Compare and contrast the opening scenes of Romeo and Juliet (Baz Luhrmann) and Westside story (Robert Wise)

At the start of the opening sequence to Romeo and Juliet, a short description of the story is told by a news reader who is within the screen in a small, old television. The idea of the television being used is to immediately inform the audience that the story has been modernized. The oldness of the TV could signify that it is the modernization of and old story. A broken ring is displayed in the top right hand corner of the inset TV. This signifies the hatred between the two families but also the eternal love between Romeo and Juliet which they are trying to break. As the explanation of the story commences the TV becomes larger, the camera zooms in on it, and then the real scenes from the opening sequence are shown. The writing â€Å"in fair Verona† is displayed in white writing, suggesting it is a nice, calm city where everybody lives happily. The writing being in white backs this up as white has the connotation of being angelic. In the background though there is dramatic opera music being played. Opera music is associated with tragedy and from the following scenes we see why this music is played. The music then holds on a few long notes and a deep political voice speaks. This suggest something serious is happening or about to happening. The screen the flashes to a helicopter patrolling a city which looks to be in chaos, a statue of Jesus is shown then a mixture of images displaying death and violence, such as house on fire and gun fights, is intertwined with images of religion and holiness. This signifies the two family's hypocritical view of religion. They claim to live their lives with God but hypocritically go against every one of his commandments throughout their daily lives. The religious images could also represent the two people within the family who are religious and who are in love with each other and are willing to give up everything to be with each other. The characters of each of the families are then shown. They are all shown to be hiding in the shadows or darkness. This may imply that they are hiding from each other or from the police because they are committing crime. It may also be used to create a sense of mystery, we don't know what the two families plan to do to each other, so by showing them in the shadows, it hides it from us as well as themselves. The quickness of the changing between scenes is used to show us that this story is an action packed roller coaster. It also signifies the different attitudes and emotions we discover in this film. The opening scene to Westside Story simply uses a variety of colours and music to describe the events we may encounter in the film. It begins with the whistling of a songbird which we associate with the break of a new day although it could signify anytime of day. The music begins as chasey music perhaps signifying the pursuit of something. The background colour is light orange which, is quite neutral and does not necessarily signify anything. The music then calms down into peaceful happy music, perhaps signifying the retrieval or capture of the thing that was being pursued. This music continues for a while because the happiness is lasting, slowly the background colour changes into a light red and then a dark red. The music dies into slow, sad, tragic music which could signify the loss or separation from the â€Å"thing†. It could also mean a death in the story because red has the connotation of death and also the connotation of romance. Perhaps a romance has been ended and the main character is sorrowful because of this. The background colour then changes from red through to pink, purple and then blue. This could signify a lonely sad period where the main character spent time alone to mourn/miss the loss of this â€Å"thing†. The music suddenly then changes to intense battle like music whilst the background colour changes to a blood red colour. This could imply some kind of revenge that results in a death, or perhaps a murder attempt on the main character. We are informed of the outcome of these possible events. The music becomes a victorious war-like tune which informs us that the main character must have been the one who was successful in the attempt of revenge/murder. The music then calms down and the background changes to white this could mean that the actions that caused the possible death were justifiable. The background then changes again to a royal victorious blue. This could symbolize that the main character has resolved his/her problem and is happy again whilst still in the background missing that â€Å"thing†. These two opening scenes are very different in the way they portray the plot of the film. Westside story does not use images to inform us of the narrative, it just uses colours and music, whereas Romeo and Juliet uses images, voiceovers and music to inform us of the emotions incurred. These two methods are both effective because they do not give too much of the story away but inform us of the general idea of the film. Romeo is possibly more effective to the untrained eye which is not analyzing the opening scenes because it visually shows us the idea of the film without having to think too much about what's being shown too us. Westside story is very effective in its description of the plot and narrative. The changes of music and colour clearly outliner the general consensus of the film whilst still leaving the viewer wondering what is actually happening.

Marbury v. Madison

In analyzing the views of the Marbury vs. Madison case one can tell that after analyzing the documents that the case resulted in puzzlement of Article Ill Section 2 of the Constitution. In the year of 1803 the Marbury vs. Madison case raised the question of if the Supreme Court should have the authority to overturn unconstitutional federal laws. Yes, the Supreme Court should have the authority to verturn unconstitutional federal laws.According to Article Ill Section 2 of the constitution, The Supreme Court is deemed the right to scrutinize a law established by Congress if it is deemed unconstitutional as document F supports. When applying this statement to the case, the conflict originated from whether the Supreme Court was able to deem Marburys wish constitutional or unconstitutional. Marburys argument In this case was that he was obligated to his posltlon as Justice of peace ecause the President nominated him and the Senate confirmed his commission.This is true, Marbury was entitle d to his appointment as justice of peace, but the Supreme Court was not the place where Marbury was able to get relief for his request. Since the Supreme Court has the right to reject a law that does not agree with the Constitution, the nation's highest law, the act is invalid. This supports the claim made by Hamilton in Document B. As Hamilton implied, this strips the Judicial ranch of its power and gives more power to the other branches and the Supreme Court.On the whole this weakens the Judicial branch and allows it to become the â€Å"least dangerous branch†. In conclusion Marbury was entitled to his position and the evidence supported his claim. But due to the fact that the Supreme Court was deemed the power, Ilke stated in Document J, to state that the law being used as his verification was unconstitutional, Marbury and others appointed to government post where in lack of their Justice.

Environmental Impact of Textile Production – Handloom Production Is the Answer

D. Narasimha Reddy 1/11 Environmental Impact of Mechanised and Automated Textile Production Introduction The contribution of mechanised and automated manufacturing to various environmental impacts is enormous. Environmental impacts from manufacturing industries can be seen such areas as toxic chemicals, waste, energy, and carbon emissions. Manufacturing in developed countries is also a heavy user of water, and there have been many cases of air, water and soil contamination which have led to such actions as cleanups, class actions suits and a variety of other corporate liabilities. Environmental impact can be seen in all phases of textile production and use, from growing or making fibres to discarding a product after its useful life has ended. The physical environment is affected by these processes, including resource depletion, pollution and energy use; the biological environment, by considering what happens as a result of manufacture, and the social environment as it impinges on our psychological, physical and physiological comfort, as well as our financial well-being. In recent years, textile industry in developed countries has been facing severe problems, the most serious of which are those connected with pollution. In fact, governments have been bringing up environmental laws which strictly prohibit wastewater discharge in rivers and lakes. This situation indeed burdens the textile industries and also leads to increase in production costs. Textile Industry and Process Description The textile industry includes multiple processes and activities. The four major textile operations are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Yarn Formation: preparing and spinning raw materials (natural and synthetic); texturizing man-made filament fibers. Fabric Formation: warping and slashing yarn; performing weaving and knitting operations. Wet Processing: preparing the fabric for dyeing and finishing; dyeing, printing, and finishing operations. Product Fabrication: cutting and sewing the fabric, performing final finishing operations. In the yarn formation process, fibers are bound using spinning operations, grouping, and twisting. Staple fibers, natural and man-made, are prepared for spinning through a combination of various processing steps such as blending, drawing, carding, opening, combing, and roving. Following drying operations, yarn may then be woven into fabric. From the spun or filament yarn, fabric is formed by knitting or weaving operations. Yarn e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 2/11 can be processed directly through knitting operations but typically requires preparation for weaving operations. Preparation for weaving includes warping and slashing (sizing). Wet processing enhances appearance, durability, and serviceability of the fabric. Chemical Pollution Textile production involves a number of wet processes that may use solvents. Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mainly arise from textiles finishing, drying processes, and solvent use. VOC concentrations vary from 10 milligrams of carbon per cubic meter (mg/m3) for the thermosol process to 350 mg carbon/m3 for drying and condensation process. Waste water from processes is a major source of pollutants. It is typically alkaline and has high BOD5 (700 to 2,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L)) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) (approximately 2 to 5 times the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) level), solids, oil and possibly toxic organics, including phenols (from dyeing and finishing) and halogenated organics (from processes such as bleaching). Dye effluents are frequently highly colored and may contain heavy metals such as copper and chromium. Pesticides used on natural fibers are transferred to effluents during washing and scouring operations. Pesticides are also used for moth proofing, brominated flame retardants for synthetic fabrics, and isocyanates for lamination. Effluents might include pesticides (such as DDT and PCP), and metals (such as mercury, arsenic, and copper). Air emissions include dust, oil mists, acid vapors, odors, and boiler exhausts. Cleaning and production changes result in sludges from tanks and spent process chemicals, which may contain toxic organics and metals. Table 1: Chemicals and Chemical Categories Commonly Encountered in Textile Manufacturing Process Chemicals and Chemical Categories Dyeing/Printing Ethylene glycol, ertain glycol ethers, methanol, copper compounds, chromium compounds Desizing Certain glycol ethers Sizing Methanol Scouring Biphenyl, xylene, certain glycol ethers Chemical Finishing Certain glycol ethers, methyl ethyl ketone, formaldehyde Coating Operations Dichloromethane, methanol, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene Article/Formulation Chromium compounds, copper compounds, methanol, Components antimony compounds Manufacturing/Processing Ethylene glycol, methanol, phenol, toluene, xylene, Aids biphenyl Reactants Diisocyanates, formaldehyde, methanol, phenol Source: Emergency Planning and Community Right- To-Know Act Section 313 Reporting Guidance for the Textile Processing Industry, US Environmental Protection Agency, May, 2000 Chemicals are used for the removal of impurities from the fiber and for machine maintenance. Man-made filament fibers may be manufactured using chemicals. e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 3/11 Processing of these fibers, known as texturizing, can result in the removal and subsequent release and other waste management activities of chemicals from the fiber. Oils, lubricants, machine maintenance chemicals, and waste yarn and material are also released. Chemical sizing agents are added to the yarn by solution or pad/dry techniques and other chemical additives may be added to increase yarn softness and pliability. Chemicals are also used during fabric formation as fabric processing agents and equipment cleaning and maintenance chemicals. Fabric processing agents include sizing agents and performance enhancing chemicals such as certain glycol ethers, ethylene glycol, and methanol. These chemicals typically volatilize or are washed off during fabric formation. However, some may remain with the fabric throughout the fabric formation process and into the wet processing and finishing operations. Both fugitive and point source air emissions containing chemicals typically occur during the slashing (sizing) operation or during fabric drying operations. This includes chemicals used as sizing agents or performance enhancing chemicals. Dust air emissions may also be generated during fabric formation. Effluents are generated from fabric cleaning and slashing operations; used oil, lubricants, and other machine maintenance chemicals; and equipment cleaning operations. Solid waste is also released from fabric formation. The primary source of solid waste is excess fabric material and scraps that may contain chemicals not volatilized or removed during fabric formation or chemicals brought on-site with the raw material (e. g. , antimony oxide used as a fire resistant). Dust containing chemicals is also generated during knitting or weaving operations, which when collected by air pollution control devices or by floor sweepings is a significant solid waste. During slashing operations, residue left in sizing agent or other chemical agent containers may be a source of chemicals. Fugitive emissions are most likely to result from slashing and drying operations when chemicals, such as methanol, evaporate. In wet processing, chemical agents, such as dyes, pigments, strength agents, and flame resistors are applied through a water-intensive process. Synthetic materials may be desized and scoured prior to dyeing or printing. After preparation for wet processing, dyeing or printing can occur, followed by rinsing, drying, or heat setting. Printing operations typically do not use water. The final wet processing step is mechanical and chemical finishing; these operations are used to improve appearance, texture, and performance of the fabric. Dye application includes various dye types and methods. Dyes can be fixed to the textile chemically and/or physically. Dyes may be bonded to the fabric or precipitated by removal of a dye solubilizing agent. Color can be affixed through the use of pigments, solvents, and resin binders. For the textile industry, wet processing operations are significant sources of chemical release. Typical chemicals include ammonia, certain glycol ethers, and methyl ethyl ketone. Alkaline or solvent solutions are used during scouring. Solvents, although used in the past, are being replaced with aqueous chemicals. Bleaching agents and other chemical e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 4/11 additives are used during bleaching operations, however, these are usually not chemicals. Acids are used for neutralizing remaining caustic soda during mercerizing operations. During dyeing or printing operations, chemicals such as solubilizing agents, dye carriers, salts, and fixing agents may be employed to speed the process or enhance the process effects. Chemicals used during finishing operations include optical brighteners, softeners, and flame resistant chemicals. Effluents are generated from spent process baths, solutions, and rinses. Process effluents include spent sizing solutions, scouring and dyeing baths, cleaning rinses, dyeing rinses, textile cleaning water, and mercerizing operations. Chemicals in textile effluents include dyes, pigments, and salts. Salts present in process effluents may be either raw materials (e. g. , metal compound salts) or byproducts from neutralization or other chemical reactions (e. g. , nitrate compounds). Metal compounds such as copper compounds and chromium compounds are also commonly present. Other sources include equipment cleaning wastewater, container cleaning wastewater, and used lubricants and other machine operating aids. Cleaning solvents may become part of the wastewater after scouring operations and equipment cleaning. The US EPA has estimated that there are approximately 135 major source facilities, in US, in the printing, coating, and dyeing of fabrics and other textiles source category. The principal hazardous air pollutants emitted by these sources include toluene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methanol, xylenes, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, n- hexane, glycol ethers (ethylene glycol), and formaldehyde. Exposure to these substances has been demonstrated to cause adverse health effects such as irritation of the eye, lung, and mucous membranes, effects on the central nervous system, and damage to the liver. The EPA has classified two of the hazardous air pollutants, methylene chloride and trichloroethylene, as probable or possible human carcinogens. Dyeing The art of textile dyeing dates back thousands of years, when dyes extracted from plants or sea snails were used to color cloth. Today, most dyes are synthetically manufactured, yet only 40-90% actually resides on the cloth. The residual dye is treated and discharged into our rivers and streams. World wide, it is estimated that this accounts for over 400,000 tons of dye per year. Colorfastness is a textile industry standard that determines how stable the color is in a garment. Good colorfastness means the garment won’t fade after one washing. Resin pretreatment is done for garments that require excellent colorfastness. Cationic fixatives could be used for outerwear garments where colorfastness to washing is moderate but colorfastness to dry cleaning is high. Poor shade repeats are a major cause of economic loss and pollution in dyeing operations. An average dye worker makes 300 weighings per day. Sources of error are many, e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 5/11 including sorption of moisture from the atmosphere which way amout to up to a maximum of 20% error in dye weight. Other factors such as water quality, fiber variations, and the like also contribute to reworks and off quality. There needs to be a balance between improved productivity in dyeing, and the need to minimize water, energy, and effluent discharge in the textile industry. There is a need to regulate usage of dyes in improving shades on textiles while optimizing water, dye and energy utilization. Under most circumstances, a mixture of dyes is utilised to achieve the desired shade. This means that a small number of dyes can be used to achieve an infinite number of colours, but also means that achieving the exact shade desired requires some skill and can often entail redyeing with a shading addition to correct the shade. In extreme cases, the cloth can be stripped of colour and completely redyed, but this is an environmental and commercial last resort. One of the root causes of problems in achieving the required shade is that if dyes in a mixture have different dyeing profiles the shade and depth of dyeing may change with time and the timing of the dyeing process is therefore crucial. Thus, the difficulty associated with reliable attainment of shade and depth provides a hidden cost in production through reduced capacity and proportionately increases the environmental impact of reactive dyeing through the extra water, chemicals, energy and time needed to make a shading addition. Dyes and auxiliary chemicals used in textile mills are developed to be resistant to environmental influences. As a result, they are hard to remove from wastewater generated during the dyeing processes. In India, the detrimental nature of the synthetic dye industry has been recognised. The Central Pollution Control Board of India has included it in its â€Å"hyper-red† category reserved for the seventeen most polluting industries in the country. The true costs of synthetic dye production and application have never, to our knowledge, been assessed. According to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, an estimated 80. 70 million litres of effluent water is discharged daily into the Noyy al River from dyeing and bleaching units in Tirupur. 2 Water Consumption Water is used extensively throughout textile processing operations. Textile operations vary greatly in water consumption. Water use can vary widely between similar operations as well. Almost all dyes, specialty chemicals, and finishing chemicals are applied to textile substrates from water baths. In addition, most fabric preparation steps, including desizing, scouring, bleaching, and mercerizing, use aqueous systems. The amount of http://www. undp. org. in/Programme/Environment/natdye/dyejust. tm Zero Discharge – Treatment Options for Textile Dye Effluent: A Case Study at Manickapurampudur Common Effluent Treatment Plant, Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, S. Eswaramoorthi, K. Dhanapal1 and J. Karpagam EPIC in India, No. 33, Anugraha Gardens, Central Studio Road, Trichy Main Road, Singanallur, Coimbatore-641005, India, 2004. 2 1 e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 6/11 water used varies widely in the industry, depending on specific processes operated at the mill, equipment used, and prevailing management philosophy concerning water use. The various stages of textile production (from spinning, weaving and knitting, to dyeing and finishing) require enormous energy and water use. For example, 26. 5 gallons of water are needed to process 2. 2 pounds of textiles. Reducing water consumption in textile processing is important, due in part because excess water use dilutes pollutants and adds to the effluent load. Table 2: Water Use in Textile Processing Processing Water Use Water Use Subcategory Minimum, Median, gal/lb gal/lb of production of production Wool 13. 3 34. 1 Woven 0. 6 13. 6 Knit 2. 4 10. 0 Carpet 1. 0 5. 6 Stock/Yarn 0. 4 12. 0 Nonwoven 0. 3 4. 8 Felted Fabrics 4. 0 25. 5 Water Use Maximum, gal/ lb of production 78. 9 60. 9 45. 2 19. 5 66. 9 9. 9 111. 8 Different types of processing machinery use different amounts of water, particularly in relation to the bath ratio in dyeing processes (the ratio of the mass of water in an exhaust dyebath to the mass of fabric). Washing fabric consumes greater quantities of water than dyeing. Water consumption of a batch processing machine depends on its bath ratio and also on mechanical factors such as agitation, mixing, bath and fabric turnover rate (called contact), turbulence and other mechanical considerations, as well as physical flow characteristics involved in washing operations. These factors all affect washing efficiency. In general, heating, wash, and dyebaths constitute the major portion of energy consumed in dyeing. Washing and rinsing operations are two of the most common operations in textile manufacturing that involve significant water consumption. Many processes involve washing and rinsing stages. To grow the fiber for one cotton diaper requires 105. 3 gallons of water, one T-shirt needs 256. 6 gallons of water, one bath towel needs 401. 4 gallons of water, a man's dress shirt requires 414. 5 gallons of water, and 987 gallons of water are required for one pair of jeans. An average integrated textile mill produces 15 tons of finished cloth per day. It uses a total of approximately 3,840 cubic meters of water per day, including 1,680 cubic meters for finishing and processing, another 960 cubic meters for steam generation, and an 3 Source: Sustainable Planet: Solutions for the 21st Century, â€Å"Cleaning the Closet: Toward a New Fashion Ethic,† Juliet Schor, November 2002; http://www2. bc. edu 4 California Cotton Ginners and Growers Associations, Cotton Facts, http://www. ccgga. org e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 7/11 equivalent volume for serving the workers colony and other domestic uses of water. The water used for finishing and processing results in contaminated liquid effluent of approximately 1,500 cubic meters per day. 5 In Tirupur, annually the textile industries alone utilize around 28. 8 billion litres of ground water. 6 An estimated 70 percent of textile effluents and 20 percent of dyestuffs are still dumped into water supplies by global factories. Energy Consumption Textile manufacturers use energy as a raw material input to the manufacturing process or for some other purpose usually referred to as non-fuel use. Electricity consumption is increasing in textile mills. Textile manufacturers have to deal with rising energy supply costs. Dow Chemical Co. nd DuPont both recently announced they're raising prices on nearly everything they sell, from chemicals used in bathroom cleaners to freezer bags and kitchen counter tops, because of high raw materials costs. Testifying before Congress in October, 2005, Dow CEO Andrew Liveris said high prices for natural gas that Dow and other companies use for both fuel and raw materials have rendered â€Å"the entire U. S. chemical industry uncompetitive†. â€Å"We simply cannot compete with the rest of the world at these prices,† Liveris said, adding that Dow is shifting some work overseas. â€Å"It undermines all U. S. manufacturing, because we supply all of U. S. manufacturing. † Raw materials and energy account for 50 percent of Dow's costs today, Liveris said. Energy costs were also a factor in layoffs at a Hanes Dye and Finishing plant in WinstonSalem and a Klaussner Furniture plant in Robbins, in Moore County in US. â€Å"China was the big reason, but energy costs make it difficult to compete in the global market,† said Mike Vaughan, vice president of operations and general manager for Hanes. Vaughan said the company uses a significant amount of natural gas to operate the machinery at its facilities. In the past three years, he said, the costs have tripled. 7 In Indian textile industry, energy accounts for an estimated 12%-15% of total cost of production. It was estimated that the energy saving potential is as high as 23%. 8 The Textiles Committee has taken up a programme to help processing units in Tirupur reduce their energy costs. Committee sources told The Hindu9 that three small-scale dyeing units, that were members of the Mannarai Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), had been selected for this purpose. The project has three phases. This project Pakistan: Environmental Impact of Cotton Production and Trade, Tariq Banuri, Copyright  © 1999 International Institute for Sustainable Development, Canada 6 Ibid 2 7 http://www. newsobserver. com/102/story/374287. html, 16th March, 2006 8 http://www. renewingindia. org 9 The Hindu, 22nd January, 2004 e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com 5 D. Narasimha Reddy 8/11 was taken up in association with the School of Energy of the PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, under the cluster development programme of the committee. Sources explained that power, steam and water consumed by these units for processing one kg of fabric were estimated. During the first phase, energy auditing had been carried out in the three units. The energy consumption and the actual requirement were estimated in each of the participating units. Under the second phase, the areas that required â€Å"corrective action† were identified. Measures that had to be taken by the units and the cost implications were also recommended to them. Growth in artificial fibre over natural fibre Fibres are transformed into yarn through spinning for natural and blended yarns or drawing and texturising for synthetic filament yarn production. Yarn is weaved into cloth. The process of fabric formation or weaving comprises preparatory activities followed by actual weaving on the loom. The preparatory process includes winding, warping, sizing, drawing-in and denting. The sheets of yarn thus prepared are then converted into fabric on the looms. This weaved cloth or fabric is stitched into garments or sold in other forms of finished textiles. These stages of manufacture have various levels of automation possible as an improvement from the basic process. Textile fibres are predominantly of two types – natural and manmade (see figure ‘Basic Threads’). Based on the source, natural fibres, in turn, can be those derived from animals, vegetables or minerals. On the other hand, manmade fibres are produced in the fibre form by application of mainly chemical processes on the naturally occurring substances (like hydrocarbons). The textile industry uses vegetable fibers such as cotton, animal fibers — such as wool and silk, and a wide range of synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester, and acrylics. The production of natural fibers is approximately equal in amount to the production of synthetic fibers. Polyester accounts for about 50% of synthetics. Manmade fibres fall in two categories – synthetics and cellulosics. Synthetic fibres are primarily made from petrochemicals whereas cellulosics are mainly regenerated wood pulp with chemical and physical treating. These fibres can be either long, highly strong yarn called filament yarn (which is oriented and fully drawn and is straight) or in staple form (much smaller in length and crimpy like natural fibres). Filament yarns are woven or knitted as they are. They are also woven into fabrics of textured yarn by combining with other types of filament yarns, twisting yarns and texturing in accordance with the aim of the product. The filament yarns are processed into circular, triangular, oval, hollow and other cross-sections that have even better properties. The staple fibres can be easily blended with other types of fibres. They are woven into fabrics by blending with cotton, wool and linen fibres to suit the aim of the product. e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 9/11 The principal manmade fibres include polyester, nylon, acrylic and viscose. Chemically, polyester (or many esters) is primarily a family of polymers wherein the monomers belong to the category â€Å"esters†. The most commonly used polyester is the polymer of diglycol terephthalate and is called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Nylon is a group of polymers, which can be classified as polyamides. Today several types of nylon are produced with properties tuned to meet customer specifications. The most commonly used ones are nylon-6 (which is manufactured from caprolactam) and nylon66 (made from adipic acid and hexamethylene diamine). The special characteristics of manmade fibres combined with availability and cost factors have seen an enormous increase in their use in the global textile industry. Fibres consumption (and consumption of related goods) has been growing at an astonishing rate. Consumption per capita of fibres has been growing steadily passing from 3. 7 kilos in 1950 to 9 kilos in 2002. The growth of manmade fibres in the textile industry has been phenomenal. Production of artificial fibres outnumbers natural fibres since the beginning of the 1990s. In 2002, natural fibres production was at 22. 5 million tons against 33. 6 for man made fibres. Table 3: World fibre production/Consumption per capita10 Year Natural Manmade TOTAL Population Consumption * ‘000 billion** kg / capita tons 2002 22. 463 33. 657 56. 120 6,23 9,0 2000 21. 504 31. 147 52. 651 6,08 8,7 1990 21. 460 19. 380 40. 840 5,28 7,7 1980 15. 227 14. 301 29. 528 4,46 6,6 1970 13. 484 8. 394 21. 878 3,71 5,9 1960 11. 607 3. 367 14. 974 3,04 4,9 1950 7. 723 1. 681 9. 404 2,56 3,7 * Ramie, flax, hemp, jute, sisal and coir (fibre prepared from the husk of the coconut) not included. * World population Comparing the domestic consumption patterns of fibres in India and China, two of the largest textile players on the global market, the imbalance is evident. In India, the textile industry covers a wide range of economic activities and has a significant role in the economy of the c ountry. In 2003, it was growing at the annual rate of 5%. In the meanwhile, the per capita consumption of textile fibre in India is one of the lowest (2. 5 kg) in the world. In China, the consumption of textiles is booming. Synthetic fibre yarns are in the top fifty import commodities. In 2003 China imported 710,000 tons of cotton yarn and almost all Source: 2003/feb/25bud20. htm 10 www. indo-rama. net/FiberYear2002. pdf; www. rediff. com/money/ e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 10/11 luxury yarns and fibres are imported. During the same year, China's quantity per capita of processed chemical fibre reached 10 kg, much higher than the world's average. China's textile sector is predicted to achieve a 6. 0% growth to take its total fibre consumption to 14. 0 million tonnes by 2005 and its per capita fibre consumption from the 2001 level of 6. 0 kg to 8. 0 kg. In India, as yet there is no effort to quantify the overall environment impact of wet processing of ma n-made fibers, especially with respect to chemical components, processing formulations and the effluent produced from the process. It is known that pretreatment of cellulosic textiles is characterized by high consumption of chemicals, water, and energy along with great discharge of waster water. This is mainly due to carrying out pretreatment operations on separate steps with repeated washing operations after each step. Conclusion Clothes and other textiles can affect the environment to varying degrees throughout their life cycles. Before textiles reach the consumer, they have gone through many different chemical processes. They may be treated with chemicals to dye them, make them more hardwearing or wrinkle-resistant, or less flammable. Some of these chemicals are carcinogenic or may cause harm to children even before birth. Others may trigger allergic reactions in some people. Some flame retardants that are used in certain textiles contain organic bromine compounds that are persistent (break down very slowly in the environment). The use of some dangerous chemicals in textiles is restricted such as azo dyes and formaldehyde. All textiles processes have an impact on the environment. The industry uses large amounts of natural resources such as water, while many operations use chemicals and solvents. All companies use energy, produce solid waste, discharge effluent and emit dust, fumes, etc to the atmosphere. Many textiles companies are located in rural areas where environmental protection assumes significance. While companies in developed countries are faced with increasingly stringent legislative controls and rising water and other raw material costs, their competitors in developing countries are getting away by externalising the environmental costs. Efficient and effective use of raw materials and improved process operations are vital for Western companies to remain competitive. Pressure is also being exerted by suppliers and customers on such companies to reduce their environmental impact. Environmental aspects in the textile industry are typically addressed at the corporate level, and the environmental costs are viewed as corporate overhead, but in general not discussed at the national level. A more efficient compliance with proper environmental guidelines is required for significant cost reduction on environment. e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com D. Narasimha Reddy 11/11 Environmental issues can no longer be ignored by the textiles industry and the government. Indian textile industry should realize that to remain competitive operating costs have to be reduced and environmental compliance has to be increased. Government should also integrate environmental goals into the national textile policy, and cannot have independent growth strategies, as environmental costs are proving to be a drag on growth and development. The textile industry in Tirupur was expected to grow to achieve the targetted textile product export of US$ 50 Billion by the year 2010. But, such growth is now greatly hampered due to immense environmental damage caused to the Noyyal river, ground water system, and agricultural production, by the textile wet processing industries in Tirupur. 11 All these factors mean that environmental issues should be an essential part of textile growth policies. For Indian textile sector, the main drivers for environmentally benign growth can be: †¢ Growth of handloom sector †¢ Competition †¢ Pressure exerted down the supply chain by the consumer †¢ Reducing production costs †¢ Meeting current and anticipated legislative requirements †¢ Concern for the global and local environment In India, a comprehensive approach has not been undertaken before on environmental impacts of textile manufacturing and has never previously been associated with textile production and use. A comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of textile manufacturing activity should be done, which includes an analysis of the degradation by air pollution, wind, water and other agents. A complete survey of how developments in the textile industry and consumers of its products have affected the environment in the past needs to be taken up. This should also cover the most recent solutions adopted by the industry to alleviate the problems. This is important given the high textile production targets post 2005, and the ways in which the industry is responding to the environmental challenge. It will help the national textile policy and the growth of textile industry as well. 11 Ibid 2 e-mail: nreddy. [email  protected] com

HRM Pharmaco case study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HRM Pharmaco case study - Assignment Example "Human issues arising from the restructuring of multinational corporations are being delegated to HR for studay and implementation" (Fitz-Enz, 2002, 4). Therefore, human resource management should be prepared to deal with such challenges. Unfortunately, empirically, it has been a common practice to cut the human resources department first to save money and resources when a company is experiencing difficulty. "And when companies were downsizing and restructuring, human resource capabilities were the first thing cut" (Losey et all, 2005, 13). Such poor leadership decisions are not forward thinking and result in an understaffed HR department that is not prepared to lead the company's restructuring. In the case of Pharmaco, inefficient human resource decisions couple with poor communication between employees hindered development. Evaluation of the management style of Pharmaco yields information about the company's core values and beliefs. The purpose of the case study was to "appreciate the range of employees and types of job that exist within pharmaceutical companies" (Sewell and Scarbrough, 2002, 182) Pharmaco is a British company, which is important to note because the "pharmaceutical industry is often highlighted as one of the few examples of British manufacturing success in high value added markets" (Sewell and Scarbrough, 2002, 115). ... Like other industries dependent upon science, pharmaceutical companies need to constantly retrain and innovate in order to achieve and continue to enjoy market competitiveness (Sewell and Scarbrough, 2002, 43). This distinguishes such businesses from other more traditional companies and creates intriguing dilemmas for human resource management. Retention of employees is key as confidentiality is a premium for the field. Temporary workers require human resource analysts to design specific policy and compensation procedure that may differ from that of permanent workers. This inherently creates uncertainty which may be compounded by ineffective implementation or the perception of favourable treatment of one group over another. The first issue to be examined is why these individuals choose to become temporary workers so that their attitudes and effectiveness may be gauged. As David Cenzo and Stephen Robbins (2005) note: If temporaries are employed solely as a cost-cutting measure, the pay and benefits offered to contingent workers might differ from those offered to other workers hired part-time as a result of restructuring HRM, then, must discover specifically what these employees want. Is it flexibility in scheduling, autonomy, or the control over one's career destiny that such situations afford that attracts them Or is it just bad luck, and they are forced into this situation (19) Conflict between temporary and permanent workers must be anticipated by human resource management. If the new workers are given more pay or significant schedule flexibility this can cause concern and anger, resulting in a loss of productivity or even employees choosing to quit. A lesson can be learned from studying the massive

Reflective Paper (BUS 303) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflective Paper (BUS 303) - Essay Example The work of HRM is therefore, to oversee that employees have the resources and determination to work towards the organizational goals. HRM deals with a wide range of interrelated activities but they are all geared towards creating performance through people. It is important to understand how the various aspects of HRM work together to assist employees in achieving organizational goals, clarify new areas of human resource, and understand future implications of HRM in a specific company (Randhawa, 2007). In the continually changing area of business, through competition, product changes and increased globalization, it is necessary for organizations to realize ways to achieve a competitive edge. According to (Melkonyan, 2013), the human resource (HR) of an organization is crucial in assisting employees grow and develop their skills. Employees are the most important aspect of a business with the potential to enable a business achieve, competitive edge over the others. The HRM is necessary in ensuring that Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) laws are followed to eliminate discrimination in employment. The HR within the organization has the mandate to ensure that jobs are advertised with required job description and expectations so that people apply for the position. HRM then influences organizational performance by ensuring that qualified, skilled, educated and talented staff members join the company. When employees with the necessary skills are recruited it is evident that the organization gets to enhance its performance in a bid to accomplish the organizational goals and objectives. For instance, Lufthansa Company has a vigorous employee selection process that involves sending a resume, taking an online test, a telephone interview, and then an oral interview. The candidate also has to undergo analytical thinking, vocabulary, arithmetic, and behavior specific tests depending on job position. In this regard, a thorough selection process ensures that an all-round can didate is chosen for the job (Randhawa, 2007). Human Resource Development (HRD) is another important aspect of HRM functions to nurture employees in their various areas of work. This is a strategy that involves offering employees’ enhanced training and development programs that enhance their level of work. The whole idea is to invest in training and workforce growth to generate beneficial results. For instance, the field of technology is constantly changing and therefore, employee need to be brought up to date with current technological advancements as a way of giving the organization a competitive edge. HRD is a concept that ensures employees get opportunities in areas of training, mentorship, career growth, performance management, succession preparation, coaching, and overall organization development (Youssef, 2012). The HRM also encourages employees’ performance through effective compensation and rewards programs. For instance, when there are changes to pay and prom otion in the workplace, employees are motivated to enhance their responsibilities to be considered for such incentives. It is important for incentives and compensation to be offered equally and with fairness because discrimination can easily reduce employee morale. The other important aspect of HRM is recognizing efforts among employees and rewarding them for their work. Employees not only require good salary and rewards,

GCC central Bank Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

GCC central Bank - Assignment Example The objectives of the Central bank and the proposed functions of the Central Bank in GCC have been proposed to uphold the best interest of the Gulf economy. Introduction The banking industry of Gulf Cooperation Council is based on then six main GCC countries- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The GCC central bank is likely to face new opportunities and challenges as the Gulf countries experience major changes in the economic and demographic sectors. The banking industry in the Gulf countries is majorly evolving with the market being majorly transformed and driven by consumer demands. A major shift is noted in the industry creating a diverse customer base for the banks which will include an increasing number of women and youth. The central bank should shift to more customer centric approach to create value for the customers and implement a model which provides a higher level of service for the customers. The global banking industry encourages the banks in GCC to achieve high performance levels by implementing new strategies like: Capturing the growth opportunity in the changing regulatory environment, strengthening the existing distribution network and creating new distribution networks using up to date technologies, develop and nurture talent to retain good talent within the organizations, use customer analytics based in predictive analysis models and streamline the operating model with the strategic objectives of the organization. The GCC central banks are likely to gain more by focusing on the retail segments and strengthening their distribution networks. In the light of globalization, it is critical for the GCC banks to re-evaluate their operating models so as to ensure sustainable profitability and increasing operational performance. Discussion Recommended Structure of the Central Bank for GCC The structure of the Central bank for GCC should be based on a more market oriented approach than an organization oriented appr oach. There exists a high degree of concentration in the GCC baking industry and there are strict restrictions on the entry of foreign banks in the GCC market. The banking system prevalent in GCC vary based on the size and operations of the banks (Berger, 1995, p.444). Also, the operating environment for commercial banks and Islamic banks is different due to different financial and institutional conditions prevailing in the area. The major structural factors that drive the prospects of development of the GCC bank are the increasing competitiveness in the domestic banking markets, efficient corporate debt markets, use of compliant financing as an important strategy, efficient local equity markets, increasing investments from private institutions and increased use of derivatives and other financial instruments. The structure of the GCC central bank should be heterogeneous based on banking, equity and debt. As the industry is largely concentrated, a greater control on the banking asset s is required by the GCC central bank. The bank has to formulate policies with reference to the fact that the liquidity factors the lending rates are majorly influenced by the oil prices (Rousseau, 1998, p.1162). The banking institution should be primarily dominated by

Famine in Southern Sudan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Famine in Southern Sudan - Essay Example The history of civil wars in Sudan is long and has its beginning in the middle of the last century. But Sudanese have never before been faced to such massive famine. The number of victims is varied in the estimations made by the different agencies and scientists – the limits could be presented as 100,000 – 250,000 lost lives (Creusvaux H. et al., 1999). The actions of the Sudanese government were directed not only against rebels but also against their social base, i.e. civilians. The violations of human rights became a general rule in Southern Sudan. â€Å"Divide et empire† – this principle of Roman Caesars was successfully applied in the conditions of one of the poorest countries of the world. Since the beginning of civil war complicated with local ethical conflicts, the rural population of Southern Sudan was pauperized by driving cattle out, burning crops, massacres and seizing Dinkas and Jur people as war booty (HRF, 1998). Mass murdering of civilians and pauperizing make people leave their homeland and increased dependence of refugees on the external relief. Nevertheless, the Sudanese government prohibited all relief flights into the rebel-held province of Bahr El Ghazal. The ban lasted several months and many people did not get urgently needed food because of the political ambitions of Sudanese Muslim leaders. But even after ban canceling the situation was not changed for better - the start-up lag time was too significant. People did not get not only foodstuffs but also seeds for planting (FAO, 1998).

Willa Seidon at Tides Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Willa Seidon at Tides Center - Essay Example while the recession is highlighted by increased competition, low market share and financial constraints and instability. Even in these circumstances the organization needs to survive through its strategies. Often different strategies are adopted for survival which requires organizational restructuring and change management. A visionary leader, with clarity in ideas about how to proceed and effective change implementation is required at this stage. Leadership: Leadership is a subjective concept. There is no particular definition of leadership; there are as many definitions of leadership as the number of people who tried researching on the vast subject. Leadership is a social process embedded in the minds of leaders of followers. Great leaders help us see the current situation and see a brighter future through the dark times. They see new opportunities and combine every one to work for a common goal, during which they make critical decisions to set a direction to proceed. Some research ers view leadership as power relation by which they can affect and introduce change in people. Some view it as transformational process by which the followers are able to achieve more than what is expected from them. While some scholars view it as skills perspective where they argue certain skills and knowledge are required to be effective leaders. (Northouse, Peter.G. 2009 ; Gallos, Joan.V. 2008; Koestenbaum, Peter. 2002) The arguments about leaders are born or made is a never ending debate. Many researchers say it could be both. A natural ability to lead is important and found in every leader. On the other hand various workshops and courses are conducted on effective leadership programs. Therefore leaders possess natural ability and skill to lead which can be further polished and converted into more effective leadership. (Lussier, Robert. N, Achua, Christopher. F. 2009; Avolio, Bruce J. 2005) Effective leaders motivate and inspire followers; they have the skills to take out the be st from people. Leadership is exercised on group of people and teams, usually with the aim to make them achieve one common goal rather individual goals. Successful leaders need to understand tasks, people and processes in the organization. They must attend the current situation work through them to identify future possibilities, provide a vision and strategies to fulfill that vision and related missions, create a learning organization where people’s development and growth is paramount of importance and direct their minds in strategizing and initiate collaboration among different sections, departments and processes in the organization. The function of management and the function of leadership are often confused together. Management provides order and consistency to the organization and works for order and stability while leadership initiates change and improvement and seeks adaptive and constructive changes. Leadership is all about establishing direction- setting vision, missi on, strategies and goals, aligning people- bring clarity in goals, seek commitment and built team work and last but not the least motivating and inspiring- by empowering and satisfying development needs. (Northouse, Peter.G. 2009 ; Gallos, Joan.V. 2008) Like many great leaders, Willa Seldon is one of the inspiring leaders who helped Tides Centre and guided them through the difficult times. With her vision and ability to manage effective change she led Tides Centre (TC). She was appointed as a Chief Executive Director in September 2003, when Tides applied for the ‘seed grant’ of $ 1 million was offered by Kellog Foundation. During that time TC and the entire fiscal sponsorship sector was struggling for financial

Software Engineering Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Software Engineering - Coursework Example At the engineering phase, software is produced and it is tested at the end of this phase. The last phase entails evaluation of the project’s output before the continuation of the project to the next phase. This software development ensures that the goals of software engineering are fulfilled. This is crucial in ensuring that the software designed is easily readable and understandable. Spiral model ensures that this goal of software engineering is met through appropriate and proper documentation. The model ensures that each of the four phases is well documented and explained. This ensures that incase any change happens in the future, the change can be easily understood and it would be easy to understand what to expect from the phases that are involved in the spiral development process model (Tsui, Karam, & Bernal 2014: 123). It is important for the developed software to be easily testable thus ensuring that in the event of any error occurring, it is easier to understand and trace the origin of the error. In so doing, it is not necessary to retest the entire software again. Due to the phases that occur in the spiral model, it is easier to test each phase separately before progressing to the next phase. This ensures that the output that each phase gives is gauged separately and in the event of an error in each phase, the origin of the error can be easily traced. It is important for the software to be flexible enough to ensure that it comfortably handles all the aspects that it is meant for. Considering that the spiral process model involves various phases, the engineers ensure that each phase comes up with an output that it is required (Brambilla, Cabot, Wimmer, & Publishers 2012: 100). It enables the engineers to come up with creative software and ensures that customers are able to evaluate the output of the project before getting into the next spiral. The spiral development ensures that there is the development of the correct model because each phase is

Case Study 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study 4 - Research Paper Example There is need to embrace analytics in the health care sectors with the intention of shunning medical experts’ diagnosis opinion without statistical learning approach. The predictive analytics is accurate, and has an arithmetical learning approach because one only needs to acquire knowledge on how to use the analytics (5th European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership Forum, 2010). Question 2 The predictive analytics plays a significant role in the provision of intelligent decision support that helps in lowering the healthcare treatment costs. Combination of effective DSS and smart analytics can help in preventing costly diagnostic errors because many sources of data can be processed and changed into meaningful information with time (Chih-Lin, Nick & David, 2000). This is especially vital in the current world where the demand for health care is higher than the supply. This means that the DSS helps improving the efficiency of health process. For examples, it helps in reducing test duplication and unfavorable events. ... Question 3 The DSS has played a vital part in the EuResit projects in various ways. First, the project deals with huge patient and therapist data. Besides, the DSS combined with predictive analytics has been helpful in the projects because they help in the faster data processing. This has helped is saving time consequently shortening the projects duration. Through this system, the medical experts could easily compare subjects’ data in the project. Additionally, DSS has been helpful in the projects since it has helped in reducing the project costs. Reduction of costs occurs due to the shortening of the data processing time. DSS is also used in the ViroLab in the projects to prevent the researchers from conducting the same tests twice (Michael, Kai, & Rema, 2007). The DSS has been valuable in determining the right combination of drugs in the projects. This is vital since it prevented the overdose of patients that could lead to drug resistance. The system did this by creating sta ndard datum. The use of the DSS has also been helpful in providing immediate feedback, and conducting diagnosis in the project. This has been supportive in preventing the medical errors that result from poor diagnosis that eventually leads to drug related toxicity. However, the DSS has enabled the researchers to create precise patient model that has been helpful in reducing the occurrence of the toxicity. Additionally, the prevention of toxicity has also been achievable in the projects because of the DSS’ ability to predict the response of patients to the treatments used in the project (Peter, Mark, Brent, Swarna, et al, 2001). Question 4 The EuResists might face resistance from both medical expert and patients. Many

Public Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Public Relations - Essay Example This paper will explain societal and organizational functions of PR, citing an example of an issue from an organization. It will further explain how the example used would be addressed both on societal and organizational levels. American Apparel is a youth attire brand in the United States that employs the services of professional designers, marketers and managers. Being among the top homegrown brands, the organization betrayed the loyalty of their customers as well as its corporate responsibility by taking advantage of a disaster and using it to market its products. During the event of Hurricane Sandy, the organization sent an email blast encouraging retailers to shop online within a 36-hour period and get a 20 percent discount. The marketing effort turned into an insult when it suggested that the customers were bored after being trapped in their homes by the hurricane, hence it was offering an escape from boredom. The PR officials had done a poor job in their social functions, beca use property and life had been destroyed, with millions of the trapped victims left without electrical power to even get online, yet no apology was offered for the offensive email blast. Societal functions of PR stipulate that public opinion about an organization must be gauged by analyzing what appears online, on the air and in print (Broom, Allen & Scott, 1994). The PR officials should issue press releases on company news, communicate with journalists on industry trends and establish the organization as a responsible player in the industry. Reputation should also be managed online through interactions with prospects and existing customers via social media websites. Conversations should be created by posting updates, responding and commenting to questions or complaints. Despite knowledge of these responsibilities, the marketing director and PR manager at American Apparel did not respond to the huge public outcry about their poor choice of marketing strategy. Customers responded to the email claiming never to visit the stores again, and urging whoever came across the email to spread the same word. This could have devastating effects on the existence of the organization. Innocent employees who had nothing to do with the posting of the email will be traumatized by the comments being made about the organization as a whole, with a negative impact on performance. Those with friends and relatives that were victims of the hurricane may be affected more. If the customers carry out their threats of never visiting the stores again, shutting down would be inevitable. Within the society, the organization would be viewed as being very socially irresponsible. At a time when everyone expects them to join in salvaging a disaster affecting the most critical element of stakeholders, the customers, the firm uses it to market. Organizational functions of PR require the PR manager to share the organizational goals and vision with their internal audience, which includes shareholder s and employees, and seek their feedback (Broom, Allen & Scott, 1994). Open communication increases shareholder satisfaction and employee engagement through uniting an organization in its quest of collective goals via a common identity. Crises can be managed by preparing and sharing response strategies in advance and updating shareholders and

Effects of Mass Media Essay Example for Free

Effects of Mass Media Essay The benefits that the society gets from mass media have undeniably led to the heavy reliance of people to media for information and entertainment. While the society perceives the media information as either real or important, the media shapes the values and culture of people into an entirely new concept that always end up to the conclusion that the world has been changing because of advancement in terms of technology. From selling goods to giving salient issues, the people can rely on the power of mass media. The heavy reliance of society to media may had been evident in the lifestyle of the mainstream; however, the information that the society keeps nowadays constantly change, molding the psychological and sociological aspects of the next generation. Mass media plays a very important role in the society. The people have been relying on the capability of media to inform, entertain, and provide all the necessary information that the individuals need. The people cannot deny the benefits that they gain from media for different purposes. In fact, its influences in the society have been evident not only through the development of the world in terms of technology but also through the culture and perceptions that the people have nowadays. Media exposures show that media consumption has measurable effects on the perceptions of the society. The people use media information and their actions, judgments, and attitudes are unconsciously being affected by the media messages. The society has been showing too many evidences of media effects; however, the people seem to recognize the benefits of media sources more rather than the negative impacts that it brings to the public. Each media concept has a target audience and the effects vary depending on the level of involvement of the audience and the status of a certain cluster in the society. Apparently, the modern media has been targeting the cluster of the society which can easily be reached and influenced—the young generation. Due to continuous release of media concepts and endless influx of technology, does media still portray images that would help for the betterment of the young adults? What are the negative effects of media concepts to the young generation? Media Images in 20th Century As the world conforms to modernity, the media images have been constantly changing giving the people new ideas and information in fashion trends, technology, and current events. The media sources keep on providing information and the people stay connected with the media information not only to be updated with the changes but because of the availability of resources that would connect the people and the media regardless of their location. Today, media is far different from the media that people have known in the past century. The television shows are more advanced and the films and advertisements show evidences of development in terms of media tools and concepts. Consequently, the society get use to seeing new concepts everyday and the post modern world leave the people with no choice but to conform in order to survive. Even though the society has been criticizing the media for the offensive images that media portrays, the mainstream still relies on the information that media could provide for them. Media sources boomed not only for entertainment but also for commercial purposes in twentieth century. From business to entertainment, the media has been the source of information of any cluster of the society. Today, the young generation can be seen on media sources endorsing consumer goods or promoting services to the society. While some teens appear to be wholesome, some are being criticized for negative underlying messages to the mainstream. Some media sources portray the fun of being a teenager in this modern society and some messages convey a message that the young adults are the hope of the future generation. On the contrary, there are films and television shows that portray aggression and violence. The advertisements portray images of thin and skinny young women who endorse products to the market. The modern youth are being perceived as materialistic, socially aggressive, and partying individuals because of the images that the mainstream sees on media sources. Positive Impacts of Mass Media on Teens The society has been blaming the mass media for making the young adults change their perceptions toward certain matter and behave exactly opposite of how people expect them to be. The society recalls the images that they have seen on media sources which are often considered as negative due to the effects that these portrayals brought to them. Apparently, the effects of mass media have been in the heart of debate in the society because most people perceive media in negative aspect while some still consider the benefits that the society gets from it. Due to negative images on media, the society often fails to recognize the positive effects that media can give to the public. Although some parents perceive television as helpful in developing the mind of their children, the society on the other hand, points out this perception as effect of media brainwashing. The heavy reliance of people on media has been the effect of the society’s acceptance to all the messages that are being conveyed on all media sources.

Shareholder Vs Stakeholder Theory Management Essay

Shareholder Vs Stakeholder Theory Management Essay His views reflect Adam Smiths view that firms operate solely for the purpose of making a profit which contributes to the overall well being of society. Any business activity is justified as long as it increases the value of the firm to its shareholder (Cochran, 1994). Friedman (2005) acknowledges one reason for the existence of firms and that is to make a profit for its shareholders. According to Friedman, firms do not exists to change the world or to do good. He pushes the Shareholder Theory to the extent that he declares as theft or violation of management responsibility any form of donation by the firm, be it in time, in kind, or in monetary measures, by the managers from the investors o the firm (Ruf et al, 1998). Shareholder theory has been widely misinterpreted and quoted in its extreme sense. Carroll (1998) qualifies that although Friedman does insist that the only responsibility of the firm is to record profits for its shareholders, he goes on to state that the firm must operate within acceptable legal and societal parameters. The Shareholder perspective of a firm has been widely challenged over the past years. Authors such as Low and Cowton (2004) and Agatiello (2008) argue that the sole mission of firms to be profit maximisers is incorrect and inappropriate. Todays modern organisation is so complex that reducing it to such simple terms and motivations oversimplifies the same nature of the commercial organisation. Spence (2001) writes that the Stakeholder Theory has emerged as an alternative for the Shareholder Theory of the firm. According to Freeman (1984), the term stakeholder can be traced back to management literature of 1963 when the term was defined as those groups without whose support the organisation would cease to exist. Stakeholder theory recognises that firms have a much wider base of interested parties other than the shareholders and holds that the firm must honour its duties and responsibilities towards all of the parties. The shareholders are simply one group of the several groups which has a claim on the firm (Heath and Norman, 2004). Deck (1994) gives an interesting interpretation of the Stakeholder Theory. While he recognises that the objective of an organisation is to create wealth and distribute this amongst its investors, he explains how the investors are not only represented by the shareholders, but, in fact can and do take the form of other groups such as employees and the society in general, who invest knowledge and skills in the firm. Indeed Halal (2000) argues that the resources invested by stakeholders are roughly tenfold that invested by the shareholders. Post et al (2002) claim that risk is not only limited to financial exposure but also includes risks to employment, career opportu nity, environmental impact and quality of products and services. If a firm fails, employees lose their jobs and possibly also their retirement plans. In line with this argument, firm benefits should not only be distributed to the financial investors, but profits should be divided amongst all those bearing risk within the organisation. 2.2 The Triple Bottom Line A win-win outcome for organisations and stakeholders is that created by the Triple Bottom Line (Elkington, 1998). This is an attempt to shift business towards a stakeholder-based approach. The idea behind the 3BL paradigm is that a corporations success should be measured not just by the traditional financial bottom line, but also by social/ethical and environmental performance (Norman and MacDonald, 2004). The People, Planet, Profit triangle postulates how profit is to be perceived from three perspectives. A positive triple bottom line reflects an increase in the companys value, including both its profitability and shareholder value and its social, human and environmental capital (Savitz, 2006). Even if the three aspects of sustainability environmental, social and economic already existed, Elkingtons principle played a crucial role in shaping initiatives such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (Berkovics, 2010). The novelty of the 3BL lies i n the contention of its supporters that the fulfilment of its obligations to communities, employees, customers and suppliers should be measured, calculated, audited and reported, just like financial performance had been for the past hundred years. The major fallacy of the 3BL approach is that whilst authors speak of the benefit of measuring the benefits accruing from three perspectives, no one has suggested how to use the data on social performance to calculate some form of net social bottom line. Adding up the financial pluses and deducting the minuses is much easier than summing up the environmental achievements and shortcomings of a firm (MacDonald and Norman, 2004). 2.3 Defining CSR In his seminal work entitled Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, Bowen (1953) defined CSR as the entrepreneurs obligation to pursue those policies, to make those decisions or to follow the lines of action which are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of society. It is because of this work that authors such as Carroll (1999) and Windsor (2001) have declared Bowen to be the Father of CSR. In todays world of increased globalisation, environmental awareness, recessionary pressures and high insecurity, there are increasing pressures on entrepreneurs and organisations to deliver increased societal value (Jenkins, 2006). Weber (2008) posits that although the concept of CSR is widely discussed, a universally accepted definition still needs to emerge (Turker, 2009). Further Van Marrewijk (2003) claims that a one solutions fits all explanation of CSR is virtually impossible as the concept takes on a different meaning for each organisation, depending on the levels of awareness and ambition of the firm itself. In the 1970s authors of the subject began to indicate that the emphasis on responsibility implied accountability. That, according to Carroll (1979) was too narrow and static an interpretation in order to fully picture the social efforts of the firms. As a result of this criticism two new concepts emerged: Corporate Social Responsiveness (CSR2) and Corporate Social Performance (CSP). CSR2 links CSR with strategic management and stresses the proactive approach required from companies. CSP offered a managerial framework to deal with CSR and attempted to measure it. Frederick (1994) refers to CRS2 as a conceptual transition from the philosophical aspect of CSR to the more action-oriented approach. Several authors such as Ackermann and Bauer (1976), Vallentin (2009), Sethi (1979) also support this view. Others like Carroll (1979) however argue that the term responsiveness is not an appropriate replacement for responsibility. He argues that any action which is not the fruit of reflection and responsibility is not exactly a refinement of a concept which merely encourages responsibility. Firms may indeed be responsive and irresponsible! CSP emerged as a multidimensional concept which embraced the interaction of social responsibility, social responsiveness and the policies corporations designed to address such issues (Watrick and Cochran, 1985). CSP therefore focuses attention from corporate motivations to corporate action and implementation. Although the term CSP tends to give a more dynamic and pragmatic interpretation of the concept it has not been left uncriticised. Authors such as Davenport (2000) look at CSP as a theoretical creation of the scholars. The terms CSR, CSR2 and CSP are often used interchangeably and today, much of the literature simply uses the single term CSR to mean both the firms acceptance of responsibilities and the actions and policies it undertakes in the area (Ciliberti et al 2008). The writings of McGuire (1963), Davis (1960), and Sethi (1975) all concur that CSR describes the responsibilities of a firm which extend beyond what is the legal obligations of the firm. In other words, CSR starts where the law ends. Carroll (1979) is also in support of this view and in his work in 1991 presents a Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibilities to include all, economic, legal, ethical and discretionary responsibilities which emanate from the existing operations of organisations. Although Carroll presents his model in the form of a pyramid with the economic concerns of the firm as the base, he tells us that his model does not, in fact portray a continuum and that the four facets of organisational responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Discretionary Responsibilities Be a good corporate citizen Ethical Responsibilities Be ethical Legal Responsibilities Obey the Lay Economic Responsibilities Be profitable Figure 2: The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility Carroll (1991) In 2003 Schwartz and Carroll presented the different facets of CSR in a different format. This time they moved away from the pyramid structure which seems to have implied some form or natural progression from one level to another and presented their model in the form of a Venn diagram. Furthermore they only included three of Carrolls earlier CSR aspects. Schwartz and Carroll (2003) represented the economic, legal and ethical responsibilities but omitted the discretionary category. Indeed it is inappropriate to regard discretionary and philanthropic activities as responsibilities. Purely Ethical Purely Legal Purely Economic Ethical / Legal Legal / Economic Ethical / Economic Legal / Economic / Ethical Figure 3 : The Three-Domain Model of CSR Schwartz and Carroll (2003) 2.4 A Modern Interpretation of CSR In 2001 The European Union presented a Green Paper entitled Promoting a European Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility. In this paper CSR was defined as a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis. Pivato et al (2008) argue that this is one of the most common interpretations of CSR and it is consistent with recent academic literature. Stakeholder theory gained importance in the 1990s and continues to maintain its position as a focused area of study in CSR (Wang, 2008). More recently, in October 2011, the EU Commission published a new policy on CSR wherein it states that for a firm to meet its social responsibility it should have in place a process to integrate social, environmental, ethical and human rights concerns into their business operations and core strategy in close collaboration with their stakeholders . The EU also put forward a new definition of CSR as the responsibility of enterprises for their impacts on society. The EU intends that firms will abide by their responsibility when they respect the applicable legislation and aim for collective agreements between social partners. Another important aspect of the new EU approach to CSR is the fact that the emphasis is not only on the private sector firms only, but the maximisation of the creation of shared value for society is now also expected of public sector firms. This new policy advances an action agenda for the three year period up to 2014 covering eight distinct areas which detail how the EU intends ensuring that firms embrace this CSR concept. This action plan aims to enhance the visibility of CSR and the dissemination of good practices; improve and track levels of trust in business; improve self-and co-regulation processes; enhance market reward for CSR; improve company disclosure on social and environmental information; further integrate CSR into education, training and research; emphasise the importance of national and sub-national CSR policies and better align European and global approaches to CSR. The EU commission reports that small and medium sized firms are the predominant form of enterprise in the European Union (EU Commission, 2012). The EU further claims that if Europe and its enterprises are to reap the full benefit of CSR, then it is imperative that SMEs engage fully in CSR and are recognised for their initiatives. This is very challenging as CSR has traditionally been the domain of the corporate sector, but recognition of the increasing importance of the SME sector has led to an emphasis on their social and environmental impact (Jenkins, 2004) 2.5 CSR and SMEs Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are the engine of the European economy. They are an essential course of jobs, create entrepreneurial spirit and innovation in the EU and are thus crucial for fostering competitiveness and employment (Verheugen, 2005). In 2003 the EU revised its 1996 definition of an SME and within the 27 member states, today an SME is a firm with fewer than 250 employees and with a turnover of less than à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬50 million or balance sheet totals of less than à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬43 million. Apart from these quantifications, firms must be independent, i.e. separate from an economic group that is stronger than itself. Medium Sized Firms Small Firms Micro Firms Enterprise Category Head Count (Annual Work Unit Turnover Balance Sheet Totals à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 50 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬43 million OR OR OR OR Figure: 4 EU Definition of an SME Source: EU Commission (2003) The EU reports that even in 2012 SMEs have kept their position as the backbone of the European economy, with around 20.7 million firms accouting for more than 98% of all enterprises of which 92.2% are firms which employ fewer than 10 people (Wymenga et al 2012). Wymenga (2012) reports that in 2012 SMEs accounted for 67% of total employment, at around 87 million people and 58% of gross value added. The Maltese economy is one of the smallest economies in the EU: this implies that the relevance of SMEs for the domestic economy is indeed crucial. There are a little less than 30,000 firms in Malta, and with the exception of 44 large firms, the rest employ less than 250 workers. In fact, the economy is dominated by micro-sized firms (95.1%). Small and Medium-Sized firms in Malta account for 4.7% of business organisations, employ 41.8% of the labour force and account for 38.3% of the islands value-added. Micro firms employ 34.4% of the labour force in Malta and account for 26.3% of the value added (EU Commission, 2012). Medium Sized Firms Small Firms Micro Firms Enterprise Category Head Count (Annual Work Unit Turnover Balance Sheet Totals à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬2 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬10 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 50 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬43 million OR OR OR ORFox (2005) contends that all organisations impact on society and the environment in a number of ways through their operations. For this reason, CSR is important in large and small firms alike (Moore and Spence, 2006). The importance of SMEs in CSR literature has, however been overlooked (Perrini and Minoja, 2008; Ciliberti et al, 2008, Moore and Spence, 2006 ). A study carried out by Jenkins in 2004 reveals that much of the thinking about CSR in SMEs is based on unfounded assumptions. It is erroneously assumed that large companies are the norm and therefore, as a consequence all CSR approaches have predominantly been designed and are intended for large firms. Further, it has been presumed that small firms are little large firms differentiating themselves from large corporations merely on the basis of size (Jenkins, 2004). It is clear that SMEs are not miniature large companies, and as such the same practices which have been designed for large firms are difficult to fit to small org anisations (Williamson et al, 2006). A study of Swiss multinational companies (MNCs) and SMEs reveals that contrary to what is perceived by much of the literature on the subject, small firms possess several organisational characteristics that could promote the integration of CSR practices as core business functions, while MNCs possess the disposition to enhance communication and reporting on CSR. CSR is therefore not a function of company size, but rather of company characteristics (Spence, 2011 et al). Structure is one of the factors that distinguishes large from small firms. While large firms tend to organise themselves with a bureaucratic structure and formalisation, small firms are characterised by loose informal working relationships (Perez-Sanchez, 2003). The behaviour of small firms is strongly dependent on the characteristics and management style of the owner himself, whilst in large firms this is not so strongly felt (Tilley, 2000). Perrini (2006) argues that small firms are mostly owner-managed and are run on personal relationships. Gond and Igalens (2008) pin the level of CSR commitment by SMEs as directly dependent on the personality and personal convictions of its managing director. Age plays a significant role here, with the younger owner/managers display greater CSR awareness; gender has no impact on CSR deployment (Ede et al, 2000). Some authors are in disagreement as to whether the educational background of the owner/manager has any bearing on the level of CSR activ ity. (Ede et al, 2000; Spence et al, 2000). Spence et al (2007), confirm this claim and go one step further by asserting that it is the directors vision for the future of his business and his understanding and perception of internal resources which determine CSR engagement in SMEs. Bonneveux et al (2012) report that the capacity of a director to locate and integrate new resources is fundamental to the integration of CSR measures and initiatives. The correlation between CSR engagement by SMEs and the perception and motivation of the firms director and how he sees and reacts to CSR issues is thus reinforced. Ownership and management in large firms are more separate and distinct than they are in small firms. In small firms, control remains in the hands of one of the owners, possibly putting him in a position where he can make personal choices with respect to the allocation of resources (Spence and Rutherfoord (2001). Given this particular management characteristic, the choice of CSR engagement in SMEs is mostly determined by the personal attributes of the owner/manager. A study of US SMEs employing between 5 and 500 workers suggests that efforts to influence owners and managers to implement environmental CSR initiatives such as for example waste reduction need great focus on changing individual attitudes (Bennington et al, 2012). Stewart et al (2011) also confirm the link between leadership and the successful uptake of CSR and sustainability in SMEs. According to the shareholder perspective postulated by Friedman (1970) the owner of a small business has the right to follow their own ethical beliefs in the allocation of organisational resources as they own the business and therefore it follows that they are using their own funds to finance any CSR activity. This is not so in large firms where ownership and control are separate and the investor of the funds does not have any say on how the funds he has contributed are being divested. In support of CSR engagement even based on a shareholder perspective of the firm, Stewart et al (2012) report measurable results in terms of business performance which can be directly attributable to the SMEs greater social and environmental engagement. The study highlights the relationship between learning, the development of organisational values that underpin CSR and improved business performance within the SME context. Perrini (2006) contends that SMEs are, at many times stretched by multitasking, troubled by the limited cash available, and controlled by an informal mechanism. On the other hand, large firms are more likely to engage in carefully planned, formal, strategic management (Jenkins, 2004). Jenkins (2004) tells us that most SMEs are more likely to be concerned about the day-to-day survival then by understanding concepts such as CSR. He contends that the term CSR alienates some of the small firms and that the language used needs to be simpler. In this respect, the European Commission has propo9sed the term Responsible Entrepreneurship in lieu of social responsibility of SMEs. Jenkins research however reveals that small firms regards CSR as an all embracing concept involving three pillars: sustainability; awareness of and responsibility towards a range of stakeholders, the relative importance of whom varies from one firm to another. This implies that most SMEs describe CSR on the lines of the stakeholder theory. Jenkins (2004) reveals that SMEs are consistent in their identification of stakeholders and point towards the environmental management, employees, the community/society, and the supply chain. It is not at all surprising that SMEs focus their initiatives on the loc al community. SME owner/managers usually live in the same area in which the firm operates (CSR Europe, 2003). SMEs, in fact, rely much more that large firms on the prosperity of the community in which they operate as most of their customers and employees come from the surrounding area. Castka et al (2004) confirms that SMEs and large firms are not only different in nature but also in the way in which they approach CSR. They found that small businesses approach CSR informally and do not usually have pre-determined objectives or formal procedures for measuring the performance of objectives to external stakeholders. Further, large firms are more likely to adopt formal instruments to design CSR initiatives such as codes of conduct, ISO certification and social reporting (Graafland et al (2003). Large firms tend to integrate CSR as part of their business operations whilst SMEs consider CSR as an add on activity (Jenkins, 2004) and conduct CSR on an ad-hoc basis usually unrelated to their business strategy. Jenkins (2004) argues that the motivation for CSR engagement differs between large and small firms. Jenkins (2006) explains that the growing visibility and the increased impact of large firms globally have called for greater accountability and transparency. On the other hand, small firms remain largely invisible and are not driven by external pressures, but rather by an internal drive to do the right thing or putting something back or showing entrepreneurial spirit (Jenkins, 2004). The force which drives SMEs to engage in CSR activities is therefore more ethical rather than commercial. Gupta et al (2012) conducted a study of Indian SMEs in which they highlight the many benefits which accrue to SMEs engaging in CSR initiatives. Small and medium-sized firms actively engaging in CSR were reported to enjoy an endless list of advantages amongst which were improved image, reputation, trust and understanding. Firms also secured a better market position and improved financial performance; in creased attractiveness to potential recruits, increased employee motivation, cost savings and increased efficiency, efficient risk management systems and more business overall. CSR can be the stimulus for increased motivation and productivity amongst a firms workforce (Salquin et al, 2007; Berger-Douce, 2008). An awareness and understanding of the challenges posed by CSR can actually form an excellent basis for organisational differentiation and competitive advantage (Kechiche et al, 2012). Not all academics concord and Jenkins (2006) asserts that SMEs undertake CSR simply for its own sake and refrain from using it as a method of self promotion as the large firms do. According to Fassin (2008), CSR is a rather informal action, and therefore more intuitive rather than strategic and for this reason, SMEs will hardly enjoy all the benefits that CSR engagement implies. Jenkins (2004) emphasises that owner/managers of small firms are mainly preoccupied with the economic viability of their firms and spend a large part of their time and energy focusing on this aspect of their business. One main feature of SMEs is that the owner/manager is the person who deals with the day-to-day operations of the firm as well as other projects. This is distinct from large firms, where there is a dedicated CSR department with resources being specialised for this function. For this reason, time and resources are identified as the greatest constraints which SMEs face with respect to investing in CSR initiatives. Gupta et al (2012) also claim that the initial cost of CSR is at times higher for SMEs as they conduct small business and they justified request for government assistance and support in the implementation of CSR in the firm. The owner/managers of the UK firms studies by Jenkins revealed that they difficulties trying to convince reluctant employees to involve them selves in CSR activities. Furthermore, the excessive number of short term projects, the lack of information (Berger-Douce, 2008), the problems with measuring intangible benefits and the difficulties of making connections in a small community where other common adversities faced by SMEs. SMEs also meet difficulties which are related to the market, particularly restrictions in applying environmental and/or societal legislation because of its complexity and the rigidity of procedures. SMEs complain of the lack of adequate support services and infrastructure (Kechiche et al, 2012). Despite the adversities faced, Castka et al (2004) reveal that SMEs acknowledge that there is a need for them to conduct business in a socially responsible manner. When researching Swedish SMEs, Pettersson et al (2012) found that CSR activities become more important for some stakeholders, particularly in times of difficulties and revealed an increased need for CSR engagement. They report that SMEs can strategically use CSR activities in order to develop a competitive advantage through differentiation by creating societal advantage. They claim that CSR activities become more important for some stakeholders, particularly in times of difficulties. Jenkins (2004) posits that SMEs are often active members in their community. In support of this Perrini (2006) reports that 50% of European SMEs are engaged in socially responsible activities. He explains how there is a positive correlation between the degree of involvement and the size of the enterprise with 48% of very small firms, 65% of sm all and 70% of medium sized firms being engaged in CSR activities. A study of Danish SMEs carried out in 2005 (Danish National Labour Market Authority) identified seven areas of CSR deployment, namely, the workforce, the environment, stakeholder engagement, marketplace activities, supply chain activities, internal management activities and charitable and voluntary activities. The study revealed that work-force related CSR activities were most diffused with 54% of all CSR activities, environmental activities occupied 51% of all initiatives and supply chain activities only occupy 22% of all initiatives. On the other hand, the barometer of sustainable development within French SMEs (CROCIS, 2007) reports that 96% of firms in the Paris area had implemented sustainable development measures while 47% of these firms had good links with the community through sponsorship deals, charitable events, back-to-work/employability schemes etc. Other academics, (Saulquin et al, 2005; Berger-Douce, 20 08) are in support of this picture and confirm that employees appear to be well treated in the majority of SMEs. Fox (2005) reports that the most likely reason for SMEs to engage in environmental management is when this becomes critical in attracting and retaining business either locally or internationally. Saulquin et al (2010) affirm this by reporting that there is great sensitivity by SMEs to the wellbeing of their employees and their community links. In support of this, other authors claim that large companies influence the behaviour of small firms in their supply chain in particular in relation to environmental protection, labour and human rights, health and safety (Jorgensen and Knudsen, 2005). Worthington et al (2006) tells us that UK SMEs invested in a range of CSR activities and the most common forms of CSR deployment ranged from donating to local causes and charities, sponsorships of local events and organisations, support for local schools and colleges, environmental init iatives, ethical purchasing and staff related activities. 2.6. Capability Maturity Model Fassin (2008), contends that most SMEs regard CSR as rather informal action and refers to it as an intuitive initiative rather than strategic process. On the other hand, Spence et al (2011) affirm that MNC are often seen to assume responsibility by implementing CSR-related organisational practices and structures which permit them to interact directly with civil society. Further, however, MNCs are often accused of using CSR as a front to cover up the more real business practices. Indeed it is important to analyse the depth and effectiveness with which organisations embed CSR within their operations so as to distinguish between CSR talk and CSR practice (Spence et al, 2011). The Capability Maturity Model is an organisational model which describes five evolutionary stages in which a firm manages its processes. An organisation which treats CSR as an ad hoc activity will be at the initial stage. As the firm matures in its approach to CSR and embraces CSR more and more as part of its core business practice it starts to progress through the next four levels, namely: managed, defined, qualitatively managed, optimizing. The maturity levels offer a structure to the discipline needed for continuous improvement. This paradigm is useful to determine the reason behind different levels of organisational CSR commitment and what it takes for a firm to progress to the next level of commitment. Level 1 INITIAL Level 2 MANAGED Level 3 DEFINED Level 4 QUANTITATIVELY MANAGED Level 5 OPTIMIZING Process unpredictable, Poorly controlled and reactive Processes characterised for projects, and is often reactive Processes characterised for the Organisation and is proactive Process measured, and controlled Focus on process improvement Figure 5: The Capability Maturity Model Humphrey, 1989

5c Battery Crisis At Nokia Marketing Essay

5c Battery Crisis At Nokia Marketing Essay Nokia Corporation is a Multinational communication and information technology corporation headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, Finland. The Nokia Corporation is engaged in manufacturing of mobile phones and portable IT devices. Nokia has sales in more than 150 countries also 123000 employees in 120 countries and is the worlds second largest manufacturer of mobile phones after Samsung. Nokia produces mobile devices for every major market segment and protocol, including GSM and CDMA. In India Nokia started its business in the year 1994 and they set up a factory at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu and is globally the second largest production site in Asia, after the China plant. Nokia being one of the market leaders in Mobile Communication has always focussed on customer, relationship and trust. Building friendship and trust is the heart of Nokia Brand. Even the logo of Nokia shows their brand personality. BL 5C Battery Crisis at Nokia Nokia Corporation has made connectivity truly ever- present. It has emerged as the world leader in mobile technologies and moved towards its vision of Connecting People. Even after having a strong strategic growth and transformation, Nokia in the year 2007 had recalled about 46 million units of its BL 5C model of mobile phone batteries which were manufactured between December 2005 and November 2006 by the Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. Due to complaints from its consumers about the overheating of the batteries. On August 13, 2007, Nokia issued a warning over its BL-5C batteries across the world, stating that these batteries may get overheated while charging. It said that about hundred such incidents of overheating had been reported globally but there were no reports of the batteries being associated with any serious injuries or damage to property. Service Recovery by Nokia One of the top and the most important priorities for Nokia was to handle the battery crisis in an intelligent manner so that is does not raise any questions to the brand name of the company and also the integrity of the company. The warnings issued by Nokia created a nation-wide panic among the consumers. The consumers checked their Nokia handsets and rushed to the nearest service centre. The Company clarified the problems relating to the batteries and also offered to replace the batteries free of cost to the consumers. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQk-Ax8gOow5C2v1COpRk-XJUB0zRFvsbw5bDRKku7NH1PZX69X9A The head of customer and market operations at Nokia, Mr. Robert Anderson said By reacting swiftly and responsibly, and by being fully transparent, we believe that the consumers view Nokia as a responsible and a trustworthy brand. The panic all over the nation in the minds of the consumers created havoc and also affected the brand image of Nokia. To overcome such problem and to appease the growing fear in the mind of the customers, Nokia through advertisements in various national newspapers and TV networks made it clear for the safety of the consumers it had issued a product advisory for the BL 5C batteries and not a total recall of the product. Nokia took all possible actions to ensure customer safety and satisfaction. Nokia launched a customer service program to help customers and retailers recognize non original batteries. They also introduced the scheme of customers could check online by keying the battery number from the website of Nokia. The customers can check the status of their batteries by stating the 26 character battery identification number, the customers were even allowed to SMS the battery identification number specified by the company. If the battery was found defective and was eligible for replacement then the customers were to fill an online form where the new battery was dispatched to the consumers registered address with a postage prepaid envelope to send the old defective battery back to the Nokia office address. All these options were not enough because there were also some independent mobile service and buyers and because of that Nokia was unable to reach among all its consumers. To overcome this problem a toll-free telephone helpline was placed at each Customer Call Centre as well as the Nokia Priority Dealers. With the help of the toll-free number Nokia was able to reach the local customers easily. There were more than 150000 phone calls within a couple of days. All the batteries were sent to the CCCs and the RDs which came directly from the consumers. The After Affects of the crisis was that during the 2nd quarter of 2007, Nokia sold 101 million mobile phones, which was around 29% increase from the previous year. Nokia continued to be the market leader even after the crisis this was because Nokia had a strong sense of Social Responsibility. This scheme was a big hit for Nokia and their customers were more than satisfied with the customer service. In the end instead of being a damage control exercise, it turned out to be Marketing and PR campaign for Nokia with even more word-of-mouth publicity was created. Leading mobile operators in India, such as Bharti Airtel and Hutch, have come to support  Nokias efforts in facing this crisis. They appreciate the responsibility that it has taken over its fault in the matter and the fast solutions that it has started deploying. Nokia will have to suffer a major step backwards, in profits and brand credibility, one that it must accept in order to reconfirm its names having always been linked to product quality. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQk-Ax8gOow5C2v1COpRk-XJUB0zRFvsbw5bDRKku7NH1PZX69X9A There were of course a few disgruntled customers who felt left out as they werent eligible to avail a free replacement of their batteries, but then that would be a few dissatisfied customers no matter what ever scheme or gimmick was tried.    But on the whole, since an overwhelming majority was happy in the end, that is more than enough to declare and state the scheme, operation and exercise as a success. Nokia managed to prevent a mad scramble at their authorized service centre (ASC) network and causing an overload on their staff, by making this exchange scheme / offer available from the customers home/office itself, so this benefited the customers too from having to take time out specially to visit a Nokia ASC and then end up spend hours in a queue. It was also important for the company to communicate clearly and transparently with its consumers. Nokia contended that it had acted swiftly and transparently in the best interests of its consumers and hoped to come out of such a crisis. Nokia won the hearts of the customers to successfully defuse the crisis that could have generated a bigger loss to the Company as well as its well built image. In the end both Nokia and its customers were happy. C:UsersMayankDownloadsimages.jpg