Thursday, April 30, 2020

The Birling Family Essay Research Paper Example For Students

The Birling Family Essay Research Paper Inspector calls is a play written by JB Priestley in 1945. An Inspector calls discusses issues of class, morality and responsibility. Priestly preaches his social views with in the play and reflects this in the character of the Inspector he believes that we should all care for one another as we are all members of one body. Furthermore the play follows a middle class family and discusses there respectability and questions whether respectability is directly proportional to morality. All characters are interrogated and it appears all have performed actions that have resulted in Eva Smith or Daisy Rentons death . The key point that Priestly is trying to demonstrate is not the actions that they have done but there response and how far they feel remorse for their wrong doings. Dramatic and chronological irony is featured in the novel as the play is set in 1912 but written in 1945 hence allowing the audience to look retrospectively and judge the characters accordingly . In this essay I will be discussing the Birling family and indeed Gerald Crofts ability to take responsibility and respond with a sense of guilt . We will write a custom essay on The Birling Family Research Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Sheila seems to change dramatically throughout the course of the play she begins by being dependant on her parents and as the stage directions state pleased with her life. However by the end of the play Sheila is able to form her own opinions and able to take responsibility unlike her father and mother. An example of this is she tells her parents that they may not go on like they have done before despite becoming aware of the inspector as a fake she says youre pretending everything is just as it was before. In addition Sheila seems truly devastated once she has learnt of her role in Eva smiths death she claims I will never ever do anything like this again . Sheilas compassion is believable and conforms to the idea of the inspectors so much so that she believes that everyone must take their share of responsibility telling her mother not to build a wall as it will be knocked down by the inspector. Eric Birling follows in his sisters footsteps he too takes his share of responsibility although not a readily as Sheila. Eric seems to be a trouble man resorting to drinking and theft. Despite this he is able to admit to his faults towards the end of the play. He claims that they helped killed her hence recognising the families faults and perusing change. However in response to the money that he stole he has an inability to take responsibility. In response to the question whether or not he stole the money he repeatedly says no not really and I intended to pay it back . Furthermore when he hears that Daisy applied to his mothers charity and was infact denied he passionately says to his mother you killed her . This momentary shift of blame proves that Eric in the way of taking responsibility has steps to take although in some respects he does the moral and just coarse of action. Gerald is some what untrustworthy and Priestley intends for Gerald to be an undecided character . Gerald takes responsibility for his role in Evas death but on the other hand it is him who finds out the inspector is fake . Gerald says in response to questioning about Eva that he did not install her their to make love to her and that he was sorry for he .

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Are You a Good Listener Quiz

Are You a Good Listener Quiz Are you a good listener? Lets find out. On a scale of 25-100 (100 highest), how do you rate yourself as a listener? _____ Let’s find out how accurate your perception is. Rate yourself in the following situations and total your score. 4 Usually, 3 Frequently, 2 Sometimes, 1 Seldom ____ I try to listen carefully even when I’m not interested in the topic. ____ I’m open to viewpoints that are different from my own. ____ I make eye contact with the speaker when I’m listening. ____ I try to avoid being defensive when a speaker is venting negative emotions. ____ I try to recognize the emotion under the speaker’s words. ____ I anticipate how the other person will react when I speak. ____ I take notes when it’s necessary to remember what I’ve heard. ____ I listen without judgment or criticism. ____ I stay focused even when I hear things I don’t agree with or don’t want to hear. ____ I don’t allow distractions when I’m intent on listening. ____ I don’t avoid difficult situations. ____ I can ignore a speaker’s mannerisms and appearance. ____ I avoid leaping to conclusions when listening. ____ I learn something, however small, from every person I meet. ____ I try not to form my next response while listening. ____ I listen for main ideas, not just details. ____ I know my own hot buttons. ____ I think about what I’m trying to communicate when I speak. ____ I try to communicate at the best possible time for success. ____ I don’t assume a certain level of understanding in my listeners when speaking. ____ I usually get my message across when I communicate. ____ I consider which form of communication is best: email, phone, in-person, etc. ____ I tend to listen for more than just what I want to hear. ____ I can resist daydreaming when I’m not interested in a speaker. ____ I can easily paraphrase in my own words what I’ve just heard. ____ Total Scoring 75-100 You’re an excellent listener and communicator. Keep it up.50-74 You’re trying to be a good listener, but it’s time to brush up.25-49 Listening isn’t one of your strong points. Start paying attention. Learn how to be a better listener: Active Listening. Joe Grimms Listen and Lead project is a fabulous collection of listening tools. If your listening could be improved, get help from Joe. Hes a professional listener.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

SAT Subject Test Scores for the Ivy League

SAT Subject Test Scores for the Ivy League SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are your sights set on the Ivy League or other top universities? As you're well aware, these schools are the most selective in the country. Because of this, you want to carefully craft every aspect of your application so it's as strong as it can possibly be. Let's look at one important part of your application: your SAT Subject Test scores. In this article, we'll go over the Subject Test requirements and expectations of top schools, and offer some advice on how to balance these tests with everything else you've got going on in your busy life. SAT Subject Test Requirements at Top Schools Let's take a look at the eight Ivy League schools- Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, UPenn, and Yale- along with some other top schools, such as Duke, Georgetown, MIT, Stanford, and the University of Chicago. All of these schools generally recommend or require two SAT Subject Tests, with the exception of Georgetown, which asks for three. Lately, though, there's been an increase in schools, including top-ranked ones, making SAT Subject Tests completely optional. For example, although Harvard recommends Subject Tests, they are technically optional for applicants: "While we recommend that you submit two SAT Subject Tests, you may apply without them if the cost of the tests represents a financial hardship or if you prefer to have your application considered without them." Stanford similarly recommends, but does not require, SAT Subject Test scores. Even though you can opt out, both Harvard and Stanford strongly recommend taking Subject Tests and sending in your scores. If these tests present a financial barrier to you, definitely speak with admissions officers and get their advice. You can also explore your options for fee waivers. The only schools on this list that do not emphasize SAT Subject Tests are the University of Chicago and Columbia. The University of Chicago's policy on Subject Tests is as follows: "[S]ubject Tests are truly optional, and not sending us Subject Test scores will not hurt your application." Columbia used to require Subject Tests but made them optional beginning in 2016. So what are the Subject Test requirements and special instructions for other top schools? Below is a handy chart you can use to find out top schools' policies regarding SAT Subject Tests. Note: The column "ACT Replace Subject Tests?" means that this school accepts the ACT + Writing in lieu of the SAT + two Subject Tests. In other words, you can submit the ACT + Writing and not have to worry about taking any SAT Subject Tests. If this space has a dash in it, you'll need to send in the number of Subject Tests required, regardless of whether you take the SAT or ACT. School # of Subject Tests Recommended/Required ACT Replace Subject Tests? Notes From School Brown 2 recommended - "If you are applying to the Program in Liberal Medical Education, we strongly recommend one subject test in either Biology, Chemistry or Physics." Columbia None - "SAT Subject Test and other proficiency exam scores are not required by Columbia, but we will accept your results if you choose to submit them ... You will not be at a disadvantage should you choose not to take these optional tests or submit the scores to Columbia." Cornell Varies by program - Applicants must submit either 0 or 2 Subject Tests, depending on the college. Dartmouth 2 recommended - "We recommend that you submit 2 SAT Subject Test scores to help us better understand your academic strengths...We encourage you take tests in the two subjects you like the most." Duke 2 recommended Yes "Applicants to the Pratt School of Engineering who take the SAT are strongly recommended to take one SAT Subject Test in Mathematics (level 1 or level 2). Applicants to the Trinity College of Arts Sciences who take the SAT may take any two SAT Subject Tests." Georgetown 3 recommended - "In addition, it is strongly recommended that candidates submit results of three SAT Subject Tests. Those tests may be any three of the applicant’s choosing, although it is recommended that applicants to the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics submit a modern language score." Harvard 2 recommended - "While we recommend that you submit two SAT Subject Tests, you may apply without them if the cost of the tests represents a financial hardship or if you prefer to have your application considered without them. ... International students generally benefit from submitting Subject Tests and should take them if possible." MIT 2 required - All applicants must take one Subject Test in math (level 1 or 2) and one in science (biology e/m, chemistry, or physics). Princeton 2 recommended - Engineering candidates are advised to take a math (level 1 or 2) Subject Test and the chemistry or physics test. Stanford 2 recommended - "SAT Subject Tests are optional. Because SAT Subject Test scores can highlight your areas of strength, we welcome the self-reporting of these results in your application." University of Chicago None - "Subject Tests are truly optional, and not sending us Subject Test scores will not hurt your application." University of Pennsylvania 2 recommended - Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences: Any two Subject Tests Nursing: Science, preferably Chemistry STEM: Math Level 2 and a science test (preferably Physics for Engineering Applicants) Business: Math Level 2 Yale Recommended (no # specified) - "SAT Subject Tests are recommended but not required. Applicants who do not take SAT Subject Tests will not be disadvantaged in the application process. We will consider your application on the basis of the other testing, and all the other information, that we receive with your application." Until recently, most of these schools required three Subject Tests. Now, Georgetown is the last one with this rather high-stakes expectation. If you're taking the ACT instead of the SAT, you might not have to send Subject Test scores at all. This is the case at Duke, where you can submit your ACT with Writing score instead of your SAT and SAT Subject Test scores. But if you do have to send two or three Subject Test scores, which tests should you take? Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Which SAT Subject Tests Should You Take? Most Ivy League schools don't have definitive requirements for which Subject Tests you should take; they simply recommend or require two, and allow you to choose which ones to take. However, some schools prefer to see a range of knowledge, in which case it's best to take Subject Tests that cover a variety of topics. For example, you could pair a humanities or social studies test (such as literature or history) with a math or science test (such as physics or chemistry). Many top-ranked schools are looking for well-rounded students who excel in a variety of subject areas. At the same time, the choice is largely up to you. The Subject Tests are a chance to demonstrate your subject mastery and express your interests and academic skills in a particular subject area. Therefore if you've indicated a major, then it's a smart idea to take (and score highly on) the corresponding Subject Test. Just as with the rest of your application, your choice of Subject Test can communicate something about your interests and future goals. It might also be an opportunity to strengthen an area in which you wish your course grade or AP exam score were higher. The language tests can be a valuable indicator of your language skills, which admissions officers appreciate in our increasingly globalized world. If you can present a strong language score, then you can showcase your multilingualism and maybe even advance to higher levels of language courses once you arrive at the school. However, some schools warn against taking an SAT Subject Test in your first language if it's not English. A score in another subject area would be more helpful as it more accurately indicates your academic potential. If you're applying to schools with an engineering or technical focus such as MIT and Caltech, you'll likely need to submit a combination of math and science Subject Tests. MIT says students must take one math test (level I or II) and one science test (biology, chemistry, or physics). Caltech also wants one math and one science test but will only accept Math Level II. For more considerations when choosing the best Subject Tests for you, check out our guide. Once you've decided on your SAT Subject Tests, though, what scores should you aim for? Want to get better grades and test scores? We can help. PrepScholar Tutors is the world's best tutoring service. We combine world-class expert tutors with our proprietary teaching techniques. Our students have gotten A's on thousands of classes, perfect 5's on AP tests, and ludicrously high SAT Subject Test scores. Whether you need help with science, math, English, social science, or more, we've got you covered. Get better grades today with PrepScholar Tutors. What's a Good SAT Subject Test Score for the Ivy League? Selective schools don't usually publicize cutoffs for test scores; instead, they insist that they take a holistic approach to applications and consider all parts within the context of the greater whole. However, as you know, there are many more qualified candidates than there are spaces at these schools. With this in mind, you want your application to be exceptional and stand out as especially strong and unique- which is why getting a high SAT Subject Test score is so important. But just how high should you be aiming? This mainly depends on the school you're applying to. For example, MIT has said that its admitted students score between 720 and 800 on science Subject Tests, whereas admitted applicants to Princeton generally score 710-790 on Subject Tests. Selective institutions expect to see scores in the 700s, usually in the upper half of the 700s. For a further breakdown of how scores translate to percentiles, read our article about good Subject Test scores. With this data, you can aim to be in 80th or 90th percentile of test takers in the tests you've chosen. If you're planning to major in math or science or are applying to schools like MIT, an 800 on your math and science Subject Tests would be really helpful, even expected, for your application. As you prep for the Subject Tests and the SAT or ACT, which one should take priority? We answer this question next. How Important Are Subject Tests Compared to the SAT/ACT? Here's the short answer: SAT Subject Tests are not nearly as important as the SAT/ACT is. From my understanding, the SAT/ACT accounts for as much as 30% of your application, while the Subject Tests only account for about 2% to 5%. Therefore the SAT/ACT should be your top priority when it comes to college admission tests. Luckily, the SAT Subject Tests should align with the work and studying you're already doing in your classes. It's usually better to take a Subject Test near the end of the school year since you'll have been studying that subject all year. It also helps if the Subject Test aligns with your studying for finals and/or AP exams. Although SAT Subject Tests aren't a super important part of your application, you still need to take them seriously if you want to gain admission to the Ivy League. To get into these highly selective institutions, every component of your application must be outstanding. Plus, since you have some choice in the matter, you're expected to choose the subjects in which you can demonstrate subject mastery. A low score would seem like an outlier and might raise doubts about your academic abilities and potential in that subject. While schools are becoming more and more flexible in their standardized testing policies, Subject Test scores can give a big boost to your application if you choose the right test(s) and excel in the relevant subjects in school. Do this, and these tests shouldn't require too much additional prep in order to achieve strong-enough scores for Ivy League schools. In closing, let's discuss a few strategies you can use to balance your SAT Subject Tests schedule during the college application process. How to Juggle SAT Subject Tests and College Applications If you're gearing up to apply to Ivy League schools, you likely lead an active and busy life. Whether it's homework, clubs, sports, or all the prep work for applying to college, you have a lot of activities to juggle. And adding Subject Tests on top of everything can make you feel like you're going to drop something. As long as you approach these tests with a thoughtful plan, you should be able to maintain balance and achieve your goals. Being able to independently manage your time, while still leaving time for breaks and fun, is an important skill you'll need in college. By designing a schedule for yourself in high school, you'll be able to further develop these useful life skills. First, read our article on when to take the SAT Subject Tests. You can get all three done in one day, but you don't have to do them all at once or wait until junior year to take them. A 9th grade biology class, for example, could adequately prepare you for the Biology Subject Test. Or you might feel ready to take the Math Level I test right after sophomore year. Even if you do decide to wait until junior year to take them, it's a good idea to align them with your finals and AP exams so that your studying can kill two birds with one stone. By planning when you will take and study for the Subject Tests (alongside your prep plan for the SAT), you can allocate time in advance to give you a more balanced schedule. You might be thinking, "Making the schedule is the easy part. The hard part is sticking to it." This is true- one day you might be motivated by your dream of an acceptance letter in a giant envelope arriving at your door, while the next day that letter might seem like an image from a future life, far removed from your present one. There are no easy shortcuts here- staying on task requires motivation. But even more importantly it requires discipline. It requires the ability to push through your resistance and all the things you might rather be doing at that moment, and commit yourself to studying. Remember that you have clearly outlined your goals and want to do everything you can to achieve them. The College Board has a useful breakdown of the Subject Tests and sample questions here. Check out our other resources for helpful study strategies, such as identifying your weaknesses and dividing each section into small, manageable goals. What's Next? What are the average scores for all SAT Subject Tests? Take a look at this data here, and learn why it's important to know this as you choose your Subject Tests. Are you aiming for perfection on the SAT? Read our expert guide on the key strategies and tips you need to score a perfect 1600. If you're taking the ACT, this article by a full scorer explains how you can achieve the elusive 36. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

Monday, February 17, 2020

Contrasts between Sanders's definition of pornography with the Supreme Essay

Contrasts between Sanders's definition of pornography with the Supreme court's definition - Essay Example On the other hand, the opponents have stood firm to criticize it with the argument that freedom of expression is limited and is not guaranteed on aspects that ruin people’s morality. Some feminists have also criticised it on grounds of propagating gender violence and stereotyping. Sanders’ definition of pornography is vastly different from the Supreme Court’s definition.   Sanders defines pornography as turning of the human body into a commodity that can be sold and be used in transactions like other goods in the market. He further mentions that the act separates the body from the self (Sanders105). The definition of obscenity according to the United States laws emanates from Hicklin standard that was later embraced by the Supreme Court. In the case, Rosen versus United States, it became apparent that the Supreme Court had adopted the definition of obscenity to comprise any material that has potential to corrupt minds that are open to such immoral influences, i t further bound the individual whose hands the material may be found (Blue 79). The law depicted some inconsistencies with Sanders’ definition. The test was found inappropriate and the Supreme Court had to adopt the Roth test for obscenity. The Roth test was a slight milestone to the definition of pornography. Despite the effort, no harmony is evident with the sanders’ definition. ... The Supreme Court has no concrete definition of pornography since it does not have a law that limits on its own. However, the justice system has adopted the law of obscenity. This law leaves many gray areas that provide an enabling environment for pornography in the society. Justice Stewart is well remembered for his stand on obscenity when he reckoned that â€Å"I know it when I see it† (Blue 80). This brings much controversy since different individuals will exhibit different opinions, therefore lacking a standardised way of dealing with such crimes. Pornography issues have been dealt with a lot of disparity. Sander makes it clear that the act of engaging in trade with human bodies has no bounds. In 1968, the Supreme Court suspended the viewing of sexual content by children but upheld their viewing by adults. In a landmark ruling made in the case of Butler versus Michigan in1957, it was established that the adults should not be stooped too low and be categorised similarly as children ( National Academies 6). This type of variable obscenity creates not only amoral crisis but also a constitutional crisis, since the bill of rights gives an equal regard for all citizens. The major setback to such a ruling is the inability to distinguish the consumer of the sexual content given that children can access the same media that is used by adults. The thoughts raised by Sanders in his definition can be universally accepted. This is because they encourage morality, respect for human rights and dignity as well as the need to protect self from being tarnished by the shameful acts of pornography. In real terms, the focus of the supreme on promoting responsible social behaviour is limited and very inconsistent. The fact that the Supreme Court has a leeway to

Monday, February 3, 2020

Red Bull Marketing Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Red Bull Marketing Questions - Essay Example High income customers have high potential of consumption than low income customers. Therefore, the sales territories will be divided into high sales prospect and low sales prospects. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012), Australia has a high number of employed people. The employment rate increased by 0.1 percent and this will result to increase in consumer’s consumption. This provides a basis on identifying the sales team territory. The sales territory will be divided into high sales potential and low sales potential territories. The sales team will be allocated roles to seek and increase sales among the income earning people and the unemployment. The income generating individuals constitute the high sales prospects territory while the unemployment make up the low sales territory. Additionally, the sales territory will be determined geographically. The sales team will be allocated responsibilities in different geographical regions. Different sales representatives will be assigned Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory and the Northern territory (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012),. In addition, most people living in urban areas have a higher income than the people living in the rural areas. The sales team will be allocated responsibilities in different rural and urban areas. The size of each territory will be determined to decide the number of sales staff to be allocated. This will ensure that the sales representatives are not given too much or too little to do. This can result to over or under servicing of consumers. The sales personnel will be allocated territories appropriately to avoid over servicing of consumers. This can cost the Red Bull since over taxed sales representatives take on suboptimality in their activities. They will take a remarkably small number of leads; spend less time with existing consumers and spot few potential consumers.

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Drivers and theories of corporate social responsibility

Drivers and theories of corporate social responsibility This part of the study emphasises on the research literature review related to the study. The structure of the literature review is broken down into three sub-sections. The former relates to the various aspects of CSR. The last two sub-sections discuss the different theoretical and empirical studies associated with CSP and CFP. 2.1 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), also known as corporate citizenship, responsible business, or sustainable responsible business is all but a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model where companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. Arguably, business and society are interwoven: society has certain expectations regarding business and therefore the firm has responsibilities towards society. Hence, being a steward of the needs of society is deemed to be a socially responsible, appropriate, and natural act. The first book acknowledging CSR is the Social Responsibilities of the Businessman (Howard R. Bowen) in the mid 1950s. But, the term CSR came in widespread use in the early 1970s. In fact, it owes its origin due to the globalisation which took place after many multinational corporations were formed, thus, bringing in force the corporate governance mechanisms to ascertain fairness and transparency as well as social responsibility in the corporate world. CSR is defined in various ways in different countries, of about being the capacity building for sustainable livelihoods from Ghana to about giving back to society from Philippines; and of being conventionally presented in a philanthropic model from the United States to being focused on operating the core business in a socially responsible way, complemented by investment in communities for solid business case reasons and voluntary interaction with the stakeholders from the European model. As such, according to Caroll (2003), The social responsibility of business encompasses the economic, legal, ethical and discretionary (philanthropic) expectations that society has of organisations at a given point in time. Hence, ideally and broadly, the concept of CSR is a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby business would monitor and ensure its support to law, ethical standards, and international norms. 2.1.1 CSR and CSP In todays competitive market environment, businesses are confronted with a new set of non economics-related challenges. To survive and prosper, firms must bridge economic and social systems. Maximising shareholder wealth is a necessary but is no longer a sufficient condition for financial prosperity. Despite the concept of CSR addresses such issue, a specific connotation of CSR and a new performance measure called the corporate social performance (abbreviated as CSP) needs to be unified to capture the performance of a business in the social realm, and also to be more precise in thinking about CSR. CSP defined as a business organizations configuration of principles of social responsibility, processes of social responsiveness, and policies, programs, and observable outcomes as they relate to the firms societal relationships (Wood, 1991), clearly shows that social performance is not limited to corporations only, but also applies to any firm and organisation. This comprehensive definition assumes that CSP is broader than CSR, which consists of three norms at different levels of analysis: institutional, organisational, and individual. Additionally, it includes organisational processes of environmental assessment, stakeholder management, and issues management, and also various measures of its external manifestations and societal effects, such as social impacts. Hence the CSP model expresses and articulates three stages, from less to more engage towards stakeholders: social obligation, social responsibility and social responsiveness (S.P. Sethi, 1975). 2.1.2 Views on CSR According to Hancock (2005), CSR can be viewed through 3 ways namely: Sceptic view According to this view, the notion of CSR is opposed to democracy and freedom, frustrating business focus on its purpose of wealth creation. Milton Friedman best defines this approach: Few trends would so thoroughly undermine the very foundations of free society as the acceptance by corporate officials of a social responsibility other than to make as much money for their stockholders as they possibly can. Utopian view A utopian view of CSR reflects the idea that companies have a prior duty to anyone touched by their activity, their stakeholders rather than their shareholders, and especially the vulnerable that may be exploited by the companys operation. This is based on the work of Evan and Freeman who are for the stakeholder theory where a corporation must recognise and respect the vital interests of each of its surrounding stakeholders. Realist view This view gathers the greatest following of an alliance model advocated by Patricia Werhane. It states that CSR is not simply about whatever funds and expertise companies choose to invest in communities to help resolve social problems. But, it is also about the integrity with which a company governs itself, fulfils its mission, lives by its values, engages with its stakeholders, measures its impacts and reports on its activities. 2.1.3 Key Drivers of CSR CSR is seen by Porter and Van Der Linde (2000, p. 131) as a competitive driver that requires appropriate resources. CSR programmes, however, on their own, have certain main drivers which are as follow: Bottom Line Effect This is the most relevant driver of CSR programmes as it incorporates a socially responsible element into corporate practice. As John Elkington (1997) rightly underlined that many companies exhibit corporate citizenship through charity or philanthropy. Nevertheless, a new perspective evolved over time for some corporate stakeholders. Success of a corporation is now weighted and defined by evaluating businesses using a Triple Bottom Line comprised of its social, environmental and financial performance. Managing Risk An endeavour to adopt CSR programme has been the gain in market share, key personnel and investment which pioneering companies enjoy when they seriously address labour and green issues. In fact, corporations implement such a programme to manage risks and ensure legal compliance as denoted by Levine Michael A. (2008). They try to avoid investigation, litigation, prosecution, regulation or legislation. Influence of the Corporate Disasters There has been an increased perception of greed amidst senior business officials in the corporate world following corporate scandals affecting Enron, WorldCom and the like. CSR is important in counteracting allegations of corporate greed. As a result, as described by Hancock (2005) in his book, corporations are now shifting away from the philanthropic approach towards CSR and are moving towards the greater alignment of CSR with business strategy and corporate governance. Lower Equity Risk Premium Reputation Management Corporations can face economic damage when their corporate reputations and brands are assailed or sales are affected by consumer boycotts. As argued by some rating agencies, a comprehensive CSR programme will lower a companys equity risk premium. A direct correlation between reputation and financial outcome measures share price and credit rating (Hancock, 2005) has been illustrated through a model designed by the global public relations company Bell Pottinger. In fact, companies may face a variety of legal and reputational risks if they do not have adequate social compliance or corporate social responsibility/sustainability programs in place. Customer Loyalty In todays markets, companies have to focus on building and maintaining customer loyalty. As proposed by Zhou Y. (2009), this can be done through a CSR programme which builds loyalty with customers by offering a competitive advantage in a marketplace where consumers find ethically delivered or produced goods and services. Stakeholder Activism Investment Incentives As perceived by Visser, W. (2008), CSR is encouraged through the activism of stakeholder or pressure groups which often address the alleged failure of the market and government policy. The trend of socially responsible investment gives CSR an incentive where funds are screened on ethical, social and environmental criteria. Thus, this proactively encourages businesses to inform shareholders of potential risks and issues and it helps them to better understand their stakeholders, including shareholders. According to Hill Knowltown (2006), surveys have indicated that analysts place as much importance on corporate reputation as they do on financial performance. 2.1.4 Theories for CSR There are several theories that emerged to explain the reasons behind environmental reporting over the time. These are as follow: Operational Efficiency Theory Operational Efficiency occurs when the right combination of people, process, and technology to boost the productivity and value of any business operation, while reducing cost of routine operations to a desired level. In the context of CSR, operational efficiencies can be achieved through managing impending risks and liabilities more effectively and efficiently through CSR tools and perspectives by reducing costs; streaming information to stakeholders concerning the investment community for better transparency and by using corporate responsibility and sustainability approaches within business decision-making to result in new market opportunities, newly developed manufacturing processes that can be expanded to other plants, regions or markets as advocated by S. B. Banerjee (2007). Social Contract Theory The current practice of CSR by corporations was explained by O. O. Amao (2007) under the social contract theory. This theory dates from the classic period of history but took its modern form in the 16th and 18th centuries with best known philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau who talk on social contract. Rousseau, in fact, conceptualised the individual-society relationship as a symbiotic situation whereby the two parties mutually confer some right to the state in order to maintain social order which makes human life and cohabitation better and to gain benefits of community and safety. In parallel to the social contract, the corporate social theory, pertaining to a firms indirect social obligations, is advanced where businesses are bound by the social contract to perform various socially desired actions in return for approval of their objectives and other rewards. Legitimacy Theory Similar to the social contract theory, the legacy theory was adopted by comporations to ensure that operations are within the limits and norms of their respective societies and the outside parties perceive their activities as being legitimate. Society grants legitimacy and power to business. In the long run, those who do not use power in a manner which society considers responsible will tend to lose it. This principle developed by Daviss (1973) is commonly known as the Iron Law of Responsibility. It expresses legitimacy as a societal-level concept and describes the responsibility of business as a social institution that must avoid abusing its power. Thus, this principle expresses a prohibition rather than an affirmative duty, and it applies equally to all companies, regardless of their particular circumstances. According to A.K.H. Khor, the legitimacy theory is fundamentally a system-oriented theory where organisations are viewed as components of the larger social environment within which they exist. Stakeholder Theory A key feature of CSR involves the way that a company engages, involves, and collaborates with its stakeholders including shareholders, employees, debt-holders, suppliers, customers, communities, non-governmental organisations, and governments. M. C. Branco and L. L. Rodrigues (2007) argued that companies need to use stakeholder engagement to internalise societys needs, hopes, circumstances into their corporate views and decision-making. While there are many questions about how far a companys responsibilities extend into communities relative to the roles of governments and individual citizens, there is a strong argument that CSR can effectively improve a companys relations with communities and thereby produce some key features that will improve business prospects for its future. Agency Theory This theory comes to explain the relationship that exists between the owners/shareholders and the management. As such the latter is the agent which appointed by the principal (owner/subsidiary) and problems such as the potential moral hazard and conflict of interest are likely to occur. CSR comes as a middle way so that both parties can maximise their gains. As such, when CFP is strong, managers may reduce social expenditures in order to maximise their own short term private gains whereas when CFP weakens, managers will try to offset their disappointing results by engaging in conspicuous social programs, hence increasing their own wealth and that of shareholders as well, pursuant to the managerial opportunism hypothesis by Preston OBannon (1997). 2.2 Theoretical Review 2.2.1 Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) Most of the businesses operate with a view of yielding profits. The financial performance of a company is reflected through its policies and operations in monetary terms. These results are reflected through its return on investment, return on assets, value added, return on sale and growth in sales. Managers work in the best interest of shareholders to maximise profits. Financial performance is the most common, however, it cannot be considered as the only indicator used to measure a firms wealth. A broader definition of financial performance is accompanied by additional indicators such as short-term profits, long-term profits, market value, and other forms of competitive advantage, as noted by Jensen (2001). 2.2.2 Corporate Social Performance and CFP Many previous studies have indicated an unclear relationship between CSR and financial performance. Thus, literature has pointed out towards an innovation in bringing the concept of CSP to better explore its impact upon corporate financial performance (CFP). In todays world, for a firm to achieve a good and high level of CFP, it has to go beyond the limits of its own corporate strategies and adopt views of other stakeholders who may be directly or indirectly related to the company. Since over the three decades, the study of the correlation between CSP and CFP has gained much salience. Many studies conducted in this effect have yielded positive correlation, while others produced contradictory results with negative or non-significant different causal directions being found. In effect, there are several competing theoretical models which are proposed to explain three varying findings on the CSP-CFP link. Owing to these differing relationships, I.Y. Maroam (2006) proposes a unified theory of the CSP-CFP link that explain the different relationships that may be observed between CSR and CFP, thus basing itself on the parallels between the business and CSR domains. The concept of CSR instils in corporations the moral responsibility towards society that go beyond the goal of simply making profits for their owners and shareholders (Berman et al., 1999). As Freeman (1984) rightly pointed out that corporations should be socially responsible for both moral and practical (instrumental) reasons, by reflecting a socially responsible posture, a corporation can enhance its own performance. Thus, CSR activities can, inter-alia, be rewarded with more satisfied customers, better employee, improved reputation, and improved access to financial markets, all pertaining to improving financial performance and sustaining the business. However, social accomplishments may equally involve certain financial costs which can effectively reduce profits and comparative performance. Hence, Vance (1975) came up with the trade-off hypothesis to show negative linkage between CSP and CFP whereby corporations displaying strong social credentials experience declining stock price s relative to the market average. 2.2.3 CSP as a Business Strategy So far, it is clear that CSP can be used as a business strategy which can contribute to the competitive advantage of firms. A study by N. A. Dentchey (2004) on the effects of CSP on the competitiveness of organisations reveals that CSP should not be thought as an innocent adventure for executives. It is rather a strategy for achieving corporate strategies, which if not warily implemented, may harm the firms competitive advantage. Competitive advantage, as seen by Porter (1996), denotes the ability of a company to outperform others from successful differentiation from rivals actions. This strategic fit between the outside environment and companies internal resources and capabilities (Hoskissoon et al., 1999) results in superior financial results, as indicated by various measures of profitability. Hence, as per Burke and Logsdon (1996), a strategic implementation of social responsibility benefits all by resulting in strategic outcomes such as customer loyalty, future purchases, new products, new markets and productivity gains. Arguably, CSP can be a source of competitive disadvantage for firms which regard CSP as an additional cost. Business contributions to social prosperity (CSP) are seen by Keim (1978, p.33) as an investment in public good which is consumed or enjoyed by a number of individuals disregarding the cost sharing. Thus, investing in CSP is likely to bear negative effects for the firms which are in curring costs that might otherwise be avoided or that should be borne by others, for example, individuals or government (Aupperle et al., 1985). 2.2.4 CSP, CFP and the Stakeholder Theory Following the above arguments, a new perspective of CSP, based on the stakeholder analysis, emerges to argue furthermore that there exists a positive relationship between CSP and CFP. As such, S.A. Waddock and S.B. Graves (1997) propose that a tension exists between the firms explicit costs (for instance, payments to bondholders) and its implicit costs to other stakeholders (for example, product quality costs, and environmental costs). Hence, a firm which tries to outweigh its explicit costs by increasing its socially responsible actions incurs higher implicit costs, resulting in competitive advantage. Thus, high levels of CSP are seen as indicators of superior management by Alexander and Buchholz (1982) which lead to lower explicit costs and enhanced financial performance. The stakeholder theory accompanies the concept of CSR by shedding more light on the issue of social responsibility. This theory is spread over three aspects (Donaldson and Preston, 1995) namely, descriptive, instrumental and normative. While the descriptive aspect describes and explains the theory, the instrumental aspect discloses the cause-effect relationships between stakeholder management practices and improving corporate performance. The normative aspect, on the other hand, as perceived by I.Y. Maroam (2006) emphasizes on the moral imperatives for practising stakeholder management, rather than the business benefits it may provide. A parallelism between the core business domain and the CSR domain will maximise a firms profitability. The stakeholder theory provides a framework for investigating the relationship between CSP and CFP by examining how a change in CSP is related to a change in financial accounting measures. In fact, the two concepts of CSR and stakeholder share the proposition that social responsibility affects financial performance in some way or other. This subject area has been so vastly explored that this trend is now seen as a natural progression which goes associatively with developments in the industrial and business world. There is an increasing concern and emphasize on humanity, environmental preservation and enlightened social consciousness. Thus, a new area of research began to pave its way within the field of business and society where the relationship between corporate social conduct, both toward the corporations stakeholders and the wider society, and the corporations financial performance was and is still being investigated across several countries. Over environmental issues, research h as revealed that businesses which are eco-friendly and demonstrate good CSR practices enjoy increased consumer purchase preference (Gildea, 1994; Zaman, 1996) and good economic performance (Al-Tuwaijiri, et al., 2004). A stakeholder group, as identified and defined by Freeman (1984), is one that that can affect or is affected by achievement of the organisations objectives, that is, which can be harmed as well as can help it to achieve its goals. Therefore, there is a growing need for firms to address the needs and expectations of the stakeholders to avoid negative outcomes and produce positive outcomes for themselves (Donaldson and Preston, 1995; Freeman, 1984; Frooman, 1997). Pursuant to the stakeholder theory perspective, CSP can be assessed in terms of a company meeting the demands of multiple stakeholders, ranging from cost minimisation to societal maximisation. Building on the previous mentioned definition of CSP, Wood and Jones (1995) propose that stakeholder theory is the key to understanding the structure and dimensions of the firms societal relationships thereby assuming that firms are responsible for honouring all the implicit and explicit contracts they hold with their various constituen ts. Therefore, the stakeholder theory provides a system-based perspective of the organisation and its stakeholders where it acknowledges the dynamic and complex nature of the interplay between them. The various stakeholders of the firms, such as the employees, shareholders, financers, environmentalists, government, communities, customers and even competitors should be convinced by the management that it is working harder to satisfy them. The more important the stakeholders to the firm, the more effort the firm needs to put to uphold its relationship with the former. According to Clarkson, Donaldson and Preston et al. (1995), the stakeholder theory must place shareholders as one of the multiple stakeholder groups which managers should consider in their decision-making process. However, like the shareholders, the other stakeholders may have a say upon the firm, bestowing societal legitimacy. Notably, Bernadette M. Ruf et al. (2001) asserted that firms must address these non-shareholder gro ups demands otherwise they might face negative confrontations which can ultimately result in diminished shareholder value, through boycotts, lawsuits, protests and so on. Hence, firms have a fiduciary duty relationship not only to the shareholders, but to all stakeholders (Hasnas, 1998, p.32). So far, recognising a companys contractual relationship with the various stakeholders has been instrumental in better comprehending the relationship that CSP and CFP share. Stakeholders have expectations from the organisation. Nevertheless, these expectations may conflict with the firms limited resources leading the firm to evaluate its costs and benefits tradeoffs. Firms must thus come with measures representative of the various factors of CSP and stakeholders interests. Unlike neo-classical stockholders who were only interested in financial performance (Grouf, 1994; Shapiro, 1992), the major stakeholders of today, that is, the stockholders are more interested in the firms current and future financial benefits and social performance. 2.3 Empirical Review This section reviews the works done and methods used by researchers on the relationship of CFP and CSP. Empirical results on the latters correlation are mixed whereby some yielded in positive, some in negative and some in non-significant relationships. Basing on the stakeholder theory approach, several models on the CFP-CSP relationship have been proposed, where the largest number of investigations found a positive CSP-CFP linkage. Notably, different methods to compute indexes for CFP and CSP have been used since data on both cannot be possibly obtained in absolute figures. As such, using aggregated weights assigned to K dimensions of social performance obtained through questionnaire for CSP and using change in return on equity (ROE), change in return on sales (ROS) and growth in sales as financial measures on a sample of 496 firms, Bernadette M. Ruf et al. (2001) came up with a positive relationship between CSP and CFP. They, in fact, regressed change in CSP on change in CFP. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between change in CSP and change in ROE and change in ROS in the long term but that with growth in sales was significantly positive only in year 0 and 1. The study suggests that improvements in CSP have both immediate and continuing financial impacts. The authors have furthermore suggested that since many financial performance measures follow a random walk or mean reversion  [1]  , it is important to use lead/lag studies to establish a causal sequence of CSP and CFP. Concerning time period, one year may be short in strat egic terms and could well be distorted by rogue figures, hence, it suggested to take two or five years data in analyses. A paper by S. A. Waddock and S. B. Graves (1997) also found positive linkage between CFP and CSP. An index for CSP was computed using eight attributes relating to shareholder concerns and were rated consistently across the entire Standards Poors 500 by a rating service. The firms profitability was measured using three accounting variables, namely, return on assets (ROA), ROE and ROS used to assess CFP by the investment community. Factors such as size, risk and industry which affect both CFP and CSP were taken as control variables. Used on a sample of 469 companies and using CSP as both dependent and independent variable, the results revealed that CFP does depend on CSP and vice-versa and also indicated the importance of controlling for industry in assessing such a relationship. Size has been suggested in previous studies, like that of Ullman (1985), to be a factor which affects both CFP and CSP. Size remains a relevant variable because there had been evidence that smaller firms may not demonstrate the same obvious socially responsible behaviours as larger firms. Authors like Pinkston and Carroll (1993), for instance, investigated the extent social responsibility orientations, organisational stakeholders, and social issues can differ among firms of differing sizes. P. A. Stanwick and S. D. Stanwick (1998), on the other hand, found a significant positive association between size (annual sales) and CFP at the 10% level for three of the six years of their study. Firm size is particularly the scale of operations in an organisation (Price and Mueller (1986, p. 233)). Previous literature has indicated a need to control not only for industry, and size (Ullman, 1985; Waddock and Graves, 1997), but also for risk (McWilliams and Siegel, 2000) to render research results more complete. The argument to use risk as a control variable is supported by the fact that the degree of risk is seen as the other important component of firm performance assumed by a firm in order to achieve a given level of financial performance as stated by Bettis and Hall (1982). Baird and Thomas (1985) also advocated risk as being both as a strategic variable (firms choose a given level of risk) and as an outcome variable (strategic choices lead to a level of risk) which ultimately leads to improved financial performance. As such, M. Brine, R. Brown and G. Hackett (2004) used risk alongside size as control variables to assess financial performance of 277 companies. Their preliminary results stated that the adoption of CSR does lead to increases in turnover and also an increase in equity, which in turn improve the CFP level. To bring more integrity, M. Orlitzky et al. (2003) conducted a quantitative meta-analysis on the CFP-CSP relationship building on the hypothesis that CSP and CFP are generally positively related leading to competencies, learning, efficiency and reputation-building with its external stakeholders. Taking CFP as a companys financial viability through three broad subdivisions consisting of market-based (investor returns), accounting-based (accounting returns), and perceptual (survey) measures and constructing CSP through four broad measurement strategies, namely: (a) CSP disclosures (annual reports, letters to shareholders); (b) CSP reputation ratings; (c) social audits, CSP processes, and observable outcomes; and (d) managerial CSP principles and values (Post, 1991), the study suggests that corporate virtue in the form of social responsibility and, to a lesser extent, environmental responsibility can pay off, despite the CSP-CFP operationalisations can also moderate the positive associa tion. CSP appeared to be more highly correlated with accounting-based measures of CFP than with market-based indicators, and CSP reputation indices were more highly correlated with CFP than are other indicators. According to Mahoney L. and Roberts R.W. (2007), there is no significant relationship between a composite measure of firms CSP and CFP. Using four years panel data of Canadian firms, they calculated a composite measure of CSP score by summing all dimension strength ratings, such as, community relations, diversity, employee relations, environment, international, product safety, and amongst others and subtracting all dimension weaknesses ratings. Following Waddock and Graves (1997a), ROA and ROE were used separately to measure a firms CFP. As CFP was expected to be positively related to CSP, a one-year lag between CFP and all independent variables (CSP, firm size, debt level, and industry) was used. Inconsistent with their expectation, they found no significant relationship between the composite CSP measure and either ROA or ROE. However, the use of individual measures of firms CSP regarding environmental and international activities and CFP resulted in a significant relationship provi ding mixed support for the business case for CSP. A study, using the Granger causality approach, by Rim Makni et al. (2008) reaffirms Mahoney and Roberts (2007) works on the non-significant relationship. However, there may also be a simultaneous and interactive negative relation between CSP and CFP, forming a vicious circle.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Tainted Milk Powder

Question 1: Given strong profit growth, has there been any damage to Baidu. com’s reputation? Answer: Yes, there was damage to Baidu. com’s reputation. The examples of damage to Baidu. com’s reputation are: * The rumors made the company’s information appear unreliable. * Baidu. com’s users may start to boycott from using this search engine. They are hoping that Baidu. com may change their behavior after the protest. * Due to the boycott activity, the number of daily visitors may reduce drastically. * Due to the number of visitors decreased, those existing advertisers may withdraw their advertisement and switching to other company.As a result, they lost valuable contracts/customers. * Baidu’s shareholders also may sell off their shares in market. As a result, the share price dropped, this is also indicating that they lost public trust. Question 2: What the future reputational damage affect and how could it be measured? Answer: * Damage public trust, number of viewer and user drop * Mostly for a company to gain trust and confidence from the user of their product is not easy and take time. * But, to damage it just take a short period of time. For example doing unethical action in managing business operation. * Many news and rumors spread in media about Baidu. om have received some payment from tainted milk manufacturer for not advertise any news about them. * No concrete evidence about the rumors, but could damage their reputation, public trust and confidence of their source of information. * The number of viewer or user that use their search engine that been lower after the spread of bad news and rumors could be used to measure for the damage of public trust. * Investor not interested to invest, share price drop * The bad news and rumors about the unethical action by this company triggered the public trust toward them * It makes many people debate and alked about their action after the spread of issue regarding informatio n hidden, thus make many speculations towards this company. * Too much bad speculation been made toward their company impact to drop of share price. * We think that it would make investor or future investor might be not interested to invest in this company if the rumors are true due to the share price dropped continuously. * Affect company profitability, low income from advertiser * When the trust or confidence from the user or people toward this Baidu. com has decreased, it means that the viewer or user their search engine also decreased. Thus, the better for advertiser to promote their product in the search engine which have more viewer compared to Baidu. com * Besides, we think that Baidu. com might have to reduce the advertising fee in order to attract the advertiser use their search engine to promote products * Thus, impact from advertiser being changed to the other search engine or lower the advertising fee make the Baidu. com would faces low profitability and income. Question 3: What steps could Baidu. com take to restore its reputation, and what challenges will it have to overcome?There are 3 steps to restore the company reputation as below: 1. Know The Truth * The Company will first have to look at themselves and seek the reality. * Is there any truth in what the people say about themselves? * Baidu. com will have to look at the rumor of how they were said to have accepted payments to withholding a company’s information from online searches. 2. Take Action * Baidu. com might held a press conference to admit its wrong doing and try to fix it from there. * Although there were many are upset by the admittance, but they will be more upset if the Baidu. om have not admitted to their wrong doing. * That’s the matter related to trust and knowing that they will stand up for the mistake that have been made. 3. Dispel the Rumors * Baidu. com will have to overcome the rumor of how they were said to have accepted payments for withholding a companyâ €™s information from on-line searches. * They will have to disclose all of their financial records. This is done in an effort to make the company financial activities as transparent as possible and display that they are confederate in their financial activities. This will aid the company in regaining the trust of the public and the public will ultimately trust the information that is contained on the search engine. The biggest challenge is regaining trust from the stakeholders, investors and then the consumers as the company bad reputation has built over a period of time. * Do not expect to get rid of it within a few hours or days. It will take time for people to remove the company old, bad image from their mind and replace it with the new, pleasant one. * It is a matter of trust and knowing that one will stand up for the mistakes that have been made. Therefore the company needs to take social responsibility for the crisis. * There were innocent lives lost all because no one spo ke up about the tainted product. * Naturally there will be repercussions for all involved but consumers are forgiving if the situation is handled correctly. So, just keep on making efforts and soon, people will get used to the image of the ‘new you'. Question 4: Governments throughout the world have been slow to react publicly to serious problems such as SARS, mad cow disease, and now melamine contamination. Who benefits and who loses because of these delays?Answer: a) Benefits * Companies involved in related industry. * Government’s slow reaction gave opportunities for these companies to continue supply consumer with no quality product that bring harms to the consumer itself as long as the company gain benefit from it. * Eg: Mad cow disease was cause through nutrient give to the cows itself. Naturally, cows are supposed to eat grass. However, the ranchers try to cut costs by feeding these animals with dead animal. Besides, the ranchers feeding them with hormones and ot her chemical to fatten them up faster for marketing.In a nutshell, the ranchers along with other related parties are benefited through cost reduction as well as faster â€Å"harvesting†. * Government * Government itself gain benefit from their action. * One of the examples is from tourism industry. When the government announces the serious problem face by the country, especially if it is health related, it might frighten the tourist to visit the country. Thus, it can affect income received by the country. * The government usually will try to protect their local market and local product.For instance, what happen in China when the news of contaminated milk spread is that it causes sales of dairy product to drop by 30-40%. * Government slow action has given them opportunity to search for proper solution before expose it to the public. Aside from avoid panic among public, this action can also benefit them from loss of income and maintain country’s reputation. b) Loses * Pu blic * Public were negatively affected from government slow action, especially when it’s involving human’s life. * Eg: The melamine-tainted milk powder was responsible for the deaths of four infants and the sickening of more than 6,200 more.If the public are aware of the situation, they won’t buy the milk powder, thus can prevent loss of lives. * Also, it can hurt public’s finance when they spend their money on the products that they can’t even use. * Most importantly, public might lose faith on the government itself. Public rely on the information given by the government. If the government itself didn’t disclose important information, from whom the public can depend on. * In addition, when the countries are facing serious problem such as diseases, the government need to diverge the limited public money to support medical costs.It is burdensome since the public monies are use to clean up the mess done by irresponsible parties that only have view on profit only. * Pharmaceutical industry * It is not a one-day task in developing a new cure for new disease * The scientist needs to do research, identify the cause of disease, and find suitable chemical/element needed to produce the drugs. * When the government gave late announcement to public, all scientists are not able to create new medicine and thus, bring loss to them in terms of profit. Question 5: In some cultures, a ‘culture of secrecy’ or manipulation of the news is tolerated more than others.How can this be remedied by other governments, corporations, investors and member of public? Answer: * Governments * Government can design law to prevent this culture because it can affect public. * They can impose fine and penalty to those who are exercised the culture of secrecy. * The penalty imposed is a way to punish company and people who involve in this case. * It is as a warning to others firms so that they are not doing the same thing in the future. * The law and penalty should be imposed when there is evidence that the company is exercising this culture. * Corporations They should disclose all the information that concerns about public because public has the right to know what happen because it relate to them. * For example, corporations can disclose about their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in their website. They should include all information so that public didn’t lost trust to them. * Investors * Investors can take action such as disapprove the unethical activities done by companies. * They have a great power towards companies because they are the shareholder. * Investors can sell their shares as a way to disapprove action taken by companies. If by taking that action also cannot alert the company, they can be a whistleblower by telling the authority about the company wrongdoing. * Member of public * Member of public can prevent this culture by the increasing of press freedom. * They can work with press to make sure that news spread faster. But, immunity should be given for public interest disclosure where the matters give serious harm to public. Before the immunity given, the news should be disclose to authorities both internally and externally and no action taken. Besides, public can complain to non-profit organization (NGO) or consumer association about companies wrongdoing. * Thus, when this action can be taken, companies may be thinking twice before they hiding something from public and consequences that they are going to face in the future. References 1. Tainted-Baby-Milk Scandal in China, RetrivedMarch 8, 2013 from http://www. time. com/time/world/article/0,8599,1841535,00. html, 2. Tainted Baby Formula Scandal Blows Up in China, Retrieved March 9, 2013 from http://blog. foolsmountain. com/2008/09/12/tainted-baby-formula-scandal-blows-up-in-china/ 3.Baidu Caught in Backlash Over Tainted Milk Powder: Search Engine Denies Screening Out News; More Rivals Online, Retrieved March 9, 2013 fro m http://online. wsj. com/article/SB122176870268453547. html 4. The Google of China: The Secret of Baidu’s Runaway Search Engine Success, Retrieved March 9, 2013 from http://www. time. com/time/world/article/0,8599,2111545,00. html 5. Lorraine Day, M. D. Mad Cow Disease: What the Government didn’t Telling You. Retrieved March 9, 2013 from http://www. drday. com/madcow. htm 6. 2008 Chinese Milk Scandal. Retrieved March 9, 2013 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/2008_Chinese_milk_scandal#Chinese_industry . Pharmaceutical Industry. Retrieved March 9, 2013 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Pharmaceutical_industry 8. Tainted milk: Unravelling China’s Melamine Scandal. Retrieved March 9, 2013 from http://thinkbusiness. nus. edu/articles/item/118-tainted-milk-unravelling-china%E2%80%99s-melamine-scandal 9. Storer, J. A chance to tackle the culture of secrecy in government. Retrieved March 12, 2013 from http://www. thepunch. com. au/articles/a-chance-to-tackle-the-cu lture-of-secrecy-in-government/ 10. 2008 Chinese milk scandal. Retrived March 12, 2013 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/2008_Chinese_milk_scandal