor, where neutrons from the deuterium-tritium reaction in the plasma will react with the lithium to produce more tritium: 6Li + 1n i 4He + 3H A way to control the plasma is to keep it away from the walls, which minimizes heat loss. To do this a tokamak is used. This device contains hot plasma in a doughnut shape within a vacuum vessel. Powerful magnetic fields created by large coils that run around the vessel keep the plasma away from the walls. Powerful electric currents heat the plasma as well as by microwaves that are directed into it and beams of fast neutron particles. Notable advantages to using nuclear fusion include the fact that there is significantly less chance of a fatal accident occurring than that of a fission reactor, because the fuel contained in the reaction chamber is only enough to sustain the reaction for about a minute. Also, Deuterium and tritium are virtually inexhaustible. Unlike fission reactors, whose waste remains dangerous for thousands of years, most of the radioactive material in a fusion reactor would remain dangerous for about 50-100 years. At present the disadvantage is merely the fact that scientists have not yet been able to contain a fusion reaction long enough for there to be a net energy gain. This is, in turn, causing many countries to phase out fusion research because of the failure to reach a breakthrough. Challenges to the future of fusion power stations The main challenge that scientists face is the growth of hydrocarbon films. Where plasma touches the walls, carbon tiles are eroded by deuterium and tritium ions, producing hydrocarbons. Further reactions result in the formation of reactive radicals, which combine with each other to form hydrocarbon films. These films cause problems because they trap the tritium and deuterium fuel ions in the walls of the device so that they are not circulating in the reacting plasma to produce any energy. Also if the film gets thicker, it begins to flake off, resulting in dust particles which can be absorbed into the plasma, affecting its purity and performance. Other issues include the potentially prohibitive costs of building, and the difficulties of repairing and maintaining the reaction vessel. This massive â€Å"blanket† of lithium and rare metals will degrade and become radioactive over time, requiring regular dismantling and replacement. No. Words – 357+368+294+145 = 1164 (excluding equations, titles, annotations and text in diagrams) – sorry! Sources http://www. answers. com/topic/nucleosynthesis? cat=technology – Nucleosynthesis http://helios. gsfc. nasa. gov/nucleo. html – Nucleosynthesis http://physics. bu. edu/py106/notes/RadioactiveDecay.html – Alpha and beta equations http://map. gsfc. nasa. gov/universe/bb_tests_ele. html – Nucleosynthesis http://chemed. chem. purdue. edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch23/modes. php. Alpha and Beta decay http://media. nasaexplores. com/lessons/01-060/images/Uran235. jpg – Fission of uranium-235 http://hyperphysics. phy-astr. gsu. edu/Hbase/nucene/fusion. html – Nuclear fusion http://www. iter-india. res. in/images/jet_tokamak. jpg. Tokamak image, Fig 5 http://www. newscientist. com/channel/fundamentals/dn8827-no-future-for-fusion-power-says-top-scientist. html – Problems for fusion power http://eazyvg. linuxoss.com/2007/08/21/fusion-is-the-future-choice-for-nuclear-power-generation/ – Fission and fusion diagrams, advantages and disadvantages of fission and fusion. Fig 1 and 3 http://www. physlink. com/Education/AskExperts/ae534. cfm – Bond energy per nucleon, Fig 5 Article 1 – Box 1 – pg3 Article 1 – Second paragraph under â€Å"Nuclear fission† – pg4-5 Article 1 – Box 2 – Used for finding out control mechanisms – pg6 Article 2 – Advantages of fusion power, ways it produces energy – pg8 Article 2 – Box 2 – Lithium generation and equations – pg9 Article 2 – Box 2 – Fusion reactions – pg10 Article 2 – Tokamak, problems facing scientists – pg10.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Canadian Wood Toys INC. Essay

I will begin by highlighting the importance of the audit in assessing the risk and identifying the steps in reducing and mitigating the risk that our company is facing. The impact of the risks on global business it is dramatic in our days, changing the entire look of the industries and financial services. Some risks could be anticipated and identified but some could not. Companies now are using more and more key steps and principles to better manage the risks by; *** identifying the risks relevant to the organization *** assess the significance and implications of those risks to the business *** identify and establish a process for collaboration on risk mitigation with other organizations and partners *** integrate Enterprise Risk Management into the organization *** focus resources on key risks in order to achieve the organization’s objectives (Source – PricewaterhouseCoopers – effective ERM) Under IAA Standard 2120 – Risk Management: â€Å"The internal audit activity must evaluate the effectiveness and contribute to the improvement of risk management processes.† Practice advisory 2120.C1 states: –â€Å"During consulting engagements, internal auditors must address risk consistent with the engagement’s objectives and be alert to the existence of other significant risks. In manufacturing companies, production is usually the most important aspect of the entire process mostly due to the high cost incurred, the staffing and the complexity of the departments involved – Production is of vital concern to management because of the important risks associated with the process. I have identified some of the most important risks and how to manage the risks to minimize the impact. Along with the  production process, other areas can be identified as posing risks; distribution, finance, human resources †¦ I have identified below some of the risks with the highest impact in our company: KEY RISKSMITIGATON (examples) The risk of manufacturing defective or substandard products Determine the cause of the quality defect (human error or machine) Trend analysis reports to address the recurrence of the defects The risk of missing deadlines for toys deliveries at Christmas time Review the production scheduling to agree with the specific job orders to avoid overproduction of toys that are not scheduled for delivery The risk of labor insecurity; potential strikes Review labor contracts and minimum wage government regulations; negotiations with union and labor boards The risk of unknown competition on international markets Use various econometric and statistical analysis to monitor the movement of market interest The risk of foreign exchange Use a foreign exchange contract Accept payment in one currency only (US) Hedging of foreign exchange Risk of unanticipated or sudden changes in regulations, codes or standards in regards to the exploitation of the wood and equipment and machineries used The company has to be actively involved in the development of regulations, codes and standards to further improve the safety of the equipment The risk of damage to ecology, scenery – due to over exploitation of forestry Use environmental mitigation programs able to protect and restore the forest Government fire protection programs The risk of accidents in the process of transportation of the logs Regular monitoring of the vehicles Checking drivers hours of work – implementing special schedule of hours Risk of loss of licensing for cutting and harvesting the trees Renewal in advance of the licenses, request from government of auditing the harvesting areas The risk of logging and lumbering fire damage and vehicle damage Forestry and timber Insurance that focuses on logging and lumbering, sawmills, automobiles and equipment The risk related to the liquidity and payment schedules which could lead to credit losses Establish rules for tendering, levels of approval authority and rules for credit control The risk of reporting erroneous financial information for internal and external decision Use external appraisers to evaluate fair value of assets and properties Senior managers should assess their financial reports to determine when they require estimates based on significant judgment; And ensure that independent expertise is applied in deriving the reports The risk mitigation step involves development of mitigation plans designed to manage, eliminate, or reduce risk to an acceptable level. Once a plan is implemented, it is continually monitored to assess its efficacy with the intent of revising the course-of-action if needed. I would like to reiterate as stated in the IAA Standards that the organization should fully understand that management remains responsible for risk management. As Internal auditors, we should provide advice, and challenge or support management’s decisions on risk, as opposed to making risk management decisions. Below are some of the responsibilities that will not fall under the audit team: †¢ Setting the risk appetite. †¢ Imposing risk management processes. †¢ Management assurance on risks. †¢ Taking decisions on risk responses. †¢ Implementing risk responses on management’s behalf. †¢ Accountability for risk management. Question 4 MEMO To: Director of Internal audit Department From: †¦. Assistant Director Internal audit Date: October 06, 2014 CC: As requested, I have prepared a plan for auditing the division of Student Services as part of the Central College Institution. I will detail 6 steps in the audit process but firstly I want to highlight the Standard 2200, Practice Advisory 2200-1 that states the requirements for the engagements planning and outlines the steps. â€Å"Internal auditors must develop and plan for each engagement, including the engagement’s objectives, scope, timing and resource allocations†. â€Å"The Internal auditor plans and conducts the engagement, with supervisory review and approval† 1. The first step is: To obtain specific knowledge of the unit to be audited. In this stage of the process we will gather and review the specific documentation that will help us getting more familiar with the division of food service – residential and campus. Some of the documents we will be reviewing: The annual budget; we have information about how much the overall budget is (8.9mil.); need to know how much is allocated to the food service program and how is spent. Policies and procedures Previous internal audit papers and reports List of the staff; org charts Contracts with food suppliers Documented projects and how the implementation process took place Upon reviewing of the documents we will be able to assess the problems that incurred; it will help us identify any managerial mistakes, any miscommunication between suppliers and management; if there is enough staffing 2. The second step in the audit plan is to: Establish the audit objectives and the scope of the audit. At this stage we need to review all the activities involving food service program step by step. This is to identify areas of weakness, why there are negative reviews; why there is such a small budget allocated to such important segment in the student’s activity in the campus. Also we will be  able to identify whether the appropriate policies and procedures were followed. Is the part time staff working in the 6 food service facilities skilled for the specific job they do? Why there is only part time staffing and no full time jobs; if there are enough employees considering the large division of food service included 6 cafeterias and restaurants plus residential food service. 3. The following step is: The audit methodology. In this stage of the audit process we will be able to gather additional information by interviewing individuals involved in all aspects of the student services division. We will be asking questions in order to determine if there are possible weaknesses that can have a major impact of the effectiveness of the operating and managing the 6 restaurants and cafeterias as well as the residential food service. We will be interviewing the part time staff about the schedule they have, if there are any complaints, if there is enough coverage at specific time of the day i.e. morning and lunch – for the cafeterias and the restaurants. We will be interviewing the students and teachers about the hours of operation of the locations of the food service – they should be open late and they are actually closing early. We will be asking questions about the meal plans and find out if there is anything to improve on 4. The next step is: Determine the audit criteria. This very important step in the audit program will help us identify some of the criteria we can use in order to better assess the practices in the food service division. Budgeting The food service division must have a well established budget and a cost control in place and overseen by qualified staff. Price Management There should be a price verification policy in place to manage better the price of meals provided by the restaurants and the cafeteria – in comparison to other food providers around the campus (beat the price) Staffing there must be a criteria that analyze and conform with the labor standards –  achieve and surpass the minimum wage for the part time employees Food Quality and diversity there should be put in place a more divers meal plan based on the requirements and suggestions from the customers (students –divers ethnicity) new standards for nutritional meals are put in place and need to be followed Food locations management the standards for cleanliness and sanitation that are put in place need to be followed surveys will be handed out or on line surveys to measure the customer satisfaction 5. The following step is: Preparing staffing plans and time budgets At this stage in the audit plan we are dealing with establishing the budget necessary to accomplish the audit scope and the staff required to accomplish the plan in a timely manner. Since we are dealing with specifics in food industry – we have identified areas where there is not enough expertise from our team; therefore we require an additional external consultant (possible a nutritionist that possess the necessary knowledge). For the satisfaction survey we will be using the expertise of the actual marketing staff from the service department to create and implement the survey. 6. The next step is: Communication with management Subsequently, the audit plan needs to be discussing with the management. We will set up time for a meeting with the management to discuss the details over the purpose of the audit. We need to discuss further about the time allocated to the audit plan and go over each proposal for the relevant criteria that was chosen. In the meeting we will highlight the importance of the management active contribution and support to the audit process.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Case Study Outline Method

Case Study Outline Method Case Study Outline Method Writers around the world have extensively used the signpost outline to logically structure their books, especially novels and stories. The signpost outline helps writers treat each scene as a separate entity, which in turn increases their effectiveness in describing and organizing the story besides keeping eye on the big picture. A typical signpost outline used by novelists around the world has the following format: scene number and short description; setting; characters; plot. The good news is that as a student, you can adapt and use the signpost outline to turn your case study into a great paper. How? Well, signposting actually divides a case study into logical and easily manageable sections with separate headings and subheadings. Moreover, it calls for the placement of relevant phrases and words throughout the write-up, so the reader can easily read and understand the content and context of your case study. The signpost outline for a case study starts with an introduction, which is then followed by the main arguments highlighted by paragraphs, headings and subheadings. At the end of the case study comes the conclusion, but the arguments between the introduction and conclusion have to be reader friendly and engaging enough to rationally guide the reader throughout the study. To achieve this, you need to use connecting words and phrases to create linkage between the viewpoints, sentences and sections of your case study. One of the advantages of using this outline is that it will give you enough room to see the big picture and evaluate your ideas for their richness, convincing power and sustainability. It is important for the signpost outline, however, that you prepare the ground for the fundamentals ahead of time. Do not go into the specifics at this point, but simply see where you want to take the study, what you want to achieve with it and how you will organize it. Details will be added during the drafting phase. Introduction Introduce the case study by throwing light on what the study is about. Make sure to open it with an interesting perspective. If there are a range of problems you’d like to address, use words like firstly, secondly etc. to divide the problems into logical parts and tell the reader what you are going to address in the paragraphs to follow. Case Study Body: Paragraphs and Sections Make sure that the paragraphs and sections are logical extensions of what you said in the introduction. You can divide each problem/major topic into dedicated sections with separate headings, or you can make separate, dedicated paragraphs. Some of the words you can use to create linkages between sentence, paragraphs, and sections, include the following: if you want to add extra ideas, use words like furthermore, additionally, moreover etc.; if you want to make comparisons, use words like comparatively, relatively, otherwise etc.; if you want to make something evident, use words like obviously, because and certainly etc.; if you want to emphasize something, use words like absolutely, apparently, unavoidably, irrefutably. While summing up the sections and paragraphs, make sure to highlight the evidences. For example, you can use sentences like: it is proved that; hence it is clear that; what makes this approach effective is the fact that. Conclusion The conclusion of your case study will summarize all the important point of the study. To make the conclusion even more compelling, make sure to include your recommended solutions for the problems. For example you can say things like: as it is evident from the study that; this study makes it clear that the most important factors are; in order to resolve problem A, it is recommended that; this study concludes that; on the basis of the evidences narrated in this study, it is suggested that; it has been established that. The signpost outline has the potential to make your case study shine and turn it into an A grade paper. The outline is flexible, meaning that you can adapt it according to your specific requirements and situation. Good luck with it! Also, you can enjoy professionalism of our custom case study writing service.