Criticl nlsys nd evlution of opertions within chosen orgniztion Essay

Criticl nlsys nd evlution of opertions inside picked orgniztion - Essay Example The ctivities inside the business division involve leding business mgzine nd informtion compnies nd overall shows business. Ech of these mrkets is lrge nd develops t 4-7 percent nnully. Its two prent compnies- - Reed Interntionl P.L.C. nd Elsevier NV- - re recorded on the msterdm, London, nd New York Stock Exchnges. Reed Elsevier utilizes more than 26,000 individuals (1). Orgniztionl structure of Reed Elsevier cn be shped inside the accompanying four divisions: Science and Medicl, Legl, Eduction nd Business (3). Compny holds number a couple of positions in ll of our key mrkets, with solid brnds, content nd mrket rech in ech. Hrcourt Eduction, Reed Elsevier's globl Eduction division, is leding distributer serving the pre-Kindergrten to Grde 12 school, ssessment nd trde distributing mrkets in the US nd primry nd secondry school mrkets interntionlly. Reed Business, Reed Elsevier's globl Business division, is supplier of mgzines, presentations, catalogs, online medi nd mrketing administrations cross five landmasses. Its esteem brnds serve professionls cross various rnge of enterprises. Trnsformtion hs become wide-utilized word in the orgniztionl behvior industry of present day ge. There re a lot of sources which present nd offer various strategies nd mngement techniques to encourge personl nd orgnzitionl trnsformtion. Reed Elsevier's item mrkets re experiencing rpid nd ccelerting chnges. This mens tht Reed Elsevier will be gone up against with the migrtion of informtion from print to electronic formt nd the dditionl interctivity tht electronic administrations offer. Bsed on this chnge, n Opertion Mnger my situate the principl objective for Reed Elsevier to being n indispensble prtner to their trget customers for informtion-driven administrations tht give arrangements cross their three center res of core interest. Cpitlizing on the potentil of the Internet is by all accounts key driver of Reed Elsevier's strtegy. cquisitions nd llinces, prticulrly with regards to Internet improvement, re used to fortify Reed Elsevier's strtegy. t this second, the three center organizations re ll trnsitioning into electronic mrkets. ll of them re turning out to be more globl, nd the Internet is rpidly turning into the favored client ccess framework for ll three. Reed Elsevier hs lredy presented various innovtive administrations nd items. Exmples incorporate the lunch of ScienceDirect, the completely serchble online dtbse including content from more than 1,000 of their logical journls. In legl distributing, Butterworths, Reed Elsevier development, ate Butterworths Direct, the most exhaustive online legl administration for English lw. Moreover, LEXIS-NEXIS, nother development of Reed Elsevier, presented its universl current wreness internet browser item

Customer Relationship Management Applications †MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Examine about the Customer Relationship Management Applications. Answer: Presentation The reason for the accompanying paper is to find the significant regions wherein Target Canada had fizzled and the endeavor to find the open doors that could have helped them to flourish in the genuine business world. They have attempted a few different ways to make due in the serious business condition however all the endeavors had gone futile. This paper expects to discover the foundations for the destruction and set up the SWOT examination that can assist with understanding the reasons all around ok. The reasons that could be distinguished for the disappointment of Target Canada must be recognized in this situation. The best possible reasons incorporate the elements that there was a surged opening for Target Canada that at last went in opposition to their expectations.[1] The workers of the association were not appropriately prepared in this issue. At times, it has been discovered that the workers were undertrained and underprepared to play out their activity jobs; the streamed innovation that was utilized in this association was not up to the mark.[2] This streamed innovation would need to be improved. The CEO of the organization had the obligation to take care of these issues that he was unable to address appropriately. Another difficult that was situated in this issue was the way that Target Canada had been putting away more cash on the leases. SWOT investigation Qualities The Target brand is an all around perceived brand on the planet that is a lot of regarded by the clients. The results of Target Canada were loved by the clients not at all like those of Walmart. The stores of Target were seen to be places where it was a great spot to shop. A decent brand unwaveringness was made as they had a decent connection with the customers.[3] Shortcomings The plan of action of the Target depended on the supercenters and the huge box stores. The issue was that the clients with littler financial plans favored the littler neighborhood stores. The business condition is changing so it was hard for Target Canada to get by without changing its plan of action. Openings The business notoriety of Target Canada in the design retail line has been appealing to the clients. They have high chances of consumer loyalty by furnishing the clients with the internet business administrations. They could grow new deals channels like opening littler neighborhood stores, snap and pull strategy usage, conveying the items around the same time of request and others.[4] Dangers As the exchanges were not done appropriately, there were high possibilities that the prudent things could have fizzled and that are what really had occurred. The organization was propelled in a surge. This is the thing that prompted their fall in the domain of their business. Target had numerous operational issues and those prompted their fall also. The over goal-oriented dispatch plan had brought upon the issues for Target Canada. The shoppers discovered the vast majority of the racks of the stores to be unfilled and this had totally evoked a feeling of anger in them. The desire to develop quickly in the Canadian market had achieved their wreckage. Other serious issues Some other serious issues had been distinguished in the Target Canadas development in the Canadian market. The an excess of hostility in the reality of opening the stores had been an off-base choice for the organization.[5] Walmart had set up an extraordinary demonstration of rivalry has they edged forward to settle the negotiation that had incredible proposals in the Zellers deal. The current innovation in Target Canada was not forward-thinking and that caused significant issues for the organization too. The publicizing methodologies were not that much alluring that could lead them to prevail in their business condition. The choice of utilizing the SAP innovation didn't function admirably for them as well.[6] It is to be featured that my duties and performing them appropriately had an enormous task to carry out in the achievement of the organization. In any case, I couldn't play out my duties appropriately. It is totally my inability to comprehend that the organization couldn't give the clients appropriate items to the associations. The clients had discovered that the racks of stores unfilled. Its craving to venture into new remote markets had been fizzled on the grounds that I couldn't execute the issues to oblige the requests of the clients in the wake of opening 124 stores in the nation. I was additionally incapable to perceive the way that the socioeconomics of Canada were diverse in propensity than the socioeconomics of USA. I likewise bombed in actualizing the JDA programming in the domain of selling the items. Notwithstanding, the issues started to develop and I was unable to discover any answer for it. End The paper can be finished up by saying that Target Canada had taken some genuine defective choices that drove them to their destruction. This must be expanded with the way that their business choices were blemished also. They didn't use their chances and lingered behind from multiple points of view that caused their prompt ruin in the Canadian retail showcase. References Target : Expect More. Pay Less..Target.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 14 Oct. 2017. Ahmad, Shoeb. Innovation in organizations.International Journal of Research in Business Management2.7 (2014): 73-80. Kale, Vivek.Implementing SAP CRM: The Guide for Business and Technology Managers. CRC Press, 2014. Mithas, Sunil, Mayuram S. Krishnan, and Claes Fornell. For what reason do client relationship the executives applications influence consumer loyalty?. American Marketing Association, 2013. Strm, Roger, Martin Vendel, and John Bredican. Versatile showcasing: A writing survey on its incentive for buyers and retailers.Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services21.6 (2014): 1001-1012. van Rompay, Thomas JL, et al. On store structure and buyer inspiration: Spatial control and excitement in the retail context.Environment and Behavior44.6 (2012): 800-820.

Book Riots Deals of the Day for February 16th, 2019

Book Riots Deals of the Day for February 16th, 2019 Sponsored by our giveaway of $100 to Amazon in support of Swords and Spaceships, our sci-fi/fantasy newsletter! These deals were active as of this writing, but may expire soon, so get them while they’re hot! Todays  Featured Deals Nebula Awards Showcase 2018 by Jane Yolen for $1.99.  Get it here, or just click on the cover image below. The Turner House by Angela Flournoy for $2.99.  Get it here, or just click on the cover image below. The Wave in the Mind: Talks and Essays on the Writer, the Reader, and the Imagination by Ursula K. Le Guin for $2.99.  Get it here, or just click on the cover image below. In Case You Missed Yesterdays Most Popular Deals Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire for $2.99.  Get it here, or just click on the cover image below. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics by Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, Minyon Moore for $2.99.  Get it here, or just click on the cover image below. 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Enlightenment Was A Period Of Intellectual And Social...

Enlightenment Essay Outline The Enlightenment was a period of intellectual and social growth around the Atlantic world, in places like Europe, Africa, and North and South America from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. The way people viewed their world changed. They no longer thought just for themselves, but how they could make things better. During the Enlightenment, people started to believe that men were equal and free people. People were beginning to believe that all actions should try to help the common good and advance society. The people of the time were able to explore their new world and try to benefit it in many different ways, but these benefits came at a cost. Wars were fought, and many lives were lost. However, the†¦show more content†¦The Catholic Church taught that salvation comes from faith, good deeds and with the assistance of the church. Martin Luther went against this concept and said that salvation comes by faith alone and that anyone could read the bible and interpret it t heir own way. Martin Luther also translated the bible into German, so the common people could read it. This lead to the rise of Protestantism, and a major conflict between the new Protestants and Catholics. These two groups fought bloody fights, like the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre and the Thirty Years War, for religious dominance in Europe. Although there was much religious persecution, and these wars cost many people their lives, there were several benefits. New religious freedoms came about, and people could choose what religion they followed, and how they practiced their religion. They did not need the church to tell them what they should do, the people could decide what was best for themselves. Martin Luther showed that anyone could read and interpret the bible for themselves. This would also lead to the creation of nations, and rivalries based on where one lived or where one worshiped. (Worlds Together, Worlds Apart, 463-468) The terms of equality during the enlightenment did not apply to everyone. New types of Enlightenment thinking and developments such as the expansion of literacy and the decline of religious persecution began to threaten

Vietnam War History And History - 1695 Words

http://www.scribd.com/doc/28238272/Vietnam-War-DBQ#scribd Throughout the 1960s and 1970s Americans became uneasy not only about the troubled position of the United States in world affairs, but also about the disorder wrought at home byforeign entanglements. Vietnam, either because of the searing war experience itself or because of the lessons Americans later drew from the experience, drastically altered society during the1960s and 1970s. The belief in the right to influence the internal affairs of other countries led todisaster in Southeast Asia. This disaster would forever be known as the longest war in thenation s history (lasted 25 years), in which the world s most powerful military (United States)spent itself in a futile attempt to conquer the peasant population. Vietnam became an additional opponent in the containment of communism for America. Overlooking the native roots of the revolutionand the tenacity of the people fighting for their own land, American leaders are going to makethe mistake of looking at Vietnam from a globalist poin t-of-view, and the events through a ColdWar lens. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, came to recognize this as their flaw in the war, he statedthat the United States had misconceived the nature of the war (Doc. E). Ultimately, theVietnam War would come to heighten tensions in the social, political, and economic aspects of the United States during the mid-1960s and early 1970s. The social turbulence along with the growing movementShow MoreRelatedModern History : The Vietnam War854 Words   |  4 PagesModern History Background: The Vietnam War began, because of Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) being conquered by the Japanese, in 1941. This led to the creation of the Vietnamese nationalist movement, formed by Ho Chi Minh to resist the Japanese. 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AsRead MoreThe History of the Vietnam War Essay2391 Words   |  10 PagesThe Vietnam War started in 1945, resulting in almost 60,000 American deaths and nearly two million Vietnamese deaths, according to Mintze. Years after combat countless Vietnam veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder in every aspect of their lives (Price). Posttraumatic stress disorder is an illness that can happen to anyone who has gone through a horrifying experience. It has been documented in all forms of literature and films the brutality of the war and the side effe cts it came withRead MoreComparison Between War History And The Vietnam War1514 Words   |  7 PagesCONTRAST IN WAR HISTORY KHALED ALRASHIDI ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY Date : 03/03/2016 ENG #107 KURT MYERS On March 29, 1973, the last combat of the US troops finally left southern Vietnam. Four years had elapsed since the start of withdrawing operation by the US battalion from Vietnam. Approximately 2.5 million Americans soldiers among them officers, counselors, nurses, physicians and other units of personnel s in the US served in the Vietnam warfare. It was time to return home though theRead MoreThe Vietnam War Era Of American History1700 Words   |  7 Pages Stanley Karnow describes the Vietnam War era of American history as â€Å"†¦a tragedy of epic dimensions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 1 and it is fair to postulate that this is no understatement. One of the more pertinent ramifications of the Vietnam War was the deconstruction of fundamental, if somewhat illusory, American conceptions and ideals. The war shattered America’s hitherto unshakeable â€Å"confidence†2 in its political hegemony, military prowess and assumed authority in world order, i.e. â€Å"†¦its moral ex clusivity, its militaryRead MoreThe Vietnam War Remains A Piece Of Controversial History958 Words   |  4 PagesEssay Prompt #14 Comparative Question 1: The Vietnam War remains a piece of controversial history in our nation’s timeline. Unlike our country’s participation in the World Wars, much of the war in Vietnam centered on a conflict of abstract ideals. America’s policy of containing communism greatly influenced many significant political decisions during the Cold War Era. In addition, this passage of time brought about drastic cultural and ideological shifts within our country. Although these changesRead MoreThe Vietnam War And The Long Arms Of American History920 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War is a sore spot in the long arms of American History. 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The Secret Circle The Power Chapter Thirteen Free Essays

string(80) " Sean could have asked Fogle to meet him under the rocks and then – foom\." â€Å"It’s the Moon of Long Nights,† Diana said. â€Å"And it’s not just full on the ninth. There’s an eclipse. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Thirteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now † â€Å"A total lunar eclipse,† said Melanie. â€Å"Is that bad for us?† Cassie asked. Diana considered. â€Å"Well, all witches’ powers are strongest in moonlight. And certain spells are best done at the dark of the moon, or at the full moon, or at some other phase. I’m sure that if Black John is going to move on that particular night, an eclipse must be best for whatever he’s going to do. And worst for us fighting him.† â€Å"Except,† Adam said, â€Å"if we know he’s† going to move – and he doesn’t know we know it. He won’t realize we’re prepared.† There were thoughtful nods around the Circle. It was the day after Thanksgiving and everyone who had come to rescue Cassie the day before was gathered at Adam’s house. Cassie had told them what had happened in the clearing before they came – except about Jordan asking for the Master Tools. This she’d whispered to Adam and Diana in front of Diana’s house last night. Now she looked at the two of them with a question in her eyes. Adam and Diana both regarded the group unhappily. â€Å"Right,† Adam said. â€Å"I guess we’d better tell them. Since he knows, it doesn’t really matter, does it?† â€Å"Faye must have found out somehow,† Diana said, looking more unhappy than ever. â€Å"She went to Black John – â€Å" â€Å"No,† Cassie said. Diana looked at her, surprised. â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"Not Faye,† Cassie said, grimly and with absolute certainty. â€Å"Sean.† Adam cursed softly. Diana stared at him, then at Cassie. Then she whispered, â€Å"Oh, my God.† â€Å"What about Sean? What did he do?† Deborah demanded. Nick was very alert, his narrow eyes fixed on Cassie. After a glance at Diana – who nodded and leaned her head on one hand – Cassie said simply to Deborah, â€Å"He told Black John that Adam and Diana and I had found the Master Tools.† â€Å"You found – you mean you guys – you mean you really – ?† Deborah was sputtering. The others looked speechless with amazement. â€Å"Cassie led us to them,† Adam said. â€Å"They were in the fireplace at Number Twelve. On the way back we ran into Sean, who said he’d seen a light. But you think †¦ ?† He looked at Cassie. Cassie took a deep breath. â€Å"I think Black John has been influencing him all along. I think he was the one who stole the hematite from my room. I figured it out last night, when I was trying to get to sleep. I started thinking about who could have told Black John – and I kept getting this flash of Sean the first time I saw him. He was wearing a belt with his name carved on some shiny stone. I used to see him wear it all the time, but now that it’s cold and everybody’s wearing sweaters, I haven’t noticed it. But I’ll bet he’s been wearing it underneath, and I’ll bet he was wearing it that night he came out in his pajama top. And I’ll bet that shiny stone is – â€Å" â€Å"Hematite,† half a dozen bleak voices chorused, and everyone looked at Melanie. â€Å"Hematite or lodestone,† Melanie confirmed. â€Å"Yes, it is; I’ve seen that belt too. How incredibly stupid of us. It never even occurred to me.† Nick leaned forward. â€Å"So you think Faye wasn’t the one who told Black John we were wearing amethysts as protection? You think Sean did that?† Cassie looked at the hard line of his mouth. â€Å"It wasn’t his fault, Nick. If Black John got into his mind – well, I know how I felt when he was trying to get into my mind. Sean wouldn’t have been able to resist. In fact, we saw that he couldn’t resist, at the assembly when he volunteered to be a hall monitor. I had to yell at him to break the trance.† â€Å"Sean . . . God!† Laurel said, settling back. â€Å"It’s just too awful.† â€Å"I’m afraid it’s worse,† Cassie said. She stared down at Mrs. Franklin’s coffee table, pressing one hand flat against it. She didn’t know how to say this next. â€Å"You guys, I think †¦ I think Black John used Sean to commit the murders.† There was a deafening silence. Even Diana looked too horrified to support Cassie. But Adam looked into her eyes and then slowly, shutting his own eyes, nodded. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"Oh, no,† said Suzan. â€Å"I think† – Cassie swallowed – â€Å"that he could have written a note to Kori the night before, asking her to meet him in front of school. She wouldn’t have suspected him; she’d have just thought it was Circle business. He could have come up behind her, and – â€Å" â€Å"I’ll kill him!† Doug shouted, jumping up. Nick and Deborah grabbed him, but by then Chris was shouting too, lunging for the door. Adam and Melanie wrestled him to the ground. â€Å"It wasn’t him; it wasn’t Sean,† Cassie shouted. â€Å"Listen to me, you guys! It was Black John; he’s the one who killed Kori. If I’m right, Sean probably doesn’t even remember it! He was just a – a container for the dark energy to use.† â€Å"God,† Laurel said. â€Å"God – remember the skull ceremony in Diana’s garage? The time the second bunch of dark energy was released? Sean and Faye started fighting, the candle went out, and the dark energy escaped. Sean said Faye started it, and we all believed him. But Faye said Sean was trying to break the circle. What if she was right?† â€Å"I’ll bet she was right,† Cassie said. â€Å"Black John’s been with us all the time. Whatever Sean saw, he saw. And when enough dark energy was released from the skull – which Black John arranged to happen whenever he could – then it worked with Sean to commit the murders.† â€Å"It would have been easy to get Mr. Fogle over to Devil’s Cove, too,† Suzan said. â€Å"Sean could have pretended he had something bad to tell about somebody else in the Club. I used to do that all the time; tell the principal things about – † She glanced at Diana. â€Å"Well – that was in the old days. Anyway, Sean could have asked Fogle to meet him under the rocks and then – foom. You read "The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Thirteen" in category "Essay examples"† She made a pushing gesture. â€Å"Good-bye, Mr. Fogle.† â€Å"Can we let you up now?† Adam asked Chris, and â€Å"Can we trust you to act sensible?† Deborah asked Doug. There were incoherent snarls from the Henderson brothers, and when they were released they sat up with flushed faces and blue-green eyes as bright as gas flames. â€Å"We’re gonna get that bastard,† Doug said quietly. â€Å"If it’s the last thing we do,† said Chris, equally quiet. Cassie hoped they meant Black John. â€Å"But what about Jeffrey?† Diana asked Cassie. Cassie shrugged. â€Å"I don’t know how Sean could have gotten him down to the boiler room – â€Å" â€Å"By saying you were down there, maybe,† Laurel said. † – but if he did, he could have just come up behind him and strangled him with the rope – no, Sean’s too short. Oh, I don’t know how he could have done it – â€Å" â€Å"By getting Lovejoy to sit down or lean over,† Nick said, his voice crisp and low. â€Å"That’s what I’d have done, anyway, if I were trying to strangle somebody that much taller. And look, if Sean had that dark energy inside him somehow, he could have had outrageous strength. He must have had, to be able to put the noose around Lovejoy’s neck and haul him up over that pipe afterward.† Cassie felt sick. â€Å"It’s true – I didn’t see either Sean or Jeffrey at the dance for a while before the murder. Then all of a sudden Sean appeared on the dance floor, coming toward me. So I ran to the boiler room †¦ and found Jeffrey.† â€Å"I think we need to talk to Sean,† said Diana. â€Å"No,† Adam said, with surprising vehemence. â€Å"That’s just what we shouldn’t do. If we talk to him now, Black John will realize we know. But if we don’t say anything, if we play along with Sean and pretend we don’t know, we can feed him disinformation. Tell him things that aren’t true, for him to pass along to Black John.† â€Å"Like tell him we don’t know when Black John is going to move,† Deborah said, her dark eyes beginning to snap. â€Å"Tell him we’re terrified of Black John – we don’t know how to use the Master Tools – we’re unprepared . . .† â€Å"Or that we’re all fighting among ourselves,† suggested Laurel. â€Å"We can’t agree on anything. We’re deadlocked.† â€Å"Right! And then that night we’ll actually be ready for him. When’s the eclipse, Melanie?† Adam said. â€Å"Around six forty in the evening. That’s what I’d say we have to look out for. The moon in shadow.† â€Å"The moon in shadow,† Cassie repeated softly. â€Å"I think I can understand why he would choose that time.† He’s a shadow himself, she thought. â€Å"And until then all we have to do is pretend to be completely disorganized, terrified, and argumentative,† said Melanie. â€Å"Shouldn’t be too hard,† Suzan said, raising an eyebrow. â€Å"There’s somebody I think we should talk to,† Cassie said, â€Å"without giving away any of our secrets. I think one of us should talk to Faye.† â€Å"And I think you’re elected,† Nick said. â€Å"I can’t think of anybody better for the job.† He winked at Cassie, but it was a grim wink. â€Å"We need you.† â€Å"I’m sure,† Faye said lazily, examining herself in the mirror. She was trying her hair in different ways: twisted back, on top of her head, at the nape of her neck. Cassie hadn’t been in Faye’s bedroom since the night Faye had set a ring of red stones around the crystal skull and released the dark energy that had eventually killed Jeffrey. The room was as opulent and luxurious as ever: the wallpaper patterned with lush jungle orchids, the bed piled with cushions, the stereo system packed with expensive extras. Faye’s vampire kittens once again twined sinuously around Cassie’s ankles. But there was a different atmosphere here than before. The red candles were gone from the dresser tops; in their place were stacks of paperwork. On the bedspread along with the cordless phone was a beeper. An appointment book was sitting in front of the mirror, and the clothes strewn carelessly about were of the sultry office-girl kind Faye had taken to wearing. The room felt – pressured. Type-A lifestyle. More like Portia than Faye. â€Å"I suppose you know that Portia Bainbridge and Sally had me kidnapped two days ago,† Cassie said. Faye shot her an amused glance in the mirror. â€Å"And I’m sure you know you only had to open your pretty little mouth and yell, and Daddy would have been right there to help.† Cassie tried not to look as sick as that made her feel. â€Å"I don’t want his help,† she said, swallowing. Faye shrugged. â€Å"Maybe later.† â€Å"No, Faye. Not later. I don’t ever want to see him again. But if you know about me being kidnapped, you must know what they were after. We’ve found the Master Tools.† Cassie looked at the strange opposite-Faye image in the mirror, and then turned to look the real Faye in the eyes. â€Å"They belong to you,† she said distinctly. â€Å"You’re leader of the coven. But the coven is going to fight†¦ Black John.† â€Å"You can’t even say it, can you? It’s not so hard. Daddy. Father. Pops. Whatever you want to call him, I’m sure he won’t mind – â€Å" â€Å"Will you listen to me, Faye!† Cassie almost shouted. â€Å"You’re sitting here being fatuous – â€Å" â€Å"And she knows big words, too!† † – while something serious is going on! Something deadly serious. He is going to kill people. That’s all he is, Faye, hatred and the desire to kill. I know it; I can feel it in him. And he’s taking you for a ride.† Faye’s golden eyes narrowed. She looked less amused. â€Å"I’ve known you for a while now, Faye, and there’ve been plenty of times when I’ve hated you. But I never thought I’d see you become somebody’s stenographer. You used to make up your own mind about things and you didn’t kiss up to anybody. Do you remember how you once asked me if I wanted my epitaph to be ‘Here lies Cassie. She was . . . nice’? Well, do you want yours to be ‘Here lies Faye. She was a good secretary’?† One of Faye’s hands, with its long fingernails – mauve these days, instead of scarlet – was clenched on the dresser. Her jaw was set, and she was staring hard into her own golden eyes in the mirror. Cassie’s pulse quickened. â€Å"When I looked at you I used to see a lion – a sort of black and gold lion. Now I see† – she glanced down at her feet – â€Å"a kitten. Some rich guy’s kitten.† She waited tensely. Maybe †¦ just maybe . . . Maybe the bond forged during the candle ceremony would be strong enough, maybe Faye had enough pride, enough independence . . . Faye’s eyes met hers in the mirror. Then Faye shook her head. Her face was closed, her mouth tight. â€Å"I think you know the way out,† she said. The kittens tangled around Cassie’s feet as she turned, and she felt the razor-sharp nick of claws. No, she told them with her mind, and she felt the kittens freeze, ears back. She picked them up, one in each hand, and tossed them onto Faye’s bed. Then she left. â€Å"We have to give her until the ninth,† Diana said. â€Å"Maybe she’ll change her mind.† â€Å"‘Maybe later,'† Cassie quoted, but there wasn’t much hope in her voice. â€Å"We’ll wait until the ninth for Sean, too,† Adam said. They made it through the next seven school days without trouble – except among themselves. At New Salem High, the members of the Club only spoke to each other in public to argue. Laurel’s birthday on the first and Sean’s birthday on the third of December went uncelebrated, because, according to a distraught Diana, none of them could get along long enough to plan a party. Cassie saw the looks and heard the whispers and knew that the plan was working. She concentrated on being as much like the old Cassie as possible – shy, tongue-tied, easily frightened or embarrassed. The role was uncomfortable, like some old skin she’d out-grown, and she itched to get rid of it. But for the time they were fooling Sean. They were even fooling Faye. â€Å"I hear you and Nick have broken up,† Faye said in the hall one day. The hooded golden eyes were warm and pleased. Cassie flushed, looking away. â€Å"And the Club isn’t much of a club without me, from what I see these days,† Faye went on, practically purring. Cassie squirmed. â€Å"I may join you sometime – maybe for the next full-moon celebration. If you’re having one, that is.† Cassie shrugged. Faye looked smug. â€Å"We could have a wicked time,† she said. â€Å"Think about it.† As Faye walked away Cassie saw Sally Walt-man at her post as hall monitor. She edged up as inconspicuously as possible. â€Å"We’re ready for the ninth, like you told us,† Cassie said softly. â€Å"But can you do one more thing for us?† Sally looked uneasy. â€Å"He’s got everybody watching everybody. Nobody’s safe – â€Å" â€Å"I know, but when the ninth comes, will you tell us if he does anything unusual? If it looks like he’s moving? Please, Sally. Everything I told you about him is true.† â€Å"All right,† Sally said, casting a hunted glance around. â€Å"Now just go, will you? I’ll try to get a message to you if I hear anything.† Cassie nodded and hurried away. The ninth dawned gray and windy, the sort of day that normally made Cassie want to curl up in front of a fire. Instead, she put on extra-warm clothes: a thick sweater, gloves, a parka. She had no idea what they might be facing today, but she wanted to be dressed for action. In her backpack, along with her school notebooks, she put her Book of Shadows. She was walking out of French class when Sally intercepted her. â€Å"Come with me, please,† the rusty-haired girl said in crisp hall-monitor accents, and Cassie followed her into the empty nurse’s office next door. Sally immediately dropped the officious tone. â€Å"If I get caught with you, it’s all over,† she said rapidly in a harsh whisper, her eyes on the frosted-glass window in the door. â€Å"But here it is: I just overheard Brunswick talking with your friend Faye. Maybe you’ll understand what it was about, because I sure don’t. They were discussing something about arranging an accident on the bridge – it sounded like they were taking an empty school bus over there, and a car, or maybe it was a couple of cars. He said They only have to burn for an hour or so; by then the water will have risen far enough.’ Does that mean anything to you?† â€Å"An accident would block the bridge to the mainland,† Cassie said slowly. â€Å"Sure, but why?† Sally asked impatiently. â€Å"I don’t know. I’m going to find out. Sally, if I need to see you again, will you be in the cafeteria at lunch?† â€Å"Yes, but you can’t talk to me there. Portia’s been looking at me strangely ever since that night in the clearing – I think she’s suspicious. Her brothers went away mad, and she didn’t believe a word you said about Brunswick. If she catches me with you, I’m dead.† â€Å"You may be dead if I don’t talk with you,† Cassie said. â€Å"Go on, get out of here, I’ll leave in a minute.† Cassie reached the old science building at a run. Waiting on the second floor was the rest of the Club – minus Faye and Sean, who hadn’t been informed of the meeting. The plan had been to nab Sean right after lunch, even if they hadn’t learned anything about Black John’s plans by then. â€Å"But we do know something,† Cassie said breathlessly, sitting down on a crate. â€Å"Listen.† She told them what Sally had said. â€Å"Well, that explains it,† Deborah put in when Cassie finished. â€Å"I just saw him and Faye walk out of the building, and the secretary said they’d be gone all afternoon. So they’re going out to wreck a school bus. Cool.† â€Å"But why?† Cassie said. â€Å"I mean, it looks like he wants to block the bridge, but what’s the point?† It was Adam who answered. He’d been sitting by Doug, with one of the earphones from Doug’s Walkman pressed to his ear. â€Å"The point,† he said, â€Å"is to keep everybody on the island. There’s just been an update on the news – anybody remember that hurricane they were talking about the last couple days? The one that they were afraid was going to hit Florida, but then it turned north while it was still out in the Atlantic?† There was head-shaking around the group – most of them hadn’t been too interested in the news lately – but Melanie said, â€Å"I thought they downgraded that to a tropical storm.† â€Å"Yeah, they figured it was just going to dissipate out in the ocean. Look, I know a little about hurricanes. This one isn’t supposed to be a threat, because they’re assuming it’s going to turn northeast at Cape Hatteras. That’s what hurricanes usually do when they hit the low-pressure trough around there. But we all know what happens when they don’t.† He looked around the group grimly, and this time there were nods from everyone but Cassie. â€Å"When they don’t turn at Cape Hatteras, they come barreling straight up here,† Adam said to her, then. â€Å"Like the one in 1938, and the one a few years ago †¦ and the one in 1976.† The silence was absolute. Cassie glanced from side to side at the faces in the dim room. â€Å"God,† she whispered, feeling dizzy. â€Å"Yes,† said Adam. â€Å"Winds a hundred and fifty miles an hour, and walls of water, forty feet high. Now, they’re still saying this storm is going to turn – they just mentioned on the radio that it’s supposed to stay well off the Atlantic seaboard. But† – he looked around again, deliberately – â€Å"anybody want to take bets?† Laurel jumped up. â€Å"We’ve got to stop Black John. If that bridge is blocked, everybody on the island is in danger.† â€Å"Too late,† Deborah said briefly. â€Å"He’s already gone. Remember? I saw him leave ten minutes ago.† â€Å"And everybody’s not just in danger, everybody’s dead,† Melanie said. â€Å"That storm a couple years ago just nicked New Salem, but this one could wipe us out.† Cassie looked at Adam. â€Å"How fast is it coming?† â€Å"I don’t know. Could be fifty miles an hour, could be seventy. If it doesn’t turn at Cape Hatteras, they’ll issue a hurricane warning – but it’ll be too late by then, especially if the bridge is blocked. It could get to us in maybe seven, eight hours. More or less.† â€Å"Around the time of the eclipse?† Cassie asked. â€Å"Maybe. Maybe a little later.† â€Å"But before it hits us, it’ll hit Cape Cod and Boston,† Diana whispered. â€Å"It will kill people there.† She looked stunned and dazed at the idea. â€Å"Then there’s only one thing to do,† Cassie said. â€Å"We’ve got to stop it before it hits land at all. We’ve got to make it dissipate, or turn back out to the ocean, or whatever. Or we’ve got to make him do it. And before that we’ve got to warn people on our own – tell them to do whatever you do in a hurricane – â€Å" â€Å"Evacuate,† Adam said dryly, â€Å"which may not be possible, even in boats. Listen to that wind.† He paused and Cassie heard not only the wind but a pattering on the boarded-up windows. Rain. â€Å"If they can’t get out, they’ll have to dig in,† Chris said. â€Å"Anybody up for a hurricane party?† â€Å"It’s not funny,† Nick said sharply, and Cassie said, â€Å"All right, then – tell people to do that. Do whatever they can. And we’d better get back to Crowhaven Road – â€Å" â€Å"With Sean,† Adam cut in swiftly. â€Å"I’ll get him and meet everybody at my house. Let’s do it, people.† They left their uneaten lunches – except Suzan, who snagged hers and ran after the others – and headed for the school. How to cite The Secret Circle: The Power Chapter Thirteen, Essay examples

Richard Nixon Essays (797 words) - Richard Nixon,

Richard Nixon Richard Nixon was known as the 37th president that resigned from office. I'm going to tell you the whole story. Nixon was born in 1913 in Yorba Linda, California, the second of five sons of Francis Nixon and Hannah Nixon. The Nixons were Scots-Irish and the Milhouses were of Irish and English descent, were known as Quakers. Richard Nixon attended public schools in Whittier, California, and went to Whittier College, a Quaker institution, where he majored in history. He won a scholarship to Duke University Law School and received his law degree in 1937. Nixon joined an established law firm in Whittier and there met his future wife, Thelma Ryan. They married on June 21, 1940, and had two daughters; Patricia in 1946 and Julie in 1948. In 1946 Nixon was persuaded by California Republicans to be their candidate to challenge the popular Democratic Congressman Jerry Voorhis for his seat in the United States House of Representatives. Nixon's campaign was an example of the vigorous and aggressive style characteristic of his political career. He accused Voorhis of being soft on Communism. The two men confronted each other in a series of debates, and Voorhis was forced into a defensive position. Nixon won the election by a vote of 65,586 to 49,994. As a new member of the Congress of the United States, Nixon gained valuable experience in international affairs while serving on a special committee that helped establish the European Recovery Program. Nixon also served on the House of Education and Labor Committee, where he helped draft the Taft-Hartley Act on labor-management relations. In 1948, he was reelected to Congress after winning both the Republican and Democratic nominations. In 1950 the Republicans chose Nixon as their candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. His opponent was the liberal Congresswoman Helen Gahagan Douglas. In another bitterly fought campaign, Nixon linked her voting record with American-Labor-Party congressman Vito Marcantonio, who was widely regarded as pro-Communist. Nixon won the election by 680,000 votes. In 1952 Nixon was selected to be the running mate of General Dwight Eisenhower, who had won the Republican presidential nomination. Shortly after Nixon's vice-presidential nomination it was reported that a fund had been collected to meet his expenses as a senator. No evidence was produced that Nixon had misused the fund or given special favors to contributors, but many of Eisenhower's advisers wanted Nixon to resign his candidacy. In response Nixon made an impassioned reply on national television in a speech known as the ?Checkers' speech, because it contained a sentimental reference to Nixon's dog, Checkers. Eisenhower then kept him as his running mate. In the campaign that followed, Nixon once again attacked the Democrats and their presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson as being soft on Communism. The Eisenhower-Nixon ticket won a resounding victory. In 1956, Eisenhower an Nixon were reelected, after Nixon survived an attempt by some Republicans to replace him. Much of Nixon's time as vice president was spent in representing the president before Congress and on trips abroad as goodwill ambassador. As President Eisenhower neared the end of his second term, his vice president emerged as his logical successor, and the president indorsed Nixon. Nixon received an impressive vote in the party primaries. Nixon chose Henry Cabot as his running mate. There was a series of face-to-face discussions between Nixon and hi opponent John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was regarded as the winner of the debates and ended up winning the elections by 112,803 votes. After losing the election, Nixon returned to California and in 1962 became the Republican candidate for governor opposing Edmund Brown. Again the campaign involved Nixon's argument that democrats were not concerned about Communism. This time it didn't work and Brown won easily. After this lose Nixon moved to New York City, where he joined a large law firm. In seeking nomination for being president, Nixon found handicaps to overcome. He did not have much support, but he did get help from Governor Ronald Reagan. With his help Nixon won the nomination. For his running mate he chose Spiro Agnew. The election was close, but Nixon won. While being president, Nixon was successful in areas of foreign policy. In 1972, Nixon and Agnew sought reelection. This election was a blowout

The 2007 to 2011 Financial Crisis Causes, Effects and Lessons The WritePass Journal

The 2007 to 2011 Financial Crisis Causes, Effects and Lessons Abstract The 2007 to 2011 Financial Crisis Causes, Effects and Lessons – and discuss the conclusions that can be drawn accordingly. 1. Regulation destabilized the financial system Regulation of US banks by the Fed, SEC, and FDIC,[3] as well as other regulatory agencies, contributed significantly to the erosion of financial system stability (Barth, Caprio and Levine, 2012, p.86). For example, in 1996, the Fed legitimized the use of Credit Default Swaps (CDS) as risk-hedging instruments (Levine 2010, p. 202, Appendix 1) and as a result many banks developed massive exposures (Figure 1) – AIG held over $500 billion in 2007 – while others were able to reduce their capital reserves by up to half in percentage terms (Barth, Caprio and Levine, 2012, p.92). Figure 1: CDS market volume Q1 2001 to Q2 2007, trillion US$   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (International Securities and Derivatives Association cited in Baily, Litan and Johnson, 2008) Another example is the SECs use of the â€Å"NRSRO† designation,[4] which led to a serious misalignment of credit rating agencies business incentives and resulted in inflationary provisions of investment-grade ratings for risky securities. This further deteriorated the viability of banks balance sheets (see Appendix 2). 1.1 Residential mortgage boom and bust Simultaneously, the US residential real estate bubble (inspired by the assumption that housing prices would only go up) fueled excessive issuance of home mortgages (Figure 2). In turn, unsound lending practices, especially in sub-prime mortgage lending, bolstered housing prices by pushing demand, while filling institutions’ balance sheets with unrecognized risk (Barth 2009, p.92). The attractiveness of mortgages as â€Å"fail-safe† investments prompted many banks to shift their business model from â€Å"originate-to-hold† to â€Å"originate-to-sell†; instead of buying mortgages as an investment that generated a steady cash flow, banks securitized and sold them (Barth 2009, p.22). This effectively removed any incentive to analyze and control risk. However, this â€Å"out-of-sight-out-of-mind† mentality did not account for the fact that banks that securitized mortgages and invested in mortgage-backed securities (MBS) were often identical. Thus, risk w as absent from balance sheets, but implicitly present in securities holdings (Appendix 3). Figure 2: SP-Shiller housing prices index (monthly), January 2001 to August 2012 (Standard Poors Financial Services LLC, 2012) The convoluted system of securitization faltered when housing prices started to decline and mortgage borrowers defaulted (Figure 3). This dried up the cash flow of mortgage-backed securities and made them virtually worthless; banks that relied on them to meet their obligations encountered trouble. Moreover, complex securitization practices made the extent of any one institutions exposure anyone’s guess. Since, no one could be certain which banks would live to see another day, interbank lending froze. In short, not only did financial institutions possess worthless assets, but they were also unable to bridge shortages in cash (Figure 4).[5] In addition, mass defaults activated billions of dollars in CDS obligations and bankrupted all who were over-exposed. Figure 3: Increase of delinquency rates (percent) of subprime loans between 2003 and 2007 (Arentsen, Mauer, Rosenlund, Zhang and Zhao, 2012, p.39) Figure 4: Increase of the Federal Funds rate (percent, monthly) indicates interbank lending crisis (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 2012) 2. Financial collapse and economic downturn The immediate effects of the crisis are well known. Banks previously considered untouchable filed for bankruptcy (e.g. Lehmann Brothers), while others were acquired (Merrill Lynch by Bank of America), bailed-out, or taken over by the government (AIG and the GSEs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac). Soon, the credit freeze affected the remaining economy as financing investments and borrowing became increasingly difficult. For example, between 2007 and 2009, approximately 8.8 million American jobs disappeared, U.S. GDP fell by more than five percent from its pre-recession peak (Treasury 2012), and the SP 500 lost about 57 percent of its value (Lleo and Ziemba, 2011). Perhaps most famously, without governmental assistance, American automobile manufacturers GM and Chrysler would have become insolvent (Stewart 2012). Yet another legacy cost is the enormous government debt that resulted from rescues and other economic resuscitation programs (Barth 2009). The crisis spread internationally (and most damagingly to Europe) because substantial loan derivatives were sold abroad. This does not imply that the U.S. is to blame for the crisis; every government had access to the same information as Fed, SEC, and FDIC, yet nearly all failed to recognize and address the systemic problem (Cox, Faucette and Lickstein, 2010). 4. Lessons Mostly importantly, the crisis exposed the colossal failure of bank regulators,[6] and prompted a fundamental restructuring of banking regulation (such as the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act). In addition, the excessive complexity and behemoth size of the financial system have come under intense scrutiny. An important question has emerged from this examination, which asks, considering TARP[7], are some financial institutions â€Å"too big to fail?† (Greeley 2012). Moreover, the crisis has spawned a reexamination of the desirability of â€Å"laissez-faire† within the financial markets – that is, to what degree can market forces be relied upon to avert crises (Barth, Caprio and Levine, 2012, p.90)? Conclusion The financial crisis that began in 2007 still troubles us today. While some financial institutions have collapsed, those that remain have had to fundamentally rethink their role as credit providers. Governments were left with tremendous financial commitments, tasked with deconstructing the moral hazard of bank bailouts, and with regulating and supervising the financial system more efficiently. History has shown us that financial crises are a cyclical occurrence. Thus the question must be, can the cycle be broken, or is the next crisis waiting in the wings? Bibliography Arentsen, E., Mauer, D.C., Rosenlund, B., Zhang, H.H., Zhao, F., 2012. Subprime Mortgage Defaults and Credit Default Swaps. [pdf] University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business. Available at: http://finance.sauder.ubc.ca/conferences/summer2012/files/papers/Mauer_CDSMS_Jan_1_2012.pdf [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Baily, M.N., Litan, R.E. and Johnson, M.S., 2008. The Origins of the Financial Crisis. [online] Brookings Institution. Available at: brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/papers/2008/11/origin%20crisis%20baily%20litan/11_origins_crisis_baily_litan [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Bank of International Settlement (BIS), 2012. Detailed tables on semiannual OTC derivatives statistics at end-June 2012. [online] Available at: bis.org/statistics/derdetailed.htm [Accessed 26 November 2012]. Barth J.R., 2009. The Rise and Fall of the U.S. Mortgage and Credit Market. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Barth, J.R., Caprio, G. and Levine, R., 2012. Guardians of Finance, making regulators work for us. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. Barth, J.R., Caprio, G. and Levine, R., 2012. Rethinking Bank Regulation, till angels govern. New York, New York: Cambridge University Press. Congressional Budget Office, 2012. Report on the Troubled Asset Relief Program- October 2012. [pdf]. Available at: cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/TARP10-2012_0.pdf [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Cox, J., Faucette, J. and Lickstein, C.V., 2010. Why Did the Credit Crisis Spread to Global Markets? [pdf] The University of Iowa Center for International Finance and Development. Available at: http://blogs.law.uiowa.edu/ebook/uicifd-ebook/part-5-ii-why-did-credit-crisis-spread-global-markets [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 2012. Effective Federal Funds Rate (FEDFUNDS). [online] Available at: http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/FEDFUNDS/downloaddata?cid=118 [Accessed 26 November 2012]. Greeley, B., 2012. The Price of Too Big Too Fail. Bloomberg Businessweek, [online] Available at: businessweek.com/articles/2012-07-05/the-price-of-too-big-to-fail [Accessed 26 November 2012]. Jickling, M., 2009. Causes of the Financial Crisis. [online] Congressional Research Service. Available at: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/key_workplace/600/ [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Kohn D.L., 2010. The Federal Reserves Policy Actions during the Financial Crisis and Lessons for the Future. [online] Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Available at: federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/kohn20100513a.htm [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Levine, R., 2010. An autopsy of the US ï ¬ nancial system: accident, suicide, or negligent homicide, Journal of Financial Economic Policy. [online] Available at: econ.brown.edu/fac/Ross_Levine/other%20files/Autopsy-4-13.pdf [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Lleo, S. and Ziemba, W.T., 2011. Stock Market Crashes in 2007-2009: Were We Able to Predict Them? [pdf] Available through Social Sciences Research Network website http://ssrn.com/abstract=1884081 [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Pagliari, S. and Young, K.L., 2012. Leveraged Interests: Financial Industry Power and the Role of Private Sector Coalitions. [pdf] Available at: princeton.edu/politics/about/file-repository/public/Leveraged-Interests-November-2011.pdf [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Standard Poors Financial Services LLC, 2012. SP Dow Jones Indices. [online] Available at: standardandpoors.com/indices/sp-case-shiller-home-price-indices/en/us/?indexId=spusa-cashpidff%E2%80%94p-us- [Accessed 25 November 2012]. Stewart, J.B., 2012. When Debating the Auto Bailout, Consider Lehman’s Fate. The New York Times, [online] 9 March. Available at: nytimes.com/2012/03/10/business/when-debating-the-auto-bailout-consider-lehmans-fate.html?pagewanted=all [Accessed 25 November 2012]. U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2012. The Financial Crisis Response In Charts [pdf] Available at: treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/Documents/20120413_FinancialCrisisResponse.pdf [Accessed 26 November 2012].   Appendex Appendix 1 A CDS is a derivative that enables the buyer to claim compensation from the seller if the underlying asset (such as a Mortgage Backed Securities or MBS) defaults. While useful for hedging purposes and as assessment tool for credit risk (a rising CDS premium indicates increasing risk for the underlying asset), it can be misused for speculative investing, as it does not require the buyer (or the seller) to actually hold the underlying asset. Appendix 2 The SEC required every issuer of a new security to acquire a risk rating from a NRSRO in order to enable potential buyers to assess its risk and allow regulators to determine capital requirements (which were based on risk-adjusted assets). Those credit rating agencies privileged enough to have received NRSRO designation (namely the big three, SP, Moodys, and Fitch) slowly realigned their business models to accommodate issuers needs to purchase ratings by incentivizing employees to issue AAA ratings in order to grow the customer base. As a result, 56 percent of MBS issued between 2005 and 2007 and rated by SP were eventually downgraded (Barth 2009, p.156). Appendix 3 A common practice in the precursor to the crisis was to package mortgage loans into asset-backed securities (ABS, most notoriously, collateralized debt obligations or CDOs) and other securities according to tranches. These tranches were associated with different degrees of risk in order to cater to different investors. Oftentimes, ABS were re-packaged into CDOs squared and cubed. The common misconception prevailed that this would reduce risk by spreading it. In the wake of the crisis, with default rates skyrocketing, it became apparent that this system had become too complex for anyone to unravel, thus making any exposure assessment impossib [1]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rapid economic growth in BRIC countries, and the resulting flood of rent-seeking financial assets, mishaps in bank regulation and supervision, immoral business conduct of key-stakeholders, or the general failure to recognize the emergence of a bubble all conditioned each other and shaped the environment that resulted in the most severe meltdown since the Great Depression. [2]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though the financial crisis was markedly a global phenomenon, the United States were at the epicenter in terms of both causes and effects (Jickling 2009). [3]  Ã‚  Ã‚   Federal Reserve Bank, Securities Exchange Commission, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, respectively all regulate and supervise different (but sometimes overlapping) aspects of the US banking system (Barth, Caprio and Levine, 2012). [4]  Ã‚  Ã‚   NRSRO – Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations. [5]  Ã‚  Ã‚   To put the extent of the liquidity crunch into perspective, the Federal Reserve reacted by purchasing approximately US$1.25 trillion worth of securities (including Treasuries) between 2007 and 2010, compared to US$15 billion over the years prior (Kohn, 2010). [6]  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is not to put blame solely on government agencies: Regulators and supervisors were heavily influenced by financial services lobbies (Pagliari and Young, 2012). [7]  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Troubled Assets Relieve Program (TARP) is a government program that disbursed approximately US$431 billion to save financial institutions and other business from bankruptcy (CBO 2012, p.1).

5 Re- Words That Arent Repeats

5 Re- Words That Arent Repeats 5 â€Å"Re-† Words That Aren’t Repeats 5 â€Å"Re-† Words That Aren’t Repeats By Mark Nichol The prefix for denoting repetition is re-, but its presence in a word doesn’t necessarily indicate a repeat of an action. Here, as examples, are five words starting with re- that differ in sense from their root words. 1. Rebate: To bate is to deduct or restrain, but the word, used rarely, usually is employed for the latter meaning, often in the jocular phrase â€Å"await with bated breath,† to indicate feigned excitement. Bate is a truncation of abate, which refers to deducting, depriving, moderating, or putting an end to something. To rebate, however, is to return part of a payment as an incentive. Bate is from the Anglo-French word abatre, meaning â€Å"to strike down†; rebate is from rebatre, which derives from abatre but means â€Å"to deduct.† 2. Recapitulate: To capitulate is to acquiesce or surrender, but to recapitulate is to summarize. Capitulate is from the Latin word capitulum, which originally meant â€Å"to distinguish by heads or chapters† in reference to parts of a book (the Latin word for head, caput, is also the basis of chapter); by extension, it came to mean â€Å"to arrange conditions,† as part of a surrender. To recapitulate literally means â€Å"to restate by heads† to repeat the main points. 3. Redress: To dress is to arrange or prepare, usually in the sense of putting clothes on or providing clothes to, though the word also refers to decorating or embellishing, or applying something. To redress, however, means to compensate or remedy, or, rarely, to avenge. Dress is from the Anglo-French term drescer, meaning â€Å"to direct† (it stems from the Latin word directus); redress is from redresser, which means â€Å"to set straight,† as in the sense of rearranging to make right. 4. Resound: To sound is to make a noise, or, when part of a comparative phrase (â€Å"sounds like,† â€Å"sounds as . . . as†), to resemble. To resound means â€Å"to reverberate† or â€Å"to repeat a noise,† though the word most commonly refers to a loud noise or is used as an intensifier to evoke the idea of someone receiving loud accolades (â€Å"a resounding success†). The Latin roots are sonare, meaning â€Å"to sound,† the acronym sonar, from â€Å"sound navigation ranging,† was formed with this precursor in mind and resonare (also the ancestor of resonate), meaning â€Å"to sound again.† 5. Reward: To ward is to deflect or guard (use rarely in verb form, usually in the phrase â€Å"ward off† to describe defending oneself from a blow). To reward is to pay for or to give in acknowledgment. Ward derives from the Old English term weard and the Anglo-French words warde and garde, all stemming from a proto-Germanic ancestor meaning â€Å"guard.† Reward stems from the Anglo-French terms regarder and rewarder, meaning â€Å"to care for, recompense.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in SEmail Etiquette7 Proofreading Steps

Modification of microclimate by urban development Term Paper

Modification of microclimate by urban development - Term Paper Example Lausanne town is developed on three hills, encircled by vineyard-coated slopes, with Lake Geneva at its feet. This makes it a cool and beautiful place to be since its climate and the beautiful sceneries surrounding it are attractive. Savoy Alps rise attractively from the opposing French Lakeshore (Hinkel 64). The city contains passages with boutiques and cafes shaping the streetscape in the medieval city centre. However, the ultimate aim of this report is to examine urban geography of Switzerland particularly Lausanne city. The report is divided in four main parts; preparation, data collection, analysis and presentation. Under Preparation, is where the objectives of the study and hypothesis are prepared. Data collection involves the fieldwork process where is acquired through various methods including questionnaire and survey. Analysis is examination of the process based on information acquired and the application of scientific sense in evaluating hypothesis. Data collection The process of data collection used in this report is the use of questionnaire and interview. However, before data was collected, the objectives of research were determined followed by hypothesis which shows assumptions of what might be found when two regions of Lausanne; Val-Vert and Chailly are compared in terms of development and modification of microclimate.... To identify the top events in Lausanne III. To discover if tourism is more loved in the region than sport events in Lausanne. IV. To identify the whether patterns of Lausanne and their impact on activities of the place V. To determine if Lausanne has beautiful sceneries and landscapes VI. To determine the urban thermal microclimate of Lausanne VII. To determine which region; east, west and center of Lausanne is better than others Hypothesis I. Lausanne contains beautiful scenes such as mountains, hills, lake, museums and sport centers. II. The town of Chailly seems to be nice than Val-Vert in terms of development III. Since Chailly seems to be more developed than Val-Vert, it is highly affected microclimate IV. Prix de Lausanne is the top event in the Lausanne V. Tourism is most loved in Lausanne than sports because of the presence of several beautiful sceneries VI. The whether patterns of Lausanne are good because they favor business, tourism and sports activities in the region VII. The urban thermal microclimate of Lausanne is very high because of high development and tall buildings where there is much gases released to air causing microclimate VIII. The region that is better than the others in Lausanne is west Lausanne due to the presence of Lake Geneva. Questionnaire The type of questionnaire that was used for this study is simple questionnaire that is simplified and takes minimal time to respond to it (Clarey 84). It was issued to 60 adults of ages 16-60 of all genders. The questionnaire design used was simple one and is as shown below. Use the boxes below the answers to write comment if you wish because it is 1. Gender a. Male b. Female 2. Does Lausanne contain beautiful sceneries? a.

Polysystem Theory and the 'Cultural Turn' Essay

Polysystem Theory and the 'Cultural Turn' - Essay Example Polysystem Theory means a "refocus on alternative experiences which are socially defined and can be classified as peripheral or marginal states of affair challenging some center of authority within a variety of cultural and social systems (literature, religion, politics, economy, historiography, etc)" (Munday 43). The value of polysystem theory is that it allows translators and researchers to analyze a literary text from multiple perspectives: different social discourses and voices. This theory demonstrates social order and highlights agonistic tension between different social and cultural agents. Polysystem Theory uses social-cultural instructions for explanation of phenomena and complexity of culture within one community. Polysystem Theory sees translation in terms of "saying," restating in the target language more or less precisely what the source author said in the source language, and performative linguists of translation as those who see translating as "doing," doing something to the target reader, then the contemporary scene comes to look rather different. Then, obviously, the politically engaged cultural theorists of translation-the postcolonialists and the feminists-become performative linguists: translating as colonizing, or as fighting the lingering effects of colonialism; translating as resisting global capitalism (Venuti); translating as fighting patriarchy, as liberating women (and men) from patriarchal gender roles (Munday 110). 'Cultural Turn' means developments in the philosophy of the human sciences around the beginning of the twentieth century. 'Cultural Turn' describes extra-ordinary growth in the significance of work concerned with the nature and forms of language. The readers use cultural texts in ways that cannot be predicted from analysis of the text alone. In this case, "cultural turn" helps to describe and analyses a text in terms of cultural am social influence. Discourse analysis, is the one branch of linguistics that supposedly addresses itself to issues of production and reception that might be useful in a translation-studies purview; but unfortunately the few linguists who have attempted to apply discourse analysis to the study of translation have hobbled themselves methodologically by tying all discursive studies of translation to equivalence (Munday 108). For theorists in these schools it doesn't matter what the translated text looks like; or, well, it does, but not to the theorist, only to the receiving culture (DTS), the client (skopos), or the translator himself or herself (TAP). What matters theoretically is what the translator does, and what complex forces influence that doing (Munday 111). Now perhaps this seems like no great gain: taking all the approaches of the so-called "cultural turn," all the action-oriented theories that have overwhelmed and overthrown the hegemony of linguistics, and lumping them together under a new name-even if that name is rather tendentiously "linguistics." "This is the term used in translation studies for the move towards the analysis of translation from a cultural studies" (Munday 125). Translation is a sensitive pointer of cultural tensions. Translation practice is always grounded in a set of issues in which linguistic forms carry cultural meanings in an implicit form. Understanding the

BEETHOVEN :: essays research papers

Ludwig Van Beethoven Born to a drunkard father and an unhappy mother, the young Beethoven was subjected to a brutal training in music at the hands of his father, who hoped that the boy would prove to be another prodigy like Mozart. Failing in this, the young Beethoven nevertheless embraced music and studied for a short time in 1792 with Franz Joseph Haydn in Vienna. Hailed as a genius and a master of improvisation at the piano, Beethoven soon made a name for himself, and by 1794 was known throughout Europe. He faithfully learned the Classical Viennese styles and traditions in music, and then proceeded throughout his career to completely revolutionize them. His earliest compositions reflect the classical restraint of Haydn and Mozart, yet there were always flashes of what was to come. The emotion he displayed while playing his own music was unheard of in his day, and the fiery intensity of his early Piano Sonata in C minor, known as the "Pathetique" is one of the first works in which Beethoven g ives vent to his own dramatic musical voice. By 1800, Beethoven had become aware of his advancing deafness -- surely a most horrible fate for a musician and unendurable to a composer. Agonizing over his fate, Beethoven contemplated suicide, but in the end embraced life, determined to go on composing, if no longer performing. Unhappy with his compositions up to that time and stating that he would now be "making a fresh start," Beethoven began composing music such as had never before been heard. His Symphony no. 3 in E-flat major, subtitle the "Eroica", was completed in 1804, and was almost twice as long as any symphony written up to that time. Taking the classical symphony as a starting point, it introduces more themes, more contrasts, more instruments, more weight and more drama than previously heard in the symphonic form. His sixteen string quartets span his creative life and developed from the classical restraint of the six "Early" quartets to the sublime late quartets which contain music of such personal pain and suffering, that one wonders if an audience was intended to hear them at all. The power of Beethoven's voice can be heard in the String Quartet no. 11 in F minor. Beethoven's musical ideas, the "themes" he used and from which he painstakingly constructed his works, were revolutionary for his day. The well-known opening motto theme of the famous Symphony no.

Csr of Mnc

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION1 UNILEVER2 PHILANTHROPY DETAILS2 CSR IN BUSINESS PROCESS3 DEALING WITH SUPPLIERS3 CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMUNITY4 REDUCTION IN ACCIDENT RATE4 SOURCING OF RAW MATERIAL4 SIGNATORY ISSUES5 AWARDS5 UNILEVER IN INDIA5 PROJECT SHAKTI5 SANJIVINI6 PROCTER & GAMBLE6 PHILANTHROPY DETAILS7 CSR IN BUSINESS PROCESS8 CSR: COMPANY POLICIES9 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS (FMCG)10 CITIGROUP INC. 11 PHILANTHROPY DETAILS11 FINANCIAL LITERACY11 Microfinance12 Community Relations12 ‘Plant-a-Tree’ initiative12 CSR IN BUSINESS PROCESS12 Diversity12 Technology13 Climate Change13 Environment and Social Risk Management Policy (ESRM)14 SIGNATORY INITIATIVES14 HSBC15 CSR AT HSBC15 GLOBAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES16 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS (BANKING)18 VODAFONE19 CSR IN BUSINESS PROCESS19 COMPLIANCE WITH GRI GUIDELINES22 CONCLUSION23 REFERENCES24 Introduction Within the world of business, the main â€Å"responsibility† for corporations has historically been to make money and increase shareholder value. Although for decades, business has also been engaged in charity, philanthropy, and civic activities including social investments in health. Many times these investments were less than strategic, and were not directed to real social change. Is then Corporate social responsibility planting trees in some vague corner of the world or supporting a certain cause? Today, business understands â€Å"doing well by doing good,† In the last few years, a movement defining broader corporate responsibilities– for the environment, for local communities, for working conditions, and for ethical practices–has gathered momentum and taken hold. The era of new corporate responsibilities have emerged. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is about how businesses align their values and behavior with the expectations and needs of stakeholders – not just customers and investors, but also employees, suppliers, communities, regulators, special interest groups and society as a whole. CSR demands that businesses manage the economic, social and environmental impacts of their operations to maximize the benefits and minimize the downsides. CSR is not only about fulfilling a duty to society; it should also bring competitive advantage. Through an effective CSR programme, companies can: †¢improve access to capital sharpen decision-making and reduce risk †¢enhance brand image †¢uncover previously hidden commercial opportunities, including new markets †¢reduce costs †¢attract, retain and motivate employees But in India most of the CSR Activities are philanthropic in nature, but globally it forms only a small percentage of total CSR. What if Indian companies also s tarted looking at CSR as more than money donations and can we push them. this where CSRidentity is positioning itself. CSRIdentity is a resource that can be used to †¢teach managers and to-be-managers about â€Å"the real† CSR provide a tool/resource/database for CSR depts to refer to for CSR activities †¢Highlight â€Å"good† CSR practices from cos. to motivate them †¢use this to motivate Indian cos to match global standards CSRidentity. com Services a. Project identity for the corporate b. Project identity for the brands c. NGO Research d. CSR Research The first purpose of CSRidentity. com is to build capacity of the corporates on CSR. And the second purpose is to help corporates project their identity. The portal takes the mode of information, research, analysis, views and interviews. It invites thought leaders to share a path which can be followed by others, share innovations in business, and share what went wrong. And while doing this, it will ensure that corporates think of the larger purpose than being myopic money makers. CSRidentity. com has rich information on CSR in philanthropy, CSR in business processes, CSR policies, Global trends in CSR †¦ It plan to share CSR case studies of all the global fortune 500 companies, leading 200 Indian companies & SMEs, and leading companies in about 20 countries. Each case study offers great learning and replication potential. Unilever Unilever is a Fortune 500 company and a global leader in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) category. As Unilever products touch a huge number of consumers worldwide every day, the company believes it has an opportunity to impact many lives through its CSR program. Globally Unilever lays more emphasis on CSR in the true sense i. e. a reduced emphasis on philanthropy. To ensure this, all brand managers in Unilever constantly work towards initiating CSR Initiatives for their brand to reduce the impact of its brands on the environment. Mission : Unilever’s mission is to add Vitality to life. To meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. To understand the vast program, it has been categorised into sub categories which include initiatives in Philanthropy, Business Processes, Impact on Environment, Company Policies and Signatory Issues. Philanthropy Details Food Donation In 2005, nearly two billion pounds of food and grocery products were provided through the Second Harvest network. Available through food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters and other distributions centres, the foods helped over 25 million Americans stave off the risk of hunger. Nine million of these were children. Unilever's product donations made up 7. 6 million pounds of the charity's total food basket – a threefold increase on our previous year's donation. In total, Unilever US gives away products worth around $12. 5 million every year, around 70% of which goes to the Second Harvest's hunger-relief work. Donations during Natural Disasters – Katrina and Rita Unilever donated $1 million to relief efforts following the hurricanes – divided equally between the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Employees also dug deep, contributing over $600,000 as part of a matching-gift programme. Conservation of National Parks In May 2008, Unilever contributed grants of over $240,000 to 12 national parks across the United States in an effort to aid wild life preservation. Orphaned and Abused Child Welfare Unilever donated an industrial washing machine to the Durban’s Children Society which is a care centre for children in the age group of 8-18 years and have been orphaned, abused or neglected. The washing machine helps fulfil the cleaning needs for over 60 children in the society on a daily basis. Child Education Unilever donated $1 million for the Families of Freedom Scholarship fund – a fund initiated to assist the education of children who lost parents to the September 11 attacks. CSR in Business Process Nutrition Value in Food Products Unilever initiated the Nutritional Enhancement Programme to improve the nutritional quality of food and beverage products by assessing the level of four nutrients (based on international guidelines) – Saturated Fats, Trans Fats, Salt and Sugar. The move has resulted in several changes in products like: †¢Reduction of 20% added sugar in brands for children such as twister †¢Reduction in salt levels in soup products from European markets by 10% †¢Breyers Ice cream launched a fat free range in North America with 50% less saturated fats Initiating Hygiene Unilever believes in developing products that would deliver benefits to people and make a difference to their health while promoting best practices for hygiene by partnering with local, government and international bodies. Behaviour change is a high priority on Unilever’s campaign and includes The Global Handwashing Day Campaign by Lifebuoy, Safe Drinking Water – Pureit, Improving Oral Health Care – Pepsodent and Close Up, Enhancing Self Esteem and Better Skin – Dove and Vaseline. Influence on Consumers Includes inculcating best practices among consumers (Hygiene Campaign), Promoting outdoor learning and development in children (Dirt is Good Campaign), breaking stereotypes (Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign) Dealing with Employees The company lays emphasis on certain key areas of employees such as Leadership Development, Health and Safety of Employees, People Vitality, Global Diversity, Continued focus on Gender, Diversity Planning and Listening to employees. Dealing with Suppliers The expectations of Unilever’s suppliers are codified in the Business Partner Code. It specifies guidelines which suppliers must follow in order to continue business with Unilever which include health and safety of workers, labour standards, consumer safety and impact on the environment. Unilever also conducts a Supplier Audit Programme to identify areas of improvement and non compliance. Contributing to the Community Unilever measures its contribution to the community using the London Benchmarking Group model. In 2008 a total of 91 million Euros was contributed to commercial initiatives in the community (27%), social investment (35%) and charitable donations (38%) with the greatest emphasis on health (52%) and Educations (13%). Reduction in accident rate Unilever has continuously strived to reduce the accident rate at its production centres. It has succeeded in reducing the accident rate from 0. 26 to 0. 21 per 100,000 hours worked over one year. CSR in Company Policies Advertising The company policy restricts marketers from using ‘size zero’ models in any of the ad campaigns of Unilever. Sourcing of Raw Material Unilever has decided to purchase all palm oil from certified sustainable sources only, in this regard it has already purchased the first batch in November 2008. It has also decided to procure tea for Lipton bags only from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms by 2015. Choice of Suppliers Unilever has a stringent expectations manual which their suppliers are expected to adhere to, if they wish to continue business with Unilever. The company has identified eleven parameters for the suppliers to adhere under the sustainable agriculture policy. Already a third of the suppliers have registered with the electronic system to adhere to the norms. CO2 Emission control The company has targeted to reduce emission by 25% measured per tonne from production plan by 2012. Water Conservation The company has also committed to reduce water usage in the production process, during the years 1995-08 the company has reduced water consumption by 63%. It has also introduced product variants like Surf in India which equired less water to wash clothes to conserve water. PVC Usage The company has decided to eliminate the use of PVC (where sustainable alternatives are available) in an effort to reduce the impact of PVC on the environment. Waste Reduction Through the continuous efforts of the company, the production process has reduced its waste per tonne of production by 68% in the 1995-2008 period. Signatory Issues Global Compact Uni lever has instituted a senior management position to ensure that labour standards are upheld and the company continues to support the UN Global Compact’s principles on human and labour rights. This aspect has been given high priority by the executive committee. GRI The assessment of Unilever’s Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting has been certified to be B+. The same has been verified by third party – Corporate Citizenship. Awards †¢Awarded Two ‘Good Egg’ awards by Animal Welfare NGO Compassion in World Farming in recognition of their decision to source eggs only from cage free sources †¢Unilever was awarded for the tenth year running, the leader in food sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Secured the Platinum standard award in the UK Business Community Corporate Responsibility Index †¢Included in Global 100 Most Sustainable corporations in the world for the fifth year running, a 2009 list compiled by Corporate Knights and Innovest Strategic Value Advisors †¢Gained joint first place in VBDO (Association for Investors in Sustainable Enterprises) 2008 rating for sustainable supply chain management, ahead of 34 o ther companies listed on the Dutch Stock Exchange Unilever in India Commitment to UN Global Compact HUL has separately reaffirmed its commitment to the UN Global Compact and its ten principles. They support institutionalization of the principles enshrined in the Global compact amongst companies in India and are a founder member of the UN Global Compact Society of India. Project Shakti Hindustan Unilever's Project Shakti is a rural initiative that targets small villages populated by less than 2000 individuals. It is a unique win-win initiative that catalyses rural affluence even as it benefits business. Lifebuoy Swastya Chetna Lifebuoy Swastya Chetna (LBSC) is a rural health and hygiene initiative which was started in 2002. LBSC was initiated in media dark villages (in UP, MP, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Orissa) with the objective of spreading awareness about the importance of washing hands with soap. Fair and Lovely Foundation The Fair & Lovely (FAL) Foundation aims at economic empowerment of women across India by providing information, resources and support in the areas of education, career and enterprise. It specifically targets women from low-income groups. Sanjivini HUL started Sanjivani – a free mobile medical service camp in the year 2003 near its Doom Dooma factory in Assam. The aim was to provide free mobile medical facility to the interior villagers in Assam. This was done keeping in mind the lack of quality medical facilities available in the villages in and around Doom Dooma. PROCTER & GAMBLE Procter & Gamble Co. is a Fortune 500, American MNC headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio As of 2008, P is the 8th largest corporation in the world by market capitalization and 14th largest by profit. It manufactures a wide range of consumer goods. It has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands including Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Always, Whisper, Pantene, MACH3, Bounty, Dawn, Gain, Pringles, Folgers, Charmin, Downy, Lenor, Iams, Crest, Oral-B, Actonel, Duracell, Olay, Head & Shoulders, wella, Gillette, Braun, and Fusion Vision: Be, and be recognized as, the best consumer products and services company in the world. Purpose: Company wants to be the innovation leader in every business, product category and country where P competes. P views sustainability as a significant responsibility — and a continual source of opportunity. 2012 SUSTAINABILITY GOALS OF P Strategy 1: Products Develop and market at least $20 billion in cumulative sales of â€Å"sustainable innovation products,† which are products with a significantly reduced (;10%) environmental footprint versus previous or alternative products. Strategy 2: Operations Deliver an additional 10% reduction (per unit production) in CO2 emissions, energy consumption, water consumption and disposed waste from P plants, leading to a total reduction over the decade of at least 40%. Strategy 3: Social Responsibility Enable 250 million children to Live, Learn and Thrive. Prevent 80 million days of disease and save 10,000 lives by delivering 2 billion liters of clean water through Children’s Safe Drinking Water program Strategy 4: Employees Engage and equip all P employees to build sustainability thinking and practices into their everyday work. Strategy 5: Stakeholders Shape the future by working transparently with stakeholders to enable continued freedom to innovate in a responsible way. P follows CSR activities in following categories Philanthropy Details Education Over the past 12 years, P has built over 140 schools across rural China, helping tens of thousands of children access better education facilities and an improved learning environment. Through this program, P builds and maintains facilities, trains teachers, and provides health and hygiene education programs. P Hope Schools engage employees on multiple levels, even encouraging participation from employees’ families. It uses cause-related marketing efforts, more than 320,000 retail outlets and 100 million consumers have also supported P Hope Schools. Shiksha (India) Through Shiksha, which means â€Å"education,† P is providing children in 15 cities and 75 villages across India with access to education. This program commits a portion from the sale of P brands toward the education of children in need in India. P India has also launched the Shiksha Ambassador Program, allowing employees to lead a word-of-mouth campaign to raise awareness of the issue. Infant health Pampers/1 Pack = 1 Vaccine campaign helps babies in underdeveloped regions, especially Africa, get off to a healthy start. Each time a consumer purchases a package of Pampers, a vaccination is provided via UNICEF to a child in need. So far, more than 50 million vaccinations have been funded. P hopes to eradicate maternal and neonatal tetanus through this effort, saving tens of millions of lives. Safe Drinking Water Children’s Safe Drinking Water initiative provides safe drinking water for children in need around the world, with an emphasis in Africa. It provides emergency relief and establishes safe drinking water technology to children and their families. This program is on the ground in developing nations such as Uganda, Kenya and Malawi. Thus far, technology has provided more than a billion liters of clean drinking water. Goal is to provide up to 2 billion liters of water by 2012. Community Welfare Enfance Mal-Logee (France) Program supports families with children living in sub-standard housing. This Live, Learn and Thrive program helps move families from sub-standard living conditions to safe, accessible housing, allowing children to stay with their families rather than being placed in orphanages. T. O. U. C. H. Together for Our Community Here) program has resulted in thousands of hours of voluntary work to help disabled, sick, and underprivileged children in Geneva. CSR In Business Process Waste Management P Gattatico Plant instituted a â€Å"War on Waste† program in January 2008 to reduce the trend in liquid waste due to increasing change-over sanitizations as production lines â€Å"produced to demand. † Gattatico i s a waste â€Å"lead site† for EMEA. At the end of FY 07/08 the site avoided 3,000 tons of disposed liquid waste. By the end of FY 08/09 they plan to reduce by another 2,200 tons. This plan will have over a 50 percent reduction impact on the waste footprint by FY11/12. The key interventions include: recycling wash water back into the process; improved washout procedures; and adding wastewater treatment to reduce the COD levels prior to sewer discharge. Energy saving and Emission reduction P operations pioneered breakthrough technologies to reduce energy consumption. Among the simple, low-cost steps were the following: oUsing water spray instead of electric power to cool water oRecovering waste heat from washout and sanitization water Using high-efficiency long-life lighting Over the year, these changes helped to reduce mean output energy by 6 –10 percent for each site. They are currently being reapplied across other business units. In addition, energy training and energy audits were conducted at all sites this year, making each self-sufficient in delivering sustainability opportunities. There has been a decrease over the past three years in CO2 (Direct) : 2. 9 million metric tons, 2. 9 million metric tons and 2. 8 million metric tons in 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively. Also there has been a decrease over the past three years in water consumption: 91 million m3, 90 million m3 and 87 million m3 in 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively. Technology/ Information Technology Managing innovation sustainably begins with the use of comprehensive analysis tools. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) generates a complete environmental footprint, extending beyond carbon impact to measure total energy and water use and waste production. Also included are the impacts of consumer use of P products, as well as all emissions into the air, water and land. This detailed review pinpoint areas where our innovation efforts can be most effective. Recycle At manufacturing site for perfume in Avenel, New Jersey, P developed a new process for blending scrap material for reprocessing as an ingredient for potpourri. As a result, annual generation of scrap waste at the site has dropped from 50,000 kg to zero. Each site monitors total suspended particulates, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx). Overall, the total air emissions decreased from last year to 15. 9 thousand metric tons. P continues to find innovative recycling methods to change the trend to be more efficient. CSR: Company Policies Disclosure policy Disclosure controls are systems and processes that help ensure that important information is made available to the right people at the right time. The Company requires every area of the business to maintain disclosure controls to provide adequate assurance that significant information is reported to the appropriate levels of the Company – so that the appropriate business steps can be taken to address any issues, and so that the Company can consider whether the information should be disclosed externally Antitrust Policy and Compliance Guidelines Antitrust laws are designed to prohibit agreements among companies that fix prices, divide markets, limit production or otherwise impede or destroy market forces. P policy is that all employees strictly comply with antitrust laws and the competition and anti-monopoly laws of all countries, states and localities in which they conduct P business. Supervisors and managers are responsible for ensuring that employees under their responsibility are aware of and comply with this policy. Child Labor and Worker Exploitation Policy P does not use child or forced labor in any of our global operations or acilities. P do not tolerate unacceptable worker treatment, such as exploitation of children, physical punishment or abuse, or involuntary servitude. The Company respects employees’ right to freedom of association, third party consultation and collective bargaining where all P by law. P expect our suppliers and contractors with whom P do business to uphold the same standards. HIV/AIDS Policy All employees, including those who are HIV infected or with AIDS, are treated consistently with the Company's Purpose, Values & Principles (PVP) by the Company, their managers and coworkers. P&G treat employees with HIV/AIDS the same as P&G treat those with other serious illnesses. Specifically, an employee who is HIV-infected or with AIDS: have the same employment rights and responsibilities as other employees, has the same eligibility for employee benefits and programs, including medical care and disability coverage, as non-infected employees, is afforded privacy and confidentiality protection consistent with the Company's handling of confidential, medical or other sensitive information, and is provided management support to remain productive Fair Competition P compete strictly on the merits of our products and services and make no attempts to restrain or limit trade. P do not enter into agreements with competitors concerning prices, production volumes, customers or sales territories. P do not disparage the products or services of a competitor. P collect competitive information through proper public or other lawful channels but do not use information that was obtained illegally or improperly by others, including through misrepresentation, invasion of property or privacy, or coercion. Advertising/Promotion Policies Neither deceptive advertising nor questionable promotional activity can ever be justified. These are vital tenets of P dedication to consumers and essential to gaining and keeping their continuing loyalty to our brands. P observes standards of commercial fairness in devising, using and selecting advertising and promotions, so the products succeed based on their own quality and performance and our reputation as a company, rather than by false or deceptive statements or comparisons. AWARDS 1. In December of 2007, P was honored with the highly prestigious Presidential Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership. . International Health Communication Gold Medallion Award, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health — for building market-based relationships that sustain and deliver safe drinking water. 3. Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency for outstanding leadership in protecting children from environmental risk . 4. Global Leadership Award, United Nations Association of the USA — in part, for providing clean water for millions around the world through the Children’s Safe Drinking Water program. Report is prepared using the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G3 Guidelines. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS (FMCG) FMCG industry primarily deals with the production, distribution and marketing of consumer packaged goods. Some of the prime activities of FMCG industry are selling, marketing, financing, purchasing, etc. The industry also engaged in operations, supply chain, production and general management. With increased competitiveness in the sector, it is critical for an each organization to leverage its social activities in order to gain a competitive advantage. The increased credibility and goodwill earned from the customers and associates is an invaluable intangible asset for the FMCG organization. CSR has now become a part of the corporate strategy thinking. A CSR activity of FMCG companies generally involves improving their processes and brings out change through policy measures. Most of the companies use communication medium and channels partners to showcase their activities and sensitize the population about the issue. Global FMCG companies have presence in more than 50 countries and CSR activities are designed according to the local issues and problems. Business Process: Innovation is the key for P and through innovation company brings efficiency in overall operations. Use of technology to reduce the inventory, waste management and emission reduction issues are some of the activities undertaken. Unilever mainly concentrates on providing more nutritional value to its product and promoting good practices for hygiene. Unilever is also involved in waste management and emission reduction. Company policies: P strongly advocates CSR through its policies and follows the same across all the offices and manufacturing units. Providing right information to consumers, no discrimination of employees on social status or on health issues like AIDS. Unilever mainly controls its supply chain through strict policy measures and make them also socially responsible. Philanthropy Most of the P activities across the globe concentrate on Child welfare. Through Live, Learn and Thrive Program Company provides education, scholarship, safe drinking water to millions of children. Unilever is providing to relief to disaster affected areas. Also wild life preservation and environment conservation initiatives are undertaken. CITIGROUP INC. About the Company: Citigroup Inc. , a global financial services company, provides consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions with a range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. The core citizenship priorities of Citi include microfinance, financial education and asset preservation, and the environment. These are the areas in which Citi holds specific expertise and has an opportunity to make a material difference. We will be discussing the CSR activities undertaken by Citi under two major heads – philanthropy and CSR in business practices. Philanthropy Details Financial literacy The Citi Foundation supports programs that provide individuals with access to knowledge and incentives that help them take control of their financial future by making informed decisions, acquiring and preserving financial assets, and responding to major life events that can affect income and expenses. The specific goals of Citi Foundation program are: †¢Invest over $200 million over ten years in financial education; †¢Support programs to help low income families build and preserve assets. Performance highlights for 2008: Total funding till date has been $149 million. In 2008 alone, Citi invested $28 million in 73 countries. The total number of individuals reached through this program by the year 2008 is 22,344,441. Microfinance The Citi Foundation has been supporting the expansion and evolution of the microfinance industry for decades. Its approach is to: †¢Expand outreach to millions more low-income borrowers †¢Build and preserve borrowers’ assets via savings, housing finance, remittances, insurance, and financial education †¢Build global awareness of microfinance as an effective poverty alleviation tool The highlights of the microfinance initiative of Citi are as follows: Citi Foundation sponsored the Microfinance Banana Skins Survey 2009 that describes the risks facing the microfinance industry. Citi launched an innovative micro-savings product called Citibank Pragati in India. It utilizes a biometric ATM, which can identify customers not only on the basis of a card and a pin, but also by their fingerprints, and it displays and speaks to customers in up to six languages. On May 9, 2007, SKS Microfinance and Citibank announced a $40 Million (Rs. 180 crores) financing program involving Citibank India purchasing loans that are originated by SKS. Community Relations Under its community relations initiative, one of the major programs of Citi has been its Office of Homeownership Preservation (OHP). Through this, Citi is working hard to keep distressed homeowners whose mortgages it owns or services in their homes and out of foreclosure. It established its Office of Homeownership Preservation (OHP) in 2007, as the foreclosure crisis began to emerge. This initiative has helped approximately 440,000 homeowners since 2007 through loss mitigation and proactive loan modification. In the year 2008 OHP: †¢Reached out to 88,000 borrowers †¢Participated in 106 borrower outreach program in 72 cities †¢Trained more than 600 counselors from 304 non-profit organisations †¢Worked with 18,240 borrowers to find foreclosure solutions ‘Plant-a-Tree’ initiative In April 2007, Citi adopted a ‘Plant-a-Tree’ initiative to create environmental awareness by encouraging its credit card holders to switch to paperless statements, planting a tree for each conversion made. CSR in business process Diversity Citi strives to be an ‘Employer of Choice’ by: a. Hiring, training, mentoring and championing individuals from diverse backgrounds. b. Offering training to employees on topics such as â€Å"Championing Diversity,† â€Å"Valuing Diversity and Inclusion at Citi† and â€Å"Leadership Through the Lens of Diversity. † It strives to be a ‘Business Partner of Choice’ by a. Maintaining a diverse supplier base. Its supplier diversity team tries to identify and hire qualified business enterprises owned by minorities, women, and people with disabilities, veterans and disabled veterans. Energy Citi has undertaken various initiatives to conserve energy by following certain practices in its business process. It has developed a ‘Green Energy Community Investment Fund’ which supports the installation of solar electric systems on commercial buildings, especially the ones which are under privileged. Also, between the year 2006 and 2008, it centralized its recycling of e-waste operations in New York. More than 0. 1 million devices were recycled between these two years itself. Citi is also looking at increasing the component of purchases with recycled content in its office supplies. In the year 2008, it increased from 33% to 38%. Employees Citi is particularly focused towards its employees. It provides Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) to help employees manage stresses related to job loss, personal counseling etc. It also offers Flexible Work Strategies program through which the employees can decide when they want, from where they want and how they want to work. Technology In the year 2008, Citi launched ‘log off for Savings’ program. This program involves centrally managing PC sleep settings. This initiative would cut down GHG emissions and save costs too. Another of its initiative, Desktop Standardization Initiative (DSI) deployed ‘Thin Client’ technology which uses anywhere from 6 to 50 watts, versus the 150 to 350 watts used by a standard PC. Citi also plans to reduce number of overall datacenters from 52 to 24. In the year 2008, it has come down to 32 datacenters. Citi has also been adopting ‘virtualization’ to reduce the need for physical resources. It is also trying to conserve energy resources through travel substitution by Using Tele- and video conferencing wherever possible. Climate Change On May 8, 2007, Citi announced that it will direct $50 billion over the next 10 years to address global climate change through investments, financings and related activities to support the commercialization and growth of alternative energy and clean technology among the clients and markets it serves, as well as within its own businesses and operations. In 2008, Citi eliminated six million square feet of office space through the Alternative Workplace Strategies program. Environment and Social Risk Management Policy (ESRM) This policy was developed in 2003 to help address environmental and social issues from both a credit risk perspective and a reputation and franchise risk perspective. The CMB ESRM Policy’s core elements are based on the Equator Principles. The ESRM policy assesses the proceeds from the financial transactions into three categories: ? Category A: Use of proceeds is expected to have a significant adverse impact on society and/or environment. Category B: Use of the proceeds is expected to have limited adverse impact on society and/or environment. ?Category C: Use of proceeds is expected to have minimal adverse impacts. Signatory initiatives Equator Principles In adopting the Equator Principles, Citi agreed to provide loans only to those projects whose borrowers can demonstrate their ability and willingness to co mply with comprehensive processes aimed at ensuring that projects are developed in a socially responsible manner and according to sound environmental management practices. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Citi uses Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 Sustainability Guidelines in Citi’s 2008 Citizenship Report. It is a self-declaring a â€Å"B† Application level. The carbon Principles Through its commitment towards the Carbon Principles, Citi has sworn in to †¢Encourage investments in cost effective demand reduction to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions. †¢Encourage clients to invest in cost effective renewable sources of energy and distributed technologies. Assess and reflect the risks in the financing of certain fossil fuel generation in the light of the need to substantially reduce greenhouse gas pollution through its Enhanced Due Diligence process. On September 14, 2009, Citi announced that it has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) for the ninth consecutive year, affirming Citi's position as a global sustainability leader. Associations Citi has many NGO partners: Friends of the Earth (U. S. ), EcoLogic Finance, Forest Trends, Rainforest Action Network, Wildlife Habitat Council, World Wildlife Fund etc. Awards Citizenship Best Corporate Citizen, Second Place in Foreign Company Category Common Wealth Magazine, Taiwan Best Bank for Corporate Social Responsibility The Bank of the Year Competition, Hungary Honorable Mention for Best CSR Award Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance Diversity 100% Corporate Equality Index Human Rights Campaign (United States) – fifth time on the list Employees Best Flexible Work Practices Hong Kong HR Awards 2008 The City Foundation The Citi Foundation is committed to the economic empowerment of individuals and families, particularly those in need, in the communities where it works so that they can improve their standard of living. Citi is particularly interested in supporting program innovations in the following priority focus areas: Microfinance: Help individuals and families improve their lives through economic self-sufficiency and reduce financial vulnerability Small and Growing Businesses: To create employment opportunities and support broad economic growth Education programs: To help improve quality and access to primary and secondary education in Citi markets internationally, and in the United States programs that increase the number of low-income and first-generation students who enroll in postsecondary education and earn a degree Financial Education and Asset Building: To help individuals and families develop the knowledge they need to achieve financial stability HSBC HSBC Holdings plc is a public limited company incorporated in England and Wales in 1990, and headquartered in London since 1993. As of 2009, it is both the world's largest banking group and the world's 6th largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine. HSBC has an enormous operational base in Asia and significant lending, investment, and insurance activities around the world. The company has a global reach and financial fundamentals matched by few other banking or financial multinationals CSR at HSBC The focus of HSBC’s work on environmental issues primarily addresses the risks and opportunities associated with climate change and natural resources, including energy, water management, waste and biodiversity. The social initiatives they prioritise include making financial services available more widely and providing access to education. HSBC believe this is the best way to help communities build capacity, financial independence and long-term prosperity. Sustainability at HSBC is overseen by the Corporate Sustainability Committee of the HSBC Holdings Board. The Corporate Sustainability Committee is responsible for advising the HSBC Holdings Board, committees of the Board and executive management on sustainability policies, including environmental, social and ethical issues. Focus Area The main focus of HSBC’s commitments is on two main themes – education and the environment. HSBC believes that we are dependent upon the skills of future generations; if we do not prepare them adequately, we limit our future potential. Access to education can be life changing and helps to equalise opportunity. It is also a prerequisite for economic growth and the development of stable societies. Their educational support focuses on: †¢Disadvantaged children †¢Financial and business literacy †¢Environmental education and understanding They equally believe that the needs of today’s society should not be fulfilled at the expense of future generations. It believes that we are dependent upon the state of the environment, and if we degrade it, we damage our future prospects. Our environmental support focuses on: †¢Climate change †¢Freshwater (e. g. rivers) †¢Biodiversity (plants, forests and animals) Global Education Programmes Opportunities for disadvantaged children – Future First The flagship programme, Future First, has taken on the challenge of helping homeless children, orphans and children in care around the world. For this they are working in partnership with the charity SOS Children’s Villages, among others, with the shared aim to provide access to education and life skills training. This helps the children to grow in confidence and, in time, to make their own contribution to society. Our presence in over 80 countries and territories presents us with a large network of people and resources capable of making a significant difference to these children’s lives. Rural Children Programme China has seen impressive economic growth over the last two decades but a vast disparity remains between the prosperity of rural and urban regions. To help support the ongoing success of the country, HSBC has identified a need to build up the educational infrastructure in rural areas where 95 per cent of primary schools are located. HSBC’s Rural Children Programme aims to improve facilities and provide training to teachers in curriculum design, computer-aided teaching, nutrition and counselling to help support a modern and rounded education for rural children. Financial Literacy Programme – JA More than Money As household debt rises throughout many developed countries and the world faces economic uncertainty, gaining an early understanding of how to create and manage a sustainable income is ever more important for individuals and for society as a whole. HSBC launched JA More than Moneyâ„ ¢ in 2007 in partnership with Junior Achievement Worldwide ®. HSBC colleagues are involved in classroom activities where they draw on their own skills and experience to teach children about earning, spending, sharing and saving money. Promoting environmental education: Eco – Schools Climate Initiative The HSBC Eco-Schools Climate Initiative is run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and with HSBC’s support will be able to expand the programme across the world. The programme involves a tried and tested seven step processes to engage the entire population of the school in practical activities to improve their local environment. Through these seven steps, students, parents, teachers and the wider community are encouraged to take a more active role in environmental decision making. Investing in the Environment Protecting the environment is central to HSBC’s sustainability strategy as a carbon neutral organization. They focus on reducing the footprint of their own operations and even encourage their clients and suppliers to do the same. They also partner with leading environmental organizations to achieve shared goals. The Climate Group works with corporate and government leaders in some of the world’s cities to tackle climate change. Participation in the HSBC Climate Partnership has enabled the launch of new offices and recruitment of new members in Beijing, Hong Kong and Delhi plus the launch of the UK Together campaign, helping households save carbon dioxide by providing cheap and easy ways for consumers to reduce their carbon footprint. The HSBC Climate Partnership has helped WWF to support 33 nature reserves in China to tackle increased flooding, reduce pollution and safeguard endangered species in the central and lower Yangtze River. The HSBC Climate Partnership makes up around 80% of HSBC’s overall investment in the environment. It is complemented by a number of local programmes, many of which allow its employees the opportunity to engage in and understand conserving their local environment. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS (BANKING) Banks act as financial intermediaries in our society: they price and value financial assets, they monitor borrowers, they manage financial risks and they organize the payment system. By performing these functions, banks have a huge impact on society. They usually require firms and households to adopt certain behaviour in order to increase the chances that these lenders will pay interest and amortizations. As such, they also may affect sustainable development. Socially responsible banking is becoming a well-established notion in the financial services industry. Financial institutions are coming round to the idea that there is more to invest than just to check the figures. In the US, every one out of eight dollars invested is subject to some social or ethical screen. In most countries, private households have the opportunity to save or invest their money not only on the basis of financial rewards, but also in the face of the nonmonetary value of savings and investments. In many OECD countries, specialized banks offer savings accounts to the public while promising that the savings will be used to finance environmentally sound projects or for operations of entrepreneurs who find it hard to get access to finance from institutions that are more conventional. Women and minorities have been targeted specifically in this respect in the US based on so-called community investments. In more than 40 countries – including several developing countries like Brazil and South-Africa – people can put their savings in socially responsible investment funds that in some way or another check for corporate social responsibility (CSR) of the firms in which they invest. Banks increasingly are involved with financing economic activity that aims at sustainable development and offer microcredit to the poor and deprived. Some of the important CSR initiatives taken by various banks are: Reporting Standards Non-financial reporting is a very popular instrument in the banking sector and this is a partial confirmation of CSR’s maturity of the sector. Banks have developed their own reports and use the ‘Global Reporting Initiative’ (GRI) reporting framework. Financial Literacy With growing business banks and other financial institutions have started realizing of creating awareness about financial planning. To address this issue banks have started with financial literacy programs at various levels. Like HSBC has launched JA More than Moneyâ„ ¢ program to educate children on financial planning while on the other hand Citi has various programs targeting adults for the financial literacy. Climate Change and Environment Protection Banking Industry has shown concerns towards changing climatic conditions. Although banks have less impact on the natural environment than, say, the chemical or mining industry, their relatively low impact on environmental sustainability is more than compensated for by their impact on society as a whole. Most of the initiatives are towards reducing the total CO2 emitted not only by them but also by their stake holders forming part of the value chain. Some of the important steps are like commitment of USD50 billion by Citi towards climate control investments, HSBC’s eco-school climate initiative to provide education on climate conservation awareness. Energy Banks are encouraging investments in green energy. The encouragement is mainly in terms of funds and other financial assistance specifically allocated for installation of green energy sources. Recycling of waste and use of recyclable supplies is been done at the institution level by majority of the banks. Vodafone Vodafone is a British mobile network operator, with its headquarters in Berkshire, England, UK. It is the largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world by turnover, and has a market value of about ? 75 billion (August 2008). Vodafone currently has operations in 31 countries and partner networks in a further 40 countries. Vision : To be world’s mobile communications leader, enriching customers’ lives, helping individuals, businesses and communities be more connected in a mobile world. Vodafone’s latest Corporate Responsibility Report It highlights how the company's expansion in emerging markets is facilitating economic development by increasing access to communications. The rapid expansion of the network means one of Vodafone's biggest issues is how to control greenhouse gas emissions. To address this Vodafone recently announced a target to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2020 in its established markets. This year's report outlines how the company aims to achieve this ambitious goal. Vodafone is also exploring how its products and services can help other industries cut their carbon footprint, and is increasing its focus on managing climate impacts in the supply chain. Vodafone's social and environmental performance in 2008/09 is reported in its signature ‘We said, We have, We will' format. CSR in business process Decreased like-for-like carbon emissions by 4. 7% In 2008/09, company’s total CO2 emissions was1. 31 million tonnes, 4. 7% lower than last year despite an increase in energy use. The carbon intensity of the Group’s energy consumption has decreased due to our increased use of green tariff energy – energy generated from renewable sources. This Group reduction target applies to our entire local operating companies that active for a full year in 2006/07; and to their CO2 emissions from all energy ources except business flights and other greenhouse gases. Increased the number of sites powerd by on-site renewable energy by 7. 5% acro ss the Group Vodafone now has 429 base stations powered by on-site renewable energy in eight countries, Diesel is often used to power sites that are not connected to the electricity grid, as well as being used in back-up generators in case of power failure. In 2008/09, diesel use accounted for 6. 3% of our total CO2 emissions from network energy use across the Group. This proportion is higher in our Indian operations. Collected 1. 82 million handsets for reuse and recycling Vodafone has exceeded our target to collect 1. 5 million handsets during 2008/09. Vodafone operating companies continued their efforts to collect handsets for recycling, collecting approximately half a million more handsets than last year – representing a 37% increase. Begun a pilot project to assess capability for recycling e-waste in Mumbai In 2008/09, Vodafone commenced an end-of-life assessment of mobiles in India, particularly in Mumbai, with The Environment Resources Institute. The study aims to assess current practices and devise strategies to improve end-of-life management of mobile phones. Supply chain Vodafone expect all our suppliers to maintain high ethical, environmental and labour standards, and Vodafone work with them to build their CR capability. Our Code of Ethical Purchasing (CEP) sets out our requirements and Vodafone assess new and existing suppliers for compliance with the CEP. Vodafone also engage in industry partnerships to improve CR standards throughout the supply chain for the ICT sector as a whole. Diversity in workforce The strategy, launched in April 2008, aims to ensure that Vodafone’s workforce reflects its diverse customer base and that the company has an inclusive working environment that embraces the benefits diversity brings. Implementation of the strategy is overseen by a global steering committee. The initial focus is on gender and nationality diversity. In 2008/09, 13% of our most senior managers – including three operating company CEOs were female. A total of 23 nationalities were represented in top management bands, an increase on 2007/08. Introduced a new health and safety strategy In February 2009, Vodafone developed a three-year strategic plan to prevent fatalities and ensure effective implementation of our product safety policy. To achieve this, Vodafone will introduce initiatives to promote leadership in health, safety extend our online management and reporting systems, and improve health and safety governance and risk management. Consumer Issues Vodafone's reputation depends on earning the trust of its customers. Their loyalty is vital to the long-term success of our business. This section covers a range of issues that Vodafone believe play an important part in maintaining customer trust. Important consumer issues include the clarity of our pricing, the responsibility of our marketing material, the way Vodafone handle customer privacy and our measures to protect customers from inappropriate content, contact and commercialism. Vodafone also address other consumer issues such as responsible mobile phone use, driving safety and mobile theft. Safety from RF & EMF Developed employee awareness training and awareness initiatives on RF fields Vodafone has made significant investment in e-learning programs, induction briefings and face-to-face training to raise awareness among relevant employees in all our local operating companies to enable them to fulfill their vital role in communicating our approach to RF fields. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has issued guidelines on levels of exposure to RF fields. Vodafone’s policy on Health and Safety of RF Fields requires that all our base stations – and the mobile phones Vodafone sell – comply with ICNIRP guidelines. In fact, RF field exposure from our base stations is typically hundreds, if not thousands, of times below the limits set by the guidelines. Mobile for blind and deaf people Vodafone is currently focusing on making its services easier to use for customers who are: †¢Blind or visually impaired †¢Deaf or hard of hearing †¢Elderly or have special healthcare needs. This text-to-speech software – enabling blind and visually impaired customers to use text messages – is an updated version of Mobile Speak. Health Service vial mobile An mHealth services pre-feasibility study in India. A total of ? 450,598 was provided by the Fund towards these initiatives at 31 March 2009. In 2008/09, Vodafone fostered continued developments in mHealth by partnering with and investing in t+medical, the leading provider of mobile phonebased technology used to transfer patient biometric data. t+Medical’s innovative technology enables patients with chronic diseases to record details about their condition and treatment using their mobile phones. The information is quickly and easily relayed to nurses who can monitor the data and take action if Necessary. Corporate Governance The Board of the Company is committed to high standards of corporate governance, which it considers are critical to business integrity and to maintaining investors’ trust in the Company. The Group expects all its directors and employees to act with honesty, integrity and fairness. The Group will strive to act in accordance with the laws and customs of the countries in which it operates; adopt proper standards of business practice and procedure; operate with integrity; and observe and respect the culture of every country in which it does business. Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2008 65 Awards During the year, Vodafone’s 2007 CR report won the main accolade of the Corporate Register Reporting Awards for the best report and was commended by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (â€Å"ACCA†) for the best isclosure in Tax and Public Policy. Vodafone is included in the FTSE4Good and Dow Jones Sustainability Index and rated fifth in the Global Account Ab ility Rating. The Vodafone Group Foundation The Vodafone Group Foundation is a UK registered Charity established by Vodafone Group Plc in 2002. It has invested over ? 100 million in projects since its creation and currently receives ? 24 million per annum from the Vodafone Group Plc which it distributes between projects globally and its unique global footprint of 23 Vodafone Foundations. Vodafone is committed to making a difference in the communities in which it operates. The Vodafone Group Foundation has invested over ? 00 million in projects since its creation in 2002 concentrating on disaster relief, helping disadvantaged children via sport and music initiatives and specific projects across Vodafone's 23 local Foundations worldwide. Philanthropy Details The Vodafone Group Foundation has donated ? 10m to the United Nations Foundation over five years, part of which has been made available to the Measles Initiative for Immunization programs. As a second phase of their support of the se activities, VGF and the UN Foundation have now begun work with WHO on a new program to use technology to improve disease surveillance, a critical aspect of fighting not only measles but many other diseases. The Vodafone Group Foundation partnership is the largest financial commitment made by any corporation to the UN Foundation. Philanthropy in India Vodafone Group Plc has established the Vodafone India Foundation, with an initial commitment of $10 million. This step signifies a further landmark in the development of Vodafone’s presence in India and confirms the Group's commitment to invest socially in the communities where it operates. This activity will be supported by The Vodafone Group Foundation which has developed a unique network of 23 Foundations around the world during the last five years. Compliance with GRI guidelines Vodafone has benchmarked its CR reporting against the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability reporting guidelines. The company assess its application of the GRI reporting framework to be at level B+. Independent assurance report to Vodafone KPMG LLP was engaged by Vodafone Group Services Limited to provide assurance over selected aspects of the Vodafone Group plc 2008/09 Corporate Responsibility Report. Conclusion CSR activities are followed worgwide but their ways of approach are different depending upon company and their nature of business. CSR projects are frequently carried out as a cooperative effort; involving external partners can enhance the success and value of the project, and projects can benefit from the experience of local organizations or stakeholders. Companies are faced with the challenge of expanding their reporting to include the social and ecological effects of their business activities. This involves, in particular, maintaining international standards and norms with respect to CSR topics. More and more, however, even socially relevant CSR projects and their effects are being carefully scrutinized. It is no longer enough simply to assert that a project is doing something positive for society The goal is to develop a CSR strategy that addresses the most urgent social needs on the local agenda, while avoiding risks and identifying new opportunities to achieve corporate objectives. In a country with widespread poverty, for example, adapting a company’s products to the resources of low-income consumers can serve a social purpose and at the same time help the company gain access to new customer groups. Providing basic and further training ensures a well trained labor force and alleviates a shortage of qualified workers. Well planned CSR activities can have the immediate effect of helping a company’s business run more smoothly while also ensuring the long-term availability of the workers and resources that are necessary for corporate success. Rather than following fleeting trends or giving in to pressure from NGOs, companies need to integrate sustainable CSR activities into their everyday routine so that they gradually become second nature. Another option is to outsource CSR projects or transfer them to partners with greater expertise and experience in the relevant area. Particularly when projects are too far removed from a company’s core business, it is wise to assign responsibility for them to competent entities or independent structures. CSR projects can only survive if they are integrated into a company’s core business over the long term. It is not simply a matter of developing a positive reputation, but also of shaping sustainable business processes. It is therefore important to review the effectiveness of projects on a regular basis. Accordingly, (CSR) management is responsible for introducing CSR projects that have been successfully launched to the relevant departments and making them part of the company’s core business as independent products and processes. In purchasing, certain social guidelines should be the norm, and environmental standards should be the norm in the area of development. References www. csridentity. com www. csrwire. com www. unilever. com www. citygroupinc. com www. hsbc. com www. pg-india. com www. vodafone. co †¢Sustainibility report of all five companies