Ronald Dworkins Liberal Morality - 892 Words

Dworkin begins by roughly defining liberalism according to the New Deal: It combined an emphasis on less inequality and greater economic stability with more abundant political and civil liberty for the groups campaigning for these goals. Dworkin states that such a definition is inadequate and goes on to elaborate on liberalism in more depth. The liberal, in economic policies, demands that the inequalities of wealth be reduced through social programs such as welfare and other redistribution financed by a progressive tax. Liberals also take a Keynesian policy toward the governments stabilizing intervention in the economy, such as controlling inflation and unemployment. And liberals support freedom of speech, racial equality and are†¦show more content†¦Inequalities would arise only from different mens different preferences and conceptions of the good life. But in the real world, there are the handicapped, inheritance, the untalented and so on, and consequently, the market will have a catastrophic effect upon the less off in society. The liberal will accordingly take the position of a reluctant capitalist as the market is better than a socialist economy that only mimics the market, but some redistribution of wealth will be needed. The liberal will also need a scheme of civil rights in a democracy, to counter weigh those decisions by the majority that would violate a minoritys fundamental right. These civil rights would work as trump cards for any individual that may be weighed against a vast majority. Dworkin then postulates the conservatives version of society as opposed to the liberals. The conservative believes in a virtuous society that promotes these virtuous for all to follow. The market is the best economy according to the conservative because it rewards what is virtuous to the conservative: talent and industry. The liberals believes these to be the flaws of the market as it is unfair to those who lack these virtues. The conservative will favor str ong property rights to control those who would be envious of those with property. The conservative will also beShow MoreRelated Dworkins Wishful-Thinkers Constitution Essay2865 Words   |  12 PagesDworkins Wishful-Thinkers Constitution ABSTRACT: Developing ideas first put forth in my Abortion Rights as Religious Freedom, I argue against Ronald Dworkins liberal view of constitutional interpretation while rejecting the originalism of Justices Scalia and Bork. I champion the view that Justice Black presents in his dissent in Griswold v. Connecticut. INTRODUCTION In Lifes Dominion Ronald Dworkin uses a liberal interpretation of the Constitution to defend constitutional rights to abortionRead MoreEssay about Tolerance, Liberalism, and Community3324 Words   |  14 PagesCommunity ABSTRACT: The liberal principle of tolerance limits the use of coercion by a commitment to the broadest possible toleration of rival religious and moral conceptions of the worthy way of life. While accepting the communitarian insight that moral thought is necessarily rooted in a social self with conceptions of the good, I argue that this does not undermine liberal tolerance. There is no thickly detailed way of life so embedded in our self-conceptions that liberal neutrality is blocked atRead More Amartya Sens What is Equality? Essays3903 Words   |  16 Pagesmodified version of Rawls’ theory which takes primary social goods as that which is to be distributed but which demands a Basic Rights principle that insures basic subsistent rights (as well as basic security rights) as the most fundamental principle of morality (and social justice), and then demands that Rawls’ Difference Principle be applied lexically to the ‘material’ goods of income, wealth, and l eisure time, but done so that the social basis of self-respect is never undermined. Since Amartya Sen’sRead MorePorn and Censorship15240 Words   |  61 PagesPornography and Censorship Should the government be allowed to legitimately prohibit citizens from publishing or viewing pornography, or would this be an unjustified violation of basic freedoms? Traditionally, liberals defended the freedom of consenting adults to publish and consume pornography in private from moral and religious conservatives who wanted pornography banned for its obscenity, its corrupting impact on consumers and its corrosive effect on traditional family and religious values. But

Athletics For A Majority Of The Student Population

Athletics in Education Athletics, for a majority of the student population, provides a very meaningful experience in education. People that participate in athletics will have better self-esteem, social confidence, and more academic achievement. Participating in an athletic program will help the student contribute to the school community, which will help them identify with school values. One factor that may be overlooked in the participation of sports is that it helps students have better physical health. Students who participate in sports learn to respect their health and they will try to stay healthier than students who have never participated in a sport. There are so many numerous reasons to get involved in athletics in the school†¦show more content†¦Coaches are able to work with students and change their lives. In my career I have coached many young students, but the one thing that puzzled me was the barriers causing some students not to participate. What are the barriers for students to not want to participate in athletics or other physical activities? This was the question that I ask myself when I look at some students that don’t participate in sports. I understand that sports are not for everyone in the student population, but why are some students so hesitant to exercise? Some students are not participating in physical activates because there are too many barriers for them. I started my research by doing an online search for barriers to physical activity. After numerous searches I found a website that featured many reasons people don’t participate in physical activates. The biggest break in my research was when I found an article titled â€Å"Male Adolescents Reasons for Participating in Physical Activity, Barriers to Participation, and Suggestions for Increasing Participation†. This article provided me with a variety of information about why male students choose to not participate in sports. Through further r esearch I was able to locate an article on why females choose not to participate in sports. Armed with very useful tools I was ready to start diving deeper into this topic. When I was researching my topic I tried to narrow my results for the barriers of sport participation into three

Micromax †The Indian consumer electronics MNC Free Essays

Micromax is a rather big name today – in fact, it is the largest Indian mobile phone company. It is interesting to note that it took birth as a software company called Micromax Informatics Limited in the year 2000 by a group of four friends. – Rajesh Agarwal, Sumeet Arora, Rahul Sharma and Vikas Jain. We will write a custom essay sample on Micromax – The Indian consumer electronics MNC or any similar topic only for you Order Now In 2008, Micromax entered the mobile phone market and just about managed to get a foot hold, with a 0. 59% market share during the first half year of its existence. By the end of March 2010, its share was 6. 24%. Now it has 23 domestic offices across the country and international offices in Hong Kong, USA and Dubai. Presently, the company has about 1400 employees. It is one of the leading mobile phone manufacturer in India as well as in the world . According to industry analysts, as of 2012, Micromax leads the Indian tablet market with a share of 18. 4%, ahead of Samsung and Apple, and is the third largest mobile phone vendor in terms of volume. Also it is the 12th largest handset manufacturer in the world, according to global handset vendor market share report from strategy analytics. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Innovative products and features- Marathon battery mobile phones with a 30-day battery life, phone which is programmable as a universal remote control, gravity phones are some of the features which have increased the popularity of the product. Low cost of production – With its plants located in China, Micromax bears a low cost in production due to availability of labour at cheaper rates. Effective promotion campaigns- Micromax has been promoting its products through famous celebrities and has also had tie ups with MTV. Weaknesses: Weak brand image in urban areas- Micromax has still not been able to establish itself well in the urban market as its main concentration had been on the rural population. Perception of low-quality Chinese brand- Micromax has a manufacturing unit set up in china which has strengthened this perception among people. Opportunities: Increase penetration in urban market- Since Micromax has not yet entered this market; it has a very huge opportunity to establish itself in this market. Entry into international markets- Micromax has the potential to make its presence felt on global scale eventually as it establishes itself in the domestic market. Threats: Increasing competition from local and international players- With well-established players like Nokia, Samsung, etc. Micromax faces a tough competition from these players. Replication of business model by competitors- Micromax`s business model has been replicated by many new players which again pose a threat to Micromax. IPO offerings On July 28, 2011, Micromax withdrew its 4. 66 billion rupees (about $106 million) initial public offering (IPO) due to volatile market conditions. The withdrawal was recommended by its board in order to allow the company to focus on new product launches and product development. Micromax Informatics Limited has announced its foray into Maldivian telecom space through an exclusive partnership with Sense Wood Maldives (Pvt) Ltd. Objectives Objectives Present objectives: 1. Focus on urban market at large: On capturing major share of urban youth market, for next two years Micromax needs to focus on urban market at large like seiner citizens, physically handicapped etc. 2. Focus on smart phones as well as tablets: Micromax needs to continue focus on smart phones and launch more products and also it needs to focus on tablet market. For 2014: 1. To start new plant and reach market share of 20%: To increase market share, it is essential to increase production capacity. Micromax has plans to start a new plant in Tamil Nadu. With the help of this new plant, it will be able to reach a market share of 20%. 2. Focus on international markets: On making strong focus on rural market and urban market in India, Micromax needs to expand to international markets and enter into neighbouring Indian countries, south African countries etc. So we see that Micromax has established its place as a market leader in phones and tablets, not only in India but internationally as well. How to cite Micromax – The Indian consumer electronics MNC, Papers

Taxation Law and Compliance Elite Retail

Question: Describe about the Taxation Law and Compliance for Elite Retail. Answer: 1: The important part of this case is nothing but its relation to the taxation law. Here in this case Mary Jackson was a marketing consultant received some benefits from her employer Elite Retail. This tax case focuses mainly in FBT or Fringe benefits Tax. The important aspect of this tax case is to assess the primary benefits received in relation to the employment. The fringe benefit has significant taxation implication in the hands of the company (S 32.20). The following benefits are mainly linked benefits; The Fringe Benefit but tax are personally used or for dual purpose; Car parking facility Car Expenses related to car services like Low interest loan Entertainment expenses Reimbursement of personal expenditure (S 32.25). There is some equipment and protective dressing which is being used by the employee in relation to his work is not considered as fringe benefits. The list of fringe benefits is allowed to be treated as exception and hence the following expenses are not charged under FBT; Phones, tablets, laptops, GPS navigation Computer software Briefcase Other items used in the service only. All of the equipments provided to the employee in due course of his employment and used for official purpose are not to be considered as FBT[1]. The duel use items for the benefits to employee which can be either used for work related purpose and personal reasons will have to be considered as fringe benefit; Use of car for the private purpose The discounted loan offering Paying for the gym membership Entertainment tickets In this case study these factors which are related to FBT is witnessed; The following benefits are being received by Mary Jackson; Transfer for furniture $4000 Entertainment allowance $5000 Laptop $2400 and mobile phone $800 Home Telephone $330, 50% used for personal purpose A company car valued $30,000 An allowance for professional subscription $1500 Low interest loan of $500,000 used for purchasing property The entertainment allowances are fixed allowance paid to her and added with salary. Therefore this allowance cannot be considered as fringe benefit[2] (S 32.20). Tax Liability of Mary Jackson Salary $120,000 Add: Entertainment allowance $5,000 Professional Subscription $1,500 Total Salary $126,500 Tax Liability on Salary $18,201 $37,000 @19% $3,572 $37,001 $80,000 @32.5% $13,975 $80,001 $126,500 @ 37% $17,205 Total Tax Liability $34,751 FBT in the hand of Elite Retail $ $ Telephone 165 Low Interest Free loan 500000 (Benchmark interest during the period is 5.65%) Interest according to benchmark rate @5.65% 28250 Less: Actual Interest paid @4% 20000 Benefit 8250 Total Fringe benefit 8415 FBT @49% 4123.35 2: Scott is an accountant and had purchased a plot of land and constructed house on the property. The capital gain is the difference between cost price of the capital asset or at the selling prica eats which it is disposed off. Once capital gain tax liability is calculated in a different manner but the tax rate is at par with the normal tax rate in Australia. Apart from capital loss no other loss can be adjusted against capital gain[3] (S 100.10). The personal assets are not considered as capital assets and any profit generated out of the sale of the assets cannot be treated as capital gain. CGT is not applicable for depreciating assets5. There are two methods that can be used to ascertain capital gain, one is indexation method and discount method. Indexation benefit will be given to those assets acquired before 21September 1999. The consumer price index (CPI) is used for the indexation. Indexation is primarily used to increase the cost base of the asset4 (S 100.20). Capital Gain Tax indexation Sale price $800,000 Less: Indexed cost of land $225,417 CPI 30 Sept 1986 43.2 CPI 31 March 2016 108.2 Less: Indexed cost of construction $150,278 Capital Gain $424,306 Capital Gain Tax Discount Sale price $800,000 Less: Cost of land $90,000 Less: cost of construction $60,000 Capital Gain $650,000 Capital gain would be reduced by 50% $325,000 Scott purchased the land in 1980 in Brisbane and constructed a house for $60000. According to Australia Income Tax Assessment Act, 1997, capital gain or capital loss can be calculated on the basis of discount method and indexations method. The discount method of calculation is better for individuals and it saves cost. Capital gain will be reduced by 50% under discount method. This use of the asset is also an important part in calculation of capital gain (S 100. 30). Here the property was assumed to be transferred to his daughter at the lower cost at $200,000 than the market price. There would be no respite for the tax payer even if the asset was sold at lower price; market value will have to be ascertained during calculation of tax. The tax calculation would be based on the market price reduced by the cost price of the asset or the indexed cost price[4]. Bibliography: Australian Taxation Office, Types of fringe benefits (25 September 2016) https://www.ato.gov.au/General/fringe-benefits-tax-(fbt)/types-of-fringe-benefits/ Australian Taxation Office, Working out your capital gain (25 September 2016) https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Capital-gains-tax/Working-out-your-capital-gain-or-loss/Working-out-your-capital-gain/ Australian Taxation Office, The indexation method of calculating your capital gain (25 September 2016) https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Capital-gains-tax/In-detail/Calculating-a-capital-gain-or-loss/The-indexation-method-of-calculating-your-capital-gain/ Australian Taxation Office, Why do you need a market valuation? (25 September 2016) https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Capital-gains-tax/In-detail/Real-estate/Transferring-real-estate-to-family-or-friends/?page=3 Australian Taxation Office, FBT exemptions and concessions (25 September 2016) https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Fringe-benefits-tax-(FBT)/FBT-exemptions-and-concessions/ Australian Taxation Office, Work-related items exempt from FBT (25 September 2016) https://www.ato.gov.au/General/fringe-benefits-tax-(fbt)/do-you-need-to-pay-fbt-/work-related-items-exempt-from-fbt/ Australian Taxation Office, Capital gains tax (25 September 2016) https://www.ato.gov.au/General/Capital-gains-tax/ [1] Australian Taxation Office, Types of fringe benefits 2Australian Taxation Office, FBT exemptions and concessions 3Australian Taxation Office, Work-related items exempt from FBT 3Australian Taxation Office, Working out your capital gain 4Australian Taxation Office, The indexation method of calculating your capital gain 5 Australian Taxation Office, Capital gains tax [4] Australian Taxation Office, Market valuation

Sylvia Plath Daddy Essays - Sylvia Plath, Daddy, Sylvia, Plath

Sylvia Plath "Daddy" As a poet Sylvia Plath has been renowned for her style of writing and the power she evokes from her ideas in her poems. The themes of her poems tend to be of a negative nature with war, death and the problem of patriarchal societies as such topics. One of Plath's most famous pieces of poetry is Daddy. The poem focuses on Plath's father, a man who left her at an early age resulting in a burning hatred on her behalf for him. Daddy is an example of Plath's dark and gloomy work and also displays her common poetic devices of vivid imagery, metaphors, similes and irregularity throughout her poems. Ideally everybody deserves to grow up with two living parents, however Plath was not given this opportunity as her father died when she was only eight. In the poem Daddy, Plath, as the speaker, is having a one-way conversation with her father expressing all her feelings, anguish and how she tried to compensate for his death. The poem itself bares no metaphorical reading, only a literal reading which is broken up into three parts. A common technique that Plath uses in her poetry is the metaphor. An example lies within the first stanza of Daddy. "Any more, black shoe, In which I have lived like a foot, For thirty years, poor and white, Barely daring to breathe or Achoo." Here the persona uses the simile "like a foot" to compare herself to a foot. Metaphorically she is describing how she has had to live her life without her father, entrapped in black sadness like how a foot is tightly enclosed within a shoe. The reader is positioned to see that life can become very grim growing up without an important figure in a person's life such as their father. The second part of Daddy deals with World War II, a prominent event in recent history, but was a negative one as it was filled with destruction, bloodshed and trauma. Firstly to set the scene vivid imagery is used. The phrases "It stuck in a barb wire snare" and " A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen" paints the picture of the notorious concentration camps of death with barb wire surrounding it. Another example of war imagery is when the persona refers to "Panzer-man, panzer-man, O You-." These soldiers of the German army were one of the most feared, as they were the men who drove the tanks. Finally the line "So black no sky could squeak through" sums up the overall atmosphere of a war with its dark and gloomy nature. With this example of Plath's use of imagery, she has been able to develop a picture of war and its horrific nature. As a race, the Jews arguably went through the most suffering in World War II. Millions fell victim to an attempt of ethnic cleansing ordered by Hitler. However Plath believed her suffering from the loss of her father was just as great as what many Jewish people went through. In the poem the persona uses several similes, a common technique of Plath, in the seventh stanza. "An engine, an engine, chuffing me off like a Jew. A Jew to Dachau, Auschwitz, Belsen. I began to talk like a Jew. I think I may well be a Jew." The similes within this stanza position the reader to see the great degree of suffering the speaker went through, as it is compared to the torment and anguish millions went through during World War II. When the persona describes her father, she again draws upon war imagery in the form of the Nazi soldiers and Hitler himself. The description given is in the ninth stanza. I have always been scared of you, With your Luftwaffe, your gobbledygoo. And your neat moustache and your Aryan eye, bright blue. By comparing her father to Hitler, the speaker creates a parallel in that Hitler was responsible for the lives of so many Jews. Her father is like Hitler and she is like Jew, hence positioning the reader to see how the speaker believed it was growing up without a father that caused her to live such a disruptive life. As it is documented, Plath was known to have lived a life of utter misery, one that included suicide attempts and breakdowns for which the major reason she put behind these was the loss of her father. For her mental illness, Plath received treatment, which included electro-shock therapy. She describes her treatment in Daddy with another metaphor. "But

Should I or Shouldnt I essays

Should I or Shouldn't I essays Decisions...Decisions...why is it so hard nowadays to make a simple decision. Personally I do not feel there are simple decisions to make anymore because everything is so fdaPeople living in this present moment in time are living in a world of diverse cultures, populations, and workforces. Technology and globalization are making diversity a top priority issue in major corporations and in operations. Personalities, morals, values and differences in skills and abilities all set precedence in organization behavior. Working in a management position will always require decisions to be made along with dealing with stress factors in relation to technological advances. Trends in organizational behavior can be explained by discussing the influence of ethics on decision-making and the impact that technology has on work related stress. Making decisions can be rather complex and often stressful in many circumstances. Decision-making is defined as the process of choosing a course of action for dealing with a problem or opportunity(Schermerhorn 17:2). In organizational behavior there are two approaches that a manager can go about in making decisions. The first approach a manager can take is called the classical decision theory. In this theory the problem is clearly defined and has knowledge of all possible alternatives and the consequences that exist. The next step a manager could take would be to choose the alternative that offers the best, or optimum solution to the problem. This classical approach is often used as a model for how managers should make decisions(Schermerhorn 17:6). The second approach is called the behavioral decision theory. This theory models the notion that there are limitations to making decisions and managers will not always have a clearly defined problem that an optimum solution can be use for resolution. The two decision-making processes transcen ...

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Response - Essay Example Such changes may manifest in terms of sweating, inconsistent tonal variation, missed stanzas and inability to capture the attention of the audience. Recitation is very important both to the victim and the audience, and prompt actions ought to be put in place to ensure that the behavior is rekindled during study. Technology has changed the attitude and minds of many readers and poets. They all want to utilize technology in all circles. Other poems are records in the media too. They want to simplify their work. In addition, others are not motivated to recite the poems loudly. They want to utilize technology such as microphone and loudspeakers. Technology limits the poem recitation process. One feels that having a copy of a poem or notes in audio form is enough. However, recitation offers immense benefits. Understanding the benefits will act as a motivating tool to those whose recitation habit is dying away. Reciting the poem aloud creates good attention due to the clear volume, modulation of voice, intonation, and pacing. The habit is especially very beneficial to young children, since it builds up their memory from the very tender age. Consequently, there are immense advantages that accompanied reading poems loudly, hence should undergo the adoption process (Gates, pg.

Annotated Bibliography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Annotated Bibliography - Research Paper Example The article covers the basic theories, training and development in connection with human resource development. The strategies of HRD and technological challenges faced by the managers of HRD in the period of globalization are also included in this article. 2. International Labor Organization, (2001). Introduction. Human resources development, employment and globalization in the hotel, catering and tourism sector. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/techmeet/tmhct01/tmhct-r.pdf This article deals with the Tripartite Meeting on Human Resources Development, Employment and Globalization in the Hotel, Catering as well as Tourism Sector. This article will be helpful for the person who is related with these sectors. It will be helpful for an individual who is expecting to deal with these sectors in future. This article deals with human resource development related to labor productivity, career development, different forms of work organization exi st in hotel, catering and tourism industry. This article also highlights the training methods, techniques, importance of training and skill required for working in these sectors. The article also focuses on the recent development which has taken place in these three sectors along with the factors that drive development in internationalization of tourism services and travel of tourist. 3. Swanson, A. R., (1995). Human resource development: performance is the key. Forum. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from http://cmapspublic.ihmc.us/rid=1217113903859_1440042561_12670/Overview%20of%20HRD%20-%20Swanson.pdf This article focuses on the three major options for viewing human resource development which include views of human resource development, theoretical basis of HRD and visual image. This article generally focuses on the leader of human resource development and their role in the organization. The three major ingredients of the article have also been emphasized on the business process in the organization. The article will be helpful for the leader and managers in the organization as it discusses about the overall HRD performance of the organization. The carious theories of HRD are also included in this paper. 4. Werner, M. J. & DeSimone, L. R., (2009). Preface. Human resource development. Retrieved April 22, 2011, from http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/content/werner78741_0324578741_01.01_toc.pdf The article seeks to define about the theory, practical experience and research associated with HRD efforts. This article is advantageous for managers, students and the professionals of HRD to attain knowledge along with experience. This article will also be beneficial for undergraduate as well as graduate courses in business management, educational administration and various other fields. The article discusses about the complete field of HRD along with skill training towards career development in addition to organizational development. This article focuses on the line managemen t and HRM in relation to HRD. This article may provide broad concepts to the managers along with supervisors who possess limited experience of human resource development. This will help them to grow and to become trainer together with developers and also to develop into an informed consumer of HRD of organization. 5. Taylor & Frances, 2011. Human resource d

Current event(news within the last 30 days) in Europe and provide a Essay

Current event(news within the last 30 days) in Europe and provide a 1-2 paragraph summary about it - Essay Example Ultimately, the European members of the G-20 were satisfied with the results of the meeting, including the French President and the German Finance Minister (Levitz, 2011). France, which currently stands as president of the G-20, hosted the meeting in Paris. Part of the results of the conference was the selection of economic indicators that the G-20 would use to monitor the health of the world economy. One of these indicators, the summit decided, would not be falling or rising exchange rates. Many believe this is because China exerted pressure, amidst criticism, on the other countries to remove this factor from consideration. However, the broad consensus from other major economies is that China needs to allow their exchange rates to adjust in response to market forces. This compromise and pushback from G-20 members is a signal of what is to come in terms of Europe’s relationship to China and its economies. As the Chinese economy continues to grow, Europe faces the problem of de aling with that power in a way that is both fair to Chinese interests and equitable to European interests. Another economic indicator that came under consideration at the G-20 summit was the prices of commodities, which unlike exchange rates, will be used to monitor the health of the global economy. ... Likewise, this may be due to growth in the Chinese economy, which is roughly four times larger than it was at the start of market reforms in 1978 (Sachs, 2011). A point of interest brought up at the G-20 conference was the effect of global climate change on the food shortage, and the difficulties that such changes pose to creating a sustainable diet for the Earth’s population. The G-20 summit, of course, addressed turmoil in Egypt and Tunisia. With such political instability, the responsibility seems to fall on the most stable economies in the world, which primarily belong to the European countries, to help stabilize those countries. Like the American banking crisis, this process of reforming one part to bring the entire system back to health is one that will be played out on the global scale. In many ways, food shortages and underdeveloped economies is what led to the political unrest in Egypt seen throughout the month of February that eventually led to the toppling of a dict atorial government. Thus, the issues that the G-20 addressed seem to be all connected in some way. Even though these problems came to the fore in Egypt, developed countries in the G-20 membership still suffer from high rates of unemployment and soaring commodity prices, as the G-20 members discussed. These decisions to help stabilize unstable economies in order to support the economic problems seen in Europe is one that will have tremendous, lasting consequences for the European nations and the G-20 membership. Works Cited Levitz, D. (2011, February 19). G20 reaches compromise on economic indicators. Retrieved February 28, 2011, from Deutsche Welle:

Corporate Social Responsibility in Banking

Corporate Social Responsibility in Banking Abstract: In todays global economy, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a core component of corporate strategy. As a result CSR emerge as a safeguard to protect financial scandals and diminish reputation of the banks. It also advocates and works to minimize the conflicts with stakeholders. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) designed to respond to huge unmet needs of the society in the achievement of long term and persistent business value. Especially commercial banks play an important role in implementing various social and philanthropic programs to help disadvantaged people of the country. To reinforce, CSR activities, banks have focused the area of market place, work place, community and environmental policy. The analysis in the study was targeted to understand the overall corporate responsibility status in the banking sector of Bangladesh. Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Commercial Banks, Bangladesh. Introduction: Now-a-days corporate strategy planner focuses their concentration on wealth maximization rather than profit maximization. The main cause is the intense market competition. So, they divert mentality from conventional business to social business. In addition, recent financial scandals eg, Enron, Parmalat, Worldcom etc have forced corporate executives, globally, to contemplate a broader strategy beyond the focused view of stockholders wealth maximization. The impact of business on the society has become a crucial issue. As a result, banks are emphasized on social, ethical and environmentally responsible approaches to business activity. Bank examine the environmental effect of projects in loan approval process and no projects are approved which are detrimental to the environment. Commercial banks are well aligned with Bangladesh Banks guidance on this aspect. They believe in the need to focus on poverty alleviation through education and health care, for long run benefit of the nation. Recent theories of CSR (Baron (2001), McWilliams and Siegel (2001), Bagnoli and Watts (2003)) assert that firms engage in profit-maximizing CSR. That is, companies are assumed to be socially responsible because they anticipate a benefit from these actions. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has given the following definition of CSR: CSR is the task of a business to contribute to sustainable economic development, working together with workers, their families, the local community and society in general to improve quality of life. Barnea and Rubin (2005) demonstrate that the decision to invest in CSR is negatively related to insider ownership, and interpret this finding in the light of an overinvestment hypothesis. CSR is good for shareholder value, up to a given level, but insiders may have an interest to overinvest in it to improve their reputation, and they are more likely to do so when their ownership share is lower. Literature Review: There is a growing trend for investors to direct their money towards explicitly socially responsible organizations. According to Peter A. Heslin and Jenna D. Ochoa (2008) The amount invested in green mutual funds in the U.S. rose 695% in the last six years. During the last three years, the amount of money invested in clean energy has reached U.S. $70.9 billion globally. The primary goal of any economy is to maximize the material wealth of nations (Adam Smith), production and distribution of wealth (John Stuart Mill), to maximize material wealth and material welfare (Alfred Marshall), satisfaction of the human needs with the scarce means (Lionel Robbins). But now a day, the objective of a firm is not only consistent with those scholars but also incorporates social, ethical and environmental concerns. Therefore the primary objective, the purpose or use for which, firms exist is to ensure the subsistence of mankind and sustenance of the Earth containing the mankind. Some authors have argued that the stakeholder perspective of CSR ought to extend to the concept of accountability. Drawing from the works of other academics (e.g. Gray et al. 1987; Williams 1987; Roberts and Scapens, 1985), Swift (2001:17) broadly describes accountability as the requirement or duty to provide an account or justification for oneÊÂ ¹s actions to whomever one is answerable and narrowly as being pertinent to contractual arrangements only, where accountability is not contractually bound there can be no act of accountability. According to Lantos (2001), ethical CSR is a firms mandatory fulfillment of economic, legal and ethical responsibilities. It is akin to the first three components of Carrolls typology. Altruistic CSR is the same as philanthropic responsibility of Carrolls typology but differed from it in the sense that Lantos argued that it would only be possible for private firms to be philanthropic and irresponsibility on the part of public corporations since they do not have the rights to use the funds of shareholders (who might also be involved in private philanthropy) for public philanthropy. As argued by Konz and Ryan (1999: 200): People are searching for meaning in work that transcends mere economic exchanges between isolated, autonomous individuals. (and) a way to connect their work lives with their spiritual lives, to work together in community, to be unified in a vision and purpose that goes far beyond making money. In modern era, business activities moving around the society visualizing sustainable development. It is not only a promotional activity but also an ethical dilemma. Some of the authors findings are given below: Author Findings Sethi (1975) corporate activities should be stable over time definitions of various categories should be applicable across firms, industries, or even social systems, making comparative analysis possible. Carroll (1991, 2004) CSR is made up of the following components in a bottom-up order: (1) economic responsibility be profitable (2) legal responsibility obey the law (3) ethical responsibility be ethical (4) philanthropic responsibility -be a good global corporate citizen Lantos (2001) Identified the following strands of CSR: (a) ethical CSR, (b) altruistic CSR and (c) strategic CSR CPD (December, 2002) Following issues have been identified under corporate responsibility framework:- Sustainable Development Business Ethics Human Rights Legal Compliance Corporate Governance Fair Employment Health Safety Labor Standards Community Relations Environmental Responsibilities Objectives of the Study: The objective of the study is to investigate a definite structure and concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the area of banking sector. It deals with early history of corporate social responsibility, banking mission, and the area of social welfare. Besides these, it has some special objectives. These are: To get an idea of banking role in sustainable development. Evaluate transparency and accountability of corporate as well as public entities. To learn business ethics, safety and ergonomic issues. To learn banks responsibility to community. To know standard conduct that includes employment fair policy and all core labor standards. Methodology of the study: The paper is constructed to synchronize theoretical and practical exposure of CSR in Banking perspective. As a result, the paper is descriptive in nature. Most of the information are generated by evaluating Secondary Sources like: Annual report of different commercial Banks Study related books and journals Web sites Collected data have then processed compiled with the aid of MS Word, Excel other related computer software. Necessary tables have been prepared on the basis of collected data and various statistical techniques have been applied to analyses on the basis of classified information. Evaluation and Findings: In Bangladesh, there are forty eight scheduled banks and out of them forty six had engagement in CSR practices in some form or other in 2009 (Review of CSR Initiative-2008-09). Due to intense competition in the banking sector, it is essential for a bank to behave in a responsible manner towards the society. This sense stimulates business activities in a long term and persistent social value. To attain this intrinsic quality banks should: Focus on vision based strategy (wealth maximization rather than profit maximization). Draw their attention to internal and external components of the CSR activities like; fair salary structure, employee benefit, corporate governance, labor standards etc. They need to trust their shareholder-customers, shareholders, employees and society. Behaving responsibility towards society and the environment strengthens this trust. Their commitment has always been to behave ethically and to contribute towards changing the quality of life of their people, the local community and generally the society. Corporate social responsibility focuses on: Figure 3.2: Area of Social Responsibility Work Place Environment Market Place Area of CSR Community Source: Annual Report of National Bank Ltd (2009) In 2004 and 2005, several banks adopted meticulous CSR policies to limit lending related to destructive projects. The intense pressure from environmental activists and shareholders, different banks agreed to not finance projects in endangered or high conservation value forests or where illegal logging is occurring. Environmental concerns have grown steady during the past several decades. Goldman Sachs was the first global investment bank to adopt a comprehensive environmental policy. The natural environment is the major worldwide issue facing the business and the public. World concern continues to mount about the depletion of the Earths ozone layer and the resulting green house effect, a dangerous warning of the Earth. In the year 2007, There is a greater concentration in the field of disaster relief, both in participation and expenditure wise, was observed mainly because of the cyclone Sidr. Whereas, in the year 2009, the Education and Health sectors were getting more attention and appeared to be the most popular area for CSR activities as huge investments are being made by several banks in these segments. These shifts point to the responsiveness of the banking community to the changing need of the society. Despite progress made by many companies, adoption of CSR policies and reporting are still in its early stages at most corporations. Our Corporate Social Responsibility Program engages companies to adopt strong social and environmental policies, and follows us to ensure that commitments are kept. Corporate social responsibilities may provide added advantages to the business like as Balanced Score Card. Because pushing incentives in the base level (Work Place, Market Place, Community and Environment) will increase bottom line figure (Profit) of the statement. The positive attitude towards the focused element (Table-03) is the way of getting added advantages from the society. Major Areas Focused Element Added Advantages Work Place Working Environment Enhance employee satisfaction, confidence, productivity and loyalty Employee Benefit Training Job Security Gender Discrimination Staff welfare Day-care Center for children of bank employee Market Place Customer Service Attain customer fidelity, and retention New Product Introduce new technology Community Education Secure public confidence, interaction, positive attitude and devotion Employment Sports Cultural Activities Health Care Disaster Relief Environment Forestation Allure public attention through ethical behavior Financing on eco-friendly firm (Financial Inclusion) Fig: Added Advantages received by practicing CSR The Financial sector in turn can contribute hugely by catalyzing CSR practices in their real sector corporate clients, promoting inclusive economic and social development. In terms of direct monetary expenditure, engagements of banks in CSR initiatives are increasing, particularly following issuance of BB guidance (DOS Circular No 01 Dated 1st June 2008): CSR expenditures of banks have thus far largely been in the form of passive grants and donations. Apart from one-off grants and giveaways, some banks have engagements in longer term continuing support commitments, in areas of education and healthcare. Besides the passive engagements by way of grants/donations (Table 1, Section B, page 2), banks are now getting actively engaged in socially responsible business operations, by way of increased lending to under-served economic sectors like agriculture and SMEs, towards fuller financial inclusion and faster poverty eradication. The June 2008 BB Guidance circular suggested that banks could begin reporting their CSR initiatives in a modest way as supplements to usual annual financial reports, eventually to develop into full blown comprehensive reports in GRI format. Banks are yet to adopt separate reporting of their CSR activities in comprehensive formats such as the GRI format. Recommendations: The ultimate conclusion is that corporate responsibility is a changing philosophy of business. The demands for social responsibility have provoked enthusiastic discussion and debate on what new roles, if any, business firms should play in the social system. Banks should not attempt to minimize the expectations of the society; rather they need to respond to them more efficiently. The corporate responsibility practices can play positive role in improving competitiveness in the corporate entities in Bangladesh as well as improve working and living environment for the workforce. Whether is for the government, the community, shareholders, directs, top management, employees or the general public, a corporate organization that intends to effect changes in the environment must always perform a number of socially responsible actions. Formulate uniform rules and regulations: Government or regulatory bodies should formulate uniform rules and regulation regarding CSR practices in banking sector. Tax Shield: All social contribution by the banks should be tax exempted. As a result, social contribution will increase gradually. Change corporate values: In most of the cases, social contribution treated as enhance reputation only. But, they have to change their values and try to think its their responsibility too. Improving Business and Social Productivity: A societys productivity depends on how efficiently it uses resources. If the naturally human and financial resources are combined and managed effectively by business forms then the productivity of both business and society can be high. Balancing Ethics and Economics:A serious social challenge to business is to integrate ethics and economics. How much more profit is desirable and what cost to the customers? What about product quality? Is the customer being cheated through poor measurement or abrasive advertisement? Ethical behavior and economics are the opposite sides of a bad coin. There should be a balance. References: Carroll, A. B. (1991). The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders. Business Horizons, 34(4):39-48 Carroll, A. B. (1999). Corporate Social Responsibility: Evolution of a Definitional Construct. Business Society, 38(3):268-295 Carroll, A. B. (2004). Managing ethically with global stakeholders: A present and future challenge. Academy of Management Executive, 18(2):114-119 Lantos, G. P. (2001). The boundaries of strategic corporate social responsibility. Journal of Consumer Marketing 18(7): 595-630 Konz, G. N. P Ryan, F. X. (1999). Maintaining an organizational spirituality: no easy task. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 12(3):200-210. Peter A. Heslin and Jenna D. Ochoa , Understanding and developing strategic corporate social responsibility, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 125-144, 2008 www.sciencedirect.com

The Inklings by Humphrey Carpenter Essay -- Lewis Tolkien Charles Will

The Inklings by Humphrey Carpenter C.S. Lewis heard the bells of one of the colleges strike noon as he hurried purposefully along the narrow cobblestone streets of Oxford. He disliked giving the tutorials required of his position of Tutor in English Language and Literature at Magdalen College and usually kept the sessions to the minimum required time. However, this tutorial had given rise to a particularly enjoyable debate, and he never liked to cut off a good hydebate, although he now wished he had. He was late. Lewis hastily acknowledged the barkeep as he ducked into the Eagle and Child, or Bird and Baby as the pub was better known, and hurried towards the sound of his friends’ laughter coming from the back room and to join in the conversation he had been looking forward to all morning. The group was a usual fixture in the pub on Tuesday mornings, and he was swiftly served his drink as ordering was no longer necessary. As he settled back into his chair, listening to the conversation, he surveyed this group of men, collectively known as the Inklings, which had come to mean so much to him over the years. Present today were Lewis’s brother Warnie Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Hugo Dyson. Lewis briefly wondered what the rest of the members (Nevill Coghill, Owen Barfield, R.E. Havard, and Adam Fox) were doing as he began to reminisce. The impact this literary group had on the world, with books like The Screwtape Letters, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and War in Heaven written by brilliant Inklings as evidence, is tremendous. At the same time, no one was more influenced by the Inklings than Lewis himself. Each of the Inklings might have known one or two others before the formation of the group, thr... ...endship, centered around Lewis, which rose above the diversity. The group rose and began to gather hats and coats to ready themselves for the crisp spring afternoon. It had been a good Inklings and had produced some rather stimulating conversation. It occasionally reached such a fevered pitch that some other patrons of the Bird and Baby, not the regulars who regarded the Inklings as somewhat of a fixture, to raise an eyebrow. Lewis once remarked they â€Å"probably think we’re talking bawdy when in fact we’re very likely talking theology† (185). As this diverse group of friends separated to go back to their jobs at various colleges, Lewis smiled to himself. He was already looking forward to Thursday. Work Cited Carpenter, Humphrey. The Inklings: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and their friends. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1979.