Corporate governance Essay

Other studies have attempted to isolate the impact of separate social factors on financial performance. For instance, Derwall, Gunster, Bauer, & Koedjik, K. (2003) have included the innovest eco-efficiency scores of US companies, and have looked at the environmental factor. After controlling the risk and investment style, they concluded that the high-ranked portfolio outperforms the low-ranked portfolio. The results become significant when adjusted for industry effects. Becker & Huselid (1998) have concentrated on the relationship between human resources management and firm performance. An analysis of over 500 multi-industry US companies present that a high performance HRM system has an economically and statistically positive effect on organizational performance. Gompers, Ishi, & Metrick, A. (2003) have emphasized the corporate governance aspect. They have drafted a governance index using 24 governance rules on 1,500 large US firms. An investment strategy that purchased shares of well-governed firms and sold shares in badly-governed firms earned an abnormal return during the 1990s. The research has applied style-adjustments. Bauer, Gunster, & Otten (2003) have analyzed the effect of corporate governance on stock returns and firm value. They have utilized the Deminor Corporate Governance ratings to build a portfolio of organizations with bad corporate governance. They find positive results for style-adjusted returns, with weaker positive results after adjustment for country differences. In summary, majority of the studies have presented an out-performance for SRI portfolios compares with more traditional investment approaches, even if such differences do not always present as statistically significant. When particular dimensions of sustainability are investigated, more significant and positive results are brought forth, suggesting that some facets of corporate social responsibility may also contribute shareholder value. Hypothesis This research will look into the efficiency of the internet, especially the corporate websites in transmitting messages with regard to one’s corporate social responsibility. In the same way, it would determine the role of corporate responsibility in increasing profits and revenues of a certain organization. It would look at how US companies incorporate their corporate social responsibility into their websites and how they link the most present and relevant issues into the general characteristics of the company (corporate profile) and of their products and services. In the same manner, this study aims to look at how these issues have been presented in their websites. Are they using the descriptive or informative approach and are they more commercial in perspective instead of allowing an ethical valuation or an appraisal of the company’s compromises in its production. This would also look into the issue of corporate governance. This research shall be qualitative in nature. According to Fay (1996), qualitative researchers attempt to accurately describe, decode and interpret the precise meanings of a certain phenomenon to a person or group of people. The research will also be based on the interpretative paradigm. According to Saunders et al. (2003) interpretive research is a broader term than qualitative research and it encompasses all other approaches based on participant observation such as ethnographic, qualitative, phenomenological, constructivist, and case studies. Second, interpretive research does not carry with it the false connotation of excluding the use of quantitative measures. The focus lies at the different constructions and meanings people place upon their own experiences and the reasons for those differences. The researcher shall use three tests focused in one group. These shall include surveys, focus group discussions and interviews that are essential in gaining necessary data. The focus group discussion of qualitative analysis was utilized, offering the proponent the opportunity to follow up and clarify certain facets of the research to the researchers and to the peers of the research group. It also permitted the members of the focus group to express his/her feelings, opinions and concerns. Following this, the focus group discussions created were documented and thematically analyzed. In order to effectively evaluate the research hypothesis and meet the objectives of the study, this study will employ two qualitative research methods – the focus group discussion and interview method of research. Qualitative research in itself makes for an in-depth evaluation and analysis of human dynamics and the kind of reasons that motivate such behaviour and the reasons that revolve around such behaviour to spur out in the first place. As compared to quantitative research, the qualitative method of analysis relies on the fundamental reasons behind the reactions of people when external factors are applied to a given situation. Simply put, it investigates the why and how of decision making, relative to what is being identified by the quantitative method of analysis – what, where, and when (Denzin & Lincoln 2000). For this reason, qualitative research only requires a relatively small group as compared to the relatively large yet most of if not all of the time are random samples. Qualitative research also identifies and sorts data into relevant and helpful patterns as the foundation for organization and the basis for reporting the kind of results for data.

Christian Music and Chris Tomlin

I would gather to say that when asked if they would rather listen to Christian or non-Christian music that the general population would choose the latter. Christian music is looked upon as having a dry and bland type of style, one that lulls you to sleep rather than the adrenaline pumping and soul shaking music that you get from most alternative bands. A problem that Christian music artists seem to have is trying to gather popularity for their product. Unlike the MTV bands, where sex sells, the Christian band keeps close to its values of clean wholesome music that glorifies God. Unfortunately the general population hardly shares these same views, and attendance for concerts and record sells are always down. Up until a few days ago I was under the category of non-Christian music over Christian, and was like everyone else thinking that no way could Christian artists stand up to those who were not. I have since seen that these thoughts could not have been farther from the truth. Artists like Chris Tomlin and his band not only bring to you the rhythm, beat, and noise that has come to be generally expected at rock concerts, but his type of â€Å"soul shaking† goes much deeper than others and keeps you in tuned with the Lord the entire time. So this brings about the questions, â€Å"What type of style do artists like Chris Tomlin bring to their concerts that intensifies the general perception of Christian music? † â€Å"Where does Christian concerts have benefits over non-Christian? † I was lucky enough to attend a Christ Tomlin concert this past weekend. Needless to say the experience blew me away along with my perception of Christian music. The atmosphere was just incredible the entire time I was there; such a sense of unity and friendship for one common goal seemed to permeate the room. The concert itself took place in the Nokia Center in Los Colinas, Texas, and there was not any empty seat in the room. Everyone there was with a common goal, to praise Jesus with song, and strengthen his or her relationship with Jesus. One thing I found interesting about this concert was that Chris included a guest speaker. This is something you will definitely not see at any other concert. Louie Giglio was the speaker's name, and after and hour of singing he provided a nice change of gears with a powerful message talking about how big God is and how small we are along with our problems. Using the songs just sang, he pounded in a teaching that brought about a whole new meaning to those lyrics. There was a silence that filled that room unlike any I had ever heard before. People were sitting concentrating on the message that had just been delivered to them and trying to understand its meaning and how it applied to their life. You would never hear any type of silence at a non-Christian concert, or be privileged to listen to a guest speaker. Most of the time it's seeing how much beer you can drink, or weed you can smoke and maybe listening to some music every now and then. Never is your attention focused solely on the stage following every word spoken or sung. Even with a room full of people the atmosphere at a Christian concert allows you in your mind to be by yourself with God. The quality of the music and sound was comparable to any rock concert that I had been to, helping erase my prejudice towards non-Christian music immediately. Chris had a tremendous voice, accompanied with his guitar and piano playing he was nothing short of astounding. He had a good group of guys playing alongside with him, all very inept in what they played. If the lyrics hadn't been praising Jesus you would have thought you had bought tickets to see Green Day. If the singing and instrument play wasn't enough, Chris did a great job of keeping the audience into it. He would have the entire crowd do certain things such as flip open their cell phones and hold them up while swaying back and forth. 10,000 people's cell phone lights were swaying back and forth creating and awesome spectacle and a sense of bonding time with God and each other. While singing was going on, pictures would be flashed up on the screen showing nature's beauty and Jesus on the cross. This reminded people of God's creation and the sacrifice that Jesus suffered for us. The clapping almost never stopped as people started to really get into the concert. Others were moving down to the front of the stage and were jumping up and down with the rhythm of the song. Not just teenagers, I'm talking about full grown men and women some in their mid-thirties to forties, jumping and yelling like it was some mosh pit at Ozfest. Instead of screaming profanities though these people were praising God. This type of celebration seemed to carry on for another hour or so, just singing and dancing, all for the glory of God. You could tell then that things were starting to wind down as Chris played a couple slow songs in succession, and people started moving back to their seats. They ended with the song â€Å"Indescribable† and towards the end of the song the stage went completely black and you couldn't hear Chris sing any more only the crowd. When the song had finished the lights came back on and the band was gone. This gesture struck me the most. When do you ever see a band walk off without saying anything, or acknowledging the applause by the audience? It was because it was important to them. All the glory is given to God there. God is the one that makes that concert possible and they made sure that He was the one glorified, not them. I asked my friend that I had went with, if this was the best Christian concert he had been to. He responded with, â€Å"Best? They are all like this. † It is just not Chris Tomlin that runs his concert like that; many other Christian artists share these same views. Though others still claim that Christianity a cult and that its music is just promoting a singular view. Whatever the reason, Christianity must be applauded for the giant leaps it has taken in the music industry and the quality of its songs. Musicians like Chris Tomlin must continue to be a beacon as a quality performer and God-fearing man to those seeking success as Christian music artists.

A Positive Approach to the Future

A Positive Approach Towards the Future The issue of mandatory school uniforms has taken on several debates over the past decade; it is believed that this issue will plague public schools for decades to come. Students who wear uniforms feel a sense of being superior with their fellow classmates. This feeling of being part of a group boosts morale and individual confidence, thus leading to higher grades. Children will be more focused in a uniform classroom. There is no more distraction as to what the other kids are wearing or who has the name brand shoes. Girls will be dressed appropriately and clothing will fit properly. This adds to the learning experience. There is no more competition. There is no more rivalry and the children are able to focus on their schoolwork and not on the latest trends ( Bodine 67-69). Former President Clinton made a state of the union address in 1996; in that address, the subject of mandatory school uniforms was mentioned. If it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear uniforms (Williams). In fact, that year in Long Beach, California, the first district to implement mandatory uniform policies, assault dropped by sixty-seven percent, vandalism by eighty-two percent, and robbery by thirty-five percent. Overall crime was reduced by seventy-three percent the first year the policy was in place (Williams). This was a direct reflection of the uniform policy. Students were more disciplined and behaved in a more mature manner. These students took pride in themselves and others. With the lack of material items to fight over, students no longer felt the need to use aggression towards others, proving that school uniforms do in fact improve student behavior. Also when it comes to crime, a student wearing a school logo, is less apt to commit a crime outside of school while in uniform because it would be easier to track him based off of the school information on the uniform? This lowers the crime rate for the general public as well as the in school instances. Not only do mandatory uniform policies for public schools offer the potential for higher educational benefits and improved student discipline, school uniforms dissolve social boundaries between classmates. Students are no longer judged based off their appearance but by who they are on the inside. There is no more competition between social classes that these students may have otherwise felt and they work together as a team and share a common pride. All students will feel a sense of belonging. No longer will lower income children be labeled as poor based off of their clothing. All children will appear as equals in the classroom and will be treated as such. However, some may argue that uniformity takes away from the students individuality. Many children, especially teens, express themselves through their personal styles and the way they dress. Sometimes children need to feel special or unique and dressing a certain way is how they accomplish this. Uniformity takes away from the First Amendment by taking away freedom of expression. If we take away the freedom of expression, we are taking away our childrens creativity and conforming them into a society where free thinking is not accepted. However this is not the case. The uniform does not change who the child is on the inside or how he thinks creatively. Students will still be able to focus creative energy through activities such as art, music, writing or sports. There are several creative outlets besides the choice of clothing options. When it comes to our economy, we as Americans must pinch our pennies where we can. Many parents are faced with the dilemma of outfitting their children in the latest trends or putting money towards more important things like saving for their childrens college education. Some families are unable to afford the popular named brand clothing that their children desires, which make the children, feel inadequate in school when they are forced to wear lesser brand clothes or second hand outfits. School uniforms would take away that hassle of finding bargains to ensure that their children feel confident in their attire. Uniforms are generally more durable than the average street clothes. Granted, the cost may be a bit more substantial in the beginning, but the uniforms will last longer which means there is less out of pocket expense for replacement articles. With uniforms, the parents may only have to purchase two or three sets compared to several pairs of bottoms and tops. Uniforms are more durable and can be washed more frequently compared to regular clothes. This makes them the better option not only for lower income families, but all families in general (Romero C4+). Critics claim that uniforms will cost the families more money in the long run because parents will be forced to buy the uniforms and regular clothing for their children to wear when they are not in school. The cost for parents may double that of just buying traditional school clothes. Although this is partly true, that yes, parents will be faced to make additional purchases for their children, in reality, they really wont be spending that much more money if any. Since uniforms are more durable, the parents only need to buy a limited supply and since the children will only be wearing their regular clothes outside of school, parents will not have to buy as many outfits. Most children wear out their clothes while in school. Since this is not an issue with the uniforms, the traditional street clothes will last longer, hence saving the parents money in the long run. Also without the constant competition in schools, children may not feel the need to have the latest brands and styles as they would if they were wearing the clothes to school on a daily basis around other social classes (King 3-5). With all of the advantages and disadvantages of implementing mandatory uniform wear into our public schools, there needs to be a compromise. Some schools have decided that it is best to make minor changes to the dress code policy. When it comes to school uniforms, there is a never-ending debate as to what the right approach and the wrong approach may be for our public schools. Works Cited Bodine,A.. aâ‚ ¬? School uniforms, academic achievement, and uses of researchaâ‚ ¬?. The Journal ofEducational Research 19 Feb. 2008: 67-73. Print. King, K. A. Should school uniforms be mandated in elementary school?. 2010: 3+. Print. Romero, E. aâ‚ ¬? School uniform countdownaâ‚ ¬?. Daily News Record, 16 Aug. 1999, C2+. Print. Williams, D. aâ‚ ¬? School uniforms: The raging debateaâ‚ ¬?. n. d. Web. 5 Aug. 2011.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 50

Leadership - Essay Example All organizations should have a purpose that brings people together to work towards achieving it. It is the role of leaders to put human beings in the best environment to meet the objectives of the organization by proving to them all they need in order to accomplish the purpose of the organization (Burns, 2012). Groups are preferred to solve problems in organizations due to the fact that groups have a variety of talent and abilities that can be pooled together to solve the inherent problem amicably. However, the individuals in a group possess different skills and each one of them will try to utilize his/her own abilities to outshine the other in order to stand out as the most valued member of the group. In the process, the primary intention of group work that was meant to be cooperation turns out to be competition among individual members. In some instances the competition among group members turns out to be unhealthy as members will resort to utilizing uncouth techniques to outshine each other thus losing the core purpose of the team and in the long run the purpose that the team was meant for is not achieved (Burns,

Week 6 Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Week 6 Discussion - Assignment Example â€Å"A primary goal of any website or blog should be to provide its visitors with a pleasant and fulfilling experience† (Dailyblogstips). I believe that Wal-Mart should expand into any area of business that will increase its sales activity. The firm has grown so much internationally that it should be willing to provide personalized services such as ship to site services. Wal-Mart is a multinational corporation and the firm should be open to obtaining new clients in new markets by capitalizing on the brand value of the company. My general impression of Wal-Mart’s website is that the company is doing a good job of expanding its business using an e-commerce strategy. In 2010 ecommerce sales generated $152.1 billion in the United States (Plunkett Research). The company has to invest in developing its website to compete with other online retailers in the U.S. and abroad. As the biggest retailer in the world Wal-Mart has to capitalize on its brand value to generate more business from its online

Personal development and careers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Personal development and careers - Assignment Example Learning can be presented in terms of two theories, cognitive and behavioural. Cognitive behaviour or cognition focuses on a person’s thought processes to determine his or her behaviours and emotions. Behavioural theory is based on the changes, which can be observed in behaviour, and concentrates on a response to some type of stimulus. Other differences between the two theories include the fact that cognition helps to explain how the processes of brain work and store new information, while the behaviourists are involved in applying laboratory outcomes to elucidate the performance of human beings. Cognitive problem solving involves insight and understanding compared to behaviourist’s problem solving method which occurs via trial and error. Learning is frequently defined by the terms cognitive or behavioural. But there are numerous definitions for it. These include definitions such as ‘changes in an individual's behaviour arising from experience’, ‘the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge’, ‘a relatively permanent change in cognition, resulting from experience and directly influencing behaviour’ and ‘changes in a person's behaviour caused by information and experience.’ Although there is no exact definition of the term learning, but the essential premise from the explanations provided above is that of a change or transformation in behaviour through the acquisition of knowledge, some skill or experience. McShane and Travaglione (2003) recognized the process of learning as direct experience, reinforcement, feedback, and observation. Reinforcement is the strengthening of behaviour that is expected to occur in the future. Operant conditioning shows how new behaviours become conventional through association with particular stimulus. Any behaviour that is reinforced or rewarded will tend to be recurring. Operant conditioning or reinforcement considerably improves learning in a work setting. Feedback is defined as any information that people receive about the consequences of their former behaviour. Feedback has an effect on behaviour, hence learning improves performance and enhances the individual’s ability and motivates them.  A person can learn a lot about him/her and the organisation through feedback, including his strengths and weaknesses, which may enable him to undertake specific courses (steps) to build knowledge and improve the quality of work.   Observation helps people to learn by observing the behaviours of others, resulting in people modelling the behaviour that leads to a constructive and positive outcome as opposed to a behaviour that will lead to unfavourable results. Observation helps in increasing an individual’s motivation and ability by watching others accomplishing their objectives and identifying themselves within that position. The majority of what is learnt in an organization today occurs through experience. Direct experience is sometimes required to gain understanding and change, refine, or create a mental model. Direct experience provides built-in opportunities for active involvement in a learning environment which determinedly shapes individual’s understandings. These four activities which identify the procedure of learning are further supported by Nonaka’s process. Here the learning process is also divided in four phases: socialization, externalisation, combination and internalisation. Socialisation is where

Lean Six Sigma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Lean Six Sigma - Essay Example Although Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma have been practiced for several decades now, Lean Six Sigma itself is a relatively new initiative being followed by companies worldwide. Whereas Six Sigma is focused on reducing variation and improving process yield using statistical tools, Lean is primarily concerned with eliminating waste by following a defined approach to implement various Lean principles. Lean brings action and intuition to the table; Six Sigma uses statistical tools to uncover root causes and provide metrics; Lean Six Sigma is a combination of both and provides the tools to create ongoing business improvement (Smith, 2003). The synergy of Lean and Six Sigma bring in the advantages of both, achieving results consistently superior than what either system could achieve alone. Lean Six Sigma is different from Six Sigma in the sense that it marries the principles of both Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma concepts to produce a much enhanced system. Six Sigma is a process for eliminating defects and variation through the development of a disciplined data driven approach. However Six Sigma alone cannot dramatically improve process speed or reduce invested capital. Although it can bring a process under statistical control, variations will still exist in terms of delivery times, assembly times, routings, etc. Incorporating Lean principles within the Six Sigma framework enhances speed and quality by improving and streamlining the processes and creating excellent customer service. According to Badurdeen (2008), "to get to Lean Six Sigma an organization should first incorporate Six Sigma into their process improvement and then engage in Lean Six Sigma to speed up the processes after the systems have been broken down into smaller components". Selecting the Right Team As such, rightsizing Lean Six Sigma teams should be the first priority for businesses that want to ensure the success of 'Lean' projects and realize the full potential of such projects. Some of the factors that characterize an efficient Lean Six Sigma Team are: High level of efficient communications amongst implementers, management officials and other entities associated with the 'Lean' project. The team members are accountable since decisions and actions taken by the team can be traced back to individual members. Team works with a reduced cost of operations because the lesser the numbers, the less will be the amount of resources used for performing the same tasks and duties The team constantly strives in increasing efficiency in solving complex problems and issues and employees know the exact person to contact if they encounter problems during the implementation phase The team shows less chance of conflicts and ego issues. One way we evaluate the success of a Lean Six Sigma initiative or strategy is to measure the involvement in LeanSix Sigma by way of numbers of people involved, i.e., numbers trained, practicing, certified, etc. DMAIC DMAIC is a standard improvement model; it is a structured, disciplined and rigorous approach to process improvement consisting of 5 logically interlinked phases. The 5 phases are discussed in the following section (George, 2002). Define: This is the first step which aims at clarifying the goals and value of a project. A set of tools such