...of poor human rights practices in their past, and how that has affected their overall business in the current decade. Social responsibility has always been an important factor to a company’s long term performance and sustainability. If you compare the stock performance of the top 50 most socially responsible companies, as published by Boston College’s Institute for Corporate Responsibility, to the S&P 500, the companies perceived as having the most ethical corporate governance consistently outperforms the competition in the long-run. This has become particularly important within the apparel industry, which has developed a stigma due its use of sweatshops over the last several decades. As many industries have become more and more automated, the apparel industry still requires an incredible amount of human capital to produce its products. Because of this, the industry has traditionally outsourced its production facilities to nations with low minimum wages and even lower working standards. There is little that can be done to avoid the nature of profit maximization and outsourcing, but companies like Nike have since realized that if they allow their products to be produced under horrible working conditions, or conditions that the company’s consumer base deems unethical and immoral, then your consumer base will not purchase their products. The Sweatshop Code of Conduct is a signatory agreement that aims to establish an ethical minimum for working conditions around the world. This...
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...many countries in which we work. They are at the very heart of WaterAid – who we are, what we do and how we do it. Respect Collaboration We treat everyone with dignity and respect and champion the rights and contribution of all to achieve a fairer world. We work with others to maximise our impact, respecting diversity and difference in the pursuit of common goals. Accountability Innovation We are accountable to those whose lives we hope to see transformed, to those we work with and to those who support us. We are creative and agile, always learning, and prepared to take risks to accelerate change. Courage Integrity We are bold and inspiring in our actions and words, and uncompromising in our determination to pursue our mission. We act with honesty and conviction and our actions are consistent with openness, equality and human rights. Front cover image: Janett, four, fills up a jerrycan with clean, safe water at the village’s new pump in Bugesera district, Rwanda. WaterAid/Zute Lightfoot Back cover image: Four-year-old Andreana (centre) and her friends play at a new waterpoint in Timor-Leste. WaterAid/Tom Greenwood Contents 4-7 Introduction 8-11 opportunities The and challenges 12-13 Our approach 14-15 How change happens 16-25 Our strategic aims 26-27 Improving our operations 28-29 Assessing our performance 30-31 Developing our organisation 32-33 Where we work The children of Basbedo...
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...Utopian Societies in America Utopian societies while not abundant were far from rare in the nineteenth century. One such version of utopianism, Fourierism, attracted at some point numbers in the range of 100,000 members during the 1840’s alone. Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Letter from Brook Farm is just one of many primary documents preserving firsthand accounts of life in these communities. There are enough primary sources in enough detail such that Sterling F. Delano was able to create a secondary source, providing some evaluation and analysis in what has been referred to as a standard for a starting point when researching these societies in the book Brook Farm: The Dark Side of Utopia. Brook Farm was actually far from singular as a utopia experiment. In The Americanization of Utopia: Fourierism and the Dilemmma of Utopian Dissent in the United States an article by Carl J. Guarneri. Guarneri points out many such communities and experiments took place in the 1800’s. The Harmonys in Pennsylvania and New Harmony in Indianna, Onieda in New York, the list goes on although daily life Brook Farm, as was experienced by one of the community members, Nathanial Hawthorne, being the subject of the primary source of this paper. Brook Farm is seen as a trivial contribution by some writers, Guarneri’s article states the contrary that while Brook Farm is one of many experiments it was an important part of the utopian experiments of the time. Other secondary sources, reviews of Brook...
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...emphasizes low cost, "me-too" products, and a continuously shortened product life. Instead, Apple has opted for constant and discrete product innovation, resulting in fanatic consumer loyalty and a high level of profitability. The Bad Apple So why does Apple treat its customers and workers by two different standards? When it comes to customers, Apple is a bold innovator that leads the industry into new directions and forces others to follow. However, when it comes to the management of its supply chain and treatment of workers in the Chinese factories that make its products, it hides behind the constraints of prevailing industry practices. What is even more disconcerting is the fact that these practices are in violation of not only local and national laws, but also of Apple's own voluntary self-imposed code of conduct. It is important to note that this voluntary code of conduct breaks no new ground. It is at best a modest attempt to ensure that workers will be treated fairly and provided with a safe work environment. Yet the violations continue, despite years of monitoring factories where Apple's own audits show persistent non-compliance and despite these factories' repeated broken promises to improve. Apple's Strategic Profile - Value Culture vs. Cost Culture In my view, Apple's good and bad sides both emanate from the same business...
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...which emphasizes low cost, "me-too" products, and a continuously shortened product life. Instead, Apple has opted for constant and discrete product innovation, resulting in fanatic consumer loyalty and a high level of profitability. The Bad Apple So why does Apple treat its customers and workers by two different standards? When it comes to customers, Apple is a bold innovator that leads the industry into new directions and forces others to follow. However, when it comes to the management of its supply chain and treatment of workers in the Chinese factories that make its products, it hides behind the constraints of prevailing industry practices. What is even more disconcerting is the fact that these practices are in violation of not only local and national laws, but also of Apple's own voluntary self-imposed code of conduct. It is important to note that this voluntary code of conduct breaks no new ground. It is at best a modest attempt to ensure that workers will be treated fairly and provided with a safe work environment. Yet the violations continue, despite years of monitoring factories where Apple's own audits show persistent non-compliance and despite these factories' repeated broken promises to improve. Apple's Strategic Profile - Value Culture vs. Cost Culture In my view, Apple's good and bad sides both emanate from the same...
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...Public Health Bush Books and the Quality Improvement Program Planning System (QIPPS). It is also designed to be used as a guide, together with other local, regional and national frameworks, policies, strategies and resources. Why Health Promotion? The World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledges the growing evidence that health promotion and preventive health approaches are effective in improving overall health and wellbeing, reducing the burden of chronic disease and injury, addressing health inequities, facilitating the better use of resources and enhancing economic productivity.1 2 3 4 Striking a balance between investments in a health promoting approach that addresses the increasing burden to the healthcare system of preventable chronic conditions and investments that increases the level of expenditure in treatment services is a major component of health system reform. It is particularly important to utilise key performance indicators and...
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...CHAPTER ONE 1.0 Introduction The invaluable role and contributions of education as an instrument for development and promotion of an individual, social, economic, political and cultural development of any nation can never be over-emphasized. According to Abdulkareem (2007), a nation’s growth and development is determined by its human resources. Science has been defined as an organized body of knowledge, a method of solving problems and it also serves as a search of explanation of natural objects and phenomena. In the demesne of science as a whole, one important dialect is Biology, the domain of living things and its environment. According to Encyclopedia Americana (Vol. 3, P770), “few sciences have contributed to the philosophy and physical basis of contemporary society than Biology has”. Man, probably was a biologist before he was anything else, his own health body in health and illness, the phenomena of birth, growth, and death of the plants and other animals that give him food, shelter and clothing undoubtedly were matters of serious concern to man then and even now. Biology is intimately connected to daily life and everybody’s life-long planning. Shut out Biology from daily life and civilization comes to a standstill. It is in the light of this, that the research seeks to build and elicit among students and teachers the proper appreciation and interest in the value of Biology to the individual and to the society at large. This subject Biology, occupies a very important...
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...Knowledge sharing in organisational contexts: a motivation-based perspective Alice Lam and Jean-Paul Lambermont-Ford Abstract Purpose – Facilitating knowledge sharing within organisations is a difficult task: the willingness of individuals to share and integrate their knowledge is one of the central barriers. This paper aims to develop a motivation-based perspective to explore how organisations resolve the social dilemma of knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis builds on a three-category taxonomy of motivation, adding ‘‘hedonic’’ motivation to the traditional dichotomy of ‘‘extrinsic’’ and ‘‘intrinsic’’ motivation. It uses case studies gleaned from the literature to explore the interactive effects between the different motivators in two different types of knowledge-intensive organisations: professional bureaucracy and operating adhocracy. Findings – Within a professional bureaucracy, the social dilemma of knowledge sharing may be overcome through normative motivation, with provision of hedonic motivation through extrinsic incentives such as training and career progression. In an operating adhocracy where interdependent teamwork is vital, it may be overcome through normative alignment reinforced by intensive socialisation. Extrinsic motivators that align with hedonic motivation may also reinforce the propensity for knowledge sharing. In both organisational types, financial extrinsic incentives do not appear to be relevant on their own, and may ‘‘crowd...
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...Bachelor of Science Education Degree (B.Sc. Ed. Biology) under the Department of Science Education, faculty of Education, University of Ilorin, Ilorin Kwara State Nigeria. Dr. S. O. Oyelekan Date Supervisor Esther O. Omoshewo PhD Date Head of Department Prof. A. S. Olorundare Date Dean, Faculty of Education External Supervisor Date DEDICATION The entire work of this project is dedicated to Almighty Allah, the Bestower of knowledge and Wisdom, to whom everything shall returns. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am highly indebted to Almighty Allah, Who alone had favored me beyond my imaginations. ABSTRACT TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Certification Dedication Acknowledgement Abstract Table of Contents CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Background of the problem Statement of the problem Purpose of the Study Research Questions Scope of the Study Significance of the Study Definition of major terms and variables CHAPTER TWO: REVIEWED LITERATURE Science, Biology and the concept of Science and Biology Instructional materials and students academic performance in Biology Teachers’ classroom management and Students academic performance in Biology Students’ personal attitude and their academic...
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...human qualities are utilized Human resource management: Methodically and systematically recruit, develop, and utilize human potential (assets) for both human and organization. Objectives of HRM: 1. Staffing (get the good ones): job analysis, workforce planning & forecasting, recruiting candidates, testing & selecting. 2. Managing employee relations (keeping the good ones): * Collective bargaining (unions) * Fair treatment (blocks of fairness) , careers (from hiring to retirement), discipline and privacy, two way communications, dismissals compensating (how much to pay) * Protecting safety & health 3. Training and development (keep them good): Prepare them for the future. Use and develop human assets, learn continuously, exchange knowledge, appraising performance 4. Exit (let them leave in a good way) Chapter 1: Basics of HRM Human resource management (HRM, or simply HR) is a function in organizations designed to maximize employee performance in service of their employer's strategic objectives. HR is primarily concerned with how people are managed within organizations, focusing on policies and systems. What are the main functions of HRM? 1. It describes the body of management activities - “personnel management” 2. It denotes a particular approach to the management of people Main objectives of HRM * Staffing * Performance * Change-management * Administration HRM roles and objectives Achievement of organizational...
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...Chapter 1: A work team is an interdependent collection of individuals who share responsibility for specific outcomes for their organizations. A team is a group of people with respect to information, resources and skills who seek to combine efforts to achieve a common goal. It has 5 characteristics: 1. Shared Goal 2. Interdependence- members cannot achieve goals by themselves. To meet goals you must rely on other members. 3. Bounded- identifiable membership (know who’s on the team). 4. Stability- teams work together for a meaningful length of time. (Tenure). 5. Authority to manage own work and internal processes. Teams operate in larger social system context. (Larger organization) A working group by contrast, consists of people who learn from one another and share ideas but are not interdependent in an important fashion and are not working towards a shared goal. Help others but maintain the goal of achieving independent goals. 4 Challenges proving importance of teams: 1. Customer Service- Transactional models of teamwork are characterized by discrete exchanges, are short term in nature and contain little interactions between customer and the vendor. In contrast relational models of teamwork occur over time , are more intense, and are built upon a relationship between the people involved. 2. Competition- Industry leaders often enjoy vast economies of scale and earn tremendous profits. Teams withing organizations need to work even harder to...
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...Tripartism and Social Dialogue In Singapore Michael Heng International Labour Office, Bangkok 2008 ii Foreword This paper on tripartism and social dialogue in Singapore is intended to highlight Singapore‟s industrial relations system in general and, in particular, the extent to which industrial relations actors, social institutions and legislation are aligned through social and labour policies to create a sustainable climate of industrial peace and harmony that helps maintain the City State‟s global competitiveness. This analysis of Singapore‟s success story is part of a comparative study of national systems of tripartism and social dialogue, intended to cull good practices that may be adapted and adopted in other countries of the region. iii iv Contents Foreword iii 1. Singapore’s Labour Force, Labour Institutions and Key Labour Laws Singapore’s labour force and employment in brief Trade union membership Labour institutions Ministry of Manpower Industrial Arbitration Court Trade unions Singapore National Employers Federation Key labour laws and collective bargaining The Employment Act The Industrial Relations Act The Trade Unions Act The Trade Disputes Act The collective bargaining process (enterprise level) Disputes settlement through conciliation and arbitration 1 1 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 5 7 8 8 10 11 2. Tripartite Social Dialogue Bodies 13 3. Tripartism and Social Dialogue National Wages Council Central...
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...1. Profile the U.S. Market in terms of “Consumer Trends” and the effects of “Competitive Rivalry in the retail sectors”. Identify the specific and general driving forces behind these trends. Due to the credit-crunch many commentators point out that the global consumer mindset is tuned to recession-spending.The main point is that US consumers who used to be very materialistic,now tend to spend less money on their purchases.And there are some consumer trends that support this issue. “The Lipstick Effect” is the phenomenon of the rise of small self-treating on make-up and gadgets when people forego extravagant purchases such as cars and holidays in times of recession. This tendency is all about consumers' sustained need to enjoy consumption and express their identity despite their pressured lives. Overall, consumers may scale down on purchases and live with delayed gratification by saving and investing more in retraining and putting more energy into getting better value. But the definition of value will be different for different products. For instance, consumers will seek the lowest price for products that serve basic needs such as food, whereas in self-treating and small luxuries, the value of feeling indulged is given precedence. The Lipstick Effect endures. Consumers still appear willing to splurge on prestige items. This has led to a huge wave of websites on how to be frugal but also keep up appearances. . Commentators, journalists and bloggers are certainly signalling...
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...vulnerable citizens—its children. The causes of death will vary, but the overwhelming majority can be traced to a single pathology: poverty. Unlike the tsunami, that pathology is preventable. With today’s technology, financial resources and accumulated knowledge, the world has the capacity to overcome extreme deprivation. Yet as an international community we allow poverty to destroy lives on a scale that dwarfs the impact of the tsunami. Five years ago, at the start of the new millennium, the world’s governments united to make a remarkable promise to the victims of global poverty. Meeting at the United Nations, they signed the Millennium Declaration—a solemn pledge “to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty”. The declaration provides a bold vision rooted in a shared commitment to universal...
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...De Beers' Multifaceted Strategy Shift Faced with such challenges as new sources of competition and suspicion about conflict diamonds, Gareth Penny had to rethink the basics A diamond may be forever, as De Beers' famous advertising slogan contends, but is the same true of a business model? That was the question facing Gareth Penny, managing director of De Beers, in the late 19'90s, when the famed diamond cartel found itself beset by a series of events that ultimately forced it to examine and then retool its business strategy. Since the company was founded in 1888, De Beers followed a strategy of supply control. In addition to mining its own diamonds, it bought diamonds from other producers and had what it called the "central selling organization," controlling some 90% of the world's diamonds. Its tight control over such a vast amount of supply enabled De Beers to keep prices high for a commodity that is neither particularly scarce nor useful. If a competitor offered diamonds on the market outside of De Beers' central selling organization, De Beers would simply flood the market with similar stones, thus eliminating any pricing power the competitor might offer. By the end of the 1990s, the business model of controlling supply and managing how much of its inventory went to market at any time was no longer effective: New sources of diamonds were discovered in sufficient quantity that they could be sold competitively outside of De Beers' central selling organization. Demand for...
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