Should public policy be directed exclusively at growth promotion for Essay

Should public policy be directed exclusively at growth promotion for the attainment of overall societal goals - Essay Example Social goal responsibility is the art putting goals of a certain co-corporate, institution knowledge or prosperity to be of collective concern within the community or society. This is generally speaking out the message of ‘we’ and ‘us’ rather than ‘I’ and ‘me’. Since the public policy is centered at the needs of the majority, then social goals becomes of great concern within an organization. Just like in a classroom, pupils or students usually have a collective goal of passing exams through discussions and consultations. While the only way of ensuring collective success in a society or a business organization is through the involved individuals having a collective goal at the expense of targeted and non-targeted society (Kimberly & Tamar, 2009). On the other hand individualistic goal is centered on one’s interest and desire that all opportunities that come on the way are utilized individually. This is directly linked with per sonal development and success. Therefore, public policy has more to do with promoting societal goal oriented programs rather than individualistic. Methodology This research study was conducted using qualitative data from library written materials like journals and electronic research like websites. However, some organizations hold their internal information private and hence full information is not available. Literature review According to John Long & Nerida Aitken, individual agreement is works well for employers as compared agreements of collective interests. Citing an employee pay in Australia, the employees covered by workplace agreement earns much better that those guarded by federal enterprise agreements. In addition the individualistic goals lowers the cost concerning company activities like documentation, transaction costs e.tc. Hence it is a more efficient way. It is also noted that individualism is equal to flexibility. The term flexibility can be used in wide range of iss ues including remuneration, operational requirements implementation of change by a company. However, individual practices do not necessarily warrant flexibility or individualized activities (Diener, 2009)). Practically, flexibility is dependent on the nature of the company enterprise, the proposed form of flexibility, the way in which the management and the employees are related as we as the number of employees and their benefits. This means that sometimes some employees of the company may decline to cooperate or to sign workplace policies offered by the state (Long & Aitken, 2001). The way individual agreements discussed and formed, are just done on individual basis. In addition, within an individualistic agreement their may still exist a collective ideology. However, concerning the individual agreements by the top management team, they will all have uniform individualistic idea concerning all the entire employees with some disagreements on the payroll, description of job as well a s the length of working hours (Long. J & Aitken. N, 2001). Individualistic goals are important in fostering increased commitment at work places. The is usually increased interaction between the individual employees and the employer hence individualism strengthens the psychological contract at the work place (Brown, W. 1999). This usually explains the role the employees in the company as well direction and stability of the business. On the issue of societal goal within a company, the employees can create a sense of mistrust to the employer if the perceived societal agreements are

It's time to prove what I have learned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

It's time to prove what I have learned - Essay Example Besides passing, I have developed confidence in writing and I can handle all types of research. I vividly remember my first assignment in this class. The paper did not have a thesis statement, had numerous grammar errors, and it did not have a proper introduction. It saddened my heart that I did not have the very basics to this subject. Although this discouraged my young heart, I did not allow it to rule in me. Instead, I decided that I will make it in this class. Every time I submitted a paper, my teacher wrote some comments that I took very seriously, which helped improve my writing. First, I started with developing skills to a good thesis statement. I realized that a good thesis statement must incorporate the purpose of the writing and stipulate all the issues to be discussed in that paper. Secondly, I worked on the introduction of my papers. With the help of the teacher, I realized that introductions should be as captivating as possible to capture the audience attention. Previously, my introductions did not carry enough weight and background knowledge of the study. This meant that I could not earn good marks on the introduction part. Thorough research on the issues I intend to write about helped overcome this problem. Thirdly, In my out-of-class essays I learned other skills that add credibility to an essay. Proper organisation of the bodywork adds more weight to a paper, giving the reader an urge to read on. Using logos and ethos, I could now convince my audience on the issues I am writing about. In addition, I have to choose my words correctly to because I realized that I can convince the audience with my character. Use of diction and figures of speech are other things I learnt out-of-class that have added competency in my writing. One thing I came to accept as a writer is that I had to read a lot of books, journals, websites, and magazines to learn how others do it. No, wonder that my grammar and

Foreign Direct Investment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Foreign Direct Investment - Assignment Example From the discussion it is clear that  countries seek FDI due to the technological benefits that boost production mechanisms in several sectors across the economy. FDIs also create adequate employment opportunities, thereby enhancing the economic growth prospects of the host country. FDIs, nonetheless, increase the quality of products within the market, hence giving the consumers a wider range of products from which they can choose.This paper stresses that FDI is responsible for stimulating the economic development of a target country. Besides, the FDI enables companies to enjoy the benefits that accrue from larger markets in the global economy. Therefore, FDI ensures that industries capitalize on their sales through international presence. While at it, FDI creates new employment opportunities, thereby increasing the income and the purchasing power of people within an economy. This leads to economic growth. As stated earlier, FDI presents a boost in the human capital resources, thro ugh sharpening the knowledge and competence of the cross-border workforce. Many companies also benefit from the tax incentives in their respective business fields. Apart for the development of knowledge, FDI enables the transfer of resources in form of technology, skills and raw materials, hence limiting the disparities between the organizational revenues and costs.  FDI can hinder the domestic investment by offering excess competition. In addition, the risk of political instability threatens to destabilize the operations of foreign investments.

Core issues in ethics Essay Example for Free

Core issues in ethics Essay Humankind can’t continue their lives without desires. If one wants to be happy, surely, he has to discover his best desires that provide him a happy life. Some of these desires that help to continue our lives can be acceptance in our relationships, a good family life and strong social relations. Trying to satisfy these desires has a great meaning to achieve happiness for me. To start with, however embarrassed I am about this desire of mine, I have an obsession to expect people to accept my thoughts and manners in every situation. Yes, this is not a good characteristic and sometimes makes me an antipathic person but trying to be accepted by someone can give you happiness, too. Besides, if you can manage to make someone love you knowing and accepting all about you, I think that is the absolute happiness. Furthermore, it seems to me that family is the basic source of happiness. Certainly, I can’t always be a good guy and sometimes I make them upset but I can’t stand seeing them upset. Therefore, I try to do whatever necessary to make them happy. Consequently, when I see happy family faces, I feel deeply happy. Thirdly, to have friends is one of the most meaningful aspects of life. I believe that one should have three very warm friends at least. For example, I can’t bear loneliness and if I couldn’t share all my heart with these warm friends, I believe that I could never be happy. As a consequence, if you feel like me, it will be worth improving your close relationships in order to be happy. To recap, humankind has a short life but he is given a lot of desires to be happy. Moreover, if one wants to discover the meaning of his short life, he should look for it in desires. Whether he finds it or not, he will taste happiness just by looking for it.

Green Marketing Differs From Traditional Marketing Marketing Essay

Green Marketing Differs From Traditional Marketing Marketing Essay Green Marketing can be defined as the holistic management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying the needs of customers and society, in a profitable and sustainable way. Therefore, one can say that green marketing is a careful integration of social and environmental requirements with the economic desires of the company. Green marketing is also known as environmental, sustainable and eco marketing. Green Marketing differs from Traditional Marketing Differences between green marketing and traditional marketing can be seen from various aspects. Green marketing expands on the fundamental functions of traditional marketing. Consequently, green marketing can achieve goals that traditional marketing cannot meet. For example, green marketing not only focuses on the direct benefit of a product but also on long term environmental benefits. Traditional marketing involves soliciting new customers by using television advertising, print advertising, direct mail and telemarketing. This is known as outbound marketing where focus is on push strategies. Green marketing by contrast uses inbound marketing where the focus is a pull strategy. According to Cordero (2012); Inbound marketing works by creating content that people actually want to see, encouraging potential clients to seek out the company being marketed, rather than the company seeking out people. Social media is the primary marketing platform for inbound marketing. By linking the companys website with external social media sites such as: YouTube, Facebook and Twitter; along with blogs. All these platforms form an interactive media that fosters interaction with potential customers. Why Green? Green marketing has been growing rapidly since it came into existence; it is not only leading companies to environmental protection, but also creates job opportunities and opens new markets. Green Marketing has emerged as a mainstream marketing tool in business over the last decade. With the mobilisation of socio-environmental groups and the vastly increased sources of information in society it is no longer possible for companies to ignore green. Thus green marketing has evolved enough to become significant for the long term sustainability of companies. Filho, et al. (2008), state; The growing concerns with the environment, increased competition, and customer demands are immediate challenges to green marketing. And according to the Harvard Sustainability Initiative, (2012); Companies are under growing pressure to be accountable not only to shareholders, but also to stakeholders such as employees, consumers, suppliers, local communities, policymakers, and society-at-large. Socio-environmentalism (sustaining the future of our Planet) has become a leading concern for all. They are leading motivations for change and reform. Society needs to pressure environmental reform to safeguard the future of our planet for future generations. Table 1 below lists some of the more pertinent socio-environmental concerns; Global Warming Finite Natural Resources Water Waste Management Deforestation Pollution Synthetic Chemicals Genetically Modified Foods Table Socio-Environmental Concerns Green Drivers Figure 1 below demonstrates the green drivers affecting sustainable marketing. Green drivers are divided into two categories: internal drivers and external drivers. Figure 1 Summary of green drivers Environmental Management Catalysts (Khanna, 2005) cited by (Valentine, 2009) External Drivers External drivers include stakeholder pressures, regulation and competition. Figure 2 below lists the various sources of stakeholder pressures. Figure sources of stakeholder pressures Company strategies are often strongly motivated by competition. Competitive analysis is a key element in the strategic direction of the company. The company must ask itself what are the competition doing and how can we gain use from that information to create a competitive advantage. In many cases green marketing is about reacting to industry movements towards green policies. Government legislation and regulations are often driven by demand from society and environmental concerns have increasingly become key election agendas over the last 20 years. Governments are now compelled to implement new regulations at an accelerated rate. For example the EU has implemented the EU Sustainable Development Strategy  (SDS).The SDS sets out the objective of achieving improvement of the quality of life for present and future generations. Prosperity, environmental protection and social cohesion are to be achieved through sustainable communities which are able to manage resources efficiently and to tap into the ecological and social innovation potential of the economy. The SDS supports the EU in evaluating, monitoring, developing and improving the EUs collective carbon footprint. For a company to be truly green it needs its entire supply chain to be green as well. The Company needs to know all subcontractors, which are providing support to main suppliers, practice have green responsibility at the core of their business. A company is only as green as its least green supplier. Local Communities have become increasingly aware of the environment in their vicinity. While they are always thankful for job creation, local communities are less tolerant of company caused environmental and social negatives. GIY Ireland is a social society that encourages members to grow their own food stocks. GIY would be less necessary if produce was sourced locally and sold at reasonable prices. Green activist groups such as Greenpeace can have a very public and damaging effect on companies. They through societal support have the means of lobbying governments and creating campaigns that reduce profits. By going green companies can reduce the impact of activist groups. Internal Drivers Sustainable marketing has emerged as a vibrant economic source of profits. The overall market for green marketing is said to be worth $ 3.5 trillion by the year 2017 (Global Industry Analysts Inc. 2011). Any company interested in growth and profits should have a desire to share in this growth sector. Odell (2007) explains that graduates are now looking to environmentally friendly companies first when seeking employment. She also states employees working at companies with clear corporate responsibility (CSR) programs, including environmental and social programs, are most satisfied. Savvy companies realise that green increases competitive advantage in recruiting, brand reputation, employee recruitment and retention. Corporate Social Responsibility According to the Harvard sustainability initiative (2012), CSR encompasses not only what companies do with their profits, but also how they make them. It addresses how companies manage their economic, social, and environmental impacts, as well as their relationships in all key spheres of influence: the workplace, the marketplace, the supply chain, the community, and the public policy realm. CSR implies that sustainability starts with the senior management and permeates throughout the company, where the corporate level is active in guiding the company strategy with social and environmental concerns addressed along with profit. Wiley cited by Odell (2012) states, Those organizations that have a clear CSR policy set themselves apart from the competition in terms of employment brand. Partaking in CSR activities not only has positive societal effects, but also increases an organizations competitive advantage. To be effective CSR must be: Voluntary, Transparent, and Credible, Integrated into organisation culture, provide value for organisation, stakeholders and society and work diligently with sustainable strategies. Sustainability Sustainability is about ensuring a greater quality of life for current and future generations. Kolter (2011) states, Companies must address the issue of sustainability. Sustainability raises the question whether this generation can leave future generations with the same or a larger basket of resources than we have now. According to Paul Hawken (2012), The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces, or at least not try to defy them. Figure 3 below illustrates how social, economic and environment integration form the sustainability direction of a company. Figure the triple bottom line Sustainability Triumvirate (Greenlaw, 2011) C:UsersLeon BehalAppDataLocalTempNew Picture (1).bmp The idea of sustainability is to reconcile the needs of society, the environment and the companys profits to create long-term shareholder value (Greenlaw, 2011). Sustainability and green marketing are evolving as growing drivers of business in the post-recession world. As part of this agenda savvy consumers are pressuring companies to become transparent with their business practices. No longer is it acceptable to be solely for profit maximisation. Unilever is a recognised advocate of sustainability and CSR, as evidenced by their Sustainable Living Plan (SLP). SLP offers transparency and clarity about Unilevers sustainability targets and progress reports. Greenwashing According to GIA (2012) Greenwashing refers to exaggerated green claims and falsified green claims and is a major challenge for industry, as it leads to consumer scepticism pertaining to such green claims. Despite the risks associated with greenwashing companies continue to practice this. Kock Industries is an US based conglomerate, with interests in multiple environmentally damaging industries such as: mining, oil, and chemicals. Kock Industries actively lobbies the US government against global warming and other green concerns, and has also incurred $400 million in environmental fines and judgements over a four year period in the early 2000s. Despite this Kock Industries website proclaims sustainability and CSR as core elements of its strategic direction. Monsato LLC is a US owned publicly traded company. Like Kock industries Monsato claims sustainability and CSR as key themes in its strategy. Monsato is a global leader in genetically modified foods. There primary focus is on seeds, and they have even obtained patents on these products. Terminator seeds are seeds without reproduction capabilities created by Monsato. The long term effects of terminator seeds on the seed gene pool are unpredictable and should never be commercialised. Green Myopia Companies should strive to avoid Green Myopia, where products are absolutely green and alienate their customer base. The primary reason for being green is to create customer satisfaction through motivating and providing green benefits. It is very difficult to get consumers to switch brands without meeting satisfaction criteria, and absolute green in general will disappoint consumers. Another alienating possibility is overpricing, consumers will select the best alternative is the price differential is too great. Green Consumers NBC Universal the US media conglomerate proposes that consumers conform to one of four green consumer categories. Figure 4 below identifies the four categories as: true brown, potential green, thinking green and behavioural green. Figure Green Consumer Types based on NBC Universal Model True Brown consumers are the hardnosed anti-green types. They are likely to actively seek out non green products and usually apathetic about environmental concerns and are seeking traditional marketing benefits, such as quality, price. They will not go out of their way to source green products. Potential Green (PG) consumers are green aware, but do not actively buy green. PGs need effective encouragement to buy green and their purchases may be coincidental. Think Green (TG) consumers have an interest in favouring green, but it must be convenient. TGs will go non-green when not positively motivated. According to Vernekar and Wadhwa (2011), Consumers with neither strong positive nor strong negative attitudes towards green products are more likely to be persuaded by a non-green benefits message than a green message. Behavioural green (BG) consumers are passionately green. BG consumers are often environmental advocates and only buy eco-friendly or neutral products. BG consumes strongly favour green products, but distrust green advertising. Thus careful consideration needs to be placed on where green marketing is utilised. Green Consumer Segments There are many types of green consumer segments including: resource conservers, health fanatics, animal lovers, and outdoor enthusiasts. It is important to use green strategies effectively when targeting favourable consumer demographics. The 4 Ps of Green Price: Although many consumers state willingness to pay slightly more for green products, the price needs to remain close to alternatives to attract less green consumers. There must be a careful balance between: profits, productivity, environment and people. To justify extra charges green products should offer increased product value through: performance, function, design. Product: Green products need proof of reduction of resource consumption, pollution. Eco-friendly products can state there green as a differentiating factor. Product labelling trends include: energy saving, organic, green chemicals, local sourcing. Companies can label products green simply by using eco-friendly packaging. Place: Companies can reduce their carbon footprint by: managing logistics, such as transport costs, and raw materials sourcing. Companies should carefully consider where and when to sell green products. Many consumers will travel out of their way to buy green, but most want ease of access and will buy non-green when convenient. Promotion: Matching marketing mix to customer green needs by: focusing on relationship between product/ service and environment, promoting green lifestyle benefits. Corporate image is important and CSR demonstrates commitment to green. Social media plays a central role in promoting the activities of green companies. There is even scope for consumer interaction and tastemaker associations from this platform. Green Strategies Industry green norms and potential green market size are key issues for companies looking to gain competitive advantage with green marketing. Companies should consider the likely size of green markets in its industry as well as how can they differ their green products or services from their competitors ones before they take steps on going green. C:UsersLeon BehalAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsTemporary Internet FilesContent.WordNew Picture (15).bmp Figure the Four Green Strategy Positions There are four types of green strategies: Lean Green, Defensive Green, Shaded Green and Extreme Green. Figure 5 above illustrates the need for companies to identify their position in regards to substantiality of green market segments and differentiability of greenness in order to choose the right strategy to enter a green market. Promotions tools adopted by this strategy are rather quiet such as public relations versus mass advertising. According to Ginsberg and Bloom (2004), the Shaded Green strategy puts some secondary emphasis on greenness in its more overt promotional efforts and also pursues green product development as well. Finally, they also state, Extreme Green strategy involves heavy use of all four marketing mix elements, including place as distribution systems, massive advertising, retailers etc. Applying the 4Ps of Green Product Price Place Promotion Lean X Defensive X X Shaded X X X Extreme X X X X Table : Applying 4Ps to Green Strategies Differences among these four green strategies can be seen by considering how the 4Ps of the marketing mix are utilised in each strategy. The Lean Green strategy is the one who mainly focuses on product development, design and manufacturing, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). The Defensive Green strategy also pursues greenness in product section but additionally, it involves the promotional aspect of the marketing mix. Lean Green Companies that choose lean green strategy indicate that they are low at both substantiality of green market segments and differentiability of greenness. Lean greens are interested in reducing costs and improving efficiencies at the same time through pro-environmental activities. Their initial competitive advantage would be a lower-cost advantage instead of green one. Because they are at a very low position in both dimensions, they are not focused on publicizing or marketing their green initiatives, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Lean greens are not often motivated to promote their green activities or green product attributes because of the fear of being held up to a higher standard; and they are not always able to live up to it or differentiate themselves from competitors, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Coca Cola can be characterised as a lean green company. Most consumers are not aware that the company has invested heavily in various cycling activities and package modifications. Because the wide target market and brand breadth of the company, Coca Cola has chosen not to market its effort even though it is concerned about the environment. Defensive Green Defensive green companies usually see green marketing as a precautionary measure, or as a response to a crisis or a response to a competitors actions. They seek to enhance brand image and mitigate damage, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). They recognise green marketing is important and profitable but they cannot afford to go green. Their environmental initiatives seem to be sincere, but their efforts to promote these initiatives are rather sporadic and temporary because they are not able to differentiate themselves from their competitors on greenness. Defensive greens do not normally launch an overt and significant green campaign because aggressive promotions could be wasteful and would create expectations that cannot be met. They pursue actions such as small environmentally friendly events and programs. An example would the Gap Inc. Gap has long promoted energy conservation and waste reduction. However Gap was criticised by environmental activists and press due to the involvement with an environmentally unfriendly company that was owned by Gaps CEOs relatives. Luckily, the company managed to weather the attack with a measured, quieter response through public relations. Shaded Green Shaded green companies invest in long-term, system wide, environmentally friendly processes that require a financial and non-financial commitment. According to Ginsberg and Bloom (2004), these companies see green marketing as an opportunity to develop innovative needs-satisfying products and technologies that result in a competitive advantage. Shaded green companies are well able to differentiate themselves from competitors on greenness but they chose to stress other attributes of the product with better financial returns possible. They primarily promote the direct, tangible benefits of the products and environmental benefits are only promoted as a secondary factor. Toyota Prius can be characterised as shaded green. The brand is advertised as an environmentally advanced, fuel efficient hybrid. In fact, upon Launch in the US market the Prius environmental attributes were not stressed; the company focused on advertising fuel efficiency of the car. Extreme Green Extreme green companies use a holistic approach with environmental green values shaping there philosophy. Environmental concerns are fully integrated in the business and product life-cycle processes. Extreme green companies pursue actions such as life-cycle pricing approaches, total-quality environmental management and manufacturing for the environment, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Extreme companies often serve niche market and sell their products through boutique stores and specialty channels. Honest Tea is one of the fast growing organic tea companies in the natural foods industry. Social responsibility is embedded in its identity and purpose from manufacturing to marketing its products, Ginsberg and Bloom (2004). Green Energy Unfortunately Green Marketing and sustainability is dependent upon green energy for long term effectiveness. It is only when companies source their energy needs from renewable energy sources that they may be considered truly green advocates. Fossil fuels are a leading cause of global warming, and are a finite resource. Industry needs to prepare for the eventuality of a future without oil. Alternative or green energy resources include water, wave, wind, solar, geothermal, etc. Although alternative energy resources are being developed at a rapid rate however they are still too costly in comparison to hydro carbon based energy. Case Studies Case Study 1: SCFI ® Super Critical Fluids International Water conservation has become a real pressing socio-environmental concern. SCFI is an Irish based and owned water reclaiming company. SCFIs patented AquaCritox ® is a revolutionary technology which can completely destroy organic wastes and generate renewable energy. SCFI is a B2B and B2G provider and is currently considered one of the greenest companies on the planet. With water scarcity becoming a very real possibility in the future, water purification processes are becoming paramount for the sustainability of our planet. SCFI is a leading exponent of water reclamation from waste technology. Their balsamaceous water reclamation process is a vast improvement on previous technologies in their sector; Aquacritox offers 99.98% efficiency rating. Evidence that SCFI is generating positive feedback on its Aquacrotix ® technology can be seen by its coverage by Discovery Channels Green Planet show, and nominations for multiple green energy awards. Case study 2: The Body Shop The very first The Body Shop store opens in 1976 in England and ever since it came into the market, it has been taking steps on protecting the environment. In 1985, the Body Shop sponsored posters for the Green Peace and one year later, the Body Shop launched its very first major window campaign save the whale with the Green Peace. The Body Shop has made a commitment to reduce impact on the environment by reducing energy that it consumes and to generate less waste. Steps are as follows: Reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by reducing consumption of hydro- carbon fuels, through electricity, heating and transport cost reductions. Reduce waste by 50% Reduce domestic water use by 25% The Body Shop has joined the Carbon Reduction Commitment and it is the first global cosmetic company to join the commitment. It also focuses on against animal testing by supporting Cruelty Free International. However the body shop has been acquired by LOreal and its greenness is diluted as a result, because youre only as green as your weakest affiliates. Case study 3 Volkswagen Volkswagen the German owned automobile industry giant has a reputation of being consistently ahead of the competition in regards to green initiatives and green product development. Volkswagen has a long history of providing affordable and economical vehicles. The Volkswagen ThinkBlue Symphony advert (2012), shows a historical timeline of Volkswagens consistent fuel economy policy. ThinkBlue inspired by their 1960s think small United States advertising campaign; designed to popularise the Beetle model car. The advert is designed to demonstrate the journey from think small to ThinkBlue. Table 3.1 below summarises the timeline of events presented in the ThinkBlue advert. TimeLine Product Benefits Progression 1959 Beetle Efficient mobility 1960s Camper Van Efficient mobility people carrier 1974 Golf Era begins Fuel efficiency 1993 Turbo Injection Diesel TDI Fuel economy, remains ranked as one of the most fuel efficient on market 1999 Lupo 3 litres per 100Km first mass production car ever to achieve 2005 Polo BlueMotion CO2 emissions reductions, one of most economic cars on market 2006 TSI Turbo injection petrol engines 2014? XL1 prototype 1 litre fuel per 100km 2014 Golf Blue-e-Motion Electric Vehicles, 150km per charge Table Volkswagen Green Product Evolution Take for example their entry into the USA market with the Beetle; a market that was notoriously favouring larger model vehicles. They have consistently delivered cars that have industry leading fuel consumption rates. Take for example their introduction of the Turbo Diesel Injection (TDI) Golf model, a model that is still considered to be amongst the most efficient in its class. While Hybrid vehicles have become mainstream products in recent years and Volkswagen have the Tourneg in this class; they have decided to enter the riskier fully electric market using their celebrated Golf brand. The automotive industry is still closely associated with environmental damaging industries like oil, and mining. Despite this Volkswagen has made significant strides in the last generation to move towards greener products. The Golf Blue-e-Motion is just the start of a new wave of vehicles becoming available through green innovation and marketing. Insights Recommendations Companies interested in green marketing should carefully analyse which green strategy is best suited to their products, services and processes, and match their strategy to the relevant consumer segments. Companies should be self-organising rather than regulated or morally mandated. Paul Hawken states that by embracing a restorative (rather than destructive) economy, companies can begin to repair the abyss between ecology and business. He also believes that business is the chief cause of the most destructive abuses of the environment, but crucially business is potentially the most persuasive driver of environmentalism, through green marketing and sustainability. Engaging in Greenwashing is a very real and dangerous practice for companies to engage in. Brand image is essential for the growth of any company. If the company becomes associated with greenwashing and or environmental crisis, it could become a fatal error in judgement. Even though it is difficult for certain industries to be seen as environmentally friendly, companies in these industries must endeavour to have green products, processes or services in their portfolio. Green myopia is also a potentially harmful viewpoint, if a company becomes too green it risks alienating its target market, thus reducing demand for its products. A careful balance of social, ecological, technological and financial gain is the desired result of going green. Green products must offer better alternatives to existing products, be accessible, and easy to understand. They should also educate/inform consumers of their benefits, as a lack of knowledge is a significant barrier of green marketing. The perception of green lifestyles is a problem, and this is an area where packaging design and functionality become an issue. Green alternatives should be quality and functionally superior, comparative in price, provide labelling that is believable, and easy to find. It is only when functionality and quality are superior that consumers will be willing to pay a premium price. Companies need to create green supply chains, especially if like Unilever they are presenting green marketing as a key element of its CSR and sustainability policies. With consumers having unlimited access through social media to company information and their green activities, it is no longer possible to simply state a companys green agenda. A critical eye should be focused on the companys own green processes and the commitment of its upper management commitment. Senior executives / management should also cultivate this corporate culture. The organisation and its people should support a truly green strategy in order for it to succeed. In addition, it is important to educate consumers about the products as well. Another key element is credibility. Having a good reputation to start with can go a long way in helping to ease consumers scepticism. Companies with socially responsible values will appear more credible to its target audiences. Greenlaw (2011), states that failure to truly adopt sustainability will become a risk factor in the future, where it will affect customers, employees and potential investors. Conclusion Joel Makower founder and executive editor, GreenBiz.com , states; Green marketing is a potent engine for creating business value through innovation, while fomenting genuine societal change. While Paul Hawken states; Business is the only mechanism on the planet today powerful enough to produce the changes necessary to reverse global environmental and social degradation. Business can save the planet through working with society and the environment in a symbiotic relationship. It is societys responsibility to drive Business to adopt green marketing strategies: while it is organisations responsibility to encourage society to actively use their green products. Sharing responsibility is the future of green. Sustainability is the leading zeitgeist of modern western society. It is no longer acceptable for business to be solely focused on wealth maximisation. Figure Sustainable Planet Appendices

The Worldwide Reputation of Morgan Stanley Essay -- Morgan Stanley Emp

The Worldwide Reputation of Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence in financial advice and market execution. Today, Morgan Stanley is employing over 51,000 members in about 27 countries connect people, ideas and capital to help their clients reach their financial needs and future goals. (http://www.morganstanley.com). Ever since the year 1997, Morgan Stanley has joined forces with two respected organizations. Morgan Stanley, which was established in New York in 1935 combined with Dean Witter, which was as big and well-known as Morgan Stanley. Dean Witter was established in 1924 in San Francisco. Due to the fact that they have become more powerful by combining each other’s advantages in the financial world, they have made many historic records. Some of these include in â€Å"national and international expansion, in the use of technology, and in the development of new financial tools and techniques that have redefined the meaning of financial services for individual, institutiona l and investment banking clients† (http://www.morganstanley.com/about/inside/history.html?page=about). According to the Morgan Stanley’s website, it states that â€Å"Morgan Stanley is one of the world's largest diversified financial services companies, with a reputation for excellence in advice and execution on a global scale. Our Firm enjoys leading franchises in three attractive businesses: Global Securities, where Morgan Stanley serves individual and institutional investors and investment banking clients; Global Asset Management, with our highly rated Morgan Stanley and Van Kampen funds; and Global Credit Card Services, with our Discover Card, held by 40% of U.S. households, as well as a growing Morgan Stanley card business in the United Kingdom† (http://www.morganstanley.com/about/ir/index.html?page=inv). Because Morgan Stanley is business partners with one of the top credit card companies, more people are exposed to what Morgan Stanley has to offer to their clients. Dean Witter first office opened in 1924 in San Francisco. In 1935, Henry S Morgan, Harold Stanley an d others leave J.P Morgan & Co. and Drexel & Co to form investment banking firm of Morgan Stanley & Co, Inc. The year of 1972 was when Morgan Stanley went public. Their Mission Statement is â€Å"Whether serving private individuals or Fortune 500 companies, Morgan Stanley Investment Manag... ...ing of myself and open my eyes to an environment where I may be in just couple of year. Ultimately, this experience has shown me which direction I should take after I graduate in June. I know for sure that even though this kind of filed has lot of room to move up and also make tons of money, this is not something that I would be satisfied with as my career. I would like to go into the automotive industry and search what they have to offer me. References Morgan Stanley homepage. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2004, from http://www.morganstanley.com/ History of Morgan Stanley. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2004, from http://www.morganstanley.com/about/inside/history.html?page=about Investor Relations. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2004, from http://www.morganstanley.com/about/ir/index.html?page=inv Morgan Stanley Investment Management (2004). Exceeding Expectations. [Brochure]. Corporate Governance. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2004, from http://www.morganstanley.com/about/inside/governance/msg_ethics.ht ml?page=about Company Organization. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2004, from http://www.morganstanley.com/about/inside/orgchart.html?page=about

How effective is the Prologue Essay

In my opinion, the prologue is a striking and extremely effective introduction to one of the greatest tragedies ever written. One of the most unusual things about the Prologue is its structure; the fact that it is written in the sonnet form is very significant. The sonnet form of poetry is perhaps the most demanding and challenging poetic form that exists. For hundreds of years the sonnet (of which Shakespeare wrote 154) has been recognised as a structure that is only attempted by the greatest of poets such as Shakespeare or Wordsworth. It is often associated with love poetry and the fact that Shakespeare chooses the sonnet format to open Romeo and Juliet suggests his motive to prepare the audience with the love story to come. The sonnet is made up from 3 quatrains each consisting of 4 lines, with the rhyme scheme a,b,a,b, each quatrain telling us something different about the forthcoming play. The sonnet is finished by a rhyming couplet- a pair of lines that have the rhyming scheme c,c. Some might question why Shakespeare chose such a difficult poetic structure to open the play however it is clear to me that he chose the sonnet to grab the audience’s attention but also to demonstrate his showcase of literary talent. The sonnet reveals to the audience the degree of Shakespeare’s poetic genius to create a language – which in all its diversity can capture the most beautiful love story of all time. The first quatrain explains the background and setting to the play, explaining that the play is set in Verona, Italy. Shakespeare chose Italy as the setting for a number of his plays; although it is thought that he never actually travelled to the country, it was regarded in Elizabethan times to be a country of wealth and romance. It is entirely fitting that an immortal tragedy should take as its backdrop ‘fair Verona’ (line 2 Prologue) in one of the homes of classical civilisation. In Elizabethan times Italy was thought of as a country full of sexual and social intrigue; where often men fell in love with wealthy heiresses. The Nurse’s observation to Romeo, ‘he that can lay hold of here / Shall have the chinks’ (Act1 Scene 2 lines 116-117) suggests a common motive for love at that time. In the first line of the prologue, we are told that the house of Montague and Capulet are ‘both alike in dignity’, meaning that they both have equal yet important stature within Verona. It is significant that Shakespeare chose to base the plot of the play around two affluent families, proving that the greatest of tragedies can still occur within aristocratic families with the greatest wealth. We are not only told that there is nothing to choose between the families but also that there is only one heir of each household, creating a balance within the play but also an idea of opposites. In line three of the Prologue, Shakespeare explains to the audience that there is an ‘ancient grudge’ between the houses. We are told that this feud has been apparent for so many years that it is now self-perpetuating and of the cause no-one is really sure. In Act 1 Scene 1 line 80, the Prince exclaims that the feud has been ‘bred of an airy word’, meaning that the everlasting hostility between the two houses has no remembered cause. However Shakespeare catches the audience’s attention and creates suspense by using the phrase, ‘break to new mutiny’. We are warned of a new more violent generation of Montagues and Capulets who are willing to kill and take the quarrel to a different more violent level. This ‘new mutiny’ is definitely exacerbated by Tybalt – an aggressive, vindictive youth of the Capulet house who says (Act 1 Scene 1 line 61), ‘†¦peace? I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. ‘ Tybalt is described as ‘fier’ and a ‘Prince of Cats’, all implying his volatile and fearsome temper. He represents the ugliness that lies below the divided society in Verona but also is determined to keep it that way. In the forth line of the Prologue, the audience are informed about the civil side of the brawl, ‘Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean’. This phrase is important for it demonstrates the vast scale of the grudge – even the citizens of Verona are now becoming involved. In Act 1 Scene 1, the Prince calls the Montagues and Capulets, ‘Profaners of this neighbour-stained steel’ as their swords are stained with the blood of their innocent neighbours who have no reason to become involved in the conflict. However it is clear that the two houses will not end the feud until the Lords of the households condemn the fighting (which they clearly do not do). In Act 1 Scene1 there is a public scuffle and Capulet exclaims, ‘Give me my long sword’ and likewise Montague shouts, ‘thou villain Capulet!†¦let me go. ‘ The elder generation of Montagues and Capulets constantly fuel the feud and encourage it by setting a poor example. In the second quatrain, Shakespeare tells the audience about the lovers. We are told that they are from â€Å"fatal loins†- signifying death and already indicating their tragic fate. The idea of fate is one which Shakespeare experiments on throughout the whole play. Within the Prologue, we are given an interesting glimpse of the experiment Shakespeare conducts with destiny and fate. The audience are told that the lovers are â€Å"star-crossed† which not only indicates their catastrophic fate but speaks of the fact that the lovers were destined to acquire it. The next part of the Prologue is often puzzling for Shakespeare tells the audience that the lovers are going to die – some might say he is ‘letting the cat out of the bag’. However the knowledge that the lovers ‘misadventured piteous overthrows doth with their death bury their parents strife’ adds pathos to our view of events and the audience is allowed an overview of the lover’s actions. We see Romeo and Juliet struggling to attain happiness and know that they are always doomed to fail. In the play, we are presented with Romeo in a way that makes us believe that he is always a victim of fate. Friar Lawrence, whose role in the play is to try to unite the feuding families by strategically marrying Romeo and Juliet (thereby bringing peace to the streets of Verona) tells Romeo that he is, â€Å"wedded to calamity†. This again emphasises the strong prominence of fortune in the play, which Shakespeare cleverly gives us a taster of in the Prologue by calling the lovers â€Å"star-crossed† and their parents’ loins â€Å"fatal†. In Act 3 Scene 1, Romeo proclaims that he is ‘fortune’s fool’ and also puts himself in the hands of fate in Act 1 Scene5 by saying, â€Å"He that hath the steerage of my course, direct my sail! † Again Shakespeare presents to the audience the idea of fate and that it is almost leading Romeo in the wrong way. However later in the play we see a defiant Romeo who has learn of Juliet’s death and attempts to defy his destiny by exclaiming (Act 5 Scene1), â€Å"I defy you stars†. Nevertheless we are told that a consequence of the deaths of the two lovers will be that they will â€Å"bury their parents’ strife†. This means that by the end of the play the feud between the families will have been resolved. We definitely see this new family alliance at the end of the play for Lord Montague and Lord Capulet shake hands and Lord Capulet expresses his sorrow saying, â€Å"O brother Montague, give me your hand†. The shaking of hands signals the end of the feud, securing what the Friar had always sought to achieve, ‘To turn (their) households’ rancour to pure love’ (Act 2 Scene3). Fate itself is seen to be the result of divine workings: as the play nears its conclusion, Friar Lawrence reports that he has begged Juliet to leave the vault and ‘bear this work of heaven with patience’ (Act 5 Scene3) , whilst the Price echoes the sentiment in his final rebuke to the families that ‘heaven finds means to kill your joys with love’ (Act 5 Scene3). In Act 5 Scene 3, the Friar says that â€Å"A greater power than we can contradict hath thwarted our intents† – meaning that God had already decided that the cruel fate of the lovers. Yet again, there is a strong emphasis of fate and destiny but also of religion. It is not surprising that Shakespeare was so fascinated with the idea of fate – for he lived in a time of little scientific discovery in which religion ‘filled in’ any gaps of knowledge. In a wider sense, the play may be viewed as a dramatic representation of the perpetual conflict between love and hatred which enmeshes a pair of unfortunate lovers. However, also evident at the end of the play is the Christian concept of dying for ones sins – Romeo and Juliet are sacrificed to end the constantly intensifying feud between the two families. We are next presented with the third quatrain, in which Shakespeare overviews the plot of the play to come. The chorus explains to the audience that they will see how the lovers meet, love and die in the play, â€Å"The fearful passage of their death-marked love†¦ † He again speaks of the evitable sacrifice of the lovers’ lives in order to end their parents’ strife, â€Å"and the continuance of their parents’ rage, which but their children’s end nought could remove†. In this quatrain we also see the practical side of Shakespeare who tells the audience that the play is two hours long, â€Å"is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage†. The completion of the sonnet form is in the presence of the final rhyming couplet; which in this case tells the audience to listen to the forthcoming play if they missed any of the Prologue. It is a simple yet self-explanatory rhyming couplet, which speaks of the actors jobs as to â€Å"strive to mend† what the audience has missed – thus telling one of the most beautiful love stories of all time, Romeo and Juliet.