Analysing Business Ethics And Corporate Social Responsibility Philosophy Essay

Analysing Business Ethics And Corporate Social Responsibility Philosophy Essay The question of business ethics has been at the forefront of business studies for several decades. It is an issue that has been discussed by everyone from philosophers to economists, many of whom placed an emphasis on the social responsibility of corporations and their shareholders. With the unprecedented success and profits that corporations have experienced within recent history it is no surprise that ethical problems may arise. However, is it the responsibility of corporations to help eradicate such problems even if doing so is in direct conflict with shareholder interests? This paper will explain the stakeholder and stockholder theories of corporate management and argue in favor of the stakeholder theory on the basis of the harms the shareholder argument poses in terms of both social responsibility and the stability of the corporation. In order to fully concretize its argument it will use research of Edward Freeman, Milton Friedman, and John Boatright. Stakeholder theory is one of the most well-known theories of business management. Managing for stakeholders is based on a set of relationships among groups which have a stake in the activities that make up the business. This can include but is not limited to customers, suppliers, employees, stockholders, banks, etc. Executives play an integral role in the activity of the business since they are expected to look after the health of the overall enterprise, to keep varied stakes moving in roughly the same direction, and to keep them in balance. (Freeman R. E.: 2008, Managing for Stakeholdersp.63) Freeman explains that the primary duty of the executive is to create as much value as possible for stakeholders. Where stakeholder interests clash, the executive is required to work to find solutions and bring these interests together. Executives must understand that business is fully situated in the realm of humanity. (Freeman R. E.: 2008, Managing for Stakeholdersp.64) The benefit of the stakeholder theory is that businesses, and the executives who manage them, actually do and should create value for customers, suppliers, employees, communities, and financiers (or shareholders). Edward Freeman explains in his paper The Purpose of the Corporation that the model of business is no longer workable, is resistant to change, not consistent with the law, and for the most part, simply ignores matters of ethics. He states, each of these flaws is fatal in the business world of the twenty-first century. (Freeman, R. E.: 2008, Managing for Stakeholders, pp. 56) By using the stakeholder as a basic unit of analysis, it is more difficult to ignore matters of ethics. To explain this, Edward Freeman argues that the primary responsibility of the executive is to create as much value for stakeholders as possible, and that no individual stakeholders interest is more important than that of another stakeholder. This in turn guarantees the rights of all the stakeholders. T he problems that pose risk lie within the shareholders capitalism theory. Furthermore, if the stakeholder theory is examined, one would find that all stakeholders have rights and if one is denied theirs, the others are undeniably affected. Edward Freeman further supports this with an argument about character. He explains that one of the strongest arguments for stakeholder theory concerns character because it asks executives and entrepreneurs to consider the question of what kind of company they want to create and build. (Freeman, R. E.: 2008, Managing for Stakeholders, p. 66) Finally, Freeman poses the pragmatist argument which seeks to know how we can live better, how we can create both ourselves and our communities in ways where values such as freedom and solidarity are present in our everyday lives to the maximal extent. (Freeman, R. E.: 2008, Managing for Stakeholders, p.66). For the pragmatist, business and its close relative capitalism have evolved into a social practice, an important one that we use to create value and trade with each other. Consequ ently, the stakeholder model is always aiming to find the best possible solution for all parties involved in the corporation. Its social responsibility lies within the company as a whole. Social responsibility comes in many forms and recognizing any one form means it is required to recognize all. Conversely, Friedman states that if these are social responsibilities, they are of individuals not of a business. (Friedman, The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits, p.52) He contends that, in any situation, the executive would be spending someone elses money for the social responsibility. For example, if the executive makes expenditures on reducing pollution beyond the amount that is in the best interest of the corporation; and he then must hire hard-core unemployed applicants instead of better qualified workmen, he is spending someones money by reducing returns to stockholders for his environmental responsibility and lowering wages of some employees by spending what he would have given to a more experienced employees. According to Friedman, if the employees, stockholders, or consumers, want to spend their money towards social responsibility then it is their money and their decision. Friedman concludes his paper by stating; in my book Capitalism and Freedom, I have called it a fundamentally subversive doctrine in a free society, and have said that is such a society, there is one and only one social responsibility of business to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game, which is to say, engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud. (Friedman, The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits, p.55) Friedmans point here can be used to understand the stakeholders benefit because it is its own form of social responsibility. Who is to say that social responsibility can only be defined in narrow terms? What is clear is that no one set of criteria can unequivocally define it and if under these ambiguous circumstances a corporation manages to achieve it, then it has guaranteed the rights of the stakeholders, thus creating social responsibility. Moreover, John Boatright explains that advocates of stakeholder management are correct in their insistence that the modern for-profit corporation should serve the interests of all stakeholder groups. Where stakeholder management fails is in its refusal to recognize that a business organization working in the interests of shareholders does not have to be in conflict with the interests of stakeholder groups. Boatright assumes that this failure is due in large part, to a second mistake on the part of proponents of stakeholder management. Stakeholder management assumes that management decision making is the main vehicle by which the benefits of corporate wealth creation are distributed among stakeholders, but these benefits can also be obtained in other ways; namely by groups interacting with a corporation through the market. This is where Boatright is taking a risk in his argument because he wants the corporation to obtain its benefits externally when it can be done internally. The bene fit of the stakeholder theory is that all the rights are guaranteed from the top down, top stakeholders all the way to the consumers at the bottom of the model. When all stakes have their rights preserved by the executive equally, there is no need for the corporation to act in the best interest of the shareholders solely. The managerial model positions its shareholders at the center of the firm as the principal group for managers to worry about. Increasing shareholder value has become common wisdom in modern business and many companies have instituted complex incentive compensation plans aimed at aligning the interests of executives with the interests of shareholders. (Freeman, R. E.: 2008, Managing for Stakeholders page.57) Edward Freeman poses three arguments in regards to shareholders. Firstly, he explains that management of the firm becomes separated from the ownership of the firm and in order to be successful the top managers of the company were required to satisfy the owners, employees, suppliers, unions, and customers. If managers worried about the shareholders only, the stakeholders will in turn be harmed. When the stakeholders are harmed, the whole corporation is harmed leading to instability. From another angle, Freeman explains that the model poses harm and risk because it is so rigid. It unabashedly puts shareholders interests over and above the interests of customers, suppliers, employees, and others, as if these interests must conflict with each other. The only change that matters is the kind that is oriented toward shareholder value. In addition, Edward Freeman also explains that the law of corporations gives a less than clear answer to the question of in whose interest and for whose benefit the corporation should be governed. It has evolved to give a de facto standing to the claims of groups other than shareholders. Even more harmful is the fact that the shareholder model is not consistent with basic ethics. Practically any business decision has some ethical content or concern. Milton Friedman refers to this by stating that, responsibility of the executive is to make profits subject to law and ethical custom. The purpose of ethics is to create a better world for all of us. (Freeman, R. E.: 2008, Managing for Stakeholders p.60) Numerous theorists have argued that the main reason that the dominant model of managing for shareholders is a good one is that it leads to the best consequences for all involved. These arguments invoke Adam Smiths idea of the invisible hand, whereby each business actor pursues her own self-interest and the greatest good of all actually emerges. (Freeman, R. E.: 2008, Managing for Stakeholders p.65) However, in reality, each business actor can have a different approach and a different idea of their own self-interest which in turn, may harm the corporation internally and externally. Although the stakeholder concept has been developed in various ways, it has expressed the moral prescription that managers, in making decisions, ought to consider the interests of all above those of the few. This is proven in the laws that have evolved to protect the interests of local communities and employees of corporations through unionization. Laws such as The Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Clean Water Act of 1977, and the Clean Air Act of 1990, all have helped stakeholders to achieve a great level of equality. The laws that are relevant to business have evolved differently around the world, to take into account the interests of groups other than just shareholders. (page 58) The dispute between stockholder and stakeholder management revolves around the question of how best to enable each stakeholder group or corporate constituency to benefit from the wealth-creating activity of business. Stakeholder management is correct in its emphasis on the moral requirement that every stakeholder group benefit from corporate activity and to make managers aware of their responsibility to create wealth for the benefit of everyone. The stakeholder management theory is superior to the shareholder theory because in such a system of corporate governance, all the groups would share the control of the firm. Hence, the interests of the involved stakes would be to maximize the profit for all stakeholders. The most important point, however, is the social responsibility of the managers to their corporations. As has been proven, the stakeholder management theory has the responsibility to assure the stakes interests and rights through a clear guideline that has been proven to work in modern day corporations.

Century In Canada

Nations are born out of conflict, and grow and thrive by learning from their mistakes. The 20th century in Canada was responsible for an abundance of great aspects that now exist in our country. Within that era the rights of women were recognized and altered, resulting in them being considered equals to men. Our army became recognized as an elite fighting force. Japanese Canadian internment camps were put in place as a result of the bombing of Pearl Harbor displayed nothing less then an unjust act.All leading up to the passing of the Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms making certain that inhumane acts that have happened in our past will not happen again. After all, those who do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to repeat it. The early years of the 21st century were important to shaping Canada as a nation. 2 major events occurred during this time that helped to create our identity; the feminist movement began to take hold within and beyond our borders, as well as beginning to be recognized as a world-class military force.Women (prior to the famous five) were tremendously discriminated against and viewed as incapable of doing many acts. Emily Murphy, a self-taught legal expert, who championed in women and children's rights felt strongly in fighting for gender equality. In 1903 she began a campaign focusing on property rights of married women. With her hard work and dedication in 1911 the Dower Act was passed. The act stated that women had the right to one third of their husband's property and allowed for the surviving spouse to become the legal owner of the home.This signified a huge step for women because it proved there rights were beginning to be recognized and there was hope for one day being considered equals to men. Her career continued to progress when she along with other concerned women attended a trial for Edmonton prostitutes on October 17, 1933. The women were ordered to leave the court because the case was not to be viewed by â€Å"mixed company'. Murphy was furious and proposed that if women weren't allowed to view the case there should be a separate court for women, run by women.Emily later went on to become a Judge, Just like the generations of male lawyers/Judges in her family. Emily had to cope with the hurtful remarks from male lawyers questioning how she can be a Judge, and therefore be granted powers o make important/ valuable decisions, if she is not even considered ‘a person'. The law essentially categorized women as ‘crazy, unstable lunatics' and not considered a person. This got her fuming, fighting until there was Justice. Murphy gathered up 4 other women with the same political views as her, and together they made up the famous five.Emily, Henrietta Edwards, Irene Parlay, Louise McKinney and Nellie McClure were all strong willed women coming from well educated backgrounds and were devoted to social change and women suffrage. With the support of the female citizens they produced a petition and brought it to the Supreme Court. After a nail biting 5 weeks of debates the petition was denied. The women however were not discouraged and delivered the petition to Britain Privy Council, the highest role of government in Canada.On October 18, 1929 the Privy Council announces the Persons Case, explaining that women were legally considered persons and therefore could become members of the Senate of Canada. There is no question about it this milestone was the first of many for Canadian women, and because of the efforts of the Famous Five's women would now be considered equals to their male counterparts. The women of today owe a tremendous amount of gratitude for their efforts. World War I lasted from July of 1914 to November of 1918. During this time Canadians began to build an identity for themselves.This is evident during the battle of Vim Ridge. Canadian troops were ordered by Britain to conquer Vim Ridge, a prime piece of land that would be critical to the allies' efforts. Un fortunately the Germans had control over it, but Canadian troops lead by General Bang and General Currie were going to set out to conquer the ridge. Prior to the planned invasion the Canadian troops had to undergo weeks of exhausting practice drills, as it was crucial o stay undetected and surprise the enemy and that everything was executed perfectly, or the whole mission would be Jeopardized.Canadian aircrafts flew overhead the ridge and photographed what the ridge looked like. Returning back to Canadian grounds with information in hand this allowed for Canadian forces to set up an exact replica of what to expect during the attack in terms of characteristics of the ridge, and where the Germans were standing guard. Troops trained for weeks on the recreated Vim Ridge set, until they knew it so well they could perform their duties blindfolded. The Canadian forces had also set in place 2 techniques that would help them take over the ridge after they emerged from the tunnels being built to get as close as they can.They then would execute the creeping barrage and vim glide. The strategy consisted of making a smoke screen in front of them (produced by bombs) and crawling low to the ground, placing them beyond enemy lines. This allowed for the forces, when they were ready to attack, to take the enemy by surprise and hopefully conquer. On April 9, 1917 all 4 divisions of Canada's troops attacked, he plan was executed exactly as planned and the Canadians conquered the ridge. However, this battle was a tragic one as Canada was faced with heavy casualties, resulting in 3600 soldiers killed.The victory for Canada resulted in a nation and its armed forces being recognized for their brave men as well as smart planning and execution. Because of Vim Ridge we began to be a nation worth fearing. After the horror of the First World War and the tremendous achievement for women's rights, Canada was a nation well on it's way to great success. Though the war was devastating, we ulti mately came out of it stronger. Moving into the ass's women roles were continuing to evolve. The flapper girl age was beginning.What brought upon this revolution was the fact that during the war women had to disobey societies views on what a women should and should not do by stepping up and performing the boys jobs while they were off serving in the war. They had to remove their aprons, and leave the stove. This was a time they needed to step up and take over their husband's jobs in order to still provide for their family and be able to put dinner on the table. Once the war had ended women were not going to return back to their old roles. Women didn't want, and didn't feel like, they needed to succumb to society.They were comfortable in their new lives, though it was only intended to be temporary. This new wave of young women wanted to stand out and be different. All of these factors birthed the flapper girl. She appeared as a boy, dressed with short hair, higher skirts, and flatten ed chests. They had a strong appearance and attitude about them they felt liberated. The younger generation saw the time frame as a perfect opportunity to introduce this new style, given that women's rights were evolving, this would bring more attention onto them. It was overall a rebellious movement of expectations of women. (http://history sass. About. Mom/odd/sass/a/flappers. HTML) After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 Canada took a step backwards on human rights and discrimination against the Japanese. At the time there were 22,000 Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia, some of wham's ancestors were the first immigrants coming for work to Canada in the sass. Though they had always been discriminated against by the largely white Canadian society, it was nothing compared to what was about to come. Days after the Pearl Harbor attack, Canadian companies began to fire all Japanese workers beginning with the Canadian Pacific Railways.Matters got worse when Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong and killed over 2000 Canadian soldiers stationed there for training. The Japanese began to be referred to as SAPS, and signs were being posted around the province harshly stating, â€Å"Keep out†. It was then the Federal Government designated a 100-mile wide strip, as a protected area to keep all Japanese until they would be further placed inland. They were finally ordered to pack a small suitcase and live in inverted over animal stalls awaiting their train to arrive. (http://www. CB. Ca/history/ OPPOSITENESS EPOCH APPEAL. HTML). Husbands, wives and children were all separated. The men were sent to work on road gangs, whereas the women and children were sent to shantytowns in the B. C wilderness. In January of 1943 the government forced the sale of all property/ belonging to the Japanese Canadians that includes their homes, cars and other valuables. The reasoning behind this was to erase any memories the Japanese built in Canada a nd to convince them not to assume living here when the war over. The writing was essentially on the walls, the Japanese were no longer welcome.Once the war ended the B. C federal government decided to release all Japanese from the camps. The Japanese were then faced with choosing between deportations back to Japan, specifically parts that were destroyed during the war, or moving east into the Rocky Mountains. The majority of them chose to move to Ontario, Quebec and the Prairies. Many families did move back to Japan as well. It was a long time coming, but finally on April 1st, 1949 after much protest, Japanese Canadians were finally allowed the freedom to live anywhere in Canada.

Benefits of Early Literacy Learning Essay

Education is a fundamental aspect of a person’s social, economic, and emotional developmental. Starting education early is therefore advantageous. Focusing specifically on early literacy; statistics prove that an early literary development can radically improve a child’s chance for a formidable career. Early literacy developmental practices have been taking place for many years now. Many different literacy programs offer statistical and other information to demonstrate the benefits of learning literacy early. In true effect of the experimental learning and teaching; the instructors keep detailed records of the lessons taught and the grade improvements of the students. The other side of the early literacy learning is to have a control group that they are teaching without the focus on early literacy, thus being able to generate a detailed analysis of the children’s improvements and success rate. One high quality literacy program released details about their program and the outcome of the program on their students. As stated by two authors, â€Å"Strengths in the overall program that services provided resided in†¦ literacy links across the curriculum and throughout the day. † (Arthur and Makin) In this same educational facility they had a record of which programs were the strongest and which programs did not demonstrate as well. â€Å"There were seven ECLLS [Early Childhood Language and Literacy Scale] items on which more than 50 per cent of the rooms observed received a high rating (six or seven out of a total seven). These were as follows: furniture for routine care, play and learning room; room arrangement for play; encouraging children to communicate; fine motor activities; staff-child interactions; and program schedule and grouping. † Depicting the importance of structured play times and environmental factors can have on learning. Also stating the â€Å"Four services received a high rating for the new literacy subscale, with most settings scoring 3 out of seven. In the settings with the high ratings staff were extending children’s literacy through the following practices: reading environmental print with children; integrating literacy across the curriculum and throughout the day; engaging in literacy interactions with children; and promoting metalinguistic development† (Arthur and Makin) In this particular educational facility the staff used all resources to their advantage, from the simple hand washing sigh to other hygienic posters. The staff had set aside times for writing, play, and reading to help incorporate forms of literacy into all things done through the day. Through their curriculum and the observations of others this facility was able to statistically prove that an early start with literacy highly benefited these children. When considering the statistics there are some graphs that support, and show that early literacy is essential to doing well over all. â€Å"The impact of Teacher Responsively Education on Preschoolers’ Language and Literacy Skills,† provides direct evidence in standard chart format with a control group and tested group. (American Journal p323) Showing a direct relationship between early literacy and developmental improvement, a second graph from the American Journal, the graph shows the improvements from the fall testing and the spring testing of the impacts of early literacy. The graph shows the statistical improvement between the two testing times, providing direct evidence of the impact on the children tested. There are many facilities that provide the numbers on which the improvement was made; it spans all over the globe. Over all upon testing during the fall semester the control group initially started roughly at 3. 3%; where are the test group tested at a slightly higher 3. 4%. During the spring semester the control group tested lower still at print concept than the test group rising only . 28% from the initial testing scores. Reaching across the seas Australia has also been participating in the analysis of early literacy and its benefits on the overall aspect of children’s lives. In an article titled â€Å"Books, bytes and brains,† authors Hopkins, Brookes, and Green dive deeply into early literacy development and its impact on all areas of the lives of children. As stated in this article, â€Å"Literacy and numeracy are core life skills, the [acquisition of which has] profound consequences for individuals, families, communities and nations. † Literacy is essential these authors believe to a child’s overall future, â€Å"Improving literacy in contemporary society has been amply demonstrated to improve live chances for individuals across divers domains including health, mental health, housing, educational outcomes, employment opportunities, income levels, involvement with crime, and civic participation. † (Hopkins, Brookes, and Green) So many different areas are affected by a person’s literacy from the simple school grades to if they’ll end up in prison. Hopkins, ect al. states that â€Å"Traditional kinds of literacy skills are measured in programs such as NAPLAN are based on an understanding of a skilled reader as someone who ‘locates, understands, and interprets written information in prose and documents – including manuals, graphs, and schedules- to perform tasks; learns from text by determining the main idea or essential message; identifies relevant details, facts, and specifications; infers or locates the meaning of unknown or technical vocabulary; and judges the accuracy, appropriateness, style, and plausibility of reports, proposals, or theories of other writers. † With their definition of what an actual skilled reader is, it can seem almost impossible for a child to gain all those skills in their short school career. Therefore starting literacy early can give a child the advantage of gaining the firm foundation of those skills before they are being presented to them in the classroom. When starting the early foundation of early literacy there are some draw backs to the programs, or glitches that haven’t been worked out yet. â€Å"Analysis of data from the rating scales, staff interviews and parent focus groups indicates that a number of areas required further development. Even for those settings that rated highly for literacy. These include, building on home experiences; extending children’s home languages and literacies; utilizing technology and popular culture; and integrating literacy resources and staff-child interactions in dramatic play. † (Arthur, Makin) Improvement in these areas has been underway since the date of the article, in this program as well as others. Implementing home language and literacies could have a drastic effect on the early learning literacy because many homes now in America are not solely English speaking homes, where most lessons in school or an Early Learning Academy to teach early literacy are taught in English. Tying into home experiences can help a child more associate the lesson being taught because they can incorporate the object, lesson, or event with words or effective language skills. Even with the hiccups the early literacy programs have, there are visible benefits of the lessons they are teaching. Seeing the results of the early literacy programs is phenomenal, but looking at the other side research shows some negative effects of what happens when early literacy is not implemented. â€Å"Recent research shows that children who are ‘raised in a [non-academically] oriented environments have less experience using decontextualized language than their peers. †¦These children may communicate more readily through using images, physical activity, and symbolic representation’. † (Hopkins, Brookes and Green) With that research a child with the early literacy training entering the second grade for example has a better chance of being able to vocalize opinions or even understanding of a lesson than a child who has had no early literacy training. With education being at the heart of every aspect of life it is highly important to give children every chance to succeed. Word Count:1,244.

Free Essays on Persecution Of Jews In Nazi Germany

and pictures, is said to be  ¡Ã‚ §The fight for mankind. ¡Ã‚ ¨ ( Ross 1993, 9) Propaganda ¡Ã‚ ¦s aim is to persuade people to reach a conclusion without examining the evidence carefully. There is a disregard for truth in which people will go to all lengths to make one side  ¡Ã‚ ¥right ¡Ã‚ ¦ and triumphant and the other side blackened and disgraced as the enemy. Effective propaganda was one of a number of steps taken in the systematic dehumanization, persecution and finally annihilation of the Jews. Anti-Semitism had been present in Germany and Europe for many years, but increased dramatically under the Nazis. The state of Germany after World War One was poor. The country was in a shambles, politically and econom... Free Essays on Persecution Of Jews In Nazi Germany Free Essays on Persecution Of Jews In Nazi Germany Dehumanization of the Jews in Nazi Germany  ¡Ã‚ § The world is too dangerous to live in, not because of the people who do evil, But because of the people who sit and let it happen. ¡Ã‚ ¨ -Albert Einstein. The Holocaust was the state-sponsored, systematic persecution and attempted annihilation of the European Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. According to Frank Chalk from the Montreal Institute for Genocide Studies ,  ¡Ã‚ §Genocide is a form of one sided mass killings in which a state or other authority intends to destroy a group, as that group and members are defined by the perpetrator usually on the basis of whatever they share, national, ethnic, racial, religious, political, geographical, ideological... ¡Ã‚ ¨. Genocide is always a conscious choice and policy. It is never an accident of history. Before the Holocaust could occur, the Nazi ¡Ã‚ ¦s had to be able to systematically dehumanize the Jews. Propaganda was an important weapon in getting other Germans to accept the way the Jews would be treated.  ¡Ã‚ §Propaganda, Propaganda, Propaganda. All that matters is Propaganda! ¡Ã‚ ¨ ( Ross 1993, 16) Adolf Hitler is supposed to have said this after he had failed to seize power in Germany. And he was right. Propaganda, a war of words and pictures, is said to be  ¡Ã‚ §The fight for mankind. ¡Ã‚ ¨ ( Ross 1993, 9) Propaganda ¡Ã‚ ¦s aim is to persuade people to reach a conclusion without examining the evidence carefully. There is a disregard for truth in which people will go to all lengths to make one side  ¡Ã‚ ¥right ¡Ã‚ ¦ and triumphant and the other side blackened and disgraced as the enemy. Effective propaganda was one of a number of steps taken in the systematic dehumanization, persecution and finally annihilation of the Jews. Anti-Semitism had been present in Germany and Europe for many years, but increased dramatically under the Nazis. The state of Germany after World War One was poor. The country was in a shambles, politically and econom...

The Scarlet Letter Questions for Discussion

The Scarlet Letter Questions for Discussion The Scarlet Letter is a seminal work of American literature written by New Englander Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in 1850. It tells the story of Hester Prynne, a seamstress newly arrived in the New World from England, whose husband, Roger Chillingworth, is presumed dead. She and local pastor Arthur Dimmesdale have a romantic interlude, and Hester gives birth to their daughter, Pearl. Hester is  convicted of adultery, a serious crime in the time period of the book, and sentenced to wear the scarlet letter A on her clothing for the rest of her life. Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter more than a century after the events in the novel would have occurred, but it is not difficult to discern his contempt for Bostons Puritans and their rigid religious views. Questions for Discussion Consider the following questions as you learn about  The Scarlet Letter.  Whether youre studying for an exam or leading a book club, these discussion questions will strengthen your understanding of the novel. What is significant about the novels title?The Scarlet Letter is considered a romance by many literary scholars. Do you think that is an accurate categorization? Why or why not?Is Hester Prynne an admirable character? Why or why not?How does Hester evolve through the course of the story?How do we learn the true character of Roger Chillingworth? Is he believable as a villain?Is Arthur Dimmesdale an admirable character? How would you describe him and his relationship with Hester?What does Pearl symbolize? How is her name significant?What is the significance of Pearl not recognizing Hester without her scarlet A?What is the moral statement Hawthorne is making throughout The Scarlet Letter?Do you agree with what how Hawthorne interprets the shortcomings of Puritan society?What are some symbols in The Scarlet Letter? How do they relate to the plot and characters?Does the story end the way you expected? Whats significant about the novels ending?Would you consider The Scarlet Letter to be a work of feminist literature? Why or why not?   How essential are the settings, both geographical and temporal, to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else or in any other time period?Does this novel give you a better appreciation for how women were treated in early New England? Does it give you a new perspective on other events from that regions history, such as the Salem Witch Trials?

Recent Changes In Organisational Form And Personnel Strategies Essay

Recent Changes In Organisational Form And Personnel Strategies - Essay Example Differences between the connotations of the words "labor" and "work† suggest the reorienting effect that Braverman's formulation had on views regarding work, workers, and the workplace (Rowlinson, 2000, p.13-14). Labor is an economic commodity exchanged in the market. Braverman held that work had been degraded by capitalism thus turned into mere labor. Taylorism separated the hand from the brain and vested the brains in management and the hands in labor. Work became deskilled as technological and bureaucratic controls supplanted the self-direction of skilled workers. This process of deskilling standardized work activities robbed work of meaning, leveling skill distinctions among workers. It enlarged and homogenized the proletariat, which came to include clerical and semi-professional occupations. Braverman's focus on skills had the effect of conceptualizing the outcomes of the industrial transformation as technological, psychological, and economic rather than social. Harry Brav erman does not make clear the definition of skill but sees the degradation process as involving the separation of mental and physical activities. One might be concluded that Harry Braverman has identified skills as cognitive abilities of workers, then generalized beyond that point to make skills technical characteristics of jobs. Sociological conceptions of work based on workers' relations to each other, group control over activities, and normative definitions of technical relations are missing.

Molecular Recognition and Drug Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Molecular Recognition and Drug Design - Essay Example Prediction of 3D structure of protein or target molecule was quite tedious and uncertain due to many of the protein targets are membrane bound and in case of soluble targets like enzymes, they exist in quite dynamic condition in side the body and its structure-function is tightly regulated by microenvironment. But In recent past this problem was solved at quite extant due to development in techniques like NMR and X-ray diffraction leads to generation of hug databases of protein structures, Along with this development in computational capability have deeply influence the over all process. Now we have number of software and models by which one can predict structure of protein based on just amino acid sequences, classical example if homology modeling of protein folding. In post genomic era high throughput protein expression and structure determination by X-ray diffraction augmented by homology modeling makes key process for new drug development program. Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) is an area of computational research where virtual model was developed to determines binding proertise of ligand to its target molecules as well as to predict toxicological potential of existing or hypothetical molecules. QSAR is generally employed to establish correlation between structure and electronic properties of ligand molecules which influence its binding to specific drug target and general target molecules. Initially it was used to predict ligand having very high affinity towards target molecules but now it is extended to predict its diffusion, adsorption, toxicity, metabolism and finally elimination. There are different types of QSAR like 1D, 2- (Lill, 2007) (Mller, 2003)D etc based on number of parameters taken for model prediction. Table 1 describes different mode of QSAR and parameters involved in it. Table:1 (Lill, 2007) Initially QSAR was developed on single parameters like pKa value or solubility of ligand molecules and based on that prediction was carried out (1D-QSAR). Hansch e'tal has included physic-chemical properties like functional groups and atomic configuration in to it. They also correlated these properties to biological activity of ligand. (2D-QSAR). After 1980s increasing number of 3D structures of proteins makes it more feasible to include three dimensional structure of protein-ligand to understand its interaction. Than after Structure based deign (SBD) becomes routine process for new drug development process. Here after identification of target molecule different ligands were searched and analyzed for its docking to target molecules by process called dynamic optimization (MD). Based on this Technique it is possible to identified best binding mode of any given ligand molecule with target. In 1988 Comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) was introduced in QSAR which leads to first time demonstration of structure -function co-relation (3D-QSAR). Development of 3D QSAR made task simpler but later it was realized that 3D QSAR based models are not always gives complete picture but fails to explain processes like Induced fit