Concepts of Social Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Concepts of Social Responsibility Essay Business organizations today are socially and ethically responsible for doing the right thing, exercising good judgment in their business activities with employees, stakeholders, customers and the community. Business organizations emphasis should not only be on profits, but also on how business decisions impact society. Company Q is a small grocery store chain located in a major metropolitan area. This company will be evaluated on its attitude towards social responsibility. Also, recommendations will be given in three areas indicating how the company could improve its position regarding social responsibility. First of all, Company Q’s decision to close stores in high crime areas will have an adverse effect on the communities where they conduct business, leading to disruption and hardship in the lives of many. This definitely demonstrates an irresponsible attitude toward social responsibility. In terms of social responsibility, Company Q could help enrich the lives of families in need by supporting local community centers. Community centers play an important role in addressing the comprehensive needs of individuals and families by providing a wide range of resources that are most needed. Moreover, a responsible business could initiate programs to help disadvantaged youths and adults in the community, build employable works skills and connect them to career opportunities. Without question, the more job opportunities and employability of the citizens in that community the lower the crime rate would be. Finally, if Company Q is to be socially responsible, it must not only be committed to making a profit, but also to the economic development of the community where it does business (Ravindran, N. 2008). Secondarily, Company Q’s reluctance to offer health conscience customers a wide range of organic and healthy foods because the products are considered high margin items, is socially irresponsible and bad for business. A growing number of consumers favor organic foods, claiming that it tastes better and is healthier. Why organic? Organic foods grown naturally in well-balanced soils, ripened by the sun are healthier and tastier than products with synthetic chemicals and growth hormones. Moreover, the growing number of conscience consumers was highlighted in a recent Bursen-Marsteller report; â€Å"people will more likely choose a product that supports a social cause when choosing between otherwise similar products† (Penn, Schoen Berland, 2010). These average consumers daily decisions are slowly but surely being influenced by social concern and responsibility. Finally, the critical issue for Company Q is the social responsibility to its customers, who looks to business to provide them with satisfying, safe products and respect their rights as customer. Lastly, Company Q decides to throw away food products, instead of donating it to the local food bank. Sadly, this behavior demonstrates a concern for profits before people attitude, which is socially irresponsible. Businesses can no longer ignore social issues because a business is a part of our society. For Company Q to become more socially responsible its sole objective must not only be to make a profit. But include concerns and responsibilities to the general welfare of the communities and societies in which they operate. Moreover, businesses should simply want to make their communities better places for everyone to live and work. The most common way that businesses exercise their community responsibility is through donations to local and national charitable organizations. Doing simple things like contributing to local food banks, may not be enough to change the world for everyone, but does alleviate some of social ills that abound in local communities.

Nuclar Energy Pros Essays -- essays research papers fc

In our society, nuclear energy has become one of the most criticized forms of energy by the environmentalists. Thus, a look at nuclear energy and the environment and its impact on economic growth. Lewis Munford, an analyst, once wrote, "Too much energy is as fatal as too little, hence the regulation of energy input and output not its unlimited expansion, is in fact one of the main laws of life." This is true when dealing with nuclear power. Because our societies structure and processes both depend upon energy, man is searching for the most efficient and cheapest form of energy that can be used on a long term basis. And because we equate power with growth, the more energy that a country uses, -the greater their expected economic growth. The problem is that energy is considered to have two facets or parts: it is a major source of man-made repercussions as well as being the basis of life support systems. Therefore, we are between two sections in which one is the section of "resource availability and waste", and the other "the continuity of life support systems pertinent to survival." Thus, the environmentalists believe that nuclear energy should not be used for various reasons. First of all, the waste product, i.e. plutonium, is extremely radioactive, which may cause the people who are working or living in or around the area of storage or use, to acquire leukemia and other cancers. They also show how billions of dollars are spent yearly on safety devices for a single reactor, and this still doesn't ensure theimpossibility of a "melt down." Two examples were then given of Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, in 1979, when thousands of people were killed and incapacitated. Finally, the environmentalists claim that if society wastes less energy, and develops the means to use the energy more efficiency, then there would be a definite decrease in the requirement for more energy producing plants. On the other hand, some business men and economists say that the present conditions should be kept intact, as the other forms of energy, e.g. oil, natural gas and coal, are only temporary, in dealing with surplus, and give off more pollution with less economic growth. Concurrently, countries wanted a more reliable, smokeless form of energy not controlled by OPEC, and very little uranium was required to produce such a high amount of res... ...ote, nuclear power "threatens the present and forecloses the future. It is unethical, and inferior to non-fission futures that enhance survival for humans, alive and yet to be born, and nature, with all its living entities." Therefore, in conclusion, it is clearly evident why nuclear energy should be abandoned, even though it may be considered as economically sound, and that we should concentrate more on conservation and quality rather than expansion as we have done in the past. Footnotes: 1. Nuclear Energy: The Unforgiving Technology. Edmonton, Alberta: Hurtig Publishers, 1976. Page 201. 2. Knelman, Page 202. 3. Knelman, Page 234. Bibliography: 1. Nuclear Energy: The Unforgiving Technology. Fred Knelman, Hurtig Publishers, Edmonton, Alberta. 1976. 2. Economic Thinking and Pollution Problems. Edited by D.A.L. AULD, University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Ontario. 1972. 3. Nuclear Energy: Solution or Suicide. Edited by Carol C. Collins, Facts on File Publications. New York, New York. 1984. Thesis: A look at nuclear energy and the environment and why it is one of the most criticized forms of energy - when it has great possibilities in economic growth.

Arthur Anderson Questionable Accounting Practices: Ethics And Advocacy Essay

1. Discuss how the issues with the Arthur Anderson case may have played out differently if the Sarbanes-Oxley Act had been enacted in 1999. The provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley Act help minimize the likelihood of auditor failing to identify accounting irregularities by the following requirements: 1). Improving the internal control. Auditors comment on the internal control of the firm should be reported. 2). Reinforcing supervision for financial irregularities. This act boosts to establish an independent the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, which is responsible for overseeing the performance of the certified public accountants and the accounting firm. 3). Strengthening the independence of auditors. It means that the act restricts auditors to audit activities only. 4). Encouraging financial disclosure. It also provides whistle-blower protection. 5). Increasing the penalties of ethical and legal misconducts. There are severe monetary and criminal punishments imposed on those audit ors that give false statements. Further, the act lays down the quality of auditing required, the quality of control, and independence standards and rules. 2. Discuss how the issues with the Arthur Anderson case may have played out differently if the Sarbanes-Oxley Act had been enacted in 1999. One specific provision that could help greatly is Section 203, or Auditor Partner Rotation. This section calls for auditors to rotate partners assigned to clients, so that fresh eyes can review the work that has been done. This helps to prevent the â€Å"partner in crime† relationship that contributed to Andersen’s downfall. Finally, the provisions make the entire auditing process more transparent, so that people on the outside of the company such as shareholders, can easily see what is happening. 3. Determine and discuss which elements of the framework for ethical decision making in business (from Chapter 5) played the biggest role in the Anderson case. Arthur Andersen and partner Clarence DeLany founded Arthur Andersen LLP in Chicago in 1913. After 90 years of hard work, this accounting firm we become known as one of the Big Five largest accounting firms in the United States. Andersen set standards for the accounting profession and advanced new initiatives on the strength of its then undeniable integrity. By the 1980s, standards throughout the industry fell as accountancy firms struggled to balance their commitment to audit independence against the desire to grow their consultancy practices. Andersen rapidly expanded its consultancy practice to the point where the bulk of its revenues were derived from such engagements, while audit partners were continually encouraged to seek out opportunities for consulting fees from existing audit clients. By the late-1990s, Andersen had succeeded in tripling the per-share revenues of its partners. Arthur Andersen was constantly accused of wrong doing starting in 1998. Andersen struggled to balance the need to maintain its faithfulness to accounting standards with its clients’ desire to maximize profits, particularly in the era of quarterly earnings reports. Andersen has been alleged to have been involved in the fraudulent accounting and auditing of Sunbeam Product Waste Management, Baptist Foundation of Arizona, WorldCom and Enron. On June 15, 2002, Andersen was convicted of obstruction of justice for shredding documents related to its audit of Enron, resulting in the Enron scandal. Nancy Temple (Andersen Legal Dept.) and David Duncan (Lead Partner for the Enron account) were cited as the responsible managers in this scandal as they had given the order to shred relevant documents. Since the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not allow convicted felons to audit public companies, the firm agreed to surrender its licenses and its right to practice before the SEC on August 31, 2002, effectively ending the company’s operations. The Andersen indictment also put a spotlight on its faulty audits of other companies, most notably Sunbeam and WorldCom. The subsequent bankruptcy of WorldCom, which quickly surpassed Enron as the biggest bankruptcy in history, led to a domino effect of accounting and like corporate scandals that continue to tarnish American business practices. On May 31, 2005, in the case Arthur Andersen LLP v. United States, the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously reversed Andersen’s conviction due to what it saw as serious flaws in the jury instructions 4. Discuss how the situation at Arthur Anderson may have played out differently if their senior management had displayed the habits of strong ethical leaders. Standards of any kind are a direct representation of its leadership. If organizational compliance exists, it will trickle down throughout the organization. Arthur Andersen’s ethical dilemma deals with greed. The firm became very greedy and sloppy. They no longer believed in rock solid accounting principles that had been instilled in earlier years. They were more into getting money whether illegally of legally. They felt like they were getting paid more to hide things than to audit. They tried to shred the Enron’s documents even after the court told them to stop all activities of such. Arthur Andersen somewhat helped Enron with their accounting scandal. Had Andersen done the job in an ethical manor, thousands of people would not be out of a job or even worst their retirement funds. One of many mistakes that condemned Arthur Andersen, was the shredding of those Enron documents. Even if the company was lying they could have gotten away with it. If they stopped shredding the documents the jury would not have found them guilty and ruin their reputation. The case did get reversed but the damage was already done. To take it further back than that, I would have maintained acceptable accounting principles like the founding fathers of the company situated. Andersen was doing perfectly fine, financially at least, before it crumbled due to bad decision making. References: www.sec.gov/about/laws.shtml – frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107 www.commondreams.org/views02/0712-02.htm bodurtha.georgetown.edu/†¦/Arthur%20Andersen’s%20Fall%20From%20Grace%20Is%20.. news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2047122.stm www.time.com/time/business/†¦/0,8599,216386,00.html topics.nytimes.com †º Times Topics †º People †º D – resources.bnet.com/topic/sunbeam+corp..html studentoffortune.com/†¦/Ethics-and-Fraud-at-Sunbeam-Corporation

Catholic University Admissions SAT Scores, Admit Rate

Catholic University of America admits around three-quarters of those who apply each year, making it generally accessible. Students with good grades and scores above average are likely to get in; keep in mind that the school also looks at what courses a students has taken, extracurricular activities, and work/volunteer experience. To apply, interested students must submit an application, high school transcripts, an essay, and scores from either the SAT or ACT. Admissions Data (2016) Catholic University Acceptance Rate: 80%GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for CUA AdmissionsTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: - / -SAT Math: - / -What these SAT numbers meanSAT score comparison for D.C. collegesACT Composite: - / -What these ACT numbers meanACT score comparison for D.C. colleges Catholic University Description Founded by U.S. bishops, the Catholic University of America is the national university of the Catholic Church. Students come to CUA from all 50 states and nearly 100 countries, and the student body is about half undergraduates and half graduate students. The university is made up of 12 schools and 21 research facilities. Among undergraduates, architecture and political science are the most popular majors. The universitys strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned CUA a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa. The D.C. Metro is on the edge of 176-acre campus, and students can easily take advantage of the opportunities found in the capital (see other D.C. area colleges). The CUA Cardinals compete in NCAA Division III athletics. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 6,076 (3,241 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 45% Male / 55% Female96% Full-time Costs (2016 - 17) Tuition and Fees: $42,536Books: $838 (why so much?)Room and Board: $13,820Other Expenses: $3,268Total Cost: $60,462 Catholic University Financial Aid (2015  - 16) Percentage of Students Receiving Aid: 95%Percentage of Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 93%Loans: 60%Average Amount of AidGrants: $21,751Loans: $9,364 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors:  Architecture, Business Administration, Communication Studies, History, Music, Nursing, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 84%4-Year Graduation Rate: 62%6-Year Graduation Rate: 70% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports:  Football, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Basketball, Track and Field, Baseball, Cross Country, Soccer, LacrosseWomens Sports:  Field Hockey, Basketball, Swimming and Diving, Volleyball, Tennis, Softball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Track and Field, Cross Country Data Source National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like Catholic University, You May Also Like These Schools American University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphDrexel University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphProvidence College: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphNortheastern University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphBoston University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSt. Catherine University: Profile  University of Virginia: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphAve Maria University: Profile  Johns Hopkins University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSaint Francis University: Profile  Fordham University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphGeorge Mason University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphSaint Josephs University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph