Corporate Social Responsibility of Starbucks Essay Example

Corporate Social Responsibility of Starbucks Paper Corporate Social Responsibility of a company: Starbucks Starbucks, the largest coffeehouse company in the world, is a company that tries to make business in a socially responsible way. The firm is not only about making coffee but also about treating with dignity the clients and the environment where they are operating into. Hereby, we will discuss the different actions undertaken by Starbucks in order to be socially correct. One word that could best describe the mission of the company is  «commitment ». First, Starbucks is commited to its origins. It invests great amounts of money that benefit coffee producers, as well as the natural environment. By doing that, it helps to improve the lives of coffee farmers and at the same time they protect the environment where they cultivate their beans. Moreover, Starbucks supports the preservation of the environment. It tries to reduce waste from its operations and to recycle, in order to have a healthier planet. Some examples are the use of environmentally friendly products, the recognition that the fiscal responsibility is crucial to the future of the world’s environment, and the measure of the progress for each project. In addition, Starbucks shows its commitment to its partners. Therefore, it provides a great working environment by treating each employee with respect and dignity. Furthermore, it embraces diversity by recruiting people from all over the world. Last but not least, the coffeehouse does not forget the local communities. We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Social Responsibility of Starbucks specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Social Responsibility of Starbucks specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Social Responsibility of Starbucks specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Its purpose is to contribute to those communities by encouraging its partners to become active participants in the place where they work. In conclusion, Starbucks is a company that respects people, the environment, and consequently, the planet. The coffeehouse could be a great example for other companies that do not care about social issues and just try to increase their profits. If other companies followed the way that Starbucks is operating, the world would become a better place to live. Bibliography: http://gr. starbucks. com/en-US/_Social+Responsibility/_Social+Responsibilities/Environment+Mission+Statement. htm

Labor in Colonial America to The Origins of Slave labor essays

Labor in Colonial America to The Origins of Slave labor essays It is a common held belief that slavery was a direct result of racism and that it appeared suddenly. As a matter of fact, racism developed gradually and was the consequence of certain business and economic decisions. In Colonial America, there were three contending systems of production in Labor. There was the plantation system, which consisted in having large farms, and hired or enslaved laborers. Another system was the family based farming in New England and the Middle Colonies, which produces primarily for the family and local community. The third system of production was the artisan crafts. There were 100 or more crafts (carpentry, printing...). The three main forms of European (White) Labor were, voluntary, semi-voluntary and involuntary. The voluntary laborers were indentured or went of their own freewill. The indentures would agree to work without pay for a certain amount of time. The semi-voluntary laborers were mostly young apprentices, while the involuntary laborers were transportees. Two different experiences in Colonial America took place; one in the city of Jamestown in Chesapeake, and the other in New England. -Jamestown was founded as a profit-making corporation with God, Glory, Gold as a slogan. Jamestown turned out to be a total disaster. Only 60 people had survived in 1609, out of the 800 who arrived in 1607. They had come with no real intention of working, and only a few were skilled workers. Their relations with the Indians were disastrous meaning a lot of people were killed. Most deaths were caused by starvation. Tobacco was becoming more popular and this helped Jamestown to make a lot of money but also created economic problems such as labor shortage. Chesapeake could either exploit indentures or encourage immigrants. Those who survived made claims on their land bringing about inequalities between rich and poor planters and creating rebellions such as Bacons Rebellio...

Florida Immigration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Florida Immigration - Research Paper Example It is noticed that more than 8% of the workforce in Florida was constituted by the illegal immigrants in 2008. Natural calamities in Haiti too added much to the immigration burden of the state of Florida. The proposed Florida immigration bill attempts to curb illegal immigration by approaching it as a serious law and order problem than a socio-economic issue. The Fear Politics and the Fallibility of Cost-Benefit Analysis It is through a fear politics created by the right wing, illegal immigration issue comes to the forefront of policy making. There has never been more immigration to a country than it could afford. If more people come to Florida, even illegally, it means that there exist conditions for illegal immigrants to be here. It was independently testified by the business community in Florida, especially the sector of Agrarian businesses. And, importantly, the huge majority of the immigrants become successful in finding jobs and adapting the American way of life. In this contex t, it is quite astonishing to see even a theorist such as Huntington would argue that ‘in this new era, the single most immediate and most serious challenge to America's traditional identity comes from the immense and continuing immigration from Latin America, especially from Mexico, and the fertility rates of these immigrants compared to black and white American natives’ (Huntington, 2004, p.3). Therefore, at the heart of immigration debate, lies the hidden racism and xenophobia that our culture would be colonized from within by the alien culture of the illegal immigrant. This xenophobia, the fear politics generated from it is central in the discourse on immigration than supposed socio-economic issues and security matters. ‘Massive Hispanic immigration affects the United States in two significant ways: Important portions of the country become predominantly Hispanic in language and culture, and the nation as a whole becomes bilingual and bicultural’ thus wa rns Huntington (2004, p.7). This is nothing but eloquent and sophisticated articulation of fear of diversity and the negation of core values that constitute America. It is in this wider context, Arizona Immigration Bill and the replicated model of the Florida immigration bill came to existence. The Florida immigration bill has been hotly debated by both the civil society and policy makers in recent times. It is important to note that the current Florida Immigration Bill is stemmed from the more controversial Arizona Immigration Bill. Immigration, in the wider context, is an endemic problem in much of the western countries which are highly developed and industrialized. The United States of America has been at the receiving end of immigration issues from the end of Second World War itself. The rise of both legal and illegal immigration has sometimes developed into a national issue, especially the case of illegal immigration has much to do with other problems such as internal security and welfare distribution. Even the widespread recession in the United States has not resulted in any substantial decrease in the illegal immigration to the country. Arizona Immigration Bill was meant for countering the illegal immigration mainly through the Mexico border. Although the Florida peninsula is surrounded by water, it still experiences illegal immigrati

Critique of an Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critique of an - Article Example Moreover, the authors assert that customers may have a central role to play in the employee turnover in a firm, since satisfied clients may increase the likelihood of employee retention for a firm due to heightened job satisfaction. Slatten, Svensson and Sv?ri (2010: 213) found out that all other factors contributing to the rate of employee turnover are dependent on the employees’ perception of the quality of service that one is capable of providing. The study shows that employee perception acts as the link between antecedents of employee turnover (empowerment, coaching and clarity of one’s role at the workplace), and the consequence that is the likelihood of employees to leave a workplace for another one. The 1076 subjects of the study completed a self-interview questionnaire, all of whom were frontline employees for service firms in Norway (Slatten, Svensson and Sv?ri 2010: 211). The sample was selected by judgment sampling, as 52 percent of the sample was male; avera ge age was 32 years; 61.3 percent were permanently employed and working on a fulltime basis; 74.6 had lasted for approximately 6 years with their employer; and about half had achieved higher education. This sample is only appropriate for demonstration purposes as it is not representative of Norway’s service industry workforce; in addition, the sample size is small and not appropriate for generalization to the whole population (Grant and Cavanagh, 2004: 18). The authors should have adopted a random sample, mainly by a combination of a cluster sample and a systematic sample that is inclusive of all components of the service sector employee population, and is random enough to give each member of the population a chance to be picked in the sample. However, testing the questionnaires on 53 respondents before the study was a proper approach since the pilot study enabled them to identify limitations of the study before incurring financial and time expenses, and make modifications. M oreover, the use of a combination of questions from previous studies gave the authors an increased chance of making corrections on errors made in previous studies and improving on previous study techniques. The variables in this study are qualitative, including satisfaction, perceptions, needs and preferences; however, Slatten, Svensson and Sv?ri (2010: 211) used a seven point Likert-scale to give the qualitative information a quantitative aspect. This involves making numerous assumptions, including the obvious one of assuming that employees had the ability to assign numerical values to their feelings and perceptions (Karatepe and Uludag, 2008: 116). Consequently, the objectivity of the study is reduced as a result of the process of changing quality into quantity, as employees are not homogenous in their perceptions. In addition, there is little difference between the seven levels of Likert-scale, and employees are more likely to be biased in their analysis due to real or perceived differences between them as seen in Chiu et al. (2005: 486). This makes it impossible to generalize the results of the study to include different backgrounds, mainly due to the varied results that are likely since employee perceptions are dependent on a myriad of market factors (Richards, 2009). Slatten, Svensson

Art Movements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art Movements - Essay Example Han dynasty is one of the most prestigious dynasties in China. Confucianism and Daoism became official religions during this era. Confucian and Daoist teachings of immortality and nobility and uprightness of the human soul influenced artists during the Han dynasty to predominantly paint human figures and scenes of daily social life. Zen artists view art as a representation of the essence, â€Å"the eternal qualities of an object.† This is already existent even before the artist arrives. His job therefore is to suggest by the simplest possible means the inherent nature of an aesthetic object. The economy of means is important to convey the purity and simplicity of the eternal nature of an object. His aim is not to create an illusion of reality, as what western artist does, but rather to produce something that makes one think beyond reality towards the essence of reality. Though seemingly simple, creating the abstract representation of the innate essence of the object requires t ime and patience. After the comprehending the essence of an object, an artist can effortlessly and spontaneously paint his masterpiece. Stupas represent the Buddhist belief that they can also achieve the enlightenment that Buddha achieved in his lifetime. The monument which is composed of parts represents the elements that would lead to enlightenment, is an edifice that would make Buddhist connected with their goal of enlightenment. Art, in this case, is a tool to remember the spiritual aims and purpose of man. Set B 1.) Modernism is an art trend that stresses the power of human beings to create, improve, and reshape their environment, with the aid of scientific knowledge, technology and practical experimentation. Many of the previous movements had failed to realize their goals. Painters of the 19th century believed that art should present images that contain and reflect moral and ethical values for others to emulate (Witcombe). However as scientific breakthroughs provided a possibility of debunking conservative values, a new, progressive world order emerged. From Neoclassicism, Romanticism, and Realism all of which portrayed life as it is, Modern art, focusing on possibilities, emerged. 2.) Most of the American painters during the 19th century were trained and worked in European countries. The

Defining Stakeholders and their responsibilities

Defining Stakeholders and their responsibilities Stakeholder is a person,  group, or organisation that has direct or indirect  stake,  that is Support, in an organisation. Thay are called Stakeholders because they can affect or also be affected by the organisations  actions,  policies, and  objectives. Key stakeholders in a  business  organization are include  Creditors,  Customers,  Directors,  Employees,  Government  (as well as their   agencies),  Owners  ( that is Shareholdes) , Suppliers,  Unions, and the  Community  from which the business draws its  resources. Although stake-holding is usually self-legitimizing (those who  judge  themselves to be stakeholders are  de facto  so), all stakeholders are not equal and different stakeholders are  entitled  to different  considerations. For example, a  firms  customers are entitled to fair  trading  practices  but they are not entitled to the same consideration as the firms employees. In short, Stakeholders are groups of people who have an interest in a business organisation. Type of Stakeholders : ~ http://www.answers.com/topic/stakeholder-corporate Stakeholders can be devided in two different groups as shown above that is internal as well as external. It also can be called as Primary Stakeholders and Secondary Stakeholders. Not only that, but some stakeholders are those who might be both that is interal as well as external. For example company employee is by default internal stakeholder. But at the same time when he become the same companies customer he become the external stakeholder. Stakeholders of COCA COLA companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Q.)Who are the stakeholders of COCA COLA Company ? All most all the businesses have to keep in mind the effect of their activities on stakeholders. Coca-Cola is also not an exception. There are so many stakeholders in Coca Cola Company. They include all those stakeholders, who are most affected by or who most affect the way they do business. This includes Consumers/Customers, Suppliers, Manager, Owner(shareholders),Employees, Government regulators, Speial interest Groups, Non-Govermental Organizations (i.e. NGOs) as well as the local communities/society in which Coca Cola Company operate. Each and every Stakeholder has its own interests in Coca Cola Company and places different demands on them. The Company try to engage with each constituency according to its needs, using different engagement methods as appropriate. Consumer/Customers Consumers are the external stakeholders. In Coca Cola Company, Consumers are given very much importance because they have a very much influence on business strategy because, wherever possible, consumers want to buy products from those companies on which they trust. So Consumers are very much influential. Because all business is after all depends upon a customers. If there will be no customers, there will be no business at all. Suppliers Suppliers and business partners are vital to Coca Cola Companys success. Because they help them refresh the world, more than 1.6 billion times every day, through delivering necessary products and services for their business. Having a sound, stable and ethical supply base is important for growth of the Coca Cola Company and the footprint that the suppliers leave in local communities around the world. As a company, they have a responsibility to hold their direct suppliers to standards no less than those required by applicable law. So suppliers are also very much influential. Government agencies and civil society Coca Cola Company made wide-ranging industry commitments. Such as the   Action on Diet, Health and Physical Activity  . They are a member of the different  Union of European Beverages Associations  , which the EU Platform acknowledged as an example of best practice on how to develop and follow up the commitments made. Coca Cola also work with : ~National Government Agencies to implement  sports and fitness programmes ~National Environment Ministries to  protect watersheds ~Industry and Government Agencies to build sustainable  packaging management schemes and promote recycling So government is also influential at a a greater level. Creditors Creditors are the external stakeholder of the Coca Cola Company. The Coca Cola Company participate in  investor assessments  and conduct briefings specifically for the socially responsible investment community. They routinely include sustainability performance in their all annual financial report and investor road shows. So creditors are also influential at a certain level. Employees Employees are not just internal stakeholders, they might be also external stakeholders. Because when any employee purchase an item from the same Company in which they are employed they become external stakeholder. So just like other companies in Coca Cola Company also Employees are very much influential. So Coca Cola Company conducted  a survey about the key measures of employees engagement. In 2007 Coca Cola Company won several awards, which includes: ~ Best employer awards in Serbia and Poland. ~ Second place in the  Great Place to Work  survey in Italy. Owners (Shareholders) Owners are the internal stakeholders of the Coca Cola Company. They are the Primary stakeholders.In Coca Cola Company Stockholders have an immediate stake in a corporation because it is all about their money that is funding the company. If Coca Cola Company does well, their stock gains value and ultimately they earn more and more money. If the  business  does badly, simply they lose money. So shareholders are very very much influential in Coca Cola Company. Non-Govermental Organizations (NGOS) The Coca Cola Company always rely on NGOs and public-private partnerships to inform and guide their policies and initiatives, as well as challenge them as they work on complex and fast-changing issues such as climate change and others. Some of Coca Colas key stakeholders and partners includes the following: ~World Resources Institute ~World Wildlife Fund ~Carbon Trust ~Carbon Disclosure Project The NGOs also influential in Coca Cola Company. Stakeholders of Cancer Research UKà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Q.)Who are the stakeholders of Cancer Research UK ? Cancer Research UK is a non profit organization. But that doesnt mean that it doesnt have stakeholders. There are stakeholders just like other organization. Some examples of Stakeholders for a Non Profit Organization like Cancer Reseach UK are given here : Director, Trustees , Donors, Employees, Government, Patients, Doctors and Nurses, Fundraisers,Volunteer,Corporate partners like Tesco and BQ. Director The Director is a person who board typically chooses to have this one person who is ultimately responsible to carry out the overall wishes of the board. The director is always directly accountable for the work of the staff and supports the work of the board committees.  So director is a key stakeholder for Cancer research UK. So he is very much influential stakeholder. Board of Trustees Trustees are always much influential for any non profit organization. Cancer research UK also have a Bord of Trustees. They have to perform some duties likeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ ~Carry out the terms of the trust instrument ~Defend the trust ~Proper investment of trust assets e.t.c. So Board of Directors of Cancer Research UK are very much influential. Employees Employees are always influential for any organization, wether it is profitable or non profitable organization. So just like others here in Cancer Research UK, employees are very much influential. Volunteers In Cancer Research UK, volunteer are the most influential stakeholder as they are provide their help and time free of cost. Cancer research UK might cant operate without the help of the service of the Volunteers. So because of the given reason, they are very much influential in cancer Research UK. Donors Donors are the person who gives monetary and non monetary help to the organizations. In Cancer Research UK, Donors play an important role as they are the distinct from others as they give their support to an organization from which they know, they will not getting any monetary refund. So donors are influential in Cancer Research UK.

Free Will in a Clockwork Orange Essay

Choice and free will are necessary to maintain humanity, both individually and communally; without them, man is no longer human but a â€Å"clockwork orange†, a mechanical toy, as demonstrated in Anthony Burgess’ novel, â€Å"A Clockwork Orange†. The choice between good and evil is a decision every man must make throughout his life in order to guide his actions and control his future. Forcing someone to be good is not as important as the act of someone choosing to be good. This element of choice, no matter what the outcome, displays man’s power as an individual. â€Å"A Clockwork Orange† starts with Alex posing the question: â€Å"what’s it going to be then, eh? â€Å". Burgess begins the story by demonstrating that Alex and his gang are free to do as they choose. Alex and his â€Å"droogs† are rebellious modern youth in an oppressive society. The â€Å"droogs† are tempted like all humanity by sin and try to show their hatred for the government with acts of extreme violence. The violent and rebellious behavior is a result of free will, but without the presence of evil, there would be nothing for humanity to choose. Throughout part one of the novel the droogs’ choices often result in violent actions harming innocent people. Examples of their â€Å"ultra-violence† are rampant: Alex and his droogs choose to rob and assault a man, Alex rapes young girls, and the droogs rob an old â€Å"ptitsa† who later dies from Alex’s assault. As Burgess says : â€Å"evil has to exist along with good, in order that moral choice may operate? Unfortunately there is so much original sin in us all that we find evil rather attractive†. God gave individuals free will, and they are responsible for their actions. The government has no right to interfere with human nature. A person can choose to be good or evil as Alex tries to demonstrate when he says: † what I do I do because I like to do†. With this statement, Alex clearly demonstrates that he is responsible for his actions and he chooses to act out against society simply because he likes to, because he is attracted to sin. When Alex and his gang attack F. Alexander and his wife, we again witness horrible acts of violence that are ultimately the result of Alex’s choice. This appalling scene is another example of Alex using his free will and his temptation towards evil. Evil is not only part of Alex’s life but the government’s as well. The evil of the government can be seen in part two of the novel when Alex’s mind is controlled and forced to have no moral choice. The government controls Alex’s free will by means of the Ludovico Technique, which makes Alex physically ill at the mere consideration of violent thoughts. When Alex is in the â€Å"staja† the Governor states that criminals â€Å"can best be dealt with on a purely curative basis. Kill the criminal reflex? â€Å". The Governor does not understand that criminal intent is not an unrestrained reaction, but the result of autonomy. The voice of reason in the prison is the prison Chaplin who questions the ethics of interfering with God’s gift of moral choice, â€Å"goodness comes from within?. goodness is something chosen. When a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man†. Again through one of his characters, Burgess is stating that inhibiting a person’s free will is more evil than a person’s ability to choose evil over good. If one cannot choose, one ceases to be human and is exactly like a machine controlled by the government. After Alex undergoes the Ludovico Technique, he stops asking â€Å"what’s it going to be then, eh?† only to prove that Alex has lost his free will. Alex’s question that was so prominent disappears and the mere thought of violence makes him physically ill. Dr Branom explains the effects of the technique to Alex : â€Å"you are being made sane, you are being made healthy†. The government and the doctors are convinced that they are making Alex â€Å"sane† and â€Å"healthy†. On the contrary, they are controlling his ability to have a choice in his actions. The doctors are attempting to eliminate Alex’s moral choice, which is neither sane nor healthy. The doctors go even further when they discover Alex’s love for classical music. Dr Branom says: â€Å"here is the punishment element, perhaps. The Governor ought to be pleased†. They go beyond trying to reform Alex and continue to punish and torture him, for after this torment is complete hearing a beautiful piece of music makes Alex sick. Alex’s reaction to music becomes violent and painful because of the government’s manipulation and the side effects of the Ludovico Technique. Alex did not choose to have his free will and love for music taken away. After the procedure is complete, the prison Chaplin comments † he has no real choice , has he?†¦ he ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice†. The government limits Alex’s moral choice to only good which is truly the essence of evil for it interferes with the gift of free will given to humankind by god. After Alex is released into society, he has a difficult time adjusting since his world has drastically changed. Alex is now forced to behave oppositely to what he desires. The doctors have forced him to be â€Å"good†. After Dim and Billyboy have assaulted Alex, he encounters F. Alexander who takes him in. Alex attacked F. Alexander earlier in the story and mocked him for explaining the concept of free moral choice. When F. Alexander hears Alex’s story he remarks: â€Å"they have turned into something other than a human being. You have no power of choice any longer. You are committed to socially acceptable acts, a little machine capable only of good? â€Å". F. Alexander understands that limiting a man’s free will is a sin, but as we soon learn, F. Alexander and his faction use Alex for their own cause and form Alex into a martyr by manipulating and influencing his will. This act of selfishness proves that F. Alexander’s faction is no better than the government they are criticizing. They are willing to sacrifice Alex to make him â€Å"a martyr to the cause f Liberty? â€Å". F. Alexander and his faction are so ruthless that Alex sees suicide as his only way out. He decides to â€Å"do myself in, to snuff it, to blast off forever out of this wicked and cruel world†. Alex’s thoughts, feelings and choices have been altered and he feels that he can only escape his evil manipulation by suicide. To Alex, F.Alexander’s faction turns out to be as evil as the government they are fighting. While Alex is in the hospital, after his failed suicide attempt, F. Alexander says: â€Å"you have served Liberty well†. It is clear to Alex that there is no distinction between the oppressive government and the deception of F. Alexander’s faction. Once Alex has regained his free will, he is released back into society and attempts to go back to his old ways. The beginning of part three mirrors part one; however, Alex is starting to change. Alex seems less interested in senseless violence, and since his free will has returned, he starts â€Å"dreaming and wondering what it was like changing and what was going to happen to me†. Alex is beginning to realize that he has choices to make in his life. After meeting Pete who has matured Alex has a revelation, he imagines himself as a husband and father and realizes â€Å"I was like growing up†. Alex is attracted by love and parenthood, not by sin. He uses his moral choice to choose to righteous path and finally answers the question with â€Å"that’s what it’s going to be, brothers†. Alex willfully chooses to change his ways; he decides to be productive, and chooses love over sin. He realizes that what he did in the past was wrong, as well as the immorality of his ways. It is through free moral choice that Alex arrives at this conclusion, not through a government technique forcing him to make the â€Å"right† decision. As part of the process of maturity, Alex would have likely selected this path naturally. However, the interference of the government and F. Alexander’s interference with Alex’s moral choice ultimately drove him to attempt suicide to escape the evil ways they chose for reform. Moral choice can lead to violence, but without the risks, there would be nothing for humanity to choose. The government and F. Alexander’s faction control Alex’s free will to justify their own political agenda. They control his ability to choose without realizing that interfering with humanity’s ability to exercise free will is evil. Both the government and F. Alexander’s faction claim to be â€Å"the good guys† when they are the true faces of pure evil. One has to remember that evil is a master of disguise. It often hides behind the mask of the hero.