Corporate Social Responsibility ( Csr ) - 2509 Words

Corporate social responsibility (CSR), has been the centre of debate since the last decade, with the increase in technology and globalization, company policies have come under a lot of scrutiny. Although this issue is not relatively new but with the hype of increasing media coverage and in the wake of high profile corporate scandals (Enron, WorldCom) the emphasis has mounted (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2013). Organizations play a vital and ever so increasing role in the lives of people, other organizations and the wider community in general (Mullins, 2013). Hence it is the responsibility of these organizations to act in such a manner that accommodates the wider society. In 1970, economist Milton Friedman once argued â€Å"the business of business†¦show more content†¦Although it is still contested whether organization have a social responsibility beyond making profit, but there seems to be increasing internal and external pressures on companies to satisfy wider societal goal s (Aguilera et al, 2007). It is long understood that a strong company reputation and imagine is a significant factor that determine the success or failure of organizations, however CSR has only just recently been acknowledges as an important factor that contributes to corporate reputation. A strong corporate reputation no doubt contributes to competitive advantage but stakeholders are being skeptical about firms intentions in engaging in CSR activities, some might perceive it as a worthy cause while other are beginning to wonder whether the CSR is genuinely altruistic or is it just another marketing ploy for companies own self-interest (Arendt and brettel, 2010). Companies are involved in various scandal, which leads to a negative company imagine and decreases the value of company shares, this is inconsistent with the company goals to making profit, in order to reflect a more positive image and to strengthen their reputation as â€Å"responsible corporate citizens† they engage in corporate social responsibility activities (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2013). This might not always

Life Changingsurviving Life’s Unexpected Events Free Essays

Jerry Bruneau October 26, 2010 Personal Narrative Essay Life ChangingSurviving Life’s Unexpected Events My life was outstanding after moving to Dallas. It was like something you read about in magazines or watch in a movie. I had the dream job, car, house, and social life. We will write a custom essay sample on Life Changingsurviving Life’s Unexpected Events or any similar topic only for you Order Now I worked as a bartender at the hottest nightclub in town and made a lot of money. I bought a beautifully restored 1961 Porsche, a lot like the one that James Dean had died in. My car had a pearl- white paint job, a red-leather interior, and aluminum alloy wheels with low-profile racing tires. I was living in a guesthouse on the estate of the nightclub owner; he lived in the mansion in front. We had parties there almost every night around the swimming pool. Suddenly the dream life I had known came to an unexpected and abrupt end. One night while driving home after work, I got into a terrible car accident. It was just after 2:30 a. m. when a brand-new Cadillac slammed into the passenger side of my car. The car had come out of nowhere and hit me so hard that the front-end of the car ended up where my gearshift had been. The impact was so intense that it bent my car in half like a horseshoe. It made me hit the windshield with my face, and broke my seat belt. There was so much blood! I could hardly see, not realizing at the time that I had knocked my left eye out of the socket. The pain was unimaginable! The only thing on my mind after the impact was that I wanted to get out of my car and kick this person’s ass. When I tried to open the door of my car, I realized I could not move my left arm. I could smell gas, and see smoke, and fire coming from the front end of his car. I yelled for someone to get me out of the car before it caught on fire. Several people had seen the accident. One man came with a fire extinguisher,; he managed to put the fire out quickly. I knew I would have to wait for the fire department and the ambulance to arrive before I could be removed from the car. The firefighters arrived on the scene first. They used the Jaws of Life to pry open the driver’s door, attempting to remove me from the car. Then the paramedics arrived and took over. The first thing they did after giving me a quick look over was to inform me my left eye had been knocked out the socket. My eye was lying on my cheek and they needed to put it back in the socket. They told me this was going to be very ainful, and they would not be able to give me anything for the pain until I was at the hospital. They put something in my mouth that resembled a rubber dog bone, to keep me from biting my tongue, and endure the severe pain. After getting my eye back in the socket, they bandaged up my head, and. my face.. I could still see with my right eye, and I noticed the police had arrived. They were handcuffing a man in his late thirties or early forties, and putting him into the back of their police car. The man had just hit me with his car. The firefighters and paramedics tried to remove me from my car. I screamed out in pain and begged them to stop. I was pinned in the car. My legs and feet were tangled up with the clutch and brake pedals. They had to remove the driver’s door, the windshield, and the steering wheel. It took the firefighters and paramedics quite some time to free me from the vehicle. When they finally succeeded, I was rolled on a stretcher into the ambulance and raced towards the hospital. I remember the sirens screaming and the paramedic told me, â€Å"You’re going to be all right, just holding on. † Hell, I had a death grip on that stretcher. I was in excruciating pain it seemed like an eternity; however, I did have my rubber doggy bone to bite down on. It was only about fifteen minutes before we arrived at the hospital. They rushed me into the ER where a small army of nurses and doctors were already waiting for me. They started cutting away my clothing and inspecting me from head to foot. After they removed my clothing, I sat up to see why my left leg hurt so intensely. I only got a quick glance before the nurses pushed me back down. My leg looked like it was put on backwards; my foot was facing the wrong direction, and it was the size of a football. It did not take them long to assess the amount of damage my body had received. The doctor in charge of the ER told me I needed surgery immediately, due to life-threatening injuries. He also told me that they might have to amputate my left leg. He wanted me to sign a waiver for them to do whatever surgeries I needed. â€Å"Do whatever you need to save my life, â€Å"I replied,† but I will not sign a waiver to have my left leg amputated. † I want to wake up in one piece, I told him. Then I was wheeled down the hall and up the elevator to the operating room. Once I was on the operating table, it only took a few moments for them to put me to sleep. Suddenly I woke feeling as if I was strangely floating above the operating table. I was watching them trying to shock me back to life. I remember thinking to myself, â€Å"I’m way too young to die! † I wondered how it would affect my family if I did. The next time I woke up, I was in the ICU with tubes coming out of me everywhere. Both legs were in traction, but I was still in one piece, thank God! The only thing I could move was my right arm. I used it to try to pull the tube out of my throat. I wanted to get someone’s attention. It did not take long; when I started to pull the tube out of my throat, all kinds of alarms went off. One of the nurses painstakingly finished removing the tube from my throat so that I could talk. A doctor came to my room and informed me of my current condition. Both hip joints were broken. My left kneecap was crushed and all the ligaments were torn. Both ankles were broken and all the bones in my left foot were crushed. They had managed to save my left leg from amputation; however, I would need more surgeries. They were going to fly two specialists in to finish the work on my leg;, I would have to sign a special waiver for experimental surgery. They also told me I would probably never walk again, at least not without crutches or a cane. A plastic surgeon stitched my face and head back together; plus some internal injuriesit took over 1,100 stitches. He did such a good job you would never know it to look at me today. Additional injuries included broken ribs and, which punctured both lungs, plus some internal injuries. I spent the next five or six months in the hospital. My rehabilitation was going excessively slow for me. They had just finished the last operation on my legs, and I was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to let me out. Then one night a friend of mine came by to visit, and we devised a plan to sneak me out the hospital. First, he found an orderly’s jacket and put it on. Then he put all my valuables into a laundry hamper and brought them out to his car. After that, he pulled his car around to one of the side exits then came back to get me. He helped me into a wheelchair, snuck me out to his car, and drove me home. I spent the next three months rehabilitating myself at home. I had made up my mind that I did not care what any of the doctors had told me. I was going to do whatever it took, but I was going to walk again. In the beginning, I would hang off the diving board of the swimming pool just kicking, kicking my legs back and forth until I was in so much the pain andbecame unbearable. After two months, my legs were finally strong enough thto start walking around in the swimming pool after two months of this. I went back to the hospital after my recovery. They The doctors could not believe their eyes when they realized I walked in there they without the help of crutches or a cane. They never thought they would never see me again but, let alone see me walking. The doctor asked where I had been, so I told him the whole story. The doctor had to remove theforty metal staples I had in and three screws from my legs. , which This was going to be extremely painful, since the skin had grown over the top of them. The doctor had to cut back the skin and pull them all out. I could not believe it when the nurse came up behind me and asked me to open my mouth, only to shove that dammed rubber doggy bone in my mouth. She said, â€Å"You’ll need this; it’s going to hurt a lot! † After the doctor was finished, he recommended that I go to a professional physical therapist to finish my rehabilitation, which I did. During my rehabilitation, I had a lot of free time on my hands. Therefore, I practiced flipping liquor bottles around until I perfected the tricks I had seen other bartenders do. Three months later, I was almost as good as new. I did not have any problems getting around at all. I went back to work and became one of the best bartenders in Dallas. In fact, I was voted the best bartender in Dallas five years in a row. This unexpected event had taken almost a year of my life. Not only did I survive, but also I made a complete recovery despite my doctors’ doubts. How to cite Life Changingsurviving Life’s Unexpected Events, Essays

Interactive Effects of Network Structure-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Interactive Effects of Network Structure and Cultural Diversity on Team Potency and Performance. Answer: The article investigates the interactive impacts of network structure and cultural composition on team potency and performance (Trster, Mehra van Knippenberg, 2014). The article takes into consideration the interactive impacts of tasks completed by a team and the impacts of the cultural diversity on the ability of the team members to perform. The article emphasizes upon the fact that a moderately centralized network enhances the team performance. In case of teams that comprised of individuals belonging to different cultures showed more efficiency when there was network density. The teams that comprise of individuals belonging to different cultures required higher level of centralization in order to perform better. The author has emphasized upon two theories that lead to team success namely compositional theory and structural theory. Compositional theory emphasizes upon the personal characteristics and traits of the team members whereas, structural theory emphasizes upon types of int eractions between the members of a team. With the increase in globalization, there has been a rise in the number of multinational organizations, which comprise of people belonging to different cultural backgrounds (Miner, 2015). This increases the chances of interpersonal conflicts. Therefore, a proper organizational structure is necessary for managing the teams and improving the relationships among the team members to improve the overall organizational performance. The author emphasizes upon the importance of networks that have a huge impact on the performance of the team members. The article examines the ways in which the aspects of the team context interact with the diversity of the team and the team structure. The paper focuses upon the degree of inter connectedness among the team members and the degree of centralization within the teams. The author investigated the impact of centralization on the performance of the teams that comprised of individuals belonging to different cultures in order to determine the best organizational structure for the team success. For this purpose, the author analyzed the data obtained from 91 self- managed teams, which comprised of 456 individuals belonging to 60 nationalities. On investigating, the author found that network density had positive impacts on culturally diverse teams and moderate centralization improves the overall performance of these teams. The article is based upon the organizational behavior in the organizations that comprise of culturally diversified teams. Organizational behavior deals with the study of the human behavior within an organization when the organizational members interact with each other (Luthans, Luthans Luthans, 2015). This article deals with the study of human behavior in the organizations that comprise of individuals belonging to different cultural ba ckgrounds and the methods that enhance their performance when working in a team. According to Vasu, Stewart Garson (2017), globalization has resulted in the cultural diversity in the organizations all over the world. Individuals belonging to different nations, cultures, gender and race work together, which increases the chances of conflicts and disputes within the organizations. The outcome and performance of the team is highly dependent upon the degree of cultural diversity among the teams. Many a times, cultural diversity results in coordination and communication problems among the team members. On the contrary, according to Jones George (2015), culturally diverse teams usually have better group thinking. Diverse teams usually examine facts more critically and tend to remain objective. The team members closely observe the actions of the other team members and are more aware of their personal biasness. Diverse teams tend to process the facts cautiously and make better decisions. Since the team members belong to different cultural background, their thinking processes differ to a great extent that results in more creative and innovative ideas and solutions. Hiring individuals belonging to different cultural backgrounds helps an organization to retain the most efficient human resources (Wagner III Hollenbeck, 2014). Diverse teams tend to be more productive and perform better. Additionally, there is always greater opportunity for personal as well as professional growth in a diverse team. On the other hand, according to Wine, Reis Hantula (2014), in case of negative cultural stereotypes, integration across the diverse teams becomes difficult. Many a times, it becomes difficult to understand the view points of the others and language becomes a major concern in diverse teams. Individuals in a diverse team tend to have different understanding of situations. However, it is necessary to provide some time to the members of diverse teams to adjust and solve the differences among each other. It has been observed many times that diverse teams initially perform poorer when compared with the homogeneous teams. However, with the passage of time they tend to out- perform the homogeneous teams. The article clearly explains the structure that leads to successful team performance. The article states the interactive effects of network structure and cultural diversity on team potency and performance with the help of proper theories and hypotheses. It explains the relationship between network structure and the performance of a diverse team. Dense network team refers to the groups in which there are proper connections between the team members. The structure of a team is determined by the dispersion of decision making authority and the methods of allocation of tasks among the team members (Hajro, Gibson Pudelko, 2017). The hypothesis 1 states that team performance in diverse teams is the highest when there is moderate centralization. The hypothesis 2 states that team potency increases with the increase in the network density. The hypothesis 3 states that there network density and team potency are more positive in diverse team when compared with homogenous teams. The hypothesis 4 states that, the inverted u- shaped relationship between the network centralization and performance of the teams is usually moderated by the cultural diversity in the teams. The results have proven that team diversity might be a major contingency factor in the relationship between the network structure of a team, the level of team potency achieved within the team, and the teams performance (Kaiser et al., 2013). The article has covered all the obvious compounds that drive this effect and the IV/DV have been properly measured in this article. The findings obtained from this article can be utilized by the real organizations in solving the issues of interpersonal conflicts. Some of the major organizations that have cultural diversity are Pwc, Johnson Johnson, Abbott, Deloitte, Procter Gamble, Accenture, and several others. These organizations have their presence in several countries and comprises of employees belonging to different cultures and backgrounds. From the findings of this article, these organizations can improve their overall efficiency by ensuring that there is moderate centralization in the team (Triana et al., 2014). The organizations can implement workflow network density in the organizations as it positively impacts the team potency. Since the network density has positive relation with the team potency in diverse teams, the multi cultural organizations must proper workflow network density in order to enhance the team potency. It is necessary to handle the interpersonal conflicts in diverse teams with much care. Workplace conflict is a common issue witnessed in diverse teams, which occurs due to cultural differences, personality, traits and working style. The conflicts might occur between employees and the employers and also among the employees (Huettermann, Kunze Bruch, 2015). This has huge negative impacts on the organizational performance and is required to be solved. Therefore, it is necessary to provide team members sufficient time to adjust with the working environment and cope up with the challenges. The team members are required to be given proper training so that they can embrace the workplace diversity. For example, Accenture is aiming towards maintaining an equal ratio of men and women within the organization. The organization comprises of employees belonging to different nations and cultures (Smith, 2017). The organization has attempted to create a positive inclusive environment within the org anization by demonstrating that biasness can appear to be expected as well as unexpected. Therefore, it can be concluded that team diversity can prove to be fruitful for the organizational growth and success if managed properly. The human behavior in the organizations comprises of individuals belonging to different cultural backgrounds and the methods that enhance their performance when working in a team (Singh Selvarajan, 2013). The article emphasized upon the fact that a moderately centralized network enhances the team performance. In case of organizations that are comprised of individuals belonging to different cultures showed more efficiency when there was network density. The teams that comprise of individuals belonging to different cultures required higher level of centralization in order to perform better. The diverse teams in which the members are more interconnected are deemed to perform better than the homogeneous teams. However, it is necessary to provide some time to the members of diverse teams to adjust and solve the differences among each other. The struct ural theories are very useful in improving the coordination and performance of the diverse teams as it emphasizes on the patterns of interactions between the team members. References: Hajro, A., Gibson, C. B., Pudelko, M. (2017). Knowledge exchange processes in multicultural teams: Linking organizational diversity climates to teams effectiveness.Academy of Management Journal,60(1), 345-372. Huettermann, H., Kunze, F., Bruch, H. (2015, January). Promoting Diversity Climate: The Interplay of Organizational-Level LMX and Top Management Leadership. InAcademy of Management Proceedings(Vol. 2015, No. 1, p. 14317). Academy of Management. Jones, G., George, J. (2015).Contemporary management. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Kaiser, C. R., Major, B., Jurcevic, I., Dover, T. L., Brady, L. M., Shapiro, J. R. (2013). Presumed fair: ironic effects of organizational diversity structures.Journal of personality and social psychology,104(3), 504. Luthans, F., Luthans, B. C., Luthans, K. W. (2015).Organizational behavior: An evidence-based approach. IAP. Miner, J. B. (2015).Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge. Singh, B., Selvarajan, T. T. (2013). Is it spillover or compensation? Effects of community and organizational diversity climates on race differentiated employee intent to stay.Journal of business ethics,115(2), 259-269. Smith, W. C. (2017).Power and Intersectionality: Interpreting the Dutch Organizational Diversity Program(Master's thesis). Triana, M. C., Rabl, T., Byun, S. Y., Chapa, O. (2014, January). Organizational Diversity Efforts and Employee Discrimination Claims: Organizational Motives Matter. InAcademy of Management Proceedings(Vol. 2014, No. 1, p. 10784). Academy of Management. Trster, C., Mehra, A., van Knippenberg, D. (2014). Structuring for team success: The interactive effects of network structure and cultural diversity on team potency and performance.Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes,124(2), 245-255. Vasu, M. L., Stewart, D. W., Garson, G. D. (Eds.). (2017).Organizational Behavior and Public Management, Revised and Expanded. Routledge. Wagner III, J. A., Hollenbeck, J. R. (2014).Organizational behavior: Securing competitive advantage. Routledge. Wine, B., Reis, M., Hantula, D. A. (2014). An evaluation of stimulus preference assessment methodology in organizational behavior management.Journal of Organizational Behavior Management,34(1), 7-15.

The Themes of A Hero of Our Time Essays - Literature,

The Themes of A Hero of Our Time A Hero of Our Time offers its reader an interesting reading experience over the course of the book. Unlike most books, it does not lead the reader through its story (or in this case, stories) chronologically. One can see that Lermontov wrote it this way on purpose, for the reason of giving the reader a chance to better understand what he is trying to convey. Lermontov has placed three main themes in his book: the comprehensiveness of Russian literature, isolation, and appearance. The comprehensiveness of Russian literature is no doubt a deep subject to dive into. Russian literature contains some of the richest and most profound lyrics the world has seen. One reason for this is that such literature is connected to composition and prose from other nations. In order for readers to fully appreciate this novel, Lermontov made it so that his readers must be not only appreciative but more than aware of literature from various nations by enclosing occasional foreign innuendo . He includ es French quotes throughout the novel without translating them into Russian. Logic may have it that the constant references to other nations, cultures , and societies could be Lermontov's affirmation of the versatility of Russians. An example of this versatility put into action in the book is made manifest via Pechorin . Pechorin presents this concept by how h e refuses to allow himself to be tied down to any place or person throughout th e text. Isolation seems to often be portrayed as a sad characteristic in literature. Pechorin relates to isolation, for he views life not as a struggle for relation , but as a struggle for power over others. This aimlessly driven focus on power is what encourages Pechorin's isolation from society. His constant traveling physically isolates him from those around him, and his attitude on life gives the result of his emotional isolation as well. Pechorin's belief that relationships are based on power also creates an enduring tie with society, because it implies that in order for him to feel satisfied, he must manipulate influence over society. Without inferiors in his presence , Pechorin will never find satisfaction. His hatred of others, yet dependence upon them makes his life an ambiguity , and creates a miserable cycle. Appearance is simultaneously a "shallow" and deep subject. Lermontov makes appearance very relatable. Those in the novel who are physically attractive, such as the beautiful young girl in "Taman" who attempts to drown and kill Pechorin , seem to possess no human soul. This implies that a person's exterior is a false front that hides emptiness or ugly intentions. A person's true essence can be embraced from the observation of their true personable qualities because that is where the real meaning lies. A Hero of Our Time contains life lessons and principles to be aware of. Lermontov has written the novel not only to offer the reader an interesting, above-average reading experience over the course of the book, but also to express his feelings through the three main themes: the comprehensiveness of Russian literature, isolation, and appearance.