Narrative about a fictional town named McMinden Essay

Narrative about a fictional town named McMinden - Essay Example The following passage clearly shows that migration is prevalent in the town of McMinden; McMinden is a small city in the farm belt, with a population of 20,000, along the Gilligan river. German immigrants began populating the Gilligan river valley beginning in the 1880’s, along with other white settlers moving west from Kentucky and Indiana, as well as a few black settlers from the South. The concept of sociological perspective is being followed generally in the town as it is followed everywhere in the world. In our general life it is seen that if an Asian migrates to United States then he tends to adopt the same perspective as being practiced in United States. The division of social classes was not broad enough in the previous times as it has become now. The prestige of individuals was not judged upon by their level of wealth but it was rather inherited or attained by their reputation of righteousness. Power existed in the olden times too but it generally was categorized for limited individuals. Nowadays it is seen that power is abruptly managed by a lot of individuals. All these individuals are key players in the decision making of the society. Social classes can also be witnessed in the town of McMinden as shown by the following passage; The richest part of the town is a subdivision built around Lake Elmo.

Corporate social responsibility in Tesco

Corporate social responsibility in Tesco Abstract This research seeks the concepts of corporate social responsibility in terms of present business world. Here I want to analyse the necessity and importance of CSR for an organisation to running a better business in all around the world and how an organization can achieve a competitive advantage over his competitors being socially responsible to his community. Here this study will analyse the argument of CSR as well. For the above objective of this research, I will look at one of the best worldwide retail company which is based on UK by the name of Tesco. This paper will also look at the CSR activity of Tesco and try to look at that is the CSR activity for his community within the Tesco is really profitable not only for them but also for their stakeholders and community as well? Objective The foremost objectives of this research are as follows: I would like to discuss the necessity of corporate social responsibility. To look at the importance of CSR. To achieve a greater knowledge that how can a company get a competitive advantage by following CSR activity throughout the community as a whole. To analyse the dispute of CSR Introduction According to the MACMILLAN Dictionary, Corporate social responsibility is a belief that a company should consider the environmental and social effect of its activity on its employee and the community around it. However CSR while a situations where the firm goes further than observance and engages in actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is required by law. (McWilliams and Siegel; 2001) .lying on a broad array of issues corporations are encouraged to behave socially responsibly (Welford and Frost, 2006; Engle, 2006). Even though businesses have underway to recognize the significance of CSR and a extensive varieties of initiatives have come to light (Nelson, 2004).CSR should be good for business for not only long term success, it also useful for society, community, employee and environmental as well. In UK, most of the company (government and private) are very concern about CSR activities and now UK is one of the leading contributors internationally in CSR thinking and practise. (CSR Government update, 2003) Now a days we are living in a complex and unconvinced world. Corporate scandal, uncertain economy, threat of terrorism, stock market downturn etc is the major causes of reducing trust and stability in corporate sector and its leaders. For example, A historic environmental disaster caused by BP where they spent the past decade using splashy ads to promote itself as a green company (Rachel beck; 2010). In UK, 44% of the British public consider that it is very important for company to shows a high Degree of social responsibility when they buy the companys product where 58% of general public in all around the Europe believe that commerce and industries do not pay enough attention to the society and environment. (Arthur D Little; 2003) In those cases, the concepts of CSR are increasing its value and necessity in the global business and corporate sector. In this research I want to discuss the significance of CSR in UK Retail Company. I want to investigate that the impact of CSR on the businesses and I want to discuss that what the retail companies are doing for covering their CSR activity within the community. Here in UK, some of the multinational retail company operating their business. Tesco is one of them who operating his business successfully. In every financial year, Tesco publish their CSR report which includes their present CSR progress and their aims and objectives. In this research, I want to look at Tesco`s CSR activity and is those activity really making any profit for their business and for community and environment as well. What is Corporate Social Responsibility? Corporate social responsibility (CSR) resources the task of a business in a reciprocally responsible approach whereby the business is: undertakes moral practices in employment and labour by convalescing workplaces concerned in building local communities and communicates with apprehensive communities concerning the consequences of its policies and products invests in building community infrastructure contributes to a cleaner environment, its security and sustainability Contributes via its corporate governance to monetary development at a bulky. (Gopal K. Kanjia and Parvesh K. Choprab; 2010) However One of the prime purpose of corporate social responsibility programme is outwardly  ´to build goodwill as a sort of business policy to be redeemed in case something goes badly wrong in the main part of business ´ (Smith and Cohon; 2004, p.21). As per Husted and De Jesus Salazar (2006) stated that CSR from a clearly cost benefit investigation under three scenario relating to the firm want to involve in CSR activity. The first one is Altruism which means that firms genuinely wishing to be socially responsible without observe to the bottom line. The second one is Coerced egoism where the firms performing in a socially responsible approach only when obliged by regulation. The third and final one is the Strategic use of CSR where there is clear benefit to the firm for engaging in CSR. Geoffrey P Lantas (2001) include some authors view about position in business role in society. Here Albert care and Milton Friedman stated their view for economic CSR- pure profit making view. On the other hand R Edward Freeman told about ethical CSR- socially aware view and Archi Carroll stated about altruistic CSR- community services view. Finally we can say that, CSR involves some kind of standardized reporting that allows the business to assemble information on how it is building evolution on different fronts. Businesses that connect in CSR characteristically centre on some or all of the subsequent: Environment: The requirement appears at the green impacts of products and services, with what the business does external the company to recover the environment. Employees: Its significant to certify that all employees are cared for effectively. Businesses habitually spotlight on workplace circumstances, benefits, living wages, and training. Communities: Engaging the immediate communities is an important part of not just creating good human capital that can serve the business, but also securing a standing that can further establish the business. Regulations: relating to regulations to the fullest and frequently exceeding them is part of being communally responsible. Definition of CSR The characterization of CSR is often debated. The UK government summarise the definition of CSR is that- Ê ºThe government sees CSR as the business contribution to our sustainable development goal. Essentially it is about how business takes accounts of its economic, social and environmental impact in the way it operates- maximising the benefits and minimising the downsides. Specifically, we see CSR is the voluntary action that business can take, over and above compliance with minimum legal requirements, to address both its own competitive interest and the interest of wider societyÊ º (Source -www.csr.gov.uk). Some other definitions are as follows: Figure 1: Persistent matrix of corporate social responsibility (Gopal K. Kanjia; Parvesh K. Choprab (2010) Carroll (1983) stated a definition of CSR which is Corporate social responsibility involves the conduct of a business so that it is economically profitable, law abiding, ethical and socially supportive. To be socially responsible Then means that profitability and obedience to the law are foremost Conditions when discussing the firms ethics and the extent to which it supports the society in which it exists with contributions of money, time and talent (p.608). European Commission (2006) stated that -Ê º The concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basisÊ º The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) (2000, p. 10) gave a clearer definition of CSR is Ê ºcommitment of business to contribute to sustainable development, working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large to improve their quality of lifeÊ º. Kivuitu Yambayamba and Fox (2005, p. 1) once more illustrated that The concept of CSR is sometimes used as shorthand for business contribution to sustainable development. Coleman (2006, p. 1) understand that CSR as division of business principles And defines it as the managerial obligation to take action that protects and improves the welfare of society as a whole and promotes the interest of the organization. Starbucks, CSR report in 2004 stated that A responsible company is one that listened to its stakeholders and responds with honesty to their concerns Those are the few definition of CSR. Basically it is very difficult to give a specific and accurate definition of CSR in terms of present competitive word. If I look at above those discussions, there is some key word which is clearly involved with the fact of CSR. For example -to achieve sustainable goal, voluntary action for society, promoting green environment etc. Basically CSR is the way to improve the quality of life by working with employees, society, stakeholder, community and should be responsible for promoting a green and safer environment for present and the next generation as well. Could do with for Corporate Social Responsibility In this global economy, a business firm should be socially responsible if they want to survive in this competitive market. A growing number of shareholders and investors began to accept the idea that CSR can lead to financial return on the long run (Min-Dong Paul Lee; 2008). Pratima Bansal in (2002) gave an explanation that why firm should become socially responsible. She stated three reasons behind this. Those ares- It immediately makes a good business intellect for the firm. If every company is doing this, we have to do it. On a top management team within an organization, there sometimes an influential person who really cares about those issues and looking for an opportunity for making the way the company is run as an extension of his or her commitment to society. Pratima Bansal (2002) also noted that there are a number of agency that make ranking for firms based on their corporate social responsibility and a number of mutual firm who meet their standard of socially responsibility. Such as Fortune Reputation Index and The Dow Jones sustainability Index. Business weeks climate groups make climate change ranking based on multinational company by their total reduction of greenhouse gases ( Michael Bowfield; 2007) There is a clear link between corporate social responsibility and financial performance of an organization. Geoffrey Heal (2004) stated in annual conference of the Monte Paschi Vita a wide-ranging list of the benefits that commentators have linked to CSR programmes. Those are: Reducing risk Reduced waste Improving dealings with regulators Generating brand equity Improved human relations and employee productivity Lower cost of capital. A news item from Business Respect in 2007 published about a survey between business leaders about their view towards CSR. From this investigation, business leaders understand and settled strong beliefs That CSR can increase profit and the confidence that having good environmental management is more than purely public relation focused. Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee (2005) told that company have understanding a range of bottom line reimbursement for adopting CSR policy. For example, better sales and market share, add to corporate reflection and clout, strengthened brand positioning, boost ability to create a centre of attention, motivate and retain employees, decline operating cost, increase demand to investors and financial crisis. There are several situations where social responsibility of a business becomes obligatory. Some of these situations which demonstrate the requirement of Corporate Social Responsibilities are discussed below. A societal move towards to business is the existing business viewpoint, which demands business organizations to be receptive to the social exertion. As a consequence of globalization of business, global companies activate in a big way in their host countries. To facilitate ascertain a good corporate illustration; they include social responsibility as a corporate purpose. Native companies are strained to follow outfit for maintaining their corporate uniqueness. In the terms and conditions of collaborations agreements, very often, social welfare stipulations are included which necessitates the collaborating company to take up social responsibility of business. On account of legal requirements, companies have to deliberate on social problems. Corporate contributions of social welfare projects of permitted NGOs are exempted from income tax in UK. An organizations obligation to social responsibility creates a good corporate representation, and there by a enhanced business environment Community responsibility of business enables the organization to pick up its product positioning and thereby advance its market share. Extremely time and again situations insist due to natural calamities, accidents and so on. Consequence of Corporate Social Responsibility In 2005 poll, 81% executive said that corporate social responsibility is indispensable for their business. They have a different view that what the exact meaning of Corporate social responsibility but the majority of them believe that business should serve as a steward in society and that it has a duty to investor, employees, consumers, community and the environment ( Michael Blowfield and Alan Murray; 2008). Commencing a documentary on BBC, in the year of 1996, 267 companies publish CSR report. But nowadays this sum is in excess of 3000.The another business reporter Will Smale(2006) stated that now a days it is very hard to find a multinational company that doesnt articulate a commitment to CSR. Maturana and Varela define the CSR by saying is that when two or more human beings generate a relationship, they have an ethical responsibility to the other humans in that relationship. Corporations are gradually more adopting socially responsible actions, conduct, policies and processes. A corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy is beneficial not only for a corporations bottom line but also for its employees, stakeholders, consumers and for communities, the environment and the social order. In 2003, 1in to fortune 500 firms had a board committee enthusiastic to environmental issue which is now 1 in 4. The number of business school those are offering green courses 34% in 2001 which is in 2007 is 63%.However CSR focused jobs increased 37% from 2005 to 2008. Furthermore, 97.3% people are agreeable to make a financial give up for working a socially responsible company. (Sources: DevelopmentCrossing.Com) William, Medhurst and Drew (1993, p.10) settled some payback for company who connect in CSR movement, those are: Superior access to capital Diminish operating cost Bounce back financial performance Enhance image Lets have a look importance of CSR to the community. Bob Manteau (2007) stated that now-a-days company have the responsibility to help the community where they make their money and it is become the requirement of present business. As per Moon and Muthuri (2006) corporate community involvement means that corporations need to support the community by providing Financial, material, or human skills through modes such as corporate contributions, strategic philanthropy, employee volunteering and community driven development. CSR to the community not only profitable for the community, it is profitable also for the company as well. Ben Cohen and Mal Warwick (2006) stated some of the significant benefits which may help to strengthen the business which are as follows: Employees moral will rise. Even if they take part in community activities where the company to be found rather than where they live, the co workers will be gratified by an opportunity to add meaning to the efforts they make to build the business. Business can come across that the word-of- mouth buzz about the company is assembly momentums. So it can be easier to find and attract the skill and highly enthusiastic new employees for the business. Community involvement activities increase the reputation among the customer and client around the local community. So business can expect greater customer loyalty and personal referrals for new business. Community oriented business can attract the civic leaders in all fields and it will be increase the chance to get access to community decision maker . If the reputation grows around the communities mind, it is very easier to get to know compatible business leaders which will be open the prospect for exchanging the ideas and experience, expanding the breadth of suggesting new ideas for business and for employees as well. Now we can look at the corporate community voluntary activities by some of the multinational company: Company Illustration of grounds supported Exemplar of Activities Tesco Being a good neighbour Bolstering local economy, Engaging people in their community. Asda Asda foundation Charitable work Co-operative Affinity products and services: raising awareness and funds for development Fairbourne Springs Oxfam mobile phone recycling scheme Charity cards in support of international development and human rights Ford Motor Company Affordable Housing Participating building homes for habitat for humanity Detroit IBM Mentoring school age-youth. One-on-one mentoring of students by volunteer employees. FedEx United way, National Safe kids Campaign and American Red Cross Participating in United way Day of Caring Morrison Taking good care of our shoppers, our colleagues and their Communities. Work, communities And healthy balanced lifestyles. Health, safety and wellbeing, skills training, education through Lets Grow programme and Customer service. Sainsbury Providing great service, quality products and being a good neighbour Creating jobs, Charitable work, fundraising etc. Waitrose Investing in local initiatives and encouraging Partner involvement. Charitable, involve partner and employees to volunteering work (Sources: Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury, FedEx, Morrison, IBM, Ford motor Company, Co operative and Asda website) Above this discussion, importance of CSR not only benefited for the community, it can bring the value for the company as well. Gaining competitive advantage by Corporate Social Responsibility Michael E. Porter and Mark R Kramer (2003) settled that a business organization can bring into play their philanthropy efforts to pick up their competitive context, such as the excellence of their business environment in that location where they operate. They also agree with that, this can be help to gain social and economic goal and improves a companys long term business prospects. Take an example from Tescos annual report which is published in 2010. Tesco donated 61.6m to cover their philanthropy activities. Philanthropy efforts can time and again be the most cost effective way for a company to look up its competitive context (context for strategy and rivalry, demand condition, related and supporting industries and factor condition) enabling companies to influence the efforts and infrastructure of non returns and other organization. (Michael E. Porter and Mark R Kramer; 2003) Ronclinelli and Berry (1999) also construct a statement that Socially responsible environmental practise may also lead to stronger sales and customer loyalty, increase productivity and quality, an enhance ability to attract and retain employees and in some cases, to reduce regulatory oversights or more favourable treatment by regulatory agency. (Bob Manteaw; 2007) Competitiveness around the companies depends on productivity with which company can use labour, capital and natural resources for producing high quality goods and services. Productivity depends on having workers who are educated, safe, healthy, decently housed and motivated by a sense of opportunity. A British business features many hurdles in the great effort to compete. A few of which, scheduled below: Stable need for modernization Problems recruiting and retaining high quality, stimulated staff Low down efficiency levels in evaluation with the UK, USA, Europe and China Expensive promotion campaigns to build brand reputation and responsiveness Legislation that is progressively more demanding and persistently changing Ever more selective customers both individuals and supply chain It is well acknowledged that contribution in ones community has delicate benefits and that corporate responsibility and community involvement initiatives are increasingly having noteworthy positive contact for many companies. Apart from generating substantial public goodwill, the undeviating effects of CSR for business are the subject of increasing research and analysis. Here is an outline of what this research is indicating: CSR can support companies to put together links with public policy makers, aid modernization, involve, motivate and retain employees, build corporate reputation and improve competitiveness. An upward number of companies have sky-scraping profile ethical projects and marketing campaigns. CSR is helping these companies to show the way the field and gain a competitive advantage . Progressively more the public see a companys ethical profile as a determining factor as to whether they will buy products or services. A strong company that engages in high profile CSR will be more tempting to a growing sector of the population. Some local establishment are philosophy about introducing an ethical element into their purchasing and procurement tender processes. Genuine CSR help you to stand out from the crowd when you are showcasing your company. Powerful environmental vestibule groups are overseeing to change UK legislation the Companies Act 2006 has corporate responsibility implications for company directors and publicly listed companies due to be implemented in 2008. The movement is likely to continue and early accomplishment would prepare you and your company for the future Argument of CSR Different perspectives on corporate social responsibility (CSR) live, each with their own outline. Michael Blowfield (2007) assured that there is diverse confirmation about the CSR. A number of citing evidence of consumer indicate that consumers can willing to pay higher prices for improve working condition within the firm where others emphasize the customer satisfaction and financial performance eventual have more control on company reputation. Some highlight management responsibilities towards stakeholders, others dispute that companies should actively contribute to social goals, and yet others reject a social responsibility of business beyond legal compliance. Michael Blowfield and Alan Murray (2008) fixed that CSR criticism goes down into four key areas. They are following: CSR is an outline forced on business by general society organization that damage profitability and therefore business ability to generate wealth for society. CSR at present dominated by business which be capable of shape the agenda in its own narrow concern. The current concerns of CSR are too narrow and avoid many of the key issue for which the public expects that business to take responsibility. CSR, to date, has failed to achieve its goal and CSR need to be more accurate and ground-breaking in the future. The Economist published a series of article in 20 January of 2005 where they presented that corporate social responsibility is a risk to the effective implementation of capitalism and free market and consequently to global prosperity. This article also stated that business can serve to people good if only they will concentrate to their long term profitability. Ethical Corporation (2005) make a comment against The Economist article. Their view is companys principle is to make a profit, whereas profit should be seen as an accurate derived from rewarding a social function. Geoffrey Chandler of Amnesty International also argue with The Economist and he told that corporate social responsibility doesnt begin with the belief that capitalism fails to serve the public images where CSR belief that unprincipled capitalism inflicts collateral damage on its entire stakeholder, including ultimately its stakeholders. There is another author Manheim (2004) stated about a different aspects of the damage done by CSR. He argues that CSR is a part of anti corporation strategy. Here is some common argument about CSR which is settled below: Businesses are owned by their shareholders money spent on CSR by managers is theft of the rightful property of the owners The leading companies who report on their social responsibility are basket cases the most effective business leaders dont waste time with this stuff Our company is too busy surviving hard times to do this. We cant afford to take our eye off the ball we have to focus on core business Its the responsibility of the politicians to deal with all this stuff. Its not our role to get involved I have no time for this. Ive got to get out and sell more to make our profit line. Corporations dont really care theyre just out to screw the poor and the environment to make their obscene profits Arguments offered in favour of CSR can be broadly split into two camps- Moral Economic. A moral argument for CSR As per Ben Cohen and Mal Warwick (2006) the true purpose of business is to add value- not just by transforming raw materials into goods and providing services but also by adding value to the lives of employee, community and for the sake of future generation by treading as lightly as possible to the planet. While recognizing that profits are essential for any business article to exist, all groups in society should try hard to add value and make life better. Businesses rely on the society within which they operate and could not exist or prosper in segregation. They require the infrastructure that society provides, its foundation of employees, not to declare its consumer base. CSR is appreciation of that inter-dependence and revenue of delivering on that obligation, to the common benefit of businesses and the societies within which they are based. CSR largely represents the affiliation between a company and the wider community inside which the company operates. It is acknowledgment on the part of the business that for profit entities do not exist in blankness, and that a large part of any success they enjoy is as much due to the context in which they operate as factors internal to the company alone. Charles Handy makes a convincing and logical argument for the purpose of a business laying beyond the goals of maximizing profit and satisfying shareholders above all other stakeholders in an organization: The purpose of a business is not to make a profit, full stop. It is to make a profit so that the business can do something more or better. That something becomes the authentic justification for the business and It is a moral issue. To mistake the means for the end is to be twisted in on oneself, which Saint Augustine called one of the greatest sinsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.It is salutary to ask about any organization, If it did not exist, would we invent it? Only if it could do something better or more useful than anyone else would have to be the answer, and profit would be the means to that larger end. An economic argument for CSR An economic disagreement in favour of CSR can also be through. It is an argument of economic egotism that there are very real economic benefits to businesses pursuing a CSR strategy and is planned to persuade those businesses who are not positive by the moral case. Proponents of this argument believe that CSR represents a holistic approach to business. Therefore, an efficient CSR policy will introduce all aspects of operations. They believe the conduct corporations take today to integrate CSR throughout the organization signify a real point of segregation and competitive market advantage on which future success can centre. Introduction about Tesco Tesco is one of the worldwide largest retailers which are based on UK. It has 4,811 stores around the world. It is operating in 14 countries with 4, 72,000 people in worldwide. Tescos group sales are  £62.5bn in 2010. Their underlying profit before tax is  £3.4bn. The total revenue in UK, 2010 is  £38,558m. There are 2,482 stores in UK with 2, 87,669 employees. Gross Profit (Sources: www.tesco.com) Group sales  £bn (Source: www.tesco.com) As per annual report in 2010, Tesco is the most profitable online grocery retailer in the world. Tesco has moved into areas such as clothes, consumer electronics, consumer financial services, internet services, consumer telecoms and gas stations. Tesco now controls over 30% of the grocery market in U.K. As of March 2008, Tesco have a store in every postcode of the UK. Tesco has a strong strategy which consists of five elements reflecting their four recognized areas of heart added to Tescos commitments on community and the environment. Those are follows: Becoming a successful international retailer Growing the core UK business Becoming as strong in non-food as in food. Developing retail services To put the community at the heart of what they want to do. Some of the supermarkets percentage of share is stated below. SUPERMARKET SHARE Tesco: 30.6% ASDA: 16.6% Sainsburys: 16.3% Morrisons: 11.1% Somerfield: 5.4 Waitrose: 3.7% Iceland: 1.8% (Source TNS cited by BBC 2006) Tesco core UK strategy is earning customer loyalty by helping them for spending less with low price and affordable new product. For example- Discount brand. Corporate Social Responsibility in Tesco The Chief Executive of Tesco Terry Leahy made a statement about their vision towards CSR is that By supporting our customers and our staff, and by remaining focused on tackling

Gender Stereotypes in Science and Technology Essay -- Media Stereotype

Gender Stereotypes in Science and Technology The experiences we have and the ideas we formulate as children can and do have a tremendous impact on what we do with our lives as adults. One thing that we studied during this course was the differences between toys that boys play with and those that girls play with. When little boys are given things to play with like chemistry sets and erector sets, they are given tools to develop skills like mechanical ability and spatial perception. More importantly, in my opinion, this sets up a stereotype about what activities are suitable for boys and which activities are suitable for girls. Just as boys who play with dolls are seen as being unusual, little girls who do "boy things" and play with boys toys are seen as being weird and are therefore discouraged from doing so. When I first began researching this project I was looking for information on tomboys. I was hoping to answer the following question: How does having the label of a tomboy as a child effect what career choices a woman makes as an adult? It was my belief that if young girls think of tomboys in a negative light, girls who are labeled tomboys by their peers will be discouraged from engaging in activities that perpetuates that image of them. If these activities include playing with legos and building forts, then women who may otherwise have gone into technological fields like engineering and computer science will be deterred by the fact that these fields are sterotypically male. An initial literature search yielded disappointing results. The articles which I found fell into basically two categories: first-person narratives about growing up as a tomboy in magazines like Redbook and Southern Living and a few scattered art... ..., and a new generation of women with female role models began entering college. This idea about the gradual shift in beliefs that is currently going on probably explains why I was not able to find any current research on "tomboyism.' in academic journals. Ideas about gender, particularly for women, perhaps not as much for men, have become increasingly fluid in recent years. Women who play sports and enjoy 'male' activities are not only no longer seen as unusual, but are actually seen as having the preferred image. Many advertising firms have been specifically marketing the "tomboy look", because that image of women is now the 'in' image. Though women of my generation have grown up with the word "tomboy' in our vocabularies, perhaps the next generation of young girls will not even realize that playing sports and fixing cars represents gender deviancy on their part.

Antigone Moral Dilemma

Antigone’s Moral Dilemma Perhaps the most pronounced question in the play â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles' is the value of human law vs. divine law. In this tragic play a newly appointed king Creon declares to his people that treason was committed during battle, and one of the two brothers (Polyneices) killed shall not be buried according to the Gods, but instead â€Å"He shall be left unburied for all to watch the corpse mutilated and eaten by carrion-birds and by dogs† (Sophocles, 1900. ). This dilemma is felt by many, especially Antigone (sister of the deceased). In Greek culture it is thought that the spirit of a body cannot find rest if it is has not been laid to rest by the evening of the day it has departed, and it is condemned to roam the earth for eternity. The struggle between human law and divine law is a moral dilemma Antigone feels as she decides to go against the laws of the king. Antigone’s desire to bury Polyneices properly according a divine edict is challenged as she faces the hurdle to defy King Creon’s ruling. She acknowledges the importance of family and savors in the knowledge of defying the state. She ultimately succeeds in this moral quest to stand by belief in divine principle above and against the power and authority of the state, despite her suicide. Many Greek writers such as Homer in Iliad, reflect religious ideology in their works. A constant battle between man and the gods are apparent, and the concepts of burial rights are similarly played out. In Iliad after Achilles rejoins the battle and fights his enemies, he kills Hektor, the Trojan leader and releases his body to be buried after the gods intervene (Coughlin, 1990. ). In Antigone, the character Antigone realizes that Creon next in line to become king may have been thought to be chosen by the gods to rule, and she faces the decision to endure the law of Creon or be in contempt of Creon's edict to pursue the will of the gods. According to Greek mythology humans could endure an even far more eternal punishment for breaking the gods will. Antigone also questions, what if it was meant for Creon to be king, therefore it may be the will of the god’s for punishment to come upon Polyneices. After negating this thought she oon realizes that the will of the god’s is not only something King Creon must witness and acknowledge, but something she must enforce herself. This determination to do what is right even in defiance of patriarchal law can be seen in lines 1019-1021, â€Å"But if these men are wrong, let them suffer nothing worse than they mete out to me—these masters of injustice! † (Sophocles, 1900. ). Because, Antigone truly thinks that Creon has not rightfully been awarded king, there is resentment towards him for finding his way to the throne through the end of the true power. It is possible that Antigone did not take the king seriously or thought that she would possibly be spared. In fact, she may have perhaps just simply not cared. However, she chooses to display the importance of divine edict over the kings and takes it upon herself to give her brother a proper burial. She vocalizes this as she states, â€Å"I didn't say yes. I can say no to anything I say vile, and I don't have to count the cost. But because you said yes, all that you can do, for all your crown and your trappings, and your guards—all that your can do is to have me killed. (Sophocles, 1900). This quote shows not only faith but fate in the political heroism Antigone's portrays in her resistance to refuse the power of state. Antigone answers no to all that she finds to be vile, â€Å"I have longer to please the dead than please the living here: in the kingdom down below I'll lie forever (Sophocles, 1900. Lines 88-90). These lines show how much personal power she possesses compare d to King Creon. Antigone remains consistent, even contentious in her disobedience. By offending the king, it is as if Antigone is leaving him no choice and his prideful ways force him to sustain her sentence. After Creon realizes that fulfilling his order may be a mistake , he also knows that he cannot retract the ordering of her death. He had surrendered his actions to the power of the state, and thus rendering himself to a loathsome state. Unlike Antigone, who finds free will and faith in the laws of the god’s. Playwrights such as Sophocles attempt to understand the meaning of human suffering and reexamine the many traditions and ideals from the past. Greek mythology questions the public and private responsibilities of individuals. As in any circumstance fighting against what is valued as right can become a conflicting power. Antigone’s decision to go through this treacherous act alone enabled her to find peace within the divine laws of nature during her time. The act of surrendering to a fate that was unjust prepared her for the desire she clung to despite its unbalanced position. Antigone’s fatal removal from the human community renders a powerful and tragically beautiful character of Greek mythology. The moral decisions she sought after became apparent to everyone, especially Creon, that † Fate raises up, / And fate casts down the happy and unhappy alike: / No man can foretell his fate. † (Sophocles, 1900. ). Fate plays an important role in Greek tragedy. Antigone seemingly found that â€Å"There is no happiness where there is no wisdom; / No wisdom but in submission to the gods. † (Sophocles, 1900. ). She also raised the standards by which ordinary humanity was judged (Sophocles, 2005. Although she too suffered because of the heroic dichotomy present to all of Sophocles’ greatest characters, known as â€Å"the girl who feared to cast away the fear of heaven†, she could not have sacrificed love and life were she not on some level was cursed with a greater than human obsession for moral justice (Sophocles, 2005. ) The courageous actions of this character succeed in illustrating that not even a king’s entitlement can change a person’s fundamental natural rights. So it is possible to truly be happy, but only when man is wise. Wisdom is a necessary trait. It brings an understanding of the real values there are in this world. The pursuit of wisdom leads to happiness, as Antigone tells us. To truly gain wisdom, one must accept that it not something already possessed. All the answers are not given, and this world offers more to learn from than expected. So, did Antigone ultimately succeed in this moral quest to stand by the value of Greek mythology, despite her suicide? It seems apparent that submitting to the will of the gods allowed Antigone to gain the necessary wisdom to find true happiness, even in death. Some suggest it was the fate of the god’s, just as it had been for her father and brother’s.

Bargaining Power of Supplier of Non-profit Organization

Bargaining power of suppliers can be termed as the capacity of control and competitive advantage a supplier may have over rivals or competitors. The level of rivalry in this context may be brought about by many factors including; number of competitors in a market, market growth, fixed costs, storage costs or perishable goods, low switching costs for the consumer that encourages easy switching from one product to another, low or minimal product differentiation, strategic stakes, exit barriers, diversity of rivals and industry shakeout caused by high supplier and low demand.In all this, every supplier seeks to have a competitive advantage over its rivals to ensure stability in the market and profitability. In non-profit organizations, the supplier bargaining power may be deemed as the position of advantage that donors have over others. This may be in terms of expertise, capital, and skills. Bargaining Power of Supplier (POS) of Non-Profit Organization In the case of non-profit organiza tions, Bright Pink champions and offers education and support to young women who may be at risk of breast and ovarian cancer.Bright Pink’s suppliers/supporters may be classified as corporate (offering capital), individuals (donors) and/or participating doctors offering knowledge, technical credibility and support to the women in the organization. Though the power of these doctors may be low, they most likely gain more from the relationship that Bright Pink. In most organizations, there may be challenges related to the supply of donations and support that may be needed. One of such challenged is supplier power. In many cases, those individuals who supply organizations, such as Bright Pink, with capital also wield some influence during decision making.This means that donors would hold Bright Pink to a high standard of conduct, community involvement, and ethics. Participating doctors who supply knowledge, technical credibility, and support to the women in the organization, may h ave low power but most likely gain more from the relationship than Bright Pink. This is caused by the possibility of Bright Pink finding a multitude of doctors willing to support their cause while the number of organizations seeking doctors to participate on their medical panel may be small in-kind donations from existing members, volunteers, and corporations are another source of support and input.Differentiation of inputs is a factor in assessing supplier’s power. The higher the level of differentiation and importance in the eyes of the buyer, the more powerful the inputs become. Inputs include one-time donations, recurring donations, cause-related marketing opportunities, pro-bono administrative work, marketing, legal support and in-kind donations. Bright Pink’s growth is contingent upon procuring the right combination of inputs.Given the fact that there may be threat of substitutes, there is a clear indication of growth in the number of breast/ovarian cancer Non-pr ofit organizations (NPOs) in recent years. Suppliers of inputs may, therefore, continue to exert control in how these inputs are utilized. Bright Pink would, therefore, have a wide range of suppliers of capital and inputs but a seemingly low power or control over how these supplies/inputs are utilized. The degree of rivalry of similar organizations such as Bright Pink may be increasing with the number of breast/ovarian cancer support organizations coming up.This then means that Bright Pink may be loosing its grip on the number of suppliers/donors it may have. With this threat becoming more and more real, Bright Pink may have to work out strategies to keep its flow of capital and other resources supply that would ensure it continues to fulfill its goals and objectives. Taking Bright Pink as the ‘buyer’ there seems to be a certain level of leverage and power that the organization may have. The number of participating donors such as doctors at Bright Pink’s disposal seems to be fairly good.This couple with the notion that the doctors may be gaining more from the relationship than Bright Pink means that the organization may have a ‘buyer’ power allowing it to have a selection of the best doctors to integrate into its programmes. Barriers to entry/threat of entry may be one factor to be considered in Bright Pink’s case. With a regulating policy to the number of entrants into the breast/ovarian cancer support field, there may be better services and better and stronger inputs from suppliers/donors. In the case of NPOs, existing organizations would offer better and expanded services and efficiently and effectively.This would ensure that those who may be considering offering similar services and/or support would have few people in need of these services hence a barrier/threat of entry by those already in the field. Currently Bright Pinks’ support and aid flow is efficient for the current programmes in the organization. As the organization’s brand awareness, membership numbers, and media exposure continue to grow, it will find cause-marketing more appealing to corporate partners. Corporations are under increasing pressure to give to charities, support local organizations, and be socially responsible.Though this may not be a tangible reason to keep all organizational stakeholders on board, it may be a solid base to attract funding and donations from all suppliers. Programmes that offer a worthy cause may be an effective way to attract and sustain capital and resources from many corporate, individual and participating suppliers. Benefits to the company include increase in brand acceptance by associating with a worthy cause, reaching a niche demographic, differentiation in a crowded market, and perhaps increasing brand loyalty, then the benefits to Bright Pink are obvious.Members and supporters have an easy way to make a contribution and Bright Pink would be able to reach a wider customer base tha n they wouldn’t otherwise reach due to a limited advertising budget. Studies show a net positive reaction in consumers towards the contributing company’s image. The congruency between the charity’s mission and the company’s product is a primary determinant in whether each party gleans the benefits from the cause-marketing effort. As the organization gains popularity and acceptability of its programmes, there will be great increase in the benefits from suppliers.If suppliers are unhappy with the organization’s decisions, they can easy cut funding. In this way, large donors can wield unofficial influence over the organization’s behavior. Corporate donations can be correlated to economic conditions and given that the economy worsened in 2009, Bright Pink may have to be prepared for a decrease in these inputs. A way to offset this threat is to focus on individual/private donations as this tends to be less tied to the economy and these donors ide ntify more with the NPOs they support. Cause-related marketing, which provides benefits to both the supplier and Bright Pink, is another strategy to pursue.Since Bright Pink suppliers provide monetary donations not specific product, technology, or knowledge, there would be no switching costs to suppliers. However, since corporations and individuals will align themselves with a growing and well known charity, switching support to a lesser known NPO would not be advantageous. Since the decision to support various NPOs is a decision based on emotion, Bright Pinks’ most effective strategy for procuring this support is to continue to focus on success stories of those the organization has helped or is helping.Differentiating the Bright Pink story, showcasing various members’ reasons for joining the organization, and demonstrating Bright Pink’s impact on its member’s lives are all methods of highlighting this emotional bond. One of Bright Pink’s short-ter m objectives is to build a stable of partnering companies to provide exposure in the market, increase its membership and become an NPO of choice for corporate sponsorship opportunities. Since most doctors’ expertise is not readily differentiable, their bargaining power is relatively low.It would be logical to conclude that Bright Pink members may have a propensity to utilize the services of these doctors for their health care needs making the balance of power in the doctor-Bright Pink relationship reside in the organization’s favor. On the other hand, inputs from volunteers, corporations, and community groups are not easily achieved, and Bright Pink has less negotiating power when dealing with these groups. Other than the intangible benefits of helping a respected and growing NPO such as Bright Pink, these suppliers have no economic reason to provide support.In these cases, it is most likely the appeal of Bright Pink’s mission that drives the decisions for suppo rt from these suppliers. The importance of the suppliers cannot be stressed enough. Without their support, Bright Pink will not be able to grow. By focusing on cause related marketing and approaching corporations whose products/services align with Bright Pink’s targeted markets, stronger alliances can be built. This will level the power balance and facilitate a mutually beneficial partnership.