Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Business and society are interdependent. The wellbeing of one depends on the wellbeing on the other. Companies engaged in CSR are reporting benefits to their reputation and their bottom line. We cannot build the case for CSR solely because of its economic benefits an ethical case must be made for companies taking responsibility for the impact of their relations with society and the environment, otherwise the foundations of CSR will be far too narrow. However, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming an increasingly significant category by which a companys reputation is evaluated. A variety of social and environmental issues across a broad spectrum of industries have recently been covered in the media all of which directly affect a companys reputation and all of which can be considered part of the larger CSR equation. Whether CSR is considered merely the latest trend in business management or whether it is laying the foundation for a newly advanced way of doing business, a brief overview of recent business news and corporate communications shows that CSR is certainly a relevant factor for how a company positions itself in the marketplace. CSR There is no universally agreed statement of just what CSR means and implies, and ideas on the subject are still developing. All the same, a common body of policy has now taken shape and won general approval among those who favors the approach. According to this way of thinking, a combination of recent changes on the world scene and pressures from public opinion now requires businesses to take on a new role, a newly defined mission. They should play a leading part in achieving the shared objectives of public policy and making the world a better place. In doing so, they should embrace the notion of corporate citizenship. They should run their affairs, in close conjunction with a group of different stakeholders, to pursue the common goal of sustainable development. Sustainable development is said to have three dimensions-economic, environmental and social. Hence, companies should set objectives, measure their performance, and have that performance independently audited, in relation to all three. They should aim to meet the triple bottom line, rather than focusing narrowly on profitability and shareholder value. All this applies to privately owned businesses in general and in particular to large multinational enterprises. Only by acting in this way can companies respond to societys expectations. Making such a positive response is presented as the key to long-run commercial success for individual corporations in todays world. This is because profits depend on reputation, which in turn depends increasingly on being seen to act in a socially responsible way. Thus taking the path of CSR will in fact be good for enterprise profitability: it will bring and sustain support and custom from outside the firm, and make for greater loyalty and keenness from its employees. To embrace corporate citizenship represents enlightened self-interest on the part of business. There is also a wider dimension, going beyond the individual corporation. The adoption of CSR by businesses generally is seen as necessary to ensure continuing public support for the private enterprise system as a whole. Corporate social responsibility Corporate social responsibility is necessarily an evolving term that does not have a standard definition or a fully recognized set of specific criteria. With the understanding that businesses play a key role on job and wealth creation in society, CSR is generally understood to be the way a company achieves a balance or integration of economic, environmental and social imperatives while at the same time addressing shareholder and stakeholder expectations. CSR is generally accepted as applying to firms wherever they operate in the domestic and global economy. The way businesses engage/involve the shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, governments, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and other stakeholders is usually a key feature of the concept. While business compliance with laws and regulations on social, environmental and economic objectives set the official level of CSR performance, CSR is often understood as involving the private sector commitments and activities that extend beyond this foundation of compliance with laws. From a progressive business perspective, CSR usually involves focusing on new opportunities as a way to respond to interrelated economic, societal and environmental demands in the marketplace. Many firms believe that this focus provides a clear competitive advantage and stimulates corporate innovation. CSR is generally seen as the business contribution to sustainable development, which has been defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and is generally understood as focusing on how to achieve the integration of economic, environmental, and social imperatives. CSR also overlaps and often is synonymous with many features of other related concepts such as corporate sustainability, corporate accountability, corporate responsibility, corporate citizenship, corporate stewardship, etc. CSR commitments and activities typically address aspects of a firms behavior (including its policies and practices) with respect to such key elements as; health and safety, environmental protection, human rights, human resource management practices, corporate governance, community development, and consumer protection, labor protection, supplier relations, business ethics, and stakeholder rights. Corporations are motivated to involve stakeholders in their decision-making and to address societal challenges because todays stakeholders are increasingly aware of the importance and impact of corporate decisions upon society and the environment. The stakeholders can reward or punish corporations. Corporations can be motivated to change their corporate behavior in response to the business case, which a CSR approach potentially promises. This includes: 1)Stronger financial performance and profitability (e. g. hrough eco- efficiency), 2)Improved accountability to and assessments from the investment community, 3)Enhanced employee commitment, 4)Decreased vulnerability through stronger relationships with communities, 5)Improved reputation and branding. Historical context The view that a business can have obligations that extend beyond economic roles is not new in many respects. Throughout recorded history, the roles of organizations producing goods and services for the marketplace were frequently linked with and include political, social, and/or military roles. For example, throughout the early evolutionary stages of company development in England (where organizations such as the Hudson Bay Company and the East India Company received broad mandates), there was a public policy understanding that corporations were to help achieve societal objectives such as the exploration of colonial territory, setting up settlements, providing transportation services, developing bank and financial services, etc.. During the nineteenth century, the corporation as a business form of organization evolved rapidly in the US. It took on a commercial form that spelled out responsibilities of the board of directors and management to shareholders (i. e. fiduciary duty). In this later evolutionary form, public policy frequently addressed specific social domains such as health and safety for workers, consumer protection, labour practices, environmental protection, etc. Thus, corporations responded to social responsibilities because they were obligated to comply with the law and public policy. They also responded voluntarily to market demands that reflected consumer morals and social tastes. By the mid-point of the twentieth century, business management experts such as Peter Drucker and being considered in business literature were discussing corporate social responsibility in the US. In 1970, economist Milton Friedmann outlined his view that the social responsibility of corporations is to make profits within the boundaries of societal morals and laws (but cautioned that socially responsible initiatives by corporations could lead to unfocused management directions, misallocations of resources, and reduced market competition, opportunity and choice). CSR emerged and continues to be a key business management, marketing, and accounting concern in the US, Europe, Canada, and other nations. In the last decade, CSR and related concepts such as corporate citizenship and corporate sustainability have expanded. This has perhaps occurred in response to new challenges such as those emanating from increased globalization on the agenda of business managers as well as for related stakeholder communities. It is now more a part of both the vocabulary and agenda of academics, professionals, non-governmental organizations, consumer groups, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and nvestors. Diversity of Perspectives The following summaries of perspectives of different organizations serve to indicate the diversity of views on CSR that exist in Canada and around the world. They reflect the challenges and opportunities for both the public and private sectors to effectively operationalize and align CSR between domestic, continental and international levels. They also indicate the challenges and opportunities to develop the most appropriate relationships between shareholders and other stakeholders as well as to use the optimal policy mix of legislative and voluntary instruments.

A Medical Experience :: essays research papers

A Medical Experience It was the end of a normal day at the station. The medics are just getting to bed after running a half a dozen calls for an assorted minor medical and trauma problems. The paperwork was finished. The reports were entered into the computer. The truck was even restocked. They were just about into dreamland but, as with most nights at this particular station, sleep was not to be. Several miles away, in a small, well kept apartment, Angie Briggs, a eighty-year-old woman awoke to the feeling that the life-giving air was being denied to her. She tried to sit up, but the feeling would not subside. Walking made it worse. She also noticed that, even though the temperature in her room was comfortable, she was dripping with sweat. The longer that she waited, the harder it became to breath. So, realizing the fact that her doctor was probably asleep, she did the next logical step, she called her daughter, who lives in another state. The daughter realized that her mother needed more help than she could give over the phone, tried to persuade the mother to call an ambulance, which, of course, the mother refused to do, stating that it wasn't necessary. The daughter then took it upon herself to call EMS from her own house. The medics were notified of the problem through the usual method, a series of tones over a radio that cause a loud horn to blare and all the station lights to come on, much to the annoyance of the fire lieutenant. This alarm was immediately followed by the dispatchers voice giving all the applicable information on this call. "Med unit 2, respiratory call, 103 Royal Terrace Boulevard, apartment 7, in reference to a 80 year old woman with shortness of breath." Not that the EMS crew were listening at this point. They are busy getting into their jumpsuits and putting their boots on. It does not matter if they are eating, sleeping, watching TV, or even taking a shower, they are required to be in the ambulance and en route to the scene within two minutes. "Med Two's en route." Stated EMT Jennifer Meyers in a sleepy voice " Copy med 2 is en route to 103 Royal Terrace Blvd., apartment 7." Now they are listening. "This is in reference to a 80 year-old female who is in severe respiratory distress. Received the call from her daughter that is out of state. Patient sounds very short of breath." "Copy" "I'm pretty sure that it is in the first entrance into the apartment

Job Analysis Interview

A job analysis is the purposeful, systematic process for collecting information on the important work-related aspects of a job. An employer needs as much information as they can get to put together a description of the job. The employer will need to observe, interview, and question the right person for the job that meets their requirements. This helps the analyst to collect the information that provides a thorough picture of the job and the duties of the job. Below are the results of a direct interview with Dale Root who is a driver for Weatherford International, LTD. Weatherford is one of the largest global providers of the advanced products and services. They have more than 900 service facilities in the world. Dale is a truck driver that has been employed with Weatherford for three years now. This interview was conducted on May, 10, 20011, at Weatherford facility in Lindsay, Oklahoma. Weatherford) Dale Root is known as the top driver of Weatherford, and is their mechanic also of all the vehicles there at the Lindsay, Oklahoma yard. The company offers advanced product and services that span the drilling, evaluation, completion, production and intervention cycles of oil and natural gas. Weatherford has over 1,000 services areas that are being used in the United States and Global area. (www. weatherford. com) Dale Root is directly involved with delivering the tools to all locations in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas area. Dale is also responsible for maintaining the mechanical issues with all the trucks, pickups, and the work over rigs. If a truck breaks down, they call Dale in to fix it. According to Dale, the company has come a long way in the analyst area since he first started with the company in 2008. At first they did not have a correct evaluation system in place for they were often losing their information for direction and location areas. All with the location time that the hands must be on location at a certain time or they lose the job. In closing of the interview with Dale, He told me that his supervisor name is Tony Springman, who is the main person that actually does the evaluation on the new hires. They are very thorough with the hiring process of the company for they do a back ground check on you to make sure that you have no felonies on your record and to make sure that the person don’t have no more than three moving violations on their record. In closing, there is so much information that is available about Weatherford International LTD. On the internet and you can contact the human resources in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for more information about the company. Tony Springman is the person to get into contact with here at the Lindsay, Oklahoma yard for a job application and to start the process of getting hired on with Weatherford. An analysis really must be done as accurately as possible and must always be kept current.

Music Essay - 936 Words

Mozart, Wofgang Amadeus (1756-1791) Austrian born, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was regarded to be the greatest child prodigy the world has ever known. At age four, he heard his older sister playing a harpsichord minuet. Mozart begged his father to let him try the piece, and by ear, he played the piece perfectly. Throughout his life, tragedy struck. He was one of the most talented composers ever to walk the face of the earth, yet he led a life filled with much unhappiness. Upon traveling to Italy, Mozart fell in love with the Italian opera. One of his most famous peras is The Escape from the Seraglio, in which the heroine was named after his wife Constanze. Although many of the people in Vienna greatly praised this opera, Mozarts patron,†¦show more content†¦Although the strangers motives and identity were unclear, Motzart began writing the Requiem Mass that was requested. When it was half finished, Mozarts sickness took a turn for the worse, and he died. The Requiem Mass would be his last composition. When he died the piece included (including Requeim Aeternam, Kyrie Eleison, Dies Irae, and Confutatis, Lacrimosa. Although he only lived to age 35, Mozart is regarded as a prominent musical genius. Basso continuo, or figured bass, was purely an instrumental concept. It is music that is played by one or more bass instruments and a keyboard instrument. Basso continuo gave bass parts an importance of their own in all areas of ensemble music. It is one of the most distinct features of the Baroque Era as a whole. The third movement in the classical sonata was called the menuetto or minuet. It was written in a moderately fast tempo, played in the tonic key, and was written in three-four. The minuet had three sections: minuet, trio, and a repeat of the minuet. In a sonata with three movements, the minuet was left out or omitted. In some of Haydn and in most of Beethoven’s works in sonata form, the third movement was called a scherzo. It utilized the same aspects of the minuet, but was more humorous in nature. Sometimes the two middle movements were reversed, so that the minuet came second and the slow movement third. In a three movement composition, the minuet or scherzo was omitted. At the end of the 1500s, aShow MoreRelatedMusic : Music And Music949 Words   |  4 Pagesdefinition of music is very different to many people. Some say that music is the arrangement of sound and silence. Others like myself say music is that and much more. Music is an aural form of art that is used to express emotion and touch the hearts of the listener through the use of phrasing, dynamics, style and tone color. Music is a very universal art form. There are not many people in this world who do not listen to at least some form of music weather it be pop or rock music on the radio, orRead MoreThe Music Of Music And Music1518 Words   |  7 Pageswill be. For instance, in the music section of my Perceiving the Performing Arts class, our Professor made the class, consisting of musicians and non-musicians, sing the next chord that he was going to play and we all successfully did. Just like with language, in a simple sentence we can assume the next word. Like in this sentence â€Å"the piano is out of __,† we expect the next word to be â€Å"tune.† This is because there’s some kind of neural connection that we have between music and pleasure. So how doesRead MoreMusic And The Music Of Music1929 Words   |  8 Pagesbeen in both chorus and band, along with general music classes through fifth grade. Although, I did not have very much knowledge on music history or the many different music composers. My knowledge in music was mainly revolved around music theory and harmony. When the semester began I was not positive what was in store for me, however what I was sure about was two things. One, I would love whatever we learn for I have a deeply rooted love for music. And two, I would leave this class with an abundanceRead MoreThe Music Of Music902 Words   |  4 PagesMusic collections is one of the most important stage in multimedia content and the collections are very huge. A single iPod can hold as many as 10,000 songs, such collections are searched by title, composer and performer, which allows for basic storage retrieval of music. This system contains many features which include 1) Harmony 2) Rhythm 3) Instrumentation Access to this features supports in turn benefits individuals: 1. Tell me the song that goes. (query by example) 2. Could you increase theRead MoreMusic, Music And Music1293 Words   |  6 Pagessociety has evolved, but through music. It has been a vessel used to evince key emotions when words do not seem to be enough. The dulcet hum of the violin or even the sharp notes from an electric guitar are more than enough to express those intangible, yet impressionable feelings that cannot be fully appreciated through words. However, combine words and music together and the composer has a tool that can awaken a thousand souls all at once. Over the millenniums, music has had a profound ability toRead MoreMusic Influences On The Music1508 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Nowadays listening to music is a widespread phenomenon all over the world. People tend to listen to it on a daily basis wherever they are: in a public transport, gym, shop and etc. As well as bringing the relaxation effect, music can help to concentrate better while studying or working or even bring an inspiration. Moreover, according to scientists, our brain tends to react on our favourite music in the same way as it would react on some delicious food or a psychoactive drugRead MoreClassical Music And The Music1478 Words   |  6 Pagesattention of everyone in the music hall. The conductor, Evan Feldman, and the UNC Symphonic and Woodwind Orchestra at Memorial Hall elegantly performed several classical pieces that was widely enjoyed by classical enthusiasts and family members. The concert supplied the audience with a night that at times, brought calmness and serenity, but at others gave abrupt aggression and force. Today, classical music is considered traditional and one of the earliest forms of music played in concert halls. ThusRead MoreMusic And Dance And Music Essay1555 Words   |  7 PagesThere is no denying that when decent music is playing people cannot help but get in the dancing mood. Studies show that people, even when still in the womb, react to music. This reaction just grows and grows as a person develops... â€Å"children between 1 and 2 years of age were made to listen to Credence Clearwater Revival’s â€Å"Heard it Through the Grapevine† [and] within a minute of listening to the insistent drums and guitar riffs, the babies started to move in synchronicity with the song (BrenshoflRead MoreThe Music Of The World Music Essay1634 Words   |  7 Pagesand society, therefore it cannot be performed. Artists perform their music. While musicians do not perform their race, since it is an inherent quality of all people, it is often, but not always, seen as inauthentic when musicians perform outside of their race, gender, or class. This is especially true when someone from a more privileged class performs the art of the lower class. While completely replicating a certain style of music can often be seen as inauthentic, certain artists can easily performRead MoreThe Music Of Music And Music1876 Words   |  8 Pagescaused Beethoven to become a genius in music performance and composition. Imagine if he wasn’t made to learn about m usic. Since he is one of the greatest influential composers in music, his knowledge wouldn’t have been passed down through the generations. Students shouldn’t be forced to learn about music like Beethoven was, but they can choose to love it on their own. They can only get this opportunity if music programs are added to part of their education. When music education classes are added to the