Increasing the Age to 25 When Purchasing Alcohol

In today’s society, alcohol consumption has been taken on as a norm. It can be seen in every arena of life from been seen through the media or through our own personal eyes. When consumed in moderation, alcohol consumption can have some positive effects on individuals. One can get livelier, easier and relaxed. One can also talk more easily and feel less tired. According to some researchers, moderate alcohol use protects against cardiovascular diseases (Carlson, 2009). Socially, some people claim that it also has positive effects. It provides a lot of employment in the production, catering and retail of products and services in which alcohol plays a part. Also, people claim that alcoholic beverages help people socialize. However, if consumed when young, alcohol consumption can have a negative effect. Increasing the age limit on alcohol purchasing to 25 can decrease the consumption rate, misuse rate, and addiction rate among individuals. First, increasing the age limit on alcohol purchasing to 25 can decrease the overall consumption rate. By increasing the drinking age to 25, it can reduce consumption amongst young people because it will be harder to buy alcohol. According to U. S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Centers for Disease Control survey, approximately 52% of Americans over the age of 18 are regular drinkers (Sondik, 2010). The percentage of alcohol consumption can decrease with the increase of the age limit. Secondly, increasing the age limit on alcohol purchasing to 25 can decrease the overall misuse rate of alcohol among the younger crowd. By increasing the drinking age to 25, the group of impaired driver accidents and deaths may decrease. According to the U. S. Drunk Driving Car Accident Statistics, approximately 34% of individuals between the age of 21 and 24 did from vehicle accidents each year (NHTSA, 1997). The percentage of death from motor vehicle accidents and alcohol can decrease with the increase of the age limit. Thirdly, increasing the age limit on alcohol purchasing to 25 will decrease the percentage of individuals that become addicted to alcohol at a young age. The younger a person begins using alcohol, the greater the chance of developing alcohol dependence or abuse some time in their life. Of those who begin drinking at age-18, 16. 6% subsequently are classified with alcohol dependence and 7. 8% with alcohol abuse. If a person waits until age-25 before taking his or her first drink, these risks can decrease by over 60% (Grant, 1997). The percentage of individuals that become addicted to alcohol can decrease with the increase of the age limit. In conclusion, by increasing the age limit on alcohol purchasing to 25 can decrease the consumption rate, misuse rate, and addiction rate among individuals. The overall rates decreasing will benefit every individual in every age group. This can also allow individuals to experience the positive effects of alcohol consumption by being livelier, easier and more relaxed. Work Cited Carlson, Neil H. â€Å"Physiology of Behavior†. Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated: New York, New York. 1 Jan 2009. Grant, B. F. & Dawson, D. A. â€Å"Age of Onset of Alcohol Use and Its Association with DSM-IV Alcohol Abuse and Dependence: Results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Study,† Journal of Substance Abuse, 9:103-110, 1997. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), â€Å"Traffic Safety Facts 1996: Alcohol,† 1997. http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/alcohol/SocialNorms_Strategy/images/SocialNorms .pdf Sondik, Edward J. â€Å"Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey†. Series 10: Data From the National Health Interview Survey No. 249. August 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_249.pdf

Ceja Vineyards Marketing Analysis Essay

eja Vineyards’ Decision to Directly Market to the Hispanic Community Analysis The Case Study, â€Å"Ceja Vineyards: Marketing to the Hispanic Wine Consumer?† by Armand Gilinksy Jr., Linda I. Nowak, Cristina Santini, and Ricardo Villarreal deSilva (2010) outlines a critical decision a small, family owned winery in California is facing. The winery, Ceja Vineyards, is located in the Carneros region and is equally owned by four Mexican born immigrants of farm workers. Amelia Moran Ceja, President, and her husband Pedro Ceja, Artistic Director, along with Pedro’s brother Armando Ceja, Winemaker and Vineyard Manager, and his wife Armando Ceja comprise the ownership team. Amelia, Pedro, and Armando grew up working in the Napa Valley vineyards, and in 1983 purchased fifteen acres in the Carneros region to begin their own vineyard. They planted their first grapes in 1986, and had their first harvest in 1988. From 1989 to 2000 they purchased additional plots of land and planted a variety of grapes. Their wine grape growing company is named Vina del Sol. They produce enough grapes for 65,000 cases of wine per year. In 2001, the company took another large step and began producing their own wine, under the branded name Ceja Vineyards. Their wine is made using their own grapes grown by Vina del Sol. In 2002, Ceja Vineyards was named â€Å"Winery of the Year† by a panel of ninety wine writers. Now it is 2007, and their wine production has doubled almost every year to the current amount of 10,000 cases a year. Problem Identification The key issue in the case study is whether or not they should make a concerted effort to target Hispanics in their marketing efforts. They see the potential of marketing to Hispanics due to the influx in Hispanic population in the U.S., and the continued projected increase. Their main concerns, are that they will have to change their marketing strategies, and incur substantial promotional expenses. They also will not lower their wine prices just to market to Hispanics. Amelia wants the company to focus on direct sells to the consumer so they don’t have to depend on the current distribution system. Analysis To understand the present situation Ceja Vineyards is in and to best recommend a course of action, three analysis techniques were employed. These three are the SWOT Analysis, Porter’s Five Forces, and Value-Chain Analysis. SWOT Analysis A SWOT Analysis was applied first to the situation to assess the internal Strengths and Weaknesses, along with the external Opportunities and Threats. Ceja Vineyards has a multitude of Strengths. Their ownership knowledge is based on a lifetime of real world experience. They grew up picking grapes, and control every aspect of the company guaranteeing top quality. They have a unique history, in that they are Mexican immigrants and the company is family owned. The vineyard is in a premier location. Carneros was the first wine region based on climate rather than political boundaries. Their wine is estate grown using grapes from their wine growing company, Vina del Sol. The company is debt free from years of solid investing and planning. They implemented a wine club, to be able to sell directly to the consumer. Ceja Vineyards is not without its weaknesses. Their small production amount limits their marketing strategies due to not being able to compete head to head with the mega-wineries. They also have limited distribution due to their size, though the emergence of Boutique distributors and their wine club has helped. As for external factors, Ceja Vineyards looks to have a plethora of Opportunities to increase their demand. They could target the ever growing U.S. Hispanic Market. There are currently forty million Hispanics in the U.S., 20% who earn more than $100,000 per year. They are also projected to be the fastest growing population for the foreseeable future. In 2006, they had to turn people away from a wine tasting in Los Angeles because of the demand. Hosting more of these events could be beneficial. Their wine club members receive a discounted retail price, but Ceja Vineyards could introduce a â€Å"Rewards Program† for recruiting new members. The wine market has exploded in the 2000s, and has produced quite a few Threats for Ceja Vineyards. Competition has become fierce recently as the number of wineries grew by 26% from 2004-2007. The â€Å"three-tier system† for distribution does not favor small  wineries. It places a different tax rate dependent on state, and the â€Å"Big Five† distributing companies hold 52% of the distributing market. Boutique distributors are not able to operate in all states, and are always at threat of being purchased by the major distributors. Ceja Vineyards has done well for itself so far, but there is always the threat of growing too fast, without the required demand. The SWOT analysis shows a very high amount of strengths and opportunities that would suggest an aggressive strategy if not for Ceja Vineyards personal business strategy of slow growth. Porter’s Five Forces Porter’s Five Forces was next used to determine the competitive environment. The Five Forces method is used to determine a company’s profit potential for a particular industry.  The Threat of New Entrants – High. Despite the high start-up costs, and that vineyards and wineries are a long term investment, it has not stopped people from joining the market. In 2006-2007, 12,000 new brands were introduced to the market. The number of imports in the U.S. market has also grown. Most noticeably, imports priced above ten dollars, that would compete with Ceja Vineyards, have grown â€Å"44 percent annually from 2005-2007† (Gilinksy Jr., Nowak, Santini, and Villarreal deSilva, 2010, p. 15). The Bargaining Power of Buyers – High. The main buyer of wines from wineries are supermarkets and warehouse stores. These location account for 80% of wine retail sales. Another factor that is increasing the bargaining power of buyers is that there are few key buyers since the, â€Å"retail sector witnessed considerable consolidation in the early 2000s, due to mergers of both supermarkets and liquor store chains† (Gilinksy Jr., et al., 2010, p. 14). The Bargaining Power of Suppliers – Low. Suppliers in this instance, mean small market suppliers. Gilinksy Jr. et al. (2010) states, â€Å"The top ten wine companies in the U.S. controlled 82 percent of all shipments,† so while the larger producers may have some bargaining power, it doesn’t allow any for smaller quantity producing entities. The Threat of Substitute Products and Services – Low. Ceja Vineyards location is its greatest strength against the threat of substitute products and services. While there are other wine products, and other companies that sell even the same type of wine as Ceja Vineyards, there are only so many that can produce it using Carneros grapes. In the wine industry, the quality of your grapes are your biggest asset, and each location produces a distinct flavored grape. People who prefer Carneros grapes will only have so many options due to its limited size. The Intensity of Rivalry among Competitors in an Industry – High. As stated previously, the wine market is growing each year, both domestically and internationally. As is the number of wine producers which is outpacing the market growth. This combination makes it harder each year to create a demand for your product with so many options available to the consumer. Value-Chain Analysis To understand if a company has a competitive advantage or not, a Value-Chain analysis can be performed on the company’s business model. For this report, we will only focus on the primary activities of the Value-Chain analysis Inbound Logistics. Ceja Vineyards is classified as an estate-grown winery, because it is located in the same place the grapes are grown. The vineyard that grows the grapes, Vina del Sol, is owned by the same group so this makes this portion of inbound logistics ideal. Being located in California, also helps with the inbound logistics of bottles, corks, and bottle labels because California has the largest number of wineries per state in the United States. This is going to mean any supplies needed for wine making will be readily available. Operations. The four owners consist of two married couples, and each has an equally weighted vote in any decision. They are also family, and live nearby each other making communication easy, in theory. They also grew up around vineyards so all have a deep understanding of what is needed to run the business. The quality remains high because according to Pedro, â€Å"we’ve done quality control over every aspect, from growing to the cork that goes  into the bottle† Gilinksy Jr. et al. (2010). The only improvement to the operations side would be if Pedro quit his day job and focused his full attention on the winery. Outbound Logistics. This is the area that is the main issue for the Ceja’s. The industry is set up to cater to the mass producing wineries. To mass distribute their product they would have to use the â€Å"three-tier system†, which would only pay them 50% of the retail value of their product. Other options are the boutique distributors, but they can’t distribute to the entire U.S. This is why Amelia wants to sell directly to the consumer through their wine club, and tasting room to cut out the middle man and increase their profits. Marketing and Sales. The grape producing side of their company, Vina del Sol, is doing terrific. The demand for it is very high as it already has five companies on the waitlist to buy grapes. While, Ceja Vineyards sales have doubled each year since introducing their branded wine it is hard to judge the ceiling. This is mainly because the company has grown slowly, and been vigilant of growing too fast. The company realizes though, they have to decide on exactly how to market their product though if they want to continue increasing demand for it, and that is the issue we are trying to solve. Alternate Solutions The Ceja’s have multiple options they could take, and still be successful. The easiest option would be to change nothing. They have increased their revenue and profits each of the past three years according to their income statements. Also, they stated they had doubled their wine sales each year, and were ranked number 2 in Wine Business Monthly’s Hottest New Small Brands. With the growing wine market and critic accolades, they would probably continue to grow without changing anything. They could decide to target the entire Hispanic population, and market heavily. This mass marketing strategy would reach the most people, but would be very expensive. It would require an understanding from all the  owners that it could produce significant losses during the transition period. They could look at Round Hill Vineyards & Cellars as a blueprint. They did an ethnic outreach program in 2004 to target Hispanics and Asians. Their total case sales increased 400 percent from 2005 to 2006. Ceja Vineyards could work directly with their current Wine Club members, asking them for feedback on what made them join. Offer the members rewards for purchasing so many cases a year, or recruiting new members. Currently, half of the wine clubs 1000 members are of Hispanic descent. They could speak directly to this portion of the group to try more of a grassroots marking campaign. Ceja Vineyards could also market to only a portion of the Hispanic community. Since they refuse to lower their prices, they could market to the nine percent of Hispanics that make up the â€Å"mostly acculturated† percent of the Latino population. Wine consultant Sandra Gonzalez stated, â€Å"these Hispanic wine consumers are 96 percent more likely to spend $20 or more a bottle than non-Hispanics.† (Gilinksy Jr., et al., 2010, p. 14). Recommendations Ceja Vineyards in the enviable position of being a growing company with no debt in a growing market. After analyzing Ceja Vineyards’ business model and the state of the external environment, Ceja Vineyards should market to the Hispanic population. As of 2005, there were 12.5 million Hispanics in California alone. This is an enormous untapped market that if tapped into would allow Ceja Vineyards’ to rely less on the big distributors and more on direct to consumer sales. Ceja Vineyards’ should continue to grow their Wine Club through the use of promotions and a reward system, while also reaching out to the â€Å"mostly acculturated† percent of the Latino population. They should also look into the marketing strategies Round Hill Vineyards & Cellars employed to attract Hispanics and Asians to their brands.

What is literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What is literacy - Essay Example Within the parameters of intensively competitive labor and job markets, on the one hand, and global markets for goods and services, on the other, literacy, in all its variant forms and manifestations, has assumed unique importance.Whether as relates to immigrant L2 communities in the United States or native citizens, literacy often emerges as a non-negotiable criterion for employment and hence, the capacities and abilities of individuals to integrate into their societies and become constructive members therein. Given the importance of literacy, both on the individual and the societal levels, understanding what literacy means, clarifying the variances between L1 and L2 literacy and outlining the socio-cultural and ideological implications of literacy emerge as the primary concerns and objectives of this paper.Popular understandings of literacy as the ability to read and write, while accurate, effectively obscure the inherent complexities of the term and over-simplify its implications. As Speilmann and Radnofsky (2001) contend, literacy extends beyond the narrow parameters of the aforementioned definition to encompass the communicative skills requisite for both integration in society and the realization of individual career and social potentials and aspirations. Concurring with the aforementioned Kern (2000) defines literacy as "an elastic concept: its meaning varies according to the disciplinary lens through which one examines it." It is, from this definitional perspective, a mercurial and fluid concept, both difficult to pin down and even more problematic to pin down. Not withstanding the fluid nature of the concept or the multiple contending definitions which surround it, Tompkins (2001) defines concept as functional/basic and computer/post-modern literacy. The former refers to the capacity to read and write with some degrees of skill and competency. The latter, whose importance has expanded with the onset of the present century, references computer skills and an individual's ability to use and work with computers and other information technologies. The proliferation of computers as a primary medium of communication and information exchange has, according to McGrail (2007), made computer literacy as important as basic/functional literacy, insofar as the former is needed just as much as is the latter for employment and social integrative, let alone communicative, purposes. In further testament to the highly complex and multi-dimensional nature of literacy Baynham (1995) identifies six literacy models. These are the (1) skills development, (2) the therapeutic, (3) the personal empowerment, (4) the social empowerment, (5) functional and (6) the critical models of literacy. Taken together, these models effectively underscore the extent, to which literacy facilitates all of personal development, social integration and the acquisition of career/job skills, on the one hand, and allows an individual to realize his/her potential, on the other. Proceeding on the basis of the literature reviewed in the above, it is evident that literacy encompasses far more than reading and writing skills. Indeed, it may very well be defined as the primary predicator of social and professional success. The concept, complex enough as it is, is rendered even more so upon its contextualization with L1 and L2 frameworks. 3 L1 and L2 Literacy Within the context of an L2 setting, the definition of literacy, as outlined in the preceding section, retains both its validity and viability. Hayes and Schrier (2000) make this amply clear when they define L2 literacy as socio-communicative skills within a non-mother tongue environment or linguistic setting. In the L2 setting, just as in the L1, being literate means possessing reading and writing skills and having the capacity to utilize those skills in both

Usual arrangement of chairs in a college classroom Essay

Usual arrangement of chairs in a college classroom - Essay Example The problem with the classrooms today is that the schools and universities tend to overcrowd them, thus destroying the effectiveness of the seating arrangement in class. Although the U-shaped form of arranging desks helps ease the problem of whether the student can hear the professor or not, it does not solve the problem of whether the professor can effectively see his students when one raises his hand to pose a question or clarification on a topic being discussed. That has been a problem that I have struggled with ever since I got to college. My learning is hindered by the arrangement of the seats and the fact that the arrangement is meant to pack in as many students as possible within a class. Interaction among students? That isnt necessary in a classroom setting where the main focus should be on the teachers lecture and not what is happening at the next desk. That can be saved for group study hour. What I am trying to say is this. I believe that effective learning fully depends upon how much of the class lecture a student can hear, absorb, and a take note of. The most effective learning tool for a student is being in a position within the classroom to ask questions of his professor. But that will not happen when the desks are disorganized in the classroom. So Mr Stone is right, the arrangement of the chairs within a meeting can actually dictate the successful outcome of a gathering. If a student has a comfortable desk set within a good enough distance from which to see, hear, and question the professor, and an attentive professor to boot, then a student will be in the finest form possible to learn as much as he can within the

Compensation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compensation - Essay Example These wages are augmented by bonuses that are commensurate with the contributions the employee makes to specific projects or even their own entrepreneurial developments (â€Å"Facebook beats google†, 2012). The best fit and best practice approaches constitute different perspectives. The best fit approaches argues that compensation pay should be aligned with the organization’s strategy and values. The challenge these becomes finding the ‘best-fit’ between the strategic approach and compensation. These practices are contrasted with ‘best practice’ approach that argue there need not be a best fit between strategy and approach, but instead a universal approach to compensation in the organization. A customer service-agent that manages issues that arise between buyers and sellers at the online marketplace Half.com. These management practices occur over the telephone and through e-mail. Notably, there are over 2,000 emails a day to sort through. It is indicated that this information does not become tedious as the emails are of constantly different varieties. In terms of further information needed, it is necessary to consider what occurs when the issue cannot be resolved, as well as the extent that the employee is under pressure from Half.com to determine a best fit solution. 5. The compensable factors in paying my boss more than me are that he has a higher knowledge set and deeper managerial experience. This increases his organizational value as he is able to oversee crucial aspects or operational difficulties. This is further understood in terms of organizational contributions. While it is possible for the lower tier workers to make tangible contributions to organizational value, compensation is on a best fit spectrum so that the higher the individual is on organizational spectrum, the higher their value is the organization. This results in the higher compensation

Project Management - Bubble Bee Case part 3 [sap21] Essay

Project Management - Bubble Bee Case part 3 [sap21] - Essay Example Perhaps the most significant value that understanding cash flow provided in six (6) months is in building investor confidence so that the capacity of the company to meet future operating expenses is determined. The Cash flow Bubble Bee ensures that every cash flow item happens at the acceptable seniority to items. Categories of cash flow items present Bubble Bee case with comparison of Cash flow Statement in the bubble gum Project Finance Model. Activities are budgeted depending on the needs and intensity of work. Trial procedure is more costly than logistics. During the first month, much of the cost went into product development and requirement and needs survey. The second month saw costs distributed to product development, trial and logistics. The sixth month had most of the costs going into compliance (food, drug and administration approval, product planning, protection and ramp up). The cash flow statement gives details that can be enthusiastically evaluated from an external investor’s dimension, whereas the cash flow bubble bee gives information that can be analyzed by the banks. The screenshot shows a higher level graphics of a cash flow statement. When categories are compared with the structure, the differences in costs and baselines can be identified. This ensures cash allocations are done according to item seniority and intensity. This is especially significant in scenario analysis or downside sensitivity in which the operating cash flows are highly stressed. The cash flow bubble bee also shows daily and weekly spending and calculates the net movement in the cash balance, within the project hence predicting cash closing balances. Including integrity checks to cost line signifies the possibility of Closing Cash Balance (Balance C/f) being negative. This is a critical element to project completion. Cash flows help in reinforcing integrity check which is added a project to funding by identifying negative cash balance which determines a practical

A Clockwise orange - Violence and Society Essay

A Clockwise orange - Violence and Society - Essay Example The overwhelming question that would be examined is whether society can curb violence by implementing laws that by themselves are violent. The question, whether violence by criminals can be addressed by violent means, is addressed in the novel through its theme.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Society is expected to function properly only when people can carry out their day-to-day activities without being threatened of violent acts like stealing, sexual harassment, etc. by unsocial elements. When unsocial acts from the likes of eve-teasing and pick pocketing crosses their limits to rape and murder, like carried out by Alex in the novel under study, then such characters are too dangerous to be left open in the society. Imprisonment is one way through which present day judicial system deals with such criminal offenders (Collins and Cattermole).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though there is no authoritative definition of anti-social acts by habitually violent criminal offenders, anti-social act is any action which is ‘public’  in character, generally criminal, and at a low level of seriousness constitutes activities often termed in popular parlance as ‘street offences.’  In US, crimes are classified into felonies and misdemeanors. While misdemeanors are usually lighter form of offenses dealt with corrective measures like fine or imprisonment up to 1 year, serious crimes like rape and murder comes under the category of felony. They are often punishable by death penalty or imprisonment more than one year (Collins and Cattermole 47).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cullen, Wright, and Blevins observes, â€Å"crime is a complex phenomenon that exists on varied levels of analysis, manifests itself in various ways across the life course, is linked to forces inside and outside the individual, and is enmeshed in contexts extending from situational dynamics to socio-political, historical eras.†Ã‚  (Cullen, Wright, and Blevins 1) Alex, the protag onist in the 1962 novel A Clockwise Orange, and his pals are adolescent ‘style-boys’ who are used to ‘smashing faces and windows’  and night orgies. They communicate in slangs and external environment generates a vicious circle from where it is difficult to come out from the crime (Burgess). Alex's pals (‘droogs" in the novel's Anglo-Russian slang) are Dim, a slow-witted, systematic bruiser and Georgie, a motivated No 2 in command, and Pete, all of whom have predilection for ultra-violence. The author portrays Alex as a personality with an instinct to do antisocial activities and a hardcore juvenile wrongdoer; he is nevertheless sharp and intelligent with elegant taste of music. Alex is especially fan of Beethoven, or ‘Lovely Ludwig Van.’  (Burgess 63)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Collins and Cattermole, antisocial behavior varies from person to person. ‘Silo’  remedy focused on just one part is deemed to be a f ailure. Enforcement, prevention, and rehabilitation should be pursued thoughtfully in any modern free society (Collins and Cattermole 47-48). During his imprisonment, Alex is subject to behavior modification; Ludovico Technique is experimented (Burgess 82). Under this technique, Alex is injected with a medicine that makes him sick and compelled to view violent scenes finally pushing him to strong bouts of nausea at the mere thought of violence (Burgess 96). The success of the application of Ludovico technique in Alex is exhibited to a cluster of important people, who observe as Alex falls down before a bully and degrade him before an insufficiently attired young woman. Though the prison officials blame the government of depriving Alex of free will, the state bureaucrats present are delighted with the outcome and Alex is discharged from the prison (Burgess 119). Ability to

How to improve the health care system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How to improve the health care system - Essay Example The United States is the sole leading developed country that does not insure its people through a health financing scheme (Waldman & Yourstone 232). These abovementioned major problems are widespread. They are observed in every form of care provided in the U.S., namely, end-of-life, chronic, acute, and preventive (Nash & Goldfarb 49). It would be logical to assume that with all these issues the future of the American healthcare system must be discouraging. However, there are still reasons to believe that the nation’s healthcare system can be improved. National surveys reveal that the American people agree fully to the restructuring of the healthcare system or reforming its core weaknesses (Richards & Coast 175). This essay discusses the possible measures that could improve the healthcare system. One of the most important measures to improve the quality of the healthcare system is assigning bigger responsibility to all stakeholders, such as the government, healthcare workers, insurers, employers, and consumers. Bigger efforts have to be initiated to make care more patient-centered and promote the involvement of the patients in the care given to them. To actually accomplish the concept of patient-centered health care it is not sufficient to merely place larger financial responsibility on the shoulders of consumers (Lighter 92). They also have to receive important and prompt information about the health care that they are entitled to obtain so that they can totally accept the principle of being in charge of their own health and medical requirements. In order to be effective, â€Å"that information needs to be authoritative, easily accessible, easy to understand and to act on, and personalized† (Nash & Goldfarb 10). So as to have patient-centered healthcare system, information technology (IT) should also be applied in delivering health care. It is thought that the Internet will revolutionize how health

Corporate Social Responsibility in India Essay Example for Free

Corporate Social Responsibility in India Essay The basic principle of the sustainable development and Corporate Social Responsibility is the combination of needs important both from the point of view of an institution, as well as a group of entities operating in its environment (employees, shareholders, stakeholders, borrowers, local society) within its business policy. Thus, the goal of a contemporary organisation should be to maximise its shareholders’ value satisfying, at the same time, expectations of other stakeholders (stakeholders’ value) by integrating economic, social and environmental operations. There are many factors that make us interested in Corporate Social Responsibility 2: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ New problems and expectations of citizens, customers, public authorities and investors in the context of globalisation and significant industrial changes; Social criteria have bigger and bigger influence on investment decisions made by units and institutions playing both the role of consumers as well as investors; Bigger and bigger care for damages caused to natural environment by business activities; Transparency of business activities supported by media and IT technologies. Corporate Social Responsibility principles, as well as the quality of information in their web sites and annual reports, the main sources of knowledge about the company for potential investors, counterparties and local communities. In the near future, we should also expect that as a result of the globalisation of financial markets, Polish listed companies will meet investors that are more aware of Corporate Social Responsibility and consumers that invest and co-operate better with companies supporting environmental and social development. The analysis of awareness rates and progress in implementing the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility in the sector of Polish companies covered all joint stock companies listed in the Warsaw Stock Exchange4, excluding listed banks (covered in the analysis of the banking sector) and national investment funds. Results of the study are based on information disclosed and presented in web sites and annual reports of the analysed companies and they refer to the following aspects: †¢ †¢ †¢ reporting on Corporate Governance principles adopted by the company, including audit rules; reporting on the company’s environmental policy, reporting on the company’s social policy. The study covered possibilities of an access for investors, local communities, potential business partners to the information about the company’s financial standing, and strategies in progress. The principles for reporting on Corporate Governance were stipulated in the resolution of the Stock Exchange Council of October 16, 2002 (58/952/2002) on best practice in public companies in 2002. Pursuant to this document, companies were obliged to publish and deliver, by July 1, 2003, their first statement confirming their will to observe the newly introduced rules. The study carried out by the Institute shows that over 90 percent of companies publish their reports on incorporating (adopting) principles of Corporate Governance in their business strategies. However, we have to point out that the quality and availability of the information presented in web sites and in annual reports of companies for potential investors and society is relatively low. 4 The analysis was carried out from August – October 2003. 5 The Gdansk Institiute for Market Economics Among the listed companies under the study, only 40 percent disclose and publish detailed information about the structure of their Corporate Governance, and mostly in web sites, where companies present the information about the composition and structure of their management board (74. 4 %) and the composition and structure of their supervisory board (62. 2 %). Chart 1. 1. 1 Do domestic companies publish detailed information about the structure of their supervisory bodies? 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Board structure Supervisory board structure Responsibilities of board member Definition of independence 25,6% 37,8% 51,7% 87,2% 99,4% 99,4% 74,4% 62,2% 48,3% 12,8% 0,6% Any supervisory board Commities 0,6% Individuals responsible for implementation, oversight and audit of economic, social and environmental policies YES NO Source: Own study based on research carried out by the Gdansk Institute for Market Economics. The Institute’s studies on the companies’ informing about the structure and responsibilities of their main bodies in charge of Corporate Governance also show that: †¢ domestic listed companies have not appointed persons in charge of implementing and supervising their policy related to Corporate Social Responsibility, yet (only 0. 6%), †¢ companies usually do not disclose the information about the existing committees at their supervisory boards. Potential investors and business partners willing to establish co-operation with a given entrepreneur want to know external auditors analysing the company’s financial statements and know whether they are reliable. 6 The Gdansk Institiute for Market Economics The Institute’s study shows that 88 percent of domestic public companies presents information related to their audit policy in their web sites. The companies usually give procedures for selecting external auditors, principles for rotation (changes) of external auditors and point out that external auditors are independent of the company. Nevertheless, in Poland, companies still do not present statements on audit costs and costs of other services performed by auditors. The Institute’s analysis also shows that most listed companies under the study (86. %) have undertaken to respect such shareholders’ rights specified in the Best Practice like: †¢ †¢ right to express their opinion and make motions to the company’s management board; right to see minutes and reports from previous meetings (usually available to the shareholders at the company’s office); †¢ publishing information on future General Shareholders Meetings and their agenda. Chart 1. 1. 2 Do domestic companies publish information about audit, shareholders’ rights, implemented principles of their Code of Business Conduct / Code of Ethics? 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 12,8% 13,3% 98,9% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 87,2% 86,7% 1,1% 0% Does the Company disclose audit related Does the company disclose its policy on information? shareholder rights? Does the company disclose and report on its internal Code of Business Conduct/ Code of Ethics? YES NO Source: Own study based on research carried out by the Gdansk Institute for Market Economics. Assessing the awareness and progress in implementing the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility by Polish listed companies, it is worth underlining that still a small percentage of companies has developed and adopted the Code of Ethics and the Code of Business Conduct, 7 The Gdansk Institiute for Market Economics where the companies define, for example, principles for social, environmental policy, issues related to the protection of human rights, employment policy. The managements have to guarantee that the Code of Business Conduct is effectively implemented, monitored and improved. Therefore, the European Commission promotes companies which adopt and implement the Codes of Business Conduct prepared by international corporations. In the opinion of the European Commission, the Code of Business Conduct should 5: †¢ Be based on guidelines of the Convention of the International Labour Organisation, defined in the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work from 1998 and OECD’s guidelines for international companies related to social partners and their stakeholders; †¢ †¢ †¢ Incorporate mechanisms required to assess and verify the Code implemented; Involve social partners and other groups of stakeholders influencing the company’s operations in the dialog about the shape of the Code; Expand the experience related to best practice in European companies. The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility also assumes that the company should purposefully get involved in environmental protection. The study shows that domestic listed companies do not find it purposeful to present information about actions taken to protect t e natural environment. On the one hand, it h results f rom the fact that the companies are not aware of potential benefits they could obtain, according to the assumptions of Corporate Social Responsibility, for example if their environmental actions are positively perceived by their stakeholders. The research carried out by the Market and Opinion Research International (MORI) under the CSR Europe campaign on the sample of 12 thousand citizens representing 12 countries shows that around 70 percent of consumers buying a product or a service take into account the level which a given producer is involved in social and environmental activity to. At the same time, every fifth consumer is ready to pay more for goods produced by a socially responsible company. On the other hand, the lack of information about environmental actions taken by the companies results from relatively low financial expenses borne by these companies for environmental purposes.

Value Conflicts Essay Example for Free

Value Conflicts Essay Looking at the article â€Å"Charge it to our children† written by Thomas L. Friedman, the obvious value conflict is monetary. Which is valued more, saving money in taxes, or pay for a war? However that question gives rise to another, more detrimental conflict†¦ should we even be fighting the war in Iraq? Many supporters of the war see no reason we shouldn’t pay for it, moreover the opposition undoubtedly feels they shouldn’t pay for something they don’t agree with. Friedman writes about a $1 per gallon tax on gasoline â€Å"which could reduce our dependence on Middle East oil dictators and reduce payroll taxes for low- income workers, pay down the deficit and fund the development of renewable energy†. Would we be willing to pay that amount to secure the future? Yet another type of value conflict now arises quality of live in the present as opposed to the quality of live for the future? Unfortunately money makes the world go around, where we decide to put it is always a conflict. This correlates with another article written by Freidman entitled â€Å"Generation Q† where he comments on the lackadaisical stance the younger generations have taken in regard to polity. He states that although we are more involved in the world, we are not riled up enough about our own prosperity. Should our generation sacrifice peace and political correctness in order to â€Å"light a fire under the country†? He tends to imply that we have become far too dependant on electronic communication. Should we give up the ease of e-mail in order to actually take time from our busy schedules to attend a rally? Would anyone else even show up? In the end it all boils down to a matter of proximity. Our country seems to have adopted the old out of sight, out of mind adage. I think we need to collectively do something, but are we willing to sacrifice our own self diluted cushy little lives in order to standup for ourselves, or will we go, uninspired and quiet into the darkness our future now holds. Works Cited â€Å"Charge it to Our Children† By Thomas L. Friedman. Published in the International Herald Tribune, October 7, 2007 http://www. iht. com/articles/2007/10/07/opinion/edfried. php â€Å"Generation Q† By Thomas L. Friedman. Written in young-Turks via Google Groups, October 10, 2007 http://groups. google. com/group/yotu/browse_thread/thread/5a20aa7a200eba46