Competitive Advantage And Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay

Competitive Advantage And Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay The idea of stakeholder approach to strategic management suggests that managers must formulate and implement processes which satisfy all and only those groups who have a stake in the business. The main task in the process is to manage and integrate the relationships and interests of shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, communities and other groups in a way that ensures the long-term success of the firm. Stakeholder approach suggests that we repaint our picture of the firm. For good or ill, there are myriad groups who have a stake in the success of the firm. Many traditional views of strategy have ignored some stakeholders, marginalized others and consistently traded-off the interests of others against favoured stakeholder groups. Such an approach may well be appropriate in relatively stable environments. However, changing world the limitations of traditional approaches to strategic management become increasingly apparent. The interests of key stakeholders must be integrated into the very purpose of the firm, and stakeholder relationships must be managed in a coherent and strategic fashion  [1]  . 2. Porter, M. E., Kramer, M. R., (2006). Strategy and society: The link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility. (2006, December) (Harvard Business Review), 84(12), p. 76-92. Although businesses have become increasingly aware of stakeholder pressure to demonstrate a commitment to their corporate social responsibilities (CSR), this does not necessarily mean the adoption of an integrated and strategic approach to CSR. Rather, as Michael Porter (Harvard Business School, Boston) and Mark Kramer (John F Kennedy School of Government, Massachusetts) have recently argued in the Harvard Business Review (December 2006), current approaches to CSR are fragmented and disconnected from business goals. This has resulted in disparate and reactive initiatives designed to mollify vocal stakeholders or deflect attention from questionable business practices, and these have justifiably been criticised as feel good marketing campaigns which have failed to generate bottom line benefits. Porter and Kramer suggest a new approach to CSR which both (i) acknowledges the interdependence of companies and the broader community, and (ii) enables companies to develop a tailored, rather than generic, CSR strategy. In this way, companies will make the most significant social impact and reap the greatest business benefits. This note provides a summary of Porter and Kramers article, giving particular attention to the practical issues of creating a tailored corporate social agenda. 2.1 Background Companies which have responded to their CSR have usually done so for one, or a combination, of the following four reasons/principles moral obligation, sustainability, compliance or reputation. Moral obligation refers to the compulsion for companies to be good citizens and do the right thing. The sustainability argument emphasises the need for companies to have regard to the natural environment from which resources are drawn. The compliance or licence to operate argument reflects a pragmatic response to agendas set by Government regulators, and the reputation impetus is all about creating a positive impression on consumers, staff and shareholders. Porter and Kramer identify the individual deficiencies of each of these principles as a sufficient justification for CSR (e.g. they argue that the sustainability school of thought raises questions about balancing long term objectives against short term costs, but offers no framework for resolution). Fundamentally however, Porter and Kramer argue that there is an inherent weakness in all four school of thought, namely they focus on the tension between business and society, rather than their interdependence. Further each strategy creates a generic rationale that is not tied to the strategy and operations of any specific company or the places in which it operates. Porter and Kramer argue that the deficiencies in approach to CSR have resulted in unco-ordinated and non-strategic activities that neither make any meaningful social impact nor strengthen the firms long-term competitiveness. Having set the scene, Porter and Kramer suggest a new approach to CSR to achieve these outcomes. 2.2 A new approach Porter and Kramers new approach has two key elements. Firstly, they suggest that a CSR strategy should be predicated on an acceptance of the interdependence of business and society, i.e. successful corporations need a healthy society and a healthy society needs successful companies. Porter and Kramer suggest that the points of intersection between companies and society are both inside-out linkages (i.e. internal activities which affect the external environment such as hiring practices, emissions and waste control) and outside-in linkages (i.e. social conditions which affect a companys capacity to conduct business, e.g. rules and regulations, local education and health supports). This platform of understanding implies that both business decisions and social policy have shared values, and lifts CSR from a nice to do (which is reminiscent of the moral obligation argument or philanthropic approach to CSR) to the have to do (which, although not acknowledged by Porter and Kramer, is an ext ension of the sustainability argument). Secondly, and this is the real benefit of Porter and Kramers thesis, they argue that each company should create a tailored (rather than a generic) corporate social agenda, and provide a practical tool to chart that agenda i.e. to identify those areas of social context with the greatest strategic value. 2.3 The practice of developing a new CSR strategy Porter and Kramers practical tool to developing a new CSR strategy encompasses the following steps: Choosing which social issues to address. The essential test that should guide CSR is not whether the cause is worthy, but whether it presents an opportunity to create shared value that is, a meaningful benefit for society that is also meaningful to the business. Porter and Kramer argue that companies should sort social issues into three categories (i) generic social issues which affect all companies; (ii) value chain social impacts which have a direct affect on the companys ordinary course of business; and (iii) social dimensions of competitive context which significantly affect the underlying drivers of a companys competitiveness in a specific location. Once the social issues have been categorised they should be ranked, i.e. prioritised, for action Creating a corporate social agenda. The selected social issues should be identified in an explicit and affirmative corporate social agenda. This agenda will reflect an approach to CSR which is both  responsive  to stakeholder concerns and anticipated risks, andstrategic  (i.e. integrates inside-out and outside-in linkages) Organising for CSR. The corporate social agenda should be integrated into affirmative business practices, i.e. to ensure that operating management is engaged in processes that identify and prioritise social issues based on their salience to business operations and their importance to the companys competitive context. Further, Porter and Kramer suggest that measurement of outcomes is critical to the agenda, and that value chain and competitive context investments in CSR need to be incorporated into the performance managers with PL responsibility. In particular Porter and Kramer argue for the measurement of the CSR initiatives in terms of social impact (although omit to discuss what those measures might be). Conclusion Porter and Kramer offer a new approach to CSR which focuses on identifying the shared values between a particular company and its social context, and developing a tailored and strategic response. Using Porter and Kramers tool to map social opportunities, and practical steps to identify, develop and organise for CSR, companies now have a new CSR framework to enhance business and social outcomes. If companies are able to successfully use this model (and Porter and Kramers article provides numerous case studies to that effect) then the benefits will be reaped in terms of both a competitive advantage and social enhancement. 3.An Empirical Analysis of the Strategic Use of Corporate Social Responsibility by Donald S. Siegel and Donald F. Vitaliano In a recent insightful survey of CSR, The Economist (2005, 8) identified four varieties of CSR based on whether this activity raised or lowered profits and raised or lowered social welfare. This paper constitutes the first empirical test of recent theories of strategic CSR. Specifically, we focus on the importance of the type of product or service sold by a firm as a determinant of managements decision to invest in CSR. This decision could represent a signaling device regarding the quality of the firms output. Consistent with these theories of strategic CSR, we find that firms selling durable experience goods or credence services are much more likely than comparable firms to be socially responsible. Ceteris paribus, our results imply that a firmselling financial services (a credence service) is more likely to opt for CSR by about 23 percentage points (compared to firms selling search goods). Similarly, a firm producing durable experience goods, such as automobiles or software, is mor e likely (than a firm selling search goods) to be socially responsible by about 15 percentage points. Firms selling experience services or nondurable experience goods, by contrast, are no more likely to adopt CSR than a firm whose product is a search good. While additional research is needed to pin down the diverse reasons why firms adopt a CSR stance, the evidence presented here supports a view that it is consistent with strategic theories of CSR and rational, profit-seeking management decision making. Others may view the same evidence as proof that CSR is a fraud or smokescreen to disguise the same behavior, which they abhor. Regardless of interpretation, we hope that this exploratory paper stimulates additional empirical research on the strategic use of CSR. Several caveats should be mentioned. The first is that our empirical analysis is based on a single cross section of data. It would be useful to test theories of strategic CSR using panel data, which would enable us to better control for unobserved firm heterogeneity and changes in CSR behavior and its determinants over time. A second concern is the possibility that our econometric analysis is subject to omitted variables bias; in contrast to ordinary least squares estimation, the estimated Co-efficients in a probit model would be inconsistent even if the omitted variables are uncorrelated with the included regressors (see Greene, 2000, p. 828). It is impossible to assess the importance of this effect on our estimates of the impact of good type on the propensity of firms to engage in CSR. It is also difficult to classify a company cleanly into selling search, experience, or credence goods and service. Although we eliminated conglomerate firms from our sample and relied on the firms primary products or services for our industry classification, we recognize that many firms are diversified, which introduces a certain amount of measurement error in our empirical analysis. In an ideal world, the division or perhaps, the plant or establishment would serve as the unit of analysis, rather than the firm.

Internet neutrality Essay

Internet neutrality enjoys a lot of support from consumers, technology companies and online companies. It is also supported by the main internet application organizations. This is mainly because they feel that the users of the internet should be in full unrestricted access to the internet applications and that they should have unregulated choice of the content they wish to view from the internet. The internet has applied the principle of neutrality ever since it was invented. An equal opportunity to access the internet is a basic concept that should be applied at all times, and thus no single user should be denied the right to access the internet. It would be not in order if the broad band carriers were allowed to use their power in the market to discriminate against the less powerful up coming carriers. The same way the telephone service providers are not allowed to dictate to the consumers whom they should call or even what to say in a telephone conversation, the same should apply to the broadband carriers, and thus they should not be permitted to misuse their power in the market to control online activities (Cerf, Para 7). Data would be controlled if internet neutrality is not allowed to continue, thus a legal mandate should be put in place to ensure that all the cable companies allow the providers of internet services unlimited access to the cable lines. Internet neutrality should be denied the right to screen, filter or interrupt the internet content unless permitted to do so by a court order. Internet neutrality should also ensure that there are laws governing digital freedoms and rights, thus the internet technology should remain open and free to all the internet users and this would enhance democratic communication (Zittrain, pp 78). Charging each and every website regardless of its market share would effectively hinder innovation and competition especially to the new small entrants into the market and thus more developments in technology would be blocked. By permitting preferential treatment of traffic in the internet, the newer and less competitive online companies would be highly disadvantaged and slow innovation would be realized in online services. In fact, most of the current major internet providers started as their operations in small garages with little capital and very great ideas, thus without internet neutrality such great ideas and innovations would never have been realized. If the internet neutrality is not maintained the internet would more or less appear like a television cable. It would be dominated by only a few companies who would be responsible of controlling the distribution and access of internet content. This would impact very negatively to some major industries and they would be faced with increased costs in order to acquire secure and fast internet facilities (Nuechterlein, & Weiser, pp 120) Conclusion The internet neutrality should be protected as it minimizes its control by the owners, it increases healthy competition and also gives others a chance to come up with innovative ideas which ushers in new technology every now and then and thus the internet remains relevant to the modern society. The neutrality of the network is very important in ensuring that a competitive and free market exists for the internet content. Work cited: Cerf, Vinton; Internet neutrality law needed (2006): Retrieved on 9th May from, http://www. infoworld. com/d/networking/internet-neutrality-law-needed-vi nton-cerf-says-577. Nuechterlein, Jonathan E. & Weiser, Philip J. ; Digital crossroads: American telecommunications policy in the internet age (2005): MIT Press, ISBN 0262140918. Zittrain, Jonathan; The future of the Internet and how to stop it (2008): Yale University Press, ISBN 0300124872.

Assessment Philosophy Essay

In my opinion, assessment is what teachers do in order to better understand where their students are on the cognitive learning level of a subject matter. Assessment is a continuous process that takes time and understanding. As a teacher I will constantly assess my students by getting feedback from them in class. I feel that it is important for me to do this as a teacher, so I know which students need more attention on certain areas of the subject. By assessing my students, I will gain knowledge on how to use types of differentiated instruction where necessary. I believe assessment is a tool used to evaluate both the teaching and learning of  content of the student. A variety of assessment tools should be utilized to effectively reach students strengths. I realize that children learn differently and at their own pace. The types of assessment I will use to determine if my students have gotten where I want them to go will vary. Samples of my formative assessment tools I would use in the classroom would include informal and formal questioning, oral presentations, peer evaluations, variety of projects, quizzes, test, demonstrations, drawings, and web quest observations. We all have strengths and weaknesses and we all have different means of  demonstrating each. If I use a lot of assessments, and vary the types I use, it gives my students the best opportunity to show me what they have. I will allow students the opportunity to pick from various projects that will enhance their learning ability, so I can see what they are able to accomplish. As a teacher I will need to use assessments in my classroom to determine how to act upon the assessment to improve the students’ learning. I think assessments are an important part of being a successful teacher and I hope to encourage my students and show that I care about each one of them.

Essay on Naikan Therapy - 1552 Words

Naikan Therapy The man responsible for the development of Naikan Therapy is Mr. Ishin Yoshimoto. Mr. Yoshimoto developed Naikan therapy as a short term structural treatment that is useful in treating marital and familial conflicts, interpersonal relationship issues, depression and anxiety, self-esteem issues, behavioral disorders, and addictive behaviors (Ramaswami Sheikh, 1989, p. 106). Nakian translates to mean to look within ones self. The purpose of Naikan therapy is to increase awareness of oneself as well as acceptance without becoming judgmental (Walsh, 1989). Naikan therapy was developed in the 1950s with its roots being maintained in Buddhist philosophy and practice. Similar to Morita therapy and other Asian†¦show more content†¦The therapists role is to carefully guide the client on introspection and recollections the clients share with the therapists. These recollections focus on what was received from significant others in terms of services, gifts, kindness and other objec ts, what has been returned to significant others in life, and what troubles, inconveniences, deceits, pettiness and other selfish things that happened with these significant others (Ramaswami Sheikh, 1989, p.108). Naikan therapys main goal is to have clients recognize their responsibility to the people in their life as well as to the environment surrounding them. The Naikan Therapeutic Process Traditional Naikan therapy consists of two parts: immersion and counseling. Immersion takes place where a person can be isolated. The client will sleep and eat alone and undergo training in meditation techniques. Meditation may last from 4:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. Clients receive visits from their therapists and different times during the day that will typically last one to two hours. The purpose of these visits is to further instruct them on meditation and to hold dialogues with them concerning introspection and reoccurring life themes. For example, clients can explore desires that block constructive living, such as dishonesty, negativity, and blaming. It is important that therapists show honor and respect to their clientsShow MoreRelatedIndigenous Healing And Psychotherapy. Introduction. Indigenous1733 Words   |  7 Pagespromote an individual well-being, in their own culture. They are adapting methods practiced by one another so that they can enhance their client’s benefits of therapy. Individual therapy needs, to each culture, differ from one another. Culture diversity is a factor that influences which methods they choose to adapt, from one another Indigenous therapy is traditional â€Å"folk† medical techniques used by other cultures of the world. Psychotherapy is used in the Western civilizations and consists of pharmaceuticalRead MoreEssay on Heritage Assessment Tool1734 Words   |  7 Pagesstrongly in different objects or different times) it is the primary guideline of traditional Chinese medicine. Asians practice preventative care with use of herbal medicine, acupuncture, cupping therapy, yoga, and Tai Chi, as they believe western medicine is too harsh. Korean’s believe in Naikan Therapy of reflection, goodness, and love. Filipino’s believe in â€Å"Hilot† a massage healer. Dementia by Asian cultures may be considered a form of â€Å"Madness†, â€Å"Loss of Soul†, or â€Å"Possession by the Spirits†Read MoreThe Use Of Positive Emotion Building Exercises1620 Words   |  7 Pagesstudents of all ages and has been found to increase happiness and decrease depressive symptoms as it allows us to reflect on and relive the experiences (Boniwell 2012 Seligman et al. 2009). Meditation: The art of meditation, in particular Naikan therapy as discussed by Chan (2010), has been described to potentially help not only prolong and build the feeling of gratitude, but also the motivation to reciprocate (Waters 2014). This particular meditation technique requires individuals to fosterRead MoreEssay about The Discrimination Against People with Schizoprenia in Japan2275 Words   |  10 Pages‘indigenous terms’ for mental illnesses embedded with their own local contexts (Bhattacharyya 1986). But these local nosologies or indigenous appropriations of therapies do not make an appearance in the biomedical psychiatric clinic in most cases, at least among the biomedical mental professionals in India. On the other hand, in Japan, mental health therapies and processes (such as diagnosis etc.) seem to have been subjected to intense reflection, discussion and indigenization to suit the Japanese clientele