Contemporary Issues for Business and Society Assignment - 1

Contemporary Issues for Business and Society - Assignment Example In the current era organisations are making charities, voluntary actions, they are also using energy in a sustainable manner (International, 2006). Global organisations are promoting healthy work atmosphere, compensation and reimbursement policy as per the social and environmental factors. Globalised operational structures are demanding flexible strategic development. Global organisations are making social audit to produce the report to meet the demands of the stakeholders. In the current study, ‘Responsible Management audit’ of Nike is done in terms of meeting the above mentioned challenges. Various UN Global Compact Principles are contrasted on behalf of the Nike and annual ‘Communication on Progress’ report is stated to evaluate the topic (About.nike.com, 2015). UN Global Compact can be defined as a set of strategic guidelines scheme that are aligned to the operations and strategies of global firms. Guidelines are developed as per various factors like the human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. These factors are helping organisations to develop sound CSR strategies and maintain the benefits of their stakeholders. These guidelines are developed as per affects of the globalisation (AhÃŒ £mad and Crowther, 2013). Firms are able to maintain increased benefits for their market segment, and business associates. UN Global Compact scheme will increase the use of emerging technologies and feasible investment option in the global market. Henceforth, firms can increase their contribution on the national and international economies and societies. Global organisations like Nike, is facing intense challenge from the diversified social, political and economic factors of the market. Such challenges are restricting profitability and growth in international market (Berliner and Prakash, 2012). In the international footwear and sportswear industry Nike is holding the leading position. The American based multinational manufactures and designs athletic

Experimental Researrch Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Experimental Researrch Design - Essay Example Experimental research designs are the only ones that have the ability to determine if a change in the independent variable actually causes a change in the dependent variable. In carrying out an experimental design a number of questions have to be answered. These questions will determine the type of experimental study design to be adopted. Experimental designs are usually carried out on groups or individuals. Accordingly, the structure of the design changes as group experimental design or single subject experimental design (Srinagesh, 2006). Group experimental designs take different forms. If there is only one independent variable then a single variable design is adopted that has three approaches- pre-experimental designs, true experimental designs and quasi experimental designs. However, if there are two or more then then a factorial design is adopted. The single subject experimental designs are used only when one subject is involved in the study and thus aim at studying behavioral changes of different individuals as a result of some treatment or intervention. There are three main types and these include: A-B-A withdrawal design, multiple baseline design and alternating treatments design (Gravetter & Forzano, 2011). In the study question above, it was only possible to identify one independent variable which was the rate of adoption of the electronic medical records. A number of dependent variables were identified and these include: time, the hospitals surveyed, patient knowledge and efficiency. Therefore, in this case a single variable experimental design will be used. Narrowing down in this category, the quasi-experimental design with the use of time series design will be used. The rate of adoption is seen to change over time. The method will be effective because of the time aspect involved in the study. The design will address internal validity in a number of ways. The study

Police ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Police ethics - Essay Example The enormous powers enjoyed by these detectives must be tamed through some strict checks on their ethical conduct in exercising these powers at right spot and the correct manner. While having such powers in most cases is a legal necessity but justified and dignified application of these powers is often an ethical issue. In United States there are several documents at national level like Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, its Bill of Rights and the Federalist Papers which are meant to enforce these ethical guidelines. However there is a lack of education and implementation in this connection. The tools and trick that are used in an investigation also provides a ground for ethical arguments and concerns. For example the use of sex and friendship in undercover investigations are very common tools for the police detectives but their ethical issues are lease bothered at higher level in the department. However, police ethical misconduct in using these undercover investigat ion tools is highly probable.

That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded Essay - 5

That which is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow - Essay Example Whether in primary or middle school, the true purpose of education has lost its significance to a great extent as people seem to have forgotten that education is intrinsically linked with acquisition of knowledge. (Davidson and Carber, 2009, p.9) During the formative years, the students traverse through different stages of development and the educational programs that they are taught are not similar as that of middle schools, but one of the most significant aspects of PYP or Primary Years Program is to inculcate the idea of inquiry although it is doubtful whether the educators make genuine efforts for developing the stance of inquiry (Davidson and Carber 2009, p.11). Moreover, the teachers are concerned with the completion of curriculum that robs the children of their natural abilities of expression. For instance, if a child is unable to grasp the concept of ‘transparent’ in the classroom, a teacher may or may not prefer to take special efforts to think of a better way to solve this problem although the principles of teaching reinforce this concept. Thus, knowledge remains unfinished in most schools from early childhood and children may never learn to ask questions even during the latter years when they grow up to become adults. Knowledge, as it is known to us remains a maxim that looks good in text books and it is a fact that few people will be able to abolish when viewed in today’s perspective. The most common example that can be cited for explaining the redundancy of knowledge is that of computer education, which is now being taught in most schools and colleges. It is undoubtedly true that the world of computers, which is developing faster than a sudden storm, leave the learners in awe. Moreover, the parents are puzzled with the inclination among most children to choose computer as their chosen subject. Additionally, the computer programs and curriculums that are taught in

Economics Regulation and Market Structures Essay

Economics Regulation and Market Structures - Essay Example Economic regulation affects new companies who want to enter into a market. This reason why new competitors are affected is that they may not be able to enter into a market due to this form of regulation. Social regulation deals with exact social problems such as toxic waste, produce safety, employee safety, and prejudice (â€Å"Social Regulation†). Social regulation exists because in the 60s and 70s the government established regulatory agencies to handle a wide variety of social problems. The entities affected by social regulation include local businesses and citizens. Businesses may have to have a plan to deal with social problems, while citizens may have their rights restricted in terms of what they can purchase. A natural monopoly occurs when a firm can fulfil the market demand for a good or service at a cheaper price than all other competitors (â€Å"Natural Monopoly†). The reason why natural monopolies occur is because sometimes a market can only support one produ cer. According to economic theory, firms can attain monopolies because of unique raw materials, technology, or other factors. An example of a natural monopoly is the gas industry. It is uneconomical to build new infrastructure so just one set of infrastructure is built. This results in company having total control of the market (Pieterz). The antitrust laws attempt to order business to compete fairly.

INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE - Assignment Example My house was a mess: my toilet is leaking, renovations were in order, and my husband was painting the place, an electrician was replacing the old wiring systems, the old furniture had been auctioned, and a plumber was taking care of the plumbing system. Simply put, the house was not in a good condition to host my friends. The party was scheduled for the weekend and some of my husband’s friends would really want to watch football, which was going to be a problem since we had no cable connection that month. My neighbor happens to have a good home-theater and reliable cable connection; this would really come in handy. Therefore, I began by enticing my neighbor with muffins two weeks before the party. She liked them so much that she came over for some lessons on baking. I remember she even baked some for one of her friends who had a birthday a few days later. I comfortably let her use my oven because I knew that she would feel obliged to reciprocate the favor by agreeing to let me use her house for my get-together. I offered to help her make the muffins just in case she got stuck, and even prepared extra niceties (cookies) for her to present to her friend. She was very pleased with my being nice to her. We had not known each other for long, and she did not know many of the friends on my guest list . I had planned for fifteen people, and I was not sure she would agree to accommodate fifteen strangers in her house. However, I needed a place that was close to mine for the sake of cooking and coordination just in case people needed to sleep over or put their belongings. One day after coming from her friend’s party, I went over to her place, asked her about the party and whether her friend liked the muffins. I told her about my party and that she was invited since we had formed a good friendship. She was a bit surprised when I dropped the bombshell on her about hosting fifteen people at her house. However, she

Human Development Essay Example for Free

Human Development Essay Taking a look at the Human Development Index map of Africa, which can be seen on (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index) on the web; it shows that many of Africas countries are very underdeveloped.7 One of the obvious reasons for why countries is Africa are underachieving is because of how poor is the strength of their economy compared to others. As it is well known, Africa is very rich in mineral resources as many other states rely upon their, possessing most of the known minerals types of the world. Africas economy is more reliant on agriculture than that of any other continent, with around 60% of Africans working in the agricultural sector. Secondly, the economic development of virtually all African nations has been hindered by inadequate transportation systems. Most countries rely on road networks that are composed largely of dirt roads, which become impassable during the rainy seasons. Road networks tend to link the interior of a country to the coast; few road systems link adjacent countries.9 To show how poor and how bad economy crisis is in Africa, one ought to take a look at their food crisis and the growing volume of food imports. Whereas Africa imported an average volume of 1.96 million metric tons of agricultural products in the years 1961-63, by 1980-82 this figure had risen to 11.2 million metric tons at an annual value of over $6.8 billion (over one-seventh of the total value of Africas imports in 1982).Owing to foreign exchange constraints, most African countries have had to rely increasingly on food aid to meet their imported food requirements.10 The commercial sectors of most African states rely heavily on one or a few export commodities. The bulk of trade occurs with industrialized nations, which require raw materials and sell industrial and consumer goods. Trade between African states is limited by the competitive, rather than complementary, nature of their products and by trade barriers, such as tariffs, and the diversity of currencies. Looking at the economy of Europe, a sharp contrast in strength and influence can visibly be seen. Europe has long been a world leader in economic activities. As the birthplace of modern science and of the Industrial Revolution, Europe acquired technological superiority over the rest of the world, which gave it unquestioned dominance in the 19th Century. An important impetus for growth since the mid-20th Century has been the formation of supranational organisations such as the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Unlike Africa, Europe has highly developed transport systems, which are densest in the central part of the continent. Many countries in Europe use well maintained transportation systems to transport important goods such as water transport which plays a major role in the European economy. Almost all European countries maintain national airlines, and several, such as Air France, British Airways, Swissair, Germany, and Netherlands are major worldwide carriers.13 Looking at both economies and trade, it is unquestionably obvious that Europe conducts substantial international trade compared to Africa. For Europe, much of its trade is intra-continental, especially among members of the European Union, but also engages in large-scale trade with countries of other continents. Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and the Netherlands are among the worlds greatest trading nations. A large portion of European inter-continental trade involves the exporting of manufactured goods and the importing o f raw materials. Europes agricultural sector is generally highly developed, especially in Western Europe. The agricultural sector in Europe is helped by the Common Agricultural Policy, which provides farmers with a minimal price for their products and subsidized their exports, which increases competitiveness for their products. This policy is highly controversial as it hampers free trade worldwide (protectionism sparks protectionism from other countries and trade blocs: the concept of trade wars) and is violating the concept of fair trade.15 Africas economy is more reliant on primary products (i.e, agricultural and mineral) than that of any other continent, with around 60% of Africans working in the agricultural sector. About three fifths of African farmers are subsistence farmers tilling small pots of land to feed their families, with only a minimal surplus that can be sold for other goods.16 However, there are significant number of large farms that grow cash crop such as coffee, cotton, cocoa, and rubber; these farms, normally operated by large corporations, cover tens of square kilometres and employ large number of labourers. Africas geography is unsuited to trade and thus hampers its economy. The centre of the continent, at least on the western side, is an almost impenetrable rainforest that greatly impedes the transit of people of goods. Some of the wealthiest parts of South Africa are blocked from the rest of Africa by the Kalahari Desert, while the Sahara creates an obvious barrier to trade. While Africa has a number of great river systems such as those of the Nile, Niger, Congo, and Zambezi, it is not nearly as well-linked rivers as are other areas such as Europe. Moreover, many of the rivers are blocked by rapids and cataracts that require vast development projects if they are to be bypassed. The wetness of the roads and tracks makes transport difficult and hazardous. In addition Africa is cut off from the sea to a greater extent than any other continent. To enforce even more problems to Africa; there is an increasing amount of desertification occurring in Africa where the deserts, especially the Sahara are becoming larger, enveloping area around them, leaving less space for land. This process is partly due to the deforestation of areas of forest; with no roots to hold soil in place, it blows away leaving an infertile desert. Europe has a well developed financial sector. Many European cities are financial centres with the City of London being the largest.19 The European financial sector is helped by the introduction of the euro as common currency. This has made it easier for European households and firms to invest in companies and deposit on banks in other European countries as exchange rate fluctuations are now non-existent in Europe. As mentioned above, Europes economy is superior to that of Africa, so what can Africa do to improve its economy or perhaps what can it take from the Europe economy as a model. Professor J A. van Ginkel held a conference on the Knowledge and Development in Africa; here he talked about ways to improve Africas economy however not only by getting the economic policies right.20 Prof van Ginkel mentions that there is now substantial evidence that institutional weakness in many African countries is a critical obstacle to economic performance.21 From the surveys he conducted on the obstacles to business in Africa it highlights the damage caused by: the unpredictability of changes in laws and policies, the unreliability of law enforcement, and the impact of corrupt bureaucracies.22 Unless governments eliminate these kinds of obstacles then it is unlikely that the economy whether it is just locally in certain parts of Africa or on a national front will flourish. An aspect of the Europe model that Africa can learn from is the aspect of knowledge. No commodity is more expensive than knowledge. An Africa without a sustainable, strong knowledge sector of its own will always remain in a dangerously dependent position. Research and training institutions on the continent can make a critical contribution in at least three ways: by making the most of existing indigenous knowledge; by accessing the vast reservoir of existing global knowledge, as well as the ongoing advances in understanding, and adapting them to suit specific local conditions; and by helping to find innovative solutions to seemingly intractable problems.23 In terms of human resources, it was highlighted in the Seminars of Anticipation that African developments suffers from a tragic paradox: on the one hand, elites trained in Western world are too many (and most of them stay in the US or in the EU because they cannot find well-paid qualified positions in Africa, or because their skills do not correspond to African needs); while on the other hand the well-trained intermediate executives required to manage a modern economy are cruelly missing in Africa (higher technical experts, management executives, civil administrators). To conclude, this essay has looked the economies of both Europe and Africa and compared and contrast both of them. It has also provided information about both economies in terms of trade and finance. A brief history was provided which looked at the relationship between Europe and Africa and to the days of colonisation. Reasons as to why both regions are on different levels economically were provided to show how dominant and rich Europe was and how poor and underdeveloped Africa was. The Africa food crisis was mentioned to give an account of how poor Africa was against other regions. In addition ways that Africa can improve their economy thus bringing it more power and strength so that it can compete with other regions was provided, for example making sure Africa had the aqeduate education so that it learn. Many Africans move to the west so that they can have higher education which is not available in Africa and tend to stay there once they have completed their studies. This is detrimental to Africas development and thus a solution to the problem would be to support the creation of a complete curriculum. This would lead to a massive contribution to the development of vocational and technical education in Africa thus improving Africas economy. So as it can seen, the economies for both Europe and Africa are at this present time in contrast to each other but there is hope for Africa to become more dominant and influential in world affairs if the correct adjustments and policies are introduced to improve them. References Fawcett, L., Hurrell, A., Regionalism in World Politics, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1995, pg 43Â  Ravenhill. J, Africa in economic crisis, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 1986, pg 9Â  www.ciaonet.org/isa/rajo