Booker T. Washington Up From Slavery Essays - American Slaves

Booker T. Washington: Up from Slavery Booker T. Washington:'Up from Slavery The autobiography of Booker T. Washing titled Up From Slavery is a rich narrative of the man's life from slavery to one of the founders of the Tuskegee Institute. The book takes us through one of the most dynamic periods in this country's history, especially African Americans. I am very interested in the period following the Civil War and especially in the transformation of African Americans from slaves to freemen. Up From Slavery provides a great deal of information on this time period and helped me to better understand the transition. Up From Slavery provided a narrative on Washington's life, as well as his views on education and integration of African Americans. All though this book was written in the first year of this century I believe Washington's views are still valid today. America can probably still learn from them. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in either 1858 or 1859. Birth Records were usually not available to slaves. Booker, his brother and his mother moved to Malden West Virginia after the Civil War. They went to live with his stepfather, whom they had only seen a few times before. When they arrived in Malden, Washington was no more then nine years old. However, he went to work with his stepfather in the salt mine business feeding the furnaces. His education started with a Webster's old "Blue-Black" spelling book that his mother had provided him. She hoped it would help him to learn to read. When Washington started working with his stepfather in the salt mines, he had to work from dawn to 9:00 PM, receiving very few breaks during the day. During his breaks he would study his spelling book, teaching himself to read. While working with his stepfather, a local school opened up for black people. But because of Booker's value to his family in the mines, he continued to work there at the request of his parents. Eventually, he talked his stepfather into letting him attend school a few hours during the day. Booker, however, ran into another problem. His stepfather wanted him to work until 9:00 AM and the young Booker found it difficult to reach school in time. He therefore did something that he was not proud of later in life. Washington learned to change the clock every morning from half past eight to nine so he could arrive at school on time. The supervisor realized someone was changing the clock and locked it to deny access to all but himself. This is an example of the length to which the young Booker went to have a chance to learn. Booker learned at an early age the importance of doing things for himself. Another story from the book shows what helped to build Booker's character. While at school he noticed that all of the people were wearing caps. When he confronted his mother about this she explained they could not afford to buy him a store bought cap. But she told him that she would work something out. Washington's mother took two old pieces of cloth and sewed them together to make him a cap. For the rest of his life, he would remember that cap as an important lesson in his life. Washington states: The lesson that my mother taught me in this has always remained with me, and I have tried as best I could to teach it to others. I have always felt proud, whenever I think of the incident, that my mother had the strength of character enough not to be led into the temptation of seeming to be that of which she is not-of trying to impress my schoolmates and others with the fact that she was able to buy me a "store hat" when she was not. Later, the young Washington took a job at the home of a Mrs. Ruffiner as a house servant. Many boys before him, in the same job, lasted had only a few weeks because of her demands. Ruffiner was very strict and expected the best out of the boys that worked for her. She demanded that they be clean and well behaved. This stayed with Booker for the rest of his life. He notes, "Even to this day I never seen bits of paper scattered around the house or in the street that I do not want to pick them up at once." After working for Ruffiner for a year and a half, young Washington was accepted at the Hampton Institute, a school set up by whites to

President Andrew Jackson - Fast Facts

President Andrew Jackson - Fast Facts Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was the first president to be elected based on popular sentiment. He was a war hero who gained popularity with the War of 1812. Nicknamed Old Hickory, he was elected more for his personality than for the issues of the day. He was a very strong president who used his veto power more than all the previous presidents combined.   Following are some fast facts and basic information about Andrew Jackson.   For more in-depth information, you can also read the  Andrew Jackson Biography. Fast Facts: Andrew Jackson Birth: March 15, 1767Death: June 8, 1845Known for: President of the U.S.Term of Office: March 4, 1829 to March 3, 1837Number of Terms Elected: 2 TermsSpouse: Rachel Donelson Robards, died in 1828.Also known as: Old Hickory; King AndrewQuote: Perpetuity is stamped upon the Constitution by the blood of our Fathers. Additional  Andrew Jackson Quotes. Major Events While in Office Peggy Eaton Affair (1828-1831)Veto of Maysville Road Bill (1830)Indian Removal Act of 1830 (1830)Ordinance of Nullification (1832)Veto of Recharter of Second Bank of the United States (1832)Black Hawk War (1832)Assassination Attempt (1835)Texas Revolution (1836) States Entering Union While in Office Arkansas (1836)Michigan (1837) Related Andrew Jackson Resources These additional resources on Andrew Jackson can provide you with further information about the president and his times. Andrew Jackson Biography: Learn about Andrew Jackson childhood, family, early career, and the major events of his administration.Jacksonian Era: Learn about this period of great political upheaval and the events that would lead to more party involvement and a greater democratic sense.War of 1812 Resources: Read about the people, places, battles and events of the War of 1812 that proved to the world America was here to stay.War of 1812 Timeline: This timeline focuses on the events of the War of 1812.Top 10 Significant Presidential Elections Andrew Jackson was involved in two of the top ten significant elections in American History. In 1824, John Quincy Adams beat him for the presidency when it was put into the House of Representatives through what has been called the Corrupt Bargain. Jackson then went on to win the Election of 1828. Other Presidential Fast Facts John Quincy AdamsMartin Van BurenList of American Presidents

College Admission Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

College Admission - Essay Example So at the ripe age of six, I began with what would become a life-long pursuit of trying to be the best soccer player I could be. I tried my luck at baseball one year but found it too unexciting and dry. I also tried a year of football in order to meet my father’s wish for me to become as good a football player as he was, but it just was not meant to be. Soccer, it was! And I remember the awkwardness of stumbling onto the field as a young child. But I persevered and showed up for every practice determined to be the best player I could be. My parents have been super supportive of my soccer career and have taken me to those ungodly 8 am games to sometimes traveling hours to play in a tournament. One can say we made it a family affair. After many years of playing for our local recreational league I decided to try out for my high school soccer team. I was pretty confident knowing I would make a great addition to the team. After all I have been playing soccer longer than most of my team mates trying out. However what I did not count on was my lack of preparation. I had spent most of summer that year at home playing a lot of video games and hanging out with friends while my friends were preparing for soccer tryouts. My Dad strongly encouraged me to join the cross country team so I would be conditioned and get in shape for tryouts but I ignored his advice. So there I was again, staring at the list. How could this have happened? In the words of Abraham Lincoln, â€Å"My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure†. I can assure you that I was not content with my failure that day. Success for me is defined as preparation, commitment and motivation to achieve my goals. I hope to apply this valuable lesson to my college experience. I know there will be successes as well as a few failures but as long as I remember that there is always something to be learned by both. May be I will not

WORKING WITH AND LEADING PEOPLE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

WORKING WITH AND LEADING PEOPLE - Essay Example In that case, the retention, selection, as well as the recruitment process is imperative for every firm. In recruiting a new member, there is a need to have a different document, the firm must obey the statutory laws, and go beyond the sequential procedure of selecting (Bell 2012).The human resource department has the mandate to select the right people and prepare a document that details various rules as well as regulations. The management of the restaurant needs to prepare a document detailing various aspects such as the approval of recruitment. The concerned departments who require a new worker then send a draft, which has a description of the position and the necessary education as well as skills that are required. Subsequently, the draft is approved and sent to the HR department. The selection as well as recruitment process commences after the management gives an approval with regard to the request. The approval should have an electronic copy that has the advertisement as well as the copy of the draft. In the document, there is also the description of the position for which the restaurant needs to recruit new trainees. This is imperative for every firm since it cannot change the position after the advertisement of the post. It is also to be understood that the post needs to be approved by the management and should include the responsibility of the new staff (Dessler 2011). After the position description there is the advertising section, which needs to be approved by the director. Through the advertisement, the firm will get the right candidates and can be done using various channels such as the use of print media, open advertisement, or electronic means. The advertisement will also include announcement on the vacancy, the required competencies, and payment among others. The HR department will need to obey the legal procedures of advertisement (Bell 2012). In selecting an applicant, I would

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Research Proposal - Essay Example Information on the prevalence of obesity within the military is limited and usually relies on reported data on height and weight or on unrepresented smaller samples. According to Rona et al (2010), BMI is the usual indicator to assess overweight and obesity among army personnel but its validity is questionable because some people may have huge bodies but not obese. As such, in this proposal the author will make reasoned judgements and draw conclusions from these findings along with evaluating the significance of the assessment criteria used in monitoring obesity. Furthermore, the proposal also seeks to highlight the reason why the prevalence rate of obesity at the time of recruitment is low and subsequently increases over the years. The problem of obesity affects the military personnel in many ways. According to the World Health Organisation (2000) ‘Obesity is diagnosed as having a body mass index of 25 and over’. Thus the Ministry of Defence has adopted the WHO BMI char t and all personnel have their measurements taken and calculated as above and classified according to this chart. This will be further reviewed within this proposal. CONCLUSION Prevalence rates of obesity from this study should be viewed with caution as the sample studied is not representative of the UK Armed Forces. The true percentage of obesity could be higher since the sample is drawn from a small number of people. This research proposal aims to use a quantitative research method to evaluate the use of BMI and waist circumference to monitor obesity levels within the RAF. In turn this research proposal will highlight how BMI and waist circumference monitoring negatively reflects the obesity statistics in RAF personnel. Consequently the results of this research proposal will be used to: Highlight the importance of accurate measurements to assess obesity. In turn it will provide evidence to HQ Air to rethink current policy and perhaps adopt a tri service approach to tackling this p roblem in the future. INTRODUCTION Preventing obesity is essential within the military, not only to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions (Ogden, et al 2007) but also to increase fitness and operational preparedness. This is essential since it improves their performance and physical fitness. The prevalence of obesity in the United Kingdom Armed Forces has not previously been monitored. Military personnel undergo annual health examination dependent on trade/branch (Joint Service Publication, 346 Chapter 2, 2008 will be hereafter referred to as JSP). Despite these examinations, there appears to be a requirement for a more robust information system to estimate obesity within the military (Rona et al, 2011). According to the JSP 346 the assessment process appears to rely heavily on how healthcare staff interprets height and weight measurements in order to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults (WHO, 2012). The notion that BMI should be used when assessing obesity is backed by US research (Rona, 2012). However, the drawback of this method is that an increase in BMI may not necessarily mean that a person is obese since military personnel have greater muscle mass than ordinary citizens. In 2006, the National Institute for Health and Clinical

Business Ethics Case Study: Primark

Business Ethics Case Study: Primark This assignment will review the literature on Business Ethics within the context of a particular organisation PRIMARK. To enhance our understanding of the concepts of values and morals our study defines and evaluates ethics in a business context; simultaneously throwing light on issues such as disposable fashion and ethical sourcing. 1. INTRODUCTION Primark, the cult value fashion brand owned by Associated British Foods (ABF) is the largest clothing retailer in UK by volume with a whooping 207 stores spanning across Europe. Mr. Arthur Ryan, founder and chairman has been credited of bringing affordable fashion to the high street and is also credited for nurturing Primark into an astounding success story. Starting from the first store in Ireland in 1969 till the 207th store in 2010, this brand has experienced phenomenal growth. Primark picked up the Multi Market Retailer of the year 2010 award at the Oracle world retail awards ceremony. Market Share 18.2% (http://www.primark.co.uk/page.aspx?pointerid=eb44df4565934edca627dac6ec12145a) 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Business Ethics Barry (1979) defines Ethics as studying what constitutes good and bad human conduct, including related actions and values. According to Velasquez (2010), the prime focus of business ethics lay on morals and values with respect to company policies, decisions and framework. He categorizes business ethics by: social issues, company issues and individual issues. From the National Business Ethics Survey (NBES), Verschoor cited that companies today are increasingly giving importance to ethical behavior and social responsibility. Also, more unethical practices are getting exposed rather than unethical behavior committed. Hence, it confirms evidence of the fact that companies are taking this issue seriously in order to not jeopardize their global brand and image. At this juncture, one should think about why should companies engage in ethical business practices? Is it simply to abide by the law, as it is the right thing to do or because it benefits them to do so? This may seem as a moral dilemma in several ways since it is the central issue in business ethics. (Fisher and Lovell, 2009) An increasing number of consumers make their purchase decisions based on ethical values of a company. Hence, it is crucial to make consumers aware of the ethical issues in trade and to understand what would prompt them to modify their consumption patterns. Marketing strategies can then be developed based on this understanding. (http://www.nri.org/publications/policyseries/PolicySeriesNo12.pdf) Ethical Consumerism Ethical Consumerism is an emerging process that emphasizes on socially responsible trade activities. It is just as much about supporting the good companies and products, as it is about withdrawing support from the bad ones. An ethical consumer will help in providing information one needs to make an informed decision about a purchase. (http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ShoppingEthically/WhyBuyEthically.aspx) (http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1690945) Positive ethical purchase behavior, takes into account the trends that comprise attempts to purchase ethical products. For example, use of Fair-trade or Organic products. Negative ethical purchase behavior or boycott, has been regarded as the key form of ethical consumerism. It means avoiding products that are unethical. Therefore, an informed consumer would only choose products that reflect moral responsibility. For instance, in 1997 MORI survey for CAFOD on purchasing products from developing countries, there was particularly high support for a minimum agreed standard of labor conditions for workers in developing countries; 92% of the sample thought that this should apply to UK companies. (http://www.nri.org/publications/policyseries/PolicySeriesNo12.pdf) Ethical Sourcing Ethical sourcing simply put is the moral standards put forward by companies, which source their goods from other third party vendors. These standards have been set up to allow companies to ensure that the work they have contracted out to third party firms, have been conducted in an ethical manner. A critical analysis of the levels of ethical standards would lead one to an understanding that the highest level of ethical compliance lies in ethical sourcing. This is because nearly all other ethical standards are internal standards falling within the control of an organization and its framework, whereas ethical sourcing would deal with the (outsourced) production outside the purview of the organization. In essence, to be a supplier for an organization that has ethical sourcing guidelines, the supplier must also be an ethical organization. However, this is an ethical standard that is predominantly seen in companies in developed countries that contract their work to companies located in de veloping countries. Ethical Sourcing in the society is not well regulated although there are rules and statutes in place. In the UK, the Combined Code on corporate governance does not deem it essential for companies to adhere to certain policies. Companies can get away with simply explaining why they have not complied with specific provisions in their annual report. This again is only a regulatory mechanism that is in place for public limited companies, which are listed on the stock exchange (Preuss, 2009). Both these mechanisms were set up to pacify the public and various industry players, as neither of these acts have actual policing power. Most companies Ethical Sourcing guide is a copy from governing bodies Statute on Ethical Sourcing. The governing body in the United Kingdom is the ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) (Preuss, 2009). The ETI is essentially a consortium of companies, trade unions and industry players who work together for the upliftment of the workers who make various consumer goods. Most companies take the statute from the ETI and plug in their own inputs or areas of concern. According to Preuss Ethical Sourcing includes ensuring ethical standards are followed by work contracted to outside companies from an environmental, economic and social standpoint. However one must realize that these are determined by the individual companies and are tailored to suit their needs and stress is laid on areas of concern to the company putting forth these standards. This leads ethical sourcing standards to be very industry and firm specific. According to Preuss, the key areas of concern, in order of importance, across industries are as follows: a) Employment Issues Compliance with Local Laws Safe working environment No Child Labor Non- Excessive working hours Avoiding Illegal Immigrants b) Environmental Issues Commitment to Environmental Protection Compliance to local laws Minimization of Waste Control of Emission/ Pollution Use of Environmentally friendly Technologies c) Economic Issues Confidentiality of Supplier Issues Prompt Payment Reciprocal Business Relationship not required Support for Smaller and Local Suppliers Recognizing Risk of Dependant Suppliers Acknowledge Hardship where Relationship ended (Preuss, 2009) 3. ANALYSIS The world we live in has moved into a new stage of mass consumerism, where no matter how much we have is never enough. As a result, our lives have become more materialistic. This shift has been extremely beneficial to large corporations, who have recognised and exploited the potential of the markets. This holds true for several industries especially the retail and fashion industry. Disposable fashion or Fast fashion is the new trend, which has been catching on among clothing giants like HM, Forever21, New Look and Primark. It refers to the practice of producing cheaper imitations of the latest fashion trends that are mass-produced quickly at comparatively low costs. This makes fashion more accessible to a larger segment of the population. It may be considered a boon by millions of avid shoppers but it also has considerable drawbacks. First, it possess a serious threat to Fashion designers whose work has been replicated. Further, the ways in which these garments and accessories are being produced also have serious environmental consequences. Lastly, the business models that make the retail giants everyday low prices possible rely on subsidies from millions of people around the globe (Cashing In: Clean Clothes Campaign, 2009). Millions of workers in the fashion industry have become little more than slaves, stated Neil Kearney (2007), General Secretary of the International Textile, Garment and Leather Workers ´ Federation (ITGLWF). Poor working conditions and terms of employment, along with low wages are common problems that occur across garment-manufacturing factories. Workers in countries like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and China have a large population that lives below the poverty line, providing extremely cheap labour for companies worldwide. This already oppressed section of society is further exploited to meet the needs of large corporations globally. Workers in garment manufacturing factories are often robbed of their basic rights. A woman at a Walmart and Carrefour supplier in Bangladesh reportedly said, I feel so sick and tired after a days work that I do not want to work the next day. But hunger does not allow thinking of sickness; the thought of living with an empty stomach makes everyth ing else forgotten. We work to save ourselves from hunger. (Clean Clothes Campaign, 2009). Unfortunately, the impact on these factory workers is not equally spread. It is the women and children who suffer the most. A recent survey in India suggests that a quarter of all garment factories are employing under-age labour. Most of the production is for export to Europe (Neil Kearney, 2007). The scandalous truth is that the majority of workers in the global fashion industry rarely earn more than two dollars a day, in an industry worth over  £36 billion a year in the UK alone(Lets Clean Up Fashion, 2009). Workers wages are often much lower than the cost of living in their respective countries. Labourers work for over 80 hours a week at 5pence an hour and are often not paid for the additional hours of work they put in. A woman at a Tesco Supplier was documented saying, We do a lot of overtime. Almost every day there is at least one hour extra. We are called on Sundays as well. However, our monthly wage slip will not show all the overtime that we do. It will quote only 1-2 hours as overtime in a month (Clean Clothes Campaign, 2009). Garment workers are the linchpins of an industry worth over  £36 billion annually in the UK alone (Lets Clean Up Fashion, 2008). Workers in these garment factories end up paying a high price for cheap clothes. The colossal growth of such companies is a testament to the thriving businesses that they are running. Therefore, making their responsibility towards their operations even more pertinent. Many low cost giant retailers claim that they are taking measures to ethically source their materials and ensure workers labour rights, however, this is not enough. There is an urgent need for improvements in the corporate social responsibility system, on behalf of the garment retailers. Primark, part of ABF is the second largest clothing retailer in UK in terms of volume (Associated British Foods; Retail Segmentation, 2010). The Primark brand has made itself synonymous with affordable fashion. Its value proposition is to provide low cost and highly fashionable clothing, which is targeted at lower income, fashion conscious shoppers. Keeping this in mind, it is no real mystery that Primark must keep its production and overhead costs as low as possible so as to profitably sell their cheaply priced goods. To maintain profitability and to keep their value proposition in mind, Primark had to keep the production costs low. This had been done by outsourcing work to textile factories in developing countries across Asia. Primark claims that these factories are properly vetted and audited to ensure adherence to fairly high ethical standards that are a part of their supplier contract. Here, a question arises as to how does Primark manage to provide cheap clothing? It is assumed to be the result of negotiations with their suppliers, which is something most suppliers would be willing to compromise on, just to include a brand like Primark on their client list. The onus lies on these suppliers to produce goods at extremely low costs, considering the abundant availability of cheap labour in developing countries. However, they may opt to subcontract the work or parts of it to vendors with less standardised capital equipment in terms of employee work force and standard of work areas just to maintain optimum profitability. These subcontractors are generally production houses that operate from basements or garages rather than an industrialised area. They simply provide a more profitable way for the contractor to get their orders completed. Surprisingly, these subcontractors are outside the purview of most audits and do not form a part of the regulated market. This allows them to operate, abusing many laws and flouting most rules prescribed by the government and by Primark who gives the original order for production. They ensure that the goods are sent to the factories and no outsiders get to see their production facilities where they employee ch ildren, pay low wages and provide unsatisfactory working conditions. However, at the end of the day all fat cats in the supply chain are able to make their bag of money and a customer at the end of the chain is able to get a nice fashionable top to wear for under five pounds!!! The retail sales figure for the year 2009 has shown a remarkable upswing for Primark as compared to other high street clothing brands. It has emerged as one of the strongest brands during the time of recession and has been recognised as a major success story. In 2008, the big Primark expose was broadcasted on television that caused public outrage and media dismay. This also led to Primark being designated as UKs most unethical clothes shop. But the question here arises, that even after consumers being aware of the unethical practices the clothing chain has cemented its position at the top. (http://londonfashionnetwork.com/c/19/248/primark-vs-our-ethics). This is what a consumer had to say after the expose- I very much doubt it will stop me from shopping in Primark though. My budget is smaller than my conscience Sugarplumfairy 26th May 2008, 22:51 (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=589698HYPERLINK http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=589698..) I just dont c are really -by Narrr 25th February, 2010. (http://makewealthhistory.org/2009/01/12/how-long-can-primark-get-away-with-it/) The story of rising profits continued, as seen in The Guardian (2009). The report stated that Primark was amongst the fewer retailers who were prospering in the times of recession posting 10% increase in profits. Primark, despite receiving all the bad press in the months prior to the launch of its flagship store in Oxford Street, London, was the scene of a stampede at its opening. Essentially, one can clearly reason that a normal consumer does not really care. This is cemented in black and white in their Annual report, which shows sales figure to be a staggering  £1.1bn, an increase of about 18% from the previous year. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/21/primark-announces-profit-riseHYPERLINK http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/21/primark-announces-profit-rise..) This perception denotes that some people think employing them is in the poor mans interest It always makes me laugh when people go on about unethical; whats more unethical giving them a job and a way of living or producing all our stuff here and letting them starve? Secondly, I cant afford  £30 for a top when I can go to Primark and get one for  £3. Thud, 25th May 2008 (http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=589698). The upward trend continued, with Primark performing spectacularly in 2010 with an increase of 35% in operating costs. Sales figures at the popular fashion chain increased by 18% to  £2.7bn. Further, an increase in operating profits to  £341mn helped by 13 new stores including its first ever in Belgium. Going by the popularity, the management will continue opening new stores all over Europe, where they expect considerable growth. (The Guardian, 2010). It has also agreed to buy 10 stores from their rival Bhs that are scheduled to open from the next fina ncial year that will add 300,000 sq. feet selling space, which points out that they are considering expansion plans. (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article7035964.ece) Following BBCs Panorama documentary, Primark conducted a private investigation, which led them to terminate contracts with three Indian suppliers. A spokesman from Primark stated, We take this lapse in standards very seriously indeed. Under no circumstances would Primark ever knowingly permit such activities, whether directly through its suppliers or through third party sub-contractors. (BBC, 2008). As a direct response to the crisis, Primark created a comprehensive website called www.ethicalprimark.com. This website contained information and videos which strengthened their positive attitude towards values and policies regarding ethical trading. It was targeted at consumers which aimed at eliminating any doubts regarding Primarks sourcing. Primark soon created a new standardised selection process for its suppliers, along with a strict Supplier Code of Conduct. They also went on to formulate a stringent auditing program to avoid such a crisis. Their code of conduct was translated into 26 different languages so that workers in factories understand their rights. In addition, Primark heavily invested in new software from BSI management systems that was designed to help Primark manage its supply chain more effectively. In 2009, Primark established a specialized Ethical Trade Program. It consisted of a Director of Ethical Trade, along with ethical trade staff who was stationed in sourcing countries. Primarks Ethical Trade Strategy aimed at implementing ethical trade policies and ensuring suppliers met the required standards. Through workshops, training and audits this committed team intended to protect the rights of workers within the supply chains. On assessing the compatibility of Primark in terms of its Marketing and Ethics (Lecture Notes) on a scale of one to ten, we would position Primark in Group B category. Based on our reading, it has been targeted victim a number of times for its indulgence in unethical practices. However, it never admitted to the onus of such activities, hence we can say they are responsible and hence, abiding by the law and not Group A. They do not have a set of core, non-financial values and principles that is regarded as one of the most important assets of a companys existence, which strikes them off Group D. Also, they are not strongly committed to being ethical; else they wouldnt have been targeted several times for their morally irresponsible activities. Hence, they do not fall within Group C. Primarks value proposition is provision of cheap clothing. To fulfill the same, they need to keep the cost of production minimal. With this in mind, the companys purpose for existence is to ensure profits f or ABF rather than being socially responsible. They do try to improve ethical standards but not at the cost of reducing their profits. Thus, we think Primark falls under Group B. All companies function differently and can classified and put in different groups based on their ethical standing. As has been shown below: Kolhbergs theory of moral reasoning (Referencing Lecture Notes and URL) Kohlberg suggested that a company progresses in their moral reasoning (i.e., in their bases for ethical behaviour) through a series of stages. He believed that there were six identifiable stages. Stage 1 Organisations behave according to socially acceptable norms and their motive is to abide by the law. Stage 2 Characterised by a view that right behavior means acting in ones self interest. Stage 3 Complying with social norms. Characterised by an attitude, which seeks to do what will gain the approval of others. Stage 4 Oriented to abiding by the law and responding to the obligations of duty. Stage 5 A genuine interest in the welfare of society and prepared to challenge the societal norms when necessary. Stage 6 Belief in universal principles. Based on respect for universal principles and the demands of individual conscience. Referring back to the initial model of categorising companies between Groups A D, we would place Primark at level 2 on the Kohlbergs model of moral reasoning. Primark, as a company is known to act for its self-interest. This level complements its characteristics of Group B. This can be supported by the fact that although Primark has been pointed fingers at several times for their indulgence in unethical practices, their responses have always been the same and nothing has practically been done about it i.e., they have taken the necessary steps to control unethical practices and would try further tighten control over suppliers. (BBC, 2008) 4. CONCLUSION It can be expected to be less about ethics and more about a promise of freedom from moral anxiety when in fact it is that anxiety that is the substance of morality. From this we understand that a company chooses to be as ethical as it really wants to be. From what we gather, Primark would like to be seen as an ethical company. After the expose, Primark made sure they improved their ethical standards as well as their suppliers standards. Primark paid for auditors to ensure the ethical standards of their suppliers, which is a sign of dedication to their ethical stance. As a group, we concluded that even though Primark was at the centre of this scandal, they have been repeatedly targeted by market speculations primarily because they are the big name at the end of the supply chain. One must acknowledge that Primark is not entirely at fault. Its suppliers sub-contracted work to other local vendors, without Primarks knowledge. These sub-contracted vendors had children working in their warehouses, which were overworked and paid sub standard wages. Primarks auditors should have been aware of this. This poses the question of who is responsible for allowi ng these ethical breaches to take place. After the expose, Primark has taken various steps to portray an ethical image and maintain a high level of ethical standards. After sacking suppliers who did not meet their standards, they invested in auditing software, and established a specialized ethical strategy.   So is Primark really at fault or is it easier to blame a giant retailer. The fact remains that Primark and its suppliers were caught again engaging in the same unethical practices, so was Primark turning a blind eye or were they unaware of the situation. The expose hit the public eye during the recession, where people were shopping on the cheap, thereby forcing them to switch to cheaper alternatives.   Does that make your everyday shopper an unethical consumer, or were these consumers forced to shop at Primark solely for economic reasons? If the former is true, Primark and its suppliers will be able to continue trading without a problem.   However, if one dwells on it and the latter is true, the time line for Panorama to have an effect on the minds of the society has faded away. Essentially, it is upto Primarks conscience whether they want to take strict action against their auditors and suppliers ensuring adherence to higher ethical standards, or will they simply portray an image of having taken action to put to rest the allegations against them.

I Wish I Knew :: essays research papers

I WISH I KNEW WHY   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Broken families are often hard to live in. Especially divorced ones. It’s one thing for your parents to split-up when you’re a young child, but it’s another when you go through 15 years of your life thinking that you’ll always be a family like I did. I would have to say the most significant time in my life was when my parents were getting a divorce.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Christmas had just passed and the New Year of 1998 was approaching fast. My parents had always bickered but this time their fights seemed to escalate to almost a straight-out brawl. That night I was to go out on a date with my soon-to-be boyfriend. My dad didn’t think too highly of this. Hours passed as normal and I was leaving with my date to go to the movies. My mind was set at ease about my squalling parents as I watched Mortal Combat 2 at the theatre. When I got home my parents were already in bed and that’s where I was also headed. Before I had a chance to change into to pajamas the phone had rang. It was Chris the guy I had gone out with that night calling to reminisce about our fist date we had just been on. We talked for about two hours, growing tiresome and worried that my dad might get up for a drink of water and catch me on the phone at midnight, I told Chris I had to go. So I said my good-byes and went to bed thinking about how boring it was gonna be to go back to school the next day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The irreparable mind-numbing sound of my alarm clock woke me up at my usual of 5:30a.m. Groggy and cold I made my way to the bathroom and then to the kitchen. At first glance everything was normal but a second look revealed that our computer was gone, not very surprised I made my way back down the hall to my sisters room. Shannon my sister was almost completely ready for school. Trying to sound calm I asked her, â€Å"Shannon, um†¦. Where is the computer?† She didn’t appear surprised at all that I asked. â€Å"Mom took it with her when she left for work around 3:00a.m.† she said. â€Å"Oh†¦ Why?† I replied. â€Å"Because her and dad got into another fight, but this time it wasn’t pretty.† â€Å"Oh?