Social Responsibilities of businesses :: essays research papers

"Outline the argument for and against business having social responsibilities beyond that of making a profit. In the light of this, do you think businesses should make charitable donations to the Tsunami appeal? Justify your answer." 26th April 2005 To best understand the nature of the posed question I propose the articulated finding of the widespread acceptance that cooperate official and labour leaders have a 'social responsibility' that extends beyond the realm of serving shareholder and its members (Friedman 1962, p. 133). The following essay is aimed at highlighting the role of businesses, whether they are to have interest other than solely making profit and if so what groups should benefit from the success of a company. According to Wilson (2004, Vol.23, p. 23) arguments, the nature of existence for business or corporations should be 'everything to do with service to society, and only secondarily to do with profitability.' But this is quite on the contrary to the apparently antediluvian view put forward by corporate executives Friedman and Levitt (cited in Wilson, 2004, Vol.23, p. 23) highlighting '.the business of business is making money, not sweet music.' So why is there discrepancy between the ideal view of business and which should be placed under higher priority the shareholders or stakeholders (society). To understand both points of view we need to identify the party's involved and the relationship they have to the business and business operations. A stockholder (shareholder) is one that owns or holds a share or shares of stock in company, enterprise or organisation (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2005). Shareholders are the financial backing in the organisation, they are generally people interested in making a profit (in the form of dividends) and they supply capital to the organisation. On the contrary stakeholder are seen as any party that has an interest in an organization. Stakeholders of a company include stockholders, bondholders, customers, suppliers, employees, and so forth (Scott, 2003). Given the definition or both involved parties it is clear to see that the success of the business in making a profit will please the shareholders however, to make long-run profits in turn requires compatibility and complacency from its revenue source; the stakeholders. This requires the need for mission and vision driven company which must be truly responsive to stakeholders not only its shareholders (Wilson, 2004, Vol.23, p.23). These 'social responsibilities' must however be driven directly at the stakeholders involved with the business dealings in order to serve equally the shareholders. A clear example of miss-aimed social contribution and one which resulted in strong shareholder opposition was outlined when a number of Australian companies pledged finances to the tsunami relief effort in

Importance of military history Essay

Military professionals should take out time from their busy schedules to read military history because military history is the very foundation of their knowledge of tactics and strategy. It is also the foundation on which the theoretical and practical training troops and the development of training directives are based. A careful study of objective military history with an open mind and with the determination of learning from the experiences of others will be of great benefit to any military professional. According to Gen. Charles L. Bolte, former Vice Chief of Staff, and Department of the Army; â€Å"The past must be studied as the basis for, and a guide to, the study of the future. To make a sound prediction one must project the past into the future. † The American Army has followed the advice of such great captains as Frederick the Great and Napoleon, as well as of others who have more recently made their mark on the pages of history. Napoleon has written, â€Å"†¦ the knowledge of the higher arts of war is not acquired except by experience and the study of history of wars and the battles of great captains. † Gen. George S. Patton Jr. , one of America’s great offensive battle leaders, also emphasized the importance of history. His words, written on the battlefield, were: â€Å"To be a successful soldier you must know history, reads it objectively- dates and even minute details of tactics are useless†¦ You must read biography and especially autobiography. If military professional do it they find war is simple. The study of past is fundamental to the preparation for the next, for current military problems cannot be solved without an understanding of the past from which they stem. The military professionals must be rooted in the past to understand the present that he may project himself into the future. Reference US Department of the Army. (2001). The Writing of American Military History: A Guide. New York: The Minerva Group, Inc. pg 1,7,10,9,12.

The Field Of Lost Shoes Essay - 2492 Words

The movie The Field of Lost Shoes, purely based off of the Battle of New Market, is both accurate and inaccurate when displaying soldiers’ lifestyle and their experiences that occurred during the Civil War. The movie is inaccurate in a way that is portrays soldiers having to leave their jobs, when they really did have jobs they had to leave. The movie is accurate in most scenes. Its accuracy proves to be correct in the scenes that women had to step in as nurses and help the wounded, soldiers leaving their loved ones, the horrible conditions that the soldiers had to fight through, and when groups of stable soldiers went to the field’s aftermath to rescue wounded soldiers and their loved ones. Overall, the movie is consistently accurate all the way through to show how the Civil War impacted the American lifestyle. Towards the beginning of the movie, there’s an inaccurate scene that drifts you into the setting of the movie with introductions of the main characters. It starts by a multitude of cadets in the background, chatting away, getting to know each other. A certain group of individuals, including Cadet Garland Jefferson and Cadet John Wise, are spotlighted when they go into a side room in a large building and pull a causal prank on a new cadet. The Cadets enjoyed themselves in the fun of fooling the little boy and worked up an appetite. Later that evening, they proceed by going to the bakery taking some bread from an old slave baker and making a trade agreement with him.Show MoreRelatedUnited for One1047 Words   |  4 Pagesrelate most to Luma. There are other reasons why I think that I relate to Luma. Throughout the whole book, Luma never wants to give up. For example in chapter nine, â€Å"Get Lost†, when Luma knows she has to find a new field for her fugees to play on. According to St John, on page 93, the YMCA calls and lets Luma know they found a field for her. She never gave up on her high hopes. Luma always wanted the best for her players. I am just like Luma, as I never give up on things. My number one struggle I neverRead MoreWhich of the Different Product Mix Pricing Strategies Discussed in the Text Applies Best to Paylesss New Strategy? Discuss in Detail.747 Words   |  3 Pagesdays, payless provides only limited range of the footwear to the customers which leads to losses in the year of 2005. As stated in the case, you can no longer produce the same boring shoes year after year and hope that price alone will get customers to your door.,said a industry insider. This shows that payless had lost its edge in the market.In order to overcome this situation, payless had hired a new CEO, Matt Rubel on the June of Year 2009. Matt Rubel knew he had to redesign a new range of footwearRead MoreRecruitment Case Study1661 Words   |  7 PagesCentral Problem Since the takeover of Mansini’s company by a national conglomerate, emerging challenges of Maple Leaf Shoes Ltd. has presented an urgent need for a Human Resources Manager who possess core skills and extensive experience in human resources to handle the short term as well as long term needs of the company. The increasing global competition, labour and production costs, managerial training and employee development activities faced by the company are issues that needed immediateRead MoreAdidas Industry Analysis964 Words   |  4 PagesAdidas athletic shoes 1. General History The global footwear market is a growing market with an increase in consumer demand based on globally increasing consumer incomes. The sports footwear market is significantly characterized by the high speed of innovation, which forces the companies to invest more in development initiatives. At the same time the companies are trying to reduce costs through decreasing supplier prices in order to stay competitive. Looking forward, the footwear marketRead MoreChildren s Influence On Children967 Words   |  4 PagesManitoba discovered that many farm families were without underwear or shoes for their children, who as a result couldn’t attend school† (Berton, 1990, p. 11). The luxuries that children once experienced, were stripped away from them right before their eyes. As a result of the lack of income earned by rural families, children endured a great deal of suffering. In the winter months especially, these children who were without shoes in ill-housed families were unab le to keep warm. Therefore, as natureRead MoreRecommendation : An Suspension Shoe Essay1192 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom weakening joints and bones feel less pressure so it will be also a good option for overweight people. Since there is no competition right now for this type of shoe in the market, so we do not have fear of losing market share. The shoes will be produce in that country where labor cost is low and we will also give online purchase option. On the other hand, our target market is going to be located in USA so will also give a custom made shoe option where costumer can choose differentRead MoreThe Crash Of The United States1626 Words   |  7 PagesOctober 28, 2014 â€Æ' Intro On September 11th, 2001, this nation underwent a traumatic event. Four planes, three buildings, and one field in Pennsylvania. These were the factors that went into changing America into what it is today. The terrorist attacks on the United States led to war, laws, conspiracies, and memorials. None of these however, can replace the lives that were lost that fateful day in September. The attacks The terrorist attacks took place across the northeastern United States. Four planesRead MoreNike Case Study899 Words   |  4 PagesBenefits for the company and the country of origin The company employs 650 000 contract workers worldwide at relatively low labour costs. Because of the early decision to manufacture shoes in Asia allowed his company to enjoy lower labor and production costs, Nike was able from the outset to produce highquality athletic shoes at competitive prices. Nike’s presence provides an influx of U.S. currency with which host countries can buy the imports, such as high-tech equipment, that are critical to economicRead More The Truth in Art: Vincent Van Goghs Work of Art Essay1384 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieves that this aesthetic approach goes against this. One artist that Heidegger particularly discusses is Vincent Van Gogh. He uses works of art by Van Gogh in order to give more power to his argument. Through works of art such as Van Gogh’s A Pair of Shoes, Heidegger makes his a distinction between artwork and things. In order to truly analyze the culture of another, he explains how it is essential for the viewer to question wh at is being depicted in the work and what the purpose may be. Heidegger describesRead MoreEssay about Civil War Battles of Chancelorsville and Gettysburg871 Words   |  4 PagesThis is only two battles in the whole Civil War yet countless lives were lost in each one. These battles were only two months apart. The goal of this paper is to give information on these two Civil War battles Chancelorsville and Gettysburg. The Battle of Chancelorsville In the Battle of Chancelorsville, Hooker was the Union general and Lee was the Confederate general. Hooker had 130,000 men and Lee had 60,000 men. Hooker had more men and supplies and Lee was outnumbered. Before the battle Hooker