Sociological Research The Insider Outsider Issue

Considering the theoretical issues in qualitative research, the insider-outsider issue has arisen as a debatable topic for some scholars (e.g. Kanuha, 2000; Dwyer and Buckle, 2009) recently. Historically, social researchers used to agree with ‘separation of facts and values’ and interdicted employing values to assess the truth that led research becoming objective (David and Sutton, 2004: 17). In an objective research, the researcher should objectively eliminate his/her personal ‘gaze’ in course of the survey. In another word, researchers should act like an outsider and all common attributes should be shared by research participants. Acknowledged by Fay (1996), in term of understanding the researched group, it would be more beneficial when the qualitative researchers acted as outsiders in the researched group. Fay further proposed that the outsider-researchers might be more sufficiently conceiving experience from the participants/researched, likely to re cognise broader perspective, noting more on what is happening; on the other hand, insider-researchers are frequently intertwined with their own knowledge (Fay, 1996). Regarding the three chosen studies, Mandiuc (2014)’s study is considered as an example of outsider researcher because she did not clearly explain whether she had any experiences of motherhood and/or on prostitution. Nowadays, social researchers increasingly deemed that qualitative researchers should be ‘insiders’ because they found manyShow MoreRelatedChick Like Me Feminist Analysis1344 Words   |  6 Pageswhich addresses the issues of systematic discrimination against women and the belief that men and women should be equal. 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In total, Emerald publishes over 275 journals and more than 130 book series, as well as an extensive range of online products and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 3 and TRANSFER compliantRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legalized2018 Words   |  9 Pagesfirst same-sex marriage occurred in United States in 2004, the issue of gay people’s rights to get married emerged to the surface. Since then, multiple states have put forward their policies of gay marriage successively. Time has changed as the gay life style becomes more accepted by society--fourteen states have passed the law legalization of gay marriage, such as Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. From 1988 when Baunach’s research (2012) showed a lot of â€Å"strongly disagree† attitudes towardsRead MoreRole of the Social Media in Social Movements Essay3249 Words   |  13 Pagesof technological dominance, web has the powe r to shape and impose policies, ideologies and the â€Å"truth† that is beneficial for the states ruled by the â€Å"elites†. Why do we even need newspapers? Because, we want to be updated on domestic and global issues that we cannot reach without big news agencies. Thus news agencies have become the intermediate body between people and absolute truth. Being intermediate body means that one has power to filter information that is passing through, which in fact,

My Experience At The University - 1323 Words

Coming from a small town high school, I knew that my experience at the University would be a game changer. But, what I did not expect to go from being the best of the best in high school to thinking how am I going to survive not only this semester but, the next seven years of my life as well. I was a star student at my high school and I didn’t really have to try to make good grades, but here at the University of Memphis I am barely on the same level of the average student. I never seriously study in high school and I almost always procrastinated on my assignments, but always did well. I have learned that these habits will not work in college, but I have yet to brake them. I know my learning styles and always have and nobody knows me better than me, but I am still fumbling around trying to grasp this whole college thing. I have my goals that I want to accomplish at the university, my personal goals, and my story that I want to leave behind all in line and set up, but struggle w ith finding the right path to make those goals a reality. My experience as a college student as opened my eyes to a completely different way to approach education and I must evaluate and adjust myself to insure that I am successful, so I can reach each and every one of the goals I set for myself. I discovered my different types of learning styles early. I begin to notice how I did better in different subjects by using different methods to consume information when I was in the eighth grade. In math, IShow MoreRelatedMy Experience At The University Of California Essay1321 Words   |  6 Pagesenroll at the university. Being the grand-daughter of an officer in Hong Kong Customs and Excise department, listen to my grandmother s anecdotes about her work has been a big part of my childhood memories. My interests in sociology developed over the course of interaction with my grand-mother. I observed her successes as an officer in the Customs and Excise department, from her social awareness, passions and, experiences. My academic and real-world experiences have built and pushed my interest toRead MoreMy Experience At University Of Melbourne1559 Words   |  7 PagesI have been a student at University of Melbourne for 4 semesters, and over the commerce course of my study I have developed and grown more than I thought possible. Business Case Analysis has not only given me great experience, but also helped me boost my skills and knowledge through the semester through interactive learning and teamwork. In this course, I have learned how to approach a problem, particularly in business sector, while also prof essionally maintaining collaborative work in teams. 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This fall I will be attended the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. Growing up, my family has always been big UT fans. I have gone to endless amounts of sporting events since I was 1 year old. When choosing a college became a topic of conversation at the beginning of the year, I could not imagine applying anywhere else. Also, after attending DCA since K-4, I knew I wanted to experience a large, publicRead MoreMy Experience At The University Of Houston1677 Words   |  7 PagesWhile my time at the University Of Houston, I have watched myself grow and change into a stronger and more insightful individual. Exiting high school I wanted nothing more than to peruse a degree in technology, as this was the driving force behind my high school elective classes. 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I have learned many valuable skills and lessons. I know they will be of great use to me in my further years at college, and in life. First, I learned that if I follow instructions and meet the criteria that is expected of me I can do very well. Second ly, I had the opportunity to learn how to develop a resume for college and work use. Having a resume that is up to standards and knowing what I need toRead MoreMy Experience At Temple University1878 Words   |  8 PagesWhen reflecting on my life’s journey thus far, I am able to recall numerous instances which have provided me with opportunities to make decisions that have played a pivotal role in fostering a strong set of personal values in which I strive to abide by today. While many of these values were born out of struggle and poor life choices, it is easy for me to say that there are few regrets. These decisions, some good and some bad, have allowed me to evolve into the man I am today. I am truly grateful

Heroin Essay Research Paper An introduction to free essay sample

Heroin Essay, Research Paper An debut to Heroin- The usage of difficult drugs in America is on a steady rise. Heroin is one of the biggest grounds for this. Heroin is one of the most unsafe extremely habit-forming drugs on the black market today. A board member on the National Institute of Health estimated that there are presently about 600,000 diacetylmorphine nuts in the U.S. entirely. Merely an estimated 115,000 thousand of those nuts have been admitted into a intervention plan. As the demand grows greater for this substance, the pureness gets greater, the market gets bigger and the job gets worse. Heroin is an illegal, extremely habit-forming drug. It is both the most abused and the most quickly turning drug in the opiate household. It is typically sold as a white or chocolate-brown pulverization. There is besides a signifier that is black and gluey known on the streets as black pitch diacetylmorphine. Opiates are drugs that are derived from a of course happening substance found in the poppy works. Although the pureness of the diacetylmorphine that reaches the streets is going greater, most street diacetylmorphine is cut or diluted. Normally this is done with another drug, or a substance such as sugar, amylum, powdered milk, or quinine. Street diacetylmorphine can besides be cut with strychnine or other toxicants. The ground diacetylmorphine is one of the most deathly drugs is because there are changing rates at which the drug is diluted. Therefore a user neer knows precisely how pure the drug is, therefore, they do non cognize how much of the drug they should take, frequently taking to an overdose. Like intoxicant, diacetylmorphine is a sedative that slows down all the organic structure maps. But heroin differs from intoxicant in two really important ways. It does non destruct organic structure variety meats, like the liver or kidney, the manner intoxicant does. That is why heroi n dependence can last for old ages. Second, an maltreater normally does non decease from the symptoms experienced from the backdown although it may frequently experience like the user s organic structure is being torn from the interior out. This is so unpleasant it drives many nuts back for another hit. The deceases associated with diacetylmorphines are from o.d.ing instead than backdown. These alleged good differences are now being peddled to a new coevals that has been bombarded with the negative effects of other habit-forming drugs like intoxicant and cocaine. There are three common ways in which to take the drug. The most common signifier is intravenously through a needle. You can besides whiff the pulverization signifier, or smoke it. Because acerate leafs are frequently the most popular manner to take the drug, doing needle sharing a really common pattern. This leaves heroin users with a high hazard of catching HIV, hepatitis, or a figure of other diseases. The National Institute of Health released information, which said that up to 50 per centum of all diacetylmorphine users finally contract HIV. These galvanizing Numberss have pushed some metropolis s to get downing plans that provide free acerate leafs for anyone that wants them, in theory cutting down on needle sharing. These plans are in immense argument among Congress. One side says that the needle sharing plans do non demo important cuts on needle sharing, but what they do carry through is advancing the usage of diacetylmorphine, and doing it easier. The other side of the stateme nt says that in metropoliss where the needle sharing plans were put into consequence ; the rate of HIV went down well. HIV, and AID # 8217 ; s contraction rates, has proven to be straight related to the sum of diacetylmorphine users in an country. How diacetylmorphine is perceived by the American public- Often diacetylmorphine is perceived really otherwise, depending on what individual you are speaking to. Among in-between and upper category grownups in America, the drug is frequently shunned. Many people in this position seem to barricade out that fact that the drug or a job with it even exists, because they themselves are seldom straight subjected to sing the drug taking clasp of person s life. This ignorance of it, is frequently what blinds them to the fact that their really ain kid or niece or nephew possibly acquiring involved with it. Although in-between and upper category Americans like to disregard the fact that there is a job with the drug, there thoughts about it alter when their child is rushed to the exigency room from and o.d. , or a heroin nut seeking to back up his or her wont robs them. Where as center and upper category Americans like to deny the fact that 1000000s of Americans suffer from them or person they know utilizing the drug, lower category Americans are frequently really cognizant of it, and effected by it. In the interior metropolis, diacetylmorphine usage is non uncommon, and most of the lower category grownups in America live in the interior metropolis, so that it has become an mundane portion of life for many of them. The heavy usage of this drug, and the offense associated with it frequently leave the interior metropolis s run down and economically unstable. Making it really hard for even consecutive clean people to last themselves allow entirely feed a household. Adolescents of class have a wholly different apprehension of drugs in general. Where they are funny and unfastened minded about such things, grownups are non. Upper and in-between category suburban adolescents normally don T know much about the drug or what it does. This is the same ignorance that frequently leads them into utilizing it. Often to this copper lture, diacetylmorphine is merely something that they see narratives on the intelligence about, but they feel that they would neer make such a thing, until they do it. Equally far as the lower category adolescent goes, it is an wholly different narrative. These childs are frequently brought up seeing it used and sold on a day-to-day footing by the clip they reach 12 or 13. What brings these childs to utilize it is normally wonder of it. Sing it mundane they begin to inquire what its all about. The hapless poorness life that comes with the usage of it, does non look that bad to them, because that is what they are used to. The American authorities sees heroin as a widely turning job, and is frequently considered a turning epidemic. There has been big argument as of late, about how precisely an dependence to this drug should be treated. Often the nuts of this drug are look at by the remainder of society as rubbish non deserving salvaging. Heroin addicts about ever realize they have a ma jor job, but normally feel that the attempt needed to discontinue, is merely non deserving it. They realize it is a job but they are content with it. What the drug does to the household and people around the user- Heroin is a drug that destroys full households. As the user starts to utilize diacetylmorphine at first, it seems there is no job, the parents of the user frequently don t even know about it. But about ever, the user will get down stealing from their parents and household and even friends. When caught and cornered the nut will normally arise in some manner. This frequently turns into a immense battle. It isn T until a runaway battle like one of these happens, that the parents of the user eventually recognize that THEIR child is a heroin nut. Many times younger siblings will follow in the way of their older sibling, and the rhythm will get down over once more. Many diacetylmorphine nuts are out on the street by themselves even by the age of 16 and sometimes less. The actions of the kids in these household s many times lead to the parents divorce. Slowly but certainly, like an infection, the drug will rupture apart about any household that it encounters. A long dark way to addiction- Heroin is a drug that can make anyone. From a in-between school award axial rotation pupil, to a college grad that made the dean s list, to a cocotte on the streets of Los Angeles. The way to heroin starts out really innocently. A rebellious adolescent gives into a batch of equal force per unit area, and decides to take a hit of a coffin nail. Once that is done, that downward spiral starts. After the adolescent has become asleep to the thought that coffin nails are bad, intoxicant seems more and more enticing. After the haste of acquiring intoxicated becomes a dullard, Marijuana may come into drama. Once a adolescent reaches this point, there are truly two roads that they can take. The one route, leads them into harder more powerful drugs, with greater dependences, such as diacetylmorphine. The other route is a adolescent that decides, adequate is adequate, and still has a opportunity to turn back and compose off the old drug usage as any teenager rebellion. Much to frequently the fi rst way is followed. Once the topic decides to take that first hit of the drug, it is about ever wholly declivitous from at that place. The type of people to travel down the deathly way of heroin dependence, are frequently those that come from low-income fighting households with a yesteryear of drug dependence. To these people, diacetylmorphine and other difficult drugs merely seem like the natural thing to make. The distressing thing is that even a child from a upper in-between category household on his or her manner to college, can besides be engulfed by the apparels of diacetylmorphine. These users are normally the same people that 5 old ages ago, told themselves that they would neer make such a thing. Users of diacetylmorphine are frequently people that like to populate on the border. These are the kinds of suicidal people that give themselves an unreal felicity by seting themselves or others in unsafe state of affairss. One anon. user of diacetylmorphine was quoted say this, I am a 59 twelvemonth old adult male who foremost started to utilize diacetylmorphine as a pupil at a Connecticut prep school in 1955. My m ale parent planned for me to go to Yale University and Yale Law School, but I ever took the easiest manner out in those old ages, going addicted to heroin at 16 and leaving school at 17 to populate on the streets of Harlem. This is a authoritative illustration of the user that neer believed that it would go on to them. A conclusion- Heroin and other difficult drugs are ways for childs to arise against society. It is there manner of giving society the finger. Often drug run s are excessively based on stating childs non to make the drug, where they should be seeking to inform childs on what the drug can make to you and everyone you care about. If more childs knew precisely what they were acquiring into before they decided to take that first hit, possibly they could happen a less destructive manner of arising. The media is non assisting, with the portraiture of the diacetylmorphine nut theoretical account, populating the high-life in Manhattan, or the street-wise cat in a film called Pulp Fiction, diacetylmorphine is about glamorized. The large attractive force to heroin for most childs and immature grownups though, is the fact that it is the last thing that society wants them to make. Alternatively of prophesying against the usage of diacetylmorphine, possibly person needs to prophesy about it.

The Role of Minor Characters in The House on Mango Street Essay Example For Students

The Role of Minor Characters in The House on Mango Street Essay It is often that the smallest actions or decisions we make have the biggest impact on our lives. Likewise, in literature, minor characters often have important roles to play, either to convey a large theme or message, or to simply prove a point. In the novella, The House on Mango Street, written by Sandra Cisneros, Cisneros uses the minor characters, namely, Geraldo and Alicia, to illustrate the themes of racial prejudice and gender roles. In the vignette, titled Geraldo No Last Name, Cisneros uses the minor character of Geraldo to portray the role of a minority race in the United Sates, specifically, the Spanish minority. Geraldos character is involved in a hit and run and tragically dies at the hospital he is taken to. Marin, who was the last person to see Geraldo, is questioned twice the police; therefore this implies that Cisneros was trying to show how society was trying to find an excuse for Geraldos death. In addition to this, Cisneros characterizes Geraldo as just another brazer or wetback, suggesting that he is an immigrant who jumped the border. She also uses a rhetorical question, asking what does it matter?, therefore showing that the death of Geraldo is not important. Cisneros further illustrates the theme of racial prejudice by using the repletion of the phrase if the surgeon had come, proposing that Geraldos death could have been prevented but society chose not to because he was an immigrant with only a first name. As a result, Geraldos minor role in this novella as a minority race has depicted the reality of many people today who are in similar situations. Also, Cisneros has shown the social criticism of mainstream societys treatment of immigrants as dispensable and second-class human beings. We will write a custom essay on The Role of Minor Characters in The House on Mango Street specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In addition to racial prejudice, the theme of gender roles in a society is also explored in this novella through the minor character of Alicia. Alicia, introduced into this novella in the vignette titled, Alicia Who Sees Mice, is characterized as a hard working girl that has dreams and aspirations to be more than just another Hispanic. However, she is trapped by her duties and role as the mother of her household, keeping her away from achieving her goals. Cisneros uses the symbol of mice to illustrate Alicias fears, or in other words, everything that is blocking her path from accomplishing her dreams. In this case, the mice represent Alicias fear of poverty. Alicia wants to study and go to university so that she can provide for herself; however, the traditional role of women in Hispanic culture is to cook, clean and take care of the children in ones household. In addition to her fear of poverty, Alicia is afraid of her father. By Cisneros illustrating that Alicias father cannot see the mice that Alicia is afraid of she implies that Alicias father is oblivious to their poverty or that he does not care. In addition to this, when Alicia complains about the mice to her father, he says that a womans place is sleeping so she can wake up early with the tortilla star. By using the metaphor of the tortilla star, Cisneros is illustrating Alicias duties as well as the fact that Alicia should not be up late at night to study but rather awake in the early morning to make breakfast for her family. Therefore, as a result, Cisneros uses Alicias minor role to show how the gender of people in a Hispanic culture may influence the actions in which they can partake in. .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 , .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 .postImageUrl , .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 , .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85:hover , .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85:visited , .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85:active { border:0!important; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85:active , .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85 .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ufbaca4a9d6fb168e6059c6a0defc8d85:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Charles Dickens EssayIn conclusion, minor characters are included in the story for a reason. Each character has a purpose, large or small, that is symbolic or adds on to the story. Geraldo and Alicia, two very different characters, played their roles as minor characters to demonstrate the themes of racial prejudice and gender roles in society. Although their roles were very small, both characters successfully represented some of the most current issues we are facing in society today.

Current Issues in International Management

Abstract Globalization has played a significant role in the world of business by allowing organizations to transact with little regard to national borders. This is so due to declining international trade barriers together with other international legal barriers that are opening the world to interact through trade more frequently.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Current Issues in International Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One such international trade organization is Union Carbide Limited, an American-based firm that established and operated a subsidiary plant in India for many years before a tragedy known as Bhopal disaster scuttled its operation in the country. However, what came out of that disaster were several ethical issues that the government of India, agencies of the government, the state government of Madhya Pradesh and the company abrogated. The disaster showed that companies could relax in key critical issues to do with the safety of the people, environment, and employees; however, such laxity may lead the firm to incur huge losses. Therefore, the ethical issues prompted the need for corporations to adopt corporate social responsibility policies to guide their operations. This paper looks at the Bhopal disaster ethical issues resulting from the disaster, the concept of corporate social responsibility, and the way it has come to dictate operations of multinational corporations in their international business. Corporate social responsibility, compensation systems As international barriers of trade become loose, MNCs presence in other nations, especially developing nations, became inevitable. As many praised activities of these international companies, it must not be forgotten that their negative effects continue to impact developing societies greatly. For example, one of the numerous criticisms leveled against MNCs in developing nations is that the inflow of FDI has co ntributed to the reduction in efficiency while at the same time stifling growth in the host country (Spero and Hart, 2009). The argument is that most MNCs tend to be oligopolistic, predating the local firms and limiting their production, maintaining artificially high prices and as such, earns enormous oligopoly rents (Spero and Hart, 2009).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite earning a lot of oligopoly rents, the MNCs mostly fail to reinvest back in the particular nation but extract the rents through profit repatriation and straddling the growth of the developing country (Spero and Hart, 2009). Another argument is that most MNCs participate in blocking the national growth and economic prosperity by absorbing local capital instead of providing new capital. Also, they usually adopt inappropriate technology, create ‘bad’ jobs for the locals, conduct research in their home countries instead of the host countries, and mostly employ expatriates instead of the indigenous people of the host country (Spero and Hart, 2009). Lata and Kumar, investigating and writing about the impact of MNCs in Indian society, noted that MNCs had the responsibility to abide by the laws and rules of the host country, but most MNCs had ignored this fact. The position of the writers is that most MNCs had failed to suit to the needs of the local people and were totally disregarding the values of the people instead facilitating and promoting the values of their foreign companies (Lata and Kumar, 2010). The author believes that MNCs have moral obligations to fulfill in the host society in which they are operating. Further, MNCs are described to be only interested in the low cost of factors of production available in the developing nations where they pay low wages to local employees despite massively exploiting the resources found in those regions. As such, Lata and Kuma r note that MNCs are only directed by their vested interests. Wayans, on another perspective, is convinced that MNCs have provided the developing nations with the necessary and vital financial infrastructures that they have used to develop both financially and socially.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Current Issues in International Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More But at the same time, the MNCs have also brought in, â€Å"relaxed codes of ethical conduct that serve to exploit the neediness of developing nations, rather than to provide the critical support necessary for countrywide economic and social development† (Wyans, 2008, p.1). Maybe it is the work of Germany sociologist, Ulrich that captured the role of MNCs in the global trade and transactions when the author explored the concept of risk society. Ulrich observed that, due to globalization and modernization of the world, there were new f orms of changes taking place characterized mainly in mass production and technological advancement (Gennip, 2005, p.1). These processes in their form were changing the nature of risks. For instance, as companies strived to produce goods and services in large quantities and at the same time, advance in technology, immeasurable risks were being created in form of â€Å"nuclear, chemical, defense and genetic sectors and also from the generalized use of carbon-based fuels† (cited in Gennip, 2005, p.1). At the same time, widespread industrialization in its totality was exposing the climate of the whole world to more risks that in turn could results in catastrophic changes contributing immeasurable cost to the human society. Ulrich further noted that as these corporate risks intensified, the institutions charged with the responsibilities of managing the risks and protecting the lives of the people on overall were becoming unable to carry out their duties (cited in Gennip, 2005, p.1 ). This made the author note that, â€Å"threats have begun to outweigh socially agreed safety norms, and there seem to be no rational means at hand to achieve a rebalancing† (Gennip, 2005, p.1). Ulrich observed that there was increased intensification of transnational interdependence and what is evident is that there is establishment and growth in large-scale of â€Å"economic, cultural, political and societal globalization in which the dividing lines among states and even among Western and non-Western societies are ever less valid† (cited in Gennip, 2005, p.1).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Due to increasing technological advancement and the inevitability of global interconnectedness, risks were becoming largely unforeseen where at the same time, â€Å"many of these risks were eluding national control because truly they are global in character and because they can be the totally unforeseen consequence of rapid innovation and technological change† (Gennip, 2005, p.1). This scenario prompted Ulrich Beck to describe the modern and transnational market as a form of, â€Å"organized irresponsibility† and that there was no existence of global governance hence managing transnational corporations had become difficult (Gennip, 2005, p.1). Bhopal Gas Disaster of 1984 Union Carbide Corporation, in its internationalization prospects, established a constituent plant in Bhopal India that manufactured pesticide chemicals, but the night of December 3, 1984, remains as one particular indelible history in the world and specifically to the people and inhabitants of Bhopal r egion. That night, an industrial catastrophe took place at the Union Carbide Indian chemical plant where there was a leak emanating from one of three tanks that were used in storage of highly toxic chemicals that the company used as raw materials to manufacture pesticides (Fadil, 1998). Immediately the leak took place, the entire city of Bhopal was engulfed in a shroud of toxic gas resulting in death of about ten thousands people, about 200, 000 injured with other tens of thousands orphaned and rendered homeless (Shrivastava, n.d, p.1; Fadil, 1998). The parent company, Union Carbide Company, located in USA controlled majority of the share in the Indian plant (Fadil, 1998, p.1); and when the Indian disaster took place, not only deaths and injuries lingered in the minds of many but also the economic consequences. Many families were rendered with no viable financial source to depend on as more and more jobs became scuttled (Fadil, 1998, p.2). The Indian government spending on the needs of the affected people amounted to over $40 million (Hartley, 1993 cited in Fadil, 1998, p.2) while the parent company UCL became legally responsible for the disaster and had to pay $470 million as compensation for the incurred damages (Hartley, 1993 cited in Fadil, 1998, p.2). As a result of the accident, many questions revolving around the safety precautions and code of conduct by UCL are still being asked. The conviction among many analysts is that if the company had adhered strictly to its safety standards and code of conduct, then the accident would have been averted. The tragedy brought to limelight the complexities of morality of international and other big corporations in their business transactions, specifically in developing nations (Fadil, 1998, p.2). Analyzed from the cultural standpoint, the disaster took place because of cultural differences between India and UCL with American roots on how to carry out activities of a corporation in a safer way. For instance, the Indi an government bestowed all responsibilities to the American managers and trusted their ability to operate within appropriate safety measures. Once they were faced with budgetary pressures, the expatriates from America appeared to relax on the safety standards of the company exploiting the vacuum that existed due to lack of India’s government to legislate and enforce any meaningful protective law or regulations (Fadil, 1998, p.2); and as such, the disaster found opportune environment to take place. The legal responsibility bestowed upon the parent company indicates how corporations are being viewed and regarded as ethical institutions where their activities need to be regulated by some minimum moral aspects. As to what resulted in the accident, many factors have been cited. First, there is an almost consensus that the plant location was unfit since it was placed in a densely populated region (Fadil, 1998, p.4; Shrivastava, n.d). in addition, the UCL India management failed in its responsibility to provide early warning to the people of the region about the likely risks of the chemical plant. Moreover, there was notably poor communication connections between the Indian branch and the UCL main headquarter located in the city of Connecticut, USA and many of those employed at the Indian department had inferior training as far as the plant’s matters of technology were concerned especially with regard to appropriate storage of the pesticide chemicals (Fadil, 1998). Also, the Indian government has been held responsible for it lacked ‘tight’ safety standards for the company a compared to those of USA and operations at the Bhopal plant utilized sub-standard measures (Jackson, 1984 cited in Fadil, 1998). Lastly, employee-management problems have also been cited as a probable contributory factor where workers were highly demoralized and their ultimate output and concern for the company became reduced. To what extend can majority of ownership be used to ascertain the liability of various parties in case of major industrial accidents Subsidiary plants are seen to be playing an increasing and vital role especially in providing a competitive advantage but what is becoming clear is the fact that the division of decision making authority between the headquarter and the subsidiary responds to the institutional contexts of both the parent company and the subsidiary (Jong and Vo, 2010). The autonomy of the subsidiary plants is still a contested issue, although the autonomy of the subsidiary plants has gained momentum. But the variations that still exist in the home and host country environments next to and on top of a parent company and subsidiary characteristics constitute the main yardsticks used to determine variations in the autonomy of the subsidiary plants (Jong and Vo, 2010). Currently depending with the particular environments they operate in, MNCs are seen to be different in that, some MNCs give measurable autonomy to thei r subsidiaries in terms of decision-making while others still hold tight the activities and operations of their subsidiary plants. What is evident is that the relationship between the parent company and its subsidiary plants has become important while at the same time appear complicated, confusing and even conflicting (Jong and Vo, 2010). In some instances, the size of the parent company and the level of the diversification of its products have played a key role in autonomy of the subsidiary plants. As a matter of fact, determining the majority of ownership in an effort to ascertain liability in case of major industrial accidents has been hampered by relatively weak international institutions in providing clear guidelines about the operation and autonomy of subsidiary plants. Arguments over which is the best criterion or extent of putting liability responsibility to the parent company or subsidiary company has been a challenge due to loopholes in international systems guiding MNCs. Hence MNCs have been able to put liability of responsibility to their subsidiary plants knowing well the weak institutional environment in the host countries. What is needed is a clear insight into the role and extent of institutional environment in the autonomy of subsidiary plants both in the host and parent countries in which the MNCs operates. Such an understanding will make it possible to ascertain the level and extent of MNCs involvement in the operations of the subsidiary plants and also the level and extent of subsidiary autonomy so that in case of an industrial accident it becomes easier to identify whether it is the parent company or the subsidiary plant has the responsibility for the liabilities. Both national and international institutional framework for the parent and host country will be necessary for realizing this goal. To what extent should be the government responsibility in ensuring MNCs operate within safety frameworks? Pendleton (2004) argues that multinationals cannot just operate on voluntary actions to guarantee the safety upon which they need to carry out their actions. At the same time, Christian Aid organization argues that â€Å"voluntary action by multinational companies is not enough to guarantee the human rights and the environment of poor communities in developing countries is protected† (cited in Pendleton, 2004, p.1). As such the author together with the Christian Aid organization are of the views that there should be international regulatory standards in place with appropriate powers to ensure MNCs operate truthfully within CSR policies, they adopt (Pendleton, 2004, p.1). The convictions of these two categories of people are that while there are some companies that may operate responsibly there are others at the same time that may operate irresponsibly and CSR as the only policy to guide the social responsibility of companies demonstrate numerous loopholes. As such the responsibility of, â€Å"safeguarding the social and environmental rights of poor people as they come into contact with multinational corporations cannot be left solely to the discretion of those corporations† (Pendleton, 2004,p.6). Pendleton observes that in both the developed and developing worlds there exists numerous rules and regulations that companies have to abide to but there is variation from one nation to another with regard to how the controls are enforced. Consensus among many policymakers is that there is a broad agreement that the government has a significant role in formulating and facilitating the most appropriate mechanisms that can result in holding corporations to account for their actions. In its report titled, â€Å"Beyond Voluntarism† the international body concerned with human rights, International Council on Human Rights Policy noted that â€Å"If self-regulation and market forces were the best way to ensure respect for human rights, one might expect since this has been done the dominant parad igm, the number of abuses attributed to companies to have diminished. In fact, in many parts of the world, the experience of workers and communities is precisely the opposite† (Pendleton, 2004, p.5). The human rights watch group content that, MNCs activities in developing countries need to be regulated and the specific governments in developing countries can play an essential role in ensuring these regulation takes place. The government is given the responsibility to incorporate international law to regulate MNCs in their regions and MNCs powers should be limited by having in place a prevention code governing their conduct (Pendleton, 2004, p.5; Tripathi, 2010). An Implementation Plan presented at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa, shows that various governments should move with speed to, â€Å"actively promote corporate responsibility and accountability, including through the full development and effective implementation of intergovernmental ag reements and measures, international initiatives and public-private partnerships and appropriate national regulation regulations† (Pendleton, 2004, p.6). On its report, the Government of India’s industrial safety report noted that the government has a significant role to play towards ensuring the safety of plants, especially those operated by the MNCs. For instance, the report establishes that the government should accomplish the following: build and maintain an overall safety and health culture in all plants that operate in the country; design appropriate and suitable control systems of compliance, enforcement and incentives for better compliance; provide administrative and necessary technical support services; and establish and develop the research and development capability in emerging areas of risks and provide for effective control measures. In addition, it should focus on prevention strategies and monitoring performance through improved data collection system on p lant accidents and other related activities in industries; development and provision of the necessary technical manpower and knowledge in the critical areas of industrial safety and environment; and continue to establish effective mechanisms that can be used to enhance community awareness regarding industrial safety and the environment. Moreover, it plays a part in designing and providing in advance effective enforcement machinery as well as suitable provision for compensation and rehabilitation of affected persons; effectively putting into application laws and regulations concerning industrial safety, health and the general environment through adequate and elaborative inspection system. Other aspects worth noting include ensuring employers and employees and other people affected by the particular industry have distinctive and separate but complementary responsibilities and rights particularly to achieving safe industrial working environment; making changes to the existing laws and regulations related to industrial safety and align them with relevant international instruments; and lastly by monitoring the adoption of national standards through regulatory authorities (Government of India, n.d). Government agencies have a responsibility to ensure policies of the government concerning safety are observed. For instance, agencies are given powers to issue permits, licenses, carry out feasibility studies, conduct monitoring, and evaluation of various plants and as an overall duty, ensure industries or plants adhere to total quality assurance practices. Bhopal disaster indicated how the government agencies relaxed on their duty if not a requirement. When industries flout in their safety policies without government agencies sounding alarm, then in great measure they are abrogating in their duties. Agencies, unlike the government, are full of technocrats in their specific area and their role is to see implementation of the government policies with any failure. When the agencies fail in their duty then according to the law, they have acted out of negligence which they should bear legal responsibility for such negligence. Which criteria should be used in determining compensation for the Victims? Compensation for the Bhopal disaster victims has been a long and bitter battle for justice both in Indian and American courts (Engel and Martin, 2006). Five methods have been suggested by Engel and Martin which the company can use to ease the tension or go over the case: â€Å"covering the evidence, devaluing the victims, reinterpreting the events, utilizing official investigations in response to the event and intimidating and bribing the victims† (Engel and Martin, 2006). However, which is the appropriate compensation scheme for the victims? There exist principal methods of compensating victims of any particular accident and these methods include the common law action for damages; workmen’s compensation; medical benefits insurance; other form s of personal accident insurance and social welfare payment. Looking at the Bhopal disaster and how compensation was facilitated, it became evident that the compensation scheme was individual-based, where the criterion mainly put into consideration the: deaths, and injuries the victims suffed. In its nature, the system shows numerous loopholes, for instance, determining to extend and magnitude of individual injury and equating it with ‘appropriate’ amount of money largely appear impossible. Also, an individualistic system is mostly economically oriented postulating that perfect compensation in terms of money for the victim will bring out total healing. The suggestion is that for a total and more comprehensive compensation scheme to be realized then there is a need for a holistic investigation, analysis and determination of the emotional, psychological, physical, environmental and societal injury the victim has undergone and the broad consequences the injury has affected the victim in terms of these aspects. The Indian government took the responsibility of carrying out compensation to the victims using â€Å"a multi-tier grievance redressal system† (Mahapatra, 2010, p.1) a conservative system of compensation that even when some victims went to court to challenge it, the supreme Indian Court did little to subvert the government policy it had adopted on the victim compensation(Mahapatra, 2010). This compensation scheme was primarily based on specific individuals for death or injury; therefore, it was an individual-based distribution scheme. It failed to respond to the severe medical and social consequences of the Bhopal disaster (Kibel, 1999). As such, this individual-based scheme needs to be integrated with community-based distributions for it to be appropriate (Kibel, 1999). The community-based distributions will be essential in providing funds to the institutions, programs, and services that are involved in serving the larger collective gro up of persons poisoned and injured especially those of Bhopal accident (Kibel, 1999). This, in turn, will contribute to long-term relief of the survivors. Under the community-model of compensation, Indian government instead of individually compensating the individuals can invest in modern hospitals, staff and facilities, invest in programs and services to address soil detoxification and family relocation, invest in schools, programs for job retraining and new housing construction with aim of improving long-term social security benefits for the victims of the disaster(Kibel, 1999). To ensure speedy and fair compensation for the victims, a transparency report analysis of the victims is necessary and also coordination of crucial government agencies need to work in harmony and transparent manner. The most critical agencies that should oversee their activities related to victim compensation include health, legal, and the treasury. A fair compensation criterion is only viable when the age ncies facilitating the compensation process are able to design the scheme purely by considering the various and interrelated factors that are perceived to be associated with the injured victim. In this regard, factors of social, economic, emotional, psychological, environmental, and physical need to be incorporated in designing an effective, fair compensation scheme. Therefore, the proposition is that assessment of damages on the part of the victim should be thorough, transparent, efficient, and non-bias for fair and fulfilling compensation to be realized. Courts responsible for handling the Bhopal victims’ case MNCs for a long time have operated within the legal principles of â€Å"separation of corporate identity and ‘forum non-conveniens,’ and the effects of these principles has been that MNCs operate with double standards† (Meeran, 1999, p.1). As it will be evident from the developing countries, the legal justice systems are relatively weak and loophol ed an opportunity MNCs will want to exploit especially in liability cases (Strike, Gao and Bansal, 2006). Bhopal disaster offers a candid example whereby UCL fought for the case to be facilitated by the Indian courts claiming that the accident took place in India, involving Indians and therefore it was ‘rightful’ for the Indian courts to carry out the case instead of the American courts. The corporate veil law gives the parent company owning subsidiary plant in another region a break from being held responsible in legal terms for any behaviors regarded as unlawful by the subsidiary plant and the MNCs are only seen and recognized to be shareholders (Meeran, 1999, p.1). Therefore, citing the Bhopal case and considering the law in place, it becomes clear that the Indian country is the custodian to Bhopal disaster case and not America, although ultimate justice may be a pipe-dream. When MNCs escapes responsibilities of their subsidiary plants the victims who suffer become d ifficult for them to achieve meaningful justice redress (Meeran, 1999, p.1). Therefore, what is needed is the development of commercial law in relation to MNCs to ensure that significant cases involving MNCs are tried and litigated in a country that appear and demonstrate the ability of being cost-effective especially relieving the burden of the defendant and also in a country that seems to be, â€Å"clearly and distinctly more appropriate forum in which the victim is assured to receive genuine justice† (Meeran, 1999, p.1; Anon, 2010). International law framework is growing at a commendable speed and the interesting but encouraging thing about the law is its ability to institute effective mechanisms of holding corporations accountable for their actions (Association for Women’s Rights in Development, 2008, p.1). The modern world operates on the conviction that political, social and environmental policy and an effective human rights model is critical and essential in est ablishing a fair, just and equal society (Association for Women’s Rights in Development, 2008, p.1). Today both the government and corporation are bestowed with legal responsibility, especially with regard to violation of human rights. The International Criminal Court has in its structures established a legal mechanism that tries to see government and corporations operate in the best interests with aim to promote and enhance human rights. Although corporations have resisted these attempts of regulation by the international law enforcement agents claiming that their voluntary initiatives coupled with codes of conduct are enough to ensure sufficient protection of human rights, the international law agencies have remained steadfast and argued that corporations need to bear economic and legal obligations and accountability for their actions (Association for Women’s Rights in Development, 2008, p.1). In ensuring the adherence to principles of human rights the international criminal court has emphasized that corporations that violate human rights in any nature should be accountable and compensate in terms of indemnification, restitution and rehabilitation for the accident incurred to an individual when violation of such individual’s rights takes place. When Bhopal disaster took place, there was gross violation of human rights by the parent and subsidiary companies involved. People lost lives, others were seriously injured and impaired while others deformed, and the overall environment of the region was destroyed. Hence these events account for gross violation of human rights which in turn prompts the international court to hold both the government of India and UCL Company for failure to ensure security of people and the environment and thus be accountable both legally and economically to the victims of the disaster. To what extent are courts appropriate in resolving international liability cases? International liability cases exhibit more compet ing interests between the parties interested in the case and therefore, any forum apart from court is likely to be influenced or biased by the weighty issue of the matter. The court system appears to have well defined procedural conduct and code of carrying out its operation that manifests no or less bias. The panel of judges is largely guided by strict code of ethics and therefore, their decisions are likely to be impartial and less influenced by the interested parties. But at the same time, there are other avenues that the court can refer the parties to in an outside-court resolution of the dispute. Such forums include conflict resolution institutions, board committees, citizen dispute settlement programs, and multi-door tribunal. To ensure fairness the court can keep some relative form of involvement in the alternative dispute resolution mechanism. What corporate and business policies should firms’ adopt in order to minimize occurrence of major accidents? With increasing c ompetition, there is likelihood that firms may engage in activities that may compromise the safety of employees, community, and environment (Fatima, 2007). It is against this background that corporate social responsibility policies and business code of conducts are becoming popular as frameworks that guide the various operations of the firms (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2005). In 2004, Economic Intelligence Unit carried out a research that established that there is increasing emphasis on corporate responsibility and this was having an effect on how various companies related with their stakeholders such as investors, customers, suppliers, employees, communities and governments (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2005). In another survey conducted the same year involving 166 executives of the various companies and 65 investors, it was observed that: CSR was becoming a central and critical consideration in investments decisions (85%). The three vital aspects of CSR identified by the respond ents were ethical behavior of staff, good corporate government, and transparency of corporate dealings. Finally, the respondents also identified the importance of CSR to enhance firm’s brand (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2005). The risks presented by forces of globalization, competition, increasing technology coupled with growing business ‘misbehavior’ for the stakeholders and the environment have necessitated need for corporate social responsibility programs to ensure businesses create and improve their ability to function within the precepts of sustainable development (Rooyen, 2007). In return, CSR has provided continuous benefits to the business and its stakeholders despite the size of the business and once a business operate within well-defined guidelines, and the business entity becomes more competitive because of enforcing a workable CSR policy (Rooyen, 2007). As a result, Rooyen notes that â€Å"the attraction of corporate social responsibility for many b usinesses is that it can help to increase sustainability without creating negative effects† (Rooyen, 2007, p.1). Activities of MNCs have â€Å"prompted international organizations, the media, human rights groups, social investors and consumers, as well as some corporate executives, to discuss the responsibility MNCs share† in promoting social safety and stability of the society (Bennett, 2002). Social responsibility includes both the economic and legal obligation but also reflects, â€Å"Ethical standards or judgments of social desirability† (Boatright, 2003 cited in Bacher, 2007, p.9). In its broadest definition and operation, social responsibility is further seen to include the environmental responsibility and the concern for sustainability, whereby these, â€Å"additional behaviors and activities are not necessarily codified into law but are expected of business by society’s members† (Carroll, 1979 cited in Bacher, 2007, p.9). As such, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has come to characterize MNCs operations in the developing countries. Although it constitutes varying meanings, CSR definition is adopted to indicate that: private sector firms have a responsibility to ensure that they do not contribute to the violations of human rights and that they promote and respect of these rights and respect needs to be observed in terms of employee core labor standards. Besides, MNCs have to ensure that local communities benefit from larger company’s operations in the developing nations; that there is responsible management of environmental impacts of a company’s operations, including emissions, waste and use of sustainable resources, as well as avoid cases of corruption and increase transparency in their business practices. Moreover, there is need for incorporation of social and environmental criteria in procurement decisions (Unden, 2007). The concept of corporate social responsibility gained momentum during the per iod of intense globalization between the 1950s and 1970s (Bacher, 2007). These periods saw post-war investments by the America companies in Europe and Japan intensify and as a result, most of the USA companies put a lot of their capital in these nations; consequently, the corporation grew in size and power (Bacher, 2007). As MNCs activities intensified abroad, social issues such as poverty, racism and unemployment together with environmental degradation became the focal issues that attracted numerous requests for the companies to modify their roles and take more significant part in community involvement and activities (Bacher, 2007). The initial corporate social responsibility outlines were concerned with how to secure and maximize profits for the shareholders, but as time elapsed, social and ethical responsibilities started to attract attention especially after acceleration in some big-scale corporate wrongdoing such as tax evasion and exploitation of foreign governments by the man ipulation of transfer prices (Bacher, 2007). CSR and business ethics advocates postulate, â€Å"Corporations have an interest in leveraging their skills and impact to promote stability in their areas of operation, not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it makes good business sense† (Bennett, 2002). In order to ‘police’ the operations of the MNCs, traditional human groups have utilized international law to ensure these corporations are not complicit in human rights abuses and the overall general consensus has been that MNCs operating across borders need to take responsibility for the effects of their operations on the local environment and population (Bennett, 2002). Multinational corporations have been seen to challenge the ability of sovereign nations to control corporate operations and impacts where they appear to be too big and powerful (Boatright, 2003 cited in Bacher, 2007). At the same time, unregulated operations of the MNCs have th rived due to poor enforcement of the international law which has led to vacuum that only self-imposed, enforced and monitored standards can fill, making it a risky undertaking (Bacher, 2007). When these MNCs show laxity in their corporate operation, the public concern heightens due to lack of a representative to champion the interests of the society. Generally, what becomes evident among these MNCs is the lack of social and environmental responsibility, where social responsibility arises from social power that MNCs possess (Bacher, 2007). In some cases, self-imposed standards have existed, but they have been limited to addressing only the interests of the corporation and the avenues where the corporation function-market (Bacher, 2007). CSR has been viewed by others to be costly, and therefore reduce the profitability of the firm. However, the basis here can be that business as an entity has responsibility to numerous and diverse groups in society and not just owners of the business (Corporate social responsibility, n.d). The responsibility further extends to the natural environment and the community. With the growing awareness among the people and increasing risks created or initiated by businesses, it becomes costly to a company if it does not act responsibly or if the general perception believes, the business is not being responsible to its stakeholders. Therefore any meaningful balance between well created CSR policies and guidelines and the cost associated in implementing them have a chance to re-brand the image of the business, increase stakeholders confidence in the business and also reduces legal costs for the business and in the long-run the benefits for the business will outweigh the initial costs of implementation. Critical ethical issues from the Bhopal disaster The Bhopal disaster is an event that revealed how ethical behavior can elapse at full watch by key stakeholders such as the government, organs of the government and the companies involved. T herefore, because of the disaster, critical ethical issues emerged specifically from the tragedy itself, the conduct, and reaction of the UCL Company, the government’s role, the company’s failure to ensure appropriate safety measures and standards and lastly the agony of the victims due to delayed justice. When the tragedy took place, the first reaction of the UCL Company was to deny and distance itself from drama claiming the Indian plant was fully responsible. Further, the company accused one of its employees to have carried out ‘a sabotage mission’ in a ‘revenge’ attack. Ethically how can UCL, with majority shares in Indian plant, deny its responsibility to the tragedy? How is the current law concerning MNCs contribute to MNCs evasion of duties due to the inappropriate behaviors of the subsidiary plants and hence is it ethical for such law to continue operating in such form? Further is it ethically for MNCs continue controlling their subsid iary plants in terms of daily operations but in an event of accident leave the responsibilities to the plant in an effort to evade duties and if so, what should be the extend of MNCs involvement in activities of their subsidiary plants? On its part, was it ethical for the Indian government to grant the company land in a densely populated region even after studies showing the dangers of such undertaking was carried out? Was it ethical for the same government to entrust the company with full responsibilities of enacting safety standards without regulation or monitoring mechanisms in place? Why was the government reluctant to inspect the equipment of the company to ensure its safety and sustainability? Was it ethical for the state government of Madhya Pradesh to deny the citizens of Bhopal critical safety information that would have enlightened them on the possibility of disaster occurring (Frewen, 2010)? For UCL Company, how was there reaction? Why did they not alert people? Why were the alarms not functioning? After the tragedy, UCL CEO came to India but was arrested by the state of Madhya Pradesh police before the New Delhi government intervened and secretly deported him, therefore, was it ethical for the company to deport the CEO when charges against him were abundant (Frewen, 2010)? And up to now, the CEO is still free and comfortable, while victims loathe in suffering and despair, hence is it ethical for the legal and government institutions to continue with their laxity in ensuring justice is done? Then lastly on the compensation of the victims, was it done in an ethical manner of fairness and justice, putting in place numerous factors as a result of the disaster? Did the compensation meet the emotional, psychological, and physical torture of the victims, how ethical should the compensation system be carried out? Is it moral for justice to victims to continue being delayed? And how ethical can the government, agencies of government, and the company ensure future business operations do not pose risks to the citizen? In short, Bhopal disaster demonstrate ethical issues that can be seen to originate from a chain of development of technology where the decision to operate a dangerous plant in a densely populated region, which did not have capacity for technical and institutional infrastructure to support it, compromised decisions in terms of giving the facility the necessary safety standards. This is in addition to failure to properly operate and ensure the facility is well maintained and more sorrowfully and ethically wrong the failed position of the government and industry to look beyond the legal issues and in a humane manner attend to the needs and justice of the victims. All these questions revolve around the ethicality of events that surrounds the Bhopal disaster, which when investigated, can reveal how corporate social responsibility frameworks and policies are necessary for the business. How should corporate responsibility toward environmental protection, worker, and community safety change? Evidence from the developing nations is that MNCs are operating in such countries’ import’ CSR from their home countries with less regard to the varying and interrelated factors that exist and affect the overall existence and operation of business in developing countries. Therefore, when the implementation process starts, it becomes clear that achieving the goals or connecting the CSR policies to critical stakeholders do not succeed. What is needed in new CSR policies are that the culture, values, norms of the host country regarding work, environment and community need to be studied and incorporated (Waldman, Luque, Washburn and House, n.d; Robertson and Fadil, 1999). Further community affected by the activities of the company need to be integrated into decision-making processes on what particular responsibilities should the company working in their area be involved in. This will make the CSR policies to re flect the specific societal issues and concerns in which they intend to operate. At the same time, most stakeholders in developing countries have little understanding of the CSR and therefore, education, training and public awareness need to be incorporated in the CSR designed for these countries. The role of government need not be ignored as a key and powerful institution controlling activities in which MNCs operate (Porter and Kramer, n.d). The government assumes a principal responsibility in ensuring effective and appropriate CSR work within the established framework. For the Bhopal tragedy, the voluntary aspects that the company would have done include: public education and awareness on the importance and dangers of MIC, establishing an emergency communication system for efficiency in case of disaster and participating in a continuous environment safety auditing of their facility to ensure defaulters are detected early. Conclusion Globalization is a phenomenon that cannot be ign ored especially its impacts of internationalization (Bennett, 2002). Corporations’ movement to the developing nations is proving to be profitable, especially with consideration of the reduction in the cost of factors of production available in these regions. Nevertheless, the presence of big corporation wielding a lot of influence and power has resulted in these corporations participating in numerous ‘misbehaviors’ and later using legal mechanisms to evade the responsibilities. The corporation’s misbehavior is manifested in the prolonged environmental destruction, overexploitation of resources, poor working conditions for its employees and even endangering the safety of the larger community. As a way of regulating and ensuring appropriate business conduct and behavior is promoted, CSR and codes of conduct are fast-becoming requirements for the corporations to adhere to. At the same time, existing literature postulates the role the parent MNCs can foster to its subsidiary plants, especially in developing countries. When compared to the operations in their home countries, MNCs are seen to adhere to the regulatory and law institutions more strictly and this has resulted in stricter corporate social responsibility being observed. Moreover, beyond complying with the increasingly stringent regulations, most MNCs are determined to preserve their ethical image, avoid serious legal liabilities, satisfy the safety concerns of the employees, consumers and the communities they are working with. In addition, they need to respond to government regulators and other stakeholders and develop new safer business in order to remain competitive in the world market (Wehrmeyer and Mulugetta, 1999). Therefore, since most MNCs in their home countries have been able to adopt global standards established by the international trade and investment organizations, the same organizations have to exert influence on their subsidiary plants to adopt global standards o f proactive environmental management strategies (Wehrmeyer and Mulugetta, 1999). International certification such as ISA 9000 also can be adopted by MNCs in their subsidiary plants since such certification ensures firms total quality management (TQM) measures have been met and therefore environmental, social, and economic safety of it is constituent’s plants can be guaranteed (Wehrmeyer and Mulugetta, 1999). At the same time, the corporations can use international standards such as Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and also ISO 14000 to instruct its constituent plants to adopt and adhere to such global corporate management systems. Therefore, it will be necessary for the MNCs corporations to adopt and implement sustainable CSR and the role of the government should be to ensure these corporations’ operations are carried out within proper legal framework. References Anon. (2010). Transnational Corporations Liability for environment Harms. Retrieved from http://inves ting.blogandinfo.com/2010/08/07/transnational-corporations-liability-for-environmental-harms/. Association for Women’s Rights in Development. (2008). State and Corporations: Legal Responsibilities to the People. Retrieved from http://www.awid.org/eng/Issues-and-Analysis/Library/States-and-Corporations-Legal-Responsibilities-to-the-People. Bacher, C. (2007). Corporate Social Responsibility. Germany, GRIN Verlag. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=-PQpZmyf9L0Cpg=PA2dq=MNCs+and+social+responsibilityhl=enei=A9i_TMzeG9O6jAes0fjRCQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepageq=MNCs%20and%20social%20responsibilityf=false. Bennett, J. (2002). Multinational Corporations, Social Responsibility and Conflict. Journal of International Affairs. Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:toM2Hu2dwHkJ:info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/library/57510/bennett_article.pdf+multinational+CORPORATIONS+AND+NEED+FOR+CORPORATE+SOCIAL+RESPONSIBILITYhl=engl=kepid=bl srcid=ADGEESjXZY9UN34ztcEnOoqes_EgNyh00Ul02jE7Jik3OukCp08X6NStm2rLgkWpkAiqXUtW7HP8F4qqDjy4FD8IVwMoGnstmcZrS-bhej3PRQaFd1TVQ0IdNZ-4SUzoQc_5OFeoXWumsig=AHIEtbQ9IkXxDk1Nfw2fAcST8Agwhl5sUw. Corporate social responsibility. (N.d). Corporate social responsibility-introduction. Retrieved from http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/corporate-social-responsibility-introduction.html. Economic Intelligence Unit. (2005). The importance of corporate responsibility. A white paper from the Economist Intelligence Unit sponsored by Oracle. Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:oU2cqVu7gCwJ:graphics.eiu.com/files/ad_pdfs/eiuOracle_CorporateResponsibility_WP.pdf+corporate+social+responsibilities:+what+is+their+importancehl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEESj5xwYumiWSCvijm5783lARdEKVN6yFMrfJpTE-N8HB1FpxfpW7rfDt5w-soIh8rRk3T_Jct_YAfprHAgsA2qILKhDZ5FoqGNdK-aWqePO79vnWex2ehhzRKXjY2rhWzgBUBePEsig=AHIEtbTE201jawHDYPXxoiAlFEmT555YJA Engel, S. and Martin, B. (2006). Union Carbide and James Hardie: less ons in politics and power. Global Society: Journal of Interdisciplinary International Relations. Retrieved from http://www.bmartin.cc/pubs/06globalsociety.html. Fadil, P. A. (1998). Developing corporate codes of ethics in multinational firms: Bhopal revisited. Journal of Managerial Issues. Retrieved from http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee-development-employee-ethics/733935-1.html. Fatima, S. (2007). MNCs and Globalization: An overview of the role of multinational companies in global business. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/content/mncs-and-globalization-a21062. Frewen, J. (2010). Industrial Accidents and Global Inequality: The Contrasting Cases of Bhopal and BP Horizon Deepwater. Retrieved from http://www.globalcrisisnews.com/environment/industrial-accidents-and-global-inequity-the-contrasting-cases-of-bhopal-and-bp-horizon-deepwater/id=1810/. Gennip, J. V. (2005). 171 ESC 05 E-Policy Implications of the Risk Society. NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Retrieved f rom http://www.nato-pa.int/default.asp?SHORTCUT=672. Government of India. (N.d). National Policy on Safety, Health and Environment at Work Place. Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:E5fWowjdJc4J:www.labour.nic.in/policy/OSH-Policy.pdf+what+should+be+the+responsibility+of+the+government+in+ensuring+industrial+safetyhl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEESh1euW5HYGnuDKMX_8l-s80EEaRZyApAuvm5cCwz_XjdC7Z9aMWAvJAj_uOqVmC4xsVjb_-M4lHqkkiS4VQzIjTKyfNm7S1OFPYboyHZY8r_M1Az6ozgdDw6df9txC61dm5TKCnsig=AHIEtbS94NW0kv2_Ceu8uZbZw-dSHjGVtA Jong, G. D. and Vo, D. V. (2010). The impact of institutional environment on the autonomy of MNCs subsidiaries. Problems and  Perspectives in Management, Vol.8, Issue.2. Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:dnQcTMVgqO0J:www.businessperspectives.org/journals_free/ppm/PPM_EN_2010_02_Jong.pdf+the+extend+majority+can+be+used+to+determine+MNCs+ownership+of+their+subsidiarieshl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEESiaWwGxUInkMDb8Q99k_9EaGuBCV8Ze4DDHvMS7b 799P7tvEUz7qmghJUIZtUDM1Uegx1YSE8na4zRs0D02x7xJQOlk7f3S3F-scw_sBGjaIHtCv9cpwEQVnrKd6siGh4rdJUsgsig=AHIEtbT_B3k6KrGpU_l44z7aC2mtJUSYoQ. Kibel, P. S. (1999). The earth on trial: environmental law on the international stage. NY, Routledge. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=bllPycgvZiICpg=PA102lpg=PA102dq=appropriate+compensation+scheme+for+Bhopal+victimssource=blots=EIBmSBGHZZsig=of6XWrqJ1LFeNrwis8x-5pH7fNshl=enei=81vATOXTPJKTjAe21MCNCgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CBkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=appropriate%20compensation%20scheme%20for%20Bhopal%20victimsf=false. Lata, P. and Kumar, S. (2010). Communicate To Conquer: A Handbook Of Group Discussion And Job Interviews (DVD). New Delhi, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=M4GmTjpfCQYCpg=PA49dq=globalization+and+negative+effects+of+MNCshl=enei=hcC_TLWiL5DQjAenutXdCQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=9ved=0CF0Q6AEwCA#v=onepageq=globalization%20and%20negative%20effects%20of%20MNCsf=false. Mah apatra, D. (2010). Adequacy of Bhopal Claims Act and compensation scheme. The Times of India. Retrieved from http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/legallythinking/entry/adequacy-of-bhopal-claims-act. Meeran, R. (1999). Liability of Multinational Corporations: A Critical Stage. Retrieved from http://www.labournet.net/images/cape/campanal.htm Pendleton, A. (2004). The real face of corporate social responsibility. Journal of Consumer Policy Review. Retrieved from http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/laws-government-regulations-environmental/946545-1.html. Porter, M. E. and Kramer, M. R. (N.d). Strategy and Society: The Link between Competitive and Corporate Social Responsibility. (Attached notes). Robertson, C., and Fadil, P. A. (1999). Ethical Decision Making in Multinational Organizations: A Culture-Based Model. Journal of Business Ethics. (Attached notes). Rooyen, J. V. (2007). The role of corporate social responsibility in modern business development. Retrieved from http://ezinearti cles.com/?The-Role-of-Corporate-Social-Responsibility-in-Modern-Business-Developmentid=455618. Shrivastava. (N.d). Union Carbide Corporation: Industrial Plant Accident (Bhopal, India). (Attached notes). Spero, J. E. and, Hart, J. A. (2009). The Politics of International Economic Relations. MA, Cengage Learning. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=tifacOtJpwACpg=PA299dq=globalization+and+negative+effects+of+MNCshl=enei=hcC_TLWiL5DQjAenutXdCQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=5ved=0CEYQ6AEwBA#v=onepageq=globalization%20and%20negative%20effects%20of%20MNCsf=false. Strike, V. M., Gao, J., and Bansal P. (2006). Being good while being bad: social responsibility and the international diversification of US firms. Journal of International Business Studies. (Attached notes). Tripathi, S. (2010). Responsibilities beyond Borders. Institute for Human Rights and Business. Retrieved from http://www.institutehrb.org/blogs/staff/responsibilities_beyond_borders.html. Unden, C. (2007). Mult inational Corporations and Spillovers in Vietnam: Adding Corporate Social Responsibility. Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=vq=cache:WnUppvCelA8J:www.csr-weltweit.de/uploads/tx_jpdownloads/FDI_CSR_Vietnam.pdf+How+can+MNCs+incorporate+environmental+and+safety+measures+intheir+technologies+for+the+developing+nationshl=engl=kepid=blsrcid=ADGEESgya88EcdZD0stjdMTJcfBa8io6zci2NKTAbxPaIgGFS2N9uAU9E87PeTx2qEjcoJRsl9hUOuWufXYY1TJ6PdwlqHO5_Co1LoMkxqTSIucdoFF_6lvK_ezcMAMm-vAFWORpJ4rzsig=AHIEtbRGQNKqS71NH-QMtKIE6Ry3vAG9xQUnger, S. H. (1994). Controlling technology: ethics and the responsible engineer. Wiley-IEEE. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=23b64xeqUnECpg=PA74dq=how+Indian+government+failed+in+its+responsibility+during+the+Bhopaldisasterhl=enei=NFDATKf4IsyNjAfNzp3PCQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCcQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false. Waldman, D. A., Luque, M. S., Washburn, N. and House, R. J. (N.d). Cultural and Leadership predictors of corporate social respons ibility values of top management: a Global study of 15 countries. Journal of International Business Studies. (Attached notes). Wehrmeyer, W. and Mulugetta, Y. (1999). Growing pains: environmental management in developing countries. UK, Greenleaf Publishing. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=Ub2LHoEhZlUCpg=PA86dq=safety+performance+by+MNCs+companieshl=enei=8DXATNvgCtG6jAfE6tSLCgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=6ved=0CEYQ6AEwBQ#v=onepageq=safety%20performance%20by%20MNCs%20companiesf=false. This essay on Current Issues in International Management was written and submitted by user Eliza Hogan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Clues in the Pre-1850 US Censuses - How to Dig Details from the Early Census Records

Clues in the Pre-1850 US Censuses - How to Dig Details from the Early Census Records Most genealogists researching American ancestors love the detailed censuses taken between 1850 and 1940. Yet our eyes glaze over and our head starts hurting when we take on the columns and head counts of the pre-1850 census enumerations. Many researchers go so far as to avoid them altogether, or use them only as a source for the head of household. When used together, however, these early U.S. census records can often provide important clues to early American families. The earliest U.S. census schedules, 1790-1840, furnish only the names of the free heads of family, not of other family members. These schedules totaled the number of other family members, without name, by free or slave status. Free, white individuals were also grouped by age and sex categories from 1790 through 1810 - a categorization that eventually applied to other persons. The age categories also increased each year, from two age groups for free white males only in 1790, to twelve age groups for free whites and six age groups for slaves and free colored persons in 1840. What Can pre-1850 Census Records Tell US? Since the pre-1850 census records dont identify names (other than head of household) or family relationships, you may be wondering what they can tell you about your ancestors. Pre-1850 census records can be used to: track your ancestors movements prior to 1850distinguish between individuals with the same nameidentify possible children that you may not be aware ofidentify possible parents for your ancestoridentify possible relatives among neighbors By themselves, these early census records dont often provide much useful information, but used together they can generally provide a good picture of a familys structure. The key here is to identify your family in as many of the 1790-1840 censuses as possible, and analyze the information found in each one in conjunction with the others. Sorting Out Whos Who When I research in the pre-1850 census records, I begin by creating a list identifying each individual, their age, and the range of birth years supported by their given age. Looking at the family of Louisa May Alcott* in the 1840 census of Concord, Massachusetts, for example: A.B. Alcott (Amos Bronson Alcott), age 40-49 (b. 1790-1800) 1799Female (wife Abigail?), age 40-49 (b. 1790-1800) 1800Girl (Anna Bronson?), age 10-14 (b. 1825-1831) 1831Girl (Louisa May?), age 5-9 (b. 1831-1836) 1832Girl (Elizabeth Sewell?), age 5-9 (b. 1831-1836) 1835 *the youngest daughter, May, was born in July 1840...after the date of the 1840 census Tip! Men of the same name referred to as Sr or Jr werent necessarily Father and Son. These designations were often used to distinguish between two different people of the same name in the area - Sr for the elder, and Jr for the younger. This method can actually be used to sort out possible parents for your ancestors as well. In researching my Owens ancestors in Edgecombe County, N.C., Ive created a large chart of all of the Owens men listed in the pre-1850 census records, along with the members of their households and the age brackets. While I still havent been able to confirm exactly who goes where, this method did help me narrow down the possibilities. Narrowing Down Birth Dates Using several U.S. census records, you can often narrow down the ages of these early ancestors. To do this, it helps to create a list of the ages and possible birth years for each census year in which you can find your ancestor. Census records can help narrow down the birth year of Amos Bronson Alcox/Alcott, for example, to a range between 1795 and 1800. To be honest, you can get that range for him from a single census record (either 1800 or 1810), but having that same range possible in multiple censuses increases your likelihood of being correct. Amos B. Alcox/Alcott 1840, Concord, Middlesex, Massachusettshead of household, age 40-49 (1790-1800) 1820, Wolcott, New Haven, Connecticutone of the 2 males age 16-25 (1795-1804) 1810, Wolcott, New Haven, Connecticut1 male, age 10-15 (1795-1800) 1800, Wolcott, New Haven, Connecticutmale, age 0-4 (1795-1800) His actual date of birth is 29 Nov 1799, which fits right in. Next Digging Up Deaths from Pre-1850 Census Records Analyzing Family Members Birth Dates Digging Up Deaths Clues to death dates may also be found in the early US census records prior to 1850. The 1830 federal census, for example, lists Anna Alcott (mother of Amos) as head of household with Wd. (for widow) after her name. From this, we know that Joseph Alcott died sometime between the 1820 and 1830 census (he actually died in 1829). Using the age bracket method for the wife/spouse for each census year may reveal the death of one wife and marriage to another. This is generally just guesswork, but look for instances when her possible age jumps between one census and the next, or when the age of the wife makes her too young to be the mother of all the children. Sometimes youll find young children who appear to disappear between one census and the next. This could mean they were just living elsewhere at the time of the census, but it could also indicate that they died.

With reference to Bourdieus theory of distinction and other relevant Essay

With reference to Bourdieus theory of distinction and other relevant theorists on social class, give a detailed example of how a specific habitus shapes consumer behaviour - Essay Example Consumers who do not have economic capital are not likely to become ‘choosers’ in relation to consumer settings; their choice will depend on what they can pay for.2 Capital, similar to habitus, results in particular values and behaviour and has a tendency to prevent others in specific situations. Bourdieu argues that class position is not rooted loosely in the ownership or non-ownership of means of production (e.g. capital, labour) just like in Marxist materialistic explanations of class.3 He uses the ideas of Weber, which enables him to classify various classes and class segments in a hierarchical scheme instead of viewing class as two classes opposed to each other, even though he keeps the idea of class struggle.4 Bourdieu views class as shaped by the ownership of varying sums of different types of capital. Nevertheless, Bourdieu, contrary to Marx, who simply took into consideration economic capital, expands the notion of capital to other social domains, which he claims are themselves social outcomes which are mingled and which can be utilised to generate more capital.5 Of such, symbolic capital and cultural capital are the most important for this paper. This essay gives a detailed example of how class habitus shapes consumer behaviour, particularly food preferences and co nsumption patterns, using Bourdieu’s theory of distinction and other theories of social class. If Bourdieu identifies an obvious relationship between class and consumer behaviour, he also views his theory as different from an income model. Although he recognises that a great deal of consumer behaviour is related to income levels, Bourdieu argues that this connection is arbitrated by the nature of habitus. He says that â€Å"income tends to be credited with a causal efficacy which it in fact only exerts in association with the habitus it has produced†.6 The superiority of habitus over mere amount of cash in influencing consumer

Hum M3 Jak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hum M3 Jak - Essay Example Values are determined by how someone estimates himself or herself – the level of one’s self-esteem and pleasure. According to Branden, moral values guide people towards the achievement of self-esteem and pleasure (Branden 32). Therefore, psychotherapists should emphasize on moral values to improve the self-esteem of their patients. Values relate to emotions because they are determined by how we think about ourselves, or judge ourselves. On the values scale, I scored medium importance in terms of power and achievement (4.2 and 4.7 out of 7 respectively). My score in terms of Hedonism, self-direction, universalism and benevolence was of high importance. This shows that I have above average value-judgment. In terms of cognitive empathy, I scored 23 out of 37, showing a moderate perspective taking. My score in terms of emotional empathy is 24 out of 37, indicating moderate emotional empathy. Lastly, the dispositional mood scale recorded a score of 4.0 out of 5. This indicates a high positive energy and affectivity as well as high

HIV and the latino community in the U.S Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HIV and the latino community in the U.S - Essay Example In the United States, 1.2 million people are living with HIV. African Americans have the highest prevalence of HIV by race, amounting to 45% of those infected. Latin Americans only constitute 22% of those infected with HIV. Among Latin Americans, 19% of HIV cases are attributed to heterosexual contact. The rate of infection of HIV/AIDS among Latin Americans is second only to the rate of the African Americans. They are 3.5 times higher than non-Hispanic White Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a disease that attacks various organ systems of the body and weakens its ability to protect itself from infection. The last stage of this disease is AIDS or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Krapp, 2002). Aside from the physical aspects of the disease, HIV/AIDS can also affect the mental health of the individual. This disease can cause emotional distress, anxiety, and most dangerously, depression. This may stem from various sources su ch as the stigma associated with the disease, or it can occur if the infection ever reaches the brain of the individual. Considering that the psychiatric and psychological side effects of the disease are connected to social stigma, especially due to its nature as a sexually transmitted disease common among the sexually promiscuous or those who engage in homosexual contact. There is a social aspect to preventing this disease aside from providing care to those who have it. A study from Zea, Reisen, Poppen, Bianchi, and Echeverry (2005) examined how Latinos who tell people close to them about their HIV status helps in their mental health during the disease. It shows that telling trustworthy people about their disease helped them get the social support that they would need to get through the disease without losing their self-esteem or lapsing into depression. On the other hand, a study by Gerbi, Habtemariam, Tameru, Nganwa, Robnet, and Bowie (n. d.) talks about how psychosocial factors can affect into resorting to substance abuse and other HIV/AIDS risky behavior. It’s a harsh circle that feeds upon itself. Risky behavior increases the chances to contract HIV/AIDS. When they get HIV, they have to handle the stigma of the disease. They get pressured from not telling other people about the disease, and they get stressed by how people’s treatment of them changes from knowing about their status. This situation gives them psychological stress, which might lead them acting on more risky behavior such as substance abuse or depression, which might increase their susceptibility to other illnesses which the body cannot defend itself due to the compromised immune system. HIV is not just a systemic infection of an individual; it also affects the person’s life, his psyche, and the people around him. Giving him medicine to manage the illness is not enough. They need help to face the emotional demands of the disease like stress, anger, grief, helplessness, d epression, and even cognitive disorders if the disease reaches the brain. Aside from an immunologist, it would be wise to also consider seeing a psychiatrist; it can help handle the mental aspect of the illness (American Psychiatric Association, 2006). For the case of Latinos, the risk for HIV is framed by their ethnic and racial minority status. This also connects to their socioeconomic status. These factors, plus gender, sexual orientation, and stigma increase their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. According to a