John Updikes AP Summary free essay sample

Sammys unforgettable day. Men will do Just about anything to get attention from a pretty girl. John Updikes most popular short story A P, demonstrates Just what a young guy would do in the 1960s in that position. It explains a scenario of Sammy who is the main character, quitting his Job to seem like a hero to these three beautiful young ladies who happen to visit the supermarket where he works in. What Sammy doesnt realize is that his decision to leave his Job, might have some severe out comings not Just in the present but also for his future. Just by reading the first sentence, the reader can assume that this will be an interesting story. In walk these three girls in nothing but bathing suits (Updike 1026). Sammy seems to be surprised, and amazed by these three girls who have Just walked in his store. We will write a custom essay sample on John Updikes AP Summary or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He specifically describes the girls beauties and flaws, and compares them to common items in the supermarket (Thompson 216). First, describing one and the other in very close detail, ranking them in their look. However, concentrates more on the leader (Saldivar 217). He separates one from the hree of them. She was the queen. She kind of led them, the other two peeking around and making their shoulders round (Updike 1026). He completely forgets about his duties while being a cashier and messes up a transaction he was having with this cash-register-watchers, who gives him a hard time for ringing an item twice. Thats how astonished he was by sight of this one particular girl who he decided to call Queenie. Sammy gives a detailed observation of the girls walking throughout the store and also the store itself, clearly proving with such descriptions hat he has been working in the AP supermarket for a long time (Thompson 215). Sammy impatiently waits for the girls to be done shopping and pick a register. The whole store was like a pinball machine and I didnt know which tunnel theyd come out of (Updike 1027). For his luck the girls decide to come to him for assistance, and as they checkout it is queenie who is doing the purchase. She purchases Kingfish Fancy Herring Snacks in Pure Sour Cream (Updike 1027). And Sammy starts to wonder how she would pay for it; she didnt have a bag or wallet, her hands were empty. Still with that prim look she lifts a folded dollar bill out of the hollow at the center of her nubbled pink top. (Updike 1027). As he sees her doing this, he is completely in utter shock and surprised. And after this event, thats when the story truly does get interesting. Lengel the manager of the store, and also a church teacher walks in the store and sees the three young ladies. Girls, this isnt the beach is what Lengel says to the girls (Updike 1028). Queenie quickly responds by clearing out that her mother had sent her for the item (Saldivar 221). Sammy felt hat what he said was unnecessary and inappropriate, however he stayed quiet and watched. Once the disagreement between the girls and Lengel began, Sammy begins to think(Thompson 216). And he sees a vision of what Queenie life is, and imagines her social status. Queenie had become for Sammy a form of what he felt was power (Saldivar 221). After Lengel and the girls finish their argument, Sammy quickly bags Queenies item. As the girl begins to walk away, sammy realizes he wants to be this heroic person and immediately says l quit to Lengel quick enough or them to hear. However, the girls did not hear his heroic act, and leave the store. However, I dont think he did this because he cares about how the manager made the girls feels, but as a way to impress the girls and get someone out of it. After realizing him quitting didnt do anything for him, he still went through with hit. The manager says Sammy, you dont want to do this to your Mom and Dad, (Updike 1029) which is true he doesnt he doesnt. However Sammy admits what he is doing is dumb and ays it seems to me that once you begin a gesture its fatal not to go through with 1029). This describes Sammys regret towards his actions of quitting, and immatureness. In this story you can see how the character develops a hate toward his Job, and how he realizes he isnt going anywhere by working in this store. He also has an option of either staying or leaving, and yet he stills decides to leave, even though his attempt to get the girls attention fails And I ask to myself, what if the girls would of gone to the other cashier, would of Sammy still quit? In my opinion, I think Sammys decision to quit was foolish. Not Just because he was trying to impress girls but because he wasnt thinking of his family, and the consequences. I also agree with Lengel the manager of the store, if a girl walks into a public place with Just a bathing suit, it is like practically walking naked. The society we live in today might not care about girls walking around their bathing suits, but in the 1960s I believe something like that was never seen. I dont think that quitting his Job for some girls that he didnt even know was worth it.

Freuds Seduction Theory Essays - Psychoanalytic Theory,

Freud's Seduction Theory Freud's Seduction Theory During 1895-1896 Sigmund Freud practiced psychoanalysis by listening to his women patients weave cryptic trails down memory lane, as well as trying to decipher them. What he uncovered was that something awful and violent lay in their past. The majority of psychiatrists in this era would have deemed their patient as a hysterical liar, dismissing their memories as fantasy. Freud strayed from the norm in the sense that he believed that these women were telling the truth. Illness did not befall these women due to their ?tainted families? , but because of the atrocities they faced as children. During April of 1896 Freud scraped all the theories, case histories and experience from the depths of his consciousness and manipulated it into written form. The presentation of his ideas met with silence from his colleagues. Despite the predictions of a tarnished reputation, Freud published his newfound theories in The Aetiology of Hysteria. Its title refers to Freud's theory that the basis of all neurosis stemmed from what Freud called ?infantile sex scenes?. This namely became to be known as the ?seduction theory?, the belief that these early childhood experiences were real, not fantasy created out of hysteria, and they had long lasting effects on the adult lives of those who suffered through them. The repercussions of his ideas, both innovative and perverse, earned Freud a seat in seclusion. But as the story goes, Freud eventually came to his senses about the seduction theory and gave up his aberration by publicly retracting his study. The accepted notion is that he literally had to banish the theory from his consciousness in order to move on to his more accepted work. Joined by other physicians, over a three year span, Psychoanalysis earned respect as a therapy and science. How does an innovative idea , supported by spirit and experience , come to be a belief , and then a regret ? And in the answer, lie my intentions and hopes for this paper. I seek to prove that Freud was intrigued by cases involving child abuse, incest as well as other sexually related cases. Upon turning the last page of this paper, the reader will understand that Freud did not develop the seduction theory overnight. Moreover, a gradual impact of his studies and surroundings eventually seeped through his skull and saturated the innermost cortexes of his brain, leaving his thoughts forever changed. Freud in Paris: The beginning of an obsession? Twenty-nine year old Freud ventured on a studious trip to Paris to wrap up his medical education while working under France's leading neurologist, Jean Martin Charcot (1825-1893) at the renowned Salpetriere hospital. Freud's stay in Paris lasted from October 3, 1885 to February 28, 1896. During which, according to Jeffrey Masson, ?Freud was exposed to literature attesting to the reality and indeed the frequency of sexual abuse in early childhood (often occurring within the family); furthermore, in all probability witnessed autopsies at the Paris morgue performed on the young victims of such abuse? (15). Freud has also made insinuations towards his studies in Paris have had a tremendous impact on his later works. Freud's mentor, Jean Charcot, in collaboration with Valentin Magnan, a well known French psychiatrist-produced an article in 1882 entitled ?The Inversion of the Genital Sense and other Sexual Perversions?. The article stresses that madness being taken into account as a factor in sexual accounts. Charcot is also said to have worked with Paul Brouardel on the study of rape in small children by adults. Their work, Les attentets aux moeurs, the last in his series, Cours de medicine legale de la Faculte de Paris, focused on the rapist, instead of the victim. (Masson, 34). The book contains several case histories, all full of horror. Brouardel also conducted autopsies at the Paris morgue. Freud has written several letters expressing his enthusiasm for Brouardel's work. Through examination of the following excerpt one is assured of Freud's participation in the autopsies. Freud writes: I abandoned my occasional attempts at attending other lectures after I have become convinced that all they had to offer were for the most part well constructed rhetorical performances. The only exceptions were Professor Brouardel's forensic autopsies and lectures at the morgue, which I rarely missed. -(Studies in

Free Essays on Comparing Cultures

Chapter Summaries – Ruggiero’s Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues Chapter 5 – Comparing Cultures - Ruggiero’s main purpose in this chapter was to examine and destroy the theory of cultural relativism, therefore opening up one’s ability to judge what others do outside their own culture. - The basic flaw in cultural relativism exists because there are so many divisions in human race and culture, to be able to classify them in any one group. - There are divisions in race, religion, sex, skin color, class level, education, location, and sexual orientation just to name a few of a seemingly endless list. - To try to solely identify oneself as American would be variable, because there are as Ruggiero lists a variety of this category; i.e. African American, Irish American, Italian American, Asian American (p.45) - The multiculturism movement is highlighted as affecting â€Å"scholarly discussion of cultures and subcultures.† (p.45) - Inside the topic, Differences Among Cultures, Ruggiero highlights the ideas that different cultures have different ideals of what is right and wrong. Some of the instances in which this is demonstrated are: monogamy and polygamy, sex before marriage, and homicide. - Attention is also given to different tribes in which they share beliefs about life which are contrary to standard western belief. Specific attention is given to the Dobu Islanders off the coast of New Guinea; within this culture the principle of living was â€Å"cheat your neighbor.† This was given a name, wabuwabu. Also mentioned is the Ik tribe, in which the central aspect of life was the self, and to do whatever was necessary to live without positive attention. Anger and pleasure in the next person’s agony was encouraged. - In Interpreting the Differences, the term cultural relativism is discussed; cultural relativists believe that it is unscholarly and wrong to judge a culture outside one’s own. They believe tha... Free Essays on Comparing Cultures Free Essays on Comparing Cultures Chapter Summaries – Ruggiero’s Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues Chapter 5 – Comparing Cultures - Ruggiero’s main purpose in this chapter was to examine and destroy the theory of cultural relativism, therefore opening up one’s ability to judge what others do outside their own culture. - The basic flaw in cultural relativism exists because there are so many divisions in human race and culture, to be able to classify them in any one group. - There are divisions in race, religion, sex, skin color, class level, education, location, and sexual orientation just to name a few of a seemingly endless list. - To try to solely identify oneself as American would be variable, because there are as Ruggiero lists a variety of this category; i.e. African American, Irish American, Italian American, Asian American (p.45) - The multiculturism movement is highlighted as affecting â€Å"scholarly discussion of cultures and subcultures.† (p.45) - Inside the topic, Differences Among Cultures, Ruggiero highlights the ideas that different cultures have different ideals of what is right and wrong. Some of the instances in which this is demonstrated are: monogamy and polygamy, sex before marriage, and homicide. - Attention is also given to different tribes in which they share beliefs about life which are contrary to standard western belief. Specific attention is given to the Dobu Islanders off the coast of New Guinea; within this culture the principle of living was â€Å"cheat your neighbor.† This was given a name, wabuwabu. Also mentioned is the Ik tribe, in which the central aspect of life was the self, and to do whatever was necessary to live without positive attention. Anger and pleasure in the next person’s agony was encouraged. - In Interpreting the Differences, the term cultural relativism is discussed; cultural relativists believe that it is unscholarly and wrong to judge a culture outside one’s own. They believe tha...

U10a2 Life Cycle of the Stars Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

U10a2 Life Cycle of the Stars Paper - Essay Example Astronomers can determine the mass, age, chemical composition and many other properties of a star by observing its spectrum, luminosity and motion through space. The total mass of a star is the principal determinant in its evolution and eventual fate. Other characteristics of a star are determined by its evolutionary history, including diameter, rotation, movement and temperature. A plot of the temperature of many stars against their luminosities, known as a Hertzprung-Russell diagrams (H–R diagram), allows the age and evolutionary state of a star to be determined. Stellar evolution is the process by which a star undergoes a sequence of radical changes during its lifetime. Depending on the mass of the star, this lifetime ranges from only a few million years (for the most massive) to trillions of years (for the least massive, which is considerably more than the age of the universe). Stellar evolution is not studied by observing the life of a single star, as most stellar changes occur too slowly to be detected, even over many centuries. Instead, astrophysicists come to understand how stars evolve by observing numerous stars at the various points in their life, and by simulating stellar structure with computer models. Stellar Evolution: A nebula is a cloud of gas (hydrogen) and dust in space. Nebulae are the birthplaces of stars. There are different types of nebula. An Emission Nebula which glows brightly because the gas in it is energized by the stars that have already formed within it. In a Reflection Nebula, starlight reflects on the grains of dust in a nebula. The nebula surrounding the Pleiades Cluster is typical of a reflection nebula. Dark Nebula also exists. These are dense clouds of molecular hydrogen which partially or completely absorb the light from stars behind them. 1st stage of a stars life: PROTOSTAR Stellar evolution begins with the gravitational collapse of a giant molecular cloud (GMC). As it collapses, a GMC breaks into smaller and small er pieces. In each of these fragments, the collapsing gas releases gravitational potential energy as heat. As its temperature and pressure increase, a fragment condenses into a rotating sphere of superhot gas known as a prostar. Protostars with masses less than roughly 0.08Â  M (1.6?1029 kg) never reach temperatures high enough for nuclear fusion of hydrogen to begin. These are known as brown dwarfs. For a more massive prostar, the core temperature will eventually reach 10 million kelvins, initiating the proton-proton chain reaction and allowing hydrogen to fuse, first to deuterium and then to helium. The onset of nuclear fusion leads relatively quickly to a hydrostatic equilibrium in which energy released by the core exerts a "radiation pressure" balancing the weight of the star's matter, preventing further gravitational collapse. The star thus evolves rapidly to a stable state, beginning the main sequence phase of its evolution. A new star will fall at a specific point on the mai n sequence of the Hertzprung-Russell diagrams, with the main sequence spectral type depending upon the mass of the star. Small, relatively cold, low mass red dwarfs burn hydrogen slowly and will remain on the main sequence for hundreds of billions of years, while massive, hot super giants will leave the main sequence after just a few million years. A mid-sized star like the Sun will remain on the main sequence for about 10 billion years. . A star of less than about 0.5 solar mass will

General motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

General motors - Essay Example The company has its manufacturing bases in 37 countries and has eleven brands under its name. As on September 2013, the overall sale and revenue of the company is 152.84 billion dollars (Yahoo Finance, 2013). The company has its operations all round the world. It is engaged in the manufacturing of electric, mini cars and big vehicles such as trucks. The company also performs servicing functions. Thus, the consumers of General Motors ranges from upper-middle class segment, luxury and premium segment, consumers with agriculture and supply chain business and logistics service providers. So generally the company transfers most of its successful brand to different countries for everyone to avail them. GM has very good human resource policies and it employed about 3,000,000 people around the world. The major brands of General Motors include Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Wuling, Opel and Holden. The company does heavy investment on its technology for producing innovative cars. The management te am of the company is centralized and strong. This ensures that the operational functions of the company were standardized in most of its departments. However, the operations of GM in all its offices around the world are not standardized and the market share of the company is not uniform in all the countries. ... History Founded in the year 1908, William C. Durant was the first controller of the company. At first Durant was into manufacturing of horse driven vehicles, before entering into the automobile industry. Within few years the company went on to acquire many companies such as Cadillac, Oldsmobile etc. After the creation stage, came the acceleration stage. During this time Vauxhall, Opel and Chevrolet brands were introduced which took innovation to a new level. GM vehicles became aspirations and statements and changed the image of vehicles way beyond just transportation. During this time GM also expanded its plants to other states. Globalization of General Motors started during 1980 and 1990s. Majority of joint project and new establishments took place during this time. However, challenges started occurring during 2008, as a result of the global recession and economic downturn. The company had to take loan from US treasury and major restructuring had to be done in the strategy and plann ing. After filing for bankruptcy in 2009, GM emerged as leaner and more competitive organization (General Motors, 2013a). Mission Vision and Values The objective of the company is to be the most successful automaker in a span of 5 years and also ensure that the marketing strategies such as e-commerce technologies are utilized for the overall growth of the organization. The vision of the company is to build, design and sell best vehicles of the world. The company also aims to become the most respected automakers of the world. General Motors has indeed succeeded in moving towards its goals. The company has a unique and comprehensive mission statement which sums up the overall long term and short term goals and

Business Ethics And Social Responsibility Management Essay

Business Ethics And Social Responsibility Management Essay Capitalism is often said the most selfish economic system but what usually is forgotten is that the very base of capitalism, the very foundation is based on ethics, morality and laws. Yes the system might seem to be fair but within that system, there is the paramount place for utility and protection of private property. This very fact makes ethics indispensable to the core ideology. It is unfair to take somebody elses property (an often repeated rule of capitalism), one can not force another person to work against ones will (another virtue of capitalism) , all point out to the special role ethics has played in the field of business and commerce. The whole modern day structure of commerce, business and trade is based on the unwritten and often vague principles of Ethics and moral behaviour. The point can well be taken forward by looking at the concept of externalities in business today. The point will be explained further by analyzing case studies of individual companies, today we live in an integrated society where no one person is isolated from the actions of the other. If today steel companies are producing pollution, then they are bringing trouble on themselves since they are polluting the environment they themselves breathe in. The harmful effects of pollution are global. This precisely is the concept of negative externalities. Ethics command us not to pollute the environment, modern day welfare Economics, directs us to the exact same. Now that we have established a firm base for ethics by use of modern day welfare economics, we continue to define what Business ethics are and what does the term corporate social responsibility mean. Business ethics (also known as corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and business organizations as a whole. Applied ethics is a field of ethics that deals with ethical questions in many fields such as medical, technical, legal and business ethics. Further the practice of using ethics to make tough business decisions is known as ethicism and is increasingly gaining in popularity showing the kind of attention ethics is getting today. Professor Reshma Prasad says that firms can often gain super-normal profits by acting in an unethical fashion but sooner or later such behaviour does have its negative impact as well. Business ethics can be both a normative and a descriptive discipline. As a corporate practice and a career specialization, the field is primarily normative. In academia descriptive approaches are also taken. The range and quantity of business ethical issues reflects the degree to which business is perceived to be at odds with non-economic social values. Historically, interest in business ethics accelerated dramatically during the 1980s and 1990s, both within major corporations and within academia. For example, today most major corporate websites lay emphasis on commitment to promoting non-economic social values under a variety of headings (e.g. ethics codes, social responsibility charters). In some cases, corporations have redefined their core values in the light of business ethical considerations. Types of Managerial Ethics Archie B. Carroll, an eminent researcher, identified three types of management ethics, depending on the extent to which the decisions were ethical or moral: moral management amoral management immoral management Types of Managerial Ethics 1) Moral management Moral management strives to follow ethical principles and doctrines. Moral managers work to succeed without violating any ethical standards. They seek to succeed remaining within the bounds of laws. Such managers undertake such activities which ensure that though they may engage in legal and ethical behavior, they also continue to make a profit. The law should be followed not only in letter but also in spirit. Moral managers always seek to determine whether their actions, behavior or decisions are fair to themselves as well as to all other stakeholders involved. In the long run, this approach is likely to be in the best interests of the organizations. 2) Amoral management This approach is neither immoral nor moral. Amoral management simply ignores ethical considerations. It is broadly categorized into two types intentional and unintentional. Intentional amoral managers do not take ethical issues into consideration while making decisions or while taking any action, because in their perception, general ethical standards should only be applicable to the non-business areas of life. Unintentional amoral managers, however, do not even consider the moral implications of their decisions or actions. Amoral managers pursue profitability as the only goal and pay very little attention to the impact on any of their social stakeholders. They do not like to interfere in their employees activities, unless their behavior can lead to government interference. The guiding principle of amoral management is Within the law of the land, will this action, decision, or behavior help us make money? 3) Immoral management Immoral management not only ignores ethical concerns but it also actively opposes the ethical behavior. Organizations with immoral management are characterized by: Total concern for profits of the organization only. Strong inclination to minimize the expenditure. Laws are regarded as hurdles that should be removed or eliminated. Stress on profits and organization success at any cost. The basic principle governing immoral management is: Can we make money with this Action, decision, or behavior? Thus, ethical considerations are immaterial. Coming now to corporate social responsibility. A formal definition by Ravindran- CORPORATE social responsibility (CSR) is a concept that frequently overlaps with similar approaches such as corporate sustainability, corporate sustainable development, corporate responsibility, and corporate citizenship. While CSR does not have a universal definition, many see it as the private sectors way of integrating the economic, social, and environmental imperatives of their activities. CSR can be seen both in a positive light as well as some are more sceptical about the efforts that modern day firms undertake in the name of CSR. Different organisations have framed in the past different definitions, although there is considerable common ground between them. For instance, it is largely agreed largely that CSR is about how companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. So by balancing profits with an overall understanding and awareness of the short- and long-term consequences of an organisations activities on the environment and community, a company can help to ensure that future generations not only enjoy its products but also the environment. The paper will extensively analyze both the positive and negative effects of CSR initiatives. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY CSR. is a concept that states that organizations, especially corporations, have an obligation to consider the interests of customers, employees, shareholders, communities, and ecological considerations in all aspects of their operations. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into the business model and day-to-day operations of the company. CSR policy gives a self-regulating framework whereby a business monitors and ensures its adherence to law, ethical standards, environmental norms and morality. CSR is a concept that frequently overlaps with similar approaches such as corporate sustainability, corporate responsibility, corporate sustainable development and corporate citizenship.In addition to integration into corporate structures and processes, CSR also frequently involves creating innovative and proactive solutions to societal and environmental challenges, as well as collaborating with both external and internal stakeholders to impr ove CSR performance. From a business perspective, CSR involves focusing on new opportunities as a way to respond to interrelated societal, social and environmental demands in the market.  CSR is  generally  seen as the business contribution to sustainable development which has been defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and is generally understood focusing on how to achieve the integration of environmental, economic and social imperatives. CSR commitments and activities typically address aspects of a firms behavior (including its policies and practices) with respect to such key elements as; environmental protection, health and safety, human rights, community development, corporate governance and consumer protection business ethics, supplier relations, labor protection, and stakeholder rights Relevance of Corporate Social Responsibility In the present corporate arena every company aims at long-term, sustained growth for its business. How does the growth trajectory of a business becomes long-term and sustained ? This happens when in future the supply of customers is assured. It is imperative that the company invests now to assure this future supply of customers. Thus, it is important that the company invests in the society because from the society forms the base from which its future customers will come. For long-term success, investment in the society is the most profitable investment a company can make. Moreover, there is a marked change in the way consumers buy their products and services. They engage in a cultural and ethical audit of the producers. They are eager to know how the company treats its employees, whether the company is sensitive to societal needs, issues etc. A company having a good history of positive contribution to the society gains an edge over other companies, thus enhancing the buy-ability of their product or service. In other words a producer having a good reputation in terms of adherence to ethics and morals has higher probability of scoring over other producers. In crowded markets, companies strive for the mindshare of the consumers by offering them a unique selling proposition that separates them from the competition in the minds of consumers, through social endeavours. Corporate Social Responsibility plays a vital role in building customer loyalty based on distinctive ethical values. CSR initiatives also enhance the reputation of the company as an employer. A CSR programme can be an aid to recruitment and retention, particularly within a competitive market where companies vie for the best of minds and talents. Potential recruits often eager to know the firms CSR policy and history as an employer during an interview. Having an active and comprehensive policy can give an advantage to the employer and positively differentiates the company in the eyes of the potential recruits. CSR can also help improve the image of a company among its present employees.CSR initiatives targeted towards the current employees sends positive signals to them, contributing to the environment of mutual respect and understanding between the management and the employees. Consumers and society in general expect more from the companies whose products they buy. This sense has increased in the light of recent corporate scandals, which reduced public trust of corporations, and reduced public confidence in the ability of regulatory bodies and organizations to control corporate excess. Hence, the impact of business clearly extends beyond the company and the market to society as whole. Apart from profitability, it is important that the company considers the ethical, moral, environmental, legal and social context of its activities. Businesses need to take responsibility for the impact of their activities on the environment, local population, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. The implication for the corporate sector is to strike a balance between profitability and social consciousness and sensitivity. The inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making and business model is very important in the present corporate landscape. Positive Aspects of CSR CSR is an important business strategy because, everyone wants to associate with a partner they can trust. Customers want to buy products from companies they trust; suppliers want to form alliances with corporations they can rely on; employees want to work for companies they respect; and governments, increasingly, want to work with companies seeking feasible solutions and innovations in areas of common concern. Satisfying each of these stakeholder groups allows companies to maximize their commitment to another important stakeholder group-their investors, who benefit most when the needs of these other stakeholder groups are being met. Having a positive social image has its costs as companies have to invest in various endeavours but it pays in the long run. The businesses most likely to succeed in the globalizing world will be those best able to combine the often conflicting interests of its multiple stakeholders, and incorporate a wider spectrum of opinions and values within the decision-making process and objectives of the organization. We take two cases where years of CSR investments and adherence to societal norms helped corporations tide over crisis situations. Johnson Johnson British Petroleum Johnson Johnsons Tylenol Case Johnson Johnsons transparent handling of the crisis facing its Tylenol brand in 1982 is widely heralded as the model case in the area of crisis management. The company could make it possible through years of adherence to ethics and societal norms which were reflected in its CSR policies . The worldwide success of Johnson Johnson is widely attributed to its business philosophy. Robert Wood Johnson II first articulated this business philosophy in 1943 called The Johnson Johnsons Credo. In 1982 and 1986 Johnson Johnsons Tylenol acetaminophen was adulterated with cyanide and used as a murder weapon. During the crisis Johnson Johnsons managers and employees made countless decisions that were inspired by the philosophy embedded in the credo. Tylenol was immediately cleared from store shelves and the company was proactive and open in addressing each crisis. JJ went far and above what had previously been expected of corporations in such situations, instigating a $100 million re-call of 31 million bottles of the drug following a suspected poisoning/product tampering incident. In acting in the way it did, JJ saved the Tylenol brand, enabling it to remain a strong revenue earner for the company to this day. British Petroleum This example illustrates how investment in CSR initiatives can help a company gain the trust of the society . BP, with a $200 million re-branding exercise, has effectively re-positioned itself as the most environmentally sound and socially responsible of the extraction companies. The company stands in stark contrast today with Exxon Mobil that faces on-going NGO attacks, consumer boycotts, and activist-led litigation because of its decision to fight the environmental movement, and its failure to recognize the wider importance of CSR as a corporate strategy. Questionable CSR A counter view to the conventional one is that companies undertake CSR initiatives to distract the public from ethical questions that are posed by the fundamental operations of that company. Companys sole motive is to make profits and hence they start CSR programmes for brand building and in turn help achieve their corporate objective. Also by funding certain specific projects they also build reputation with government officials who in turn are obliged to favor them. Many firms claim to be committed towards sustainable development whereas their core business is a threat in itself. An example could be the hypocrisy of Ford. Although CSR issues aim at raising awareness of social and environmental issues no company changes its business model. Ford has a stance on reduction of greenhouse gases whereas their profits come from trucks and SUVs. Many companies have failed due to pursuit of unethical practices. An example of the same is satyam and Enron. Such companies CSR statements are only phony promises and their vested interests are the main reason for entering this corporate social sphere. To make companies behave in an ethical and socially responsible manner laws would have to be enforced. Corporate hypocrisy and sincerity needs to be addressed by making regulations and policies binding. We have taken two successful companies and analyzed their CSR initiatives and practices followed: British American Tobacco Dealing with the hypocrisy of the stance that organizations take Wal-Mart The unethical practices that are followed and how regulation can play an instrumental role in checking these undesirable activities British American Tobacco A major fiasco resulted as a revelation of the fact that the worlds second largest tobacco company masks the damage it causes to health, development and the environment in the garb of corporate social responsibility. Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was tried to be blocked by the top BAT executives .They tried to win political influence in Africa by using their support for AIDS prevention as a tool. They used tobacco industry research information to negate the findings of WHO regarding the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. BATs donation of HK$300,000 in 1992 to repair the Haizhou Bridge in Guangzhou province of China obliged the officialdom and helped establish. In 2005 BAT profits were greater than  £2.7 billion a year from a 15 per cent share of the world tobacco market. The total number of deaths due to tobacco related diseases was about 5 million. This implies BATs 300 brands of cigarettes that were sold in 180 countries caused three-quarters of a million premature deaths. ASH Director Deborah Arnott said: Tobacco firms like BAT hide behind glossy reports and boast of Corporate Social Responsibility. But this report shows the cynicism and deceit behind the public face. It should be read by decision-makers, campaigners and health professionals in every country where BAT seeks sales. Companies like BAT offer the ultimate devils bargain. When they enter developing countries in search of new markets, they come with a smile a handshake and an open cheque book. But they leave behind nothing but a trail of addiction, misery and death. The various CSR initiatives taken were: A clinic for the diagnosis of disease Accommodation for the homeless Arts and educational projects Such programmes win allies in local markets and also open doors of politicians and regulators. Impact on developing world: The regulations in poorer countries are weak and by helping to a little extent the companies oblige politicians and in turn they win favors and can easily establish themselves. Hence stringent regulations are required to prevent this exploitation. Wal-Mart Wal-Mart is one of the largest private employers in the US. The sheer size and magnanimity of the company allows it to follow certain unethical processes as the laws against them are also not very stringent. Some of the controversies surrounding Wal-Mart are: Many employees having children working here live below the poverty line. Wal-Mart portrays itself as a company selling U.S. manufactured goods but in reality it utilizes products made in foreign countries and at questionable workshops. As a result of the cost advantage it gets it throws some of the competition out. Unethical business practices that this company follows include: Labor Union Opposition: Wal-Mart claims to follow open door policy but its effectiveness in Wal-Mart is questionable. It is a non union organization and hence this structure helps the company have a no complaint system. Third party intervention is not desired. Employees are provided lower wages than unionized corporations and as a result end up quitting by the end of the first year. The employees are prohibited to talk to union representatives. This is unethical as according to the National Labor Relations Act, employers cannot discourage employees from forming a union for they have that right. Cases were filed against Wal-Mart United Food and Commercial Workers Union filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Wal-Mart. National Labor Relations Board alleged that Wal-Mart violated federal labor law as it bribed employees to report on co-workers who favored a union. (www.washingtonpost) Unfair Treatment of Employees: June 2001 Six Wal-Mart female employees filed a sex discrimination lawsuit. Women were not being trained or given promotions. Also they were underpaid as compared to their male counterparts. Discrimination on basis of gender was prevalent. Hence women were being treated in an undignified and disrespectful way. (www.arkansasnews.com) . Later in lieu of the given events Wal-Mart introduced workplace diversity initiatives to promote equality. Wages were very low compared to prevalent rates .They wanted to continue offering low prices to customers hence did not want to increase operating costs. Due to this the wages were kept low. Wal-Marts health insurance was very expensive and some of the employees could not even afford to pay for it. Case was filed against Wal-Mart as it did not pay employees more for overtime. Wal-Mart used illegal immigrants as workers to reduce costs. In October 2003 hundreds of illegal immigrants employed were uncovered. Companies have to spot ethical and unethical practices otherwise they would loose their reputation in the market. CONCLUSION Corporations today are best positioned when they reflect the values of the constantly shifting and sensitive market environment in which they operate. It is vital that they are capable of meeting the needs of an increasingly demanding and socially-aware consumer market, especially as brands move front and center of a firms total value. Global firms with global lifestyle brands have the most to lose if the public perception of the brand fails to live up to the image portrayed. Integrating a complete social perspective into all aspects of operations will maximize true value and benefit for an organization, while protecting the huge investments companies make in corporate brands. Along with the social responsibility, comes the opportunity to convert these social initiatives into tangible results namely profits. An organization should look what amount of value the project can give back to the organization. A social cost benefit analysis can give the organization a fair idea about what kind of rewards the initiative can generate for the organization. Thus an organization can decide on the initiatives taking into consideration these various factors.

Review of Research Paper on Parkinsons Disease Treatment

Abstract Attempts to cure or slow down the progression of Parkinson’s disease have largely failed; researchers in this paper maintain this is obviously a direct result of the lack of insight into the pathogenesis of the disease. Parkinson’s disease is the product of the deaths of a number of dopaminergic (dopamine-secreting) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta region (SNc) of the brain. But what causes these deaths? In the paper â€Å"‘Rejuvenation’ protects neurons in mouse models of Parkinson’s disease,† Chen and researchers find that older neurons in the SNc are unusually reliant on calcium channels and that after blocking these channels, the cells are â€Å"rejuvenated† and begin acting like their juvenile counterparts; as a result, these cells become protected from Parkinson’s disease. Their research, thus, points not only to a possible cause of neuronal death in PD but also to a possible means of curing the disease. Causes / Risk Factors †¢ Genetics 15-25% of people who have the disease have a parent with the disease. Having a parent with the disease increases a persons risk by 3 fold. There has not been enough research done on the genetic causes of Parkinson’s Disease to say for a fact that they are directly correlated. When more research is done there may be more strong evidence, but it could go the complete other way as well. The Human Genome project should open many doors with the research of this disease once the funding is sufficient. †¢ Environmental factors According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, â€Å"Epidemiological research has identified several factors that may be linked to PD, including rural living, well water, herbicide use and exposure to pesticides.† They also state that a narc... ....org/AboutPD/causes.cfm> Mayo Clinic Staff, "Parkinsons Disease." Nervous System. 12 004 2007. Mayo Clinic. 1 Nov 2007 . Melanie, Brandabur. "Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Parkinson Disease." National Parkinson Foundation. 1 Nov 2007 . â€Å"Parkinson’s Disease.† MayoClinic.com. 12 April 2007. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 15 Nov. 2007. . â€Å"Parkinson’s Disease." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 9 Nov. 2007. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 15 Nov. 2007. . "What Causes Parkinson's Disease." 2007. Parkinson's Disease Foundation. 1 Nov 2007 .