Unit 7 case study free essay sample

The first thing I would do in this case would be to introduce myself and let Mike and Sally know that I am going to do my best to get them through this rough time in their lives. I would then ask them both to tell me how they feel and try to better understand the situation and build rapport with the both of them. After this I would begin to deal with how Sally is feeling because it seems as though she is taking the loss much harder than her husband Mike. I would have Sally explain to Mike how she feels about what has happened and try to get him to understand her point of view to do this I would have to utilize role playing meaning that I would have Mike play the role of Sally and vice versa. While this was going on I would continue to comfort them and reassure them that everything is going to be alright and that it takes time to get through a loss such as this. We will write a custom essay sample on Unit 7 case study or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page According to Kubler-Ross’ theory it appears that Sally is going through the denial and shock stage as well as the bargaining and anger stage. This is evident because according to Mike Sally keeps praying and asking god to take her and bring back their son. One intervention that I would attempt here is to have them both talk about the loss and help them to identify and express their feelings about the loss. Mike is Sallie’s support system so we need to help him to understand what it is that Sally is going through and that she is grieving differently than he is and that eventually with the help of therapy and love she will pull through this. The way that I would do this is by walking Mike through the different steps of the grieving process. I would explain to him that according to the Kubler-Ross 5 stages of death and dying. The first one is Denial and Shock. I would explain to him that Sally is currently experiencing this stage and reassure him that it is ok for her to feel this way. The second stage is anger which it seems that Sally has started this stage as well Now I would explain the last 3 stages to Mike as well and just reassure him that Sally will get through these she may suffer  more than one stage at a time. The same thing would apply with Sally she would need to understand that although it may seem cold and heartless that Mike is grieving in his own way and that he too will eventually come to terms with their loss. There are many support groups available for parents that have lost children I would refer both of them to attend one of these groups as well as see a therapist. Mike and Sally may want to plan ahead for such things as holidays and birthdays because these can be some of the hardest times to get through. Seeing that both Mike and Sally are religious brings to mind the church they may seek counsel from their pastor or priest about how to cope with this spiritually. Some other suggestions may be to write down your feelings in a journal and go back and read them when you begin to get upset. You may also just cry because it helps to get the feelings out into the open and just let them flow. These are just a few suggestions that come to mind when looking at this case study. Being that their son was only 6 when he passed they may want to begin a charity in his name as a way to remember him. I would reassure Sally that it is not her fault that her son died and that she was and still is a good mother and that it is ok to let go and move on. I would suggest that they both take classes on how to deal with the grieving process that way they can support each other and work through this as a team. It may take Sally years to get over the loss of her son but with the right therapy and support from her husband I am sure that she will pull through and recover fully. I would suggest that they continue to come and see me on a weekly basis so that we may cove r more options for them and to see where they are in the grieving and healing process. There are many other interventions that may work here as well such as giving them information about how other cultures and people grieve they may find something that works better for them then what I have suggested here. Remind them that they must make room for individual differences in how they grieve and not to worry because again they will both pull through this and live a long life together. Finally after seeing Mike and Sally and how much they love and care for one another I might make the suggestion that they have another child or look into getting a pet to take their mind off of what happened and help them to begin the healing process. This may be looked down upon but I feel that if they are able to give their love and affection to another living thing it may help them to work through the grief and b e better because of it. References Kanel, K.(2013). A Guide to Crisis Intervention (3rd ed). Cengage Learning

The Green Programs Of Marriott International Corporation Tourism Essay Essays

The Green Programs Of Marriott International Corporation Tourism Essay Essays The Green Programs Of Marriott International Corporation Tourism Essay Essay The Green Programs Of Marriott International Corporation Tourism Essay Essay Since 1987, the construct of sustainability was mentioned on a co-ordinated international platform, the motion towards sustainability had been expanded over the Earth. The governmental and non-governmental organisations, corporations and consumers those concentrating on exist in harmoniousness are progressively with the milieus and environmental footmarks. The cordial reception industry besides non exclusion, therefore the sustainability construct had begun to derive the impulse in this industry. ( Ernst and Young, 2008 ) Alison Sperry ( 2010 ) defined that Traveling Green is doing the day-to-day determinations with responsible that benefits to the environment and besides can cut down waste and pollution. This construct besides encourages a life style of recycling, utilizing chemical-free merchandises, utilizing the alternate energy beginnings such as the air current and solar, and cut downing the dependence on fossil fuels for energy. Hotel concerns developed and operated by the ingestion of important sums of natural resources which are affected the sustainability of the natural environment. The field of corporate societal duty ( CSR ) therefore, has grown well over the last decennary due to an increasing figure of companies officially recognizing the impacts they have on the environment, on society and on the economic system ( Jones et.al, 2006 ) . Ernst and Young ( 2008 ) defined that green: non a black and white issue. The travelers that concerned about the environment were progressively and they ever make their ain finding as to what constitutes greenness in the housing industry. Harmonizing to Deloitte Survey ( 2008 ) showed that, consumers, employees and single travelers start to refer more about the cordial reception industry s sustainability. Most of the persons besides start to alter their life styles and accepting higher green criterions for themselves and besides to the companies that they cooperate with. Marriott International has more than twenty-year committedness to get down the environmental saving. The Marriott International is working toward a greener, healthier planet and their operating units are employ methods to protect the milieus of natural and resources ( Marriott, 1996 2010 ) . Every twelvemonth, the Marriott International and its proprietors had spent around 10 billion merely for purchase the merchandises and services for its 3,300 hotels around the universe. Marriott International besides spread outing its green hotels and edifices portfolios. Besides that, about 275 of Marriott s hotels have received the ENERGY STARA ® label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ( Marriott, 1996 2010 ) . Last but non least, Marriott International besides was ranked 42nd out of 100 in The Greenest Big Companies on Newsweek s first-ever list. Furthermore, Marriott International besides gets the 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow Award for Sustainability in the classs of the Global Tourism Business by the World Travel and Tourism Council ( WTTC ) ( Marriott, 1996 2010 ) . The Problem Statement The job of this subject is about how Marriott International. Inc. patterns their traveling green plans in their belongingss. Marriott International Corporation is a taking worldwide cordial reception company ( Marriott, 2010 ) . Presently, Marriott has more than 3100 of lodging belongingss is in the United States and 65 is in other states and districts through 17 housing, and holiday resort ownership trade names ( Marriott, 2009 ) . Marriott Corporation has more than twenty twelvemonth committedness with environmental saving ( Marriott, 2010 ) . In 2007, Marriott formed a Global Green Council, a cross-functional squad of senior executives that collaborated with Conservation International, a planetary environmental organisation, to measure its patterns, set long-run ends, develop an environmental strategic program and catalyse its advancement ( Marriott, 2010 ) . Five-point Environmental Strategy of Marriott International was developed in coaction with Conservation International which are includes ( Marriott, 2009 ) : Reduce Consumption of Water, Waste and Energy Greener Buildings, enlargement of LEED-certified hotels Greening Supply Chain Protecting the Rainforest with Carbon Beginnings Employee A ; Guest Battle Over the last decennary, for, the Marriott International corporate organized the Going Green plans which involved in energy preservation by changed 450,000 of the visible radiation bulbs with fluorescent lighting, installed around 400,000 low-flow of showerheads and lavatories and besides introduced the linens reuse plans in their hotels worldwide ( Marriott, 2009 ) . Besides that, the Marriott s Retro-Commissioning ( MRCx ) plan, be aftering procedure and a comprehensive rating that helps their belongingss which conducted more than 30 of their largest belongingss become as energy efficient as possible ( Marriott, 2009 ) . Through the undertakings to completed over last few old ages and those which presently under manner, Marriott anticipate salvaging 12 million kW of power ( Marriott, 2009 ) . In general, belongingss find that after it implement all the recommendations that evolved from an MRCx appraisal, it energy costs decrease 5 to 25 per cent, they are besides accomplishing on the norm and a payback on their investing in merely 1.4 old ages ( Marriott, 2009 ) . In the Americas, Marriott achieved a 2.2 per cent decrease per available room ( Marriott, 2009 ) . In late 2009, through a partnership with a U.S.-based landscape gardening company, Marriott adopted a climate-specific attack to landscape gardening, utilizing native workss and restricted coloring material pallets to cut down irrigation demands and cut the sum of fertiliser required to maintain workss healthy ( Marriott, 2009 ) . In 2009, Marriott s landfill waste in the USA totalled 726,993 dozenss which reflects a 17 per cent decrease from 2007 ( Marriott, 2009 ) . Additionally, its recycling rate besides was increased to 69 per cent and all the heading quarters waste besides was diverted from the landfill to the waste-to-energy works ( Marriott, 2009 ) . Besides, Marriott spread outing its existing of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle plans that already in topographic point of 90 per cent of hotels which included invitee room and meeting suites ( Marriott, 2009 ) . Forty Marriott International hotels are expected to have the LEED enfranchisement from the USGBC ( USGBC, 2010 ) . In add-on, Marriott international s planetary Headquarters in Bethesda was received the LEED-Existing Building Gold position ( USGBC, 2010 ) . Furthermore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency besides had awarded Marriott International for three following old ages with its Sustained Excellence Award and more than 275 of its hotels besides placed the ENERGY STARA ® label ( Marriott, 2010 ) . Marriott has teamed up with many Corporation or organisations to assist them back up their attempts to continue and protect the environment ( Marriott, 2009 ) . For case, Amazonas Sustainable Foundation ( FAS ) , Conservation International, ENERGY STARA ® , International Tourism Partnership ( ITP ) , and U.S. Green Building Council ( USGBC ) . The Marriott s protecting the rainforest scheme is aid to protect 1.4 million of estates in endangered rain forest for the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve ( Marriott, 2009 ) . Research Questions The followerss are some cardinal inquiries addressed by his research: Is the Marriott International had practiced the traveling green? How the Marriott International practiced the traveling green in this industry? Why the Marriott international will practise the traveling green? What degree of traveling green plans of Marriott International? What differences between Marriott International s traveling green plan with other companies? Does the traveling green plan addition the income of Marriott International? Research Aims To reply the above research inquiries, this survey seek to carry through the undermentioned aims: To look into traveling green practiced among all Marriott International s belongingss. To find how the Marriott International practiced the traveling green. To find the grounds of Marriott International practiced the traveling green. To analyze the degree of traveling green practiced among all Marriott International s belongingss. To compare the degree of traveling green with other companies. To find the advantages and disadvantages of traveling green in Marriott International. To specify the relation between cordial reception industry and CSR. Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework Conceptual Model Marriott International. Inc. Traveling Green s Programs The schemes and plans of traveling green in Marriott International. Inc. Identify the construct and construction of CSR in cordial reception industry. The Actions that patterns by Marriott International corporate. Theoretical Model This research largely searches on the Marriott International Corporate rehearsing the degree of traveling green in most of their belongingss. The ground why Marriott International become celebrated in traveling green plan because their organized a batch of events or activities to greening their companies. In the cyberspace or newspaper, we can see that Marriott International corporate organized a batch of activities in rejuvenation and acquire a batch of award internationally in greening plan. Besides that, their besides is one of the celebrated go green corporate in the universe. Furthermore, the traveling viridity is non easy to patterns in the companies because it need a batch of resources to do it truly work. Scope and Restriction This survey was carried out among all Marriott International in traveling green plan. The Marriott International, Inc. s operations are grouped into the five concern sections which are North American Limited-Service Lodging, North American Full-Service Lodging, Luxury Lodging, International Lodging and Timeshare. This survey besides for defined the degree of spell green in Marriott International Corporate by Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) . Significance of the Study The important of this research proposal is to measure the degree of traveling green activities that patterns or organized by Marriott International Corporate. Harmonizing to The New York Times ( 2009 ) , the Marriott International announced that they would no longer present newspapers to every guestroom in the forenoon. They merely will present to which guest suites had requested a newspaper or can pick one up in the anteroom. Although that alteration is arguably every bit much about salvaging money more than salvaging trees. Marriott had assessed that it would cut down the newspaper distribution at its hotels to about 18 million merely yearly. Furthermore, this research is for acknowledge people around the universe to cognize how of import and advantages of traveling green in cordial reception industries now a yearss. Now, most of the cognition people are aiming the rejuvenation companies to collaborate with than normal companies. This is why more and more companies traveling to rehearsing greening in their company because followed by the tendency of all around the universe. Chapter TWO Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The literature reappraisal will get down with an indispensable apprehension of the cardinal points needed in order to carry through the purpose of the undertaking. The research will be analysed in the literature to assist build an academic construction on the definition and construct of Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) . The literature will besides measure the intent of sustainable development in the cordial reception industry and its advantages and restrictions. One country which has been peculiarly analysed is the traveling green programmes that pattern by the cordial reception industry as it contains most of the cardinal countries. Furthermore, the literature reviews besides analyzing the positions, theories statements and positions of old writers for appraisal. The literature reviews besides will eventually execute as a beginning with which to analyze the differing positions on these cardinal points place spreads for statement and highlight key issues associated with trave ling green programme in cordial reception. 2.2 Corporate Social Responsibility Definitions and Concepts The field of corporate societal duty ( CSR ) has grown well over the last decennary due to an increasing figure of companies officially recognizing the impacts they have on the environment, on society and on the economic system ( Jones et.al, 2006 ) . CSR issues are now being combined into all parts of the concern operations. CSR is made in the missions, visions and value statements of companies all around the universe ( Ofori and Hinson, 2007 ) . Definitions of corporate societal duty ( CSR ) have, nevertheless, remained an country of deliberation from the constructs really beginnings. A assortment of definitions have been framed. The Commission of the European Communities, Brussels ( 2001, p.6 ) defines CSR as: aˆÂ ¦a construct whereby companies integrate environmental and societal concerns in the concern operations and in their interactions with their stakeholders on a voluntary footing. Therefore, CSR is non merely fulfilling legal duties but may besides travel beyond conformity to encompass wider societal, environmental and economic ends ( Brussels, 2001 ) . The construct of CSR is one which has emerged over the last 50 old ages to busy a important function in certain facets of organizational theory and has merely been in broad usage since the 1960s ( Meehan et al. , 2006 ) . CSR was finally recognised as concerns that are portion of society and have the possible to do a positive impact to the societal ends ( Jones et al. , 2006 ) . CSR hence seems to be synonymous with charitable and voluntary Acts of the Apostless by concern administrations designed to better societal accomplishments. Conversely, Donaldson and Preston ( 1995 ) believe that concerns are non responsible to society but responsible to their stakeholders and position CSR from this position. Furthermore, one of most cited definitions of CSR is defined by the World Bank ( 2003 ) , which defines CSR as the duty of concerns to lend to the sustainable economic development which working with internal stakeholders, the local community, and society to better the quality of life which is positive for concern and development. The similarity among these different definitions of CSR is that companies should prosecute in CSR behavior as portion of their organizational scheme. Bevan et Al. ( 2004 ) list nine possible benefits of CSR which include reduced operating costs ; improved profitableness and fiscal public presentation ; enhanced capableness to introduce ; better hazard and crisis direction ; long-run sustainability for companies and the work force ; improved staff committedness and engagement ; good dealingss with authorities and society ; enhanced repute and trade name value ; and enhanced client relationships and increased consciousness of client demands. 2.3 The Sustainability Development of the Hotel Industry International Tourism Partnership ( 2010 ) defines the term green in concern as ab initio related to the environmental issues. It besides has evolved to include all facets of corporate societal duty ( CSR ) and sustainability. Sloan et Al. ( 2009 ) specify a sustainable cordial reception operation as one which manages its resources in such a manner that economic, societal and environmental benefits are maximised in order to run into the demand of the present coevals while protecting and increasing chances for future coevalss. Harmonizing to Green Hotels Association ( 2010 ) , Green Hotels have gained a bridgehead in lodging operators part to society s concern for the environment which focuses on programmes which are designed to cut down solid waste, save H2O and salvage energy. Programme constituents such as towel rack hangers and sheet-changing cards have achieved positive responses by hotel direction staff every bit good as invitees for over 10 old ages. The UK hotel sector would look to accept that it does hold an impact on the environment ( Brown, 1996 ) . This is non merely confirmed by explorative research but besides through the formation of the International Tourism Partnership ( ITP ) . The ITP has published an environmental magazine, the Green Hotelier , whose readership cares about environmentally and socially responsible hotel behavior as focused on positive sustainable travel and touristry development ( International Tourism Partnership, 2010 ) . Harmonizing to research by the Carbon Trust ( Green hotelkeeper, 2010 ) , lifting energy monetary values and revenue enhancements are the biggest concerns confronting the British cordial reception industry in 2010. This position is supported by Alexander and Kennedy ( 2002 ) who find that the most uneconomical and dearly-won of resources usage in hotels are normally in the ingestion of over H2O use, non-renewable energy and besides the overall wastage. 2.4 The province of CSR within the Hospitality and Tourism Industry The province of CSR within cordial reception and touristry endeavors may be somewhat different from that in other concerns. Since 1992, the tendency in the cordial reception and touristry industry has been to concentrate on environmental concerns, usage of engineering, and efficient usage of energy ( Henderson, 2001 ) . European cordial reception administrations have established two enterprises that improve CSR in the European cordial reception sector which are European Federation of Food and Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions ( EFFAT ) and Green Hotels ( Holcomb, 2007 ) . In 2004, the EFFAT and the Confederation of National Associations of Hotels, Cafes and Restaurants in Europe drafted the understanding parametric quantities for employers to subscribe a joint papers on CSR, refering working conditions, wage, equal chance, preparation, wellness and safety, and restructuring ( The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2008 ) . These combined actions would look to demo th e cordial reception industry s acceptance of and committedness to socially responsible behavior as opposed to externally derived governmental conformity directives. 2.5 Green enterprises, inducements and green wash Nunes and Bennett ( 2010 ) list two classs of green enterprises that are operational in the market place. First, concerns focus on incorporating green characteristics into the design or features of single merchandises, for case, developing a wash detergent that is eco-friendly. Second, larger proportions of resources have been committed to decreases in the sum of waste generated and energy used, and besides to constructing green and restricting CO2 emanations from production. In a major survey, Alexander and Kennedy ( 2002 ) suggest a Zero Waste Approach that includes energy efficiency, H2O preservation and solid waste decrease, which can increase efficiency, provide cost nest eggs, cut down the load of extraction from and waste to nature, and let more resources to be available. This position is supported by Nunes and Bennett ( 2010 ) who suggest that, ideally, green behavior should travel beyond merely making a reclaimable merchandise to a more holistic incorporation of sustainable values into a corporation s nucleus rules and values. Bohdanowicz et Al. ( 2005 ) finds that the handiness of facility-specific informations and entree to information on the relevant best pattern are indispensable for measuring and benchmarking the environmental public presentation of hotel installations. Alexander and Kennedy ( 2002 ) suggest an option for conserving energy which is implement energy-efficient undertakings in infinite warming and chilling systems. For case, The Hyatt Regency International Hotel in New Zealand developed a undertaking to associate energy usage with room tenancy which has saved $ 14,000 of energy yearly ( Hyatt, 2010 ) . Alexander and Kennedy ( 2002 ) suggest that low-flow shower caputs and tap aerators are some options for H2O preservation, which are going common among hotel installations, and the payback period can be three old ages depending on the extent of the undertaking. For case, Green Hotels Association ( 2010 ) observed H2O usage in the La Quinta Inn, San Antonio that had saved 180,000 gallons of H2O per twelvemonth by put ining ultra-flow lavatories, low-flow shower caputs and air outing lights-outs in each room. In add-on, Priesnitz ( 2008, p.14 ) defines greenwash as: aˆÂ ¦.the Acts of the Apostless of misdirecting consumers sing the environmental patterns of a company or the environmental benefits of a merchandise or service . Whellams and MacDonald ( 2007 ) label the corporations as greenwashers if they spend more on corporate image advertisement that boasts about human-centered programmes than on the programmes themselves, for case, charities, contributions or parts. Greenwashing can hold fatal effects on a company s trustiness. This position is supported by Priesnitz ( 2008 ) who points out that non merely are a house s clients deceived, but, that greenwashing can besides destroy relationships with all stakeholders. 2.6 Case survey of Accor and Hilton Based on their entire room figure and location of their hotels, the two hotel groups selected for instance survey were Accor Hotel Group ( Europe ) and Hyatt Corporation ( USA ) , being in 2009 the top 10 hotel groups in UK ( Caterersearch, 2010 ) . Marriott International Corporate besides is one of the top 10 hotel groups in UK. A Company Number of hotels Number of suites Number of hotels worldwide 1 Whitbread Hotel Company 577+ 40,000+ 580 2 Intercontinental Hotels Group 248 34,955 4,200 3 Travelodge ( DubaiA International Capital ) 372 23,150 380+ A 4 Accor Hotels 138 19,996 4,000 5 Hilton Hotels Corporation 78 16,566 3,200 A 6 BestA Western 285 15,305 4,035 A 7 Wyndham Worldwide 122 12,274 7,000 8A Marriott Hotels 58 12,015 3,200 A 9 CarlsonA Hotels WorldwideA 50 9,718 1,030 10A TheA Rezidor Hotel GroupA A 42 7.759 380 Table 1: Top 10 Hotel Groups in the UK, 2009 by figure of sleeping rooms. ( Caterersearch, 2010 ) Accor Group Hotels Accor presently manages 4,100 hotels under 13 different trade names worldwide ( Accor, 2010 ) . The doctrine of Accor Corporation is regard for diverse civilizations and integrating environmental best patterns in all its belongingss operations ( Accor, 2010 ) . The ends of their Earth Guest programme, launched in 2006, are to cut down H2O and energy ingestion, promote balanced nutrition and to duplicate, in three old ages, the figure of hotels that offer fair-trade merchandises ( Accor, 2010 ) . The programme is divided into two parts which are a societal duty development country ( EGO ) and an environmental duty development country ( ECO ) ( Accor, 2010 ) . EGO is includes programmes for local development, the protection of kids, combating of epidemics and the publicity of healthy feeding. Besides that, the ECO is includes the decrease of H2O and energy use and the saving of biodiversity, every bit good as the upgrading of waste sorting and recycling ( Accor, 2008 and 2009 ) . The Hotelier s Environmental Charter is Accor s internal benchmarking tool and provides the local hotel directors with guidelines for environmentally sustainable concern patterns. Harmonizing to the World Travel and Tourism Council ( 2010 ) , the 88 % of 4,000 Accor s belongingss has adopted Hotelier s Environmental Charter. The Charter gives hotel directors and employees clear instructions on how resources can be saved in the countries of energy, H2O and waste ( Accor, 2008 ) . The first and 2nd point of Hotelier s Environmental Charter considers is energy and H2O ( Accor, 2010 ) . Compact fluorescent visible radiation bulbs are used in 82 % hotels for countries that remain light 24 hours a twenty-four hours ( Accor, 2010 ) . Accor besides continued to advance the usage of renewable energy beginnings, put ining solar-powered hot H2O systems in 32 hotels in 2009, with a sum of 99 hotels now equipped worldwide ( Accor, 2009 ) . Accor is actively involved in H2O preservation steps and H2O use per occupied room, sum was reduced 4 % between 2006 and 2009 ( Accor, 2009 ) . Furthermore, flow-regulators have now been installed in showers and spigots in 89 % of hotels ( Accor, 2009 ) . Accor actively promotes waste screening and recycling every bit good as eco-designed merchandises for case, 51 % of hotels recover paper, composition board and glass ( Accor, 2008 ) . Accor has improved its public presentation in waste direction by manage with a dedicated waste direction faculty that monitor the sum of waste produced per room, the recovery rate and the cost of waste disposal ( Accor, 2009 ) . Waste Traceability chiefly concerns the separation of waste, where the company already achieves a high mark in France owing to its proactive information policy ( Accor, 2008 ) . Harmonizing to Accor ( 2010 ) , their hotel prefers eco-labelled providers. In 2002, Accor dispatched an environmental buying charter to its buying administrations every bit good as to over 2,000 preferable providers ( Sloan et al. , 2009 ) . Hilton Hotels Presently, Hilton Hotels Corporation has more than 3,200 hotels and 525,000 suites in 77 states. In 2009, Hilton is new planetary central office in McLean, Virginia which meets the highest environmental criterion for his design, operation and building ( Environmental Leader, 2009 ) . Besides that, the sustainability mark that aims in coming 2014 by Hilton Hotels was announced. Those include: 20 per cent: Reducing energy ingestion from direct operations ; 20 per cent: Reducing end product of waste ; 20 per cent: Reducing CO2 emanations ; And 10 per cent: Reducing the H2O ingestion. Furthermore, Hilton had already started to green its belongingss operations. Hilton says that it was reduced CO2 emanations in Hilton hotels that take parting by more than 64,000 dozenss or 56 per cent of its C footmark. Those are from the debut of carbon-free electricity at its belongingss in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Furthermore, they besides said that, it has besides reduced around 10 per cent in over the last two old ages for the H2O ingestion and energy use. Hilton Hotels besides reported that, in May it has delivered more than 10 per cent in last twelvemonth of energy nest eggs which across more than 80 hotels in the Europe. Drumhead In 2007, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives had conducted a study which showed that, merely 1/3 of corporate travel policies had promoted the sustainable touristry. Most of the major hotel ironss are looking the ways to take part in green construct to their hotels ; the H2O and energy preservation became popular ways to greening. Therefore, Marriott International has set their end to take downing the GHG emanations around 2.2 million lbs by 2010 which said by Ed Fuller- the president and pull offing manager of Marriott. Besides that, Wolfgang Neuman of Hilton Hotels besides looking toward the eco-friendly in solar warming, air-conditioning and heat recovery systems to pull out the H2O waste from another system and utilize it in other ways in short term period. Equally good as the 200 of Accor s hotels in France will hold Solar Panels by 2010. Chapter THREE Methodology 3.1 Introduction In this research, in order to obtain the wide of cognition about environmental runing practise in the hotel industry, a broad scope of secondary beginnings will be reviewed. In add-on, research scheme adopted was to carry on multiple instance surveies in two top hotel and Marriott companies in Europe and the USA. The chief informations aggregation techniques used in this research survey was certification analysis and content analysis. This chapter is divided into three subdivisions. First, the interpretative stance in the field of information system is examined ; 2nd subdivision is about the building of the secondary research design which deals with the research design and covers the grounds for choosing resources ; 3rd subdivision is describes the research attack followed in instance survey research. 3.2 Research Design Presently, the secondary literatures have increase quickly, peculiarly as new resources which are developed or ready through the cyberspace ( Saunders et al. , 2009 ) . In this research undertaking, secondary research will let the research to integrate suited and dependable informations of green operation enterprise in cordial reception, so that all the gathered informations can react to the research inquiries associating to the green activities of hotel in Europe and the USA. Secondary research differs from primary research in the aggregation of the docudrama is non the duty of the analyst. Stewart and Kamins ( 1993 ) was point out that the analyst enters the image after the informations aggregation attempt is over in secondary research. On the other manus, in primary research, the analyst is responsible for the design of research, the aggregation of informations and the analysis and sum-up of the information ( Stewart and Kamins, 1993 ) . Secondary informations although, has deficiency of direct control of the day of the month, type, and process for roll uping and recording of the informations ( Sauder et al, 2009 ) , nevertheless, secondary information is more fiscal and clip economy. For case, secondary informations peculiarly non necessary to wait for or pay to marketing research workers for a research undertaking to roll up primary informations. By utilizing secondary informations, writer can has more clip and attempt in analyzing and construing the information, as it has already been collected. Secondary research moreover may increase the quality of the research by aiming the existent quandary and errors. Consultation on secondary resources increases the efficiency of the research by aiming existent spreads and inadvertences in cognition. Primary research therefore has non been used in this undertaking due to the broad assortment of secondary informations has been found. Primary research methods such as, questionnaires or interviews will non supply relevant information for this subject. On this footing, it can be concluded that secondary research is the chief beginning of information provided in this survey including information from academic diaries, books, corporate studies and cyberspace. Nevertheless, writer should analyze carefully the information gathered to find its cogency and dependability. This is because the research merely uses one sort of research theoretical accounts and the statement generated about research subject. 3.3 Beginnings of Datas 3.3.1 Secondary Data Secondary research informations is the cardinal resource of information incorporate in this research proposal. However, the different secondary resources might hold different type of information. A guideline for obtain valid and dependable information from different resources hence, has been designed which can establish in Table 2. Type of information Resources that might hold that information Established facts and figures Reference books ; official publications ; authorities web sites General information on a subject Books of gathered articles ; text books ; net sites of relevant administrations Reappraisals of the literature on a subject Journal articles ; books of gathered articles Publications of recent research consequences Journal articles ; proceedings of conferences Professional and academic arguments Journal articles ; net sites of relevant administrations ; newspapers Table 2: The types of resources that provided different information. In order to warrant the writer s statements and offer a scope of information about the research subject, secondary informations such as academic diaries, books, corporate study and the cyberspace besides have been used. The academic diaries have presented different positions and doctrines of Corporate Social Responsible ( CSR ) construct and environmental operating practise in cordial reception. The Diaries such as the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management , Cornell Hospitality Quarterly and Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research exemplify some research surveies that have been conducted refering the green operation enterprise in hotel industry. All the relevant information gathered from these diaries will be analysed and used to measure the degree of traveling green plans of top hotel companies. However the diary ever assembled to research purposes that differ from the current research ; hence, informations and complex statements has to be carefully evaluated, every bit good as understood and interpreted. The information in books is usually written in more well-organized and accessible manner which will assist to clear up the research inquiries and aims. In this research, text book is seldom used due to insufficient related books in library about sustainability in cordial reception. Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry by Sloan, hence, is the lone book that used to acquire elaborate information about sustainable development and green wash issues in cordial reception industry. On the other manus, the cyberspace and corporate one-year study besides had provided plentifulness of updated information. The information about green plan in hotels could be easy collected on cyberspace or diary without an existent visit or interview. However, there are mass of information resulted in false leads, hence, the research worker should believe carefully to see the dependability of the information. 3.4 Sample Techniques In this research proposal, a written analysis was showed to make a contextual apprehension of the CSR and Sustainability Development within the cordial reception industry. Relevant information were found and analysed. The related information which is included the Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) construct, sustainable development in cordial reception, and green wash context, every bit good as green enterprises operational in the market place ; and environmental betterments activities practised in hotels. An analysis was conducted by developing an lineation from three constituents of the environmental operating practise which are Environmental Management System ( EMS ) , Certification and labelling strategies, and A Zero Waste Approach. This lineation was used to analyze the information that found when treatment of the instance surveies analysis within Marriott Corporation, Accor Hotel Group and Hilton Corporation. The research method employed within the survey of Marriott Corporation, Accor Hotel Group and Hilton Corporation is the Case Study. This is basically qualitative in nature, although some surveies have tried to unite a multiple case-study attack with quantitative analysis. To mensurate these Hotel groups making the Sustainable Development in their belongingss, a content analysis of companies web sites, one-year studies and societal responsible studies available on the Internet was conducted. These hotels groups maintain their companies web sites and supply information sing the sustainable development issues in PDF format, besides the papers of their one-year study and societal responsible study. The case-study attack to the Marriott Corporation, Accor Corporation and Hilton Corporation will enable the clear trial of the Environmental Operating Practise that being practised by those hotels group. The advantages that offered by this case-study will enable extended the environmental betterment activities to be identified within those Hotels Group as a whole. Possibly most significantly, these instance surveies tend to be selective, concentrating on one or two issues that are cardinal to the system being studied. 3.5 Statistic Treatment of Datas In order to happen the statistics for this research proposal, the faculty in Quantitative Method had been used which are Correlation and Regression. The correlativity was used is to find the relationship between three corporate which are Marriott International, Accor and Hilton. Besides that, the arrested development besides will be used to analyze the relationship between green enterprise, inducement and besides the green wash.

The Rise And Fall Of The American Economy Coursework

The Rise And Fall Of The American Economy - Coursework Example In the US economy, there is a high level of unemployment and the interest rates in the economy are almost down to zero. The inflation is about 2% per year and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is increasing at less than 3% per year. It is necessary to raise the GDP growth to about 3% per year while keeping the rates of unemployment and inflation low in the economy. Economic depression in an economy can be controlled by the formulation of effective monetary and fiscal policies. While the Fiscal Policy is administered by the American Government, the Federal Reserve (the Central Bank of America) possesses the power to implement the monetary policies in the economy. These policies are based on a number of laws and theories; Okun’s Law and the Phillips Curve are two such important theories. The Okun’s law states that when actual output grows faster than potential output, unemployment rate in an economy, decreases and vice versa. The rate of output (GDP) growth corresponding to the stable rate of unemployment is then considered as the growth rate of the economy. Thus, it is the empirical relation between the output gap and the unemployment rate. (House of Representatives, USA, p.44) Phillips Curve shows the negative relationship between the unemployment rate and inflation rate in the economy. This implies that in order to reduce unemployment, some amount of inflation has to be tolerated or inflation can be reduced at the cost of rising inflation. (Tucker, 2011, p.453) Wages was not taken as a component of the Phillips curve as in the presence of unemployment, the bargaining power of labor is almost non-existent and thus, wages cannot be considered a key variable. However, Phillips Curve is a short-run phenomenon and there is no trade-off between inflation rate and unemployment rate in the long-run. (Mankiw, 2009, p.789) These two theories are indispensable to study monetary and fiscal policies because they show the relation between output, inflation and unemployment in an economy. A General Framework: The GDP of a country is the sum total of the values of all the goods and services produced within the geographical boundaries of a country in a particular year. Keynesian economics states that GDP can be expressed as the sum of the Consumption expenditure, the investment expenditure, the government expenditure plus exports minus imports. The equation can be expressed as: GDP = C + I + G + (X – M)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (1) where C: Consumption expenditure of the households I: Investment expenditure G: Government expenditure X: value of exports M: value of imports Equation (1) represents the real side of the economy where the concerned variables are all real variables. Fiscal Policy: The Government can alter the level of output, consumption, emplo yment and aggregate demand in an economy, using the two main instruments of fiscal policy – taxation and government spending. Keynesian economists believe that fiscal policy has a more straightforward and immediate impact compared to monetary policy (Genovese, 2010, p.160), as it affects the real sector of the economy, rather than the monetary sector. Expansionary Fiscal Policy: Equation (1) can also be expressed in terms of personal disposable income of the household sector as: Thus, GDP = C (y – t.y) + I + G + (X – M) where y: income of the households t: income tax rate in the economy (y – t.y): disposable income of the households Therefore, GDP = C {y (1-t)} + I + G + (X – M)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (2) When there is a high rate of unemployment in the economy, the Government can reduce the tax level in the economy i.e. the Government reduces â€Å"t† in the economy. When â€Å"t† is reduced, the consumers are required to pay less amount of t heir income as tax which increases their disposable income. The household’s consumption expenditure which is a function of their disposable income, naturally record a rise. In the equation (2), as a result of the decrease in

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Strategic Management - Essay Example Instagram on the other hand also got the opportunity to add its name with a market leader. Facebook acquired Instagram also because they want to hedge the rising popularity of Pinterest, which was a competitor of Instagram (Instagram, 2013). Mark Zuckerburg, the CEO of Facebook considered their decision to acquire Instagram at an inflated price to be correct because they had the target to firstly acquire it before Google did so, and secondly they also stated that this acquisition would have been costlier in future, so the price that they paid was appropriate. This study would be evaluating different facet of such an acquisition, with special focus towards other rising players in photograph sharing segment. The objective of this report would be to analyse the strategic threats and opportunity that Facebook is facing, the framework that they have developed for growth and also assessing the decision of acquiring Instagram. ... However, the opportunities and threats that Facebook is facing or might face can be identified through evaluation of the strategies. Facebook has the opportunity to expand its operations to other international destinations and take the advantage of the popularity in order to introduce new features which will also generate good revenue for the company, such as web advertising, etc (Ansoff, 1987). With the help of technological know-how, and innovative culture, Facebook would be able to diversify and also look forward towards other dedicated segments such as photography sharing segment because now it has already acquired Instagram, web advertising segment, professional platform for job hunters, etc (Eldon, 2010.). However, the company also faces various threats that should be considered before taking strategic decisions. Firstly, the spending of Facebook are more than it is bringing in. Apart from this, Mark Zuckerburg as a CEO also does not have a good reputation, which might hinder s uccessful partnerships (Porter, 1985). Another threat is related to issues of privacy and safety of public information and photos online. The security infrastructure of Facebook is not up to the mark and in this scenario the acquisition of Instagram might be of unproductive for the company because if the privacy and security norms are not strong people will not upload photos. The company has also allowed the third party developers to assist them in their business functions, and also do not prove any button to alert cyber police if someone what to report unethical activity or spam content (Edwards, 2013). Instagram which Facebook acquired was valued to be around $20 million

Weegee Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Weegee - Research Paper Example He was given the name Weegee in the photography world because he was constantly the first person to be present on the scene to capture the moments. His photographic career started when he and his family migrated to New York in 1910, where he began to work as a tintype operator and itinerant photographer. Weegee also worked as a busboy, dishwasher, and candy mixer before reaching popularity in the photography world by having a steady job in Acme News Pictures (United Press International Photos). Aside from his crime shots, Weegee also loves to portray the beauty and worst among places and people as reflected on his book The Village (Fodiman and Burnside, 211). His love and passion for photography is truly remarkable and he chose to live with the films of the camera rather than starting his own family until his death in 1968. Style is something that makes a person, an art, or a creation different from one another (Warren, 184). Like Weegee, majority of the photographers may have stories to tell but they might differ on their personal way of incorporating materials, techniques, and visual designs in their chosen photographs. Often, the colored photographs reflect more realistic dimension or representation of the subject rather than the black-and-white photographs. However, Weegee has broken the theoretical notion of photography as his black-and-white photographs of crime scenes also reflect a reality of action and emotion. Weegee’s crime shots, based on purpose, is a documentary photograph in nature. As we have learned, Weegee captured moments of accident or fire incidents. Photographs did not only relay the nature of the incidents but also gave information of the incidents even in black-and-white. These have enriched Weegee’s pictures with stories, meaning, and personal dimension. After critiquing the purpose, let us move on to the technical or artistic dimension of Weegee’s photographs. As we have learned, Weegee

A Definition of Corporate Social Responsibility

A Definition of Corporate Social Responsibility Nowadays, the association of the words social and responsibility has become increasingly frequent. But in business world, there is another variant of these terms that prevail and it is the term Corporate Social responsibility (CSR). According to Archie Carroll (2008 p.19): though the roots of the concepts that we know today as CSR have been a long and wide-ranging history, it is mostly a product of the twentieth century, especially from the early 1950s up to the present time. Despite the fact that the concept of CSR has been present for such a long time, researchers still do not share a common definition or set of core principles (Andre Crane et al. 2008 p.4). This also brought about other questions on the interpretation of terms as being socially responsible and also is a firm capable of being responsible towards society. According to Wood (1991, cited in Moir, 1991, p.2), the basic idea of corporate social responsibility is that business and society are interwoven rather than distinct entities. Businesses are often assumed to have profit maximization for sole aim and ignore its responsibilities towards society. Milton Friedman (1970) said that the only one responsibility of business towards society is the maximization of profits to the shareholders within the legal framework and the ethical custom of the country. However supporters of CSR can also be found, Dave Packard (Co-founder of Hewlett Packard Company in 1939, cited in Harvard Business Review, 2002, p.54) claims that the assumption that people make of companies only making money is wrong. He also adds that: a group of people get together and exist as an institution that is called a company so that they are able to accomplish something collectively that they could not accomplish separately and simultaneously they make a contribution to society (Dave Packard, 1939). Votaw (cited in Garigga and Mele, 2004, p.51) wrote that corporate social responsibility means something, but not always the same thing to everybody. The diverging opinions can be categorized in two main points of view; one is that CSR is yet another means to maximize profit and the other is that CSR is here to help companies help society as a whole. CSR has been described in a number of various ways. Below are given different definitions of CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility is a commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary business practices and corporate resources. (Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee, Corporate Social Responsibility, Wiley, 2007) The social responsibility of business encompasses the economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary expectations that society has of organizations at a given point in time. (Archie B. Carroll, 1979) Shell: We all need to assess the impact our business makes on society and ensure that we balance the economic, environmental and social aspects of everything we do (Moody-Stuart, 1999). The diagram below gives a visual description of what constitute CSR: Source: www6.miami.edu/ethics/pdf_files/csr_guide.pdf According to Lance Moir (2001), the area defined by advocates of CSR increasingly covers a wide range of issues such as plant closures, employee relations, human rights, corporate ethics, community relations and the environment. Aspects of CSR Drivers of CSR Drivers, in this context, refer to the reasons behind the choice of a firm to adopt a more socially acceptable behaviour. These reasons can be classified as being internal and external to the firm. Internal drivers: Internal drivers are the pressures that originate from the internal environment of the firm. Examples of components that can constitute the internal environment of a firm are, employees, suppliers, competitors, top management, etc. Flatter organisations have considerably changed the approach towards how business was once done. Nowadays, employees put pressure on how the organization conducts business using certain societal values (M.G.V. Dongen, 2006 p.9). They are more attracted by the non-material aspects of the organisation that employs them. Besides, employees seeking a more socially responsible firm, managers now have the task to reconcile the profit-making need of the company with the responsibility towards society. But as Haigh and Jones (2006) mentioned, for business managers, business is first. ODwyer (2003, cited in Haigh and Jones, 2006, p.2) said that social considerations come second and providing only that such considerations would not open an exploitable weakness. Haig h (2006) adds that the paradigm that managers face simply prevents overall improvements consistent with social welfare. The capacity to integrate CSR policies in the core activities of the firm can also act as a driver. According to Porter and van der Linde (2000, cited in Haigh and Jones, 2006, p.2), CSR is competitive driver that requires appropriate resources. Integrating CSR in a companys activities can be a tedious process. The diagram below shows how CSR can be incorporated at different levels of the company. Source: MVO Platform, (2002, illustrated in M.G.V. Dongen, 2006 p.10), Different intensities of CSR CSR can also be undertaken in a set of separate activities geared towards improving social welfare. This can take the form of sponsoring of sports activities or engaging in charitable activities. Another view to consider internal drivers to CSR is to consider them to be national drivers. The table below gives a number of different national CSR drivers and a brief description of each of them. Source: Visser, W. (2008) CSR Drivers: The Forces Shaping Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, CSR Inspiration Series, No. 3. External drivers: External drives refer to the external pressures that compel a firm to engage in CSR. The external environment of a firm can include market structure, customers, government, economic situations, competitors, etc. Businesses no longer evolve in a static environment, threats are no longer limited to local competitors and the market is now a global one. Similarly, adopting the culture of foreign firms has become a must and CSR is one of the main concerns of all firms in this century. Castells (2000, as cited in M.G.V. Dongen, 2006 p.7) says that globalization increases the importance of social networks of a company on a worldwide basis. Moreover, consumers are more concerned by the fact that whether the firm, to which they are loyal, is contributing to societys welfare. As Castells (2000, as cited in M.G.V. Dongen, 2006 p.7) mentions, a lot of information is obtained more rapidly by consumers and it is easier to keep in touch with the various activities undertaken by any firm. The govern ment also contributes in making company conscious of their duties towards society. According to the European Union and MVO Platform (2002, as cited in M.G.V. Dongen, 2006 p.7), Governments are now engaging in the role of stimulating companies to be social responsible, not pressuring them. In M.G.V. Dongens 2006 paper: In search of the link between corporate social responsibility and legitimacy she enumerated a number of external factors that encouraged firm to adopt the concept of CSR. A few of these points are: Transparency. A very important aspect for a company to be socially responsible is transparency. This can be included in the profit-factor but is more and more considered as a prerequisite for a company to be socially responsible. Due to new information sources, e.g. the internet, and the shift in the control mechanisms for organizations from purely governmental to include the organizations stakeholders, this revolution has an enormous impact on the visibility of an organizations business practices.(M.G.V. Dongen, 2006 p.8) Time. A shift can be recognized from purely focusing on short-term profits towards more long-term objectives, which is necessary because societal and environmental issues are mostly long-term issues. Therefore this shift in time-thinking is essential for CSR to be successful. (M.G.V. Dongen, 2006 p.8) Here also, external factors are often associated with international drivers. The table below describes some of them: Source: Visser, W. (2008) CSR Drivers: The Forces Shaping Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, CSR Inspiration Series, No. 3. In order to link both national and international drivers the diagram below visually establishes a link between both of them. Source: Visser, W. (2008) CSR Drivers: The Forces Shaping Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, CSR Inspiration Series, No. 3. 3.2 Theories of CSR Many authors have tried to grasp an accurate idea of what is CSR by devising models in order to better understand the various factors involved and their impact. One of the first approaches to tackle CSR by means of a model was made in 1971 by the Committee for Economic Development (CED). It made use of three concentric circles. The definition of the three circles was given in the Social Responsibilities of Business Corporation (1971) as follows: The inner circle includes, the clear-cut basic responsibilities for the efficient execution of the economic function products, jobs and economic growth The intermediate circle encompasses responsibility to exercise this economic function with a precise awareness of changing social values and priorities: for example with respect to environmental conservation, hiring and relations with employees, and more rigorous expectation of customers for information, fair treatment and protection from injury The outer circle outlines newly emerging and still amorphous responsibilities that business should assume to become more broadly involved in actively improving the social environment After this theory others were developed, but throughout time only a few of them prevailed. The first theory that must be considered is the pyramid of CSR developed by Carroll. The pyramid of corporate social responsibility According to Carroll, the four main components or categories that constitute the CSR pyramid are: Economic Responsibilities, Legal Responsibilities, Ethical Responsibilities and Philanthropic or Discretionary Responsibilities. The two tables below give a description of these four terms. Source: Archie B. Carroll (1991), The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Toward the Moral Management of Organizational Stakeholders, Business Horizons Source: Archie B. Carroll (1991), The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Toward the Moral Management of Organizational Stakeholders, Business Horizons The theory of the pyramid relies on the fact the various components are stacked on each other, the economic responsibility being the base and the philanthropic responsibility being at the top. The logic behind the pyramid relies in the fact that firms are expected to aim for profit maximization but it must also cater for the other responsibilities in the pyramid, which is comply with the law, comply with rules of society and finally act as a good corporate citizen. The diagram below is a representation of Archie B. Carroll pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility. The Stakeholder theory Moir (2001) refers to the stakeholder theory as being used used as a basis to analyse those groups to whom the firm should be responsible. For Carroll (1991, cited as cited in M.G.V. Dongen, 2006 p.13), stakeholder concept personifies the social actors that organizations should consider with their CSR orientation. Stakeholders generally refer to the actors who are directly or sometimes indirectly affected by the actions of a company. Freedman defines a stakeholder as any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organizations objectives (Freeman, 1984:46). Stakeholders can be classified in two main categories; primary and secondary stakeholders. Clarkson (1995: 106, cited in L. Moir, 2001, p.8) gives the description of a primary stakeholder as one without whose continuing participation the corporation cannot survive as a going concern with the primary group including shareholders and investors, employees, customers and suppliers, together with what is defined as the public stakeholder group: the governments and communities that provide infrastructures and markets, whose laws and regulations must be obeyed, and to whom taxes and obligations may be due (Clarkson, 1995, p.106). Moir (2001, p.8) defines the secondary groups are defined as 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 Source: Monique G. van Dongen (2006), In search of the link between corporate social responsibility and legitimacy The stakeholder theory focuses on a practical approach that explains an organizations need to address the various responsibilities (Dongen 2006, p. 13). The stakeholder theory relies on determining the most important stakeholder for the company and its responsibilities towards that stakeholder. In order to determine how the choice should be made, Carroll (1991) established two main criteria which are; power and legitimacy. Following Carrolls logic, in 1997, Michel et al develop a more detailed approach which includes a new dimension named urgency. The model develop was the the stakeholder salience model Power: the ability of those who possess power, to bring about the outcome that they desire (Mitchell et al., 1997). Legitimacy: the assumption that the actions of an entity are desirable, proper, or appropriate within some socially constructed systems of norms, values, beliefs, and definitions (Suchman, 1995). Urgency: exists when two conditions are met: 1) when it is time-sensitive, and 2) when it is important or critical to the stakeholder (Mitchell et al., 1997). The salience model helps to divide stakeholders in different groups and each of these groups is classified on the basis of having one or more the above characteristics. Mitchell (1997) defined the salience model as the degree to which managers gave importance to stakeholders claims. From this point of view, groups such as latent and expectant stakeholders were created and these groups were further subdivided on the basis of the number of characteristics they possessed. Moir stated that firms would pay most attention to those legitimate stakeholder groups who have power and urgency (Moir, 2001, p.9). Following this logic, an example could be the reputation of a company will have a great importance when it interacts directly with the public. In relation with CSR, Patten (1992 as cited in L Moir, 2006 p.9) gave the following example concerning the possible fluctuations in the level of urgency: environmental groups and issues became more urgent to oil firms following the Exxon Valdez oil spill. To sum up, stakeholder theory can help companies to point out stakeholders that can be sensible to CSR issues and generate a profit in these circumstances. 3.2.1 Mapping of CSR theories In addition to the above models, numerous other theories have been developed, but none of them gave an accurate framework which exactly defined what CSR was. Each and every writer who tried to build up a CSR theory ended up giving a personal opinion, hence creating confusion. Carroll (1994, p.14) described the situation as An eclectic field with loose boundaries, multiple memberships, and differing training/perspectives; broadly rather than focused, multidisciplinary; wide breadth; brings in a wider range of literature; and interdisciplinary. In addition to the above mentioned theories, Frederick (1987, 1998) tried to classify CSR in four main categories namely CSR1, CSR2, CSR3 and CSR4. Other attempts to define theories can take the form of the concept of corporate citizenship by Altman (1998), Issues Management by Wartick and Rude (1986) and Wood (1991) and Brummer (1991) classification of four CSR theories based on six criteria. In order to harmonize all these different models Elisabet Garriga and Domenec Mele (2004) grouped all the actual theories under four main headings namely; instrumental, political, integrative and ethical theories. Theories were placed in a group on the basis of their similitude, for example instrumental theories grouped models that were based on the assumption that organization are here only to make profits. The table below gives a brief summary of each group and the different theories composing them. Source: Elisabet Garriga and Domenec Mele (2004), Corporate Social Responsibility Theories: Mapping the Territory, p.62-63 3.3 Advantages and Disadvantages of engaging in CSR CSR is often view as a companys intention to do good for society, but there can also be times when behind the socially responsible mask the intentions are not the ones expected. In can be quite contradictory but although CSR is assumed to be good, it can have drawbacks. Advantages and disadvantages arising from CSR are as diverse as the domain in which the practices are applied, for analysis purposes standard or most common pros and cons will be considered. First pros or advantages of CSR will be considered. According to Bhattacharya et al. (2008), the first advantage of CSR is that in helps in the recruitment and selection process and more specifically within the competitive graduate student market. Kytle et al. (2005) continue by adding that CSR helps in risk management. Building a genuine culture of doing the right thing within a corporation can offset the risks of losing reputation because of any scandal or environmental accident (Kytle et al, 2005, p.10). Another benefit atributed to CSR is brand differenciation. Paluszek (2005) says that CSR can play a role in building customer loyalty based on distinctive ethical values. CSR can help in building customer loyalty by helping them feel that the company with which they are involved care for them. It must also be added that CSR has a significant impact on customers as well. According to Berger et al. (1995, cited in Maignan and Ferrell, 2004) consumers show more fervent support to companies committed to cause-related marketing, practices that help the environment, or business ethics. Furthermore, the studies conducted by Lichtenstein et al., (2004) proved that CSR helped to develop an emotional attachment with the company and hence it helped in boosting the percentage of sales. Sen et al., (2006) continued by saying that those conscious of actual corporate social activities had more positive responses to, and stronger identification with, the organisation, increased demand for trade and investment intent and demand to get a job with this type of organisation than those unaware of any initiative. In addition to the above advantages, others were published in the Investment News (2007) and they are listed below; Proactive enforcement of stricter quality and environmental controls reduces the risk of negative events (e.g. recalling defective products or fines for excessive polluting). Commitment to CSR increases the ability to attract and retain employees. Benefits include reduced turnover, recruitment and training costs. CSR practices enable corporations to be compliant on ethical issues and attract investors who enforce ethical filters One of the main disadvantages of CSR arises from the misuse of the initial concept behind it. Businesses are here to maximise profits and CSR is in direct conflict with this goal. As Malloy (2003) described corporations exist to provide products and/or services that produce profits for their shareholders. Another disadvantage attributed to CSR, is too use it as a marketing tool to promote the companys image. CSR can help companies to be more profitable. This can be proved by the action taken by British petroleum after the discovery of the global warming phenomenon and the promise to have a world beyond petroleum. Here also the investment News 2007 came with a list of arguments against CSR: Expenditure on CSR dilutes the funds available for shareholders. Corporate Management is not equipped to address social or environmental problems. Expenditure on CSR imposes additional costs which consequently reduce competitiveness Expenditure on CSR can only be made during periods of high profitability 4.0 Customer satisfaction According to marketing literature, higher customer satisfaction improves financial performance by increasing the loyalty of existing customers, reducing price elasticities, lowering marketing costs through positive word-of-mouth advertising, reducing transaction costs, and enhancing firm reputation (e.g., Anderson, Fornell, and Lehmann (1994), Fornell (1992), and Reichheld and Sasser (1990)). Many believe that customer satisfaction is the key to a business success. The advantages to the fact of obtaining satisfaction from customers are various but before considering all of them in details, a definition of the term must be given. Customer satisfactions definition varies in accordance to the domain in which it is used. For instance it will have a different meaning whether it is used in marketing literature or in other sectors. A definition of customer satisfaction from a service management point of view is that customer satisfaction refers to how the perception of the customer affects the value received in a transaction or relationship where value can be defined as the perceived service quality compared to price and customer incurred acquisition costs (cited in Blanchard and Galloway, 1994; Heskett et al., 1990) in comparison to the expected value to be generated from transactions or relationships with competitors (Zeithaml et al., 1990). From the marketing point of view customer satisfaction will be defined as a vital part of the strategy of an organization (Fornell et al. 2006) and a key driver of increased profits on the long-run and boosting market value (Gruca and Rego 2005). Link between CSR and Customer satisfaction A number of studies link customers directly to CSR initiatives. In order to undertake a proper analysis, at least three major dimensions can be considered. The first being Scotts (1987 cited in Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006 p.3) institutional theory and the second stakeholder theory (Maignan, Ferrell, and Ferrell 2005) suggest that a companys actions appeal to the multidimensionality of the consumer as not only an economic being but also a member of a family, community, and country (Handelman and Arnold 1999). Basing themselves on these three approaches Daub and Ergenzinger (2005) developed the term generalized customer. It can be defined as people who are not only customers who care about the consumption experience but also actual or potential members of various stakeholder groups that companies need to consider (Daub and Ergenzinger, 2005; Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006, p.3). Generalized customers derive more satisfaction from the transaction which involves a firm which is socially respo nsible. The second dimension rely on the aspect that establishing the link between the two components is the fact that being highly active in the CSR domain creates a favorable context that positively boosts consumers evaluations of and it gives a favorable image of the firm (Brown and Dacin 1997; Gà ¼rhan- Canli and Batra 2004; Sen and Bhattacharya 2001). Handleman and Arnold (1999) noted that consumers used the concept of positive word to mouth about firms that were committed to actions that were associated with institutional norms (1999, cited in Maignan and Ferrell, 2004). Studies by Berger and Kanetkar (1995), Barone et al. (2000) and Creyer and Ross (1997) resulted in the fact that consumers are willing to actively support companies committed to cause-related marketing, environmentally-friendly practices, or ethics (cited in Maignan and Ferrell, 2004). CSR initiatives constitute a key element of corporate identity that can induce customers to identify with the company. Indeed, Lichten stein, Drumwright, and Bridgette (2004, p. 17) note that a way that CSR initiatives create benefits for companies appears to be by increasing consumers identification with the corporation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [and] support for the company. Not surprisingly, identified customers are more likely to be satisfied with a firms offerings (e.g., Bhattacharya, Rao, and Glynn 1995; Bhattacharya and Sen 2003). The third dimension examines the antecedents of customer satisfaction (Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006, p.3). One example of a key antecedent can be perceived value and that has been empirically shown to promote customer satisfaction (Fornell et al. 1996; Mithas, Krishnan, and Fornell 2005b; Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006). In the actual case, all else being equal, customers likely derive better perceived value and, consequently, higher satisfaction from a product that is made by a socially responsible company (Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006, p.4).Another antecedents that is known to impact on customer satisfaction is the knowledge of the customer himself. Jayachandran et al (2005) added that improving customer knowledge represents another antecedent that has been found to enhance customer satisfaction. Although the three dimensions above establish a link between CSR and customer Satisfaction it does not indicate whether it is a positive or a negative one. Mac Donald and Rundle-Thiele (2008) pointed out that researchers have studied the impact of CSR on a number of factors, including word of mouth, attitudes, intentions, emotional attachment, shopping in-store, loyalty and brand identification, a limited number of studies have taken into consideration the relationship between satisfaction and CSR (Mac Donald and Rundle-Thiele, 2008, p.174). The only study that directly linked CSR to customer satisfaction was that carried out by Luo and Bhattacharya (2006). They studied Fortune 500 companies, to find that a direct relation between CSR and customer satisfaction existed. Their study identified that satisfaction as a link which formed a relationship between CSR and firm market value (Mac Donald and Rundle-Thiele, 2008, p.174). The diagram below depicts the relationship between customer satisfaction, market share and CSR as studied by Luo and Bhattacharya. Source: Xueming Luo C.B. Bhattacharya, 2006, Corporate Social Responsibility, Customer Satisfaction, and Market Value Despite the direct linking, researchers found cases where CSR was found to have a negative impact on customer satisfaction. Bhattacharya and Luo (2006, cited in Mac Donald and Rundle-Thiele, 2008, p.174) found that, firms which tend to lag in the innovative process, CSR actually reduced the level of customer satisfaction and, through a reduced amount of satisfaction; it adversely affected the market value. In some cases, it may be found that it is more appropriate to use customer oriented initiatives to increase satisfaction than CSR initiatives. CSR initiatives in this case could lead to wastage of precious resources which could have been used in a better way. CSR initiatives against Customer-oriented initiatives Pomering and Dolnicar (2006, cited in Mac Donald and Rundle-Thiele, 2008, p.174) studied that a banks CSR initiatives indicated that customers tend to be more responsive to customer-oriented initiatives, rather than those that had a social orientation. In this study, eight CSR initiatives were proposed such as dedicating one per cent of profit to community programs and launching an indigenous scholarship program. The success of these initiatives did not match the level of satisfaction obtained from customer-oriented initiatives. Pomering and Dolnicar (2006) concluded that consumers consideration for personal well-being may outweigh their consideration of broader social impacts. 4.2.1 CSR initiatives and Customer satisfaction In 2004, Bhattacharya and Sen (2004, cited in Mac Donald and Rundle-Thiele, 2008, p.175) proposed six dimensions to CSR. They are listed below, as published by KLD Research: employee diversity Supporting employees product impact on the environment overseas operations Supporting society 4.2.2 Customer oriented initiatives and customer satisfaction On the other hand, customer-oriented initiatives for the banking sector were also classified. Chakrabarty (2006) observed that customer oriented actions for the banking sector was not the same as for other sectors. Chakrabartys (2006, cited in Mac Donald and Rundle-Thiele, 2008, p.175) research resulted into four factors that determined the total level of customer satisfaction amongst a sample of more than 12,000 UK retail banking customers. They are listed in order of importance as follows: in-branch satisfaction economic satisfaction remote satisfaction ATM satisfaction Later in 2007, Manrai and Manrai (2007, in Mac Donald and Rundle-Thiele, 2008, p.175) came up with another set of four factors. In order of importance, they are: Problems attributed to the personnel Concerns of a financial aspect Concerns about the in-branch environment Convenience-related considerations

An Ethics of Reading :: Edith Wharton Literature Feminism Essays

An Ethics of Reading At the age of nine, Edith Wharton fell ill with typhoid. The local doctor told her parents nothing could be done and that their daughter would soon die. Only the ministrations of another physician, who happened to be passing through town and was prevailed upon to examine the girl, saved her life. Her fever fell, and the young Wharton began to recover. During her convalescence, she read voraciously. One of the books she was given contained a â€Å"super-natural† tale — a story which turned out to be, in Wharton’s own phrase, â€Å"perilous reading† (Wharton, p.275). In the original manuscript of her autobiography, Edith Wharton describes how reading this uncanny story occasioned a relapse, which brought her, once again, â€Å"on the point of death†: This one [book] brought on a serious relapse, and again my life was in danger and when I came to myself, it was to enter a world haunted by formless horrors. I had been a naturally fearless child; now I lived in a state of chronic fear. Fear of what? I cannot say — and even at the time, I was never able to formulate my terror. It was like some dark undefinable menace forever dogging my steps, lurking, threatening; (pp.275‑6).[1] According to Wharton, an act of reading plunged her body back into fatal illness. The young Edith Wharton did recover from the relapse, but its uncanny effects continued to haunt her well into adulthood. In â€Å"Women and Madness: the Critical Phallacy† (1975), Shoshana Felman tells another uncanny story of reading. Analyzing the critical commentary that brackets Balzac’s Adieu in a Gallimard/Folio pocket edition, she demonstrates how two scholars, Pierre Gascan and Patrick Bertier, effectively rewrite Balzac’s story by focusing their analyses entirely on a section of historical backstory – despite the fact that this element comprises but one-third of Balzac’s narrative.[2] In addition, by adopting a criteria of alleged ‘realism’ and labeling Stà ©phanie’s madness as ‘super-natural’, they excise Balzac’s main character (a madwoman) and replace her with protagonists who are soldiers in the Grand Army. The madwoman inhabits, according to these critics, â€Å"a state of semi-unreality† linked to â€Å"the presence of the invisible† — which renders her inexplicable and outside the purview of discussion (qtd. in Felman, 1975, p.6). As a result, Felman argues, critical commentary meant to situate Balzac Adieu in a wider literary context ends up repeating Philippe’s ‘cure’: in erasing from the text the disconcerting and ex-centric features of a woman’s madness, the critic seeks to ‘normalize’ the text [†¦] making the text a reassuring, closed retreat.

Deception Point Page 64

â€Å"Holy shit!† The pilot pulled back on the stick, jolting upward. The black mountain of steel rose before them out of the waves without warning. A gargantuan unmarked submarine blew its ballast and rose on a cloud of bubbles. The pilots exchanged uneasy laughs. â€Å"Guess that's them.† As ordered, the transaction proceeded under complete radio silence. The doublewide portal on the peak of the sail opened and a seaman flashed them signals with a strobe light. The chopper then moved over the sub and dropped a three-man rescue harness, essentially three rubberized loops on a retractable cable. Within sixty seconds, the three unknown â€Å"danglers† were swinging beneath the chopper, ascending slowly against the downdraft of the rotors. When the copilot hauled them aboard-two men and a woman-the pilot flashed the sub the â€Å"all clear.† Within seconds, the enormous vessel disappeared beneath the windswept sea, leaving no trace it had ever been there. With the passengers safely aboard, the chopper pilot faced front, dipped the nose of the chopper, and accelerated south to complete his mission. The storm was closing fast, and these three strangers were to be brought safely back to Thule AFB for further jet transport. Where they were headed, the pilot had no idea. All he knew was that his orders had been from high up, and he was transporting very precious cargo. 75 When the Milne storm finally exploded, unleashing its full force on the NASA habisphere, the dome shuddered as if ready to lift off the ice and launch out to sea. The steel stabilizing cables pulled taut against their stakes, vibrating like huge guitar strings and letting out a doleful drone. The generators outside stuttered, causing the lights to flicker, threatening to plunge the huge room into total blackness. NASA administrator Lawrence Ekstrom strode across the interior of the dome. He wished he were getting the hell out of here tonight, but that was not to be. He would remain another day, giving additional on-site press conferences in the morning and overseeing preparations to transport the meteorite back to Washington. He wanted nothing more at the moment than to get some sleep; the day's unexpected problems had taken a lot out of him. Ekstrom's thoughts turned yet again to Wailee Ming, Rachel Sexton, Norah Mangor, Michael Tolland, and Corky Marlinson. Some of the NASA staff had begun noticing the civilians were missing. Relax, Ekstrom told himself. Everything is under control. He breathed deeply, reminding himself that everyone on the planet was excited about NASA and space right now. Extraterrestrial life hadn't been this exciting a topic since the famous â€Å"Roswell incident† back in 1947-the alleged crash of an alien spaceship in Roswell, New Mexico, which was now the shrine to millions of UFO-conspiracy theorists even today. During Ekstrom's years working at the Pentagon, he had learned that the Roswell incident had been nothing more than a military accident during a classified operation called Project Mogul-the flight test of a spy balloon being designed to listen in on Russian atomic tests. A prototype, while being tested, had drifted off course and crashed in the New Mexico desert. Unfortunately, a civilian found the wreckage before the military did. Unsuspecting rancher William Brazel had stumbled across a debris field of radical synthesized neoprene and lightweight metals unlike anything he'd ever seen, and he immediately called in the sheriff. Newspapers carried the story of the bizarre wreckage, and public interest grew fast. Fueled by the military's denial that the wreckage was theirs, reporters launched investigations, and the covert status of Project Mogul came into serious jeopardy. Just as it seemed the sensitive issue of a spy balloon was about to be revealed, something wonderful happened. The media drew an unexpected conclusion. They decided the scraps of futuristic substance could only have come from an extraterrestrial source-creatures more scientifically advanced than humans. The military's denial of the incident obviously had to be one thing only-a cover-up of contact with aliens! Although baffled by this new hypothesis, the air force was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. They grabbed the alien story and ran with it; the world's suspicion that aliens were visiting New Mexico was far less a threat to national security than that of the Russians catching wind of Project Mogul. To fuel the alien cover story, the intelligence community shrouded the Roswell incident in secrecy and began orchestrating â€Å"security leaks†-quiet murmurings of alien contacts, recovered spaceships, and even a mysterious â€Å"Hangar 18† at Dayton's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where the government was keeping alien bodies on ice. The world bought the story, and Roswell fever swept the globe. From that moment on, whenever a civilian mistakenly spotted an advanced U.S. military aircraft, the intelligence community simply dusted off the old conspiracy. That's not an aircraft, that's an alien spaceship! Ekstrom was amazed to think this simple deception was still working today. Every time the media reported a sudden flurry of UFO sightings, Ekstrom had to laugh. Chances were some lucky civilian had caught a glimpse of one of the NRO's fifty-seven fast-moving, unmanned reconnaissance aircraft known as Global Hawks-oblong, remote-controlled aircraft that looked like nothing else in the sky. Ekstrom found it pathetic that countless tourists still made pilgrimages to the New Mexico desert to scan the night skies with their video cameras. Occasionally one got lucky and captured â€Å"hard evidence† of a UFO-bright lights flitting around the sky with more maneuverability and speed than any aircraft humans had ever built. What these people failed to realize, of course, was that there existed a twelve-year lag between what the government could build and what the public knew about. These UFO-gazers were simply catching a glimpse of the next generation of U.S. aircraft being developed out at Area 51-many of which were the brainstorms of NASA engineers. Of course, intelligence officials never corrected the misconception; it was obviously preferable that the world read about another UFO sighting than to have people learn the U.S. military's true flight capabilities. But everything has changed now, Ekstrom thought. In a few hours, the extraterrestrial myth would become a confirmed reality, forever. â€Å"Administrator?† A NASA technician hurried across the ice behind him. â€Å"You have an emergency secure call in the PSC.† Ekstrom sighed, turning. What the hell could it be now? He headed for the communications trailer. The technician hurried along beside him. â€Å"The guys manning the radar in the PSC were curious, sir†¦ â€Å" â€Å"Yeah?† Ekstrom's thoughts were still far away. â€Å"The fat-body sub stationed off the coast here? We were wondering why you didn't mention it to us.† Ekstrom glanced up. â€Å"I'm sorry?† â€Å"The submarine, sir? You could have at least told the guys on radar. Additional seaboard security is understandable, but it took our radar team off guard.† Ekstrom stopped short. â€Å"What submarine?† The technician stopped now too, clearly not expecting the administrator's surprise. â€Å"She's not part of our operation?† â€Å"No! Where is it?† The technician swallowed hard. â€Å"About three miles out. We caught her on radar by chance. Only surfaced for a couple minutes. Pretty big blip. Had to be a fat-body. We figured you'd asked the navy to stand watch over this op without telling any of us.† Ekstrom stared. â€Å"I most certainly did not!† Now the technician's voice wavered. â€Å"Well, sir, then I guess I should inform you that a sub just rendezvoused with an aircraft right off the coast here. Looked like a personnel change. Actually, we were all pretty impressed anyone would attempt a wet-dry vertical in this kind of wind.†

Prejudice and Discrimination essays

Prejudice and Discrimination essays There must be a reason for the popularity, despite fifty years of desegregation, of racially biased humor. There must be a reason books of "politically correct" fairy tales got big laughs and made big bucks for their clever authors. There must be a reason that people laugh about being "politically correct" in their thoughts, words and actions. And perhaps the concept is so continually amusing because it refers to a psychology that does not naturally exist in human beings. At base, although there is so much talk about unity' and globalism' and all of us being one (and I don't pretend to argue that we are or are not one in spirit), we all do come to this plane of existence in a variety of wrappers.' Moreover, these wrappersour bodiesare motivated by an infinite variety of thought engines. It could be argued all day and all night whether the contents and proclivities of these minds and mental states are inherent or environmental. It doesn't matter. What is important is that when humans are attempting to be non-judgmental, non-discriminatory and unprejudiced, they are attempting to surmount a very basic animal reaction to the simple fact of inhabiting a body different from most other bodies, but quite Other researchers, too, have found that stereotyping and the prejudice to which it gives life (sometimes followed by discriminatory acts, and sometimes simply held in mind) are so hard to eradicate in humans that they must be part of the package. "We've found out that despite the cleverest efforts of smart, knowledgeable researchers, it is very hard to get people not to stereotype." (Pratto, 1992, 184) There are circumstances in which stereotyping is reduced, including having additional information about someone that would otherwise be stereotyped or when one is personally involved with a stereotyping target or are motivated to be ...

Journal Analysis essays

Journal Analysis essays In the journal entry that I read, stereotyping and how it impacts us, there are many different type of studies that they use to find the information that they have come to. Stereotyping can influence people in many different ways because they think that they can be like the ones they stereotype. In the first study Gray looked at the subtle and blatant acts of self-relevant stereotypes. The goal of her study was to find out if the thought that Asians are as good in mathematics as they are thought to be. She wanted to find out if the myth was true and to be able to see if many of the ideas are told to be subtle or blatant. The method of choice made by Gray was to design a test that would show that seventy-three Asian Americans attending Harvard would do experiments and to help her reach her goal. The subtle condition in her study was to show Asians were associated with prime stereotypes. The students were asked a series of questions to put them into a stereotype. The blatant condition was completed by; reading and analyzing another question there. The procedure Gray used was individually evaluating the Asians after the test a final questionnaire was given and showed if they were talented in math. The results found from this experiment were the same in both the blatan t and subtle stereotypes. I feel that the conditions the Asians were put under were greatly different in each of the two tests. I would ask only one question; if one were all around smarter than another would the outcome be significantly different? A strength in the study would be that they were looking for only math and no other subjects. A weakness that was brought to my attention would be that the study shows answers given under two different conditions. The second study shows the impact of positive stereotypes on targets and non- targets. The purpose of this study is to find the effects on presentation by different stereotypes. ...

Letter and Memo paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter and Memo paper - Assignment Example Media print, while still a viable and relevant source, cannot keep up with the pace of this world. Keefe's cartoon doesn't only criticize the congressman's glib remarks, but also calls for bloggers to be responsible for the information they are presenting. As a student and aspiring writer, I am all too aware of the importance of sources and presenting the correct information. The death of the Rocky Mountain News also signifies the dawning of an era that may run rampant with incorrect information and stolen material. Keefe's cartoon emphasizes the importance in maintaining journalistic standards as we move away from print media. The congressman was a bit over zealous in his congratulations for the takeover and should have also taken the opportunity to warn bloggers and citizen journalists about checking their sources and giving credit where it is due. Keefe did an excellent job of scolding Congressman Polis' thoughtless remarks while still calling attention to the larger problem at hand. As you have requested, I have outlined the purpose of my letter to the editor at the Denver Post. I took into account the audience that I will be addressing and the important factors that shape my letter.

Personality assesment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personality assesment - Essay Example (Funder 1991, Tellegen 1991) personality psychologists predominantly make use of the ‘Five Factor Model’ for the assessment of an individual’s personality. (Digman 1990, Goldberg 1993a) This model reflects an individual’s psychological, social and cultural components that contribute towards his personality. It also reveals if an individual has had a troubled history or comes from a very poor socio- economic background. Research has given us an invaluable theory of personality which could be used for assessing the different personality variables. Personality assessment helps us to get a better idea of an individual and also helps us understand the individual’s behavioral pattern in a better light, thereby avoiding many conflicting issues. The 8th edition of Robert Feldman’s (2006) book on Understanding Psychology, stimulates the understanding and capabilities of students through his broad vision and insightful thinking. He strongly felt that if students understood psychology then they would learn it well. The principles and concepts contained in his book cover the areas of five important perspectives – Cognitive, behavioral, neuro-scientific, psychodynamic and humanistic. 1. Validity – Validity is considered to be the subjective judgment which could be based on either experience or other empirical indicators. Validity is also considered to be the maximum extent to which a test measures what’s needed to be measured. For a test to be considered valid it has to be first of all reliable; but reliability of the test does not guarantee its validity. The different types of validity include – 1) Face validity, 2) Construct validity, 3) Criterion validity, 4)Convergent validity and 5) Discriminant validity. 2. Reliability – Reliability is nothing but consistency. Reliability is considered to be the extent to which any test provides consistent scores. Measuring procedures do