Augustus Caesar and his rise to power essays

Augustus Caesar and his rise to power essays Augustus Caesars rise to power and transformation of the Roman Republic into the great Empire was able to happen because of his great ability to gain support from his military soldiers, the senate, and the people. His relationship with each varied, but ultimately lead to him becoming known as the creator of the Roman Empire. Through the gaining of well timed support from the senate, and retaining popularity with his army and the people he was able to gain the political power needed in order to give Rome the opportunity of changing into the Empire it came to be. Augustuss mass approval from the senate was the main reason how he gained enough power to take Rome to the next level and fully solidify it as a world power and one of the greatest Empires in world history. Augustuss speeches to the senate, was one of the ways in which he gained the respect as a leader. Having attained my highest hopes, members of the senate, what more have I to ask of the immortal gods that I may retain the same unanimous approval of yours to the very end of my life (page 53, DWP). He was also quite modest in receiving titles and accolades from the senate and by the people. By refusing titles early in his political career, he was perceived to be honest and his intentions to be in the best interest of the Republic and not his own power. However when he did accept the titles given to him and once he saw his power growing, this is when Augustus began to change Rome from the Republic it had been, and into the Empire it is most notably remembered for. The senate remain ed intact and still acted as it did during the past, but unless it gained the approval of Caesar, actions by the senate did not take place. And if someone was elected but was not seen fit to hold the position in the eyes of Caesar than that person would not hold office....yet he took care that no persons should hold office who were unfit or elected as the r...

Optical Illusions Essays - Brain, Cerebrum, Neuroanatomy

Optical Illusions Essays - Brain, Cerebrum, Neuroanatomy Optical Illusions My research paper is about the anatomy of an optical illusion. Optical Illusions are relevant to aviation in that the main guidance system of most aircraft on most flights is the pilot's eyes. Everyone, including pilots, is susceptible to an optical illusion. The hazards of optical illusions are many considering that at any time during the flight they can cause a healthy and experienced pilot to become confused, delusional and generally disoriented with obvious possible consequences. This is why we must study and be aware of optical illusions so that we may be better prepared should we encounter one at a critical time. To better illustrate the origins of optical illusions I will review some parts of the brain and their functions. The brain has seven main parts, they are: the thalamus, the hypothalamus, the cerebellum, the brain stem, the corpus callosum, the two hemispheres, and the largest part of the brain, the cerebrum. The thalamus is located just above the brain stem. It acts like a switchboard, deciding what to do with the messages that come to the brain. If you were reacting to a situation like flying in a dogfight, and radio chatter was coming through your headphones, your thalamus would ignore the radio chatter. The hypothalamus controls our emotions such as happiness and sadness. It also controls our sense of temperature and our feeling of hunger. It is located directly in front of the thalamus. It is also one of the organs that is fully developed when you are born. The cerebellum is the part of the brain that controls our muscles. When we are born, our cerebellums aren't fully developed. Thats why we didnt do things in a coordinated manner with our limbs. We moved shakily with our bodies because messages from another part of our brain called the cerebrum werent organized by the cerebellum. The brain stem is located at the back of the brain, right below the thalamus. It has the responsibility of taking care of involuntary movements such as breathing, blinking, and making our heart beat. The cerebrum is the largest part of our brain. It takes care of our motor skills such as speaking, walking, and writing. These skills are operated in the outside layer of the brain, called the cortex. It is the last part of the brain to develop and is unique only in humans. The cerebrum is divided into two halves, or hemispheres. Our major learning senses are located within the two hemispheres. The corpus callosum is the connector for the two hemispheres of the brain and sends messages between the hemispheres. Your corpus callosum is able to send about twenty messages per second and routes them to various nerve cells called neurons. The brain receives messages through these neurons. Scientists believe that for every ten billion cells in the body, one billion of them are neurons. Can you see a square? Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology discovered that an area of the brain previously thought to process only simple visual information also tackles complex images such as optical illusions. Research, conducted with animals, provided evidence that both the simple and more complex areas of the brain are involved in different aspects of vision and work cooperatively, rather than in a rigid hierarchy, as scientists previously believed. The Scientists compare vision to an orchestra, where clusters of cells in different parts of the brain cooperate to process different components of visual information such as vertical or horizontal orientation, color, size, shape, movement, and distinctions between overlapping objects. The MIT research focused on an area of the cerebral cortex, the outer layer of gray matter that envelops the entire brain called the primary visual cortex, also known as V1 and Area 17 of the brain. In humans that area is about five centimeters in diameter, about the size of four postage stamps and a couple millimeters deep on both sides of the rear of the head, just below the crown. The V1 area is the first point of entry in the brain's cortex of visual information from the eye's retina. Earlier the V1 was thought to be involved only in processing very simple spatial orientations, such as whether an object is placed

Team Building 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team Building 1 - Essay Example 2. Self-Directed Teams: Self Directed teams are self-managed and take the responsibility of completely managing the entire work segments or processes. In general, these are highly experienced, skilled and knowledgeable groups having considerable power in terms of directing, making decisions and ownership of the entire job (West, 2012) . Self directed teams can be found in companies as teams handling an entire production line or an entire category of brand. A self-directed team can be best utilized by cross-training activities that will help them in mastering their job. Cross-training will also allow better flexibility within the team thereby generating higher performance among team members (Cook, Mangla & Ummer, 2009). 3. Decision team: Decision teams are often found in highest positions in an organization. For instance, the board of directors or strategic management team handle importance decision making task such as setting organizational objectives, long-term and short term vision and strategies for sales and development of products and services. This team is also generally in charge of the strategic and financial plans. The decision team can be best utilized in creating external corporate contacts and developing networks for funding and long-term development and sustainability of the organization (Dyer, W.G., Dyer, Jr & Dyer, G. H. 2007). After consulting with numerous teams and conducting extensive research on the performance, analysts have discovered four â€Å"Cs† which teams need to understand as well as manage for achieving a superior performance. The four Cs are as follows; 1. Context: Context for teams refers to environment within the organization wherein a team must act. High performance teams are known to manage context in an efficient manner by 1) establishing team goals that are measurable, compelling and clear, 2) Making team work a critical component for achieving

Structured essay 2500 words, a critical analysis of the portrayal of

Structured 2500 words, a critical analysis of the portrayal of socio-cultural issues and physical education in the media - Essay Example A number of factors that help shape and determine these socio-cultural issues are the expectations of the community, laws, rules, and policies, economic as well as physical resources, ethical and technological factors. The media could as well be categorized under the technological factors. These factors will in the long run affect the attitudes, behaviors, and expectations that these people have over the relationships (Smith & O’Day, 1990). The media together with what could be described as popular culture often does portray unrealistic scenarios or images about these relationships and often does play a very crucial role in the persuasion process of the people within communities to try and conform to the social norms. The media could still be used as a destructive tool that hinders the achievement of these socio-cultural needs and that is why its portrayal of them is very vital thing to consider (Oleribe, 2005). In the movie Take the Lead, there are socio-culture issues that arise from the events in the movie and from individuals’ behaviors. These socio-culture issues include disadvantaged education and family. On the part of disadvantaged education, this can be well pointed out in the movie where the students in the detention like Rock, LaRhette and the others are seen as not performing well in terms of class education. Although they are not good in class performance, they are seen as having other talents that they can perform better. In this case their dancing skills are good and through practice, acceptance and determination, they dance through a highly competitive dancing competition where their performance is quite appreciated even by the school Principle James who makes the program permanent within the school and expands it to other schools. Family as a socio-cultural issue on the other hand is portrayed in this movie by how different individual characters have been brought up or are relating to their family members or the general

Global Business Environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Business Environment - Assignment Example At the same, there has been progressive scientific understanding into global warming as well as ways that this issue can be mitigated. There have been a lot of international conferences and seminars to educate people on its effects and things that can be done in order to mitigate its effects (Chatham, 2009, p. 34). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been active and effective in the study of global warming and its related effects. The panel researched and discovered that global warming is a result of an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the environment and the general stratosphere. Human beings play an important and active role in the accumulation of these gases in the environment through various activities and processes. The report by IPCC explained that of all the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide was the most prevalent contributor of global warming. At the same time, other different human activities like deforestation play a big role in the accumulation of carbon dioxide. Forests and vegetation cover usually use the excess carbon dioxide in their photosynthetic processes in a process called carbon dioxide fixation. This means that maintaining forest cover is an important step necessary in checking on the effects of global warming. However, people should try their level best in order to reduce on the energy that is released in the atmosphere, there should be effective and successful environmental campaigns aiming at sensitizing people on various methods of environmental management and conservation

Tourism PESTEL Analysis | Canary Islands

Tourism PESTEL Analysis | Canary Islands PESTEL PESTEL as acronym stands for political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors, which influence the processes within a n organization. It is an analysis, which concentrate on the environmental factors that influence the operational firm. Therefore, it is a mandatory and helping tool for managers to have better insights about the threats and opportunities and understand its majority that exist in a running business, which are affected by such factors. This analysis thus, provides a greater vision for managers for current and future purposes to compete on the market completely and effectively. The understanding of the environment that influences the business is crucial to have an overview and control of the organization to manage the plans with environmental effects. The firm, which does neglect the forces of environmental changes, hardly succeeds and survives the competition. The right apprehension of Pestel also provides a great strategy to managers about th e existing external forces that affecting the business environment. (P)olitical factors The political environment that exists in a nation can have tremendous impacts on the execution of a business including the lodging business. Governmental issues influence the day-by-day lives of numerous subjects all over the Canary Islands and companies it is a must to develop ways to adjust to the political circumstances in the nation. The political methodology received by a nation influences the quantity of nearby guests and their capacity to go around the nation. The hotel industry of Canary Islands is highly dependent on the local and international visitors. Year by year, the Canary Islands has been captivates a great amount of tourist from abroad. Canary Islands are Autonomous groups of Spain with a membership as well in the European Union. In the Council Decision of 20 June 2002 (2002/546/EC), taken on the basis of Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty, the Kingdom of Spain was authorised from 1 January 2002 until 31 December 2011 to exempt or reduce partially from the AIEM tax (Arbitrio sobre las Importaciones y Entregas de Mercancias en las islas Canarias) some products produced locally in the Canary Islands. The AIEM tax is generally imposed on products imported into or obtained in the Canary Islands. In the annex to the Council Decision is the list of products to which the above mentioned special measure applies. The difference in taxation between goods taxed on a regular basis and those to which is applied an exemption or partial reduction cannot be higher then 5%, 15% or 25% depending on the product. In the Council Decision of 20 June 2002 the reasons underlying the adoption of the special arrangements were presented. The main sources of the problems faced by the Canary Islands are isolation and fragmentation of the market. This causes various difficulties mainly connected with higher production costs (transport, energy, supplies of raw materials, treatment of waste, etc). It also contributes to the low diversification of the economy which is weaker and more susceptible to negative changes than European and global markets. In other words the special measures were introduced to counter disadvantages faced by the Canary Islands and thereby allowing the economy of the Islands to develop. They were especially targeted at strengthening domestic industry by increasing its competitive position, which is disadvantaged because of the location, structure and size of the market. Also, they are unable to benefit from globalisation. The AIEM aims at reducing those disadvantages of the market of the Canary Islands. Data provided by the Spanish Government shows that positive effects were observed after the special measures were introduced, however the problems underlying the special tax scheme continue to exist. Therefore continuation of special measures is justified. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:777c256b-adfe-11e3-86f9-01aa75ed71a1.0002.01/DOC_1format=PDF (E)conomic factors The second factor, which influences the working process and the accomplishment of Hotel Costa Calero is the economic ones. GDP growth forecast for 2015 and 2016 to 3.3% and 3.0% respectively. Overall, the greater economic dynamism encourages the creation of more than 60 000 jobs in the biennium 2015- 2016. the consolidation of the price of a barrel of oil at relatively low levels compared to the average of 2014 can be a significant boost to the Islands economy in 2015 and 2016 the European Central Bank surprised with a policy of quantitative expansion of higher volume than expected, and has left open the date of termination of the program. These actions will promote a reduction in financing costs to the private sector, especially in economies such as Spanish where fragmentation of the European financial system resulted in higher interest rates for households and firms in other eurozone countries. This will support growth in new credit operations and enhance the good performance of domestic demand. Depreciation of the euro against the dollar, that will put the exchange rate around $ 1.1 / â‚ ¬ 2015 on average BBVA Research estimates suggest that this depreciation of the euro 20% of its value in 2014 could boost the 0.8 pp Islands economy in 2015, the result of improved export competitiveness Canary faces several challenges, most notably an unemployment rate still above 30%. Return the regional appeal, increase the participation rate of young people and, above all, of those over 54 (see Box 3) and accelerate job creation consistent with increases in productivity must be considered a primary goal for the sake of reverse the divergence of per capita income about major European regions. On the revenue side, the approved budget reflects an increase in non-interest income of 3.5% compared to the initial forecasts of 2014, driven by increased resources Economic and Fiscal Regime of the Canary Islands (REF), which will be helped by the recovery in consumption and changes policy of the Tax on imports and delivery of goods in the Canary Islands (AIEM). The tourism sector is the main engine of the Islands economy (around 30% of GDP ) and, during the last five years, 2014 closed again, posting record figures in the number of visitors. Indeed, the Canaries received 11.4 million foreign tourists, up 8% from the previous year. By country, the UK (4 million) and Germany (2.7 million), remain the main source markets. Moreover, total tourist spending in the region also set a record with more than 14,200 million euros. This represents an increase of 7.1% %, the fall in the average stay (-0.3 days) it is primarily responsible for this development. Also, other factors help explain this phenomenon. Although geographically, the fall of stay has been widespread among the major source markets, this decline has been most pronounced among travelers aged between 45 and 64 years and tourists with high income levels, which added a decrease in daily spending, https://www.bbvaresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Situacion_Canarias_Abr15_Cap31.pdf (S)ocial Factors Canary Islands have a population of 2.104.815 wherefrom Lanzarote dispose of 141.940 inhabitants. Major percentage of this population is from Spaniard origin (109.178 in Lanzarote) and the rest of includes of German, Italian, Romanian, Moroccan, English, Columbian and from Chinese origin (These major nationalities from the population of Lanzarote are noted in the paper by their number of beyond one thousand from the residential nationality origin in 2014 (datosdelanzarote.com, 2014)). http://www.datosdelanzarote.com/itemDetalles.asp?idFamilia=9idItem=6531 This means, that Lanzarote is a culturally multiple island due to its historically and up to present migration into the island/s. The age structure in the Canarias is as follows; the age group from the total population under 16 is 22.2%, in Lanzarote is 27.3%, the working force from age 16 and under 65 is 56.9 in the Canary islands and 63.1% in Lanzarote from the citizens and finally people of age above 65 is 20.9% in the Canarias and 9.6% in Lanzarote (ine.es, 2014 and datosdelanzarote.com, 2014). http://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Datos.htm?t=2853 http://www.datosdelanzarote.com/itemDetalles.asp?idFamilia=6idItem=6648 Education in the Canary Islands is compulsory for children below the age of 16 (gobiernodecanarias.org, 2010), which is a free for this aged population. Primary education is compulsory, however the rate of school leavers is 35% of the population between age 18 and 24, which might be caused the inefficient share of knowledge, demands of skill obtaining, low levels of standard education, however, according to Social and Political Pact, by 2020-2025 85% of the population would be compulsory to dispose a certificate from intermediate education (ec.europa.eu, 2012). http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/studies/pdf/rup_migratory/canarias/ex_sum_canary_en.pdf http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/educacion/5/DGOIE/PublicaCE/docsup/Estudiar_en_Canarias_Ingles.pdf (T)echnology Technology is one of the variables that could directly influence the business operations. The use of development in IT helps to maintain a smooth communication and operation in the organization and with customers as well. It largely influences the marketing and promotion of the products, so the say the service. The way of communication is changing to web based techniques. Hotel Costa Calero can be reached through their official website and social media such as Facebook, however their website should develop their channel, because of their discomposing appearance from their disordered outlook. The location of Canary Islands make possible to get around it by plane only. There are eight airports altogether in the Canary Islands and have an extensive network of highways. Numerous airlines established long distance flights to the islands such as its low budget known Ryanair, which is a great opportunity for those visitors who have limited budget for vacations. There are large ferryboats that link islands as well as fast ferries linking most of the islands. The increased use of tablets and smartphones is creating a convergence of e- and m-payments. M-payments are increasing at a rapid pace with non-banks slowly increasing their share of transactions. From 2011-2015, m-payments are expected to grow by 60.8% to 47.0 billion transactions. The mobile payments space is increasingly competitive, with banks and non-banks striving for market dominance and consumer loyalty. The slight slowdown in e-payments growth (from 19.2% in 2012 to 15.4% in 2013, a total of 29.3 billion transactions) has been due to a shift towards m-payments use, driven by increased penetration of smart phones and the internet, advancements in technology, and innovative products and services. Going forward, e-payment transactions are expected to grow in Europe as progress is made on the European Union’s revised Payments Services Directive (PSD II). https://www.worldpaymentsreport.com/The-Convergence-of-E-and-M-Payments The Canary Islands have been able to transfer successfully to their African neighbours their own expertise and technological developments, mainly in the renewable energy and water technology sectors, for providing basic services such as electrification and water supply services to isolated rural communities. The Canary Islands Government is deploying in the region technology parks specialising in adaptive technologies for development. Water treatment:production of 600,000 m3desalinated water per day. The first desalinating plant in Spain was inaugurated in Lanzarote in 1965. Solar energy:more than 2,500 sunlight hours per year, with a radiation of 5-6 KWh/m2per day. Photovoltaic systems operate with the production of more than 1,700 hours. Wind power:constant winds with average speeds of 6 to 8 m/s provide wind farms the equivalent to 3,000-4,000 wind hours. Geothermal energy:there are two projects currently in progress. These renewable energies can be implemented into the hotel industry to Hotel Costa Calero specifically for electricity purposes and to expand and develop it to other firms and association for variant countries. http://www.canaryislandshub.com/en-us/sectors/naturallaboratory.aspx (E)nvironmental factors This factor became important in the last fifteen years because of increasing scarcity of raw material, pollution targets, doing business as an ethical and sustainable company, carbon footprint targets set by government. These are just some of the issues marketers are facing within this sector. More and more consumers are demanding that the products they buy are sources ethically and if possible from a sustainable source. The European Union emphasizes waste management as one of the most important issue of political movement with the elementary factors such as reduction in the volume of waste generated, optimization of recycling, reuse and safe disposal. Waste treatment Waste treatment companies2 , both of urban and non-urban origin, managed 44.9 million tonnes of waste in the year 2012, which is 10.0% more than the previous year. 96.1% of the managed waste corresponded to non-hazardous category, reaching 43.1 million tonnes (10.9% more than in 2011). Conversely, hazardous waste stood at 1.8 million tonnes (8.6% less than in 2011). Of the total waste, 53.6% was sent for recycling, 39.6% for dumping and 6.8% for incineration. In total, 24.1 million tonnes of waste were recycled in 2012, the main categories being Metallic (10.1 million tonnes), Paper and cardboard (4.9 millions) and Animal and plant (2.2 million) waste. In the Canary Islands altogether the population created 44.9 million tonnes of waste in 2012, which is increased compared with the previous year with 10%. 96.1% of the gathered waste complemented to non-hazardous category, which 43.1 million tones from the total. The hazardous waste from the total was 1.8 million tons. From the total waste 53.6 % was processed in recycling mode, 39.6 % was dumped and 6.8% was incinerated. This means, in total 24.1 million tons was recycled in 2012 wherefrom the waste was metallic (10.1 M), paper and cardboard (4.9 M) and animal and plant (2.2 M). (L)egal factor The Canary Islands have extremely transparent fiscal regulations, fully approved by the European Union and Double Treaty Agreements signed by Spain. Recently, several actions have been adopted to combat tax avoidance and offshore tax As an European region, the Canary Islands are subject to the European legal system, and, as an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, all the national regulations are applicable in their territory. The EU legal system has one of the highest standards of international legal security, which results in higher protection for companies based in the Canary Islands in many aspects, including data protection, free competition and financial regulations, evasion by the OECD and the G20 governments. These transparent fiscal regulations , administered by the Economic and Fiscal Regimen of the Canary Islands (REF), benefit companies through legal process cost reductions. Instead of VAT, Canary Islands use IGIC, which is an indirect tax and it makes possible to create and sustain efficient businesses among different countries that dispose with the ease and balance the isolated geographical location of the Canarias. http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/activity/outermost/doc/plan_action_strategique_eu2020_canarias_en.pdf Moreover, currently Costa Calero lacks of the mobile application service, which might be advised to keep up with this technological trend.

Everyday Use Essay: Sisters with Nothing in Common :: Everyday Use essays

Sisters with Nothing in Common in Everyday Use      Ã‚   When two children are brought up by the same parent in the same environment, one might logically conclude that these children will be very similar, or at least have comparable qualities. In Alice Walker's "Everyday Use," however, this is not the case. The only thing Maggie and Dee share in common is the fact that they were both raised by the same woman in the same home. They differ in appearance, personality, and ideas that concern the family artifacts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maggie is not as attractive as Dee. She is a thin and awkward girl. Her mother notes "good looks passed her by" (88). Furthermore, she carries herself like someone with low self-esteem, "chin on chest, eyes on ground" (87). On the other hand, Dee is an attractive woman. Her mother describes Dee as having, "nice hair and a full figure" (87). Dee takes pride in the her appearance. She dresses in fashionable clothes. When Dee arrives for her visit, her mother says, "Even her feet were always neat-looking" (88).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Besides their appearances, Maggie and Dee have unique personalities. When Maggie is first introduced in the story, she is nervous about her sister's visit. In fact, Dee's arrival makes Maggie so uncomfortable that she tries to flee to the safety of the house (88). Maggie is also intimidated by Dee, as shown when Maggie is unable to confront Dee about the quilts. Maggie gives in and says that Dee may have the quilts because she is not used to "winning" (91). Unlike Maggie, Dee is a bold young woman (88). As a young girl, Dee has never been afraid to express herself. Her mother remembers that "she would always look anyone in the eye. Hesitation was no part of her nature" (87). Dee also shows herself to be selfish when she sets her sights on the butter churn. Dee does not seem to care that her family is still using the churn. She states that she will "display part of it in her alcove, and do something artistic with the rest of it" (90).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The family artifacts are important to both Maggie and Dee, but for different reasons. Maggie values the family quilts for their sentiment and

Gerrymandering: United States and Congressional Apportionment Essay

Congressional Apportionment is the process by which the United States House of Representatives are redistricted the fifty states following each constitutionally mandated decennial census. Each state is guaranteed at least one seat and all the other seats are divided among the rest of the states based on their population. Congressional Apportionment is important to the states because the more representatives a state has the more influence they have in the House and vice versa the states do not want to lose seats in the House. Congressional redistricting is the process of redrawing district boundaries when a state has more representatives than districts. The Senate does not take part in the redistricting process. Redistricting occurs every ten years, with the national census. Gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular political party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts. In order to protect incumbents and to discourage challengers by creating a district that is more populated with a certain political ideology over another to insure a politician’s chance of winning. Gerrymandering is also used in order, to enhance a political party’s strength by having a certain political parties in a district to ensure that the Democrats or Republicans win every election. The Supreme Court has placed limits on racial gerrymandering and ensuring that the districts are equally populated. Racial gerrymandering is the drawing of a district to favor one racial group over another. The Supreme Court outlawed racial gerrymandering, which prevented Southern African Americans from voting and becoming the majority. The Supreme Court also disallows majority-minority districts. The Supreme Court has also ruled that the districts must be equally populated; the districts are required to have the same number of people, so each state takes the number of people they found in the census and divides that by the number of districts.

Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Introduction Scholars and business administrators agree that the activities of companies should be based on some moral judgment. Mere pursuit of profits is no longer acceptable for organizations that claim to be good corporate citizens. It is believed that business ethics and corporate social ethics should ensure that companies are managed in ways that benefit the whole of society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay is aimed at examining this claim. In particular, it is possible to argue that this requirement should be specified and limited. Businesses can benefit the entire community by offering excellent services or good. Moreover, they should eliminate or minimize possible risks to the wellbeing of the community. However, managers cannot possibly predict the effects of business activities on the whole of society since such effects may be difficult to trace. The main task of CSR and business ethics is to eliminate various malpractices that can harm the interests of various stakeholders such as clients, employees, or community. Certainly, for-profit organizations can bring some improvements into the live of the community, by creating jobs or participating in charity; however, the capabilities of companies are limited and managers should also think about the profitability and the interests of the shareholders. On the whole, one can say that business ethics and CSR should act as safeguards against various dangers, but people should not think that businesses should responsible for the wellbeing of the entire community. In this paper I would like to illustrate how corporate social responsibility and business ethics can be applied by modern businesses. The first section will examine the reasons why many companies chose to follow to the principles of CSR and business ethics. I will also speak about the stake holder theory that explains how enterprises interact with the community. The second section will discuss the role of business as beneficiaries. In particular, it is necessary to show that companies cannot always benefit the whole of society, because they should also think about their organizational performance and profitability. Finally, I will discuss more specific applications of business ethics and CSR.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The origins of CSR and business ethics First, it should be noted that such concepts as corporate social responsibility and business ethics emerged as a response to the criticism to which businesses have often been subjected by journalists, political activists or lawyers. They were supposed to reconcile the needs of businesses and the communities in which they operated. Their goal was to make companies more accountable to the commun ity. More importantly, business ethics and CSR had to eradicate various malpractices of for-profit organizations. In particular, one can mention such issues as failure to ensure the safety of workers or low wages (Morgan 2006, p. 306). Moreover, businesses are often blamed for the failure to support the needs of workers, for instance, one can mention female workers who must care about their children (Pocock 2005, p. 32). Furthermore, modern companies are obliged to think about the work-life balance of workers (Pocock 2005b, p. 198). Thus, business ethics and CSR enable businesses and employees to reach some kind of a compromise. Apart from that, companies have to respond to the pressure of governmental institutions. They are forced to respond to such issues as corporate fraud, environmental pollution, or dishonest financial reporting. Many societies have raised the performance standards for modern enterprises. Some malpractice like wage discrimination or environmental pollution are no longer acceptable either for the government or the community. Therefore, the principles of CSR and business ethics are supposed to eliminate such malpractices that can harm the interest of various stakeholders. They have to shield businesses from public criticism, law suits or governmental action. This is one of the reasons why many business leaders are favorable of CSR. Yet, it would be an exaggeration to say that they are concerned about the benefit of the whole community. Even the most ardent critics of corporations do not say that they have to bring improvements to the entire society. The problem is that the society is a very comprehensive term that includes every person living within a certain geographical area as well as institutions that have been created by the members of the community. Thus, one can ask how exactly companies are obliged to benefit the whole of society. The thing is that there is no ethical imperative requiring business to think about the wellbeing of eve ry person. Such a task is hardly possible for individuals or organizations. Certainly, one can say that companies can benefit these people mostly by providing good products or services or minimizing hypothetical dangers of their activities. Moreover, they can donate to various construction projects and even give money to the construction of roads or bridges (Banerjee 2009, p. 1555).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Yet, it is difficult to argue that business administrators have to think only about the benefit of the community. They should also be concerned with the profitability of the enterprise and the interests of stockholders. Provided that they do not cope with this task, the very sustainability of many companies can be at risk. This is another argument that should not be overlooked. It should be noted that such notions as corpo rate social responsibility and business ethics take their origins in the stakeholder theory. According to this approach companies should not be seen only as isolated agents that merely deliver goods or services to clients. More likely, they should be regarded as entities that can impact a variety of stakeholders, for instance, buyers, workers, or community. It is possible to refer to such an author as Joel Bakan (2005) who believes that corporations are probably the most important institutions in the world since they shape practically every area of human life (p. 5). Furthermore, business administrators should also take into account that these stakeholders can significantly affect the performance of any organization. For instance, clients, who believe that a company neglects their safety needs, may simply use the products or services a different company. This is why corporate executives should understand that unethical practices can eventually result in the loss of profits. Corporat e social responsibility and business ethics are importance because they show how companies should interact with various stakeholders. However, CSR or business ethics do not eliminate the idea that companies have to make profits. More importantly, the promotion of public welfare must not harm the financial aspects of performance. This is why people should not assume that companies will act as social beneficiaries. This is the main issues that should be taken into account. Admittedly, managers should not regard themselves as â€Å"morally neutral characters† (Roberts 1984, p. 288). They cannot exclude ethical consideration from the decision-making process (Watson 2003, p. 169). The thing is that they can gain the trust of other employees by showing that they adhere to certain ethical principles such as integrity.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Similarly, companies can gain the trust of customers by demonstrating that they genuinely care about their needs. Nonetheless, one cannot oblige them to think only about the welfare of the welfare of the community. Such a requirement will not be feasible. Thus, people should not put rely on those corporate executives who argue that they are concerned only with the benefit of the public since such claims are not always substantiated. Beneficiary role of companies and its limitations At this point, it is important to discuss some limitations of CSR and business ethics. Special attention should be paid to the ability of businesses to bring improvements to the community. However, firms have responsibilities to their stockholders who want organizations to be run effectively. The general premise is companies are obliged to create certain benefits for the community. Thus, the question arises how they should do it. First of all, they are supposed to provide goods and services that can creat e some value for people. This is probably the most important requirement and the sustainability of every company depends on its ability to create this value. Nevertheless, this requirement is a necessity, rather than a moral obligation. Businesses do not CSR or business ethics in order to remember about it. Secondly, it is possible the creation of jobs. This is one of the most important benefits that firms can bring to the society. In this way, they can improve the welfare of the population by increasing their purchasing power. However, there is a significant limitation of this requirement. The thing is that the development of technologies enables businesses to reduce the number of workers and eventually improve their cost-efficiency. In many cases, they no longer need to hire more workers. The performance of a company is assessed according to its cost-efficiency, and many organizations try to reduce their labor force and employ only those people who can best contribute to organizat ional success. Thus, business administrators are not morally obliged to think about the creation of jobs, since they should also think about the productivity. Therefore, there is some conflict between the needs of for-profit organizations and the needs of the society. In some cases, the most efficient business practices can harm some members of the community. This is the critical issue that people should take into account. If managers take business ethics and CSR to their extreme, they may endanger the interests of shareholders. Additionally, it is assumed that businesses are obliged to promote diversity and empower those people who were previously discriminated, for instance, on the basis of race, gender or disability (Strachan, French, Burgess, 2009, p. 18). One of their roles is to reduce inequalities existing in the society. To some degree, this requirement is quite legitimate because even nowadays a great number of people may be disadvantaged due to some reasons. For instance, some industries are called male-dominated; in particular, one can mention auditing industry (Jonnengard, Stafsudd, Elg 2010, p. 722). Besides, many people may not secure employment because of their disability. This is why companies should promote affirmative action which is required by legislation (Ainsworth, Knox, O’Flynn, 2010, p. 660). Nevertheless, one should take into account, businesses have to hire the most skilled and motivated candidates. HR professionals have to look at the experience of an employee, and his/her skills. They are the most important criteria. Therefore, companies cannot employ a person only because he/she represents an ethical or racial group that was previously discriminated or disadvantaged. Thus, the corporate social responsibility of enterprises has some limitations. One should expect that companies will be willing to promote social justice at the expense of their performance. Thirdly, some supporters of corporate social responsibility may beli eve that businesses should participate in charitable activities or support volunteer projects. Some organizations may be engaged in such activities, but management should also think about daily operations and expenses of a company. Thus, promotion of community welfare should not be done at the expense of efficiency. On the whole, these examples are important because they should that there are some limits to corporate social responsibility. The critics of corporations have to remember that the very existence of these corporations depends on their profitability. In this regard, one can refer to such a company as Shell that currently operates in Nigeria (Banerjee 2009, p. 1555). It has contributed to the construction of roads, hospitals or power utilities in the country (Banerjee 2009, p. 1555). Yet, it is believed that the operations of this company do really contribute to the welfare of the population. In this case, the problem is that many corporations have to work with very corrupt governments, and even when they contribute to charity, other people may not see any significant improvement because the money of the corporation will not be used appropriately. This case shows that the welfare of population does not depend only on the activities of private businesses, even if they are powerful international corporations. Surely, CSR and business ethics emphasize social performance of firms, but governments still remain responsible for welfare of individuals. It has to be their major concern. There is another reason why people should not expect that CSR and business ethics are supposed to benefit the whole of society. The problem is that this formulation is too vague; it does not describe how exactly companies are supposed to act or who they should benefit. This lack of clarity is the main reasons why many people are skeptical about the usefulness of CSR and business ethics. The problem is that too many executives often claim that their companies are responsible cor porate citizens. However, they do not tell what exactly they do in order to benefit the community. However, in many cases, their words may just be a form of pretence. This is why people should be very specific when they identify the goals or corporate social responsibility and business ethics. Specific applications of business ethics and CSR Thus, people should pay more attention to the specific applications of CSR and business ethics. As it has been said before, the main rationale for these safeguards is to create an environment in which malpractices will not be possible. In particular, one can speak about such activities as wage discrimination of workers, corporate fraud, inside trading, violation of customers’ rights and so forth. The principles of business ethics should act as guidelines for every employee of an organization. Managers and corporate executives have to make sure that the interests and rights of their stakeholders are put under threat. Overall, various corpo rate scandals highlight the need for business ethics and CSR. For example, one can refer to case of Enron (Bakan 2005, p. 23). This example eloquently demonstrates that lack of meaning ethical judgment can lead to the failure of the company and significant losses for its investors (Bakan 2005, p. 23). Thus, the principles of corporate social responsibility are adopted in order to reduce the risk of corporate fraud that may threaten investors, employees, pension funds, and so forth. Additionally, CSR and business ethics are supposed to help individuals who may be forced to act in an immoral way. As it is pointed out by High Willmott (1993) corporate cultures can sometimes become too totalitarian and a person may be pressured to comply with the decisions or values of the group even if some of these decisions are not ethical (p. 521). Some organizations may become too authoritarian and they can view stakeholders only as economic objects (Knights Roberts 1982, p. 51). Thus, business et hics is aimed at minimizing the influence of peer pressure because this influence is not always beneficial. According to the famous psychologist Stanley Milgram (1974), people are more likely to commit immoral acts when they feel that some authority figure will take responsibility for their actions (p. 21). Companies that adopt the principles of business ethics and CSR try to make sure that people feel free to express their opinions when they feel that some decisions are not ethical. Another application of business ethics and CSR may be related to the labor practices of an organization. For example, some companies operating in economically advanced countries employ very people from Africa or Eastern Europe and these individuals may be reduced to the status of slaves since they have no civil rights and they cannot refer to any governmental authority (Bales 2012, p. 12). This is the main tragedy. In his article, Bill Cooke (2003) speaks about the legacies of slavery and the practices used by managers in the ante-bellum America (p. 1895). The thing is that slavery has not been eradicated in the modern workplace. This problem can be effectively addressed if there is proper legislation. Moreover, corporate executives who adhere to the rules of ethics and CSR will ensure that none of company’s divisions is engaged in unlawful labor practices. These examples illustrate specific applications of business ethics and corporate social responsibility. Provided that organizations use them as safeguard, they can protect themselves against many risks such as governmental fines or poor publicity. Moreover, they can benefit employees, stockholders, or customers. If business administrators choose to focus on more specific tasks, the work of many organizations can be improved. Conclusion On the whole, this discussion leads to several important points. First of all, business ethics and CSR should be regarded as a system of checks and balances that have to prevent or minimiz e the risk of malpractices within the company. They should ensure that companies adhere to the principles of integrity or openness. Business administrators have to avoid any harm to clients, workers, or environment. This is the most important requirement. Certainly, they can bring such benefits as reduction of inequality, charity, or promotion of employee’s rights. However, they should also be concerned with the maximization of revenues. So, corporate social responsibility and business ethics cannot guarantee that companies strive to benefit the whole of society. This promise may not be fulfilled. Instead they should ensure that no harm is done to the community. In particular, these safeguards should protect long-term interests of various stakeholders who are dependent on private businesses. If this approach is adopted, CSR and business ethics will be much more effective. References Ainsworth, S., Knox, A. O’Flynn, J 2010, ‘A Blinding Lack of Progress’: M anagement Rhetoric and Affirmative Action’, Gender, Work and Organization, vol. 17 no. 6, pp.658-678. Bakan, J 2005, The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, Simon Schuster, New York. Bales, K 2012, Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy, Updated with a New Preface, University of California Press, Berkeley. Banerjee, S 2009, Necrocapitalism, Organization Studies, vol. 29 no. 12, pp. 1541-1563. Cooke, B 2003 ‘The Denial of Slavery in Management Studies’, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 40 no. 8, pp. 1885-1918. Jonnengard, K., Stafsudd, S., Elg U 2010, ‘Performance Evaluations as Gender Barriers in Professional Organizations: A Study of Auditing Firms’, Gender, Work and Organization, vol. 17 no. 6, pp. 721-741. Knights D. Roberts J 1982, ‘The Power of Organizations or the Organization of Power’, Organization Studies, vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 47-63. Milgram, S 1974, Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View, Taylor Francis, New York. Morgan, G 2006, Images of Organization, SAGE, London. Pocock, B 2005, ‘Work/Care Regimes: Institutions, Culture and Behaviour and the Australian Case.’ Gender, Work and Organization, vol. 12 no. 1, pp. 32-49. Pocock, B 2005b, ‘Work–life ‘balance’ in Australia: Limited progress, dim Prospects’, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol. 43 no. 2, pp. 198-209. Roberts, J 1984, ‘The moral character of management practice’, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 21 no. 3, pp. 287-302. Strachan, G., French, E., Burgess J 2009, Managing Diversity in Australia: Theory and Practice, The McGrow-Hill Companies, Sydney. Watson, T 2003, ‘Ethical choice in managerial work: The scope for moral choices in an ethically irrational world’, Human Relations, vol. 56 no. 2, pp. 167-185. Willmott, H 1993, ‘Strength is Ignorance, Slavery is Freedom: Managing Culture in Modern Organizations†™, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 30 no. 4, pp. 515-552.

How the Government Goes essays

How the Government Goes essays A democracy is a system of government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representative. Democracy means people for the people, so loosely translated, democracy is ruled by the people. There are three types of democracy; Direct or Participatory Democracy, Democratic Centralism, Representative Democracy. Direct Democracy is a democratic system of government in which all citizens participate in politics and decision making. Democratic Centralism is the form of government, which operates on the premise that a government is democratic if it serves the true interests of the people, is associated with communist regimes of the twentieth century. Representative Democracy is the most common democratic form in modern times. Instead of allowing all of the eligible citizens to participate in the government, a small number are elected to serves as representative. Democracy (Greek demos,the people; kratein, to rule), political system in which the people of a country rule through any form of government they choose to establish. In modern democracies, supreme authority is exercised for the most part by representatives elected by popular suffrage. The representatives may be supplanted by the electorate according to the legal procedures of recall and referendum, and they are, at least in principle, responsible to the electorate. In many democracies, such as the United States, both the executive head of government and the legislature are elected. In typical constitutional monarchies such as the United Kingdom and Norway, only the legislators are elected, and from their ranks a cabinet and a prime minister are chosen. Although often used interchangeably, the terms democracy and republic are not synonymous. Both systems delegate the power to govern to their elected representatives. In a republic, however, these officials are expected to act on their own best judgment of the needs and int...

Aristotle's Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Aristotle's Responsibility - Essay Example If a person put his hand up and another one comes along and pulls it down that act could be described as an involuntary action. Conversely, if a person gave another food or drink that resulted in killing him unknowingly then, that could be said to be an involuntary action. Thus, an involuntary action does not shape the quality of a person as it is not an action that is done out of will (Höffe 97). Voluntary actions practiced by human beings shape their character, and how they deal with others, thus making some of them appear just, and others unjust depending on the situation that they are associated with. Apparently, actions shape peoples’ character and define them as who they are with regard to what they do. For instance, a harpist is a character that is associated with playing the harp, not by just theoretically being a harpist. The constant practicing and perfecting of playing the harp are what causes someone to be a harpist. None of the human being’s virtues of character come naturally. If anything, human beings are born with the ability to acquire them, and then use them through habits (Höffe 107). Never the less, habits allow us to perform virtues, but habituation cannot bring something by nature from one condition into another. According to Aristotle, the objection made at 1114B denotes that no one is answerable for their deeds because they feel their actions are the best for them. Any person who has the normal character to perform what is best for him or she automatically becomes a good person. Coincidentally, how a conclusion appears to someone is natural. This means that the purpose for everything someone does primarily appears as a good idea to them. People do not understand the impact of their actions but are more interested in attaining their means (Höffe 103).

Birth Control Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Birth Control Policy - Essay Example For instance, some theories such as the public choice theory put more emphasis and focus at the level of individuals rather than focusing on the institutional level. The public policy making process is normally at the heart of effective services provision. It has been stated that the process of policy making normally occurs six major phases (Howlett, et al 2009). These are agenda setting, decision making, policy formulation, implementation, evaluation and finally termination or renewal. Health is a matter of public interest. For this reason the government involvement in matters concerning health is usually to a greater extent. The government normally formulates policies for different reasons. Some policies are normally formulated for the purpose of population control. Population control is actually the essence of birth control. The health policy is triggered by the desire and need to address several issues. These are broadly explained as; the health care policy seeks to be comprehensive enough to include the highest number of the citizens possible. This is one of the reasons why some people were saying that implementation of the policy will be very expensive and might cause the tax payer a lot of money. Coverage does not necessarily mean access. These two can be mutually exclusive. For instance, a person might be under the coverage of a certain health care scheme but for some other reason fails to gain access. Coverage also means a wider scope of the provisions of the insurance and other health plans. For instance, there is a new federal directive that requires insurance plan to also provide for birth control. The policy also seeks to ensure that the health care being accorded is quite affordable to everyone. This stems from the notion that health care is a very essential service that each and every person should have access to. For this reason it is important that the health care cost is affordable. Health care is a very important service. This can