Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Microinsurance

Research questionIn the developing countries, people are destitute which can be attributed to the political and economic conditions in addition to the situations in the financial and social sector that inhibit the opportunities available for the development.( Islam and Memun,2005,2006).   Micro credit concept with different mechanisms and practices developed by the microfinance institutions helps to reduce the poverty. The impact of the risks on poor people is such that it inhibits the economic and human welfare to a greater extent.Personal, social, and natural risks that involve high expenditures increase the poverty. Services offered by the formal mechanisms provide more benefits at a lower cost than the services when compared to the services of the informal mechanisms, even though the risk factor reduces the effectiveness of the micro credit. Institution and the borrower are connected by a mechanism which is risk protection or insurance. Many of the micro financial institutions focus on the lender’s part of risk and ignore the risk from the borrower’s side. Improvements in this area will protect the risk of the borrower and alleviate poverty. (Mamun.M.Z).Aim of the studyThe aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between micro insurance mechanism and sustainable poverty alleviation among the women of Kiberia of the country Kenya. The study also aims to find out whether there is any relationship between the vulnerability and risk management, and the capabilities of the micro financial institutions to manage the risk effectively.Objectives of the study:Overview of the micro insurance Analysis of the micro insurance practices in Kenya Analysis of the provisions of the different models of micro insurance. Analyze the   performance of the micro financial institutions as providers of micro insurance Investigate the socio-economic and psycho-social aspects of the risk To study the cultural and sociological values and attitudes. Research hypothesis of the studyThe present study focuses on the link between the micro insurance and poverty alleviation, in addition to focusing on such issues as the policies and regulations of the government of Kenya for insurance in general and micro insurance in particular.Hypothesis-1Micro insurance and its role in the alleviation of poverty:Insurance designed for the people of low-income group and businesses that is characterized by low premiums and low coverage limits. As with the insurance, micro insurance also functions on the concept of risk pooling but by linking many smaller units to larger structures.   The concept of micro insurance enhances the functions of insurance as well as supports the structures for the improved governance. Similar to the general insurance, micro insurance covers a wide variety of risks that include health risk and the property risk. (Alexander S. Preker et.al, 2002).Thus the micro insurance protects the people of the low income group again st certain risks for the payment of regular premiums. In addition to its coverage of expenses against health risks, it can also cover to certain hazards of the business. The main challenge associated with the micro insurance is it has to provide a comprehensive protection that is ideal that could be affordable at low premiums. A mixture of mechanisms will help poor people to manage the risks. The new products and services of micro insurance will definitely help poor people to recover the setbacks. Demand assessment in a right way will help to develop an effective design of the products and services of the micro insurance. Micro insurance is the key for the alleviation of poverty.Hypothesis-2Filling the gap to provide the coverage for the excluded:Some reports on the market opportunities for the sustainable micro insurance products in Kenya, it was found that only a few mechanisms help to cover the losses. To recover the losses people borrow, rather than drawing the hard earned money from their savings. In the formal insurance mechanisms, the claiming process is burdensome for the people who are illiterate and linkage of the formal insurance to the credit increases the cost of premium.The micro insurance mechanisms are popular in that the terms associated with them are understandable, premium payment systems that are flexible, trust and timely pay outs. Poor people use a mixture of the tools to manage the risks as none of the existing strategies have the ability to provide 100% coverage. Micro insurance can play an important and potential role in filling these gaps. To make the mechanism sustainable and effective, there is a need for the providers of the micro insurance to understand the underlying challenges in the mechanism. It is important to Understand the range and effective of the risk, learning the advantages and disadvantages of these mechanisms in social obligations.Hypothesis-3Transformation of the micro finance institutions to micro insurance- a new way to fight poverty: microfinance is the humanitarian activity for the welfare of the poor people, a small amount of unsecured loans, provided for the people for the income generation. The efficiency of the micro loan mechanism encouraged to bring this endeavor to a large scale. In many countries legislations were enacted to formalize the activities of this sector. However there are some draw backs associated with the micro finance institutions. (MFI). Lack of knowledge in designing the product is the draw back with MFI’s as these institutions have never attempted the risk calculation and designing matters related to insurance.There are no proper policies of the government that help in giving a scope for reinsurance and work commercially in a full fledged way. There is no specific method available with MFI that can handle the risks effectively, and the MFI’s do not adjust the premiums on par with inflation. The MFI’s perform tasks like sale of products, collect ion of the premium and pooling the risk. MFI’s are sustainable in their growth due to their good relations with the clients and they are high performers in terms of cash collection and sales of the product, consequently their product designing and risk pooling is very poor.MFI’s are innovators and practitioners and they have a rich experience and professionalism with poor. They have a better knowledge of adopting the strategies and policies to the target group. It has been shown that MFI does can respond the needs of clients for insurance. These institutions have recognized the fact that insurance has the role protecting the client as well as the institution. The MFI’s have an additional source of income that can improve sustainability.Hypothesis-4Changing the policies of the insurance with the intervention of the government is a key to success:It is important to establish the concept of micro insurance as a market product and the MFI’s as providers of se rvice. There are several avenues in this sector that require the intervention of the government. The government has to design its policies in such a way that it can assist the commercial insures and MFI’s in an agent partner model and design the schemes based on the strengths of the clients. The generic service business market, with the support of the vertical commodity based business service market by enabling an environment set by government regulations and policies that are relevant to the specific markets offered by the government is a key to the success.Hypothesis-5Poverty in Kenya reflects challenges and complexities in dealing with the alleviation of poverty and making them sustainable:The women comprise around 50% in Kenya and comprise a vulnerable group that faces unique constraints. Most of the women combine domestic activities with the income generating activities and the lack of time dictates their choice of the enterprise. Most of the women that are involved in t he small enterprises lack the investment capital.The other constraints include their illiteracy, lengthy beaurocratic procedures to acquire the license, lack of adequate housing, and the limited resources coupled with heavy family responsibilities. Remedial measures by the government and the institutions will not only increase the participation of women in the small micro enterprises but also improves the quality of the life of the household and the economy of the country as a hole. The intervention of the MFI’s with micro insurance designs will help to improve the poor women as well as the institution.MethodologyMy research studies comprises of quantitative and qualitative studies.Quantitative studies:Data collection is done mostly through direct observation and interviews. Most of my sources for the secondary analysis include books, articles, newspapers and internet. I choose the sources that are mostly of objective nature. I search for some models and methods to adopt them for my research to find out whether there is any correlation between the micro insurance and poverty alleviation.Qualitative study:Data collected from the interviews will enable me to do my qualitative studies in a realistic manner. I will interview the women from the low income group, personnel from banks government offices, financial institutions, insurance companies that are involved in the insurance related matters. These interviews will help me to gain a knowledge on the needs of the women of low income group, and their view on the operations of the institution of the micro insurance.Time to be spent on my research studiesThe first nine months will be spent to develop the proposal, methodology and literature review. During this time I will allocate my time also to attend the courses relevant to the subject and research methods as per the recommendations of the university. I will spend four to six weeks to obtain data from the interviews and statistical work. I will spend six m onths time in the slums of kibera for an intensive field work. ApplicationWith this proposal I feel I can apply for a research grant for my research studies.ReferencesAlexander S. Preker, Guy Carrin, David Dror, Melitta Jakab, William Hsiao, Dyna Arhin-Tenkorang (2002). â€Å"Effectiveness of community health financing in meeting thecost of illness†. Bulletin of the World Health Organisation 80 (2): 143–150. Geneva: WHO.Islam, Nazrul and Mamun, M. Z. (2006). Prospects of health Insurance Initiatives in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study, Proceedings of the Tenth Annual Conference of Asia-Pacific Risk and Insurance Association (APRIA), July 30- August 2, 2006, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan.Islam, Nazrul and Mamun, M. Z. (2005). Factors for Not Buying Life Insurance Policies in a Developing Country: A Case of Bangladesh. Journal of Business Administration, Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Vol. 31, No. 1 & 2, pp. 1-22, January & April 20 05.Ziaulhaq Mamun.M, Contribution of Micro-Insurance Augementing The poverty alleviationA Draft Paper Prepared for the 11th APRIA Conference at National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan (July 25-28, 2007)

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Disintegration of the Nuclear Family Essay

Social scientists have noticed that the concept of the family has changed in the past 40 years, and this has led some to comment on the ‘disintegration of the nuclear family’. Do you agree with the claim that the nuclear family unit is breaking down? The conventional nuclear family model, Murdock first spoke of, which entails the father as the employed bread winner and the wife as the stay at home housewife and mother looking after their children. This early idealistic model of the stable family life has changed and evolved. Some of these contributing factors that may have changed the family dynamics are, equality between men and women, the loss of religious influence over the traditional marriage, the accepted lifestyle of same sexed families, the increasing number of sole parents as well as blended families have diversely changed the way society sees the evolving complexities of the family unit. This essay aims to show that the traditional nuclear family unit has not disintegrated, but has evolved. The phrase the nuclear family was first used by Murdock in 1949 , in that time, most family units resembled what he referred as both sexed adults in a socially approved sexual cohabiting marriage with children that were biological or adopted (Murdock, 1949, p 1). Within the boundaries of the nuclear family, some parents found it a haven, where defined rules and standards were adhered to. Children thrived on the security and constant attention of the availability of their mother to drive them to soccer or ballet practise. Fathers had a defined role as the breadwinner, the head of the household. However to some, they found the nuclear family structure to be bounding, confining and demeaning. Mothers were discouraged from working, fathers were overburdened with the demands of being the sole breadwinner, parents who were unhappily married were ‘compelled to stayed together, â€Å"for the sake of the children† and to avoid the stigma of divorce’ (Elkind, 1994, p.8). Si nce equality for women in education and in the work force, women are staying in workforce longer and combining career with motherhood. Compared to forty years ago, where women were seen in gender specific jobs, including teachers, nurses, hairdressers, receptionists and retail sales. Today ‘women now occupying over a third of all manager positions, and growth areas in occupations requiring high skills and advanced education’ (Jericho G, 2012). According to Edger, maternity leave, child care and return to paid workforce are readily available to today’s mothers (Edger, 2005, p 36). The post modern family have what Elkind observes that couples marry later, and have fewer children. Although economically it is beneficial if both parents are working. (Edger, 2005, p10). In the post modern family, the gender roles have changed. (Holmes, Hughes, Julian, 2003, p.284). Most modern women in Western cultures are now looking for relationships where they are in a partnership with household chores and child raising being shared. Has religion lost its influence over the traditional marriage? According a Sydney Herald article, ‘ the divorce rate is four hundred percent greater then forty years ago, that more young couples are rejecting marriage’ preferring a de facto relationship. (Maley, 2003, p.13). The Catholic Church has also seen some decline in marriages. In Pope Francis’ recent speech, ‘The family is important, and it is necessary for the survival of humanity. Without the family, the cultural survival of the human race would be at risk. The family, whether we like it or not, is the foundation†¦Today, there are those who say that marriage is out of fashion. Is it out of fashion?†¦ many preach the importance of ‘enjoying’ the moment. They say that it is not worth making a life-long commitment, making a definitive decision †¦ because we do not know what tomorrow will bring. I ask you, instead, to be revolutionaries,†¦I am asking you to rebel agains t this culture that sees everything as temporary and that ultimately believes you are incapable of responsibility, that believes you are incapable of true love’ (Pope Francis, 2013) Along with religious factors, same- sexed families have diversely changed. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics it revealed that 33,700 Australian couples are living together in a same-sex relationship, with 17,600 male couples and 16,100 female couples. There are almost twice as many children living in same-sex couple families as there were in 2001, with most of these children living in female same-sex couple families. Figures showed 6300 children are living in same-sex couple families from 2011, up from 3400 in 2001. With the availability of modern science, sperm donors, in vitro fertilisation, surrogacy and the availability to adopt or foster a child gives the same-sex family opportunity to increase their family of two, to three or more. The report also ‘unveiled a trend against traditional housework gender roles, with cooking, cleaning and laundry responsibilities more evenly shared in same-sex couples, unlike opposite-sex couples where women tend to do more than men’ (Wright J. 2013). Sole parenting along with same sex families has become a common evolvement. Either by choice, necessity, death of spouse or divorce are now an accepted commonality compared to forty years ago. Although ‘Sole parents have to battle with the emotional and physical stress of juggling family responsibilities and work’, the dependency of local community support systems coincide with the ‘ability to work is dependant on access to non-parental child care, after-school care, (and) a job in the local neighbourhood’ (Edger, 2005, p.11) for a flexible, family friendly workplace. A blended family is the new formation of a previous disintegrated family unit. According to Holmes, Hughes and Julian, a couple starts as a family that grows to include children, who then have their own offspring. ‘If you include a divorce in this picture, new partners, step-parents, step-siblings and half-brothers and -sisters, you can see the boundaries of the family becoming more fluid.’ (Holmes. D/ Hughes. K / Julian. R, 2003, p. 282). Many of today’s families are made up of these blended families, step and half family members, foster, adopted and extended multi-generation non blood related family members. As a result the family unit is still alive and thriving, however it has grown and become more diverse in its members. In conclusion, it is clear that the nuclear family unit has not disintegrated, but has changed and evolved with the times and improved women’s rights. In particular to family diversity, reflecting in the growing freedom and acceptability of different lifestyles. Those relationships could have a fluid tenure, where individuals may form a family for a time, then go on to form new family ties and connections blending in numerous connections that may make up a modern family. References Chadwick V, 2013, Tick for same-sex marriages ,The Age, Victoria Australia, viewed on 14 August 2013. Elkind D, Kappan P. D, 1995, School and family in the post-modern world, p. 8-14. Elkind D, 1994, Ties that stress: The new family imbalance, Harvard College, United states of America, Pg. 1-4. Edger D, 2005, The war over work: the future of work and family, Melbourne University Press, Australia. Jericho G, 2012, Changing role of women in the workplace, The Drum tv, viewed on 14 August 2013, www.abc.net.au. Maley B, 2003, The Sydney Morning Herald comment section, Sydney. Murdock G.P, 1949, Social Structure, The Macmillan Company, New York. Pope Francis, 2013, Marriage and family from the world youth day speech, viewed 8 August 13 www.marriageuniqueforareason.org/-about-marriage-and-the-family-from-world-youth-day, Rio de Janeiro, South America. Wright J, 2013, Number of children with same-sex parents soars, The Age, Victoria, viewed on 14 August 2013, www.theage.com.au.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Mcdonalds India Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management SUPPLY CHAIN ASSIGNMENT ON SUBMITTED TO- MS HARLEEN SAHNI SUBMTTED BY- ANKKIT RAJ McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of  hamburger  fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by  Richard and Maurice McDonald and in 1948 they reorganized their business as a hamburger stand using  production line  principles. Businessman  Ray Kroc  joined the company as a franchise agent in 1955.He subsequently purchased the chain from the McDonald brothers and oversaw its worldwide growth. A McDonald's restaurant is operated by either a  franchisee, an  affiliate, or the corporation itself. The corporation's revenues come from the rent, royalties and fees paid by the franchisees, as well as sales in company-operated restaurants. McDonald's revenues grew 27 percent over the three years ending in 2007 to $22. 8 billion, and 9 percent growth in operating income to $3. 9 billion. Most standalone McDonald's restaurants offer both  counter service  and  drive-through  service, with indoor and sometimes outdoor seating.Drive-Thru, Auto-Mac, Pay and Drive, or â€Å"McDrive† as it is known in many countries, often has separate stations for placing, paying for, and picking up orders, though the latter two steps are frequently combined; it was first introduced in Arizona in 1975, following the lead of other fast-food chains. The first such restaurant in Britain opened at  Fallowfield,  Manchester  in 1986. McDonald's Corporation earns revenue as an investor in properties, a franchiser of restaurants, and an operator of restaurants.Approximately 15% of McDonald's restaurants are owned and operated by McDonald's Corporation directly. The remainder is operated by others through a variety of franchise agreements and joint ventures. The McDonald's Corporation's  business model   is slightly different from that of most other fast-food chains. In addition to ordinary  franchise  fees and marketing fees, which are calculated as a percentage of sales, McDonald's may also collect  rent, which may also be calculated on the basis of sales.As a condition of many franchise agreements, which vary by contract, age, country, and location, the Corporation may own or lease the properties on which McDonald's franchises are located. In most, if not all cases, the franchisee does not own the location of its restaurants. The United Kingdom and Ireland business model is different than the U. S, in that fewer than 30% of restaurants are franchised, with the majority under the ownership of the company. McDonald's trains its franchisees and others at  Hamburger University  in  Oak Brook,  Illinois.In other countries, McDonald's restaurants are operated by joint ventures of McDonald's Corporation and other, local entities or governments. As a matter of policy, McDon ald's does not make direct sales of food or materials to franchisees, instead organizing the supply of food and materials to restaurants through approved third party logistics operators. McDonald's restaurants are found in 119 countries  and territories around the world and serve 58 million customers each day. McDonald's operates over 31,000 restaurants worldwide, employing more than 1. million people. The company also operates other restaurant  brands, such as Piles Cafe. Focusing on its core brand, McDonald's began  divesting  itself of other chains it had acquired during the 1990s. The company owned a majority stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill  until October 2006, when McDonald's fully divested from Chipotle through a stock exchange. Until December 2003, it also owned  Donatos Pizza. On August 27, 2007, McDonald's sold  Boston Market  to  Sun Capital Partners. MCDONALDS INDIA INDIA AS A MARKETIn 1996, McDonald's opened in  India  for the first time, a country where the majority of the population was Hindu and vegetarian, and the cow was sacred. Many saw it as just another example of the relentless spread of Western corporations into every nation, creating a global system in which wealth was drained out of local economies into the hands of a very few, very rich elite. McDonald's opened its doors in  India  in October 1996, demonstrating what the McDonald's experience was all about. McDonald's in  India  was a 50-50 joint venture partnership between McDonald's Corporation (U.S. A. ) and two Indian businessmen. Amit Jatia's company, Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. , owned and operated McDonald's restaurants in Western  India, while Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. , headed by Vikram Bakshi, owned and operated the North Indian operationsi. These companies signed their joint-venture agreements with McDonald's in April 1995 and along with their Indian management team trained in McDonald's restaurants in Indonesia and the U. S. A. before opening the first McDonald's restaurant in  India. The entry of McDonald's in  India  was perfectly timed.The market had begun to open up. The economy of the country was growing stronger. The customer markets were eager to acquire newer products and use newer forms of services. Foreign brands were valued and perceived to be superior in quality. According to a report of AC Neilson, among the world's consumers, Latin Americans and Asians were the biggest supporters of globalisation and the value that it added to the various aspects of their livesii. It was a favourable situation for McDonald's because at the time when they entered,  India, the Asian Tiger was awakening to the global call.The Indian customer was enthusiastic about the market situation which provided them with numerous choices to choose and pick. In a way McDonald's revolutionized the food retailing business in  India. It introduced the Indian customers to service standards which were available in th e western world for years. These service standards were visible and noteworthy and hence triggered quick acceptance within the customers. McDonald's positioning in  India  as a family restaurant further fuelled its success. DIVERSITY IN THE INDIAN MARKET India  as a market was a unique example of diversity.Divided into 28 states and 7 union territories, the vegetation, climate, religion, language, clothing, and food varied from one state to another. With the combination of spices in a unique way, food of these states reflected their traditions and culture. Hence the biggest challenge to any food business in  India  definitely was about balancing the diversity and the product offerings. McDonald's got clearance from Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) of  India  in 1991. But it was only after five years of preparation, that the first restaurant became operational in 1996.It worked on developing local relationships with local partners to facilitate the raw material . Indian companies for their operational convenience had divided the Indian subcontinent into four zones, the progressive West, the powerful North, the traditional and culturally rich, South and East. McDonald's opened their first restaurant in the capital of  India  which is Delhi. The second restaurant was opened in the financial capital of  India, Mumbai. McDonald initially concentrated in the West and North regions.Later the company exhibited ambitious plans for expansion in Eastern and Southern regions. McDonald's real influence had been in establishing organizational systems of complete control at every stage from raw product to factory, from worker to consumer – backed by incessant media hype. McDonald's had been a successful global food corporation at refining, co-coordinating, standardizing and developing such processes into a total system. It had set up these practices in every country it had moved into, and many other companies followed their suit.What Ford M otor Company did for cars, travel and the urban environment; McDonald's had done for food and eating habits. McDonald's expansion was criticized and resisted by trade unionists, local residents, nutritionists and many others in almost every town and country where they planned a new store – despite their highly developed and expensive marketing effort about being a benefit for the community. They were resisted for what they represented, and remained a focus of controversy. CHALLENGES FACED BY MCDONALDS IN INDIA Vegetarianism: The major issue was beef.Cow being sacred and worshipped, beef could not be served. Muslims did not eat pork. The challenge was to change the form of the worldwide popular Hamburger to make an entry into  India. With 25-30% of the population being lacto vegetarian and a large majority eating meat, an alternative to beef and pork was necessary. Competition from Local Food Retailers: The competition from the local food retailers was intense. The food reta ilers had been doing business for years. Their familiarity with the market and the understanding of the local taste gave them a competitive edge.There were numerous eating joints which offered snacks and meals with affordable price tags. Target Marketing: Operation Excellence Food Innovation Value propositions had to be directed to the right target market to establish a new product. An interesting question was who would eat at McDonald's? In order to develop the marketing strategy, it was important for any company to understand the consumer market. The more one knew and understood about consumers, the more effectively one could communicate and market to them Brand Trust Pricing MCDONALDS SUPPLY CHAINAn effective supply chain is an intricate network of suppliers, distributors and customers who share carefully managed information about demand, decision and performance, and who recognize that success for one part of supply chain means success for all. McDonald’s is the single la rgest food chain  service retailer in the world. It serves around 45 Million customers everyday in 121 countries. It has 29,000 restaurants worldwide. It is also the single largest real estate owner. In India, McDonald’s  Ã‚  made its presence felt in the year 1996.It has 30 restaurants in 5 different cities In India. 95% of the ingredients/products used by them are sourced locally. McDonald’s restaurants in the south and west of India function under Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited which is a Development Licensee. Amit Jatia is the Vice-Chairman of the company. For the north and east of India, McDonald’s has formed a joint venture with Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited of which Vikram Bakshi is the Managing Director. These two companies monitor, scrutinize and judicially promote the brand of McDonald’s in the country.The main business comes from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Pune and Mathura. McDonalds had been working on its supply chain ev en before it opened its first joint in the country. McDonalds, an international brand which was trying to make inroads into the country, developed its Indian partners in such a manner that they stayed with the company from the beginning. McDonald’s spent around 6 years in setting up its supply chain in India. The philosophy of its supply chain is nothing but partnering with its suppliers, so that a win-win situation can be achieved and both can earn evenue, the total logistics and other cost can be lowered, expertise of the supplier will give an advantage etc. The main factors to focus here are supplier partnering elements – shared information, expectations, risks and payback, long term commitment, periodic reviews, compatible culture and the most important mutual understanding. The success of McDonalds India was achieved by sourcing all its required products from within the country. To ensure this, McDonalds developed local businesses, which can supply it highest qual ity products.Today, McDonalds India works with 38 different suppliers on a long term basis and several other stand alone restaurants for its various other requirements. McDonald’s distribution centres in India came in the following order: Noida and Kalamboli (Mumbai) in 1996, Bangalore in 2004, and the latest one in Kolkata (2007). McDonald’s entered its first distribution partnership agreement with Radha Krishna Foodland, a part of the Radha Krishna Group engaged in food-related service businesses. The association goes back to July 1993, when it studied the nuances of McDonald’s operations and requirements for the Indian market.As distribution centres, the company was responsible for procurement, the quality inspection programme, storage, inventory management, deliveries to the restaurants and data collection, recording and reporting. Value-added services like shredding of lettuce, re-packing of promotional items continued since then at the centres playing a vi tal role in maintaining the integrity of the products throughout the entire ‘cold chain’. While the supply chain of McDonald’s at first glance appears simple, its diverse components are both critical and multi-layered. Food ingredients are supplied by two categories, Tier-I and Tier-2 suppliers.Tier-2 suppliers comprise growers and processors who include importantly, lettuce and potato growers, poultry farms and companies which manufacture coating systems that coat the vegetable and chicken patties. The ingredients are supplied to Tier-I suppliers who process them, for instance, into vegetable and chicken patties — this is done by Vista Processed Foods Pvt. Ltd. or potato products like French fries, potato wedges and hashbrowns which are expertly churned out by McCain Foods India Pvt. Ltd. The products are then transported in a dedicated fleet of refrigerated trucks to the company’s Distribution Centers.Multi-temperature and single temperature truck s then transport the fast food swiftly to the 217 McDonald’s restaurants across the country. The supply-chain of McDonald’s has also been expertly devised to include the significant aspect of return logistics. They have a large component of return logistics. The buns are packed in plastic crates to ensure their quality. These crates have to go back to the logistics facility, that’s where return logistics comes in. From there they are sent to the bakeries. Supply of Ingredients Special vegetarian sauce Quaker, Cremica, Phillaur, PunjabSesame seeds Ghaziabad, UP Iceberg Lettuce Ferrocoa Farms, Dehradun Buns Shah & Sons,Khopoli,MH & Cremica Industries, Noida Vegetable Patty Kiltran Foods, Taloja, Maharashtra Batter & Breading Cremica Industries, Ludhiana, Punjab Ingredients from across the country DISTRIBUTION CENTRES The fast food chain has four Distribution Centers across the country to serve its 217 restaurants. The DCs have segued seamlessly with the vision of the company which has embarked on a period of roller coaster growth, with one McDonald’s outlet being launched every ten days in the country!The company owns DCs in Noida and Mumbai which are primary Distribution Centers. The other two Distribution Centers are in Bengaluru and Kolkata and are housed in leased properties. The supply-chain of the fast food chain is in effect a hub-and-spoke model because the DCs act as hubs. The transportation of McDonald’s has been completely outsourced and since 80 percent is refrigerated truck movement, the company has a dedicated fleet which transports their goods. OUTSOURCING The success of the supply-chain model of McDonald’s can be directly attributed to its unique concept of outsourcing work.Unlike other corporate heavies, the company has a 100 percent outsourced supply chain. McDonald’s believes that they should outsource everything to a company who are experts in their subject matter and then monitor their perform ance in a proper fashion so that Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are not affected at all. This is how McDonald’s operates not just in India, but everywhere. Underlying the suppleness of its supply-chain are three principles to which the company adheres unwaveringly, the principles of trust and collaboration between the brand, the owners or operators, and the suppliers. It’s like a three-legged stool. Each leg (principle) has to be equally strong so that there’s no collapsing foundation. McDonald’s also believes in a culture of partnership and transparency with its suppliers. They have 100 percent transparency in everything that they do which is very critical for them when they work with their suppliers. McDonald’s has 14 core suppliers who supply directly to the fast food chain and they are known as Tier-I suppliers. Examples of Tier-I suppliers are Vista Processed Foods Pvt. Ltd. , the Dynamix Group, Mrs Bectors, etc.The other suppliers forward ingredients to the Tier-I suppliers first and they are termed Tier-2 suppliers. The fast food chain has a total of 40 suppliers from whom it sources its ingredients. Most of the suppliers are local, but some are internationally famous foreign brands like McCain Foods India which set up shop in India when McDonald’s ventured into the fast food business in the country. For a McDonald’s supplier the terms of work are rigorous. A company’s stellar credentials are not enough; the supplier’s job does not end when the product leaves his premises, rather it ends only when the customer consumes it.McDonald’s expects its suppliers to personally ensure the quality of their products to skirt the risk factor. Suppliers like Coca Cola which is McDonald’s beverage partner also, for instance, take water management classes in its restaurants to ensure potable quality of drinking water. Sole Distribution Partner McDonalds’ products are distributed by R adhakrishna Foodland Pvt. Ltd which is the only distribution partner of the fast food chain. RK Foodland manages the four DCs and since it has a transport division, handles the truck movement in the supply-chain right through the country.McDonald’s expects its distribution partner to meet its standards of ‘cold, clean and on-time delivery ’. RK Foodland expertly manages the mundane day-to-day activities of the fast food chain like raising purchase orders to suppliers, invoicing, keeping an astute eye on working capital management, timely delivery, payments, etc. They are like a one-stop shop for the restaurants. Anything that is required, from a bulb that needs to be changed in a restaurant to training material, is sourced directly from RK.There are only two products, buns and Cokes, which are sent directly to the restaurants. Buns have a limited shelf life, hence they are sent directly to the outlets, while Coca Cola has a well-oiled distribution system which en sures quick dispatch of its products. As with its suppliers, McDonald’s has no legally documented Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with RK Foodland. The fast food chain carefully calibrates the performance of its distribution partner, measuring it against its own KPIs to ensure its performance does not dip below its own exacting standards.The DCs are assessed on several factors like administration efficiency, the total number of cases managed per man hour, warehouse efficiency, overtime as a percentage of the total number of hours worked and in the case of transportation, the number of cases handled per trip, truck utilization, etc. McDonald’s constantly scrutinizes the performance of RK Foodland against these KPIs; if its distribution partner is unable to meet certain benchmarks, together they devise solutions which would enable them to achieve set goals. COLD CHAINA marked feature of McDonalds’ supply-chain is that the entire network consists of movement of goo ds through a cold chain. In effect, the suppliers are also a part of this cold chain and in certain cases, for instance, the lettuce growers, the cold chain begins with the Tier-2 suppliers. McDonald’s have the largest refrigerated movement of products in India. An interesting and innovative feature of this cold chain is that the same truck can carry products at different temperatures, ranging from frozen products at -18C to -25C, chilled products from 1C-4C and dry products at ambient temperatures.Apparently, McDonald’s is the only company whose supply-chain network is characterized by this successful experimentation. The inbound supply chain of McDonald’s now consists of dedicated reefer trucks supported by dedicated and trained manpower. As the store numbers and distances increased, they decided to come out with a design of multi-temperature vehicles which could carry all three temperature products. They are installed with automatic temperature controller. Tr uck containers were made with two side doors in addition to the rear door.The side doors are used to unload products without disturbing the products in the other temperature zones. The delivery window is +/-2 days. The products are of three types i. e. frozen products, chilled products and dry products. The frozen products need the temperature from -15 to -25 deg C, the chilled products from 1 to 4 deg C and the dry foods from 24 to 30 deg C. This finesse and attention to detail has helped McDonald’s achieve its own USP of ‘quality, standards of service, cleanliness and value. McDonalds’ efficiency and effectiveness are also due to the fact that it has a ‘pull-supply’ chain. The restaurant issues orders to the Distribution Center which, in turn, routes the order to the supplier and only then does the supplier produce it. The supplier thus maintains barely any extra stocks; only if there is a contingency, like the overhaul or servicing of machinery, w ill the supplier produce surplus stocks. Cold Chain was one of the unique concepts of McDonalds supply chain in India, on which it had spent more than six years to get the system into place.This system brought about a veritable revolution, immensely benefiting the farmers at one end and enabling customers at retail counters get the highest quality food products, absolutely fresh and at great value. Through its unique cold chain, McDonalds has been able to both cut down on its operational wastage, as well as maintain the freshness and nutritional value of raw and processed food products. This has involved procurement, warehousing, transportation and retailing of perishable food products, all under controlled temperatures.The following list of suppliers, who build up the major supply chain of McDonalds, reveal how this ‘Cold Chain’ works and contributes towards the efficiency of McDonalds. * Dynamix Dairy Industries (Supplier of Cheese): Dynamix has brought immense benefi ts to farmers in Baramati, Maharashtra by setting up a network of milk collection centres equipped with bulk coolers. Easy accessibility has enabled farmers augment their income by finding a new market for surplus milk.The factory has: * Fully automatic international standard processing facility * Capability to convert milk into cheese, butter/ghee, skimmed milk powder, lactose, casein & whey protein and humanized baby food. * Stringent quality control measures and continuous Research & Development From farm two degrees Celsius in 90 minutes is the first step to quality. For example, the Rs 262-crore Dynamix Dairy Industries, located in Baramati in Pune district of Maharashtra, manufactures cheese slices for McDonald’s at 10 metric tonnes per month.Dynamix has helped set up 15 bulk cooling centres throughout the district from which it purchases milk. Each cooling centre, which is equipped with modern measuring and testing equipment and a large cooling tank, is not more than a few kilometers away from local dairy farms. A farmer can deliver milk even twice a day on his bicycle and get a printed receipt on the spot, which also lists the quality of the milk supplied by him as per fat content, colour and solids content. If the milk is sub-standard or adulterated, it is rejected on the spot. A batch of milk can vary from one litre to 10 litres, or more.Each batch is mixed in one large stainless steel cooler and chilled immediately to two degrees Celsius to stop bacterial growth and preserve freshness. From this point onwards, until just before the burger is actually served in a McDonald’s restaurant hundreds of kilometers away, the temperature is never allowed to increase. When the refrigerated milk arrives at the Dynamix plant at Baramati, the milk in every single tanker is thoroughly tested and rejected if found sub-standard, adulterated or contaminated. The sophisticated testing lab can check fat content with an accuracy of 0. 1 per cent.It can eve n detect minute traces of pesticides or antibiotics administered to cows. This instant feedback and the rejection of the entire tanker-load forces farmers to follow the best practices in terms of animal husbandry, use proper feeds, cut down on the indiscriminate use of pesticides and animal medicines and completely stop even the slightest attempts at adulteration. * Trikaya Agriculture (Supplier of Iceberg Lettuce): Implementation of advanced agricultural practices has enabled Trikaya to successfully grow specialty crops like iceberg lettuce, special herbs and many oriental vegetables.Farm infrastructure features: * A specialized nursery with a team of agricultural experts. * Drip and sprinkler irrigation in raised farm beds with fertilizer mixing plant. * Pre-cooling room and a large cold room for post harvest handling. Refrigerated truck for transportation. Trikaya Agriculture, a major supplier of iceberg lettuce to McDonald’s India, is one such enterprise that is an intrin sic part of the cold chain. Exposure to better agricultural management practices and sharing of advanced agricultural technology by McDonald’s has made Trikaya Agriculture extremely conscious of delivering its products with utmost care and quality.Initially lettuce could only be grown during the winter months but with McDonald’s expertise in the area of agriculture, Trikaya Farms in Talegaon, Maharashtra, is now able to grow this crop all the year round. McDonald’s has provided assistance in the selection of high quality seeds, exposed the farms to advanced drip-irrigation technology, and helped develop a refrigerated transportation system allowing a small agri-business in Maharashtra to provide fresh, high-quality lettuce to McDonald’s urban restaurant locations thousands of kilometers away.Post harvest facilities at Trikaya include a cold chain consisting of a pre-cooling room to remove field heat, a large cold room and a refrigerated van for transporta tion where the temperature and the relative humidity of the crop is maintained between 1? C and 4? C and 95% respectively. Vegetables are moved into the pre-cooling room within half an hour of harvesting. The pre-cooling room ensures rapid vacuum cooling to 2? C within 90 minutes. The pack house, pre-cooling and cold room are located at the farms itself, ensuring no delay between harvesting, pre-cooling, packaging and cold storage.With this cold chain infrastructure in place, Trikaya Agriculture has also a plan to export this high value product to other international markets, especially to McDonald’s Middle East and Asia Pacific operations. McDonald’s expertise in packaging, handling and long-distance transportation has helped Trikaya to do trial shipments to the Gulf successfully. In addition to export, McDonald’s assistance has enabled Trikaya Agriculture to supply this crop to a number of star-rated hotels, clubs, flight kitchens and offshore catering compani es all over India. * Vista Processed Foods Pvt.Ltd. (Supplier of Chicken and Vegetable range of products including Fruit Pies) A joint venture with OSI Industries Inc. , USA, McDonald’s India Pvt. Ltd. and Vista Processed Foods Pvt. Ltd. , produces a range of frozen chicken and vegetable foods. A world class infrastructure at their plant at Taloja, Maharashtra, has: * Separate processing lines for chicken and vegetable foods. * Capability to produce frozen foods at temperature as low as -35 Degree Cel. to retain total freshness. * International standards, procedures and support services. Vista Processed Foods Pvt. Ltd. McDonald’s suppliers for the chicken and vegetable range of products, is another important player in this cold chain. Technical and financial support extended by OSI Industries Inc. , USA and McDonald’s India Private Limited have enabled Vista to set up world-class infrastructure and support services. This includes hi-tech refrigeration plants for manufacture of frozen food at temperatures as low as – 35 ° C. This is vital to ensure that the frozen food retains it freshness for a long time and the ‘cold chain’ is maintained. The frozen product is immediately moved to cold storage rooms.With continued assistance from its international partners, Vista has installed hi-tech equipment for both the chicken and vegetable processing lines, which reflect the latest food processing technology (de-boning, blending, forming, coating, frying and freezing). For the vegetable range, the latest vegetable mixers and blenders are in operation. Also, keeping cultural sensitivities in mind, both processing lines are absolutely segregated and utmost care is taken to ensure that the vegetable products do not mix with the non-vegetarian products.Now, at Vista, a very wide range of frozen and nutritious chicken and vegetable products is available. Ongoing R&D, both locally and in the parent companies, work towards innovation in taste, nutritional value and convenience. These products, besides being supplied to McDonald’s, are also offered to institutions like star-rated hotels, hospitals, project sites, caterers, corporate canteens, schools and colleges, restaurants, food service establishments and coffee shops. Today, production of better quality frozen foods that are both nutritious and fresh has made Vista Processed Foods Pvt.Ltd. a name to reckon within the industry. * Radhakrishna Foodland (Distribution Centres for Delhi and Mumbai) An integral part of the Radhakrishna Group, Foodland specializes in handling large volumes, providing the entire range of services including procurement, quality inspection, storage, inventory management, deliveries, data collection, recording and reporting. Salient strengths are: * A one-stop shop for all distribution management services. * Dry and cold storage facility to store and transport perishable products at temperatures upto -22 Degree Celius. Effective process control for minimum distribution cost. McDonald’s local supply networks through Radhakrishna Foodland, which operates distribution centres (DCs) for McDonald’s restaurants in Mumbai and Delhi. The DCs have focused all their resources to meet McDonald’s expectation of ‘Cold, Clean, and On-Time Delivery’ and plays a very vital role in maintaining the integrity of the products throughout the entire ‘cold chain’. Ranging from liquid products coming from Punjab to lettuce from Pune, the DC receives items from different parts of the country.These items are stored in rooms with different temperature zones and are finally dispatched to the McDonald’s restaurants on the basis of their requirements. The company has both cold and dry storage facilities with capability to store products up to -22? C as well as delivery trucks to transport products at temperatures ranging from room temperature to frozen state. * Amrit Food (Supplier o f long life UHT Milk and Milk Products for Frozen Desserts) Amrit Food, an ISO 9000 company, manufactures widely popular brands – Gagan Milk and Nandan Ghee at its factory at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.The factory has: * State-of-the-art fully automatic machinery requiring no human contact with product, for total hygiene. * Installed capacity of 6000 ltrs/hr for producing homogenized UHT (Ultra High Temperature) processed milk and milk products. * Strict quality control supported by a fully equipped quality control laboratory. All suppliers adhere to Indian government regulations on food, health and hygiene while continuously maintaining McDonald’s recognized standards.As the ingredients move from farms to processing plants to the restaurant, McDonald’s Quality Inspection Programme (QIP) carries out quality checks at over 20 different points in the Cold Chain system. Setting up of the Cold Chain has also enabled it to cut down on operational wastage Hazard Analysi s Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a systematic approach to food safety that emphasizes prevention within its suppliers’ facility and restaurants rather than detection through inspection of illness or presence of microbiological data.Based on HACCP guidelines, control points and critical control points for all McDonald’s major food processing plants and restaurants in India have been identified. The limits have been established for those followed by monitoring, recording and correcting any deviations. The HACCP verification is done at least twice in a year and certified. The relationship between McDonald’s and its Indian suppliers is mutually beneficial. As McDonald’s expands in India, the supplier gets the opportunity to expand his business, have access to the latest in food technology, exposure to advanced agricultural practices and the ability to grow or to export.There are many cases of local suppliers operating out of small towns who have benefited from their association with McDonald’s India. Pictorial Description McDonalds India sources its ingredients from local suppliers who are an integral part of the cold chain. Refrigerated trucks with multi temperature facility divided into 3 zones –freezer, chiller and ambient to ferry product demanding varying temperature from supplier’s location to the distribution centre.Distribution centre is also divided into multi-temperature zones like trucks with freezer at 0 degree F to 33 degree F. Restaurants have in-built cold storage units subdivided into same aforesaid zones- freezer, chiller and ambient. IN A NUTSHELL Forecasting Demand Equally impressive is the accuracy of the demand forecasts. The restaurants give a three-day to one-week forecast to the Distribution Center. The DC, in turn, has a three-month rolling forecast with the suppliers which enable them to plan their production schedules meticulously.For extensive long-term planning, McDonald’s has devised the 31Q system—3 stands for the three years that the fast food chain will keep checking its plans, 1 represents the detailed forecast of the next year and Q symbolizes the quarterly monitoring of these forecasts. While preparing the annual budget, they include their suppliers in the budgeting process, briefing them on the new products and restaurants to be launched. Using this information, the suppliers roll out their production schedules. The schedule for the next year is carefully fixed and then stringently monitored.Once the forecasts are closed and the budgets fixed, the plan schedules and performances are monitored every quarter, also to ensure that there is no dip in performance. With 217 restaurants scattered across the country, lead times for delivery assume critical importance. But McDonalds’ supply-chain network is everything it is supposed to be to ensure spot on distribution. Every restaurant manager knows the exact time of arrival of each product w hich enables the supply chain team to work backwards to ensure timely distribution. They have fixed locations of suppliers and restaurants and their own fleet of dedicated trucks and cleaners.They can predict the amount of time it takes for a product to reach from an X location to a Y location. If a truck takes four or five days to travel between a supplier’s premises in Taloja, Maharashtra, to Noida in the National Capital Region, dedicated McDonalds’ trucks will accomplish it in two days due to non-stop running of the fleet. This ensures that the lead times for their trucks and deliveries are pretty much predictable. With a maximum inventory of ten days in its system, McDonald’s maintains an efficient inventory turn ratio of 36.Tech Prowess The supply-chain network of McDonald’s, which appears to work effortlessly, is powered by various IT systems which enhance its effectiveness. Vista Processed Foods Pvt. Ltd use SAP, Tier-1 supplier of the chain. Dist ribution Centers of RK Foodland are on RAMCO Marshall ERP with Cobra software. These systems are used to directly upload store orders. At the restaurant level, the fast food chain has in-house developed technologies which track day-to-day sales, enables restaurants to schedule staff and send forecast orders to DCs.

Live Face Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Live Face - Assignment Example Discovery process entails gathering information about perspectives and experiences about the brand by the internal and external customers of the organization. Additionally, a company can improve its brand dynamics by looking at its historical information on branding as part of the discovery stage. The outcome of the discovery process is referred to as a core brand analysis which enables the entity to know what the brand symbolizes and the intended audience (Gregory, 2004). The Blue Team Focus Company should as a next step develops a strategy to communicate what the brand intends to achieve, express brand personality and stakeholder expectations about the company. For Blue Team Focus, a brand strategy should emphasize the expected customer experience through interaction with the company from using the Live Face product. After developing the brand strategy, Blue Team Focus should engage in corporate brand communication which involves marketing, promotion, and advertising and creating awareness about the brand through public relations. Given that Blue Team Company has an already established customer base through Sony and Verizon FIOS; it has a less job to do in terms of brand communication. Finally, Blue Team should invest in brand management that involves keeping the brand alive and ensuring its growth using the appropriate company resources (Gregory, 2004). According to Westwood (2002), contingency planning is done through a SWOT analysis when all information and opinions are collected from marketing research. Blue Team Focus Company should evaluate its strengths in relation to its weaknesses considering available opportunities and potential threats in the marketplace. The company shall leverage its strengths from advantages related to proprietary technology mainly from Sony and Verizon FIOS.  

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Nuclear Power - Micro Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nuclear Power - Micro Economics - Research Paper Example The cost of the Fukushima accident is estimated in August 2014 to be $ 105 billion, twice the estimates made in 2011. The costs may go up further by the time the plant is finally decommissioned and radioactive material safely disposed of. This cost will be borne by the Japanese people through taxes and utility bills (RT.com, August 2014). The Fukushima accident investigation showed no fault by the plant operators or faults in design or construction. The plant was simply unable to withstand tsunami forces. This is unlike the Three Mile Island accident in the US in 1979 where some valves in the reactor cooling system malfunctioned and the Chernobyl accident in Ukraine in 1986 which was attributed to flaws in reactor design and mistakes by plant operators. Following the Fukushima accident, the German government decided to shut down all its nuclear reactors that generate 23% of the country’s power. This decision will make the acceptance of nuclear power plants very difficult in other parts of the world. Meltdowns and accidents that cause a radioactive release over a wide area. The nuclear power industry has argued that the newer designs of reactors are safer than earlier designs, but no one can be certain of safety in an event such as an earthquake or a tornado. Nuclear power plants built over 40 years ago are still in service and cannot be easily upgraded. Problems of human error cannot be completely eliminated. Nuclear waste. Spent fuel rods are stored in water pools for cooling. There is risk of leakage of contaminated water from the storage pools into underground aquifers or surface streams. After cooling, the spent fuel rods are transported to a permanent long term storage site such as the Yucca Mountain in Nevada. There is the risk of an accident during transport which causes radioactive release. These issues relate to public safety and cannot be

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Plato - The Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Plato - The Republic - Essay Example as a real philosopher named Plato and was somewhat of a contemporary of Plato (Socrates died when Plato was but twenty-five), the ideas accredited to Socrates are generally thought to be Plato originals and Reeve acknowledges as much (Reeve 2004 P xi). So through his own observations of the Republic Reeve puts forth an interesting argument that Plato felt strongly in the goodness of Kallipolis (in Greek the beautiful or noble city) and was very eager to broadcast his ideas through the argument/debate process written in the Republic. In the introduction, Reeve points out that Plato’s main theme in Kallipolis is not the bylaws which govern the city. Instead, the speaker talks of the value of a social structure based entirely on virtue, achieved in ways not the least of which is the education of all people (Reeve 2004 P xix). This includes females, which is not a very favourable idea among his conversationalists. So almost from the first Plato realizes this vision of utopia (a term coined by Sir Thomas Moore almost 1,900 years later) would never actually exist. In the Republic, Book 1 finds Socrates and his companion Glaucon returning from a religious festival only to find themselves literally forced to spend at least the night with a man named Polemarchus, his brothers and his aged father Cephalus. Wiling away the time the men get into a deep philosophical discussion concerning politics and money. As happens with the elderly, Cephalus is happy with the money he has made and expounds that at his age, having virtues (i.e. not cheating or lying) is far more important than the wealth he has accumulated (Reeve 2004 P 5). So the conversation naturally turns to virtue and two subjects brought up are paying one’s debts and helping a friend with his enemy (your enemy is my enemy). Plato rejects these, not on the basis of not being just ideas, but rather that they are mostly hard to define, for each situation is different (in battle, at sea, etc.) and says he

Friday, July 26, 2019

Augustus from Prima Porta Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Augustus from Prima Porta - Essay Example "The posture is that of a victorious general addressing his troops, and the emperor is shown in armor. His breastplate is sculpted with scenes of Roman military triumph and the mythological figures of gods and goddesses. The pose of the figure is clearly based on the Greek model of the Spear Carrier, and the face shown is that of a handsome man in the prime of life." (Lewis and Lewis, 230) Through an effective combination of Greek idealization and Roman realism, this marble statue creates a convincing portrait of a 'real man' and a successful image of the perfect leader. Augustus is represented in this statue as the 'pater patriae', who is looking down on his people with calm concern and complete self confidence. Therefore, it is essential to realize that Augustus of Prima Porta, which is now displayed in the Braccio Nuovo of the Vatican Museums, is a perfect example of the Imperial Roman statuary and Augustus, in this statue, consciously attempts to identify himself with the ultimat e authority of Rome during the Golden Age of the Roman civilization. In a reflective analysis of Augustus of Prima Porta, it becomes lucid that this statue of the emperor Augustus can rightly be considered one of the most essential examples of the enigmatic works of art from the Augustan era.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Whole Foods Market in 2008 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Whole Foods Market in 2008 - Case Study Example e firm realize that provision of nutritious food products to the consumers would enhance consumers’ preferences of its products and in turn would generate competitive position in the market. The strategy for Whole Foods Market has great compatibility with the present conditions prevailing in the section of organic and natural foods in the retail food industry. This compatibility can be proved from the huge success that the firm has generated over the previous two decades or so. One of its main strategic elements i.e. the people has accepted its performance across the world and the firm is now bestowed with both satisfied customers and satisfied team members (Thompson, 2008). John Mackey, the present CEO of Whole Foods Market is deemed to hold strong strategic vision for the firm. He has kept his performance level in line with his strategic vision throughout the several years of his reign in the organization. His achievement by maintaining high level of performance is evident from the firm’s products of higher quality, firm’s stores across the home country (US) and certain locations outside the country and enhanced incentives being offered to Whole Foods’ team members operating all over the stores chains (Thompson, 2008). Company’s success is heavily dependent on the perceptions and notions of the people within an organization and the core values play the most important role in motivating the people towards achieving success. It is important for an organization to effectively design its core values. The core values determine the path to be followed by the organization’s personnel and it is the core values which creates one common goal in the minds of every person within an organization. Core values are at times so effective that they lead the organization towards framing the long term strategic vision (Collins & Porras, 1996). Considering the financial performance of Whole Foods Market, during the year 2008, it can be stated that the firm was not in

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Introduction and conclusion section for report Essay

Introduction and conclusion section for report - Essay Example Simple to launch its products successfully in the South African market. The primary goal or objectives of the company are to increase its revenue generation through opening up of different retail garment stores in various feasible locations of South Africa. Various market entry modes that can be employed in case of entering the South African market and how it can be beneficial for the company have been discussed in this study. Identification of the target market in South Africa is also important and has been included in this study. The marketing mix strategy involving the appropriate products, places, prices and promotional strategies to be employed by the company has also been discussed in this study. The primary competitors of Mr. Simple Company have also been identified and the corresponding competitor analysis has been performed in this study. Mr. Simple Company has been successfully running its business in Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam. Its decision to expand its business in the South African market does not promise to be a good prospect for the company to help it increase its international presence and enhance its profitability in a significant manner. The primary objectives of the company are to increase brand awareness amongst the South Africans, increase its revenue and open up three retail garment stores in different parts of South Africa. The target customers have been identified to be males in the age group of 15 to 35 years. Fashionable and casual garment products would be offered to the targeted customers in South Africa. The market trend analysis performed in this study indicates that the youths in South Africa are attracted towards various clothing brands and with proper brand awareness the company can be successful in increasing its brand loyalty amongst the youth generation of the country. Various strat egies that are needed

Thinking Through Religions 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Thinking Through Religions 2 - Essay Example These have been seen to define superstition as essentially being a disease that primarily depends on an excess of religious sentiment. The affected person is often seen to frequently have an unreasonable level of credulity. Superstitions were employed in ancient times so as to thwart evil by using a number of rituals that were thought to bring good luck (Superstitions, 2000).Cunningham and Kelsay (76), define rituals as essentially being a series of repeated stylized gestures or ceremonial acts that are used for some certain given specific occasions. Human life is seen to be filled with quite a number of these gestures ranging from the simple custom of shaking hands to some gestures such as standing so as to shake someone’s hand. The rituals have progressively become so familiar that they are now frequently overlooked and their importance is only highlighted in the event that one fails to observe them, an example of which might include someone refusing to shake another personà ¢â‚¬â„¢s hand. It is these refusals and failures that cause us to become acutely aware of the relative importance of these rituals that would otherwise be severely obscured by the mundane ordinariness of customary rituals. Superstitions and rituals are seen to have an intrinsic relationship as superstitions require an individual to perform some certain rituals so as to encourage or avoid an occurrence. One of the rituals that I often perform that is closely linked to superstition is to essentially avoid black cats from crossing my path. In the event that a black cat happens to cross my path, my normal ritual is to try and walk around the area crossed by the cat or in some instances use a different route. The superstitious belief that is tied in with this ritual is that black cats tend to cause bad luck in the event that they cross one’s path. Why are Human Beings Superstitious? It can generally be observed that often at times, after having encountered seemingly knotty problem s, man tends to try and explain away or avoid the given situation by using superstitions. By inventing various superstitious fabrications, man is able to effectively understand and explain a number of mysteries. It is often always as a last resort that man will opt to eventually turn to himself to provide an explanation and even so, he does not turn to his true self but instead turns to some foreign particle or blemish that absolves him and causes him to not be responsible (Berry 228-229). One of the more frequently used scape goats in this respect is the concept of original sin that had been invented by the ancients. (Berry 230) argues that the chief virtue of this theory is that it effectively heaps all the blame on the serpent, an animal that man has never really had much use for. Man is also perceived to be superstitious as a result of his relatively conservative nature that causes him to obstinately try to hold on to a number of old trinkets, ideas and customs even after he has learned better and the original purpose of these has been forgotten. Although man has made a number of developments in science and knowledge, civilized life to him is seen to still be largely precarious, insecure and uncertain and hence man has opted to result to superstition to tackle these challenges. Why Can Superstitions be Dangerous The adverse effects of superstition can result in fear, suspicions, a general reduction in the quality of life and even death as seen in an incident related by Berry (11). In this incident, in the year 1656, a young woman named Eunice Goody was suspected by her fellow New Hampshire town’

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Research ENG Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ENG - Research Paper Example The sociopolitical setting of the movie is eerily current and accompanied by an equally bleak portrayal of environmental decay. This imagery may spark in the viewers’ minds the emerging scientific truths of climate change and the associated ecological ruin that will accompany it more and more. The decaying natural surroundings in the movie add to the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, evoking anxieties felt after 9/11. Cuaron uses images that recall online pictures of America’s occupation of Iraq and possibly illegal detention of enemy combatants of Guantanamo Bay and other detention camps (Bruce, n.d.). This depiction creates a vital part of the movie’s ethical stance. Three key parallels between scenes in Children Of Men and recent news footage function in Cuaron’s critique of domestic and foreign policy after 9/11. The parallels show the nature and impact of terror, the violence committed by governments in the name of national security, and love and goodwill as a suitable solution. In figure 1, lead character Theo Faron escapes a terrorist bomb detonation supposedly set off by â€Å"The Fishes.† â€Å"The Fishes† were a clandestine group that fights the inhumane treatment of refugees in Britain. Later in the film, this group of radicals claims that it was not responsible for the incident and diverts blame to the government (Bruce, n.d.). In figure 2, threats-consulting organization Maplecroft  released statistics of the increasing risks of terror in select countries around the world. The countries, Iran, Pakistan, and Somalia, are riddled with extremist groups that orchestrate attacks similar to the one depicted in this photo. Children of Men, is full of images that tread an equally weighted line dividing the seeker and the sought, which are the victor and protector. The movie suits key pictures from contemporary art in its story of radicalism and infertility in one of the most poetically achieved futures. Extremists

Monday, July 22, 2019

Self-Evaluation Essay Essay Example for Free

Self-Evaluation Essay Essay The difficulty with most timed writings is that most people feel they dont have the time to get their thoughts in order. In a short period of time one has to develop an outline, and a thesis, or main idea before the writing begins. If the essay is to be productive, one needs to have some idea where one is heading with the essay. Although it may only take a few minutes to organize your thoughts, you still have to remember the clock is ticking. Timed writings are going to continue to be a part of my academic reality, so learning to deal with them comfortably is important. This self-evaluation portfolio introduces my timed essays and different writing styles. In PE1 there were several questions that needed to be addressed, but overall the essay evaluated why dishonesty and fraud are serious problems within the scientific and medical communities? In PE2 I had to evaluate a statement in regards to scientific discovery. There are several reasons why both essays needed self-evaluation, and one reason was to look at my areas of strength. My area of strength in PE1 is having an understanding of the topic presented. For example, in the introductory paragraph I provide a definition of scientific research, and its benefits and what will happen if scientific fraud continues. I feel this introduction is strong, because it provides the reader with all the information he or she will need to get a basic understanding of the topic without becoming lost. In addition, throughout the essay I provided thoughtful responses to each question, thus showing the reader that I have some basic knowledge of the topic, and that I’m not trying to wing my way through the essay. For example, in paragraph four when I quote the readings, I then provided support with several follow up statements. In PE2 like the pervious essay mentioned, my area of strength is a solid understanding of the topic. Unlike PE1, the writing process for PE2 differed, I was not provided with any resource material regarding scientific discovery, therefore each top ic I presented in my paper had to be based on more than common knowledge. For example, one question of the two-part essay was to evaluate â€Å"what I know about past and present pursuit of scientific discovery.† Paragraph three and four provide perfect examples. Experimental therapies and Stem cell research are not common knowledge and these issues provide excellent examples of my solid  understanding of the topic, thus making the essay strong. In conclusion, timed writings are a continuous part of academic reality. The difficulty with most timed writings is time management. In a short period of time one has to develop a well-written essay. Although it may only take a few minutes to organize your thoughts, you will still have to remember the clock is ticking. The significance of doing a self-evaluation essay is to make myself aware of certain content a timed essay may require to be considered well written. Although, this self-evaluation portfolio only introduced my different writing styles and areas of strength, having that awareness will help me to improve my writing skills.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Rush Hour Movie Analysis Film Studies Essay

Rush Hour Movie Analysis Film Studies Essay Rush Hour, directed by Brett Ratner one of Hollywoods most successful directors stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. It achieved commercial success and became the 7th top grossing film of 1998. The plot of the film centers on the kidnapping of the daughter of the Chinese Consol. Inspector Lee, played by Jackie Chan, is called to assist in the investigation because it is believed that the mysterious Crime Lord Juntao is behind the kidnapping. Lee finds himself paired with Detective James Carter of the Los Angeles Police Department, played by Chris Tucker. They gradually learn to work together and are able to reunite the family as well as discover the identity of Juntao. Rush Hour disrupts Hollywoods racial hierarchy by removing white culture and focusing on Asian American and African American culture. The film is able to break down the boundaries between races and change hierarchies, but the enjoyment of numerous racial ideologies that are integrated within the dialogue and scenes, p rove that the jokes influence the audience to reify their own racial beliefs. The film gained positive reviews about Tuckers comedic performance and how Chan and Tucker work very well together. This fact supports my thesis of how race-based humor naturalizes racial differences, so the audience is more likely to focus on the true aspects of a stereotype rather than challenge the exaggerated portrayal. The positive reception proves that there is a paradox between racist representations and widespread approval and acceptance. The movie targets teenagers and adults because they have preconceived notions about different racial groups. Without these conceptions, the film would not be able to garner laughter but rather offense. Rush Hour 2, directed by Brett Ratner one of Hollywoods most successful directors stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. It received high box-office revenues and is considered one of the highest grossing martial arts films of all time. This sequel to the 1998 film Rush Hour follows Inspector Lee, played by Chan, and Los Angeles Police Detective James Carter, played by Tucker, and the adventures that they have. Carter is on vacation visiting Lee in Hong Kong, but they soon find themselves implicated in a scandal that involves counterfeit money, which brings them from Hong Kong to Los Angeles and then finally to Las Vegas. Although this movie is a comedic action film, it challenges typical Hollywood films by starring two minorities. While minorities have traditionally been casted in the roles of a sidekick or villain, Chan and Tucker are the main protagonists. By challenging the popular notion that the leading role features an individual from the dominant white race, Rush Hour 2 propose s the possibility of a cross-racial bonding between an Asian and an African American. Chan and Tucker both embody the stereotype of their particular race: Chan is a serious Asian man yet extremely skilled in Kung Fu, while Tucker is a tall African American who acts childish and seems very impulsive. To the everyday viewer, this movie serves as an entertaining comedy, but for such representations of race to be humorous, the audience must unconsciously accept or believe the stereotypes to be somewhat true. Thus, supporting my thesis that besides entertainment, the movie proves that race in comedy generalizes and influences people to accept racially defined characteristics. The movie targets teenagers and adults because it implies that a previous understanding of stereotypes is needed for the jokes to make sense and have their intended response, which is laughter. This scholarly article, written by Sheng-mei Ma professor at Michigan State University who specializes in Asian American studies and East-West comparative studies documents the start of the phenomenon of pairing an Asian martial artist with an African American comedian. Ma provides a historical context to movies such as the Rush Hour series, which combine yellow kung fu and black jokes (241). He begins by noting that the genre of kung fu was introduced to the West by Bruce Lee. Although there was no prominence on black jokes in earlier kung fu films that starred Lee, The Last Dragon marks the development of racial depictions. In this film a young African American bows, meditates, and wears the stereotypical Chinese dress (240). The Asian Americans, on the other hand, take on black dialect and body rhythm (240). Ma considers the joining of yellow kung fu and black jokes a marriage of convenience for box office profit in which the public supports this collaboration. Films such as Rus h Hour contain jokes that include the common prevailing notions of Asians and blacks in American mass media, which would render yellow yellower and black blacker. However, this odd couple is able to blend with each other, creating a racial hybridity. Rush Hour focuses on the relationship between the Asian and African American stars; therefore, the film offers the likelihood of cross-racial identification. The article provides film theorists and scholars with new understandings of race-based comedy. Mas writings reinforce my thesis for the buddy-cop genre has a history of interracial partnerships where race is explicitly shown. Thus, besides validating racial differences, such performances further hybridize todays multicultural society. This expository piece, written by LeiLani Nishime Assistant Professor in the Department of Communications at the University of Washington who specializes in multiracial and interracial studies, Asian American media representations, and Asian American sub cultural production analyzes the history of Asian American and African American relations. The chapter explains how Rush Hour breaks the general conventions of a buddy-cop film and defies the norms of Hollywood film and generic character stereotype. She utilizes the film Rush Hour as an example for its portrayal of race relations with its removal of the white male character. By including Chan as well as Tucker, the film appeals to a wider range of audiences. The purpose is primarily to inform, but it also encourages the reader to examine certain films for comedic relief as well as social and cultural commentary. Rush Hour is a comedy yet it helps the audience to notice the concept of racial power. In most buddy-cop films, there is always someone in control and someone who is simply the follower. The white male will never be the buddy but with Chan and Tucker, they are almost equals. Nishime is most likely targeting Asian Americans because for an Asian American, America is characterized by both African American and Euro-American society. Rush Hour offers a vision of cross-racial identification and the idea of hybrid identities for there is a convergence of culture in music and film (48). This builds upon my thesis in that besides an acceptance of racially defined differences, race-based humor can provide a possible changing of racial hierarchy and the questioning of racial tolerance. Such a composition is more geared towards academia instead of garnering attention from the general public because it provides background information about Asian/Black relations, applies elevated language, and creates a possibility of a future state of relations. This research article, written by Ji Hoon Park Assistant Professor in Communication at Hope College who specializes in Asian stereotypes in the media- analyzes the ideological implications of racial stereotyping. The article, which is a result of sociology study, explains that though minorities are starring in more mainstream films, a racial hierarchy is still evident. The study included a focus group of whites, black, and Asians in order to analyze subtle reactions and responses to the films implicit stereotypes. Minorities continue to inhibit negative stereotypes but the contradiction that arises is that these stereotypical portrayals have commercial viability. Rush Hour 2 is an example of this incongruity between racism in comedy and widespread popularity. Park discusses how the genre of comedy allows for its audience to make an interpretation of racial jokes as harmless for stereotypes are an important element of comedy in that they help establish specific character classificati ons that are based on some truth that has been exaggerated. This supports my thesis because I contend that race-based humor influences the audience to not challenge the established assumptions of race. His study supports this belief since the focus group was able to laugh throughout the entire movie. Most participants did not find the humor personally offensive but they do acknowledge that the racial humor has the possibility of becoming prejudiced. In comedy, Park notes that a joke is conceived of as racist based on whether a minority is telling it or a white person. Another aspect that creates success for this film is that all races are objects of mockery and bias. Parks conclusion is that racial stereotypes are problematic because realism in the media encourages viewers to incorporate on-screen attitudes and beliefs into the real world (172). The purpose is primarily to inform since the study examines how race is configured within the dialogue. Racial ideology is also embedded in Jackie Chans performance of the racial myth of an Asian man who excels in kung fu but is culturally ignorant as well as Chris Tucker personifying a coon. Furthermore, with the study, it becomes clear that the comedic portrayals of racial traits encourage participants to see the small truths in racial stereotypes rather than dispute these distortions. It does prompt the audience to consider that when viewing a comedy, critical analysis is usually absent and this can lead to believe that racial differences are natural and not culturally created. Park is targeting teenagers and adults because they are able to apply actuality to racial myths and hence find amusement in the satirical portrayals of race. The anticipated audience could also include scholars since this composition was published in the Journal of Communication and scholars will be more interested in learning about the responses of black, white, and Asian viewers and how they make sense of racial differences.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

History of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

History of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) 2.1 Introduction to the Chapter This chapter provides a selection of literature relevant to the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). It starts with a brief history of CSR, it provides some definitions and it moves further to examine aspects like the Layers of CSR, the relation between CSR and Business Ethics and the Drivers of CSR. Some benefits and criticism over the concept are discussed and the strong relation between CSR and the companys Stakeholders is examined. The chapter continues with the Areas and the Activities of CSR and the Levels that influencing the adoption of CSR are analysed. Finally, some Global CSR tools as the United Nations Global Compact and the Global Reporting Initiative are presented. 2.2 The History of CSR through the Centuries The Business Relations, Accountability, Sustainability and Society Centre, known as BRASS, in its report History of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability (2007), states that The history of social and environmental concern about business is as old as trade and business itself. Commercial logging operations for example, together with laws to protect forests, can both be traced back almost 5,000 years. In Ancient Mesopotamia around 1700 BC, King Hammurabi introduced a code in which builders, innkeepers or farmers were put to death if their negligence caused the deaths of others, or major inconvenience to local citizens. In Ancient Rome senators grumbled about the failure of businesses to contribute sufficient taxes to fund their military campaigns, while in 1622 disgruntled shareholders in the Dutch East India Company started issuing pamphlets complaining about management secrecy and self-enrichment . Moving further, Eberstadt (1977) claims in his study that phenomena of social responsibility were already presented in the ancient Greece, while todays corporate responsibility movement is an attempt to restore a 2,000-year-old tradition of businesses being connected to the community (cited in Panwar, Rinne, Hansen Juslin, 2006). In the 18th century the businesses started to anticipate that having an efficient labour force was essential for the successful delivery of their activities. During that period Adam Smith, the great moral philosopher and pioneer in economics, present for the first time the traditional or classical economic model. The model suggested that the needs and the interests of the public would best be met if the individuals act in self-interest manner. Driven by their own self-interests, the individuals would produce and deliver goods and services which would earn them profit, but also meet the needs of the others (Fernando, 2009). According to Brown (2005), the companies in order to keep their employees satisfied, because of the negative effects that the lack of food, housing and healthcare had in the labour force efficiency, they started to invest in housing, healthcare and nourishment. Thus, the worker villages of the industrial revolution, company medical facilities and the subsidized wor ks canteen appeared. That action of social philanthropy by the companies can be considered as the forerunner of the modern day CSR. Sims (2003) claims that the contemporary CSR originated back to the beginning of the 20th century and is based upon two principles. The first, the principle of charity, is based on religious tradition and suggests that those who are well financially should give to those with difficulties. The second one, the principle of stewardship, says that the organisations have an obligation to serve the society and satisfy the publics needs since their wealth and the power that they have springs through their activities within the society. This second principle had an impact on affected how companies were faced by governments, press and other groups and led to the conduction of new more socially responsible laws. The turn of the businesses to the society and the development of a more societal thinking led the organisations to increase their responsibility and consideration for both social and environmental well-being. This response to environmental and social matters by the corporations is what it is known today as Corporate Social Responsibility (Panwar et al., 2006). 2.3 Definitions of Corporate Social Responsibility The rise of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility during the past decades resulted to the continuous debate about the exact meaning of the term. The only generally accepted view about the term CSR is that is a concept which covers several aspects. Frankental (2001), comments that CSR is a vague and intangible term which can mean anything to anybody, and therefore is effectively without meaning. Castka, Bamber, Bamber and Sharp (2004) argue that there is no single authoritative definition of CSR. The CSR concept seems to be a loosely defined umbrella embracing a vast number of concepts traditionally framed as environmental concerns, sustainable development public relations, corporate philanthropy, human resource management and community relations. During the examination of various literatures it can be seen that there is not a single generally accepted definition, although many authors and worldwide institutions defined the term CSR in similar ways. The first academically accepted definition of CSR can be found in the book Social Responsibilities of the Businessman, written by Howard Bowen in 1953. Bowen defines CSR as an obligation to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action that are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society (cited in Panwar et al., 2006). Carroll (2004) argues that the social responsibility of businesses encompasses the economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary (philanthropic) expectations that society has of organizations at a given point in time, while Buhmann (2006) simply defines CSR as doing more than what is required by law. Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2005), define CSR as the ways in which an organisation exceeds its minimum obligations to stakeholders specified through regulation. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) defines CSR as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large (cited in Castka et al., 2004). Finally, the internationally known law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in the report The Development and Impact of CSR on the Construction Industry (2006), defines CSR as the voluntary integration of environmental, social and human rights considerations into business operations, over and above legal requirements and contractual obligations. To conclude, it can be clearly seen that the base line of the above definitions is the volunteering obligation that the organisations must have over their employees and their families, the environment and the general public which sometimes may go further their legal requirements. 2.4 Layers of Corporate Social Responsibility According to Sachs, Ruhli, and Mittnacht (2005) the probably best known economic paradigm that prepare the ground for further research on the concept of CSR is the Carroll Pyramid (Figure 1). FIGURE 1 Carroll (1991) suggests that there are four kind of social responsibilities that an organisation should take into account while conducting its activities and those responsibilities constitute total CSR. Those four social responsibilities of an organisation were presented into a four-layered pyramid model, called The Pyramid of Responsibilities. The four layers of responsibilities are economical, legal, ethical and philanthropic. The bottom layer and the foundation of the pyramid is the Economic Responsibilities. The business must be profitable in order to keep its shareholders satisfied, produce goods and services necessary to the consumers and be able to create new jobs and promote innovation. The second layer of responsibilities is the legal and is all about following the law. The businesses should not only be profit driven but at the same time they must respect the laws and regulations produced by government and it is expected that the businesses would keep their economic activities inside the framework of the law and pay by the rules of the game. The ethical responsibilities are related to fairness and morality. The peoples rights and beliefs must be respected, any kind of harm, physical or social, must be avoided and any harm caused by others must be prevented. The last layer is the philanthropic responsibilities which urge the businesses to be good corporate citizens. The businesses through their activities must contribute resources to the community and most importantly must be able to help to improvement of the quality of life. Carroll placed the four layers of responsibility in a pyramid in order to show the strong connection between the four kinds of responsibilities. If a kind of responsibility in the pyramid model is absent then the ones above cannot be achieved. Lantos (2001) characterises the Carrolls pyramid model of CSR as altruistic or humanitarian and argued that the firm will be good to use it as marketing too in order to promote its image. Following this view Lantos (2001) proposes a new model of responsibilities by reclassifying Carrolls pyramid from four to three layers. The first layer of Lantos model is the Ethical CSR and includes economic, legal and ethical responsibilities as one group. The second layer is the Altruistic CSR which is equal to Carrolls philanthropic layer and suggests that businesses must contribute to the community even if a part of the profits must be sacrificed. The last layer of Lantos model is the Strategic CSR where businesses are fulfilling their philanthropic responsibilities not only because of generosity but also because they expect financial returns from the positive publicity. 2.5 Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility are two close related concepts but they are not identical. As it can be seen Business Ethics play a very important role in Carrolls Pyramid of responsibilities as Ethics Responsibilities are placed in the second highest layer. Both concepts refer to values, goals and decision making based on something more than just making a profit (Mullerat, 2010). In general terms the bottom line of ethics is individually doing the right thing while avoid evil and harmful actions for you and the others in your activities. On the other hand CSR is more about the obligations that an organisation must have over its stakeholders than just its shareholders. A socially responsible organisation must act ethically (Mullerat, 2010). Phatak, Bhagat and Kashlak (2005) define Business Ethics as the moral thinking and analysis by corporate decision-makers and other members regarding the motives and consequences of their decisions and actions. Furthermore, Ferrell and Fraedrich (1998) add that business ethics compromises moral principles and standards that guide behaviour in the world of business. The concept of Business Ethics is vital for every self-respected organisation and this is why many companies today develop codes of ethics and make commitments about their ethical behaviour to the public (Fisher, 2003). According to Seitel (2001), the organisations develop ethics codes in order to: Increase public confidence: Due to various scandals, mainly concerning corruption and briberies inside organisations, the publics trust for businesses has been declined. Thus, companies have decided to adopt the ethics code in order to improve their image. Stem the tight of regulation: Due to the declining trust and confidence of the public for businesses, the governments increased their legislations and regulations in order to reverse the situation. The companies adopted the ethics codes in order to show that they have ethical behaviour and can be trusted. Improve internal regulations: Due to the increase of the size of organisations and the development of multinational operations it is essential that some codes of conduct must be created in order to have the same behaviour standards among the employees. Business ethics depend on two main factors, culture and time (Svensson and Wood, 2003). The business environment culture is influenced by traditions, religion, ethical values and individuals and can be defined as what is accepted and what is unaccepted. The companys success can be affected if different opinions, that is to say different cultures, cannot be adopted satisfactory by the organisation. Additionally, what is accepted and what is unaccepted can be affected by the business time element. The business world is a fast changing environment and what is considered ethical today it can turn out to be unethical tomorrow. As it can be seen the success or the failure of a business is closely connected with ethics and that is why Business Ethics must be used as a corporate philosophy rather than a corporate code in every organisation. To conclude, Johnson et al. (2005) argue that the societys expectations, which have major influence on companies and organisations, are based on three levels of Business Ethics. The macro level is the first one and is related to the ethical posture of the company. Simply, the macro level is related to the extent in which the organisations are willing to do more than their legal requirements in order to satisfy their stakeholders. The second one is a part of the macro level and is the Corporate Social Responsibility level. This level is concerned the ability of organisations to surpass the minimum requirements needed in order to maintain the organisations ethical stance. The individual or managerial level is the last level of Business Ethics. This is a very important level since is connected with the behaviour and actions of individuals inside the organisation. 2.6 Drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility The current momentum behind Corporate Social Responsibility is being built based on a variety of very important factors. Ernst and Young (2002) mention that there are five key drivers which encourage the increasing business focus on CSR. These are: (1) greater stakeholder awareness of corporate ethical, social and environmental behaviour, (2) direct stakeholder pressures, (3) investor pressure, (4) peer pressure and (5) an increased sense of social responsibility (cited in Jones, Comfort and Hillier, 2006). Panwar et al. (2006), argue that there are diverse motivations that lead to the adoption of CSR by the organisations. For example a business is adopting CSR in order to meet mandatory legal requirements aimed at controlling destructive business practices while another business is using CSR in order to increase its productivity and improve its financial performance. It is also suggested that a company by using CSR in its practises can improve functional areas such as market positioning and risk management. According to Wood (1991), the concept of CSR is being driven by three major principles. Firstly, businesses are obliged to use their power responsibly since they are above all social institutions. Secondly, the responsibility for the outcomes of the involvement with the public is upon businesses. Lastly, discretion must be exercised in decision making processes by the individual managers who are also moral agents. Andriof and McIntosh (2001) believe that the driving force behind the concept of CSR is the consumers and employees. These two categories are holding the power in the market system nowadays. Consumers and employees are now well informed about the several challenges the world has to face and they do not really believe that the governments can change things. They accept that corporations are the most powerful social institutions of the present era and most importantly they are willing to reward those corporations who are responsive to their concerns. Finally, Girod and Bryane (2003) use a strategic marketing view arguing that CSR is a key tool to create, develop and sustain differentiated brand names. Furthermore, the Commission of the European Communities (2002) argues that the organisations in order to better respond to the fundamental changes in the overall business environment they adopted CSR and used it as an important element in new and emerging forms of governance. These changes include globalisation and the responsibilities companies feel the need to address, as they increasingly source products and services in developing countries; the issues of image and reputation, which have become increasingly important elements in corporate success; and the need for companies to recruit and retain highly skilled personnel (cited in Jones, et al., 2006). 2.7 Benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility Many organisations are using nowadays CSR as a marketing tool due to the fact that the implementation of CSR practices can bring to the organisation a wide range of potential benefits, both direct and indirect. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has said that implementing a CSR policy, can bring real business benefits by reducing risk, by enhancing brand value, by opening doors and creating good will, and by improving staff efficiency and morale. It can also attract stable and ethical investment and add competitive edge (Chartered Institute of Building, Report) According to Mackey, Mackey Barney (2005) in the case that a company surpasses the minimum CSR requirements then the potential benefits can lead to a positive effect to the companys performance and value. Gildea (1994) and Zaman et al. (1991), stress out that research has shown that companies that care for the environment and exhibit good CSR practices experience increased consumer purchase preference in addition to increased investment appeal (cited in Panwar et al., 2006). Many consumers prefer to buy for ethical business. A survey conducted by Cone Inc. (2004) showed that 91% of the consumers have a more positive image of a product or a company when it supports a cause. The 90% of the consumers would consider switching to another companys product or services if they found out about a companys any unlawful or unethical practises. In addition, Muckiewicz (1993) supports that the reputation of an organisation plays a vital role as research studies show that 9 out of 10 consumers use it in order to decide which product or service they will buy from those that are similar in price and quality. According to Bernstein (2004), CSR benefits both the company and the community. Due to use of CSR the corporate culture and corporate name of the company can be improved significantly thus the best employees can be attracted and the motivation of the workforce will remain in high levels. The society benefits from CSR practices as well through a variety of services and action, though the company has to create some sort of societal benefit in order to be called socially responsible. Some of the potential benefits that a business can have from the use of CSR practices can include improved financial performance and profitability; reduced operating costs; long-term sustainability for companies and their employees; increased staff commitment and involvement; enhanced capacity to innovate; good relations with government and communities; better risk and crisis management; enhanced reputation and brand value; and the development of closer links with customers and greater awareness of their needs (cited in Jones et al., 2006) . Table 1 presents a summary of business benefits of CSR. TABLE 1 Concluding, it must be noted that the benefits from the adoption of CSR practises can never be predicted or be constant since each company operates in a different and always changing environment. Barnett (2007) adds that this unpredictability could lead to limited support for CSR initiatives from the board, in times of financial instability. Thus, the business case supporting CSR has to be specific for every company and based on Rowley and Berman (2000) CSR achievements of an organisation cannot be collated against some standards, since those does not exist. Furthermore, McWilliams and Siegel (2001) point out that the potential existence of those standards would allow CSR to be considered as part of the investment decisions, as the company would be able to make judgements for its business case in a more formal way. 2.8 Criticism against Corporate Social Responsibility The concept of CSR, as it can be seen from the various definitions presented on previous paragraphs, is based upon the principle that businesses do have another responsibility than just making profits. Every organisation has a responsibility towards the society, its people and the environment as well. At the same time, many are those who are opposed the idea of integrating CSR practices into their corporations and they believe that shareholders interest can be conflicted by operating a good business. Dr Milton Friedmann (1970), a renowned economist, in his article The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits affirms that there is one and only one social responsibility of business is to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud. According to his economic model the organisation is an economic institution which should only focus in the economic scope. Organisations are seen purely as legal entities incapable of value decisions. A manager who uses a firms resources for non-profit social purposes is thought to be diverting economic efficiency and levying an illegal tax on the organisation (Balabanis, Phillips and Lyall, 1998). Following this view Dr Robert Barrington (2008) states that the managers are concentrated on soft issues rather than hard issues of the bottom line and this is something that is costing money to the shareholders. Moving further Frankental (2001), conclude that CSR is simply a public relations invention and it will remain like this. He believes that CSR can only have real substance if it embraces all the stakeholders of a company, if it is reinforced by changes in company law relating to governance, if it is rewarded by financial markets, if its definition relates to the goals of social and ecological sustainability, if its implementation is benchmarked and audited, if it is open to public scrutiny, if the compliance mechanisms are in place, and if it is embedded across the organisation horizontally and vertically. Henderson (2001) after the examination of various issues related to the concept of CSR comments that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the current widely-held doctrine of CSR is deeply flawed. It rests on a mistaken view of issues and events, and its general adoption by businesses would reduce welfare and undermine the market economy. In the same motion Moir (2001) suggests that those who adopt the neoclassical model of business would follow the view that the only social responsibilities that a corporation can have are to provide employment, pay taxes and mainly to maximise its profits; therefore, maximise its shareholders value. On the other extreme of the arguments above, Dave Packard, the co-founder of Hewlett Packard Company once said I think many people assume, wrongly, that a company exists simply to make money. While this is an important result of a companys existence, we have to go deeper and find the real reasons for our beingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. We inevitably come to the conclusion that a group of people get together and exist as an institution that we call a company so that they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately they make a contribution to society (cited in Handy, 2002). Concluding, Freeman (1984) argues that a corporation is wrong to be seen just as a private economic institution, as it was suggested by Friedman (1970), but it has to be also seen as a social institution. This way, corporations would be responsible for any of their actions against the people, the community and the environment. Based on his Stakeholder Theory, companies operations should not be based on the interests of their shareholders but they have to be based on the interested of their stakeholders. 2.9 Corporate Social Responsibility and Stakeholders The definition given about the concept of CSR from Johnson et al. (2005) includes the words obligations to stakeholders, which indicates that stakeholders have an important role to play in this extent. Freeman (1984), the father of the Stakeholder Theory of the firm, defines stakeholders as any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organizations objectives. The Stakeholder Theory of the firm is used as a basis to analyse those groups to whom the firm should be responsible (Moir, 2001). The identification of the different stakeholder groups of the organisation is extremely important during the implementation of CSR practices. Usually the stakeholder groups are separated into primary and secondary stakeholders. According to Clarkson (1995) a primary stakeholder group is one without whose continuing participation the corporation cannot survive as a going concern, while a secondary stakeholder group is those who influence or affect, or are influenced or affected by the corporation, but they are not engaged in transactions with the corporation and are not essential for its survival. Based on those definitions a primary stakeholder group contains shareholders and investors, employees, customers, suppliers, governments and communities. The secondary stakeholder group includes the media and a wide range of special interest groups (Clarkson, 1995). According to Freemans (1984) definition of stakeholders the relation between the company and its stakeholders can be described as two-way. Castka et al. (2006) support the view that the implementation of CSR is all about the right choices and strategic decisions and comment that the dilemmas that an organisations stakeholders can have are which choices and decision must choose in order to satisfy. Berman, Wicks, Kotha and Jones (1999), in order to find a solution for those dilemmas, derived two distinct stakeholder management approaches; the instrumental and the normative approach. The first, instrumental approach, suggests that concern for stakeholders is motivated by the perception that financial performance can be improved. The second, intrinsic stakeholder commitment approach, assumes that organisations have a normative (moral) commitment to advance stakeholders interests (Castka et al. 2006). The instrumental approach was the one empirically supported in Berman et al. (1999) res earch while Harrison and Freeman (1999) mention that the conduction of more research is essential in order to clarify the model of the normative approach. Although further research is required it can be clearly anticipated, through the examination of various literature, that the instrumental approach is the most desirable among researchers. McWilliams and Siegel (2001) suggest that corporations need to carefully consider in which aspects of the CSR to invest in and they comment that by using cost-benefit analysis the managers can ideally determine the level of CSR. Additionally, Agle, Mitchell and Sonnenfeld (1999) argue that the decision to make a CSR investment is driven by the needs of the most powerful stakeholders within the organisation, such as top management staff and is usually connected with their desire to gain more profits and increase the shareholders value. Finally Castka et al (2004) believe that the purpose of CSR is an investment and it must be considered and treated like one. Moving further they suggest that the balance between the need for maximizing profit from CSR and the demand for CSR from multiple stakeholders is the key to a core return on investment in CSR (Figure 2). In order to achieve this balance stakeholders expectations should be assessed and examined through dialogues and must be translated and included into the companys strategy plan. FIGURE 2 2.10 Areas of Corporate Social Responsibility Andriof and McIntosh (2001) write that CSR is not chequebook philanthropy, nor a study based on business ethics. They argue that the concept of CSR can be described as a vision that corporate leaders have for their business which is beyond of just making profits. CSR has an impact on every activity of the company and can affect areas either inside or outside the company. According to Andriof and McIntosh (2001) the four distinct areas that CSR encompasses are: The Community The Environment The Marketplace The Workplace By operating within these four areas companies can conduct specific programmes and make the difference and can actively monitor, evaluate and change their effects of their activities. The implementation of CSR and the thinking behind becoming involved in these areas represents the new way of doing business. 2.11 Activities of Corporate Social Responsibility The concept of CSR can be divided into many and diverse domains. Sen and Bhattacharya (2001) provide six broad domains of CSR activities, based on a comprehensive summarisation of CSR domains contained in Socrates: The Corporate Social Ratings Monitor (Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini Co. Inc. 1999), a database that describes and rates more than 600 companies in terms of their CSR records. These domains of CSR activities are: Community Support: The company provides support to the community with the use of health and educational and housing programs for financially disadvantaged. The generous and innovative giving is promoted Diversity: The company provides initiatives for sex, race, family, sexual orientation and disability diversity Employee Support: The company promotes health and safety, ensures job security and profit sharing, develops relations with the labour unions and allows employees involvement. Environment: The company avoids the use of hazardous waste management techniques, uses and produces environmental friendly products, develops pollution control and recycling techniques. Non-domestic Operations: The company prevents operations in countries where human right violations occur or unhealthy labour practices take place. Product: The company produces safe products and promotes research and development and innovation. Following the same line Johnson et al (2005) present a checklist of the organisations responsibilities. Those responsibilities are divided into two categories, the internal and the external aspects of CSR, based on the areas that the organisations activities can affect. Internal aspects of the companys activities can include employee welfare, working conditions, job design and intellectual property. External aspects of activities can include environmental issues, products, markets and marketing, suppliers, employment, community activity and human rights. 2.12 Levels influencing the firms Corporate Social Responsibility strategy Based on the literature it can be seen that there are some important levels which can play a crucial role in the adoption of a CSR strategy from the firm. These levels can be grouped into four different categories which are the region where the company operates, the nation, the industry and the company itself. According to Aguilera, Rupp, Williams and Ganapathi (2005) the four levels are strongly connected as a firms commitment to CSR can be influenced by micro (individual), meso (organisati