Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Martin Guerre

The book â€Å"Martin Guerre† written by Natalie Zemon Davis' is about a French peasant of the 16th century, who was at the core of an eminent case of masquerade.   Natalie Zemon Davis is a historian and an American feminist of early contemporary France. Her major interests are in cultural and social history particularly of those formerly disregarded by the historians. In her book she discusses about the peasant life because according to her the most striking think about peasant life in sixteenth century, France was that marriage was primarily an economic and business relationship. It seemed to be used simply to unite familial lands and provide continuity in the family. Even though most, if not the entire, would presume the lives of peasants are unimportant in the superior system of things, the admired tale of Martin Guerre gives details of workers or peasants creating important, life-altering verdicts founded on egotism. The individual existance of the peasants does make a distinction. The author Natalie Zemon Davis narrates the story of peasants take care of themselves and seldom do they permit others to get in the way with their own aims, ambitions and objectives. She tries to fill in the fissure of the narrative with her personal view and opinion; even though, her judgment at times opposes the contemporaries of the tale. Numerous sources utilized by Natalie Davis are reasonably sound; but, several other sources elevate queries of their own genuineness and deep feeling. The novelist also takes a cavernous look into the lives of the peasants to investigate what coerces them and what so fervently fuels their idiosyncratic desires. The book details the life of the peasants in not only one specific place, but also details the customs of numerous places such as Hendaye, Artigat, and the court at Rieux in a contrast/compare style. It builds a world of stairs where those on the lowest rung are always looking somewhere higher up, yet they are always able to keep a taut rein on their lives. The characters of this tale are brought to a startling realism and gives details of every possible thought and action that could have led them down the path that they chose, and even speculates on alternatives to the choice they made. The author shows the life of the real Martin Guerre as full of regret and disgust at things gone wrong. His wife, Bertrande de Rols, is expressed as a manipulator that is always weighing her options and scheming to rise ahead. Subsequently, there is Arnaud du Tilh; without his appearance, no story would have likely taken place because it took a man of his shrewdness and his love of vice to create such a fantastical plot. Despite the fact that Arnaud was â€Å"the man for whom [Bertrande] felt†¦a great and joyous passion† (Davis 1983), she couldn't stay contentedly with him. She was a very strong catholic who could not accept â€Å"the shadow of sin and danger which accompanied [Arnaud]†(Davis 1983), even though he made her happier than Martin ever could or would have. In an era where women were indeed oppressed in a male-dominated society, it is understandable that a woman like Bertrande would have feelings of anger towards her oppressors. It is certain that she feels anger and a kind of hatred towards Arnaud, saying that â€Å"[she] has not demanded his death, but now [she] must demand it† (Davis 1983). It is possible that Arnaud is ‘copping the brunt' of all of her hardships that came about after Martin left her. A person might think that Bertrand’s triumph would at last bestow her liberty and trustworthiness. On the contrary, she is given the opposed â€Å"harsh, solitary justice†. No one in actual fact cares that she was true, and no one tries to stop her at the time she goes away. If ethical impartiality had been attained, she (Bertrande) would not have been in the place where she ended up. Frances and Joseph Geis elucidate comprehensively the traditions of family and matrimony during the 16th century. In the middle Ages, the majority of the peasants did not have proper matrimonial vows performed in church. As an alternative, they promise (or vow) to each other to reside as ordinary and bylaw wife and husband. Ceremony was not compulsory because peasants did not possess land; they worked on the property of the aristocracy as occupant cultivators or farmers. Matrimonial customs transformed in the 16th   century due to the peasant's capability to possess property, due to which parents persevered on having further control over their progeny’s matrimonial options. â€Å"Love may do much, but money more.† This was a popular proverb among peasants in 16th century France. This quote characterizes peasant life in all aspects and the same has been described in the book. Though the world offered much to its citizens, the peasants always wanted more; they wanted more money, which would in turn, provide more power. Whatever is beneficial to them, they seek without regards as to the effects it would have on others. In this age of France, trade between villages and towns was bountiful. This emphasis put on business reveals the peasant motto â€Å"but money more†; many believed trading would bring them, greater riches and opportunity. Marriage was a major vessel used by peasants, by which they sought out power and wealth. One such example is the marriage of Bertrande de Rols and Martin Guerre. The Guerre's attempted to use their son, Martin, to make connections with a significant, prominent family in the society of Artigat. They hoped that this new bonding would help them make vital connections to a higher class of peasant. Although it was shunned by most in the Catholic Church and by attorneys consensual marriage was legal and only required the bride and groom to agree on it. It was usually eschewed because it did not give the families any voice in the matter. However, most marriages were arranged by the parents. The main purpose of the marriage was to produce children; love was not a factor. The more children (especially males) a family has, the greater fortune it will likely bring to the family. A childless marriage was grounds for a divorce at this time; without children, a marriage, in essence, has no purpose. Many people simply did not find that their present situation was going well. Many departed themselves from reality by joining the army (this was common due to the current war between France and Spain). Others did not take such a drastic step; they simply picked up everything they owned and moved to a new village to start a new life in hopes of better fortune. Around this time, as ideas moved about rather swiftly due to peasant migration, Protestantism arose to challenge the authority of Catholicism. Peasants broke into church buildings and smashed images of the saints and other artwork. Protestantism found its fuel in its central doctrines: such as scripture being open to individual interpretation. Peasants saw these doctrines as loopholes and alternatives to the harsh, Catholic teachings. The courts, at this time, were attempting to instill the public with more conservative decisions that would favor marriage to divorce and put an emphasis on the familial unit, especially the children; this they did in hopes of ending decisions based solely on self-interest. There are scenarios where execution is used as a form of punishment for adultery. Davis accentuates the generalities of medieval life in France and also provides particularities, such as the property of Pansette staying within his family instead of going to the king, as was the custom. A desire to attain one's own interests so eagerly is proven repeatedly by Davis as though she is obviously attempting to lead us in that direction by her outlook on this part of the past. BIBLIOGRAPHY Davis, Natalie, The Return of Martin Guerre, Harvard University Press, 1983, ISBN, 0 14 00,7593 3 Original Literary Source Lewis, Janet. Retour de Martin Guerre, Le      

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Parole and Truth in Sentencing Essay

To understand parole one needs to know what parole is and what it means. Parole is the status and early release of a convicted offender who has been conditionally releases from prison by a paroling authority before his or her sentence is expired. Parole and Probation have similar conditions. While an offender is on parole they have certain rules they need to follow. There is another form of parole which is Federal parole. Federal parole was determined by the Parole Board under the United Stated Parole Commission. Federal parole was changed after the Sentencing Reform Act. The Sentencing Reform Act was a part of the U. S. Federal statute that was intended to increase the consistency in the United States federal sentencing; this abolished federal parole all together. Parole was introduced by Brockway Zebulon in 1876 as a way to reduce jail overcrowding and as a way to rehabilitate offenders by encouraging them to win back their freedom with good behaviors. The role of parole was to reduce prison terms based on good behavior. Another role of probation was to supervise the convicted after being granted parole and grant freedom to those who had uncertain sentences. The reduction of jail terms after good and responsible behavior use to reduce indeterminate sentences. â€Å"There are 25 percent of inmates who are freed from prison are still paroled by the paroling authority, such as a parole board† (Schmalleger, F). Some conditions that affect parole would be the specific terms needed to be followed by the parolees. A parolee must check in with his parole officer within 24 hours after his release, they may be required to live in a certain area or with a certain person, and they may be required to stay away from certain people. If any of these stipulations are broken the parolee will go back to prison to serve out the remainder of their time of incarceration. This is also known as revocation of probation. Revocation of probation is an administrative action of a paroling authority removing a person from parole status. Once an offender is back in prison he has to serve out the remainder of his time and also anytime he may get from any other crimes he may have committed. Some typical conditions that affect whether a person gets parole are the nature of their crime, prior criminal record, and most importantly the amount of time already served. The goals of truth in sentencing are to improve the delivery of proportionate punishment and promote stability and predictability in offenders. â€Å"The abandonment of the rehabilitation goal, combined with a return to determine sentencing in many jurisdictions including the federal judicial system has reduces the amount of time an average corrections client spends on supervised parole†(Schmalleger,F pg. 424). In 1981 there was a revision that ensured that the credits to good behavior would exceed the length of the jail term: The more number of years one was to serve in prison the more the number of months they were likely to get. The credits were as follows five days per month on sentences between six months and one year, six days per month on sentences between 1 years and three years, and eight days per month on jail term between 5 years and 10 years. Convicts that were sentenced to life in jail were to be released on the basis of parole once they served 15 years in prison. There were other amendments that were done in the year 1930 and years after which have overseen the current parole regime that we have today. The probation and parole system is very intricate and is changed greatly overtime. Parole and probation are used all over the country and varies from state to state: even the truth in sentencing laws differ state to state. There are more parolees on parole than there has ever been all across the country and that number will only rise. As overcrowding continues to go on in prison, offenders will be released I feel like before they should be. Prison is meant to rehabilitate and to make the criminal think twice before committing a crime or giving him the skills he need to conduct a legal life style. Probation and Parole are 2 things that are an important part of the criminal justice systems.

Monday, July 29, 2019

A history of American sexuality Essay Example for Free

A history of American sexuality Essay American (136) , Sexuality (5) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? There is little to dispute the notion that rebellious movements only originate as a need, not as a result of human nature. It would indeed be appropriate to view the various cultures of resistance that have developed over the ages in light of this ideology; every era saw a different need and hence developed and shaped itself through their individual’s sexual meaning (D’emilio and Freedman 228). They embody a change in attitude of youngsters regarding suppressed sexual inclinations considered inappropriate by the general public or believed to be counterproductive. Stemming from as early as the 17th century, the progress of freedom of sexuality has mostly been a mosaic, finding roots in differences of race gender and class. However, recent times have allowed that progress to be catalogued in discernable text which can be reviewed to gain insight into the perception of sexuality as has been generally associated with the past; historians such as Jeffrey Weeks, D’emilio and Freedman provide some valuable control points to make those judgments. First era: 1600 to 1780 The institution of marriage, the historical perspective of which was recently been subjected to criticism, has been under scrutiny lately simply because historical data does not correspond with the stereotypes of a traditional marriage (Coontz 13). In simple words, people who believed that the sanctity of marriage centuries ago was protected because of love between partners have lately been disproven. From 1600 to 1780, marriage was vastly regarded as a tool designed squarely as a reproductive mechanism and for the promotion of labor sources, increasing the family ties and the creation of a new generation (D’emilio and Freedman 14). Since work was primarily agricultural back in those days, there was a need to increase labor within the family which was directly reflected in sexuality being confined to the institution of marriage, which in turn was designated for procreation (D’emilio and Freedman 16-17). Such was the kinship and family system. During this era, there was a distinct lack of the element of love and social stigma prohibited acts of premarital intercourse and even falling in love as a pretext for marriage. Amongst the general society though, there were mixed thoughts within Protestants and Native American Indians (D’emilio and Freedman 108). They formulated resistant sexualities to the norms. While the Protestants encouraged sexual pleasures within the marriage and allowed public, though limited, displays of affection, anything outside this institution was invalidated and scorned upon (D’emilio and Freedman 4). There are evidences of regulation in the many punishments awarded to those who breached these standardized concepts of sexualities, and acts of adultery, premarital intercourse, homosexuality, and fornication were considered crimes, commission of which not only resulted in penalties but drew contempt at the hands of the public at large. These were very evidently governed by legal implications, enforced not only by the church (D’emilio and Freedman 51) but also the state and society in unison. Such sexual criminals thus became outcast, leading to non-uniformity of sexualities. Amongst these, the prime suspects were Native American Indians, who allowed pre-marital intercourse and considered homosexuality acceptable. Moreover, marriage was not restricted to just one partner. Polygamy became just as common, suggesting that the sexual behavior was more a matter of the culture and social acceptance than human nature. As D’emilio and Freedman point out, the Chesapeake colonies where men outnumbered women due to the presence of a big number of migrants, men could choose to have sex with women simply to derive pleasure and not as instigation to marriage (D’emilio and Freedman 14-17). The political system in the middle of the 17th century harbored the use of slaves, and those created their own sexual regimes. The southern areas saw a rise in inter-racial sexual ordeals, giving presence to another distinct system of regulating sexualities. The forms of political control that dominated throughout the 17th century, namely the church, state and the local community began losing their footing by the middle of the 18th century to late 18th century. This was partly due to the rise in commercialization and trade, since community presence was losing ground to a larger form of individualism, which institutionalized marriage as an expression of romance. Thus, the original sexual meanings relating to family ties and procreation governed by the sexual politics of the church, state and the local community were being superseded by the culture of resistance that encouraged romance as the central focus of marriage (D’emilio and Freedman 95). Second era: 1870-1980 A new era of sexual preferences was emerging in the late 19th century. The prevailing mood was that of a heightened sense of pre-marital and within-marriage sexual intimacy, defined as â€Å"Victorian† (Peiss 206), with individuality as the central focus, allowing for sexual endeavors to extend beyond marriage and include previously scorned ideologies such as same sex sexualities. The aura was becoming increasingly liberal, as the presence of seemingly immoral exercises such as pornography, and brothel management undermined the societal values (Peiss 238). Attention was drawn towards them by a new breed of post 1880 conservatives. This movement concentrated squarely on declaring every form of seemingly impure sexuality such as adultery, commercialization of sex in terms of pornography, fornication and even eroticization within marriage as immoral and as plagues to society. Sexual meaning, while decidedly liberal in those days, employing extensive use of contraception and experimental living with partners, was met with sexual regulation tactics by the state, governed by the enforcement of legislations. The sexual politics included the passing of Anti-prostitution (D’emilio and Freedman 150, 209, 213) and anti-pornography laws facilitating the resistance that Protestants had also partnered in. This, while curbing public vulgarities to some extent, could not come in the way of the growing consumerism that the industrial wave brought with it. With concentration on individual choice, commercial sex grew, in sync with the empowerment of women both at the workplace and within the family, leading to even more equality amongst the sexes (Coontz 208). In the culture that ensued, the sexual meaning took a very liberal turn with empowerment of the individual being the centerpiece, thus enabling homosexual tendencies to thrive, along with the encouragement of romance and eroticism becoming increasingly desirable. The post 1920s was regarded as an era of sexual reform, post Victorian sexual era so to speak, a time when the concept of marriage was drifting from the originally conceived â€Å"traditional† meanings to those based on deriving sexual pleasures simultaneously with the need to reproduce. The sexual meaning, thus, in the context of D’emilio’s and Freedman’s philosophies (1997), combined those two to place emphasis on the fulfillment and satisfaction of one’s self with respect to the institution of marriage, rather than be forced to adhere to it in order to meet social demands of labor and reproduction. The freedom of choice was highlighted amongst the youth and non-heterosexual endeavors as well as pre-marital sexualities became gradually acceptable. The depiction of sex for commercial use picked up pace as well (D’emilio and Freedman 327), and liberalism both within marriage and outside it grew. The routine depiction of sexual images to the public became frequent, suggesting that sexual choice and independence was what the society wanted. It was in these times that strides were made for gender equality as well, as men slowly edged towards ceasing to become the dominant sexual partners and women began sharing high posts with men in the workplace. Third Era: Post 1980 to present day The major cultural resistance shift was next experienced in the 1970s, with the advent of the liberal homosexual regimes and the urge to pursue sexual freedom by the likes of Hugh Hefner, bringing to light demands to acknowledge premarital sexual endeavors as a right. This, of course, was contrary to the norm of the day, which was still largely heterosexual. More sexual politics brought Left-wing views to the forefront, arguing especially in favor of the gay liberation movement and feminism (D’emilio and Freedman 322-323). During the 70s and 80s, this phenomenon gripped the economically thriving youth of the day, affecting the counterculture in so much as shredding the traditional norms associated with marriage and family in favor of a single sexual life. The right-wings continued to advocate against the sexual deviancies of pre-marital intimacy, commercial utilities of sex, eroticism, etc and much of the debate in the 80s thus surrounded the use of contraceptives, illegitimacy, the spread of HIV and Herpes, rising divorce rates etc. This state of moral panic was superseded by the feminist culture of resistance, which in turn strengthened the position of women who placed emphasis on choice. Employing Margaret Sanger’s voice of reason (D’emilio and Freedman 243-244), the phenomena of birth control enabled women to pursue sexualities undisturbed, serving to ultimately enable gays and lesbians to exchange vows and raise children (Peiss 484). Conclusion To the present day, sexual meanings have been age dependant and cultures of resistance have shaped the way sexual regulations were governed by sexual politics. As stipulated by Weeks, D’emilio and Freedman, all three need to be considered in unison to understand the changing mechanisms of sexualities over a given period (D’emilio and Freedman 377), but it can easily be inferred that those cultures had a strong part to play in the liberation of sexualities and the deviation of the essence of the institution of marriage, from its traditional stance as a means of reproduction to one purely used to attain sexual fulfillment through love . Works Cited Coontz, Stephanie. Marriage, A history: How Love Conquered Marriage . Penguin Books, 2005. D’emilio, John and Estelle B. Freedman. Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America, 2nd Edition. University of Chicago Press , 1997. Peiss, Kathy. Major Problems in the History of American Sexuality: Documents and Essays . Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. A history of American sexuality. (2016, Aug 15).

Sunday, July 28, 2019

The Role of Women in the Late 19th Century Essay

The Role of Women in the Late 19th Century - Essay Example The progressive era and the oppressive ideas prevalent The late 19th century can be thought of as an era where rapid business and economic changes occurred, progression in terms of the legal rights and professional attitudes of women occurred. The image of San Francisco in the early twentieth century in the public areas is well portrayed by Jessica to be â€Å"one comprising of substantial stone clad buildings, visible down Market Street with a lively mixture of people which comprised of women in long dresses and hats and working women in business suits† (Jessica, 2011, pg 11). The women in the late 19th century faced much oppression in the work place especially in male dominated areas. Sexism or gender discrimination was at its peak in this era as female workers in highly proficient jobs faced opposition from both sexes. The major role of the women in the late 19th century was that of a housekeeper and caretaker of the children. The women from wealthy families hosted parties for business reasons and charity raising purposes. Working women faced a huge opposition from their family, society and at the work place. The women in the 19th century were involved in many reform movements like the women’s rights to suffrage, feminism to pacifism, temperance to abolitionism which changed the American history and gained many rights for the women (Kathleen, Therese, 1996, pg 25). There were many informal community groups involved to bring about a change in the neighborhood, the state, the society and ultimately in the nation. Women began to enter into all fields like journalism, photography, law, medicine and engineering. The publications like newspapers and magazines played a major role in the upliftment of the women (Kathleen, Therese, 1996, pg XVII). The right to vote was given to women in the 19th century by the joint effort of many women’s right movements active at that time. Discussion The book the Russian Hill murders by Shirley portrays the bac kground found in the late 19th century well in relation to how the women were treated, expected to behave and the general culture over the period of time. The book is a murder mystery set in the 19th century and the incident occurs at San Francisco. The female lead in the book is Sarah Woolson who is an attorney at law in the late 1880’s, inspired by her father who was a Judge (Shirley, 2005, pg 15). The firm in itself is a major obstruction for her as she is taken into the firm reluctantly and in every manner possible the firm tries to push her down from her professional practice. The women in the 19th century had demanding work, much more tough than practicing criminal law in terms of the physical effort they had to spend â€Å"I find it strange that practicing law in a comfortable well-heated office is considered too demanding an occupation for women†¦.† (Shirley, 2005, pg 6). Sarah overcomes the numerous oppositions she faces with a helpful few while following the female etiquette demanded from women during the late 19th century. Conclusion In the book Russian hill murders (Shirley, 2005) the social status of women in the late 19th century is well analyzed. The characters are all well portrayed and the background description fits in well with what existed in reality in the late 19th century. The lead character Sarah gives us an idea of how women in male dominated fields were treated in the 19th centur

East Asian Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

East Asian Studies - Essay Example Culture is the representation of the mode of thinking of the national leaders and the people. Politics, on the other hand, is the expression of such mode of thinking, which can be seen in the manner state and economic policies are created and implemented. Therefore, while economy may be most visible base, one that serves as the gauge whether the country is moving forward or not, it is actually the superstructure of politics and culture that promotes and protects it. However, economy, the base, is the reflection of political and cultural realities too. The superstructure and the base have a dialectical relationship. Because of the diversity in the political and cultural conditions of each country, following a particular economic growth model does not always produce the desired results. Despite the success of the East Asian model, which Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan have become renowned for, not all countries in East and Southeast Asia absolutely imitate its standards and procedures. Again, this is because of the difference of the political and cultural conditions of each. Essentially the East Asian model suggests the establishment of a strong state first and foremost as the requirement for economic growth. The Philippines, ever since it was granted independence by the United States, has been making an effort in making itself as a strong republic. At the same time, it has been opening itself to foreign trade and investments at degrees oftentimes even much higher than its now industrialized and financially stable neighbors in East and Southeast Asia. While it tries to emulate the â₠¬Ëœdragon economies’ in the arena of governmental functions, it has, however, failed to realize economic strategies that bear the hallmarks of the East Asian model. As a result, the Philippine state has only become stronger at the expense of the people’s civil and political rights but the economy has not achieved any significant level of progress. It used

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Lockes Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lockes Philosophy - Essay Example It is not clear Whether John as a young man really appreciated the concept of the severe regime his father followed, but it is a well known fact the Locke appreciated the mentioned concept as an adult: 'For, liberty and indulgence can do no good to children: their want of judgement makes them stand in need of restraint and discipline' [1, 62]. 'He that is not used to submit his will to the reason of others, when he is young, will scarcely hearken or submit to his own reason, when he is of an age to make use of it' (Aldrich 1994, p. 62). There is not much information about Locke's early education nevertheless it is known that reading was his passion which he carried through his entire life. At Westminster Scholl in London he studied under the aegis of Dr Richard Busby, the man famous for his knowledge and his pitiless use of the birch-rod on the refractory students. The ultimately arduous academic regime at Westminster school and later at Oxford, the severe birching due to the license that predominated over the students contributed to John Locke's essential repugnance to schools and correspondingly very strong predilection for domestic and private education. It was even more confusing to Locke who had been brought up in a rigours Puritan and Parliamentarian surroundings, to discover that Richard Busby was a recognized Royalist, who did not

Friday, July 26, 2019

Children asthma Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Children asthma - Research Paper Example Children with acute exacerbation of asthma are frequently seen in out-patient settings and emergency rooms. They are administered bronchodilators like albuterol to cause relief of symptoms. Albuterol is administered either through metered dose inhalers-spacer or jet nebulizer. Metered dose-inhaler spacer is an efficient and useful method of delivering albuterol for bronchodilatation. It delivers the drug quickly and can cause effects in few seconds. Delivery of the drug can be optimized using suitable mask. On the other hand nebulization is also an effective tool to deliver the drug. It is however cumbersome and needs atleast 15 minutes for one dose administration. The most commonly used delivery systems for asthma are nebulizers, dry-powder inhalers and metered dose inhalers with or without spacers (Smith and Goldman, 2012). In children less than 5 years of age, it is not possible to generate adequate inspiratory inflow and hence, effective use of dry-powder inhaler devices is not p ossible. Whether to use metered dose inhalers or nebulizers in acute exacerbation of asthma in children is a much debated topic. The main advantage with nebulizer is that the drug can be delivered even without the cooperation of the child. However, during this mechanism, only less than 10 percent of the aerosolized drug reaches the lungs (Smith and Goldman, 2012). The remaining drug gets deposited in the nebulization system or on the face or is lost to the surrounding regions. On the other hand upto 40 percent of the drug can be deposited in the lungs with metered dose inhalers. In infants and young children, the main difficulty in using metered dose inhalers is lack of coordination in triggering and inhaling the drug (Smith and Goldman, 2012). To overcome these aspects, spacers and masks are used. Spacers are able to eliminate the need for coordination in metered dose inhalers. The spacers have a valve "with the particular advantage of allowing aerosol to move out of the chamber at inhalation but holding particles in the chamber during exhalation" (Smith and Goldman, 2012). In this research essay, whether nebulizer or metered dose inhaler with spacer is a suitable method for administering albuterol therapy in children will be discussed through review of suitable literature. The research is made through PICO format and the steps involved in arriving at the evidence will be discussed. PICO Format When clinical decisions are made based on appropriate scientific evidence, it is nown as evidence-based practice. According to McKibbon (1998), "Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an approach to health care wherein health professionals use the best evidence possible, i.e. the most appropriate information available, to make clinical decisions for individual patients. EBP values, enhances and builds on clinical expertise, knowledge of disease mechanisms, and pathophysiology. It involves complex and conscientious decision-making based not only on the available evidence but also on patient characteristics, situations, and preferences." The most critical exercise for evidence-based practice is literature review. This can be done by approapriate search strategy and by creating a

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Non-Governmental Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Non-Governmental Organization - Essay Example In spite of that, an NGO is never constituted as a political party, a criminal group, a government body, or a violent guerilla agency. (Willetts, 2002); (Baehr; Gordenker, 1986) In 1910, around 132 international NGOs formed a coalition under the name, the Union of International Associations. At that time, the NGOs had a variety of names for themselves including international institutes, international unions, and international organizations. Although the initial scheme of the UN charter did not consider any plan to combine forces with private organizations, a grand meeting at the San Francisco conference changed this fact. Thence came into being the United Nations, in 1945. The participation of NGOs in UN greatly increased its role in the social and economic issues around the world, and it also raised the status of the Economic and Social Council to a principal organ. So, in order to differentiate the two types of organizations involved in the UN, specialized agencies was the term set for organizations formed by intergovernmental agreements, while non-governmental organizations was set for private agencies. Both these terms were entered into the official UN vocabulary, but NGO gained a much larger popularity, especially since the 1970's, and so entered into general use. (Willetts, 2002) Growth The number of NGOs increased exponentially after the Second World War, at the national and local level. On the international level, NGOs came into being supporting global issues like human rights, rights of women, and maintenance of the environment. Along with these issues, international NGOs also gained importance in the matter of global politics associated with the UN and its subsidiary organizations. (Karns, 2008); (Ahmed; Potter, 2006) Some of the factors that have contributed to the growth of NGOs worldwide are given below (Karns, 2008); (Baylis; Smith, 2001): Globalization. A rise in popularity of global issues like human rights, environmental protection, etc. An increase in international conferences held under the sponsorship of the United Nations. The boom in technology, which lead to smooth communications between individuals or organizations through facsimile (fax), Internet, and e-mail.An increase in the popularity of democracy, which gave rise to the civil society and provided the opportunity to every person to constitute and manage organizations more freely. General Role NGOs take part in a variety of activities. They provide significant information and consultancies to both governmental and international organizations, for instance agencies affiliated with the UN, regarding current global issues. The data supplied to these organizations is often not available to the local government. (Karns, 2008) NGOs may decide to have a particular policy to tread on, like banning of landmines, acted upon by the International Campaign to Ban

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Integrated Marketing Communications Programme for the Ashcroft Essay

Integrated Marketing Communications Programme for the Ashcroft International Business School at Cambridge and Chelmsford - Essay Example These campuses attract not only students from the East of England but also in mainland Europe. With its commitment in making the higher education accessible to all, the university is tapping the global market by creating an extensive network of contacts with several institutions across the world. In line with the continuously changing challenges in the market environment as well as the increasingly tight competition within the local and international school industry, the university has to put in extra effort in strengthening its existing marketing communications programme. This study will discuss about the proposed strategy for the AIBS’s market segment, the characteristics of the student body, multi-cultural issues, and the chosen cost of methods using several communication methods. Another highlighted topic is the importance of measuring the effectiveness of each marketing communications used. Comparing the proposed strategy with the ones used by a similar establishment would be useful in determining the possible outcome of the proposed strategy. The market segment of AIBS includes international students planning to enrol in business related courses. The current market of AIBS has a total of 3,000 undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional students. AIBS employs over 80 ‘full-time’ professional teachers to handle the students. The students were given the option to study on a full-time or part-time basis. Among the 3,000 students, 2,000 are foreign or international students coming from more than 100 different countries worldwide.3 Working students are composed of 20% of the total population. Based on UKCOSAi statistics regarding the international students in UK Higher Education (HE)ii, there are a total of 268,295 international students all over England; accounting for a total of 84.26% all over UK. Among the 268,295 international students, 13% or 34,878.35 students are

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

ARGUMENTATIVE, COMPARE AND CONTRAST Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ARGUMENTATIVE, COMPARE AND CONTRAST - Essay Example The article is well written and presents its argument in a logical manner. First, Cloud (2008) presents the idea brought forward by John McCardell Jnr. that the drinking age should be lowered after several conditions have been met. He also presents McCardell argument that restricting alcohol to those below 18 years old raises its appeal thereby encouraging binge drinking. After presenting these views, Cloud (2008) begins his arguments using statistics. He notes that data provided shows that there has been no major shift in binge drinking since the age restrictions were put in place. He argues that binge drinking has in fact dropped from 40.7% in 1984 to 38.1% in 2006. In response to McCardell’s argument of unsupervised drinking, Cloud (2008) notes that even if the drinking age was to be lowered, there would be no one to supervise the 18-21 year olds. His final argument is that while lowering the drinking age may end infantilizing of college students, it may increase deaths on highways. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities and accidents connected with drinking have improved considerably since the restrictions were put in place. Sunders (2008) holds a different view and believes that college students between the ages of 18 and 21 are mature enough to drink. She also looks at McCardell’s argument that the drinking age should be lowered and that Washington should open the debate to look at amending the minimum drinking age. Her main argument is that the law is null and void since most people do not believe that the minimum drinking age works. Her arguments are also based on statistics and she argues that half of those between 18 and 21 year old have consumed alcohol despite the prohibitions placed by the law. She presents an argument forwarded by MADD that the minimum drinking age saves lives through the reduction of traffic accidents. She also notes that this fact has been supported by

Anti-discriminatory practices Essay Example for Free

Anti-discriminatory practices Essay The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the impact of discriminatory practice on work with children and investigate the ways in which the needs of children can be met through a range of anti-discriminatory practices. What is discriminatory and Anti-discriminatory Practice? There are many different definitions of the above that can be used: Any prejudice view or diverse treatment because of race, colour, creed, or national origin (www. surestart. gov. uk) is seen as discriminatory practice along withAccording to Lindon (2004 p128) Discrimination means behaving in an unfair way towards a person because of the way we have judged them. There are two types of discrimination: Direct discrimination: This is treating someone unfairly compared to someone else in the same or similar circumstances; it could be as a result of their sex, race, marital status, disability, or age for example. Indirect discrimination: This when you are discriminated against in general because of a generalization that has been made without taking in each persons situation into account. In order to challenge discrimination several laws, code of conducts and policies are in place. Discriminating against someone can be in the forms of labelling, stereotyping and oppression and all must be challenged immediately. (Miche. V 2004:128) Anti-discriminatory practice will ensure that everyone has the same rights regardless of things such as family background, appearance, lifestyle, gender, race or medical history. (Tassoni et al. 2000:11) In order to promote equality and anti discrimination early educators must follow relevant legislation, curriculum frameworks and official guidance.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Example of education because during that time Essay Example for Free

Example of education because during that time Essay In the text, Pocho, by Jose Antonio Villarreal, education plays an important role of explaining the characteristics of the immigrants during the 1930’s. Education is one way for readers to have an experience of what they have been through. During the investigation between the protagonist Richard and sheriff, Richard speaks out some words that the sheriff does not understand. Villarreal writes, â€Å" You mean homosexual? No, he wasn’t- this was a new word to the man. He was on the force because his sister had married a man who had something to do with the Chief of Police†¦ Goddamn! Where’d you learn the big word?† (Villarreal, 89). This is an example of education because here the sheriff is investigating Richard by asking him for information about Joe Pete Manoel. Richard responds with a big word â€Å"homosexual† to the sheriff that he did not understand. This is a highlight of the time period when it does not need any education to be a patrolman in Santa Clara. Education is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, at a school. Jose Antonio Villarreal directly mention in the texts of Richard’s thoughts about his teacher at school. During the conversation between Richard and Mary, Richard gives out his thought when the teacher does not inform the same answer from what he read on a book. Richard said â€Å"Well, the teachers teach us all kinds of things, and sometimes they’re not really honest about it†¦ sometimes I read things in books that show me teachers are wrong sometimes†¦ they cant be all right, and I don’t like them to always tell me that they kn ow everything, that’s all†. (Villarreal, 71). This is an example of education because during that time, teacher feels like their students are not smart enough to learn two sides of the story. Richard feels that sometimes books can teach him more than what he learns at school. It highlight that during that time education is not an important aspect of the immigrant lives. During the time of 1930’s, Education is not important to most of Mexicans families. But what makes Richard so special and unique is with his intelligence and desire to learn for his own good. Education make Richard shine as a main character, instead of a twelve-year-old kid, he talks like he is an adult. Richard said, â€Å" Try to understand me. I want to learn, and that is all. I do not want to be something- I am. I do not care about making a lot of money and about what people think and about the family in the way you speak. I have to learn as much as I can†¦ you would not understand me if I could† (Villarreal, 64). This quote is a portrait of Richard as a young kid with the mentality to learn. Education helps Richard speaks for him and not what his mother wants. It highlight that even in the period of poverty, Richard’s family believe that with education, they will have a better life.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Management Research Project and Presentation

Management Research Project and Presentation The British Red Cross is a charity registered in the UK. It is the UK member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the Federation), an humanitarian Movement that currently encompasses 186 territories across the world and around 97 million staff, supporters and volunteers. The British Red Cross employs 2,755 members of staff and 27,349 volunteers, and income in 2008 amounted to  £243,548,000. The 2006 Intangible Business report (2006) placed the organisation as the fifth most powerful charity brand in the UK, with its brand value topping  £108,000,000; along with an income that year of  £201,900,000. The British Red Cross places strong emphasis on its differentiation from other charities and non-governmental organisations; in particular its absolute commitment to neutrality, impartiality and independence, coupled with its emphasis on individual and community resilience. These give the brand a competitive advantage above others in the sector. The first aid services business unit (the department in question for this marketing plan) forms part of the income from generating fund (trading) work stream, and is concerned with teaching first aid and selling first aid products. The first aid services departments customer base is non-commercial groups, such as schools, clubs, societies, other charities and support organisations. 1.2 Research Problem The focus of the organisation as a whole is on the creation of a society in which all are empowered to prepare for, withstand and recover from emergencies on whatever scale they occur from dealing with a cut finger to managing a major disaster. The organisation has realised that service levels should be improved and enhance the charity activities. The British Red Cross already works closely with primary schools teachers, and has developed a first aid learning resource for secondary schools  [1]  . A similarly differentiated kit that can be used in primary schools would fill the gap identified above, as well as generating income for the organisation, reinforcing its position as a leader in first aid learning  [2]  , and fulfilling corporate objectives. This strategic plan is designed to introduce a new product (the primary first aid learning kit) to an existing market (primary school teachers). The plan includes a marketing audit and examines the current internal situation at the British Red Cross in addition to analysing the external environment in order to devise objectives, strategies, tactics and implementation targets. A SOSTAC model has been used to give a structural basis to the marketing activity. 1.3 Research Objectives To find that when an emergency strikes, they will respond. How should make people and communities more resilient by helping them prepare for and withstand disasters. How to help vulnerable people recover from health or social crises, and live with dignity and independence in their homes. How to increase the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements impact on the lives of the most vulnerable. How to make volunteering for us the best experience money cant buy. Make sure key people and groups know what we do and why and how they can help. Method to ensure those who use our services, and who support us in other ways, trust us and have confidence in how we work. How to maximise our net income as cost-effectively as possible. Above research objectives based on the corporate objectives. These objectives can specifically mention as follows; To increase informal first aid learning by 10% in the next 3 years. This relates to research objective 2. To increase the number of first aid products sold by 10% in the next 3 years. This relates to research objectives 2 and 8. To increase knowledge and awareness of British Red Cross key first aid products and services by 20% in the next 3 years within 2 priority groups: teachers and parents. This relates to research objectives 2 and 6. 1.4 The importance of marketing research Methodology Proper marketing research is key to an organisations ability successfully launch a new product into an existing market, and in doing so to increase profit and brand equity. Within a charity context, the need to generate funds to be used to help others is a major part of the organisations activities and this aim simply cannot be realised without effective and efficient research in place. Effective marketing research can also boost the chances of bring about real social good, and making positive changes to beneficiaries lives. A well-structured research that makes use of relevant models and takes account of both internal and external factors ensures clarity and a systematic approach. Marketing research uncovers niches in the market which can be filled, highlights gaps in funding and provision and drives the organisation towards the fulfilment of its goals. The first stage of the marketing research process is to establish where the organisation is at the present time, to act as a baseline for comparisons and something on which the marketing research can build. At the heart of this situation analysis is the identification of critical success factors and distinctive competencies, which are the distilled learning from examination of the organisations strength and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats it faces  [3]  . Using these key pieces of information, the marketer can allocate resources to ensure that wherever possible strengths are boosted, weaknesses overcome, opportunities are taken and threats neutralised. A key part of the marketing research process is identifying customer needs and wants, and profitable ways of satisfying them. Without this information, the organisation is left creating products and services about which it has no idea of demand. Part of gathering this type of data is competitor analysis, which can provide valuable insights into the market as well as flagging up potential areas of overlap and areas which would not prove profitable. Effective marketing research also combats wastage through efficient use of resources. Using models such as the Value Chain Analysis highlights areas where savings can be made and processes tightened in order to maximise value and deliver a larger profit margin. In the example of the British Red Cross, use of the Value Chain Analysis showed that the margin could be increased by improving the efficiency of inbound logistics  [4]  . Wastage can also be combated through the examination of potential changes to internal and external environments, and building proactive mitigating factors to negative change and ways to take advantage of positive change into the plan is key. It is necessary to conduct survey to collect all information. They can use questionnaire in print format as well as in e-format (online questionnaire). Through the existing welfare societies can distribute the questionnaire. Then should collect and properly analyse the entire research findings. Also company can conduct other primary research methods such as in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. In this report analysis I have taken most of the secondary sources. 1.5 Literature Review A marketing research is a starting point from which the organisation can begin to look forward, fill gaps and plan activities. In the words of Dibb et al (2005): A marketing audit is a systematic examination of the marketing functions objectives, strategies, programmes, organisation and performance. Without this methodically obtained baseline, the organisation has no way of evaluating either where it has come from or where it is going. Factors affecting the organisation must be identified, potential changes considered and prepared for, and the reliability and validity of information should be rigorously interrogated. This requires considerable research on the part of the marketing team, and is of vital importance. Situation analysis should form a regular part of a marketing departments work in order for it to adapt to both internal and external changes in the environment. 1.5.1 Internal factors The organisation has control over its internal environment, and as such it is important to examine internal factors closely. Data must be gathered, both current and historical, as well as think pieces examining future plans. Reliability of information should also be considered minutes of meetings may not always be accurate and staff and volunteers may not always be scrupulously honest in workforce surveys. In addition, some data may not be available, either due to confidentiality, poor record keeping or lack of budget. Organisational strengths and weaknesses should be taken into account, and potential internal changes considered. 1.5.2 7Ps and 7Ss Booms and Bitners 7P and McKinseys 7S models have been employed to identify and analyse the internal factors affecting the British Red Cross  [5]  . Both models are key tools in the marketing analysis. Used correctly and in conjunction with the external analyses, the information they uncover forms the basis on which the entire marketing plan rests. By examining the strengths and weaknesses of each P and each S, the marketing team can evaluate the organisation, taking a snapshot of the current situation which will allow for planning to increase positive aspects and reduce negatives. It also enables the marketing team to consider the perspectives of the organisations stakeholders, all of whom are key to success. Both the 7P and 7S models are key tools in the marketing analysis which, when used correctly, uncover information that forms the basis for building a sound marketing plan. For example, in the case of the British Red Cross these models identified the strengths of the organis ations positive brand association, which will play a key role in the positioning of the first aid education kit, but also highlighted a weakness of product differentiation, which the kit will go some way towards addressing. 1.5.3 BCG matrix As a large organisation the British Red Cross undertakes many different activities and provides hundreds of products and services. The products and services from the first aid services strategic business unit have particular potential to affect the activity surrounding the primary first aid marketing kit, and it is important to map each of these in order to generate future strategy. To do this, and to examine the potential placement of the kit within the context of the strategic business unit, the Boston Consultancy Groups portfolio analysis matrix was employed  [6]  . This identified that the majority of the units output are cash cows, and the minority are dogs, highlighting that good levels of profit are coming in and resource investment is fairly low. The matrix suggests that resource capacity from the cash cows can be used to grow the kit from a question mark to a star. The matrix has also shown up areas of the units work of which it would seem prudent to divest itself in ord er to reinvest resources. 1.5.4 PLC Along with the BCG matrix, the product life cycle is also extremely useful tool in indicating to the marketing team the level of resourcing a product requires now, and the likely stages it will go through if a good marketing plan is well executed  [7]  . This model identifies the products growth stage, with each stage requiring different levels of resource investment and different activity. As the kit is currently in research and development it requires great investment of time and money and cannot yet make a profit. 1.5.5 Value chain analysis Porters value chain analysis examines the primary and secondary activities undertaken by the organisation  [8]  . The model demands a thorough interrogation of the organisations work, which is split into activities which can directly affect income (primary) and activities which support income affecting activities (secondary). By undertaking this process, the marketing team can identify areas where value to can be added and a competitive advantage created in order to maximise profit. In the case of the British Red Cross, there is already a good level of value within the system, but some activities were identified which could benefit from modification. 1.5.6 Distinctive competencies The distinctive competencies of an organisation are derived from close investigation into its internal environment and the strengths and weaknesses therein. The competencies identify the core skills and superior qualities of the organisation which differentiate it and can confer competitive advantage. They are the culmination of the internal situation analysis and identify priority areas which can be leveraged to gain success. In the case of the British Red Cross, 3 distinctive competencies were identified, and played an important part in informing the marketing plan  [9]  . Internal change is slow within such a large organisation and so it is unlikely that the competencies will change dramatically within the life of the marketing plan. The reason for this is in part due to the organisational culture and ways of working and in part due to the immutable founding principles of the organisation. For example, unless a catastrophic event occurs to the organisation and the comprehensive crisis management plan is not implemented, it is unlikely that the positive brand equity could be destroyed within the timeframe of the marketing plan. In addition, the organisation employs a brand management department which works solely to enhance and protect the organisations position. Written into the organisations five year strategy is are objectives concerning emergency response and first aid, which guarantee investment and highlight the importance placed on these areas. Again, it is highly unlikely that the organisation will change these priorities and nullify this disti nctive competency. As regards the need to further differentiate products and services, such a large and slow-moving organisation as the British Red Cross will take time to do this, and the activities outlined in the marketing should go some way to achieving this goal. 1.5.7 External factors In addition to the internal environment, over which the organisation has control, there are two external environments, the micro and the macro. Data must be collected for both of these environments, and examined as closely as that from inside the organisation. Articles in the media, competitor reports and accounts, conversations with counterparts, and political details should be studied, as well as social and cultural practices within the products target market. Again, the validity of data should be closely questioned, as an element of bias is likely to appear in most media and political reports, and competitors and counterparts will always attempt to show their own organisation in a positive light. Research into and analysis of the external environment also enables the marketing team to consider their organisation from the perspective of a customer, competitor or supplier. In order to be fully informed about the total environment into which the primary first aid learning kit is to b e launched, it is vital that as many issues which may affect it as possible are known, so that positive action can be taken and pitfalls avoided. The micro-environment The micro-environment consists of external factors which are fairly close to the organisation, and which it may be able to influence in some way. By using a SPICC analysis  [10]  to consider those groups who are closest to the organisation, the marketing team can plan ways in which to positively affect them. Porters five forces analysis  [11]  is another useful model and considers risk from the external environment in order to prompt thinking on mitigating loss and maximising gain to the organisation. The macro-environment The macro-environment is much less close and it is far less possible for the organisation to effect changes in this area. Nevertheless, it is still extremely important for the organisation to be aware of features which may impact on its profitability, brand and its ability to meet its objectives. Special consideration should be given to factors that are most likely to bring about change and those which would have the largest impact on the organisation. The PESTEL model enables a high level analysis into this environment, and gives insight in the decline or growth of a particular market and the position of competitors, as well as suggesting avenues for exploration  [12]  . 1.5.8 Critical Success Factors In identifying and interrogating the opportunities and threats uncovered by the micro and macro environment, the marketing team can identify the organisations critical success factors those features which are essential to ensuring the organisation succeeds in its endeavours. Along with the distinctive competencies, these factors require the greatest attention from the organisation if it is to flourish. In the case of the British Red Cross, 3 critical success factors were identified, and these play a key role in the marketing plan  [13]  . Task Two 2.1 Organisational Objectives Over 120,000 people undertake a first aid training course with the British Red Cross each year, but to really begin to embed community resilience, we need to increase the number of people accessing first aid learning through more informal means (learning tips online, using a learning kit at school, etc.). With the current economic downturn it is important to diversify income streams, to mitigate against a reduction in donations from individuals. An increase of 10% in first aid product sales would result in further funds for the organisation to put back into its charitable activities, as well as increasing the resilience capability of the general public. It would also assist in meeting the target of a 10% increase in income from the overall trading stream. As shown above, in 2009 only 50% of the general public felt the British Red Cross products and services stood out clearly. To build resilience, we need to make sure our offers are differentiated. Teachers and parents are key audiences in the community, and by increasing their knowledge of what we offer, we can gain access to children and young people the life-savers of tomorrow. 2.2 Marketing strategy 2.2.1 Growth strategy Ansoffs matrix  [14]  provides a framework for identifying the most appropriate growth strategy in order to fulfil the functional marketing objectives and reach the sales objective. Applying the matrix, having examined the planning gap analysis and objectives, showed that a product development growth strategy is most appropriate to use in this situation. This supports the posited idea to launch a primary first aid learning kit. Gaps in the first aid services portfolio have been identified, and the British Red Cross already has a strong brand and a good reputation in this field both in terms of quality and value, and in terms of expertise  [15]  . The British Red Cross already has good links with teachers in primary schools, following years of first aid education training, and this knowledge and contact data will optimise success. The existing market for first aid products and services is still viable (which rules out a market development strategy), as one of the distinctive competencies discussed above highlighted that British Red Cross products and services are not yet fully differentiated, and situation analysis research showed that general public awareness of products and services was only 50%. A product development strategy is also of only medium risk as an organisation the British Red Cross does not undertake high risk growth strategies, and prefers to build on accrued knowledge and experience in known markets, as it will be able to do with the primary first aid learning kit. A diversification strategy would be too high risk for the organisation, and a market penetration strategy for the new kit would not be possible. 2.2.2 Competitive strategy In order to support the growth strategy, a method of maintaining competitive edge is needed, and this has been determined using Porters generic strategies model. Having examined the factors discussed above and in the appendices, the most appropriate competitive strategy for this situation is a focus or market segmentation strategy. As a charity, the British Red Cross finds it difficult to compete on cost, and as it is not a hugely fast-moving organisation it cannot regularly innovate. Many of its products and services are designed for very specific audiences and are generally of a specialised nature. There is some competition in the first aid services market, but the number of competitors is low and there are identified gaps in the market one of which is the primary first aid learning kit  [16]  . 2.2.3 Segmentation, target and positioning Within the British Red Cross first aid services strategic business unit are a large number of products and services  [17]  . However, this marketing plan is concerned only with the launch of a new primary first aid learning kit, and as such the segmentation, targeting and positioning data will apply only to the kit. Segmentation Geographical segmentation: UK Chosen because the primary first aid learning kit is designed to work with the national curricula across the UK. This segment cannot be reduced further as the aim is to reach as many children as possible, regardless of their location. Demographical segmentation: Male and female adults who regularly work with groups of young people aged 5 11 years old and who have access to physical learning spaces (schools, village halls, scout huts, etc.) and available funds in excess of  £500 per year. These were chosen as customers will already be working with young people those not working in this field will have no interest in the product. The customers will need space to work in when using the kit, and will be aware of this before they buy. They will need a budget in excess of  £500, as although the kit is will cost significantly less than this, it is unlikely that those on smaller budgets will feel able to spend money on anything other than very basic materials which this kit is not. These segmentation criteria suggest the following segments to target: primary school teachers, youth group leaders, parents of large families. Target Teachers will be the prime segment which British Red Cross first aid services will target. This is for the following reasons: The British Red Cross has a good strategic fit with schools and teachers, as both are concerned with education and positive behaviours. There are many ways to reach teachers, both at school and externally. It is likely to become law for first aid to be taught in schools, which will boost teachers interest in the kit and drive sales. The primary first aid learning kit will be designed to work with school curricula, which will also increase teachers interest. Teachers have budget available to buy specific learning materials, especially those which form part of the national curricula. The British Red Cross first aid services team already have good links with primary school teachers. Parents of large families were discounted, as they operate in a far more informal way than the kit requires its a formal learning tool. Youth group leaders were discounted as they are more difficult to reach, are likely to have less disposable budget, and the British Red Cross has fewer links with them. The types of schools at which the teachers teach have not been discussed, as although public and private schools are likely to have more disposable income, they are not affected by national curricula requirements so are no more or less likely to buy it than state schools. Although state schools have less money they must follow the requirements of the national curricula. This money/curricula equation therefore cancels out any potential advantages of choosing one type of school teacher over another. According to the latest available data from the Department of Children, Schools and Families (2002), there are around 207,460 primary school teachers in the UK, working at 22,000 primary schools. Positioning Teachers of children aged 5 11 years old are typically very busy, have minimal time to research new products and services, are extremely aware of price, quality and accuracy, want to use materials which give their pupils the best chance of success, want to fulfil their obligations under the national curricula, and place high value on organisations which behave responsibly and make their lives easier. This suggests that the primary first aid kit must be positioned as excellent value for money and created by an expert, trustworthy organisation. It must be shown to be a high quality product thats easy to get hold of, easy to use and gives pupils a solid, accurate, practical and engaging insight in the material. The services surrounding the kit must be also be positioned as easy, quick and trustworthy. The design of the materials should echo these points. The kit will sit within the branded quality product category it is brand new and unique, good value for money and, due to its niche market, will only be available through a few sales outlets (by phone, online or mail order, due to the unique way the British Red Cross is permitted to sell its materials  [18]  ). This fits with the focus competitive strategy discussed above. 2.3 Marketing Mix 2.3.1 Product The primary first aid learning kit is a predominantly tangible entity, surrounded by layers of intangible services. The core product is the tangible first aid learning kit, which fulfils teachers need to educate their pupils in first aid. The second product, or first value added layer, consists of the products design and packaging (which will encourage sales by being clear, simple, professional and practical), its clearly signposted curriculum links (which will show customers exactly how the product will benefit them and their pupils), the British Red Cross brand with which its associated (which is well known and trusted), the multimedia taster materials available in advance of purchase (which, again, will highlight the positive aspects of the kit whilst at the same time engendering goodwill for providing some free materials), the quick and easy ways to buy the kit (which will make it easier for the customers to buy it, as we know how time-pressed they are), and the quick and easy de livery promises (which, again, will encourage customers who have not had much chance to order materials far in advance). The aim of all this is to add value to the core product and drive sales. 2.3.2 Price The pricing strategy of the primary first aid learning kit will is linked to the value which customers place on the satisfaction of their need to teach first aid to 5 11 year olds. This means an examination of the highest value the customer would pay and the lowest cost the British Red Cross can sell it for is necessary. 2.3.3 Place The British Red Cross model of distribution is direct it does not use intermediaries such as wholesalers or retailers. This is positive in that it allows for a high level of control, good customer relationship management, the brand is protected and low marginal cost. Inversely, this model has high set-up costs, its a time-consuming process, market reach is limited, brand equity cant be increased through piggybacking and costs cannot be passed on to intermediaries. 2.3.4 Promotion Using the DRIP  [19]  analysis, the objectives for the primary first aid learning kit during each stage of the product life cycle, and the percentage of resources allocated are as follows: Introduction stage Growth stage Maturity stage Decline stage Differentiation Secondary objective (35% of resources) Secondary objective (30% of resources) Tertiary objective (15% of resources) Tertiary objective (8% of resources) Reinforcement Quaternary objective (5% of resources) Quaternary objective (5% of resources) Secondary objective (20% of resources) Secondary objective (10% of resources) Informing Main objective (50% of resources) Tertiary objective (25 % of resources) Quaternary objective (10% of resources) Quaternary objective (2% of resources) Persuading Tertiary objective (10% of resources) Main objective (40% of resources) Main objective (55% of resources) Main objective (80% of resources) 2.3.5 Extended marketing mix The extended marketing mix of people, process and physical evidence can be used to overcome the limitations of the kit (particularly those associated with its service layers), as well as the first 4 Ps discussed above. The limitations in question are: Intangibility: The kit itself along with its packaging is tangible, which limits the issue of intangibility, but by providing documents to support the intangible services associated with it (such as the 5 year guarantee and curriculum signposting), this can be limited further. The free first aid learning support could be formalised i

Saturday, July 20, 2019

The Use of Helicopters for the Primary Purpose of Air Ambulances in Wor

Introduction In this paper we will discuss the first documented use of helicopters for the primary purpose of Air Ambulances in World War II. During 1943, the United States, British Commonwealth and the Chinese faced the armies of Japan, Thailand and Indian National Army. The Burmese Independent Army started off on the Japanese side, but later switched sides fighting with the allied forces. Under the control of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the United States made a decision to support the Chinese during the war with aircraft.1 With Japan controlling much of the Chinese territory, the main supply route for the Chinese was thru the Burma Road. This supply route was essential to operations in the area shaped a restructure for the way supplies would be delivered to soldiers fighting and patients being able to get the urgent care they extremely needed. The only logical and expeditious way to do all of this would be through the use of aircraft flying a supply route known as â€Å"the Hump.†2 History Commanders from all units across the world have thought about how to take care of their troops in times of war. Maybe one of the most heavily weighed thoughts is how much risk I am willing to take if I can’t provide my men immediate medical care at the time when they most need it. Dated back as far as 1866, the idea of an â€Å"Air Ambulance† has been on the minds of certain individuals across the world. Paris, France first used the hot air balloons in order to evacuate more than 160 soldiers from the besieged city to medical care facilities.3 In the beginning, using a hot air balloon to rescue shipwrecked sailors seemed logical since the balloons where already delivering mail and supplies across the area of operations. This action dire... ...pter Evacuation, http://olive-drab.com/od_medical_evac_helio_ww2.php Ed Holmes, MEDEVAC Flight in WWII, http://www.helis.com/stories/burma45.php History of Air Ambulance and MEDEVAC, Mercy Flight, http://www.mercyflight.org/content/pages/medevac Map Of Burma, BBC, Animated Map: The Burma Campaign, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/animations/wwtwo_map_burma/index_embed.shtml Mark W. Bielauskas, Imphal, The Hump and Beyond, http://www.comcar.org/Air%20Commando%20Group/1st_air_commando_group_beginings.htm Peter Dorland and James Nanney, DUST OFF: Army Aeromedical Evacuation in Vietnam, CMH Publisher, 90-28-1, page 9 U.S. Army Medical Department, Call Sign – DUSTOFF â€Å"Chapter 1† http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/other_pub/dustoff/Dustoffch1.pdf World War 2 Burma, History Channel, http://www.history.co.uk/explore-history/ww2/burma.html

Events Leading to American independence :: American History, The Coercive Acts

Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts (1774)They were harsh actions that were made to keep the colonists in check. The Coercive Acts did not make the colonists very happy. The Coercive Acts included: closing Boston Harbor and they made them pay for the tea that they dumped in the harbor. They also reminded them of the quartering act which forced colonists to give British soldiers a home and a hot meal when they wanted. The last action they did was removed all town meetings they have. These actions made the colonists turn against Britain even more.Continental Congress (1774)They first met in Philadelphia. They had 56 delegates for the continental congress. Every colony besides Georgia sent delegates. They discussed how to get a good militia. They discussed what to boycott and what was going to be in the Statement of Grievances. They did not know that there would be a Second Continental Congress. Second Continental Congress (1775)They held their first meeting on May 10, 1775. All 13 colonies sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress. They authorized the printing of money. The Second Continental Congress set up the very first post office. The Continental Congress created the continental army which helped make the colonies win. The Continental Congress was a key part of the war that was to come.The Boston Massacre (1770)The redcoats over reacted when the colonists were throwing snowballs and other harmless items. The Colonists were taunting the redcoats. The redcoats thought that a riot was starting. Paul Revere, being a silver smith used this to his advantage. He engraved the image of the Boston massacre into silver and used that as propaganda. They used this to gain support of the colonists. There were 8 killed colonists.Taxes to Pay for War Debt (1764) Britain first decided that they wanted to help the colonists and pay for the war that was between them and the French. They won the French and Indian War. After the war Britain decided to raise the taxes by a lot . This was one of the many catalysts of the Declaring Independence from Britain. This made even more people join the side with the colonists because of the tax raises. They all wanted the taxes repealed. So they boycotted buying all foods that had a big tax on them. They even boycotted some of the very simple everyday life foods that you must have. They added many other taxes for Tea that was raised in tax by double.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Teenage Violence In Schools Essay -- School Violence Essays

Page #1 Teenage violence in schools has become a tremendous concern to many people. School violence over the past number of years has been increasing and family life, the things that occur in schools and the neighborhoods that the teenagers (that commit the crimes or violent acts) live in are some of the major factors. These are not necessarily the only causes to teenage violence. Family Lifestyle and the behavior of members within the family have been shown to have a direct affect on a teenager’s behavior in school. A child can be influenced very easily by any older person, especially a family member, because he always looks up to that family member. If a person in the family is involved in a criminal activity then the children can be turned on by this and become interested in doing the same thing. If the guardian or parent of a teenager does not punish him for doing something wrong, this can only lead to repetition of the bad behavior. Failure to stop a child from doing something wrong could lead the child to believe that his behavior is acceptable. Also, a child thinks that the people that are supposed to love him don’t even care that he is doing something bad so he will continue to do it. Teenagers also commit acts of violence to get their parents’ attention. If parents ignore what their teenagers are doing, then the teenagers will con tinue to do more negative things just to get their parents to notice them. Another reason why family lifestyle is a cause to teen violence is, if the teenager is abandoned at a young age than there is no one to teach him wrong and right (Kim 82). Page #2 There are many different situations that can occur in school that can cause teenagers to do violent things. When a student has an argument with other students or a teacher that student may only know how to deal his anger by striking out. Often, teenagers do not know how to talk things out and instead, react violently. If a teenager doesn’t like what someone (a faculty member or another student) has said to him, he might also let out his anger in violent ways. Sometimes, even if the other person has not done anything wrong to him, but rather to another person he can still get angry (school violence). The neighborhood that a teenager lives in can also cause him to be violent. If a teen lives in a bad neighborhood, where violent acts are going on all the time (besides for w... ...omputers (Landau 81).† Reducing or stopping teenage violence can be very difficult. But there are many ways to do it. One way is to stop the violence before by having in-school programs to teach students what is wrong and what is right (to the ones that really don’t know). The schools can have classes to teach the parents good parenting skills, such as getting more involved with their child’s schoolwork, programs and activities. Another idea is to have after school programs, just so the teenagers will not be out on the streets where they may be influenced to commit crimes or engage in violent activities. Rehabilitation programs are also a very good idea. Helping students become better kids (not doing violent things) does not only have to be done in school it can also be done outside of school, in synagogues, churches or programs in the local park. Family life, the things that occur in school and the neighborhoods that the teenagers live in are some of the Page #6 major causes of teen violence in school. If the families, the schools (faculty) and the neighborhoods help these violent teenagers then in the future there won’t be this problem anymore (or it will at least be reduced).

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Online Privacy as a Corporate Social Responsibility- an Empirical Study

Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 Online privacy as a corporate social responsibility: an empirical study Irene Pollach Aarhus School of Business, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark Information technology and the Internet have added a new stakeholder concern to the corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda: online privacy. While theory suggests that online privacy is a CSR, only very few studies in the business ethics literature have connected these two.Based on a study of CSR disclosures, this article contributes to the existing literature by exploring whether and how the largest IT companies embrace online privacy as a CSR. The ? ndings indicate that only a small proportion of the companies have comprehensive privacy programs, although more than half of them voice moral or relational motives for addressing online privacy. The privacy measures they have taken are primarily compliance measures, while measures that stimulate a stakeholder dialogu e are rare.Overall, a wide variety of approaches to addressing privacy was found, which suggests that no institutionalization of privacy practices has taken place as yet. The study therefore indicates that online privacy is rather new on the CSR agenda, currently playing only a minor role. Introduction Since the 1990s, companies striving to be good corporate citizens have had to devise strategies to address issues such as pollution, energy use, waste production, animal testing, child labor, sweatshops, workforce diversity, or advertising to children.It has become a de-facto standard for very large corporations to publish social reports documenting how they address these issues in the marketplace, the workplace, the supply chain, and the community in order to ful? ll their role as good corporate citizens (Snider et al. 2003). The advent of the Internet has not only revolutionized many business models but has also rede? ned what it means to be a good corporate citizen (Post 2000), as most of the above issues are of little relevance to companies dealing with data and technology.One issue of public concern that has become highly relevant for IT companies is online privacy (De George 2000, Johnson 2006). doi: 10. 1111/j. 1467-8608. 2010. 01611. x Information privacy denotes an individual’s right to decide what information is made available to others (Westin 1967). Privacy is thus guaranteed only if individuals know that data are collected about them and if they have control over this data collection and the subsequent use of the data (Foxman & Kilcoyne 1993, Caudill & Murphy 2000). In the United States, privacy-related legislation exists only for health care, ? ancial services, and children on the Internet (Bowie & Jamal 2006), while many aspects of data collection and user control in electronic commerce are still unregulated (Fernback & Papacharissi 2007). Countries of the European Union, meanwhile, protect privacy more strictly (Baumer et al. 2004), which has proven to be a hurdle for US technology companies operating in Europe. In 2008, for example, technology giant Google encountered problems in several European countries with its data handling practices (O’Brien 2008).Despite legislative efforts in Europe, data privacy violations have occurred in a number of 88 r 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. , 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main St, Malden, MA 02148, USA Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 large organizations, including, for example, the largest German bank, DeutscheBank (Neate 2009), or T-Mobile UK (Wray 2009). The problems with privacy legislation are that it is dif? ult to identify violations of these laws and that the law may lag behind what is technologically feasible. For the above reasons, global companies have some discretion over how much privacy they grant users and how much they reveal about their data handlin g practices to their users. This discretion adds extra complexity to the moral issue of whether companies take advantage of their powerful position by collecting and using data from users to further their own business interests, for example by sending out unsolicited promotional e-mails or selling user data (Pollach 2005).The discretion companies can exercise when it comes to information privacy and the ethical implications of this discretion entail that information privacy is a question of corporate morality. While theoretical work on corporate social responsibility (CSR) suggests that privacy could be a meaningful addition to a corporate CSR program, little is known about corporate practices. This paper therefore sets out to explore whether and how companies whose core business is based on data and technology are embracing information privacy as a CSR. The ? dings suggest that information privacy is emerging as an element of CSR programs, but that there is a great deal of variety regarding the adoption of privacy as a CSR. The paper ? rst discusses the moral issues behind information privacy on the Internet, reviews the literature on corporate responses to people’s privacy concerns, and then looks at the literature on privacy as a CSR. After describing the sample and the methodology underlying this study, the results are presented and their implications are discussed. The ethics of information privacyThe very core of electronic and mobile commerce revolves around technology, digitization, and the exchange of information, which poses a number of ethical problems (Zonghao 2001). A particular challenge to information handling in electronic commerce is the trade-off between collecting data for the sake of transparency and not collecting data for the sake of privacy (Introna & Pouloudi 1999). Another challenge is the trade-off between collecting data for the sake of pro? ts and not collecting data for the sake of privacy.As commercial transactions on the I nternet or through mobile phones are commonly based on credit-card payments and the shipment of goods to the buyer’s home address, the balance is tipped towards the need for disclosure rather than the safeguard of privacy. However, companies collect not only personally identifying information (PII) from transactions but also collect PII when users register themselves, use online services, participate in sweepstakes or surveys, or send inquiries to the company. In addition to PII, companies collect anonymous click-stream 1/2 data and compile anonymous user pro? es when Internet users navigate the companies’ websites (Kelly & Rowland 2000). Through the collection of IP addresses, PII can also be combined with anonymous click-stream data in order to obtain very comprehensive user pro? les (Payne & Trumbach 2009). The easier access to and increased mobility of data have made information a commodity that is bought and sold by data brokers (Spinello 1998). It is therefore al so possible for companies to buy datasets of user information from data brokers and merge them with the data they have collected themselves.Companies may use the data they collect from customers and visitors on their websites merely to execute transactions, recognize users when they return to the site, and improve their website design based on users’ interests. But companies may equally use such data for purposes other than those they were collected for. For example, they may target banner ads at users, harass users with unsolicited commercial e-mails, or share this information with third parties (Han & Maclaurin 2002). A growing body of literature documents people’s concerns about privacy violations in online transactions (e. . Culnan & Armstrong 1999, Phelps et al. 2000, Sheehan 2002, Norberg & Horne 2007, Norberg et al. 2007). Essentially, these concerns stem from the imbalance in power between companies as data collectors and users as data providers. While companie s have superior knowledge of what user data are collected and how they are r 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 89 Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 handled, users may not even be aware that data are collected, let alone that they are combined into user pro? les. hus not suited to enhance user privacy or engender trust among Internet users. Corporate response to privacy At the turn of the century, some companies began to introduce chief privacy of? cers (Awazu & Desouza 2004). Their tasks include gathering information about social and legal aspects of privacy, devising the company’s privacy strategy, disseminating information about corporate data handling practices to internal and external stakeholders, and representing the company’s commitment to privacy (Kayworth et al. 2005). Another corporate response to information privacy is privacy policies posted on commercial websites (Sama & Sho af 2002).The original idea behind privacy policies on websites was that companies would disclose how they handle the data they collect from users, while users would carefully read through the explanation of the company’s data handling practices, understand their consequences, and then make an informed decision about divulging personal data or not (Ciocchetti 2007). In reality, privacy policies contain legalese, tech-speak, and other obfuscating language patterns that obscure questionable data handling practices (Pollach 2005, Fernback & Papacharissi 2007).Internet users have been found not to read privacy policies for the above reasons (Milne & Culnan 2004). Privacy policies are sometimes supplemented with privacy seals awarded by private-sector institutions (e. g. BBBOnline, TRUSTe, WebTrust) or accounting ? rms. These seals indicate that companies comply with responsible standards of data handling, as de? ned by the awarding institution (Smith & Rupp 2004). Consumers still have to read and understand the privacy policy, as the seal alone does not guarantee that the data handling practices of the company comply with an individual’s privacy preferences (Rifon et al. 2005).The problem with privacy seals is also that they do not effectively protect users from privacy breaches. The sealawarding institution may not know about a privacy breach or, if it does learn about it, can only revoke the seal, but has no means to help people regain lost privacy (Shapiro & Baker 2001). These measures are Information privacy as a CSR Carroll (1979) categorized corporate social responsibilities into economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities, arguing that making a pro? t is the quintessential responsibility of companies, together with their adherence to legal regulations. According to this classi? ation, information privacy can be categorized as an ethical responsibility, given that legislation is insuf? cient to govern corporate decision making i n all areas of data handling. This is elaborated on by Mintzberg (1983), who suggested that areas where CSR comes into play are those ‘where existing legislation needs compliance with its spirit as well as its letter [and] where the corporation can fool its customers or suppliers or the government through its superior knowledge’ (p. 12). If a company decides to address information privacy, it may not just do so because privacy is an ethical corporate responsibility. Rather, Aguilera et al. 2007) argue that companies accept responsibility for social issues for three different reasons: (1) moral reasons determined by morality-driven values; (2) relational reasons driven by the company’s concern about stakeholder relationships; and (3) instrumental reasons driven by corporate self-interest. Moral motives are enacted particularly by individuals with organizational decision-making power who have strong morality-based values. Relational motives are grounded in a compan y’s desire to promote and balance stakeholder interests, thereby building trust, maximizing stakeholder wealth, and gaining social legitimacy (Aguilera et al. 007). Instrumental approaches are self-interest driven, seeking to achieve greater competitiveness and protecting the corporate reputation (Aguilera et al. 2007). The latter approach corresponds to Jones’ (1995) argument that companies that manage to earn the trust of their stakeholders will be able to secure a competitive advantage through savings on monitoring costs, bonding costs, transaction costs, and search costs arising from managing the various corporate stakeholder groups. Instrumental motives 90 r 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 can also be driven by the desire to preempt costly government regulations (Aguilera et al. 2007). The strategy literature follows the instrumental approach to CS R, arguing that companies to which a particular responsibility is highly relevant can bene? t from integrating this responsibility into their overall strategies. Burke & Logsdon (1996) list the following conditions in order for CSR to bring strategic advantages to the ? rm: the chosen CSR issue is central to the company’s mission, is voluntarily embraced, brings bene? s to both the ? rm and to the public at large, is addressed in a proactive manner, and is visible to external stakeholders. It has also been argued that CSR initiatives can bring sustainable competitive advantages in the form of a ? rst-mover advantage (Lieberman & Montgomery 1998). However, for this advantage to emerge, the company must not only be the ? rst one to address a particular CSR comprehensively but must also continuously seek to enhance what it has achieved in order to secure this advantage (Tetrault Sirsly & Lamertz 2008).The strategy literature therefore suggests that companies in the information t echnology industry could bene? t from embracing online privacy as a CSR, especially if they make this commitment visible to external audiences. Although theory suggests that privacy could be a relevant CSR theme for particular companies, very few empirical studies have addressed the link between information privacy and CSR. They include Sharfman et al. ’s (2000) survey among managers on how important they consider a number of social issues, including the protection of privacy.However, in the exploratory factor analysis they conducted, privacy was eliminated from further analyses. Fukukawa & Moon (2004) included information privacy as an indicator of CSR in their study of CSR activities reported by companies in Japan. In addition, Chaudhri’s (2006) case study of global citizenship at Hewlett-Packard mentions privacy as one area the company has included in its CSR agenda. In previous theoretical work, Carroll (1998) has highlighted the protection of online privacy rights as one area where the law lags behind ethical thinking and morality comes into play.Finally, Post (2000) examined the changing role of corporate citizenship in the 21st century and pointed to customer privacy as a new issue of CSR. To date, there is no article that empirically studies in what ways information privacy is actually addressed as a CSR. Research design This study explores whether and how companies are embracing online privacy as a social responsibility, focusing on what measures they claim to have taken and how they communicate these to their external stakeholders in their CSR disclosures.In view of the lack of previous research in this area, this study is exploratory in nature. Accordingly, its goal is to identify the variety of corporate practices rather than to compare and contrast companies. The starting point for the analysis are the three processes of CSR included in Basu & Palazzo’s (2008) process model of sense-making: (1) the reasons a company states for engaging in speci? c CSR activities, (2) the kind of behavior a company displays to live up to its CSR commitments, and (3) the way in which a company regards its relationships with its stakeholders.This section ? rst describes the sample and the data and then goes on to explain the methodology that was applied to analyze the data. Sample The sample consists of the largest companies from IT-related industries, as they are most closely intertwined with information through the hardware, software, or services they provide. To them, information privacy could be a meaningful strategic element of their CSR programs in two different ways. First, they may embrace privacy as a social responsibility in the way they collect and use data.Second, technology does not just violate privacy, it can also enhance privacy. Accordingly, IT companies may engage in corporate social innovation and develop privacy-enhancing products or commit themselves to educating consumers about privacy protection. Clea rly, other large companies, such as retailers, operate online as well, but were not considered for this study, as data and information are not at the core of their activities. Large companies were chosen, as these companies are believed to serve as lead innovators in their industries. All IT-related companies from Europe 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 91 Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 and the United States listed among the Fortune Global 500 and the ? rst 1,000 companies of the Forbes 2000 company rankings were included in the sample. Neither of the two rankings includes ‘information technology’ as an industry. Rather, both include a number of industries that deal with information and technology. These include Computer and Data Services, Computer Software, Computers & Of? e Equipment, Network and Other Communications Equipment, and Telecommunications from the Fortune Global 500 list and Software & Services, Technology Hardware & Equipment, and Telecommunications Services from the Forbes 2000 list. A few IT companies listed in these two rankings could not be included in the analysis, as they had been acquired by another company since the publication of the rankings. Also, the two rankings overlap to a substantial extent, so that the ? nal sample amounted to a total of 95 IT companies. On each company’s website, the CSR section was accessed.If there was no such section, sections dedicated to the company background, mission and values, or ethics were accessed. The goal was to download all texts pertaining at least loosely to CSR and, if available, the latest CSR report. An important criterion was that privacy-related information was collected only if it was framed as a CSR issue. Privacy policies, which are a standard element of every commercial website, were not collected, as their existence alone does not represent a commitment to social responsibility. Of the 95 companies in the initial sample, 30 companies mention privacy in their CSR discourse.The analysis is thus based on these companies (see Appendix A). Their texts range from 21 to 2,367 words in length. Methods This exploratory study draws on both a positivist approach and a constructivist approach in order to look at the data as holistically as possible (cf. Jick 1979). When studying textual data, the fundamental difference between the two traditions is that the positivist tradition sees language as a transmitter of information, while the social constructionist tradition holds that people consciously and unconsciously create social realities when they use language. Accordingly, the textual data were ? st studied using quantitative content analysis, which systematically records the frequency of particular content features. Because of its quantitative, systematic nature, content analysis de-contextualizes the words from the discourse that is examined and therefore has no mean s to interpret its ? ndings within a wider context. The ? ndings of the content analysis were therefore combined with a discourse analysis and are presented together. The combination of content analysis and discourse analysis has also been suggested by researchers in linguistics (van Dijk 1985, Herring 2004), sociology (Markoff et al. 974), and information systems (Trauth & Jessup 2000). In this study, the results of both analyses together provide a much richer picture of corporate practices than one analysis alone could furnish. This is important, given the absence of previous research on privacy and CSR. Content analysis systematically condenses texts into content categories by applying a coding scheme that produces quantitative indices of textual content (Krippendorff 1980, Weber 1985, Kolbe & Burnett 1991, Neuendorf 2002).The content analysis conducted as part of this study records in a systematic and exhaustive manner which companies in the sample have implemented which measure s to improve user privacy. The approach chosen for this analysis uses factual codes, which capture precisely de? ned facts, as opposed to thematic codes, which capture themes addressed in a prede? ned textual unit (Kelle & Laurie 1995). The factual codes pertain to privacy measures companies have actually taken, but exclude those that companies plan to implement in the future.With no existing coding scheme available, a preliminary coding scheme was developed from the data by examining the texts in the sample inductively (cf. Strauss & Corbin 1990) for measures that companies have taken to secure user privacy. Overall, 41 different measures were identi? ed. The measures were recorded dichotomously as being either present (1) or absent (0). They are listed in Table 2 together with the results. The qualitative approach chosen here was discourse analysis, following a social constructionist tradition, which views discourse as a social action that is shaped by and shapes the context in wh ich it occurs (van Dijk 1997a).Discourse analysis is a 92 r 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 method of textual analysis that focuses on how and why language is used in a particular way (van Dijk 1997b). It is based on the premise that people intentionally and unintentionally construct social realities when they engage in discourse. They use language in their roles as members of particular social groups, professions, institutions, or communities but also construct such roles when they use language in social situations (van Dijk 1997a).Similarly, organizational texts can be constructive and constitutive of realities just like text or speech of individuals (Fairclough 2005). Discourse analysis typically pays attention to language features such as repetitions, pronouns, passive voice, nominalizations, modal verbs, agent–patient relations in sentences, and attitudi nal lexis in order to study the roles assigned to the participants in the discourse, the power relations between them, and the foregrounding or the backgrounding of concepts and events.The discourse analysis conducted here examines how companies present themselves as responsible companies when it comes to privacy and data handling. Basu & Palazzo’s (2008) process model of CSR has guided the analysis and therefore also provides the structure of the results section. Accordingly, the results section starts with the companies’ reasons for including privacy in their CSR programs, then presents privacy measures companies have taken as part of their CSR initiatives, and ultimately studies the relationships with the various stakeholders that are affected by the company’s privacy practices.The reasons for including privacy and the stakeholder relationships are analyzed in the form of a discourse analysis. The analysis of the privacy measures is based on a content analysi s, but enhanced with qualitative insights, as needed. Aguilera et al. ’s (2007) classi? cation of moral, relational, and instrumental CSR motives. Table 1 shows this categorization together with the text passages where these motives were expressed.The moral motives found include the understanding that Internet users have privacy rights, which the company wants to observe, and the acknowledgement that the company has the responsibility to protect the data they gather from Internet users. Relational motives include the recognition that customers have a desire for privacy, which the company seeks to meet, and the expectation that privacy protection will help the company win customers’ trust. Ultimately, one company expects to bene? t from its privacy program in that it expects to gain a reputational advantage from privacy protection. CSR behaviorThe content analysis revealed 41 different measures companies had taken to support user privacy (see Table 2). They have been gr ouped into four categories, which are discussed below. One company has implemented 19 of these measures, and nine companies have implemented eight, nine, or 10 different measures. At the other end of the spectrum, there are two companies that have not implemented a single measure, but still talk about privacy in the context of CSR. Further, eight companies have implemented one or two measures, and nine companies have implemented between three and seven measures.Most commonly, a measure was taken by only one company (19 measures) or two companies (six measures). The measure taken most frequently was taken by 15 companies. Thus, there is a broad variety in how companies address privacy. It is also worth noting that it is not necessarily the biggest companies in the industry that have taken lead roles in protecting user privacy. When ranking all companies according to their ranks on the Forbes 2000 and the Fortune Global 500 lists, one can see that the company with the highest number o f privacy measures ranks among the top three on both the Forbes and the Fortune list.The other two companies among the top three in the Fortune and Forbes rankings have implemented only one and three measures, respectively. The three companies Results Reasons for privacy as CSR The texts were examined for indications of why the companies include privacy in their CSR programs. Only 13 companies voiced their motivation for engaging in privacy protection, presenting different reasons why they engage in CSR. The communicated motives have been grouped according to r 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 3 Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Table 1: Communicated motives for corporate privacy programs Motive Moral Explanation Three companies acknowledge that people have a right to privacy Quotations ‘To us, the right to privacy includes the right of individuals to have a voice in the use and dissemination of their personal information. ‘A person has the right to control what information about him or her is collected and to determine how that information is used. ’ ‘Con? dentiality and security of consumer data . . . are areas safeguarded by PT in order to respect the freedom and basic rights of each individual’ ‘We feel a strong responsibility to help ensure a safer, more enjoyable Internet, while addressing the challenges to privacy and security posed by today’s new media. ’ ‘Companies have a responsibility to ensure that the information they hold about their customers and employees is protected, stored, transferred, and used i n a responsible manner. ‘Microsoft takes seriously its responsibility to help address the security and privacy challenges of the information-based society, from viruses and spyware to spam and online identity theft. ’ ‘Respect for privacy is part of our commitment to observe high standards of integrity and ethical conduct in all our operations’ ‘Protecting our customers’ privacy is a priority. We understand and respect your desire to protect your personal information. ’ ‘The protection of personal information is a very high expectation among our customers, and to meet it, we . . .. ‘Externally, Sabre is committed to building customer relationships based on trust, and that includes recognizing the importance of protecting personal information. ’ ‘Consumer trust and con? dence is critical to Cisco’s business and to any technology and Internet-related business; as a result, the industry must protect citizensà ¢â‚¬â„¢ privacy. ’ ‘[We] have to acquire a ‘license to operate’ by conducting our business in a decent and responsible way. ’ ‘Security and reliability form the basis of Telekom Austria Group’s stable and successful customer relationships.The Group therefore gives top priority to protecting the integrity and con? dentiality of sensitive data. ’ ‘Main opportunities: Enhance customer and employee trust, . . . support brand/reputation. ’ Four companies hold that they have a responsibility to protect the data they gather from Internet users Relational Two companies recognize that customers have a desire for privacy that needs to be met Four companies view privacy protection as a means to winning customer trust InstrumentalOne company states that it expects to gain a reputational advantage from its privacy program †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. that have implemented the second highest number of privacy measures occupy ranks #77, #87, and #173 on the Fortune Global 500 list and ranks #49, #518, and #782 on the Forbes 2000 list, which indicates that it is not necessarily the biggest companies in the IT industries that embrace information privacy.An investigation of the relationship between the number of measures taken and length of the privacy text on the corporate website revealed a correlation of 0. 77. This suggests that text length is an indicator of how important the issue is to a company. At the same time, it also shows that the companies generally do not talk at length about privacy without having taken relevant measures. One category of measures pertains to the companies’ internal affairs. They address processes, employee conduct, and, to a small extent, suppliers.The measures mentioned most frequently are the 94 r 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Table 2: The content of corporate privacy programs Internal Physical protection of data Procedural/administrative protection of data Electronic/technical protection of data Privacy policy Privacy is part of the code of conduct Privacy of? e(r) Privacy board/working group Employee training Disciplinary action for employee misconduct Privacy newsletter for employees Employee monitoring Privacy included in employment contract Onl ine resources for employees Ethics hotline for privacy questions Internal privacy campaign Limited employee access to data Online reporting of privacy incidents Regular review of systems and processes Regular review of privacy policy Binding third parties to privacy agreements Reviewing third-party privacy practices Privacy newsletter for customers Guidance/information for consumers Resources for parental control & child safety Privacy e-mail address Integrating privacy into product development Privacy blog Involving stakeholders in design of privacy policy Supporting IS education at schools and universities Publishing privacy research papers Supporting law making Supporting industry self-regulation Working with industry Working with governments Working with NGOs, think tanks Political action committee (PAC) Compliance with laws Exceeding laws Compliance with Safe Harbor Compliance with GRI Privacy seal 6 2 3 15 8 7 3 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 5 3 5 2 1 10 5 2 8 1 1 1 1 2 1 5 6 10 1 11 1 4 1 4 79 External 30 Collaborations 25 Compliance 21 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. existence of a privacy policy and privacy training, privacy being part of the code of conduct, privacy of? cers, physical data protection, and regular review of systems and processes. All other measures taken internally were taken by one, two, or three companies each, for example measures encouraging employees to report privacy violations and to comply with relevant guidelines. Two different measures pertaining to suppliers or other third parties were identi? ed, namely that the company reviews privacy practices of those partners and that these outsiders are bound to a privacy agreement.The second category of measures contains those directed towards external stakeholders. They include r 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 95 Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 primarily guidance for consumers regarding Internet privacy. Five companies take measures that address parents’ concerns about their children’s privacy. In addition to providing information, companies also solicit consumer feedback on privacy matters. Two companies highlight that they have an e-mail address to which people can send privacy concerns and inquiries, and one company involves stakeholders in the design of its privacy policy.The inclusion of privacy considerations in product development was embraced by eight companies. Another group of measures pertain to the participation in industry initiatives and collaborations. Ten companies mention a variety of privacy forums, centers, associations, think tanks, and institutes in which they are involved, in cluding for example, the Electronic Privacy Group, the European Privacy Of? cers Forum, or the Liberty Alliance. Some of them also state that they cooperate with other companies and governments. However, the nature of this cooperation remains unclear, and in some places, the cooperating institutions are not even mentioned.Ultimately, a few US companies express their views on privacy legislation. As part of the measures they have taken, three companies take an active stance for either privacy legislation or self-regulation. Both of these viewpoints are visions at this point, as there is neither privacy legislation nor a functioning model of self-regulation in the United States. The two viewpoints are as follows: ‘We also believe that governments must ? nd improved ways to enforce laws against data breach, misuse and fraud, and help consumers pursue those who mishandle their personal information. . . . HP was one of the ? rst companies to embrace the idea of a comprehensive U. S . privacy law. ‘Because disparate and multiple privacy rules place a heavy burden on global companies, we support a model of industry self-regulation (as opposed to government intervention) in which innovative tools give consumers greater choice in both protecting their personal data and understanding how it may be collected and used. ’ they comply with all relevant privacy laws. As compliance with laws is a legal rather than an ethical responsibility according to Carroll’s (1979) classi? cation of corporate responsibilities, only going beyond the law can qualify as a CSR initiative. Dressing up a legal responsibility as an ethical responsibility casts doubt over the sincerity of these efforts.In fact, one of these 11 companies has implemented no other privacy measure apart from legal compliance. There is only one company that vows to exceed legal requirements: ‘HP is pioneering an approach to the protection and responsible use of personal information. This effort goes beyond compliance with the law. ’ Only a minority of companies have adopted the privacy standards of outside organizations, such as GRI or privacy seal programs. Stakeholder relationships The measures identi? ed above relate to a number of internal and external stakeholder groups, including employees, consumers, parents, industry, suppliers, governments, advocacy groups, and the community at large.However, the analysis of the measures does not reveal anything about the relationships with stakeholders, and in some cases, the stakeholder group to which a particular measure was addressed was not even mentioned. This section therefore focuses speci? cally on the stakeholder groups to which the companies express some form of consideration. This could be in the form of protection measures, information provision, cooperation, or merely by expressing an awareness of their stakes in privacy. In addition to an account of these overt commitments to stakeholders, a discourse analysis is used to uncover discursively constructed relationships with stakeholders. Table 3 lists the various stakeholder groups identi? d, together with their stake in privacy, the number of companies that made a commitment toward each stakeholder group, and an example of such a commitment. This table is different from the results presented in Table 2 in that it was not concrete actions that guided this analysis, but the awareness of stakeholder concerns. We ? nd that companies recognize primarily the stakes of their customers and employees, who exercise a direct and economic in? uence on the company and can therefore be labeled Even companies that do not take a stance on the legislation vs. self-regulation debate emphasize compliance with legislation. Eleven companies state that 96 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Table 3: Addressing stakeholder concerns Stakeholder GroupStake # Primary Customers/ Protection of 25 Users their data Employees Suppliers/ Vendors Training Guidelines 14 6 Example ‘In order to help our customers address these issues, we have begun to develop guidance documents to help customers understand which parts of our technology may have privacy applications. ‘We work hard to ensure that Sun employees have the information they need to apply our privacy protection standards in their work. ’ ‘When it is necessary for business reasons to share a person’s information with third parties such as network service providers and marketing campaign partners, we work together to ensure that we main tain the highest privacy standards. ’ ‘We met with government of? cials and regulators in all regions to understand their concerns and initiatives and to help them fully appreciate the potential implications for privacy of new technologies. ’ ‘We are working with other industry participants . . . to develop solutions that help us reach both of these objectives. ‘In 2007, we formed our Stakeholder Advisory Council (SAC) comprising respected experts from a variety of nongovernmental organizations. ’ ‘Symantec is committed to helping parents keep their kids cybersafe. We believe that in the same way that we educate our children about the risks of drugs, smoking, or violence, it is critical that we educate them about the importance of safe computing. ’ ‘We tap this internal resource to offer programs that bene? t our local schools and communities. We are also in the process of implementing an employee-led education program. †™ Secondary Government Industry Advocacy groups Parents Compliance with laws; expertise in data handling Cooperation Cooperation 6 6 3 Protection of 5 their children’s data Expertise 1 Schools/ communities †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ‘primary stakeholders’ according to Ansoff (1965). However, there are also companies that talk about privacy in a CSR context, but do not voice a commitment to these two primary stakeholder groups. Of the 30 companies, ? ve do not state that they do anything to improve the privacy situation of their customers and 16 do not make such a commitment toward their employees. Suppliers, who are also primary stakeholders, are addressed to a smaller extent. We can also see that the companies in the sample largely neglect their secondary stakeholders, i. e. those groups who do not directly in? uence a company’s core business (Ansoff 1965).Only a maximum of six companies interact with each secondary stakeholder group, such as parents or governments. On the surface, all companies studied engage in a discourse characterized by care and concern for privacy. In particular, emotion-laden words like help, understand, respect, concern, and safe abound across all texts studied. For example: ‘Protecting our customers’ privacy is a priority. We understand and respect your desire to protect your personal information. ’ ‘And as the 24 A 7 demands of the Internet Age threaten to overwhelm customers with complexity, they need trusted and reliable companies to help them make sense of technology and put it to use to make their lives better. ’The tone becomes even more concerned when companies address their relationship with parents and children: ‘We understand the responsibility and concern of parents who worry about their children’s exposure to inappropriate content and potentially dangerous interactions on the Web. ’ ‘Protecting our children . . . We believe that in the same way that we educate our children about the risks of drugs, smoking, or violence, it is critical r 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 97 Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 that we educate them about the importance of safe computing. ’ In the second example, the pronoun ‘we/our’ adds to the concerned tone by promoting a sense of collegiality and shared affection.The same is also achieved in other places, when companies use this inclusive form of ‘we’ to reduce the distance between themselves and their outside stakeholders: ‘Our individual sensitivities about how our information is tr eated . . . are not uniform’ or ‘Sun is committed to investigating and addressing the privacy challenges . . . associated with our increasingly digital way of life. ’ In such statements, companies reduce the power distance between themselves and their stakeholders. The inclusive ‘we’ is also an indicator of positive politeness (Brown & Levinson 1987), indicating how writers conceptualize their audiences and what kind of distance writers create between themselves and their audience.While some companies use the inclusive ‘we,’ others talk about companies in general, e. g. ‘all businesses are responsible for . . . ,’ which includes themselves only implicitly and distances themselves from these events. Mostly, though, companies make themselves the causal agents: ‘we must address these concerns by helping to protect . . .. ’ Notably, one company draws its audiences into the discourse by always addressing them directl y, e. g. ‘We understand and respect your desire to protect . . .. ’ All together, the different voices present in these texts suggest that companies have different levels of self-awareness and different understandings of their role in this process.Less variety exists in the distance to the audience, which is – apart from one exception – not explicitly present in the discourse. This suggests that companies do not consider their CSR activities to be dialogic in nature. Another kind of discourse is found in 10 of the companies’ texts studied. This discourse reveals that some companies are actually interested in ? nding a balance between users’ privacy interests and their own business interests rather than protecting privacy unconditionally. They seek to achieve a balance between customers’ privacy interests and ‘business priorities,’ ‘business requirements,’ ‘business needs,’ their ‘values,â₠¬â„¢ or their ‘ability . . . to reap the bene? ts of online interactions. Business interests are also communicated implicitly: ‘our goal is simple: to balance the interests and concerns of our customers’ private information with their interest in receiving quality service and information about useful new products. ’ Alternatively, one company mentions only one weight of the balance, without saying what the other weight is: ‘that we are striking the right balance for our customers’ and ‘to reach balanced results. ’ The discourse of balance is a manifestation of the companies’ power, given that it is they who decide when this balance is reached. Interestingly, this kind of discourse has nothing to do with the motivations they express.Two companies, for example, have voiced moral motives, but also engage in this discourse of balance, as does the one company that has indicated an instrumental motive. It is also worth noting that not a single European company in the sample engages in this discourse of balance. Discussion The literature review has highlighted that users are concerned about privacy and that companies do not respond in a manner that eases stakeholder concerns. The companies chosen for this study are all active in the hardware, software, or telecommunications industries, in which data play a crucial role. Thus, information privacy, and in particular online privacy, is a central issue in their business conduct.The content analysis has revealed that only a small proportion of the largest IT companies comprehensively address privacy as a social responsibility. In the sample, we ? nd both companies that have taken a number of relevant actions to address user privacy and companies that have only taken one or two concrete measures, but nevertheless present privacy as part of their CSR program. A substantial proportion of the measures they have taken fall into the area of compliance and employee condu ct (e. g. guidelines, policies, monitoring, and reporting), while measures that stimulate a stakeholder dialogue or represent corporate social innovation are found less frequently.Further, some companies reveal that they seek to strike a balance between their own business interests and their stakeholders’ privacy needs. The sample even contains companies that 98 r 2010 The Author Business Ethics: A European Review r 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Business Ethics: A European Review Volume 20 Number 1 January 2011 voice moral motives for framing online privacy as a CSR, while at the same time indicating that they are interested in striking a balance between users’ privacy interests and their own business interests. We have also seen that some of the privacy measures are actually intended to ful? ll legal responsibilities rather than ethical ones.Thus, some companies in the sample voice concerns and a commitment to help, but do not take privacy to the level of an ethical responsibility (cf. Carroll 1991). At the same time, companies load their privacy discourse with emotive terms suggesting concern, commitment, and a desire to help. While this kind of language is typical of CSR messages and can almost be expected (cf. Pollach 2003), it is still in contrast to the results of the content analysis, which has shown that comprehensive privacy programs are for the most part non-existent. The ? ndings also indicate that companies have chosen a wide variety of approaches to information privacy. In fact, many of the different measures denti? ed were taken by one, two, or three companies only. Thus, little mimicry and no institutionalized practices have emerged yet. In uncertain environments, companies have a tendency to model themselves after other companies that are more successful or more respected. This mimicry leads to institutionalized practices that help companies to obtain legitimacy (DiMaggio & Powell 1983). The environment in which the sample compan ies operate can be characterized as uncertain, as there is no comprehensive privacy legislation as yet and privacy is, to some extent, at each company’s discretion. For mimicry behavior to occur, it must be clear to the ? m that adopting a certain practice brings competitive advantages (DiMaggio & Powell 1983). In the case of privacy, an institutionalization of voluntary privacy practices could mean that privacy regulation is preempted. However, as not every company in the sample, and maybe in the industry as a whole, is pro self-regulation, some companies may decide not to adopt privacy practices voluntarily, despite the fact that they care about user privacy. Privacy may be on its way to mature from the ethics/compliance focus to a more responsive, proactive focus, but at the moment, it plays a minor role as a CSR. This point is also re? ected in the ? nding that companies address primarily consumer oncerns and step up employee training, while all other stakeholder groups i n privacy play a subordinate role. Companies may not have recognized the bene? ts to be gained from engaging with secondary stakeholder groups, e. g. from cooperating with industry partners. At the same time, companies may have been too occupied with implementing privacy standards internally, so that their privacy efforts do not involve secondary stakeholders as yet. These internal compliance measures are clearly the sine qua non for a company’s external privacy activities, such as participation in industry initiatives. This study is not without limitations. One clear limitation is that the data stem from corporate selfreports, which are problematic (cf.Podsakoff & Organ 1986) in that they are based on what the company reveals rather than what is actually true. This could mean that companies overstate their activities. At the same time, companies may not have mentioned the particular measures they have taken, because they did not consider them important enough. Also, the samp le size could have been larger, but the small sample size also serves to illustrate that privacy is just about to begin to play a role in CSR programs of technology-oriented companies. 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