Photography Under Consideration and All Aspects of Art and Visual Essay

Photography Under Consideration and All Aspects of Art and Visual Design - Essay Example Photography has been applied in the need to complete information sharing and articulate the plot development in relaying stories. The need to present a visual communicative, the process has been involved in the desire to present the information within the visual process. Photography has been applied to relay a vivid informative, process that complements the visual elements within the created form (Norton 1). Depending on the means applied to take photos and the medium applied in completing the final piece, the visual composition may vary from a medium to the next. Pictures have been applied in variable platforms to predict the outcome of an event and record memories for future reference. All aspects of art and visual design are included in an outstanding piece to give the picture form and definition. However, colour may not be the leading element within the picture composition because forms devoid of the entity have managed to predict outstanding visual composition (Norton 1). To ana lyze a pictorial composition, the forms captured within the frame, direction and angle of the shot can be analyzed to create the information desired to read the mood of the composition. The photography under consideration has been taken in the wild with nature as the subject of the study. The six photos captured have been taken from a similar location and the time for the shoot fluctuates from variable periods. The first shot taken suggests that the photographer had been having a worm's eye view with the towering trees and sky as the subject. The picture taken during the morning period presents an almost perfect balance of the captured features within the window frame.

A literature review. The purpose of such a characterization is to set Essay

A literature review. The purpose of such a characterization is to set up the need for your contribution. Summaries of a - Essay Example Amitai Etzioni asserts that regulations are the way to prevent an economic decline brought about by businesses. In terms of the consumer consumption, a culture change supersedes regulations, but it seems too difficult to develop such a change. Many Americans have continued to work hard to sustain their livelihoods in terms of reaching their wants. As he notes â€Å"what needs to be eradicated†¦ the obsession with acquisition that has become the organizing principle of American life† (Etzioni, 2012). People get to great length for the sole purpose of maximizing their earnings in an effort to meeting their physiological-motivated needs. The society has branded more money and more things to mean ‘good life’ when in real terms the struggles are too much compared to the benefits thereof. He continues to assert that the capitalism has been the key player in facilitating the consumer trends seen. However, capitalism cannot be solely blamed on the woes, what needs to be done is creating a balance between consumption and other engagements (Etzioni, 2012). The perception that increased income relates to increased happiness is misplaced and cannot hold. This is not an advocacy for laxity in striving to be economically stable, but a call for individuals to be cognizant of the need to regulate their consumption. Because of the perception taken against consumption, the public should be made to understand that manageable consumption could not be related to failure (Etzioni, 2013). On the other hand, Juliet Schor presents a view that consumption should be individualized and not be presented as a public affair. She talks about the misplaced thinking that prompts individuals to keep on spending. Her suggestions clearly depict a systematic approach to consumption. She notes that a decent living should be a factor of satisfying the needs and not the wants. In addition, she advocates that the focus should be to improve the quality of life and not a desire t o see the massive items all around them, pushing hard to belong to a consumption class is an irrelevant and displaced move. The consumption levels ought to be in a way that it encourages conservation of the ecology. Consumption also should be made to be free will without having influences from the producers and retailers (Schor, 1999). The two authors establish a common ground of argument. From their views, ‘political’ aspects in the consumption chain have hampered freedom of consumption. They strongly advocate for a change in consumption culture in an attempt to vary the current spending dynamics. Quality of life has also been emphasized; individuals should not only focus on earning and being reduced to shoppers who do not have even the time to do it. The little time available is fixed with one activity after the other. They also call for regulations through the government and the relevant stakeholders in order to create a need-related consumption. Revitalization of co nsumer and labor movements to focus on this hidden yet dangerous trend is an urgent need in an attempt to protect the consumers. At the end of their arguments, the suggestions provided are biased on cultural change among the consumers in order to prevent unnecessary hard work whose products are miserable spent in making acquisitions.

Profiling an Non Government Organization (NGO) Essay

Profiling an Non Government Organization (NGO) - Essay Example This essay describes the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals organisation (PETA), that is the largest organization in the world fighting for animal rights. PETA was founded in USA in the year 1980, by Ingrid E. Newkirk. Today, the researcher states that it has affiliates in France, Netherlands, India, United Kingdom, Germany and over 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The organisation aims at the welfare of animals. It intervenes in areas where animals suffer. The mission of PETA is to focus on four key issues where animals suffer the most, including laboratories, clothing trade entertainment industry, factory farms and domesticating environments. The researcher also discusses the controversies as strategies that PETA used recently. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals have been using civil disobedience and controversies as a strategy to attain public attention and attract government interventions. For Instance, the campaigns of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals in cluded nudity. The naked campaign which began few years ago saw participation from celebrities like Pamela Anderson, Christy Turlington, Todd Oldham Marcus Schenkenberg and Kim Basinger. A very interesting public education propaganda that People for Ethical Treatment of Animals could introduce was the awareness campaigns on pet animals that was also mentioned in the essay. In conclusion, the researcher suggests challenges of the organisation, such as funding and the sustained availability of contributions.

Mid-Term Essay Essay Example for Free

Mid-Term Essay Essay This essay will focus on the influence family background and childhood memories have on writers and the theme of their writings. In both the essays chosen for detailed study here, we see how the authors’ philosophy of life and things that they chose to explore and write about was set way back in their childhood as a result of the traumas they faced. This paper will present an analysis of how the families of Sanders and Maduro shaped the way these authors understand themselves and relate to others. Scott Russell Sanders was the winner of the Mark Twain Award in 2009 and his work A Private History of Awe was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, to a family of cotton farmers, Sanders taught Literature and worked as Professor of English at Indiana University. The main vision behind his writing is the shift in cultures from a consumerist to a care-giving society (Sanders). In his essay, â€Å"Under the Influence: Paying the Price for my Father’s Booze†, Sanders had chronicled the trauma he and his siblings had to endure because of his father’s alcoholism. In this memoir Sander’s recounts the feelings of guilt, shame and helpless that he felt as a child of ten when he saw his father’s unstable and ferocious outbursts after getting drunk. He blamed himself for it and that feeling of guilt hounded him throughout his life. â€Å"I tell myself he drinks to ease [†¦] an ache I must have caused by disappointing him somehow† (Sanders). To atone for his perceived inadequacies as a child Sanders tried to turn to working hard and trying to keep the family together and taking on his father’s responsibilities, â€Å"by vainly seeking to erase through my efforts whatever drove him to drink† (Sanders). Sanders observes that his own children wonder at what drives him to be a â€Å"workaholic† and tries to allay their fears and any sense of guilt or pressure they may feel by being candid about his own feelings of guilt, hurt and shame at his father’s alcoholism. On maturity he realized that he had castigated himself needlessly as a child and that his father’s alcoholism was a disease and he had no reason to feel responsible for it. However, his fear of drinks and bad conduct that he had witnessed as a child had left a deep scar in his soul. He is reticent about going to pubs with his friends and drinking as much as he is afraid of causing hurt or disappointment to anybody. He is constantly watchful of any adverse reactions from people around him and still carries the shame of his father’s â€Å"sins† deep down inside him and shies away from having that facet of his life exposed in public. The name E. S. Maduro is a pseudonym under which the author talks about her feminist beliefs and her convictions on freedom of choice and awareness for women. She records how her own youthful feelings of rebellion against the social norms of marriage and raising children altered upon maturity but how she clung to her belief that women should have the awareness to make decisions for themselves. They should be allowed to choose their career paths according to their wishes and not be forced into stereotypical roles due to societal pressures. In the essay â€Å"Excuse Me While I Explode: My Mother, Myself, My Anger† the writer describes her feelings of anger, guilt and frustrations when she narrates the story of how her mother and women of that generation had to sacrifice their careers and all their life’s desires to accommodate their families and their duties as home makers and mothers. â€Å"Excuse Me While I Explode: My Mother, Myself, My Anger† first appeared in print as an article in a book entitled The Bitch in the House. In this article Maduro has written about her frustration at the inequality women face in society. It primarily deals with her angst at how she being a post-modern woman who was educated and liberated fell back and did the same things that she has found so loathsome in her mother. She had felt defiant at the way her mother and most women had to give-up their own dreams of a good and successful life to slave at household chores and raising children. â€Å"Years ago† a woman did not have a choice to voice her opinions and the role of housekeeper and dutiful mother was thrust upon her without so much as a thought about how she felt about it. Her toil was taken for granted and the spouse did not even think it inappropriate to allow his wife to do all the housework when he could very easily have offered to help. â€Å"I believed myself to be a feminist, and I vowed never to fall into the same trap of domestic boredom and servitude that I saw my mother as being fully entrenched in; never to settle for a life that was, as I saw it, lacking independence, authority, and respect† (Maduro 5). However, as she grew older and had her own experience of loving and living with her partner she was amazed that she followed the same pattern almost unconsciously and managed both house and work despite her partner wanting to help her with the chores. She puzzles over why this is so because she believed herself to be aware of her rights unlike her mother and in full command over her vocation and what she wanted out of life, yet she slaved at household chores: I feel an odd mixture of frustration and love. Together we have a wonderful, open, trusting relationship, but sometimes I wonder if the hostility already in me, and my need to be angry at someone or something, could eventually destroy our bond (Maduro 12). The article is an introspection of why she chose to do this. She comes up with the hypothesis that women chose to take on domestic responsibilities even if it meant forgoing some of their own desires because it made a woman proud to be an accomplished home maker and mother. She identified this need in a woman to excel in housekeeping as a source of pleasure and fulfillment. She reflects on the dichotomy between love and frustration, career and home, raising children and vocation and finally finds comfort in the fact that unlike her mother she was not forced into servitude. She did what she did because she wanted to do it, she had the option of turning away and that made a big difference. She is able to resolve her conflict and also that of many other women by reiterating that choosing to be a good housekeeper and mother was an option and you could choose to be one even if you felt strongly for the cause of feminism. Works Cited Maduro, E. S. â€Å"Excuse Me While I Explode: My Mother, Myself, My Anger†. The Bitch in the House. Cathy Hanauer. New York: Harper Collins, 2002. Print. Sanders, Russell Scott. â€Å"Under the Influence: Paying the Price for my Father’s Booze† Harpers Magazine Nov 1989: n. pag. Web. 2 Jun 2010.

The Best Way to Increase Work Motivation Essay Example for Free

The Best Way to Increase Work Motivation Essay Introduction The purpose of this essay is to distinctively identify the effects of financial rewards on the work motivation of an organization and also whether or not this system of reward can cause an increase in the levels of work motivation already present in the organization. It furthermore aims to discuss weather Financial Rewards are the best way to increase the work motivation present. Although the essay shall primary be focused on Financial Rewards and Work Motivation, other factors that may have an effect on work motivation shall be discussed. For this purpose the understanding of work motivation shall be taken as such: The factors that are internal and external to employees that determine when he or she works, how hard he or she works and how long he or she works (Colquitt, Lepine and Wesson, 2009, pp.178-179). Furthermore the understanding of Financial Rewards to be undertaken is : The entire Reward System which focuses on Salary, Bonuses, Incentives etc., which aims to increase the amount of effort put in by the employees to achieve their work goals and increase work motivation in the organization as a whole (Hollyforde and Whiddett, 2002, p.166). By the conclusion of this essay the need for Financial Rewards its importance and status as apparently â€Å"the best way† to increase work motivation shall understood. There have been countless efforts over the years to understand the numerous factors and desires that determine and help to fully appreciate the intensity, quality, efficiency and reliability of the work performance of an employee. Since the eventual progress of learning and observation of the environment and factors has led to the conclusion that an employee’s performance is one of the most distinguishing factors that the organization or a business needs to cultivate in order for the organization to succeed. Work has always existed and been around in one form or another throughout our history but it is only in the recent couple of decades that we have come to understand the motivation to work or simply work motivation (Kressler, 2003, p.3). We must also take into consideration that different ways of motivation are influenced or can be influenced by the cultural context that it is applied in. People of different cultures may be motivated in different ways by the same rewards or incentives. The System of Reward must not differ substantially from the culture it is implanted in. However we must also note that most motivational theories are biased in the sense that they are US centric and based on studies conducted on test sample populations that may reflect cultural connotations and behaviors only found in the US.(Chiang and Birtch, 2012, pp.538-541) A Theory that seems to understand the disadvantage of a system solely focused on Financial Rewards is the Cognitive Evaluation Theory by E.L. Deci in which Financial Rewards would be seen as the External locus of Control and as understood by this it lessens the intrinsic motivation of the employee or person. It is assumed that activities are likely to be sustained longer if started by being motivated by intrinsic motivation and not an extrinsic motivation (Hollyford, et al, 2002, pp.37-38). According to the description by Kallberg and Rognes (2000) Non-financial rewards tend to have more broader aspects regarding improving performance and are focused on motivation for the long term of an organizations towards their employees. On the other hand as per Hofstede’s Topology in the category of Individualism-Collectivism explains Financial Rewards as being short-term and transactional in nature hence they are preferable for individuals who emphasize the aspects of individual contribution, individual ability and those that support that personal efforts are ultimately responsible for the job outcome. It is also suitable to people who see an increase in Financial Rewards as an attainment of Higher Status and Authority in the organization.(Chiang, et al, 2012, pp.542). Offering Non-Financial or pay benefits have been seen to have a positive effect as quoted by Francois Podeur, â€Å"The employees prove a high degree of organization commitment, are more loyal, feel more motivated to exceed their limitations and personal growth.†(Ciorbagui-Naon, 2010, pp.44) On the other hand as stated in Victor Vrooms Expectancy Theory in 1964 that when rewards are offered employees effort is increased and Money is almost always used as it is supposedly the most powerful and influential incentive in society and is already in fact largely used. . (Zani, Rahim, Junos, Samanol, Ahmad, Merican, Saad and Ahmad, 2011, pp.328-329) Since money is the basis or foundation of financial rewards and most Reward Systems the value of money against work motivation can be directly quoted as follows: â€Å"Money is not everything, Many would be happy with more time off, or more job security, than more money. People are prepared to trade off things for money once they have enough or grow weary of the game.†(Furnham, 2006, p.26-27) Furthermore several studies that have been carried out regarding the relative importance of pay or money have shown that money or pay ranks below factors such as job satisfaction, recognition, good people to work with etc., But the tendency of people to rate the things and factors which are regarded as more socially acceptable or less socially acceptable higher or lower respectively, the results of such studies could have varied or misleading results (Armstrong, 2010, p.143-144). In Concurrence with the above, according to Deming â€Å"Pay is not a motivator† as it buys the things people want but it does not motivate you to work. There is no research that supports paying people more money will encourage them to better the work performance, especially in the long run. This is also agreed upon by Kohn (1993) and Turner (2006). But the studies also concluded that it has a slightly higher or lower effect in different industries for example as in a study by Turner(2006) conducted on factory workers and service businessmen which found little relation between performance and financial incentives in factory workers but found the opposite when the study was conducted on service businessmen. (Zani, et al, 2011, pp.330). Although Financial Rewards are supposedly provided equally according to the Principle of Distributive Justice, this is not always so as most systems are individualistically designed that they cater towards one person’s performance on the whole and may serve to de-motivate the average and low-performance attaining employees. Furthermore according to studies by Thompson (1992b) and Marsden and Richardson (1994), financial incentives related to pay have little to no effect in increasing motivation and work performance. Also according to these studies the effects of Financial Rewards are hard to determine as there are debatable or skeptical ways of monitoring its effectiveness and to also take into consideration the other factors that at the same time may be in effect that may affect performance and motivation such as innovation, new technology etc. Another factor that must be taken into consideration is the way Financial Reward are introduced into the organization and the principles and practices used implementing it, according to a study conducted for The Department of Employment in the UK by Bowey and Thorpe successful l outcomes are more dependent on the effectiveness of communication and Support systems rather than the pay design or financial reward provided. (Armstrong, et al, 2010, pp.147-150). Conclusion On the basis of the above information reviewed and analyzed we can conclude that while financial rewards are the most commonly used and implemented system of reward used today it is not necessarily the best way to increase work motivation on the whole, for the organization. The use of financial rewards cannot be rejected or discarded as it plays a part in motivating an individual but it must be taken into consideration that Financial Rewards work best when within the Framework of an Integrated system of reward that combines both Non-financial and Financial Rewards together. The system that might work best is a system that takes into consideration also the cultural context in which it is placed as this may have an effect on the performance of an individual due to a reward used. Also the ratio of Financial Rewards to Non-Financial Rewards affectedness is dependent on the industry or sector it is situated in. References Armstrong, M. (2010). Armstrongs Handbook of reward Management Practice Improving Performance through Rewards. 3rd ed. London: Kogan Page Limited. pp.143-144. Armstrong, M. (2010). Armstrongs Handbook of reward Management Practice Improving Performance through Rewards. 3rd ed. London: Kogan Page Limited. pp.147-150. Chiang, F.F.T. and Birtch, T.A. (2012). The Performance Implications of Financial and Non-Financial Rewards: An Asian Nordic Comparison. Journal of Management Studies. Vol.49, No.3, pp.538-541 Chiang, F.F.T. and Birtch, T.A. (2012). The Performance Implications of Financial and Non-Financial Rewards: An Asian Nordic Comparison. Journal of Management Studies. Vol.49, No.3, pp.542 Ciorbagui-Naon, R. (2010). Modalities of Non-Financial Motivation of Employees Within Organisations. Annals of the University of Petrosani Economics. Vol.10, No.4, pp.44. Colquitt, J., Lepine, J. and Wesson, M. (2009). Organizational Behavior Improving Performance and Commitment in the Workplace. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin. pp.178-179. Furnham, A. (2006). Pouring Money Down the Drain?. British Journal of Administrative Management. Vol.53, Issue.2, pp.26-27. Kressler, H. (2003). Motivate and reward Performance Appraisal and Incentive Systems for business Success. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. pp.3 Hollyford, S and Whiddett, S. (2002). The Motivation Hand book. London: CIPD House. pp.37-38. Hollyforde, S. and Whiddett, S. (2002). The Motivation Handbook. London: CIPD House. pp.166. Zani, R. Md., Rahim, N. A., Junos, S., Samanol, S., Ahmad, S. S., Merican, F. M. I., Saad, S. M. and Ahmad, I. N. (2011). Comparing the Impact of Financial and Non-Financial Rewards Towards Organizational Motivation. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business. Vol.3, No.4, pp.328-329. Zani, R. Md., Rahim, N. A., Junos, S., Samanol, S., Ahmad, S. S., Merican, F. M. I., Saad, S. M. and Ahmad, I. N. (2011). Comparing the Impact of Financial and Non-Financial Rewards Towards Organizational Motivation. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business. Vol.3, No.4, pp.330.

The Un Global Compact Politics Essay

The Un Global Compact Politics Essay The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is a worldwide initiative started by the United Nations in order to encourage businesses to take up more sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to also report their implementation. It consists of ten guiding principles pertaining to the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. It is the worlds largest corporate citizenship initiative with over 7700 members in 130 countries. UNGC is a unique platform that gives a strategic edge to its participants to advance their corporate commitments to the sustainability. UNGC is endorsed directly by the CEOs. It has been structured as a public-private initiative. The UNGC is a policy framework to advance the development as well as implementation, and also the disclosure of sustainability principles and practices. It offers its participants an array of specialized work streams, management tools and resources, and special programs and projects which have been designed to advance sustainable business models and markets in order build a more sustainable global economy.UNGC has two main objectives: First; Mainstream the ten principles in business activities around the world and Second; Catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals. TheUN Secretary-General at that time Mr. Kofi Annan in an address to The World Economic Forum announced the UNGC on January 31, 1999. Itwas officially launched at UN Headquarters in New York on July 26, 2000. The first two principles pertain to human rights. The next 4 principles deal with labor standards businesses should follow. The next 3 deals with environment protection and the last one advocated anti-corruption. The Global Compact is a voluntary initiative and a company that wants to subscribe to the Principles has to make a clear statement of support and has to include references in its annual report or in any other publically available documents detailing the progress it has made in adhering to the Principles. The company also needs to submit a brief description of this report to the Global Compact website. If the company fails to submit this description within two years of signing to be a part ofthe Compact (and after that every two years), the company will be removed from the list of participants. The participants to UNGC intend to lead through good example and setting a high moral tone. The main purpose of the Global Compact is to focus on the moral purpose of business. Kofi Annan summarizes it well in a quote: Let us choose to unite the power of markets with the authority of universal ideals. Let us choose to reconcile the creative forces of private entrepreneurship with the needs of the disadvantaged and the requirements of future generations. Then ten principles are as follows: Human Rights Principle 1:Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights within their sphere of influence; and Principle 2: Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. Labor Principle 3:Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 4: The elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor; Principle 5: The effective abolition of child labor; and Principle 6: The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Environment Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; Principle 8: Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility, and Principle 9: Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. Corruption Principle 10:Business should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. Is the Global Compact a Product of Occidental Liberalism? International regimes are defined as social institutions around which actor expectations converge in a given area of international relations. Being true for any social institution, the participants discretion to act on issues that fall within the realm of the institution is by themselves limited by the international regime. The occidental international economic order that emerged post the Second World War was a highly advantageous combination of factors that led to long and sustained economic growth. The economic power was distributed worldwide in such a manner that it favored an open approach to organizing international economic relations. Worldwide there existed an ideological consensus regarding the role state should play to ensure domestic employment, price stability and social security. The body of economic analysis and policy prescriptions at that time prescribed the governments to act in this manner. Most of the major corporations were national in scope and the international e conomic relations more or less comprised of transactions amongst separate and distinct national economies. The Bretton Woods institutions, the GATT and the United Nations were the few international organizations that had been put in place to express and support the post WWII compromise of embedded liberalism. Major changes have taken place in the last half-century that has undermined the effectiveness of this set of understandings and arrangements. However, Globalization is the single greatest factor that has brought about these changes. Globalization has led to a complete disconnection between the world of production and the world of finance leading to an overall change in the system of institutional relationships. This has led to two disequilibria in the worlds political economy. The first disequilibrium exists between the economic sphere, and the broader frameworks of shared values and practices of which the economic sphere is a part. The second disequilibrium exists within the international governance structures. The major capitalist countries can withstand even the worst effects of this imbalance since they have the domestic and the institutional capacity to protect themselves but the rest of the developing world is extremely vulnerable, and this vulnerability has been further exacerbated by the neo-liberal orthodoxies of the so-called Washington consensus. Therefore, the international community has to devise the kind of institutional equilibrium that used to exist in the post WWII international economic order. The international community has to focus here on the long-term interaction between two key actors in the global economy, the multinational corporations (MNCs) and multinational Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). The key players of civil society have started to increasingly target MNCs and the international trading system as leverage to pursue social and environmental concerns. This dynamic interplay between the two creates a potential for to bridge the disequilibrium between economic globalization and the international governance structures. The United Nations Global Compact is one such initiative that challenges the international business community to help the UN in implementing the social values of human rights, environment and labor. John Gerard Ruggie who is the Kirkpatrick Professor of International Affairs at the Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government says that the basic problem is that MNCs, acting as non-territorial spaces and management, have given rise to global governance gaps and governance failures. Ruggie is well known in academic circles for coining the term embedded liberalism, that he uses to describe the post-WWII coupling of multilateralism with the aim to achieve domestic stability; and for having emphasized the roles that ideas play in world politics. He has explored the emergence of such gaps in governance in several of his works (e.g., Ruggie, 1998b, 2003, 2004). Ruggie helped UN Secretary- General Kofi Anan in designing and establishing the UN Global Compact, as the Assistant Secretary-general and Chief Adviser for strategic planning to Kofi Annan. Without speculating on the importance of Ruggies role in the creation of the compact, the speech Kofi Annan used to launch the Global Compact at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 1999, strongly suggests that John Ruggies influence was substantial. It appears that Kofi Annans suggestion that: Globalization is a fact of life. But I believe we have underestimated its fragility. The problem is this. The spread of markets outpaces the ability of societies and their political systems to adjust to them, let alone to guide the course they take. History teaches us that such an imbalance between the economic, social and political realms can never be sustained for very long. Seems to have been directly informed by Ruggies work on embedded liberalism (e.g. 1982, 1998b) According to Ruggie (2003), theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨ten principles of the UNGC are drawn from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨ILOs Fundamental Principles on Rights at Work and theà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨Rio Principles on Environment and Development. The UNGC is based on beliefs that have been universally recognized byà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨governments, thus spelling out the goals of the whole international community. The UNGC partners with members of the corporate world and the civil society to reduce the gap betweenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨dreams and reality It aims to become an agency for the promotion of social customs. Thus, UNGC is another measure to the growing number of responses to globalizationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¨challenges that also partner with the private sector. The Challenge The UNGC is based on an ideology of the benefits of open markets. Various high-ranking UN officials describe the UN Global Compact as the only remotely viable means of hauling billions of people out of utter poverty. The term open markets sounds nice, but in the real world they translate into the skewed rules created by the WTO that benefit the developed nations at the expense of developing countries, poor farmers, consumers and the environment. It is apparent that most of the UN officials along with the corporate and government officials believe that globalization is principally beneficial and all it needs is just a bit of tinkering here and there. An editorial in the Washington Post on the UN Global Compact read that globalization only needs a softener to dull its sharp edges and increase the allocation of its benefits. In his speech to corporate leaders in 1999 at Davos, Switzerland, the Secretary General of UN Mr. Kofi Annan warned of a threatening backlash against globalization, he advocated that recognition of human and labor rights, and environmental principles are absolutely essential to avoid any threats to the open global market, and especially the multilateral trading regime. Mr. Annan by proclaiming that globalization must be protected by putting a more human face on it, and by declaring that social values need to be advanced as part and parcel of the globalization process, has clearly taken sides with the corporate agenda at a time when this agenda itself is increasingly under scrutiny. In order to keep it simple and attractive for companies, the ten principles of the UNDC are basically one-liners. They are just an example of the minimalist code of corporate conduct. The ten principles do not provide adequate guidance to corporations about the conduct that is expected from them and their responsibilities. Most of the UN Global Compacts ten principles cannot be defined with the precision that is required for creating a practical code of conduct. The ambiguity of the ten principles is in essence counter-productive from the perspective of both the sincere as well as the insincere corporate citizens. The language with which the principles are defined is so general that insincere corporations can easily side step or conform to the principles without doing anything to promote human rights or labor standards. The Secretary General of UN along with various agency heads have displayed very poor judgment by letting numerous known and proven human rights, labor rights and environmental violators to sign up with the UNGC. Specific partners of the Compact include companies like Shell (Oil major), Nike (Human rights violator), Rio Tinto, BP (Oil Major), Novartis, Aracruz, Daimler Chrysler, BASF, Bayer and DuPont (environment troubles). In a few of these cases, the choices are blatantly violating UNs own guidelines that read, Companies which violate human rights are not eligible for partnership.Many other companies are part of the compact that are not accused explicitly of such clear violations, but they are giants of industries like oil and petroleum, genetical engineering and heavy chemicals. People broadly oppose the impact of these companies on the community, the workers and the environment. Additionally, the International Chamber of Commerce, which mostly represents big businesses, has been a major force for the corporate side of the UN Global Compact. The International Chamber of Commerce more than often lobbies for diminishing the impact of international agreements that governs their members behavior-accords that are often brokered by the UN. One often sees Public-private partnerships being used for specific projects with definite goals. The UNs is however is using this term much more generally. One would normally assume that a partnership is created only when all the partners have the same goals. Its tough to understand why UN is partnering with corporations that have completely different goals. Modern corporations acknowledge that there are various other stakeholders than their shareholders, but in concrete terms they are only accountable to their shareholders, on the other hand the UN is based on a promise to promote ethical principles and is accountable to the people. Sometimes the UN and corporate agenda concur; but most of the times they are at odds. The Director of UNICEF Carol Bellamy once said that it was dangerous to assume that the goals of the private sector were somehow synonymous with those of the UN, because they most emphatically were not. It is quite obvious to everyone that its not possible to forge a partnership with an institution whose interests are antithetical to yours own. It is not possible for the UN to simultaneously regulate as well as partner with the same corporations. Its not that The UN can avoid all interactions with corporations; it has to interact with then when it needs to buy goods and services or to hold the corporations accountable, but UN should take care not to partner with them except when the organizations share its goals. Every company wants to project certain values and a certain image. Disney wants to represent wholesome family entertainment. McDonalds advertises itself as fast, friendly food. Nike is associated with the joy of sports and Shell, Chevron and BP and other oil companies promote their own commitment to environmental stewardship. But, to many people, Nike also means sweatshops in poor Asian countries, McDonalds often signifies unhealthy junk food that causes obesity and, Disney means sweatshops and promotion of stereotypes, Shell is linked with various human rights violations and environment destruction, and the whole oil industry is notorious for global warming, greed and abuse of its power. When Kofi Annan joins the CEOs of such companies on the main stage, or whenever a UN agency partners with such corporations in a joint venture, the message that is sent out to the public is very disturbing. As it is described in the UNDP guidelines, whenever a UN agency is engaged in a public relations activity within the framework of a corporate relationship, a mutual image transfer inevitably takes place. The image transfer that takes place tarnishes the pure UNs image, and gives the chance to big corporations to bluewash their bad image by associating themselves with the UN. When pharmaceutical majors like Novartis and Aventis are seen by the public as a part of the UN Global Compact, the public gets an impression that the UN has officially endorsed their products despite the enormous controversy surrounding these companies. The UN represents values such as world peace, security, human rights, environment consciousness and global well being. These values should remain distinct from the commercial values of companies. Once the image of UN is tarnished with corporate logos, the compromising of its noble values may follow. The most crucial aspect relating to the Global Compact is accountability. The reluctance of U.S. based companies to enlist with the Global Compact focuses on the issue of accountability. In todays environment of increasing skepticism about the true motives of the corporations, the legitimacy of the UN Global compact comes into question if it operates without a traditional accountability structure. The Global Compact does not have a monitoring or an enforcement mechanism. This means that the companies that enlist with the Compact get a chance to declare their commitment to UN principles without making any promise to follow up on them. The corporate partners of the UNGC have made it explicit that such a lax arrangement is precondition for their participation. Maria Livianos Cattui, the secretary-general of the ICC recently said that businesses would not agree to any suggestion that involves external assessment of their performance, whether it is by any special interest groups or by any UN agencies. The Global Compact is not a qualification the corporations have to meet; it is merely a joint commitment to shared social values. It is imperative that the Global Compact does not become a tool by which the governments burden business with prescriptive regulations. The critics on the Global Compact fall into two major categories and both need to be addressed. Most scholars researching on codes of conduct regard the Global Compact as just another code of conduct without any accountability, its merely a public relations document. The question that arises is that how can the public know that a business that claims to be following the principles prescribed under the Global Compact is actually doing so? These scholars argue that an independent monitoring group that translates general principles into operating standards with quantifiable and objective measures is the only way to insure that the companies are held accountable. A much more fundamental criticism arises from the Non Governmental Organizations and other organizations that are critical of economic globalization. Their view is that the Global Compact is a cover-up story that provides legitimacy to an idea, which has yet to prove itself. They argue for the creation of a mandatory legal framework that guarantees that the companies are held accountable even to the least advantaged in the global economy. Another difficulty with the accountability issue is the ambiguous nature of the Global Compacts principles on human rights. Is it possible to reach a consensus that genuinely captures the expectations of society? Most of the companies are in broad agreement with the Global Compacts principles relating to human rights, but there is a fear amongst them that enlisting with the Compact would create societal expectations that these companies are obligated to correct human rights abuses. Where and how can a line be drawn on the responsibilities of companies in the area of human rights? Few MNCs have come to understand that it is imperative for them to become proactive and live up to the expectations of society in a global economy, but these companies also understand that these expectations in the area of human rights are often unclear. In the litigious business environment of the United States, companies display reluctance in signing the Compact without having a clear idea of what their re sponsibilities are and what is their accountability. The Global Compact is not a state focused corporate citizenship program, but in spite of that nations are amongst the key stakeholders from which the Global Compact requires support. Blackett suggests that it might be necessary to highlight the role of governments in successfully implementing the Compact principles. But till now the UN has failed to work out a proper role of governments in ensuring that the participant of the Compact live up to their commitments. On the contrary, the Shanghai Declaration has suggested that businesses could use UNGC to set demands and exert undue influence over governments. If this go too far and the businesses start dictating the business of the Global Compact Office and international law generally, then even this partnership might face a crisis of legitimacy among states and other stakeholders.

Club Drugs Essay -- essays research papers

It’s 6 o’clock on a Saturday morning and while some teenagers are enjoying the extra hours of sleep, many are still bouncing around to the sounds of techno music. Thousands of teenagers and even some adults gather into clubs decorated with black lights, disco balls, and tons of smoke machines. Their hearts are pounding and their pulse is racing at the speed of light, all compliments of designer drugs known as club drugs (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Changing the molecular structure of an existing drug or drugs to create a new substance creates designer drugs (Kusinitz 151). The all night dance parties, known as raves, are about the wildest thing going from midnight till dawn, and often beyond. Just because these drugs may portray something that may sound like fun, the downfall of these drugs make you think twice before taking them at the club. Raves are becoming more popular than ever and these designer drugs are becoming even easier to get a hold of (Kusinitz 46). When asked, over 50 percent of high school seniors said they knew they could get ecstasy â€Å"fairly easily† or â€Å"very easily† if needed (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Since untrained amateurs commonly create designer drugs in underground laboratories, the drugs can be dangerous (Mass 16). Among all designer drugs, MDMA, or Ecstasy is the most commonly used (Kusinitz 47). Others include Ketamine known commonly as Special K or â€Å"K†, and LSD also known as acid. Ecstasy is used at the party and rave scene for it...