Parental Feedback into Children’s Acquisition Essay

One of the most remarkable characteristics of human beings lay in the fact that, virtually, every single one acquires language at a very young age (Crain & Martin, 1999, p. 4). This is because what lies at the heart of what it means to be a human person is an innate predisposition towards the acquisition of â€Å"the most intricate forms of knowledge we will ever acquire†¦early on in life† (Sigelaman & Rides, 2008, p. 277). In view of such contention, it merits to make mention that, according to Crain and Martin, there are two telling truths that define language acquisition: that on the one side of the spectrum, language is universal (within the human species) and that, on the other side of the spectrum, there is a considerable latitude in the kind of environmental inputs that permit children to develop language (1999, p. 7). Put simply, a person’s acquisition of language is characteristically both universal – i. e. , that all persons, in all places, at all times and defined by whatever circumstances has to, one way or another, learn a language or two – and conditioned – i. e. , that language acquisition is influenced by the particularities of one’s own facticity. Particularly, this paper seeks to underscore the telling importance of parental feedback in the development of linguistic skills of human persons; specifically of children. Herein, it merits noting that parental presence and interaction during the crucial stage of language acquisition are components that present cases of no little importance to the growth and development of a child. Furthermore, this study takes keen interest into how the different theories of language acquisition do frame the importance of parental feedback and interaction to a child’s journey towards assimilating language. This early, it is insightful to already affirm that whilst there is a universal recognition of the supreme importance of parental presence during a child’s language acquisition months, how different theories understand the degrees and extent of such fundamental importance nevertheless varies. Scope and Methodology The foregoing central thesis having presented, it may help to further underscore that this study does not and will not attempt to present an exhaustive treatment of the subject matter. In fact, this study focuses merely on presenting three language acquisition theories, whose respective programmes, arguably, already constitute substantial themes so as to lend points for worthwhile discussions. The three theories which are to be delved into include: the Behaviourist, the Innatist and the Interactionist paradigms. Be that as it may, this study weaves together the expository and argumentative approaches in presenting the discussions; being that this study does not merely aim at presenting different learning acquisition theories, but also gleaning how such theories take parental feedback as a constitutive component of language acquisition process. The Process of Language Acquisition Essa notes that language does not begin when babies speak their first words around the end of their first year (2003, p. 329). Instead, it is a process which, whilst contiguous, is nonetheless wholly distinguishable in stages. Wasserman is of the firm belief that there are at least two different stages involved in language acquisition: i. e. , pre-language that begins before birth and lasts until the age 10 or 12 months, and the linguistic stage from the ages of 12 to 36 months (2007, p. 416). To both stages, it must be argued, a requisite range of mental progression is conveniently assumed. This is because it is reasonable to assume that children’s grasp of their surroundings come way ahead of their ability to express them. If truth be said, children are said to undergo their respective language acquisition stages in a manner being contemporaneous of the progression of their cognitive, affective and personality aspects. Santrock contends that language acquisition is a particular stage which brings into play the process of acquiring not only the contours of language, but also the rules that are inherent to language acquisition itself. The learned author states: As children go through the early childhood years, their grasp of the rule systems that govern language increase. These rule systems include phonology (the sound system), morphology (the rules for combining minimal units of meaning), syntax (rules of making sentences), semantics (the meaning system), and pragmatics (the rules for use in social meanings). (Santrock, 2004, p. 254). On account of such programme, it thus makes sense to claim that language acquisition â€Å"can be assessed in multiple ways†, insofar as â€Å"it is a multifaceted system that used for social communication and for individual mental representation† (Milligan, et. al. , 2007, p. 623). Put in other words, since the process of language acquisition is distinguishable (albeit not separable) into construable parts, then it is certainly something that can be assessed according and relative to its constitutive stages. Additionally, language is measured by way of observations of naturalistic conversation, learning from standardized inventories, as well as evaluating the performance on language-ability tasks (Milligan, et. al. , 2007, p. 623). The Roles of Parental Feedback as Gleaned from Three Language Acquisition Theories To be sure, one can find an array of truly insightful theories that seek to shed light into the process of language acquisition specifically pertinent to children. Consistent with the reasoned limitation set initially in this paper, three theories – the Behaviourist, the Innatist and Interactionist – shall be discussed for the sole purpose of this study. First, the Behaviourist paradigm considers the environment as primary molder of the circumstances of human persons. In the same manner, those subscribing to this theory believe that the external environment, more than anything else, is chiefly influential in directing the behavior of children. Skinner, as the foremost proponent of learning theory, suggested that language is a special case of behavior being that it is largely determined by training based on trial and error, and not by maturation (Minami, 2002, p. 14). Fundamentally, this theory proposes that whilst children would pass through different but contiguous stages, the environment and specific experiences of the children are what primordially affect their development and growth (Wasserman, 2007, p. 416). Indeed, language learning is embedded from the outside, nay from social contingencies, where everything from phonology to syntax, comprehension and production, are all part of complex dynamics among caregivers, the wider social environment, and the language-learning of a child (Dale, 2004, p. 337). Under the lenses of a Behaviourist paradigm, the role of parents could nowhere be under-appreciated. As a matter of fact, they ought to be considered as chief personalities that belong atop the list of those whose influence to children’s language acquisition development is of paramount importance. Sigelman and Rides, for their part, has this to say: Behaviourist B. F. Skinner (1957) and others have emphasized the role of reinforcement. As children achieve better approximations of adult language, parents and other adults praise meaningful speech and correct errors. Children and also reinforced by getting that they want when they speak correctly. (Sigelman and Rides, 2008, p. 282). Parental feedback, therefore, acts as the primary reinforcement of an infant’s language development. And this is precisely because children are acutely responsive to the positive reinforcements – such as smiling, cuddling and conversation – done by their parents (Essa, 2003, p. 327). It must also be cited that children learn to speak by imitation and they reproduce the sounds (words) that they hear from around them. Additionally, parents are the ones who provide a language model, by talking to and around children (Crain &Martin, 1999, p. 4). Two facets of learning acquisition come into the fore in view of the Behaviourist perspective: the content of language and the motivation to learn. And as far as the Behaviourist theory is concerned, the importance of parental feedback falls more under the parameters of motivating children develop their linguistic skills. This runs quite consistent with the general theory of Behaviourism which takes all learning largely as a motivational issue latched, as it were, to the entire learning process. It helps to moreover appreciate the fact that the Behaviourist model gives too much emphasis on acquiring correct linguistic skills on account of healthy motivations provided for by parents, if not by the adults within the immediate surroundings of the children. Thus, where healthy motivation wants, learning acquisition suffers correlatively. At the very least, lack of parental feedback and provision of encouragement may frustrate a child’s natural inclination to adopt, appropriate, imitate and learn from the conversations he or she hears from parents and other older companions (Sigelman and Rides, 2008, p. 282). Surely, it is important for parents to ensure that children are significantly reinforced at a time when they are becoming â€Å"increasingly capable of producing the sounds of their language† – things that they acquire through confident adaptation and imitation (Santrock, 2004, p. 254). The aforesaid paradigm was challenged by Chomsky and Pinker. They, along with those who subscribe to the Innatist theory, argue that since patterns in language development are similar across different languages and cultures, the environment plays a minor role in the children’s of language. They moreover emphasized that human persons possess an intrinsic biological endowment that enables them to discover the framework of principles and elements common to attainable human languages (Minami, 2002, p. 14). As a consequence, the Innatist approach takes children as essentially wired to know without being taught, notwithstanding the role of communication in providing meaning, eliciting affirmation or negation, proffering critical questions and eliciting a force to command and direct (Essa, 2003, p. 327). At the very least, the Innatist approach insists that children are able to learn language on their own innate ability. Once more, Sigelman and Rides suggest: Chomsky proposed that humans have inborn mechanism for mastering language called the language acquisition device (LAD). The LAD was conceived as an area in the brain equipped to identify certain universal features of language†¦To learnt to speak, children need only to hear human speaks; (and) using LAD, they (can) quickly grasp the rules of whatever language they hear. (Sigelman and Rides, 2008, p. 283). In view of what Sigelman and Rides have to say, it is therefore not without good reasons to surmise that parents play a lesser role in the child’s language development. Parental feedback, as a consequence, is essential only insofar as children are able to use it as a welcome reference for their otherwise innate predisposition towards language acquisition. Parents thus need only to let their children be. This is because, according to Chomsky, language is a product of the young human brain, such that virtually, any exposure to conditions short of total isolation and vicious mistreatment will suffice to bring children forth a successful language acquisition all the same. In the ultimately analysis, there is really nothing much to do with a child to help him or her properly acquire the content and the corollary rules attendant to human language; for a child is essentially set up for language, and need not necessarily or extensively use the exigencies of his or her external environment to acquire it (Dale, 2004, p. 338).

Fiction Essay Instructions Essay

In Module/Week 3, you will write a 750-word (about 3–4-pages) essay that compares and contrasts 2 stories from the Fiction Unit. Before you begin writing the essay, carefully read the guidelines for developing your paper topic that are given below. Review the Fiction Essay Grading Rubric to see how your submission will be graded. Gather all of your information, plan the direction of your essay, and organize your ideas by developing a 1-page thesis statement and outline for your essay. Format the thesis statement and the outline in a single Word document using current MLA, APA, or Turabian style (whichever corresponds to your degree program). You have the opportunity to submit your thesis and outline by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of Module/Week 2 for instructor feedback. The essay is due by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of Module/Week 3 and must include a title page (see the General Writing Requirements), a thesis/outline page, and the essay itself followed by a works cited/referenc es page of any primary or secondary texts cited in the essay. Guidelines for Developing Your Paper Topic Chapter 39 in your textbook provides some helpful pointers for reading actively, taking notes, brainstorming, developing a clearly-defined thesis statement, preparing an outline, and writing a cogent fiction essay. Be sure that you have read the chapter before doing any further work for this assignment. Choose 2 of the following short stories to compare and contrast in your essay: â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson â€Å"The Destructors† by Graham Greene â€Å"The Rocking-Horse Winner† by D.H. Lawrence â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† by Nathaniel Hawthorne â€Å"The Child by Tiger† by Thomas Wolfe â€Å"The Most Dangerous Game† by Richard Connell Also, make at least 1 of these elements of fiction the focus of your essay: Conflict/Plot/Structure Characterization Setting Theme/Authors’ Purposes Point of View Tone/Style/Irony/Symbol/Imagery If you need help focusing your essay, ask yourself questions that correspond to your chosen element(s). Conflict/Plot/Structure (This is not a summary of the stories) What are the basic conflicts, and how do these build tension, leading to major complicated incidents and climactic moment(s)? What are the ways in which each major character experiences conflict (either with self, with other characters, or with the social and/or physical environment)? How are the conflicts resolved? Do the protagonists succeed in achieving their goals? Who receives your deepest sympathy and why? Characterization Who are the main characters in the stories?  What are their outstanding qualities? Does the author give any indication as to how or why the character developed these qualities? What are the characters’ emotions, attitudes, and behaviors? What do these indicate to the reader about the character? Can the characters’ motivations be determined from the text? Setting Where and when do the stories take place (remember to include such details as geographic location, time of year, time period, if the setting is rural or urban, etc.)? Do the settings make the stories believable or credible? How does setting impact the plot of the story, and how would the plot be affected if the story took place in another setting? Are the characters influenced by their setting? How might they behave if they were in a different setting? What atmosphere or mood does the setting create (for example, darkness may create a mood of fear or unhappiness while light or bright colors may create one of happiness)? Is the setting or any aspect of it a symbol or does the setting express particular ideas? Does setting  create expectations that are the opposite of what occurs? Theme/Authors’ Purposes What is the major theme (or themes) of each story?  Are the themes of the stories similar or different?  How does the author convey the theme (or themes) to the reader? How do the stories’ themes relate to the authors’ purposes (some examples of author purposes are to entertain, to satirize, to realistically portray life’s problems, to analyze emotions and responses, and/or to communicate a moral message)? What unique style, techniques, or devices do the writers use to communicate their themes? Tone/Style/Irony/Symbol How would you describe the tone of the piece?  Does the tone correspond with the action occurring in the plot? What style does the author use (for example, one way an author might satirize is by including a lot of ironies, hyperbole, and unrealistic scenarios)? How might the story be different if the tone or style is changed? Does the writer use irony or symbols to communicate the message?

Reflection reaction 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflection reaction 2 - Assignment Example In fact, the country is recorded to have been wealthy and dominated by the Islamic culture at that time; in addition, the country also had large populations of the Jewish people that were prevalent in Europe. The Christian and Muslim religions had shared the Iberian Peninsula, which is the current homeland to Portugal and Spain. During this time, it is recorded that these regions enjoyed relative peace and calm, something that played a role to their wealth and prosperity. When people live together in peace and understanding, they can do great things that can influence the course of life. This was evidence during this time that relative peace and calm characterized these regions. It is believed that the Jewish scholars and their Muslim counterparts collaborated in many things (Hannon 2). For instance, they worked together in the process of compiling great and important works of as well as making translations to this information. The same was applied in other disciplines like mathematics, science and sociology among others. It is believed that the period during and after 1469, saw Spain begin to make important and bold advances towards building its empire. During this period, Ferdinand and Isabella were united as king and Queen setting the pace for these developments. It is believed that the unison of these two people led to the union of Aragon and Castle, which were the most powerful kingdoms at that time (Moore 1). The support for Columbus by these rules played an essential role in bringing some many kingdoms under the Spanish rule. Columbus and other American possession remained under the custody and check of the Spanish rule and were passed to Charles I, who was the grandson of Ferdinand after his death in 1519 (Moore 3). Charles was very famous, history records that by this time, he had already conquered vast lands including Luxembourg,

Hormones in Meat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hormones in Meat - Essay Example Still, it needs to be asserted that hormones, being biochemical, could have a bad impact on the health of unsuspecting consumers, and hence, the use of hormones in beef production ought to be controlled and checked if not banned (Gate 7). As per Schwartz, hormones happen to be the biochemicals that facilitate the exchange of information between cells in plants and animals (Schwartz 88). Hormones control the functioning of varied tissues in plants and animals and play an important role in the growth and development of varied organisms (Schwartz 88). Hormones could easily be integrated with the animal feed or delivered as injectables to control the growth and development in livestock. First and foremost, before embarking on the topic of the harmful impact of hormones on the beef consumers, it is imperative to understand why beef producers subject their livestock to hormones and the salient benefits of using hormones in beef production. It is a must to take into consideration the perspe ctive and views of the beef industry regarding the usage of growth hormones on the livestock. Sims is of the view that synthetic derivatives of hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone have been approved by varied food and drug associated and agricultural institutions and are considered to be safe for usage on the livestock aimed to be sold as beef (Sims 119). They say that beef production is a business like any other business and the business community is always looking for the ways and means to make the best use of the existing scarce resources so as to get maximum yield and to accrue maximal benefits. The objective of the beef industry is to minimize inputs while trying their best to maximize outputs. It is said that during the last three decades, the beef producers have been relying on hormones to boost and maximize the production of beef. The beef producers claim that during the last thirty years, the exploitation of hormones to maximize beef production has proven to be a safe practice with little or no impact on the humans (Sims 119). Growth hormones are safe, and they are used on the livestock to boost the production of nutrients that already exist in their meat. Growth hormones not only yield cost benefits to the producers of beef thereby allowing them to get maximum beef while dedicating scarce resources, but they also help the consumers avail beef at a price that is affordable. If the beef is produced at a higher cost, the consumers will be required to pay a higher price for the beef they purchase. It needs to be understood that animals tend to have hormone levels that are different as compared to humans, and the residual of synthetic hormones left in the meat may turn out to be harmful to the consumers in some cases (Schwartz 51). Hence, the meat treated with synthetic sex hormones is not entirely safe for human consumption. When the animals are fed on or injected with hormones, the levels of hormones used on them may increase dispropor tionately, and when these residual hormones are passed on to the consumers, they may cause diseases like cancer. The uncontrolled usage of growth hormones in the beef industry may be a reason to worry for the unsuspecting consumers who intend to buy healthy nutrition for the money they pay. The residual sex hormones found in beef are not entirely safe for human consumption. For instance, many studies have linked breast cancer to the sex hormone estrogen present in the contraceptive pills, even

The effect of stress on personnel and organization behaviour Essay

The effect of stress on personnel and organization behaviour - Essay Example 81) on job exhaustion, physical wellbeing issues, and performance setbacks. In a recent study, the workers who felt exhausted were put into three groups of managers - (1) best, (2) moderate, (3) worst - employees with the ‘worst’ managers felt exhausted and were more expected to have sleep disorders as a result of job uncertainties. In addition, workers with the worst managers were 60 percent more liable to have colleagues who were thinking about leaving the company. Job-related stress was directly linked with exhaustion, physical and mental fitness issues, as well as performance problems, for instance, absence, increase in employee turnover, poor value, mishaps, and blunders. At the moment, major apprehension of employees was looking for a technique to create stability in professional and personal life responsibilities. In view of the fact that flexibility is an extremely vital apprehension for workers, having slight flexibility in the career will be an important basis of stress. â€Å"The additionally practical as well as unyielding a business is regarding taking time off, finding out professional agendas, and so forth, the higher the stress level of its workforce† (Maslach and Leiter, 1997, p. 87). When employees are stressed as a result of work surplus or time constraints, they are more liable to disregard security practices or overlook the utilization of appropriate security mechanism, considering â€Å"they do not have time for either† (Gee and Gee, 2011, p. 99). Since stress neglects an individual’s capability to think, without a doubt, the worried workers are more expected to operate without paying attention to the possible outcomes of hazardous practices. A worker, who is tensed due to excess of work, is likely to rush and attempt to go as rapidly as feasible with a task. This raises the possibilities of blunders, mishandling objects, and taking no notice of safety warnings that could avoid

Legal Services Bill 2006 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Legal Services Bill 2006 - Essay Example In Great Britain, as far back as July 2003, Sir David Clementi was appointed to carry out an independent review of the regulatory framework for legal services in England and Wales. In December 2004, Sir David published a Report following his Review. The report was analysed by a number of luminaries, including Rob Baldwin, Julia Black, Martin Cave, Richard Brealey, Julian R Franks, Paul A. Grout, James Dow and Carlos Lapuerto, Jordi Blanes Vidal, Ian Jewitt, Clare Leaver and Stephen Davies.1 The bill as it will be observed, addresses three basic objectives, the primary being controlling of the legal profession. In the draft, and in the ultimate submissions of the bill, great care has been taken to ensure that the legal profession continues to be fearless and is allowed to retain its independence, and the faith of the customer, enshrined in the principle of 'Privilege' is also kept. In the draft, we see the emphasis on this.5 Therefore the CONTROLS envisaged is more to regulate the functioning and not to hamper with the independence of the legal practitioner. It addresses the concerns of unbridled misuse of legal protection and extraordinary abilities and privileges accorded to them. Giving the genuine practitioner a right and privilege to practice, removing the scrounge of unauthorized practitioners, and regulation of commercial companies, which can now be formed in the practice of law, is the chief laudable objective, with a separate body, which will oversee the functioning of all bar councils and associations has now sought to bring some order and create a more efficient legal system. Important Factor The most important impact will be on removing 'Village Barristers'. Those quacks who profess knowledge of law, and act as touts between the lawyer and the client. This bill gives definitions of a legal practitioner, and does away with those not qualified to practice law altogether from the judicial field. It is ironic that Great Britain had to take this long to bring in this legislation to stream line the legal profession, while elsewhere as in India for example, the Advocates Act did away with practitioners other than trained lawyers in one stroke, as far

Financial Management and Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Financial Management and Policy - Essay Example 6.0 Key Drivers of Change 13 7.0 Conclusion 13 Reference List 15 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: "Realistically, the contested takeover, the proxy contest and institutional shareholder activism may be the only means for forcing ineffective management out and getting better utilisation of corporate resources" - James C. Van Horne (2002). Moreover the ever-present threat of these things may stimulate the existing management to perform better. However no other dramatic or controversial activity can happen in the corporate history than the acquisition of one firm by another or the merger of two firms. There are different opinions and schools of thoughts concerning these important happening in the corporate world, with respect to the definitive advantages and disadvantages that may accrue both to the acquiring firm as well as the firm that is being acquired. This study paper envisages to bring out the details of one of such proposals for a well publicized acquisition deal among two corporate giants, NTL, an American based Telecom and cable services giant and ITV, one of the biggest B ritish television content producer, with specific reference to the strengths and weaknesses of both involved in the deal, the underlying reasons for NTL to take such a strategic move along with the various other factors affecting the proposed acquisition deal and the key factors responsible for such a move and of course a final...This study paper envisages to bring out the details of one of such proposals for a well publicized acquisition deal among two corporate giants, NTL, an American based Telecom and cable services giant and ITV, one of the biggest British television content producer, with specific reference to the strengths and weaknesses of both involved in the deal, the underlying reasons for NTL to take such a strategic move along with the various other factors affecting the proposed acquisition deal and the key factors responsible for such a move and of course a final dialogue on the expected reactions of the individual firms and the corporate world as such over the merger . The market for corporate control can alter dramatically the setting in which business firms compete. In an idealised world this market is a positive thing for the stockholders and the economy as a whole. Assets, people and products may be transferred to more productive uses. With rapid changing technology and product markets what was once a viable corporate strategy may no longer be so.

Corporate ocial Reponibility Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corporate ocial Reponibility - Term Paper Example The caÃ'•e Ã'•tudy "Being Green" referÃ'• to a native Belgium called Gunter Pauli now living in the city of Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Pauli iÃ'• a buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'•man who concentrateÃ'• on been a Ã'•ocial entrepreneur believing that aÃ'• organiÃ'•ationÃ'• operate in the twenty-firÃ'•t-century their effortÃ'• muÃ'•t be divided between not only been financially Ã'•uÃ'•tainable, but Ã'•ocially Ã'•uÃ'•tainable aÃ'• well meaning that a firm needÃ'• the capacity to adapt to changing Ã'•ocietal conditionÃ'•. Mr. Pauli'Ã'• aim iÃ'• to create manufacturing facilitieÃ'• that function to completely aboliÃ'•h waÃ'•te by reuÃ'•ing or recycling all the raw materialÃ'• they take in. Additionally, Mr. Pauli iÃ'• the former CEO of a Belgium company Ecover that produceÃ'• cleaning productÃ'• from natural Ã'•oapÃ'• and renewable raw materialÃ'•, operating at a near-zero-emiÃ'•Ã'•ion factory. Ecover developÃ'• high-technology productà '• baÃ'•ed on a maÃ'•tery of the chemiÃ'•try of renewable reÃ'•ourceÃ'• in order to eÃ'•tabliÃ'•h Ã'•uÃ'•tainable economic and Ã'•ocial development. (RobbinÃ'•, Bergman, Ð…tagg, Coulter, 2003). AÃ'• a great amount of media intereÃ'•t occurred, he left Ecover and moved to Tokyo to work for the United NationÃ'• UniverÃ'•ity and the Zero EmiÃ'•Ã'•ionÃ'• ReÃ'•earch Initiative (ZERI) trying to achieve zero-emiÃ'•Ã'•ionÃ'• technology.Ð…ocial reÃ'•ponÃ'•ibility addÃ'• an ethical imperative to do thoÃ'•e thingÃ'• that make Ã'•ociety better and not to do thoÃ'•e that could make it worÃ'•e. FirÃ'•tly, if an organization actÃ'• Ã'•ocially reÃ'•ponÃ'•ible it encourageÃ'• Ã'•hareholderÃ'• intereÃ'•t aÃ'• it will improve a buÃ'•ineÃ'•Ã'•'Ã'• Ã'•hare price in the future.... Mr. Pauli i a buineman who concentrate on been a ocial entrepreneur believing that a organiation operate in the twenty-firt-century their effort mut be divided between not only been financially utainable, but ocially utainable a well meaning that a firm need the capacity to adapt to changing ocietal condition. Mr. Pauli' aim i to create manufacturing facilitie that function to completely abolih wate by reuing or recycling all the raw material they take in. Additionally Mr. Pauli i the former CEO of a Belgium company Ecover that produce cleaning product from natural oap and renewable raw material, operating at a near-zero-emiion factory. Ecover develop high-technology product baed on a matery of the chemitry of renewable reource in order to etablih utainable economic and ocial development. (Robbin, Bergman, tagg, Coulter, 2003). A a great amount of media interet occurred, he left Ecover and moved to Tokyo to work for the United Nation Univerity and the Zero Emiion Reearch Initiative (ZERI) trying to achieve zero-emiion technology. Body of Analyi Argument For and Againt ocial Reponibility ocial reponibility add an ethical imperative to do thoe thing that make ociety better and not to do thoe that could make it wore. Below are three (3) benefit in favor of ocial reponibility and three (3) argument againt the concept. Firtly, if an organization act ocially reponible it encourage hareholder interet a it will improve a buine' hare price in the future. Manager hould be aiming to maximie the number of hareholder thu, accepting numerou ocial obligation and the cot that go with them, in order to protect and maintain ociety' welfare by not polluting, dicriminating or puruing any deceptive advertiing along with been an advocate in improving ociety by

Soil mechanics Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Soil mechanics - Lab Report Example n-drained and drained were undertaken on the undisturbed soil samples to determine the shear strength parameters under drained and drained condition for the given soil sample from where the building will be constructed. Basing on the results, it is evident that the bearing capacity of the silt soil was much less as compared to the cohesion less soil ultimate bearing capacity. In this regard, the building codes permit higher bearing pressure for less cohesion soils like sand as compared to that of plastic soil (silt). Tri-axial tests are laboratory testing techniques mostly applied to obtain shear strength parameters for different types of soil under un-drained and drained condition (Alshibli and Sture 2000). Conventional test entails a cylindrical soil sample which is subjected to radial stresses as well as axial displacement or controlled increases in axial stresses. Usually, the cylindrical soil specimen is of 200m height and 100 mm diameter. Preparation of specimen is based on the type of soil. For shear failure, the soil grains usually slide over each other along the failure surface hence there is no crushing of grains. At failure, along the failure surface, the shear stress reaches the shear strength. Basically, soils are known to be frictional materials. The strength is based on the stress applied whereby this stress is controlled by effective stresses and here water pressure is needed (Alshibli and Sture 2000). Also soil strength is based on drainage whereby different strengths can be mea sured for a certain soil that can deform at a given constant volume (un-drained) as well as deform without having pore pressure that is excess (drained). Angle of friction (Ã ¸) and Cohesion (c) are generally not soil constant parameters. They are based on the soil initial state and the loading type (drained or un-drained) (Widulinski et al., 2009). The specimen was enclosed vertically with a thin rubber membrane then later put between two rigid ends in the pressure

Katzenbach and Smith Essay Example for Free

Katzenbach and Smith Essay Introduction For this essay I will be explaining what I might do to encourage team performance by using Katzenbach and Smith’s Article as a scaled directive/guideline. The discipline of teams has been useful to show how to encourage team performance and this I will explain I will explain in the first part of this essay. Main Body According to Katzenbach and Smith, there is an importance to distinguish between Teams and Groups. Why? Because it is believed that Teams are different from Groups because they use collective working whereas Groups are based around individual performance. 8 things that Katzenbach and Smith said about how to encourage Teamwork are: ‘Establish urgency, demanding performance standards, and direction’. Katzenbach and Smith: ‘All team members need to believe the team has urgent and worthwhile purposes, and want to know what the expectations are.’ I can use this to encourage team performance by setting standards, rules and directions so the team will know their purpose and what goals they are aiming for. ‘Select members for skill and skill potential, not personality’. Katzenbach and Smith: ‘No team succeeds without the skills needed to meet its purpose and performance goals. Yet most teams figure out the skills they will need after they are formed.’ You can choose the people to be team leaders, purely based on their skills. This people will need to have good skills most especially the ‘Leadership skills and Motivational Skills’ in order to take charge of the team in absence of the manager. ‘Set some clear rules of behaviour’. Katzenbach and Smith: ‘All effective teams develop rules of conduct at the outset to help them achieve their purpose and performance goals.’ To encourage team performance I would make sure I have the team’s attention with no distractions from phones etc., make sure everyone gets a clear chance to speak with no interruptions and constructive confrontation, agree that the only things to leave the room is what is agreed on, always make sure that everyone has an analytic approach while doing research and last of all make sure everyone gets assignments to themselves and make sure they are done. ‘Challenge the group regularly with fresh facts and information.’ Katzenbach and Smith: ‘New information causes a team to redefine and enrich it’s understanding of the performance challenge, thereby helping the shape a common purpose, set clearer goals and improve its common approach.’ I can use this to encourage teamwork by always making sure that everyone on the team does research to see defects in the way the team works, and then have sessions where we discuss how this defects can be sorted out. ‘Spend lots of time together.’ Katzenbach and Smith: ‘Common sense tells us that team members must spend a lot of time together, scheduled and unscheduled, especially in the beginning.’ This can be used to encourage teamwork as it will create creative insights and personal bonds between the team members as they will slowly star to develop a work relationship between each other. ‘Exploit the positive feedback, recognition, and reward.’ Katzenbach and Smith: ‘Positive reinforcement works as well in a team context as elsewhere. This will help encourage team performance as it allows people in the team to get a sense that yes they are being shown gratitude for all the hard they’ve show. One other way you can encourage team work it to use ‘Emotional Intelligence’ (Goleman) this is needed to improve a team as it brings concepts of love and spirituality: bringing compassion and humanity to work and ‘Multiple Intelligence’ theory which illustrates and measures capabilities people possess, and also help show that everybody has a value in the team. But Teams may also have many risks attached and in this part of essay I will be analysing these risks. For example ‘Conformity’, this is the action of always acting in accordance to prevailing social standards, attitude, and practices etc. An example of this type of behaviour can be seen in Solomon Asch’s ‘Studies in Conformity’ – in one of Asch’s experiment which was design to show how perfect normal human beings can be pressured into unusual behaviour by authority figures, or by the consensus of opinion around them. The experiment was. Eight subjects were seated round a table to prevent suspicion. Only one participant was actually a genuine subject while the others were just actors to give already selected responses. The experiment was each participant was in turn asked to answer a series of question, such as which line was the longest or which matched the reference line. The results came out as ‘over one third of the subjects also voiced an incorrect option.’ Asch’s experiment gives us a slight insight into how conformity affects a team. Another risk team work is ‘Groupthink’. Groupthink is when groups of people in a team harmonise in a decision making group override a realistic alternative as it differs from their group’s alternative. An example of group think can be seen ‘Group Decision Fiascos Continue: Space Shuttle Challenger and Revised Groupthink Framework’. The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger is the worst disaster in space flight history and it crippled the American space programme. The NASA managers knew about the faults if they launched the space craft, but despite a huge amount of warnings from their engineers about the dangers if launching posed by the low temperatures that morning. The NASA managers also failed to adequately repost the problems to their superiors and this was what actually caused the catastrophic disaster. And this is why groupthink is a risk of Teamwork. As people can be shut out and made to look as it they didn’t know what they were talking about or being made to look as if they were outcasts. Conclusion But all in all we have to give credit to Katzenbach and Smith for their work in finding ways in improving team work as they have given us a great insight in to improving performance in a team by setting showing how and what it takes to make a team function properly. But as highlighted teams can be risky as they can cause ‘conformity’, and sticky situations like ‘groupthink’ which cause cost lives and not on lives, in a business environment it could cost sales to drop etc. Teamwork has lots of risks but if team work is carried out properly then it is most like nothing will go wrong for the people in the team.

Theories Of Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay

Theories Of Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay Introduction The field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) shows to have become more important around the world. The role of business and the way it is perceived by society has gone through several changes throughout the history. Over time, until today, an increased awareness of the impact of business and its interaction with social and environmental issues have emerged. Companies are today obliged to some certain responsibilities in the society where they are active. The most basic responsibilities are laws and rules that they have to supply under. Organizations today are forced to show that their business stands for something more than just profits, and that their activities add some value, or at least do not negatively affect the community around them (Ledwidge, 2007). What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) CSR is a concept that has many different definitions and a concept that is growing in the corporate world today. Look in most journal articles and you can find the list. But do the people really understand what exactly means by corporate social responsibility? van Marrewijk, (2003) defined CSR is regarded as the panacea which will solve the global poverty gap, social exclusion and environmental degradation. Refer to a work by Abeysuriya et al, (2007), corporate social responsibility of CAR common purpose for facilitating the move towards a socially and ecologically sustainable future through voluntary business activities. Boyd et al, (2007) defined corporate social responsibility as general sense reflects obligations to society and stakeholders within societies impacted by the firm. Beckman et al, (2009) pointed out that CSR known as the organizations status and activities with respect to its perceived community responsibility. CSR is developing in the ethics, marketing, and management fields. The ethics consists of three types of issues i.e., macro-, meso- and micro-level based. The macro- and meso- refer to stakeholder engagement and micro- is center of specific such as code of ethics. van Marrewijk, (2003) defined CSR is regarded as the panacea which will solve the global poverty gap, social exclusion and environmental degradation. Ethical challenges Robinson et al, (2006) noted that one challenge entrepreneurs face is about how to define the ethical dilemma explicitly, so as to address it within the context of the entrepreneurial purpose. The ethical issues in business has to do with making the right choices and there is often no apparent single right way and may meet optimist expectations. Entrepreneurs are therefore frequently faced with choices in business that creates tensions between their need to be ethical and their desire to optimize profits. This tension may sometimes manifest as a fundamental choice between private gain and public good, though this is perhaps to simplistic a way to view the matter Robinson et al, (2006). The author noted that any decision where moral considerations are relevant may give rise to an ethical dilemma. In general, an ethical dilemma may result from a decision that: requires a choice between rules has no rule, precedent or example to follow morally requires two or more courses of action, which are practically incompatible should be taken (in self-interest), but which appears to violate a moral principle The process of Corporate Social Responsibility Figure 1: Phases and steps within the CSR process (Extracted from ORiordan and Fairbrass, 2008) ORiordan and Fairbrass, (2008) demonstrated the potential moves (CSR processes, phases, and steps diagram) in figure 1. According to the authors, there are two distinct stages can be identified i.e. strategy development and strategy implementation of CSR. The strategy development phase includes the following factors: Values which drive the strategy; Alternatives which encompass the various range of options available to decision makers (e.g. using an analogy from chess, the pieces on the board that are available to be moved); The strategy (or action) which is the ensuing results from the decisions taken in the two earlier steps of phase 1. The implementation phase marks stage two of the CSR process. It includes the factors: Implementation and control which involve the technical aspects of implementation at a more tactical level and the crucial step of control of the entire process (i.e. the feedback loop); Finally, the output step is included based on the rationale that a results-orientated approach is beneficial to ensure an effective and efficient use of managerial resources. Theoretical foundation Refer to Clark, (2000) CSR consists of four steps process i.e., awareness or recognition of an issue, analysis and planning, response intern of policy development and implementation. The process of CSR also includes environmental assessment, stakeholder management, and issues management. Becker-Olsen et al, (2006) mentioned that CSR a link between social initiatives and improved financial performance. According Besley and Ghatak, (2007) CSR is dependable with profit-maximization in competitive markets. In equilibrium firms sell ethical brands and neutral brands, and consumers self-select according to their valuation of the public good. According to Margolis et al, (2008) the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance across eight categories of CSR and found that different initiatives have significantly different impacts on financial performance. Pies et al, (2009) documented that the ordonomic approach can be used in business ethics to foster effective leadership skills and encourage CSR. The ordonomic perspective is a valuable framework for discussing the meaning and role of ethics in effective leadership and CSR in the age of globalization. The authors explained that the ordonomic approach provides a three-tiered conceptual framework for analyzing society and social interaction (refer to figure 2). Figure 2: the three-tiered conceptual framework of the ordonomic perspective (extacted from Pies et al, 2009) This framework distinguishes between the basic games of antagonistic social cooperation, the meta-games of social rule setting, and the meta-meta games of rule-finding discourse. The authors stated that the basic game of social interaction refers as cooperation is only made possible by the existence of institutions, i.e., rules. for mutual advantage. The meta game is rule-setting processes that are geared toward creating a mutually advantageous social structure. Finally, the meta-meta game serves as a rule-finding discourse. Its discursive practices aim at critically discussing semantics and with the goal of developing shared perceptions as to the social interdependence of the players (Pies et al, 2009). Levels of Corporate Social Responsibility Carroll (1991) stated that CSR consists of four level basic responsibilities to society i.e., economic, legal, ethical and discretionary. From these four level responsibilities, Carroll uses to build his CSR model (refer to figure 3). Philantropic Responsibilities Ethical Responsibilities Legal Responsibilities Economic Responsibilities Be a good corporate citizen. Contribute resources to the community; improve quality of life Be ethical. Obligation to do what is right, just and fair. Avoid harm Be profitable. The foundation upon which all others rest Obey the law. Law is societys codification of right and wrong. Play by rules of the game Figure 3: The pyramid of corporate social responsibility (Extracted from Caroll 1991) Refer to the Carrolls model, economic responsibility is the foundation of the pyramid. The next level involves legal responsibilities, which is followed by ethical responsibilities. At the top of the pyramid is philanthropic responsibilities which is to be the highest level of corporate responsibility. Economic and Legal Responsibilities Economic responsibilities mean that the core activity of a business is to provide goods and services. The legal responsibilities refer to companies cannot only focus on the profit motive; simultaneously they are expected to act in accordance with current laws and regulations transmitted by federal, state and local communities as the ground rules under which business should operate (Carroll, 1991). Table 1: Economic and Legal components of Corporate Social Responsibility (extracted from Carroll, 1991) Economic Components (Responsibilities) Legal Components (Responsibilities) 1. Perform in a manner consistent with maximizing earnings per share. 1. Perform in a manner consistent with expectations of government and law. 2. Be committed to being as profitable as possible. 2. Comply with various federal, state and local regulations. 3. Maintain a high level of operating efficiency. 3. Be a law-enduring corporate citizen. 4. Maintain a strong competitive position. 4. It is important that a successful firm is defined as one that fulfils its obligations. 5. It is important that a successful firm is defined as one that is consistently profitable. 5. Provide goods and services that at least meet minimal legal requirements. Ethical Responsibilities Refer to Caroll, (1991) ethical responsibilities represent standards, norms and expectations that consumers, employees, shareholders and the community look upon as fair, even though they are not transferable into laws. The ethical responsibility is the voluntarily responsibility by the company to act in a manner that is fair and justice and to avoid or at least minimize the risk that the shareholders of the company is affected in any negative manner. In the latest years the ethical responsibility has created high expectations on corporate managers and social pressure forces the companies to act in a manner that is far beyond their legal responsibilities. Philanthropic Responsibilities Philanthropic responsibility is always voluntarily and could be implemented through both devote the employees time and the companys money for the best of the society and always try to strive for improving the world around them. The societal approach indicates that companies are responsible to the society as a whole, of which they can be seen as an integral part (Carroll, 1991). Table 2 Ethical and Philanthropic components of Corporate Social Responsibility (extracted from Carroll, 1991) Ethical Components (Responsibilities) Philanthropic Components (Responsibilities) 1. Perform in a manner consistent with expectations of societal mores and ethical norms. 1. Perform in a manner consistent with the philanthropic and charitable expectations of society. 2. Recognize and respect new or evolving ethical moral norms adopted by society. 2. Assist the fine and performing arts. 3. Prevent ethical norms from being compromised in order to achieve corporate goals. 3. That managers and employees participate in voluntary and charitable activities within their local communities. 4. It is important that good corporate citizenship be defined as doing what is expected morally or ethically. 4. Provide assistance to private and public educational institutions. 5. Recognize that corporate integrity and ethical behaviour go beyond mere compliance with laws and regulations. 5. Assist voluntarily those projects that enhance a communitys quality of life. Different approached had been used by van Marrewijk, (2003) i.e, three theories about different levels of CSR (refer to figure 4). Figure 4: General model of CS/CR and its dimensions. (van Extracted from Marrewijk, 2003) According to van Marrewijk, (2003) there the ultimate objective of CSR is to obtain Social Sustainability. This cannot be achieved without the different levels of CSR, in economy, social and environmental issues. In the shareholder approach it is clear that the central aim for a company is the pursuit of profit maximization and that the social responsible activities are not concerned with the corporate body but are a major task for the government and the public sector. In this process CSR is only interesting in the way that it contributes to achieve he objectives of the company, which in the long run is profitability for the owners. Theories of Corporate Social Responsibility The implementation theories correspond to the basis to create a model that describes a CSR implementation process According to Carol, (1991) business and politics communities have been influenced by the globalisation process and the displacement of values from material to immaterial values that has taken place. Refer to a work by Garriga and Melà ©, (2004) CSR theories associated with four groups i.e., (table 3) Instrumental theories The corporation is used strategic tool for wealth creation. There are three main groups of instrumental theories which depend on the economic objectives. The three groups are; Maximizing the shareholder value According to the authors, any investment social demands that contribute to maximizing the shareholder without deception and fraud are include in this group. It has been noted that the shareholder value maximization as the supreme reference for corporate decision-making. Strategies for achieving competitive advantages Garriga and Melà ©, (2004) noted that this group of theories are concentrated on long term social objectives by knowing how to allocate resource and create a competitive advantage. There are three approaches can be included within this strategies i.e., social investments in competitive context, natural resource-based view of the firm and its dynamic capabilities and strategies for the bottom of the economic pyramid. Cause-related marketing Cause-related marketing refers as the process of formulating and implementing marketing activities and the goal is to enhance company revenues, sales or customer relationship by building the brand through the acquisition of, and association with the ethical dimension or social responsibility dimension (Garriga and Melà ©, 2004). Political theories The authors pointed out that political theories focus on interactions and connections between business and society and on the power of business and its inherent responsibility. There are two major theories can be distinguished through Corporate Constitutionalism and Corporate Citizenship Corporate Constitutionalism The authors mentioned that the firm has power to influence the equilibrium of the market. Social powers of the firm are internally and externally without destroy power. They channel organizational power in a supportive way and protect against unreasonable organizational power. Corporate Citizenship Corporate citizenship refers as responsibilities and possible partnerships of business in society. It has been reported that some theories on corporate citizenship are based on a social contract theory. Corporate citizenship theories generally have a strong sense of business responsibility towards the local community, partnerships which are the specific ways of formalizing the willingness to improve the local community and for consideration for the environment. (Garriga and Melà ©, 2004). Integrative theories According to the authors, the integrative theories depend to social demands for its existence continuity and growth. Social demands means society interacts with business and gives it a certain legitimacy and prestige. In addition, the authors noted that the theories of this group are focused on the detection and scanning of, and response to, the social demands that achieve social legitimacy, greater social acceptance and prestige. Issues management The concept of social responsiveness broadens with the concept of issue management which refers as a process for making a corporate response to social issues. Issues management is a process of the corporation can identify, evaluate and respond to those social and political issues which may impact significantly upon it. The principle of public responsibility Public policy consists of law, regulation and broad pattern of social direction reflected to public opinion, emerging issues, formal legal requirements and enforcement or implementation practices. Garriga and Melà ©, (2004) noted that if business adhered to the standards of performance in law and the existing public policy process, then it would be judged acceptably responsive in terms of social expectations. Stakeholder management Stakeholder management focuses on the public responsibility principle and combines groups with a stake in the firm into managerial decision making (Garriga and Melà ©, 2004). Corporate social performance Refer to Garriga and Melà ©, (2004) the corporate social performance theories includes social legitimacy with process for giving appropriate responses. The corporate social performance also include the principles of CSR, expressed on institutional, organizational and individual levels, processes of corporate social responsiveness, such as environmental assessment, stakeholder management and issues management, and outcomes of corporate behavior including social impacts, social programs and social policies. Ethical theories Garriga and Melà ©, (2004) documented that ethical theories focus on the ethical requirements that strengthen the relationship between business and society which is based on principles that express the right thing to do or the necessity to achieve a good society. Normative stakeholder theory The authors noted that the normative stakeholder theory is a way to integrate social demands. Normative stakeholder theory has a normative core based on two major ideas stakeholders are persons or groups with legitimate interests in procedural and/or substantive aspects of corporate activity (stakeholders are identified by their interests in the corporation, whether or not the corporation has any corresponding functional interest in them) and The interests of all stakeholders are of intrinsic value (that is, each group of stakeholders merits consideration for its own sake and not merely because of its ability to further the interests of some other group, such as the shareowners). Universal rights Universal rights (human rights) UN Global Compact includes in the area of human rights, labor rights and the environment protection as a basis for CSR. Sustainable development Sustainable development requires the integration of social, environmental, and economic considerations to make balanced judgments for the long term. In order to maintain the sustainable developmenet there is a need for the organizations aims and intentions be aligned with the organization strategy, as an appropriate response to the circumstances in which the organization operates (Garriga and Melà ©, 2004). Table 3: Corporate Social Responsibility Theories and related approaches (extracted from Garriga and Male, 2004) The common good approach Refer to the authors, this approach maintains that business, as with any other social group or individual in society, has to contribute to the common good, because it is a part of society and it shouldnt be harmful to society. Morimoto and Hope, (2005) are using Grounded Theory approach to undertake the complex issues CSR auditing. According to the authors the grounded theory is grounded in the data; developed from it by the analysis process and tested in the existing data for verification. It is systematic rigor and thoroughness from initial design, through data collection and analysis. Chih et al, (2009) institutional theory on CSR comprising a series of propositions specifying the conditions under which corporations are more (or less) likely to behave in socially responsible ways such as financial performance and economic environment, competition, legal environment, private regulation and the presence of independent organizations, business education environment, and employer-employee relations Another study by Frederiksen, (2009), the author had chosen two kinds of teleological moral theories, i.e. egoism and utilitarianism, and two kinds of deontological moral theories, i.e. libertarianism and common-sense morality and moral theory, i.e. utilitarianism and common-sense morality. From the authors finding, the companies act in CSR is not according to their CSR policies on goal-orientated teleological moral theories, such as ethical egoism or utilitarianism, but they prefer on duty based common-sense morality. In addition, managers mainly perform with goal-oriented teleological moral the ethical guidelines, utilitarianism and this theory is in disagreement with deontologically oriented theories i.e., common-sense morality. Teleological moral theories Egoism According to Frederiksen, (2009), CSR concerned with benefiting the company such as employees, the local community and companys self-interest. Ethical egoist refers to any kind of social arrangement that would be rational for their own best-interest. Therefore, egoism in a company should to do good or refrain from doing harm only if it is good for the company, normally meaning if it helps to maximize profit. Utilitarianism It has been stated that the relationship between CSR and utilitarians is companies have a moral obligation to promote the best possible outcome, i.e. maximise happiness from an impartial perspective. Impartiality refers as the one is impartial in relation to who the benefactor is and who the beneficiary is such as those who closely related to the company, employees (Frederiksen, 2009). Deontological moral theories Libertarianism The author noted that the relation of CSR and libertarianism, it is believe that companies have no moral obligation to positively help anyone; they are only morally obligated not to violate anyones negative rights. Common-sense morality The relationship between CSR and the common-sense orientation believe that companies have a moral obligation not to violate anyones rights and that they also have positive duties towards certain groups, such as employees, the local community and others closely related to the company. The author mentioned that common-sense moral principles seem to be principles concerning special obligations; for example special obligations towards shareholders or other closely related groups. Hsieh, (2009) documented that there are two prominent theories of corporate purpose i.e., stakeholder theory and corporate citizenship theory. Stakeholder theory The corporation ought to be managed for the benefit of all its stakeholders Corporate citizenship theory It emphasize business enterprises in respecting and defending human rights and in contributing to social welfare and human development within society Refer to Padgett RC, Galan JI, (2009), resource-based view (RBV) theory related to CSR in the sense of they can generate competitive advantages; the firm is also affected by external factors. RBV in the study of CSR is explained by the emphasis it places on the importance of specific intangible resources, such as know-how, corporate culture and reputation for firms to obtain competitive advantages. Table 4: In summary of Corporate Social Responsibility Theories Theories Types of theories Authors CSR theories associated with four groups Instrumental theories- strategic tool for wealth creation Political theories- on interactions and connections between business and society and on the power of business and its inherent responsibility Integrative theories- social demands for its existence continuity and growth. Ethical theories- ethical requirements that strengthen the relationship between business and society Garriga and Melà ©, (2004) Undertake complex issues regarding CSR auditing Grounded theory It is systematic rigor and thoroughness from initial design, through data collection and analysis. Morimoto and Hope, (2005) Institutional theory CSR comprising a series of propositions specifying the conditions under which corporations are more (or less) likely to behave in socially responsible ways such as financial performance and economic environment, competition, legal environment, private regulation and the presence of independent organizations, business education environment, and employer-employee relations Chih et al, (2009) CSR associated with two kinds of teleological moral theories and two kinds of deontological moral theories. Teleological moral theories Egoism Any kind of social arrangement that would be rational for their own best-interest to help maximize company profits. Utilitarianism To promote the best possible outcome, i.e. maximise happiness to those who closely related to the company, employees. Deontological moral theories Libertarianism The companies have no moral obligation to positively help anyone; they are only morally obligated not to violate anyones negative rights. Common-sense morality and moral theory Principles concerning special obligations not to violate anyones rights and that they also have positive duties towards certain groups; for example special obligations towards shareholders or other closely related groups. Frederiksen, (2009) There are two prominent theories of corporate purpose Stakeholder theory the corporation ought to be managed for the benefit of all its stakeholders Corporate citizenship theory It emphasize business enterprises in respecting and defending human rights and in contributing to social welfare and human development within society. Hsieh, (2009) Resource-based view (RBV) RBV theory allows to analyse the effect of RD intensity on CSR Resource-based view (RBV) theory Importance of specific intangible resources, such as know-how, corporate culture and reputation for firms to obtain competitive advantages. Padgett and Galan, (2009) Corporate Social Responsibility Implementation Marimoto et al, (2005) there are six key elements to the achievement of successful CSR are perceived as good stakeholder management, good corporate leadership greater priority for CSR at board level, integration of CSR into corporate policy at all levels and in all divisions of business, regulation at the national and international level understood and demonstrated across all areas of business, active involvement of, and good coordination between, government business, NGOs and civil society. Raps (2005) noted that in order to achieve successful implementation of CSR, there is a need to understand a long-term process that requires creativity and careful planning. The author pointed out ten critical points to overcome and improve the difficulties in the CSR implementation context. Commitment of top management Refer to Raps, (2005), the importance of having top-managers working hard to achieve the purpose of the strategy is crucial for the implementation to succeed. Top-managers must influence middle managers in order to get their true message forward; they cannot relay on and believe that the middle-managers perception of the implementation is the same as theirs. Involve middle managers valuable knowledge The author pointed out that to make use of the knowledge that middle managers possess and make sure they are involved increases their motivation and make them feel like they are a part of the process. This motivation boost is important for everyones everyday day work since the middle managers engagement increases the awareness of the implementation throughout the organization. Communication is what implementation is all about Refer to Raps, (2005) illustrates in his communication-model how it is possible to provide appropriate information regarding implementation throughout the organization (Figure 5). Figure 5: Issues to be addresses in the communications plan (Extracted with Raps 2005). Integrate point of view It is essential to see the implementation as a method used integrated within all aspects of the company. Traditionally implementation often overemphasizes the structural aspects e.g. organizational structure and disregards other existing components such as cultural aspects and human resources perspective. All of these aspects need to be taken into consideration to create an integrated measure for implementing activities (Raps, 2005). Clear assignment of responsibilities To avoid power struggles between departments and within hierarchies, there should be a plan with clear assignments of responsibilities regarding detailed implementation activities. This is a preventive way of proceeding. Responsibilities are clear and potential problems are therefore avoided (Raps, 2005) Preventive measures against barriers Change is a common phenomenon for companies today and the companies that are capable of handling change has a great advantage. The ability to manage change has become a core competency. A great challenge within strategy implementation is to deal with potential change barriers. Therefore, it is important to prevent these barriers and by changing the way they view and practice strategy implementation, senior executives can effectively transform change barriers into gateways for a successful execution (Raps, 2005). Emphasize teamwork activities Teamwork is an important part when implementing a strategy. It is however often forgotten when it comes down to implementation process activities (Raps, 2005). Respect the individuals ´ different characteristics Human resources are valuable and intangible assets within a company. Latest studies indicate that HR is the key factor for successful implementation (Raps, 2005) Take advantage of supportive implementation instruments According to the author, there are two implementation instruments can be applied i.e., the balanced scorecard and the supportive software solution. The balanced scorecard provides a functionality to translate a companys strategic objectives into a coherent set of performance measures. In addition, it provides a framework to integrate the strategic planning and meets the requirements that the strategic planning system itself can display. The software solutions can be helpful to improve the quality of strategy implementation and provides clear assignments of responsibilities throughout the organizations implementation process. Calculate buffer time for unexpected incidents The author reported that the most important in strategy implementation is the exceeding of time restrictions. The important key is to find out the time-intense activities and harmonize with the time capac

journalism Essay -- essays research papers fc

In old days men had the rack. Now they have the press. That is an improvement certainly. But still it is very bad, and wrong, and demoralising. Somebody - was it Burke? - called journalism the fourth estate. That was true at the time, no doubt. But at the present moment it really is the only estate. It has eaten up the other three. The Lords Temporal say nothing, the Lords Spiritual have nothing to say, and the House of Commons has nothing to say and says it. We are dominated by Journalism. The Soul of Man - Oscar Wilde Feudal society was traditionally divided into three "estates" (social classes). The "First Estate" was the Church (clergy - those who prayed). The "Second Estate" was the Nobility (those who fought - knights). It was common for aristocrats to enter the Church and thus shift from the second to the first estate. The "Third Estate" was the Peasantry (everyone else, at least under feudalism: those who produced the food which supported those who prayed and those who fought, the members of the First and Second Estates). These "estates" are defined primarily by what one does (as well as by the social class one is born into). The term 'fourth estate' is used today to refer to the mass media as a powerful watchdog in liberal democracy, revealing abuses of state authority and defending the democratic rights of citizens. The notion that the press is a great instrument of liberty providing a check on the abuse of government power – any power - is a central part of any political culture. "If people don't know about power and let their attention wander completely then those in power will take liberties". Andrew Marr, BBC's political editor Former editor of The Independent The main role of the press is to ensure transparency and accountability in the government’s dealings. The publisher of a newspaper is most often also the owner and is the papers top manager. If a chain or a large corporation owns the paper, the publisher represents the owner’s interests and ensures the business’s profitability. According to the News Writers Handbook, the owner’s opinion about the news of the day is usually echoed by the editorial page editor on the editorial page and on the op- ed page opposite the editorial. It is common for the editorial page editor to report directly to the publisher, and not the paper... ...t. The education editor reviews books and other education material that is to be used by students. "Perhaps the most urgent--and complex--task facing American education today is to figure out how to hold schools accountable for improved academic achievement. In this important new work, Helen Ladd†¦.. this book should be at the top of the reading list for anyone seriously interested in transforming the quality of American schools." Edward B. Fiske, Education Editor, The New York Times All the editors work together to produce a newsworthy newspaper. The sit in the newsroom and deliberate of the ethical principles and legal ramifications of running certain stories. They act as a checking system on one another and so help in upholding the philosophies of categorical imperative, hedonism, veil of ignorance, golden rule, golden mean and utilitatianism for the good of the newspaper and the greater good of the public. BIBLIOGRAPHY Rudin, Richard and Ibbotson, Trevor, Introduction to Journalism. Focal Press, 2002. Keeble, Richard Newspapers’ Handbook( Media Practices) Routledge, 1998. Frost, Chris, Reporting for Journalists. Routledge: Taylor and Francis Books Lt, 2001

Impact Of Prematurity On Development Essay -- essays research papers

Impact of Premature Birth on Development   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Years ago, premature birth almost always meant death for the baby. Today, however, we have the technology to nurture these infants’ development, and many of them survive to lead normal, healthy lives. Although, very premature infants (that is, those born before about the fifth month) are still not likely to survive, many born at five months and older will thrive. Some preterm babies, however, do have many obstacles to overcome. There are a variety of medical problems that affect some of them, they may have impaired mental or physical conditions, and they may be looked upon by others in their environment as slow, or they might be treated differently because they were premature. All of these factors, plus a few more that will be discussed, affect the development of preterm infants into their adolescent years, and sometimes beyond.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many preterm babies are born with medical problems because they simply were not ready to come into the world yet. They will not have very developed primitive reflexes, and they may look a little strange, with translucent skin, misshapen ears, and fine hair covering their entire bodies. One of the biggest problems for premature infants is a condition called Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), in which the lungs do not produce enough surfactant, which is the substance that keeps the airsacs in the lungs from collapsing. If not treated in time, the infant’s brain will become oxygen deprived, which would lead to death. It can cause some brain damage. Another condition that often affects premature babies is Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA). This happens when the ductus arteriosus, which connects the pulmonary artery to the aorta, doesn’t close, leading to the infant’s blood not being properly oxgenated. This can also lead to brain damage if not caug ht in time. Premature infants also may just stop breathing, which is called apnea. This is why they must be closely monitored, for without close supervision, they could die.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another medical condition common to premature infants which affects the brain is Intraventricular Hermorrage, where the blood vessels in the brain bleed. This affects most premature babies, but it is not very severe in most cases, and is easily treated. In more severe cases, it can be associat... ...nd child had a better relationship, the child showed fewer behavioral disturbances than when the mother/child relationship was bad (Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, v.23 p 328-9). Typically, the more negative the environment, the less well-adjusted the premature child was. Another factor in their emotional development is the income of the family. In higher SES environments, the children were typically more well-adjusted. Birth weight is also a factor in this. The smaller the birth weight, the less emotionally adjusted and more behaviorally disturbed the child will be. Levy-Shift and Gili Einat concluded that the reason why premature babies have these problems is that they are generally less intelligent than full terms. They had more trouble learning, which could lead to negative emotional reactions. They say that premature children sometimes have impaired neurological processes that underlie cognitive dysfunction which is detrimental to behavioral and emotional functioning (Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, v.23 p 329). Premature children are less responsive, less alert, and less active when they are babies, which can lead to a bad start to the mother-child relationship.

Preserving Order in Luther and Hobbes Essays -- Philosophy Essays

Preserving Order in Luther and Hobbes Both Martin Luther and Thomas Hobbes believe in preserving order. Their writings paint pictures of strong sovereigns and obedient subjects. Yet while both men see it as wrong to overthrow a sovereign, they recognize that sovereigns are overthrown and that the sovereigns must do what they can to prevent this. On top of that both men see different causes for their sovereigns’ creation, set different ends for their sovereigns, and would limit the actions of the sovereigns to those specific ends. Hobbes, whose sovereign is created as an alternative to the state of nature, places the possibility of the state collapsing as the limits of that sovereign’s power. Luther, whose rulers are appointed by God, would limit their power only by their fear of God. These differences play out in the few cases in which Hobbes and Luther give the people permission to disobey the rulers. Thomas Hobbes says that there must be a strong sovereign because it is the only possibility other than the state of nature. In the state of nature every man is equal and having equal rights to all things, all would be in constant war against one another. In this case no one is assured that he will have the fruits of his own labor, and thus there is no labor done but life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short." That man would choose to remain in this state is not an option to Hobbes. He says that for men to "seek peace and follow it" is a law of nature. Thus for Hobbes obedience to the sovereign is a choice that everyone must make, because it is natural and reasonable to make it, and because it is the only option other than the state of nature. Martin Luther, on the other hand, does not really consider a state of ... ...military is large enough, and the people poor enough, that there is no chance for the people to rebel, then the sovereign may do what he wills and the people will have to accept it. Order will be maintained. However, if the people’s beliefs are moving towards ones promoting rebellion or they have the material resources available too rebel then this will limit the sovereign and he will have act appropriately. Works Cited Hobbes, Thomas. Leviathan. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1994. Luther, Martin. "Admonition to Peace, A Reply to the Twelve Articles of the Peasants in Swabia, 1525." In Luther’s Works: Volume 46. edited by Robert C. Shultz. 17-45. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. "Temporal Authority: To What Extent it Should be Obeyed, 1523." In Luther’s Works: Volume 45. edited by Robert C. Shultz. 81-130. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. 89.

Against Concealed Carry Law

The topic of concealed carry is something that a lot of people are talking about. Turn on the news, the radio, read the newspaper, surf the internet and the topic of conceal carry will be discussed. The reason it is so highly discussed is due to the effect that conceal carry will have on everyone regardless of race, age, and socio- economic background. As a resident of Illinois, the most recent state to adopt concealed carry, there continues to be much concern about how it will be monitored and enforced.Will there be an increase in public safety with the adoption of concealed carry or will here be an increase in gun related injuries and fatalities. The research process for this paper consisted of a comprehensive search via internet of Journal articles related to gun control and concealed carry, library database review, newspaper archives, and broadcast media reports. For the Journal articles and the library database review, the key words â€Å"concealed carry' and â€Å"gun control † were utilized.In reviewing the results from the use of the key words, Journal articles were then organized chronologically from oldest to most recent publication date within groups of relevant subject matter. The selected articles were reviewed and pertinent information was noted for use. Since Illinois is the most recent state to adopt the concealed carry law, newspaper archives were examined for articles concerning the issue in the local News Gazette, the Springfield State Journal Register and the Chicago Tribune. Articles written in 2013 discussing the adoption of the law were used to build a timeline covering the process to date.Broadcast media sources were searched for recent broadcasts related to concealed carry and gun control, and for examples of recent gun violence where the assage of concealed carry was proposed as the solution to preventing future incidents or blamed as the reason the incidents occurred. Broadcasts fulfilling these requirements were viewed and use d to provide evidence on both sides of the issue. Finally, websites for groups on both sides of the issue were reviewed for commentary and viewpoints that would greater examine the arguments both for and against concealed carry.The National Rifle Association (NRA) and the Students for Concealed Carry, both national organizations provided the voice for pro concealed carry. To represent those against concealed carry, The National Order of Fraternal olice and FINDINGS The May 2013 online article by Facts on File News Services, takes a closer look at gun control following the violence that broke out in an elementary school taking the lives of children and teachers. It was another senseless shooting that shook the nation and seemed it was the final straw forcing individuals and government offices to increase efforts to tighten gun laws.The second-deadliest mass shooting ever to occur in the United States was the Newton shooting. Only by the 2007 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State U niversity shooting where a gunman had took 32 lives hootings in the United States to three in 2012. It was reported in December of 2012 that the Obama administration would support a bill to ban assault weapons, as well as consider a ban on high-capacity magazines, preventing the operator of a gun from rapid fire and rapid reload ofa firearm. January 2013, President Obama urged Congress to pass gun control measures requiring background checks and declaring a ban on assault weapon.His message was that background checks would tighten the ability of individuals to purchase weapons from gun shows or from private dealers where background checks were not required. Close control on the sale of military- style semi-automatic guns or ‘assault weapons' was perceived to be a much more difficult process. When put toa vote in front of the senate, Senators voted 54-46 against universal background checks, 54-46 against limits on the size of high-capacity ammunition magazines, and 60-40 agains t a ban on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons in April 2013.In response to the vote, Obama blasted the gun lobbyists of spreading lies about the expansion of the background checks by implying that gun registry would be controlled by government officials. Those on both sides of he aisle, who assumed a Pro-gun control stance for legislation, committed their voice to the pursuit of gun control. In all 50 states, the carrying of a concealed gun is now legal according to an article that appeared on the website ProCon. org in October 2013. Only Washington, D. C. revents concealed carry except for both active and retired law enforcement officers. This article explores both sides of the concealed carry debate. For example, between May 2007 and March 2010 statistics reveal that nine law enforcement officers and 142 non-law enforcement individuals were killed by concealed carry handgun permit olders across the nation. It is also statistically significant to note that the majority of those who legally carry concealed do not abuse their rights and are non-violent.While it may seem obvious that criminals are less likely to attack someone that they believe might be armed, it is also important to emphasize that handguns are not an effective form of self-defense often resulting in injury and death for the individual carrying. A concealed handgun significantly increases the chances of a confrontation escalating in violence to a lethal degree. The risk of suicide is magnified as a vast ajority of all suicide attempts are done in times impulsiveness where not only owning, but carrying a handgun gives an individual a method to act.There are those proponents of concealed carry who will tout the Second Amendment of the U. S. Constitution as a proof that citizens, who are to bear arms for a well-regulated militia, should be entitled to personal carry. Those on the anti concealed side remind us that the Second Amendment provides for bearing arms when there is a need for â₠¬Å"a well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed†. The Constitution does not discuss nor promote concealed handguns for personal protection.Eleven states have â€Å"may issue† laws which give law enforcement discretion in issuing permits. In a February 26, 2013 newspaper article written by Tom Kachich, State Representatives from Illinois approved a number of amendments to pass the concealed-carry law which would allow Illinoisans to carry weapons in public; however they would need to meet certain requirements that needed to be completed concealed-carry, legislation stated that Illinois was going to be a â€Å"shall state†, meaning that larger numbers of citizens would be able to acquire permits.The catch to obtaining a permit is eight hours of training including live-fire training, and would need to undergo a criminal history background check. In order to get a permit , the individual would have to pay an eighty dollar fee for a five-year permit. Representative Brandon Phelps elaborated â€Å"that there would be no limitation on the number of weapons a permit-holder could carry, but that the bill is more restrictive than we ever wanted it to be. † A weapon may not be carried in schools, child care facilities, local government buildings, libraries, stadiums, places of worship, casinos, and is even restricted on mass transit.Phelps' amendment would also not permit for those on campuses of colleges and universities to carry a firearm. State Representative, Naomi Jakobsson, proposed another amendment which was approved by the House which stated that firearms should be restricted in hospitals and mental health facilities. Karen Farkas wrote an article in the September 2013 edition of the Cleveland News about concealed carry on college campuses. Of the 1,649 students surveyed at fifteen public colleges in the Midwest, 78% reported that they did not support the carrying of handguns on college campuses.Most students reported that not only ould they not feel safer on campus; they were concerned about the potential for an increased risk of suicides and homicides. Ohio is a part of 49 states that have concealed carry weapons laws and one of 22 states that ban carrying a concealed weapon on a college campus. â€Å"l think for the majority of people this (concealed handguns) is not on their radar screen because it is so absurd,† said Amy Thompson, who is a professor in the department of public health at the University of Toledo who led the study. Why bring guns into the learning environment? When I talk to my students (about concealed carry) they say ‘Are you kidding me? I don't want a kid sitting next to me in class with a backpack with a gun in it. † Thompson, who is a part of a team of researchers, conducted a survey with the faculty and university presidents to see who supported the concealed carry and who didn't. â€Å"As a public health professor I wanted to look at who is pushing this and is it something that really, truly everyone wants,† she said.College students need to be aware of the value of a concealed carry weapon because a college campus is no different than a small city. Kurt Mueller, who is the organization's public relations director said, â€Å"The survey aid that most students believed that allowing concealed carry would increase the risks of suicides and homicides, and if you wanted to commit a homicide with a firearm you don't need a carry a permit to do it because they aren't worried about violation of the firearms law. Thompson said that a survivor of the Virginia Tech shootings who was shot four times spoke on her campus and said even if he had been armed he wouldn't have been able to do anything and would have been more likely to be killed. And Thompson says, â€Å"There is tons of research that will back that up. The study that she instructed also foun d that about 16 percent of undergraduate students own a firearm and 20 percent witnessed a crime on their campus that involved firearms; about 66 percent felt that if they carried gun it would make them less likely to be bothered by others. eapons on college campuses, and five other states put forth bills that would prohibit concealed weapons on campuses. Even though the legislation was pushing for weapons, studies suggest that a large number of college students did not support allowing concealed weapons while attending school. 78% of the students, who were urveyed at 1 5 different Midwestern colleges and universities, expressed opposition to concealed weapons, according to the study which was published in the Journal of American College Health. This issue of allowing people to carry concealed weapons at universities and colleges around the U. S. has been raised several times in recent years,† said Jagdish Khubchandani, who is a member of Ball State University. â€Å"This is in spite of the fact that almost four of every five students are not in favor of allowing guns on campus. † In a statement published July 12, 2013 The National Rifle Association (NRA) roposed that the Second Amendment is a far more important portion of the Bill of Rights, suggesting that far more emphasis should be placed on it than even the First Amendment.This belief is behind the NRA attempts the legislature and the courts to be able to expand rights to gun owners while weakening the rights of gun opponents. The NRA views the resistance to concealed carry as a type of reverse discrimination which would prevent people who should have the ability to protect themselves from that right. The passage of concealed carry laws has been a focus of the NRA. Their tance is that while individual rights are important, nothing is important as the right to carry. Another group that is pro- concealed carry law would be a student organization known as Students for Concealed Carry on Campus.T hese students believe that if they were allowed to carry a concealed weapon on them that they would feel safer walking alone at night or even if someone they did not know approached them. They support the individual's right to defend themselves in times of personal Jeopardy. For every group that supports concealed carry, there is a group of people who do not. One such group is The National Order of Fraternal Police. A group of law enforcement officers, this group strongly believes that they should be the only ones to have a handgun. Police officers have been highly trained regarding the necessity of the use of a weapon.These officers are entrusted by their cities and communities to utilize firearms only when essential for public safety. In a profession which is not only dangerous, but also unpredictable, the concern that the officer will not know whom is armed and who is not could raise the intensity surrounding altercations, and holds the potential for concealed carriers to get inv olved in situations they are ot prepared for. Further Research Currently the most interesting sources were the ones about the facts about concealed carry and the attempt to pass the gun control law after the school massacre fail.One of the issues emerging was whether or not college campuses should allow students to carry a concealed weapon on them while at school. Some students thought that they should be able to carry a gun so that they would feel safer when walking alone at night; while others weren't keen on the idea of carrying a weapon. Most people would agree with having a concealed weapon, even though you ave to complete a certain amount of training hours and live fire hours to carry a concealed carry rather than be for it since there has been so many school shootings and even shootings in my town not too long ago.

Internal & External Organizational Forces

As one of the nation's leading wireless and technological service providers, Verizon Communications is one of the most successful examples of rapid expansion in the years since they first opened their doors in 1983. With 93. 2 million customers, Verizon has grown into a massive organization that continues to expand and change. These changes are a part of the organization's plan, but are and will continue to be influenced by Internal and external factors along the way.Organization Mission Verizon's mission may appear simple yet to live up to this mission is no daunting ask in an industry that is rapidly changing with technology advances. They exist to provide customers with great service and communication possibilities while following their core values of integrity, respect, performance excellence, and accountability (Verizon, n. D. ). These values are expected to be followed for not only external customers but internal customers as well.To be a leader in their industry Verizon listen s to customers, embraces diversity, demonstrates honesty, takes responsibility for their actions, and pursues the highest standard in their services. Verizon's session lays the foundation for the organizational behavior that must be accepted and demonstrated from all Verizon employees. Restructuring In early fall of 2009, Verizon announced that they were restructuring two of their business groups Into one known as Verizon Hireling.This realigning was planned to capitalize new avenues for growth and to improve productivity according to Verizon which also moved marketing execution closer to the customer-facing operations (Verizon, 2009). The restructuring included a shift of seven executive positions. Although the announcement did not state how these shifts would affect other employees and reporting chains It is probably safe to say that the restructuring brought concern and questions to their minds.Reporting chain of commands and Job duties would have been affected by Verizon's restr ucturing. According to Shoehorning (2008), restructuring, while needed to remain competitive within an industry, creates emotional conflict. Role, interpersonal, and intercrop are other types of conflict that can occur with change. Verizon management had to plan out how to deal with the conflict that would have been a common result of their restructuring transition phase. Competition Verizon has always been a leader and an Innovator In the wireless communication industry.But lately their sales have seen a decrease due to the popularity of Apple's Phone and its exclusive contract with AT&T. Even though the Phone and AT&T aren't the only competition they are the biggest for the top of the line smart phones. Other competitors in the cell phone market include T-mobile, Metro PC'S and Sprint. These companies compete by offering lower all inclusive plan rates and month to month contracts or pay as you go service. Even though these companies offer lower rates tenet coverage Is not as Drama as Verizon Ana Al& I cross the U.S. And the world. AT&T has also been widely criticized about their coverage versus Verizon's. When Apple released the ‘phone on June 29, 2007 it revolutionized the cell phone industry and raised the bar for all other manufacturers, but the biggest hit to the competition of carriers was that the only provider of the Phone would be AT&T. Research in Motion the maker of Blackberry and Verizon's biggest seller launched their own version of the touch screen phone called the Storm which paled in comparison to the Phone.Verizon started an all out aiming against AT;T and their lack of coverage for cellular use across the country which AT;T vigorously defended but seems to be true according to reports in the magazine Consumer Reports. Verizon could be on the verge of ruling the cellular industry with the impending negotiations with Apple and allowing Verizon to sell the Phone and it could be soon since Verizon is now selling the Pad. They have also see n sales rise with the ETC touch screen phone with the Android operating system that has gone toe to toe with the Phone and offers better g coverage with Verizon.The economy has taken its Economy OLL on not only the housing market and employment but all the way down to how we live our lives on basic necessities. People have had to cut back on how they shop for groceries, cutting back or even canceling cable service and adjusting their cellular plans. This has affected Verizon by customers decreasing their plans minutes or going to a cheaper competitor that will offer the same package at a lower price.Other carriers such as Metro PC'S and Sprint offer the same package of talk, text and data plans as Verizon for half the cost but the coverage is not as good so customers are willing to give up coverage for cost. The economy has also affected the products that Verizon sells as less people are upgrading their phones and holding on to the ones they have for longer periods of time and more people are opting for monthly contracts as opposed to lengthy 2 year contracts offered by the major carriers like Verizon and AT&T.Every facet of our lives has been affected by the recent economy and how we communicate is one of them. Customer Demands In recent years, Verizon has become more than Just the nation's leading wireless service provider by simply listening to customer demands and taking notice of customer's needs. The have expanded to providing internet service, television, wireless service, and landlines service. Verizon has been the first to address our nation's demand for bundling services to save money and to simplify lives. There are many factors that influence how Verizon handles the demands of customers.Being that they are the nation's leading wireless provider, the will also require a lot of support to keep customers happy. No matter what kind of service, Verizon offers customer support via phone, internet, and house calls. Customer support is available to all typ es of customers, residential, small business, medium genuineness, or even for enterprise & government sized accounts. The size of the organization indicates that there will always be unsatisfied customers, and in recent news many of these customers have banded together to file a lawsuit against Verizon for the monthly data plans being charged when services winner down. 0 take Acton Ana TIC ten customer service approver to Verizon customers, the organization has stated that they are in the process of De-automating their telephone systems so that customers can get to a live person more easily. As a highly publicized issue, this external factor has demanded that Verizon revamp the ay they handle customer service over the phone. Globalization Verizon's name is not only a household name in the United States. The organization has over 300 offices in 75 countries across 6 continents of the world. There are many reasons that Verizon has chosen to take business across seas.The most obvious i nfluence would be an internal desire to expand and prosper as a business. The second factor that leads them to globalization is the external force of growth in need for international communication. As technology and trade evolves, the need for efficient international communication has and will continue to grow significantly. Technology influences the globalization need by the way it changes the kinds of services traded. No longer are we only exporting and importing goods from countries, with the aid of technology we are seeing an increase in service trading.India has been the leading example of the need for organizations to communicate overseas. With the increase in out sourcing work to countries overseas, American countries need to communicate in order for the services to be unison. Although there has been a lot of debate over the quality of service provided by other countries, with the aid of Verizon this cultural hurdle can be nonexistent. Conclusion Although it is true that the organization's mission, reconstruction, competition, the economy, fiscal policies, customers, and globalization will always influence how Verizon continues to develop, their original mission's intentions.