History According to Neo-Conservative Historians Essay

History According to Neo-Conservative Historians - Essay Example Strauss believed liberal government policies were providing the masses with rights, power, and leisure that their simple minds neither deserved, nor were capable of responsibly wielding. Invariably, according to Strauss and Neo-Cons, the devolved masses give rise to Hitler-like evil. Strauss firmly and fully believed that the inherent weakness and ignorance of the masses, social-liberal policies, and the "excess" freedom of leisure coupled with the right to choose their own leaders provided the ingredients for humanitys demise. For Strauss, these devolved masses required strong authoritarian leadership comprised of those intellectually and socially superior (Ray, 1993). In nearly every aspect of todays American political life and foreign policy we see Strauss theory of constant struggle and conflict being employed and carried out. The media has often decried the obvious combative, angry, and mean-spirited nature of Americas contemporary political discourse. FOX News, which is the propaganda and disinformation outlet for the Neo-Conservative movement, has, by design, ensured Strauss theory of conflict plays out in the American political life. It certainly isnt by accident that prominent Neo-Conservatives like Bill Kristol are often featured on FOXs programs (Ray, 1993). Furthermore, the only purpose for the network to employ the bellicose and outrageous OReilly, and venomous and angry Sean Hannity is to divide American against American and instill a degree of political nastiness never before witnessed. A quick trip around the AM Radio dial will make apparent an entire legion of Republican and Neo-Conservative propagandists doing their part to foment all-out political warfare in the United States. Finally, few propagandists are loved and cherished more deeply by the Neo-Cons than the hate-spewing and liberal demonizing Ann Coulter (Halper & Clarke, 2005). The

Gun Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Gun Control - Research Paper Example Crime rates have gone up drastically due to easy access to all manner of handguns, rifles, and automatic weapons. California has recorded a drastic increase in drug-related crimes, robberies, and rape in the past years due to gun possession. Moreover, gun owners feel they have the right to threaten, control, and mishandle other citizens using their weapons. Thus, is it necessary to illegalize possession of guns in California because they cause unnecessary deaths, more crimes and lawlessness, and increased violence in the society. Misuse of weapons leads to 50% of gun related incidences in the form of crimes and gun related lawlessness. In 2009, robbers, burglars, rapists, and drug criminals had easy access to weapons, leading to gang violence, intimidation, breaking of laws, and controlling the other people (Editorial 3). Citizens lived in fear due to rowdy criminals who can access handguns easily and threaten people’s lives. Massive access to different types of handguns, automatic rifles, and machine guns, has made it hard for police to keep up with combating crime in the state of California. Crimes happening in homes, schools, places, of work and on the streets due to guns increased by the day before enforcement of gun laws. Moreover, some gun owners take advantage of the situation and believe they have the right to end someone’s life, cause harm, and intimidate the person on the slightest provocation. Additionally, once guns are in circulation, they end up in the possession of wrong people w ho do not hesitate to use them on innocent citizens. Furthermore, once in possession of guns, criminals gain power over their victims and can inflict all sorts of harm including rape, and death. This power also has resulted in increased organized crimes as the criminals take advantage that they have guns to protect themselves and kill anyone against them. Nevertheless, misuse of weapons has decreased rapidly

Critical Introduction to Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Critical Introduction to Law - Essay Example Basically feminism concerns the study or movement against women’s subordination common to all of them in a particular society. And it is culturally and historically specific. Thus forms of oppression of women are different among societies, races and countries. The subordination of Afro-Caribbean women, Asian women, working class women, lesbian women, single mothers are qualitatively different but unified by gender. For example, reluctance of the police to intervene in Asian women’s protest against domestic violence in their community. Police justify their reluctance citing the value of extended family system in Asian communities and letting them settle their disputes on their own. This is not only sexist but also racist bias. White State power has also been indifferent to the voices of these Asian women. 2 Women have been excluded in market place and government and given the main responsibility of bearing and rearing children and to give refuge to men from the pressures of capitalist world. This separation of women from the public sphere was more acute in the nineteenth century. At the same time, men are dominating both the public and private spheres even today by legal orders with private sphere devoid of legal control making them even more dominant in private life. In America, females were excluded for exercising franchise in the 19th century. In 1820s and 1830s, white males got franc hise rights even without property holdings. And after the civil rights movement when black men gained the franchise rights, women regardless of race, were left behind. It was only through the 13th amendment, women gained the right to vote. It did not mean women finally got the rights and duties befitting electoral status. It was only in 1961, they were accorded jury duty. The armed combat duty as a test of citizenship has still not been accorded to women today. In English common law, women were not allowed to enter certain professions like law

Gun Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 6

Gun Control - Research Paper Example Crime rates have gone up drastically due to easy access to all manner of handguns, rifles, and automatic weapons. California has recorded a drastic increase in drug-related crimes, robberies, and rape in the past years due to gun possession. Moreover, gun owners feel they have the right to threaten, control, and mishandle other citizens using their weapons. Thus, is it necessary to illegalize possession of guns in California because they cause unnecessary deaths, more crimes and lawlessness, and increased violence in the society. Misuse of weapons leads to 50% of gun related incidences in the form of crimes and gun related lawlessness. In 2009, robbers, burglars, rapists, and drug criminals had easy access to weapons, leading to gang violence, intimidation, breaking of laws, and controlling the other people (Editorial 3). Citizens lived in fear due to rowdy criminals who can access handguns easily and threaten people’s lives. Massive access to different types of handguns, automatic rifles, and machine guns, has made it hard for police to keep up with combating crime in the state of California. Crimes happening in homes, schools, places, of work and on the streets due to guns increased by the day before enforcement of gun laws. Moreover, some gun owners take advantage of the situation and believe they have the right to end someone’s life, cause harm, and intimidate the person on the slightest provocation. Additionally, once guns are in circulation, they end up in the possession of wrong people w ho do not hesitate to use them on innocent citizens. Furthermore, once in possession of guns, criminals gain power over their victims and can inflict all sorts of harm including rape, and death. This power also has resulted in increased organized crimes as the criminals take advantage that they have guns to protect themselves and kill anyone against them. Nevertheless, misuse of weapons has decreased rapidly

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law - Essay Example This is why some evidence is kept for years under protection to ensure that every suspected criminal is rightfully charged. Doctor and attorney client privileges exist because every individual has a right to defend themselves by using an attorney before being charged. The defendants also have the right for a doctor in case they have medical complications. Every suspected criminal is expected to have an attorney who are of high qualities, excellent judgment, absolute integrity, fearless and have good knowledge of the case and the evidence presented to them (Totten, 2012). Privileges to an attorney and provision of doctor are very essential as it prevent innocent people from being prosecuted or individuals who are found guilty being given a fair trial that guarantees them a reasonable sentence depending on the crimes they have been found guilty for. The way a case is handled does not only affect the prosecuted and the prosecutors but the society at large. This is why the decision or th e judgment of the prosecutors should not be based on the public pressure, political influence or media instead should be based on the evidence found and the level the attorneys can prove the guilt or the innocence of the person at interest. This is why the prosecutors say that it is never easy being the one to make a judgment of whether a person is guilty or not, being able to put someone in jail makes the journey so lonely that there are people waiting for your decision and whichever you give one party will be hurt. The job takes character; it dictates one to have self confidence and inner strength (Totten, 2012). Without having solid moral direction and be compassionate in their approach the society will judge them and try to bring them down. Where there is evidence, the prosecutor should be guided by common sense and fairness because the decision they make may extremely affect the lives of many others than the suspected criminal. Suspected criminal should have privilege for an at torney who is supposed to represent them regardless of the amount of evidence found against them. This ensures that the evidence provided is properly marshaled and severely adduced because there can never be a fair trial without fair prosecution and presentation of enough evidence. The attorney also tries to reduce the charges brought against their clients by taking up deals (Siegel, 2009). The attorney is required to have the client attorney privilege of ensuring that they keep everything the client has told them under protection unless they decide not to represent those clients. Question 2 In the case Ulster v. Allen, 442 U.S. 140, 1979, presumptions as evidence was used where the defendants refused to the introduction of the guns into evidence since there was no enough prove to connect them with the guns. The trial court canceled the protest, relying on the presumption of custody created by a New York law providing that the existence of a weapon in a vehicle is presumptive confir mation of its unlawful ownership by all people then occupying the automobile, except when inter alia, the weapon is set up upon the individual of one of the occupants (Samaha, 20111). To find guilty a criminal defendant, the prosecutor must confirm

The World without Us by Alan Wiesman Essay Example for Free

The World without Us by Alan Wiesman Essay In Alan Wiesman’s book, The World Without Us, it is centered on the idea of what would happen to the world if only humankind were to disappear off the face of the earth. The purpose of this essay is to show how humankind are causing a modern world crisis, specifically focusing on plastic and how its ability to not decompose in the environment is having a negative effect on the wildlife as well as how humans are killing off many birds and bird species each year due to their careless human errors. Weisman through much research comes up with an estimated time of how long it will take the earth to recover from these human mishaps before the world can repair itself to how it was before humans controlled it. The Bialowieza Puszcza, puszcza being the Polish word for â€Å"forest primeval†, spreads between the borders of Poland and Belarus and stretches over half a million acres. In the 14th centaury, Wladyslaw jagiello, declared the forest a royal hunting reserve until many centuries later Russia dominated the Polish- Lithuanian union and proclaimed the Bialowieza as that of the tsars. The forest survived through World War 1 and in 1921 it was declared a Polish national park. Although this forest was supposedly protected there has been damage done to this primeval forest as forest ministries in Poland and Bulgaria have allowed management to cull and sell the mature hardwoods that would have become nutrients and a windshield for the forest. It is believed that before humans build their entire infrastructure and dominated the forest, the whole of Europe would have looked like the Bialowieza Puszcza. Andrezej Bobiec, a forestry student in Krakow, discovered the biodiversity in this forest was ten times more than any other forest. This forest is home to all nine species of the European woodpecker, which is not evident any other European forest, this forest is also home to the wisents, a specie which is nearly extinct, with only 600 in the world, most in this particular forest. This primeval forest is evidence of what Europe would look like without any human influence. It shows how human influence on other European forests have killed many species, driving them from their homes in order for humans to cut down the forest and use it for their own benefit without the consideration of the other species both animals and plants. It is estimated that Europe would need 500 years before a true forest would grow back and once again dominate most of Europe’s vegetation. Weisman uses the Bialowieza forest as an illustration of what part of the world, specifically Europe would look like without any human influence. This forest is seen as the lingering scent of Eden showing how it is seen as a primeval forest. Richard Thompson, studied at the University of Plymouth to become a marine biologist, in the 1980’s he would spend his time organizing the Liverpool contingent of Great Britain’s national beach cleanup whereby his 170 teammates would collect metric tons of rubbish along 85 miles of shoreline. Thompson started to realize over the accumulating years that the trash collected was becoming smaller amongst the usual bottles and tires. Thompson and another student would collect these and examine them under a microscope but they were usually to small to determined what source they came from. Once he had complete his Ph.D, Thompson started to compare this unknown matter to the database of known material using a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, this device allowed for microbeams to be passed through a substance once this is completed the device compared its infrared spectrum to the database. Thompson found small material waste to be nurdles, these two-millimeter high plastic cylinders come in an array of colours and known to be â€Å"raw materials of plastic production† that are melted down to manufacture many plastics products. In the early 20th century, Alister Hardy the marine biologist of Plymouth, took many samples around the British Isles but only every second one was examined and the remaining samples were stored in a climate-controlled warehouse which decades later were discovered by Thompson who examined the samples. He found that during World War II plastic barely existed and was only evident in telephones and radio applications. In the 1960’s there was an increasing number of plastic particles and by the 1990’s, triple the amount of particles were present than three decades earlier. The evidence from these samples shows that the amount of â€Å"acrylic, polyester, and crumbs of synthetic polymers† in the water are increasing at a rapid rate and most of human kind are not even noticing. These small little plastic pieces mainly float and according to Hardy’s plankton recorder they are being caught about 10 meters below surface. Nurdles are now becoming smaller and smaller because of the friction from both the waves and rocks and therefore are being taken by global sea currents. The problem with these nurdles becoming smaller is that they are still not degrading and there is no sign of them ever being able to degrade. Plastic is very dangerous, once animals swallow it through mistaking it for edible food, the plastic causes a blockage in animals intestines and therefore causes constipation and later resulting in death. Animals also are strangled and caught up in fishing line, nets and polyethylene rings from six-pack drinks. Animals such as sea otters, gulls, sea turtles and fish are all prone to these fatal accidents. Ph.D student Mark Browne also discovered that in beauty products that contain exfoliants such as hand and body washes, body scrubs and face washers that do not contain 100% natural exfoliants are actually using polyethylene in a micro or bead form. These little plastic sizes can also be traces in paint and once they are disposed of and sent through the sewage system they will inevitably land up in the sea allowing for little sea creatures to swallow these bite size plastic portions which, does not have a positive effect. At the marine plastic summit, a senior research scientist at North Carolina’s Research Triangle, Dr. Anthony Andrady produced a long term prognosis compiling a 800 page tome on Plastic in the Environment. Andrady spoke of photodegrade when â€Å"ultraviolet solar radiation weakens plastics’s tensile strength by breaking its long, chain-like polymer molecules into shorter segments.† This means that because the strength of plastic lies in its length of polymer chains, the UV rays of the sun are causing these to break and therefore plastic starts to decompose. Problems that this theory face is that because most of the plastic waste is found in the ocean and water it takes the process of photodegrade much longer as well as its chemical nature will like wise be around for hundreds and thousands of years. Plastic is not having a positive effect on the environment mainly because it cannot decompose. In Weisman’s book he explains how nurdles, which are used to manufacture all plastic products, are being broken down in the sea but are not completely decomposing. This means that these little plastic pieces are being eaten and are causing blockage in sea creature’s intestines resulting in their death. It is not only nurdles but also fishing line, nets, toys and plastic bottles that are suffocating and trapping animals. Some human products mainly used for beauty are also harmful to animals in the environment as they contain small plastic exfoliants within the product that eventually find their way into the sea also causing harm for the sea creatures. Human’s need to find a better and safer way to get rid of their plastic waste so not to damage the environment. If humans were to disappear off the planet completely, plastic would probably still be evident in the world for hundreds of thousands of years before they may decompose due to photodegrade. Weisman also looks at the effects humans are having on the life of birds and how they are slowly causing them to become extinct. â€Å"Of more than 10 000 species that have coexisted with us†¦ about 300 have disappeared.† Of these 300, birds including the moas which were eliminated by the Polynesians within in two centuries of discovery, the dodo which in a hundred years was killed and eaten by the Dutch settles and sailors passing by, the great auk by hunters, the moa-nalo and the passenger pigeon in America. In the 20th century the passenger pigeon could have been classified as the â€Å"most abundant bird on Earth† but humans carelessly lead to their extinction. First humans cut off most of their food supply and destroyed their homes by cutting down most of the forests on the eastern plains of the USA. Because the forests were now being cut down, it made the birds easier prey as they were now spotted faster and more were being shot in a shorter period of time. Once humans realized what they were doing to the bird population, it only increased their need to kill the birds and by 1900 only a few were left surviving, mostly living in the Cincinnati zoo but due to the lack of care the last bird in 1914, leaving the passenger pigeon extinct. The passenger pigeon is a good example of how humans are carelessly allowing animals to become extinct through their own human actions, which can be controlled by law restrictions on hunting and killing. Radio-transmission towers are a huge treat to the different bird species because of their red blinking lights, which are used to warn aircrafts of their position. In Syracuse, Kansas in 1998, a snowstorm occurred at night and because of the fog the only visible thing to the Lapland longspurs was the red blinking lights from the radio-transmission tower which resulted in 10 000 birds lying dead, frozen on the ground. Not only are radio-transmission towers a problem but so are cell phone towers, which result in over half a billion of birds being killed each year. Birds that migrate and travel at night are most prone to the danger of these towers, birds from North America like the red-eyes vireos, Tennessee warbler and wood thrushes and those more rare like the red-cockaded woodpecker are at most risk. Another problem occurring for birds is the telephone and electricity lines. Most birds die from just simply colliding with these power lines resulting in a high amount of deaths each year. If a bird is perched on a power line it is safe as long as they do not circuit themselves with another line or the ground but birds such as hawks, eagles and herons have a problem as they can span across more than two lines. If a bird were to connect the circuit between 2 or more lines not only would their feather ignite but it is possible for their beaks and feet to melt as well. 60 to 80 million birds annually are reportedly killed from flying into windshields and windows. Muhlenberg College ornithologist, Daniel Klem, explains how birds do not recognize both clear glass and reflective pane windows as objects. Migrating bird are forever flying into high-rise buildings and breaking their necks. Klem worked out that over 1 billion birds in the United States alone are killed from flying into windows. Windows are another example or how humans are irresponsibly killing off many bird species. Although humans are quickly killing off birds with their hunting and man made equipment such as towers, power lines and windows there is evidence that birds do repopulate and do come back even after disasters. Ukraine was home to Chernobyl, nearly one of the biggest nuclear complexes on Earth. In 1986, there was a huge explosion due to a human error and landscapes were destroyed and the environment was left birdless. Yet in the following spring the birds returned showing that life does go on and that although there are disasters the environment does attempt to repair itself. Although it is said to believe that humans are killing off billions and billions of bird species all around the world there is one bird, the Attwater prairie chicken, which is questionably only alive due to human impact on the environment. Oil industry apparatus and the arrival of both petroleum and the Chinese tallow tree (a â€Å"cold weather specie coated it seeds with harvestable quantities of wax to guard against winter†) has help keep the Attwater prairie chickens habitat alive. Due to the annual burning in the Nature Conservancy, humans are maintaining the artificial wilderness that these birds need to keep alive and to repopulate in. In the first year of humans disappearing billions of birds would flourish as radio and connection warning lights would cease to blink, the high-tension wires would go cold and birds would once again return to nuclear reactor sites. Humans are having a very negative impact on bird species through out the world and if they are not careful it will result in many more extinctions. Humankind are quickly emerging themselves in a world crisis. Through their plastic waste and carelessness they are causing major problems for mostly the sea wildlife as these nurdles and small plastic particles are being digested and blocking sea creatures intestines resulting in a fatal problem. Plastic, because it is not biodegradable, will be left in the world hundreds of thousands of years after humans disappear. Although there are few species that depend on humans for their survival like the Attwater prairie chicken, humans are having more of a negative impact on birds. Because of their careless hunting and human inventions such as towers, telephone and power lines and windows, billions of birds are dying each year. If humans were to disappear completely it would only take birds one year to flourish and populate over a billion birds more than the previous year. The world varies on how long it takes to eliminate the problems humans are leaving it but over many centuries the world will finally mend itself to look as if humans never existed.

Corporate Social Responsibility And Impact On Company Performance Management Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility And Impact On Company Performance Management Essay Traditionally, governments were the main providers of development assistance and were responsible for stimulating social development. In recent years, Corporate Social Responsibility has gained considerable ground and it is now common for corporations to get involved in activities resembling those carried out in the name of development assistance. Organizations which eventually practice this approach are looking for answers for questions such as does Corporate Social Responsibility really payoff, are the objectives set by the CSR manager really fulfilled, is their money worth spending at such practices? Considering the current financial scenario around the globe, managers are in dire need to make better, precise and eventually correct decisions. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate (1) if we can reap tangible benefits such as higher financial performance, higher employee commitment, and better reputation by engaging in CSR activities (2) if developing countries would benefit from corporate involvement. (3) Can corporations benefit by gaining access to new markets along with sustaining present markets and will it lead to innovative business strategies. Appropriate literature for this thesis has been derived from previous research journals, thesis, case studies, news paper articles and magazines which have helped us in acquiring general understanding and finding the scope and nature of the subject. The conclusion up till now is that CSR has played an important role in enhancing an organizations image and reputation along with bringing positive change in customers purchasing patterns. I KEYWORDS Corporate Social Responsibility; CSR Payoff; Impact on Company Performance Page No 17 Figure 2-1 CSR and Marketing Strategies Drivers and Constraints III LIST OF TABLES Page No 6 12 Table 1-1 Karachi Sector Division Table 2-1 Potential Benefits of Being Socially Responsible III INTRODUCTION The introducing chapter of this thesis provides a background of our study along with a concept of corporate social responsibility. It also aims to highlight the subjects topicality, significance, and the studys objective on which literature review would be based. Furthermore, the kind of research methodology used along with how the data collected would be interpreted is discussed. Finally, the studys scope, limitations, and significance are discussed. 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY In todays competitive world the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become one of the imperative strategies for the companies to stand out in the cut throat market environment. In circumstances where market dimensions and customers preferences become more unpredictable and complex, CSR can play an extra pivotal role to cope up with such situations. But even still managers are confused or rather unaware of whether their CSR approach will prove to be beneficial for them as less efforts have been put into finding out the results of their implementation. Initially CSR was evolved around corporate philanthropy but after passing through several phases it has entered into a new dimension with solidarity movements and environmental activism from the civil sector which is now highly involved in business activities. Accordingly pressures from governments, courts, civil organizations, NGOs, WTO have compelled corporations to follow stringent parameters of corporate behavior, forcing them towards legal compliance, doing business for betterment of the society and less occurrence of damage to civil society and environment and protecting the consumers. In Pakistan, however, where poverty, illiteracy, corruption is the talk of the town CSR journey is in its initial phases and is still struggling to be accepted in its first phase i.e. of philanthropy and legal compliance which is society and government focused. But still some leading organizations in Pakistan have realized that the government alone is not in a position to handle this everlasting situation and have finally spread their arms to help them out in this hour of need. The present societal marketing concept has started making inroads into Pakistan. Many leading corporations have accepted this challenge and have adapted this approach and begun to promote themselves and their brands by associating with it. CSR hence has open new ventures of competition and leading and non-leading corporations are in the race to make a mark on general public and show how much efforts they are putting in to CSR. Companies embrace the responsibility of serving to its stakeholder through different ways; it may be in the shape of improvising their internal operations so that employees, customers, society and environment do not get hurt or doing an act or deed that may increase their customer, employee, supplier loyalty etc. There are numerous ways to show how socially responsible an organization is or wants to be but is this act or deed actually fulfilling the objectives that managers had laid down. What are the success rates achieved by applying CSR? Did customers actually buy their product after looking at a beautiful monument donated to the government? There are many such questions that need to be answered so that managers in future feel confident in taking the right CSR decisions. Ultimately, does CSR payoff or is it a tradeoff between social criteria and investment returns? 1.2 CSR ITS DIFFERENT VIEWS For CSR there exists contrasting point of views, supporters of this concept argue that CSR is the source of value enhancement of any organization, while some organizations argue that the social work is the responsibility of the government and not the business. As awareness regarding pay off of CSR has increased, the debate regarding CSR seems to be disappearing. Prior goals and strategies evolved only around profit maximization with no view of serving the society at large. There have been controversial statements issued in the past such as the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits stated by Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman, September 1970, in New York Times Article. However since the birth of this approach CSR has been touched upon by many authors who show its importance and its inevitable desire to stay in business and society. The birth of CSR has been a long debate with various researchers having different views over its time period and the individuals involved. There have been different arguments placed over it genesis with some saying that its birth took place when in 1930s there was a debate between AA Berle and E Merrick Dodd over the role of managers (Post 2003 ; Turner 2006). Others such as Carroll have described Bowen as the modern Father of Corporate Social Responsibility and believe that his work marks the beginning of the modern period of literature on CSR. Peter Drucker was one of the first to explicitly address CSR, including public responsibility as one of the eight key areas for business objectives developed in his 1954 book, The Practice of Management. While Drucker believed that managements first responsibility to society involved making a profit, he felt it was also most important that management consider the impact of every business policy and action upon society (Joyner Payne 2002, p. 302). The World Business Council for Sustainable Development in its publication Making Good Business Sense by Lord Holme and Richard Watts, used the following definition. Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large The best definition that suits our research is by Mallen Baker published on his website which states that CSR is about how companies manage their business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. 1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT Traditionally, governments were the main providers of development assistance and were responsible for stimulating social development. In recent years, Corporate Social Responsibility has gained considerable ground and it is now common for corporations to get involved in activities resembling those carried out in the name of development assistance. Organizations which eventually practice this approach are looking for answers for questions such as does Corporate Social Responsibility really payoff, are the objectives set by the CSR manager really fulfilled, is their money worth spending at such practices? Considering the current financial scenario around the globe, managers are in dire need to make better, precise and eventually correct decisions. 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION Based on previous discussion in the preliminary phase and the problem statement, the following questions arise; Does CSR really payoff? In order to provide an in depth answer to this question, the following sub questions are derived which are also our 1.5 OBJECTIVES OF OUR STUDY 1. Does CSR influence consumer purchasing decision? 2. Does CSR provide an opportunity for a firm to have a competitive advantage? 3. Is there a relationship between CSR activities and corporate performance? 4. Do people perceive a CSR implementing organization and a non CSR implementing organization as same by keeping all other factors constant? 1.6 DATA COLLECTION METHODS Primary Data: In order to measure and quantify our research, survey methods will be used for primary data collection. Questionnaires will be distributed among employees, customers, students and general public. This will help us in getting accurate information regarding the payoffs of CSR and decisions regarding CSR investments. Secondary Data: Secondary data will involve a thorough analysis of related research articles, journals, publications, magazines, newspapers and studies from both international and local websites. 1.7 DATA ORGANIZATION The relationship between organizations corporate social responsibility initiatives and its pay offs is of valued importance. This research has both opportunity and potential. Initially, appropriate literature will be derived from previous researches, case studies and news paper articles which will help us acquire general understanding and finding the scope and nature of the subject. Subsequently, unstructured interviews would then be carried out with professionals concerned within the subject of corporate social responsibility. The purpose of the interview will be to discuss the success and failures caused while implementing CSR in their organizations and would also help in further understanding and approaching the topic in a more creative way. Furthermore our subject will also be discussed thoroughly with our thesis coordinator for better guidance and direction. The literature stage would constitute of thorough understanding of previous researches and theoretical frameworks which are relevant, accurate to our study. Both national and international researches will be considered with no limit concerning the point of time the research was carried out. Internet search engines such as Google will be used comprehensively. Keywords such as Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR payoff, Impact on Company Performance will be used along with other phrases to find the most accurate literature online. 1.8 SAMPLING The sampling frame will constitute of employees (Business Sector) and students (Higher Education Sector) that lie in four different zones of Karachi i.e. North, South, East, and West. The sample for survey will be selected through Non-Probability Stratified/Quota sampling method. There will be two different questionnaires designed for employees and the general public/customers. Questionnaires will comprise of closed-ended questions so that it would be convenient to analyze the findings. The analysis will finally be done on Microsoft Excel. SAMPLING SIZE Below is the breakup for the sample size: Table 1-1: Karachi Sector Divisions KARACHI BUSINESS SECTOR EDUCATION SECTOR North 75 Questionnaires 75 Questionnaires South 75 Questionnaires 75 Questionnaires East 75 Questionnaires 75 Questionnaires West 75 Questionnaires 75 Questionnaires 1.9 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Our study will be beneficial for organizations as well as for society and the government. Organizations will be able to better realize the importance of CSR and hence can then engage themselves in long term strategies rather than focusing on short term tactics. As a result of this activity society can then be served more effectively. Due to this a multiplier effect can be generated and a cash starved government can also benefit from this approach. Findings of our study will help organization to find out the way to utilize resources on social welfare and up liftmen efficiently and effectively. 1.10 SCOPE LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The scope of the study is to quantify the impact of CSR activities and measure its performance to see whether the investment done in implementing CSR has really paid off or not. As students we lack sufficient resources to broaden the geographical scope of the study and extend it to whole of Pakistan, which has forced us to limit our study to Karachi, Pakistan only. Also employees, customers, general public and other students will be involved in our sampling frame, which might lead to biased responses as they will consider us premature students rather than professional researchers. In order to measure the impact of CSR we will have to limit our study and findings to only those CSR initiated projects which are visible to masses. Only then can we be able measure the impact correctly as than our findings will reflect the true scenario. This study is being conducted for an academic purpose with certain time constraints and has to be completed within minimum resources available. The study will be completed by last week of April 2011. LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTION We have entered the new millennium with countless societal, environmental, political legal, health issues surrounding us but there seems to be no respite when we talk about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its numerous false dawns that have occurred in the past decades. Perhaps, business shocks and scandals which involved some huge organizations such as Enron, WorldCom and Nike, Shell, together with the impact of rapid climate change on the environment, have played a major role in pushing organizations irrespective of their sizes to rethink their responsibilities towards their stakeholders and rationalize their attitudes according to the societal norms. The upcoming conversations about CSR suggests that it is a normative, multi-level concept, whose meaning depends on various perspectives and relationships, and, that it changes in response to social trends (Silberhorn, D Warren, RC 2007) . Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has variously been described as a motherhood issue (Ryan 2002), the hot business issue of the noughties (Blyth 2005) and the talk of the town in corporate circles these days (Mees Bonham 2004). While earlier thoughts of CSR often had a regional, person-centered philanthropic focus, recent conceptions of CSR are inclusive, broad and diverse (Silberhorn, D Warren, RC 2007). Due to the diverse philosophical status that CSR has achieved over the years it has seriously hampered the theoretical development as well as research into the implementation of these policies (Goebbels, 2002). In order to start research, the first step that has to be taken is to explore how corporations are themselves defining and interpreting CSR. Most empirical studies of CSR have been focused on firms in the USA, Canada and the UK, but few have attempted to assess whether definitions of CSR differ between countries (Hopkins, 2004). These are one of reasons that have led to slow development of CSR in developing countries such as Pakistan. Swanson (1995) suggested that there were three main types of motivation for CSR which helps in engulfing organizations towards this approach: The utilitarian perspective (an instrument to help achieve performance objectives); The negative duty approach (compulsion to adopt socially responsible initiatives to appease stakeholders); and The positive duty view (businesses self-motivated regardless of social pressures) (Maignan Ralston 2002) Companies are primarily reactive with respect to CSR, responding to external pressures rather than proactively defining CSR (LEtang, 1994; Vogel, 2005). Here, industry-specific issues as well as public visibility play a role. ODwyer (2003), Esrock and Leichty (1998) found that companies from sectors with a high-environmental impact had to respond more to external pressures. In addition, societal developments appear to force businesses to evolve their thinking for CSR (Carroll, 1999; Wilson, 2000; Zadek, 2004). Such pressure is said to increase when codified by legislation (Pinkston and Carroll, 1996; ODwyer, 2003). Mass media are then also seen to exert control and build pressure by making company behavior public (Pinkston and Carroll, 1996). There has been a significant growth of CSR firms in the past ten years and the growth is mainly associated with economic development of a region or a state (Poddi, L Vergalli, S 2009). Preston and O, Bannon 1997, Woddock and Graves 1997, MacWilliams Sieger 2001, tried to establish if there exists a link between social responsibility and the performance of firms. Their results were ambiguous and did not show any connection. While on the other hand Poddi, L Vergalli, S 2009 states that there is a clear positive relation between CSR and performance, and it has been proved that CSR influences a firms performance. Lacey, R Kennett-Hensel, PA (2010) noted that customers CSR perceptions are positively linked to their trust in and commitment to the firm. Their findings also show how a firm that engages in CSR initiatives may reap rewards by building trusting and committed customer relationships which, in turn, help forge desirable customer behaviors. It is also been evident from the research that customers level of commitment has a positive effect on purchase behavior, word-of-mouth communications, and following the firms performance. Addressing social issues comes at a cost to business (Tim Barnett). Till the businesses internalize the costs of CSR actions, they keep on hurting their competitive position in the market. This argument is truly relevant in todays context especially after prevailing globally competitive environment, which is if businesses in one country expand assets to address social issues, but those in another country do not. Some argue that employees are not trained to address such problems. This suggests that organizational involvement in CSR may actually make the situation worse. Corporations can best serve societal interests by sticking to what they do best, which is providing quality goods and services and selling them at an affordable price to people who desire them (Tim Barnett) Reasons behind the failure of the CSR are that people often dont have enough knowledge regarding the environment and their rights (Vogel, D 2008). Results from CSR practice cannot be seen quickly. On the other hand, it cannot be directly linked to improved financial performance of the company (Bugariska, B 2009). We can find many examples of organization which have been and are implementing CSR approach but still have not been able to able to increase their reputation and performance (Vogel, D 2008). BP (British Petroleum) is one recent case whose image has been badly affected after its oil spill off Mexico Coast in 2010, before that it was enjoying a strong CSR reputation and had even made a positive contribution towards society and changed its identity. But if we look at the, Goldman Sachs Report (2007) it clearly shows companies that are considered leaders in implementing environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies to create sustained competitive advantage have outperformed the general stock market by 25 percent since August 2005. Additionally, 72% of these companies have outperformed their peers over the same period (Bugariska, B 2009). Any publicized disaster might become an opportunity for good companies to show their social inclinations. The same could be seen with different ts unami or earthquake caused destructions, or the recent floods in Pakistan (2010). CSR strategies may work under certain conditions, but they are highly vulnerable to market failures, including such things as imperfect information, externalities, and free riders (Doane, D 2005). I have not been able to find any research that shows CSR to be a bad thing, states Holme, C 2010. But does it pay? Is it worth doing? We can find enormous web sites of large corporations which only outlay a positive picture. Negative examples are not even touched upon. Research that shows that the heaviest polluters are not the heaviest reporters only serves to confirm the suspicion that the whole story is not being told properly (Brooks, 2009). Holme, C 2010, argues that within organizations CSR activities that support and develop the competitive uniqueness of a business offer considerable opportunities to secure a place in the market. The evidence that he presents is that businesses are still developing their CSR related values during a period of recession which proves its importance for even firms to survive in these harsh times. University of Michigan business administration professor Aneel Karnani believes that companies do what they do because they are responsible to their shareholders. One of the members of top management of the Best Buy Public Affairs Company said that they dont allocate budget for CSR separately but they consider it as the integral part of their companys business model, they are of the opinion that success lies behind CSR. 2.1 CSR CUSTOMERS CSR is rising sharply as a corporate priority: by 2011, the percentage of executives giving high priority to CSR is expected to be 70% (Franklin 2008). There is a belief that firms designs CSR actions because they care and consider CSR activities as companys moral obligation (Vlachos, PA, Tsamakos, A, Vrechopoulos, AP, Avramidis, PK 2008). Some studies (McWilliams and Siegel 2000; Mohr et al., 2001) suggest there is no effect of CSR on consumer loyalty. But according to Casteldo (2008) consumers are interested in the social behavior of firms and the CSR profile of a firm largely influences their purchasing decisions. Sen and Bhattacharya (2001) suggest that CSR can affect consumers intentions to purchase. It is important for firms to communicate and advertise firms CSR initiatives to its customers (Du 2007) which provides greater credibility, and strength to its brand with competitive advantage (Teresa, T, Uncles, MD 2006). It may appear that the strength of CSR as a communication tool can be affected by factors such as consumer involvement and/or switching costs. Not all individuals perceive CSR actions in the same way (BÃ ©nabou, R Tirole, J 2009). CSR is more beneficial when it is not promoted as per normal advertisements, by doing this a favorable impact on the organizations goodwill can be reaped (MOHR, LA, WEBB, DJ HARRIS, KE 2001). A recent study in Pakistan (Ali 2010) confirms that in a developing country context, there is no positive relationship between awareness of corporate social responsibility activities and consumer purchase intention. In developed countries though a lot of pressure has been forced on companies to consider CSR practices which has given rise to organic products and products created according to fair trade ethical and environmental principles (Azmat, F, Samaratunge, R 2009). Table 2-1 Source: Swaen, V 2002, p 7. 2.2 DOES CSR AFFECT PURCHASING DECISIONS? Consumers need to be aware of a firms level of social responsibility before the affects can be quantified (Varadarajan Menon 1988). Ross, Stutts, and Patterson (1990-91) found that 53 percent of a sample could recall a CSR based advertisement, while Webb Mohr (1998) found 79 percent of a sample could describe a specific CSR based campaign only after the concept was explained to them. Customer lacks responsiveness towards CSR because they dont have much knowledge regarding CSR (MOHR, LA, WEBB, DJ HARRIS, KE 2001). Though people study regarding CSR as its clear from the quantity sold of a renowned book Shopping for a better world which is explaining multiple angles of corporate social responsibility (Council on Economic Priorities 1994). As mentioned above we can easily figure out that consumers really desire knowledge on how to spend their money better. Most of the previous studies shown that organization have put less efforts to make people aware first and then taken initiative rather they assumed that people know regarding initiative. However, CSR can be used as a strategic tool to enhance the reputation and public image of a business institution, while at the same time, prove to be profitable for an institution in the long-run (Dusuki, AW Dar, H 2005). The 1999 CondRoper Cause Related Trends Report has researched upon consumer responses to companies participation in CSR based marketing (Cone Communications Press Release 1999). Studies that were conducted since 1993 have shown that more than 80% firms have reported a positive image if it is involved in promoting particular cause. Furthermore, two-thirds of the sample said they are likely to switch brands or retailers to those participating in CSR activities. When research was conducted by Ross and his group members based on 225 sample regarding CSR initiatives by firms, they identified that 55% respondents would purchase a product if they get to know that the firm is supporting a cause. More than 50% respondents were also inclined to switch their brand in near future as the result of the CSR involvement of the company. In another research conducted by Smith and Alcorn (1991) identified that majority of the respondents were of the view that they would switch their brands because the company make donations to nonprofit organizations, and nearly a third (30%) stated that they sometimes buy products simply because the manufacturer supports charitable causes. Consumers also expect firms to protect the environment and behave ethically and that they sometimes base their purchasing decisions on these factors (MOHR, LA, WEBB, DJ HARRIS, KE 2001). However, no surveys could be found that attempt to measure the proportion of people whose purchasing is actually affected. 2.3 OVERVIEW OF DIFFERENT SECTORS In Stock Markets, CSR activities do not generate shareholder value in short run but it is also not correct to say that CSR activities do not generate a negative impact on the market value of a company. This is usually because investors think that CSR activities do not affect the future cash flows of a firm (Karlsson, J Chakarova, Y 2008). Research findings in housing sector showed that a great majority of buyers in Malaysia expected a socially responsible developer to provide more CSR features. However, less wealthy buyers were more sensitive to house price. However all participants were ready to pay for extra CSR features (Yam, LHS 2008). In the banking sector, unless the stakeholders perceive CSR investments as being beneficial, these investments may prove to be ineffective. It would appear that CSR activities have been employed too hastily (Calabrese, A Lancioni, F 2008). 2.4 CSR PAKISTAN SOCIETY In Pakistan, mostly multinationals are implementing CSR, competition being the reason behind. Organizations like Unilevers, P G Nestle, Siemens, ICI Pakistan, Pepsi, and Coca Cola have led the scene in Pakistan. Many national companies such as Engro, Jung Group, National Foods Pakistan, English Biscuits Manufacturing have also entered the race. Lately banks have also started following this new trend. In developing countries such as Pakistan, the concept of CSR has been intermingled with the concept of philanthropy or charity (Visser, W). Aga Khan Foundation and Resource Centre NGO conducted a survey of senior officials in over a hundred major companies working in Pakistan and found out that there is enormous potential for involving businesses in community improvement activities. Corporations in Pakistan are donating cash to education and health sectors. Generally pharmaceutical, chemical, food and beverage industries donate their products on a customary basis to different charities and beneficiaries, and also actively react to disaster relief contingencies resulting by floods and other unforeseen natural calamities by donating required products to the affected areas (Ali 2004). Unfortunately the local industry not completely realizing the importance of CSR; proper investment in this area is not been done. Electronic media as well as print media are often silent on this topic. According to a research conducted by Ali, I, Rehman, K, Yilmaz, AK, Nazir, S Fatima Ali, J 2010, they found very low awareness level in customers about CSR, with no linkage between CSR activities and customer purchase intentions. On the other hand D.Dodd, M in his research states that a positive association exists between an organizations involvement in CSR programs and consumers purchase intentions. It can be pointed out that while making a buying decision, customers in Pakistan do not consider corporations contribution towards society. But significant relationship was found between service quality and customer satisfaction. The results showed that customers are ready to pay more attention to pricing strategies than CSR activities of service providers. CSR is now a core business management issue the world over including Pakistan. The stakeholder has finally arrived to share the boardroom agenda with the stock-holder says Waheed, A (2005) in a UNDP report. From labor unions to watchdog organizations, there are multiple organizations available that have the responsibility of establishing and awarding credential to organizations that wishes to be judged for its impact on society. These include ISO 14000 (for environmental management systems), the SA 8000 (social accountability standard) and numerous more. At national level, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has made a first contribution by forming Code of Corporate Governance, and the 2002 Trade Policy formed by the government of Pakistan. Pakistan itself has had to learn quickly in adapting to the CSR paradigm. The country has suffered billion of dollars of damage through the 1990s and still are. International buyers are now continuously asking for CSR credentials from Textile and other edible good industry. Within this environment, it is unavoidable for Pakistan to stay away from CSR (Waheed, A 2005) or the whole economy might collapse. 2.5 CSR PERFORMANCE Belu, C Manescu, C (2009) in their research have found a continuous positive correlation between socially responsible initiatives and financial position of a firm. This proves that there is potential for increased profitability when conducting business with CSR in sight. There is a positiv