Reasonable expectation of privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reasonable expectation of privacy - Essay Example It is also the starting point of analysis in determining whether or not a violation of the Fourth Amendment has occurred (Jones, 1997). The Constitutional principle reposed in the Fourth Amendment that protects the right to privacy of a citizen against unreasonable searches and seizures is triggered when (1) the citizen has a manifested subjective expectation of privacy, (2) and one that society is willing to accept as objectively reasonable. California v. Greenwood (486 U.S. 35 [1988]). However, the Supreme Court has come up with a long line of cases carving out exceptions to the rule and stating the circumstances where no search occurred as there is no violation of reasonable expectation of privacy. One of the first circumstances is that of â€Å"false friends†. This is embodied in the case of Hoffa v. United States (385 U.S. 293 [1966]), where the defendant had made some disclosures to a person he thought to be a union official, but was in fact a government agent. Hoffa claimed that it was an illegal search and claimed his reasonable expectation of privacy. The argument did not hold, however, as the Supreme Court found that the government agent â€Å"was in the suite by invitation and every conversation which he heard was either directed to him or knowingly carried on in his presence.† (page 302). The second circumstance given by the Supreme Court is abandoned property, meaning that there can be no reasonable expectation of privacy where the evidence has been dumped in a public place and law enforcement agents have managed to retrieve it. A good example is a gun that has been thrown in a garbage bin, and thus leaving it exposed to the general public or to a definite third party. That evidence can be rightly used against him. The third circumstance is physical attributes on display. The courts have held that there cannot possibly be an expectation of privacy when what is sought to be excluded as evidence is physical characteristics that

What Is Federalism Federal Evolution in United States Essay

What Is Federalism Federal Evolution in United States - Essay Example It is this type of federalism that the founders envisioned, and its main purposes were to provide for an equitable sharing of resources, and also avoid tyranny. Under dual federalism, the federal government was limited to its enumerated functions, which includes defense, and all manner of foreign policies. The occurrence of the great depression in America signified an end to the concept of dual federalism; instead there emerged the concepts of cooperative federalism. This is an aspect where by the national government is a strong institution as compared to the state governments. This form of federalism began with Frankline Roosevelt, and a case that helped to validate the emergence of a strong national government is the Helvering vs. David. In this case, the court gave a ruling that the functions of social security provision were a responsibility of a national government (Seddon, 2013). This gave the national government legitimacy to carry out powers which were not enumerated to it. Finally, the concept of new federalism evolved in the 20th century with the coming in of president Ronald Reagan. This is because he initiated the concepts of devolution by giving out grants to state governments and allowing them to use this money as they pleased (Seddon, 2013). Previously, any money advanced to the state governments was closely monitored and regulated. This changed with Ronald Reagan. Q. 2: One factor that allowed the concept of federalism to gain root in America is the need to distribute power amongst the various states that formed America. Federalism describes the basic structure of the government of America, and there arose disagreements by the founding fathers on the best method of distributing power and sharing resources. This was during the constitutional convention. Delegates at this constitutional convention feared creating a strong national government, as well as a strong state government (Seddon, 2013). Creating these strong institutions could lead to tyra nny. To prevent it therefore, there was a need to create a federal state. The need for allowing people to engage in American politics also allows the concept of federalism to shape the American politics. Americans can participate in politics in a number of ways. They can write to their senators urging them to support a particular issue, or they can even make presentations to their city councils, or local school boards. Due to Federalism, Americans are able to elect their president, members of congress, governors, and senators. On this basis, federalism allows political participation (Gallagher, 2012). The need for equitable sharing of resources makes it possible for Americans to allow the concept of federalism. The states and the federal government are able to share and distribute resources in an equitable manner. In fact, states and the federal government have their agencies all over the nation, just for the provision of services (Seddon, 2013). For example, the constitution allows states to form their own policies and implement them. This is if the policies do not breach the constitution. This is because the constitution provides a guideline on how the federal and the state government ought to relate with one another. Q.3: One factor that determines how states influence the policies of the Federal government is on the successes and failures of a given policy by the states. On this basis, states usually act as role models for the federal government, and this is because the federal government will implement policies that these states are successful in

Zara Fast Fashion Key Factors Marketing Essay

Zara Fast Fashion Key Factors Marketing Essay CUSTOMERS: They notice customers desires and then the design process is launched. This is a quick process which enables them to lower the costs by using a react policy instead of a forecasting one STORES: Particular attention for their stores, which are their main advertising medium in fact their advertisement budget is 0,3% of the net income (HM and Gap 3-4%). They prefer publicity coming from their main street and unique stores rather than an expensive advertising campaign. EMPLOYEES RESPONSIBILITY: Bottom up process in which Zaras headquarters leave the responsibility of choosing clothes to the store managers ( they know the local market ina better way). Moreover their wages are 70% variable and this encourages them to sell more in a good competitive way _VERTICAL INTEGRATION: This is why they are doing so well and why they can be associated to FAST FASHION. Their vertical integration allows them to design and finish goods wich you can find into the store in 4-5 weeks HIGH TURNOVER OF THEIR PRODUCTS. Thanks to this impressive response capability, Zara is able to follow fashion instead of betting on it this means that the entrepreneurial risk is minimized to a level that no one other competitorwould ever reach this rapid product turnover creates a climate of scarcity and opportunity that must be caught in Zaras retail stores. Strenghts Weaknesses Vertical integration Lower quantities of goods produced means that theres a rapid product turnover. This creates an artificial sense of scarcity among consumers and allows Zara to sell more merchandise at full price, lowering costs via reducing markdown merchandise 85% of styles produced in-season very updated products, capturing the latest trend; Incredibly short lead times (time from design to sale)-: average of 15 days Unique quick response system: store managers as the most important people in the company Custom-built IT support, allowing very quick and efficient transmission of sales and trends information from stores to the HQ; Extremely low advertising costs; Store design creating a unique shopping experience Broad market segmentation Inability to penetrate the American market: differences in tastes, weak supply chain strategy in America Unable to acquire economies of scale by producing large quantities for a discounted rate: higher costs arising from vertical integration Higher costs of training personnel and of changeover of production techniques due to changes to garments being made in-season, as well as new styles being introduces Opportunities Threats Explore other world markets Expand into Internet retailing Offer different styles in different stores within the same city to avoid cannibalisation of own sales Cannibalization. Zaras extensive location strategy involves putting multiple Zara stores that carry the same stock in the same cities. That means Zara is trying to sell the same exact merchandise to the same people that reside in that city. NINTENDO BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY According to businessweek.com, in a list compiled by A.T. Kearney Nintendo is ranked as #1 in the 2009 most profitable companies its sales have risen 36% annually over the past five years and its value growth averaged 38%. KEY FACTORS -EMPLOYEES RESPONSIBILITY: They bought a very expensive software called Xylo just to help their employees with a private online network of work/life products to develop their work (even at home) in a better way. And according to the Financial Times Nintendo is totally repaid because every employee generated an average a $1.6 million each for them. -SUSTAINABLE MARGINS AND COST LEADERSHIP: They invested in a product which has guaranteed them a positive relationship between sells and costs from the first year ( this allowed them to generate positive cash flows which enabled them to invest in RD), instead Sony and Microsoft are profitable only from this year( they actually lost lots of money).Also the suppliers found it easy to develop games for an easier console. Nintendo made a huge strategic bet that less is more in the global console gaming market. The Wii console is the low budget alterative to the Play Station 3 and the Xbox (see Figure 1.). It doesnt boast blistering chip speeds or cutting edge graphics. By not investing significant amounts of money in technology like Blu-Ray technology (typical to the Sony Playstation) the Wii was profitable from day one (Bremmer, 2006). Referring back to the target market, by targeting new generation families with a product that provides fun, educational and entertaining activities throu gh a cost leadership strategy, Nintendo is sure to please by providing families with more affordable fun, without the need to leave the house. -INNOVATION: They have a continuing emphasis in innovation and thats why Wii and Ds outsold their competitors Ps3 and Psp from Sony and Microsoft Xbox360). They are always one step ahead of their competitors. They basically invented a brand new way to conceive the games with their new motion controller. Which was perfect to last even during a crisis.( where theres lack of time theres no need to master small buttons, and lack of money it costs 249$ instead of 500/600$ of xbox 360 and ps3). Nintendos strategies always embed their core value: creativity. This is typically reflected in the case of Wii. Wii had accumulated a sales volume of 70.93 million worldwide, as of March 31, 2010 (Nintendo Co., Ltd., 2010, p.23). This is a remarkable sales result. Why is Wii so attractive to consumers? The most creditable feature of Wii is its multifunctionality. Distinctive from other game consoles, it allows the players to emulate a variety of actions, like shooting arrows and hitting tennis balls, to achieve objectives in the games. This is a truly fresh and unique experience for video game players. They praise Wii, and are desperate to get one without much regards to its price. Word of Mouth Marketing was achieved in this process. The achievement of Word of Mouth Marketing was welcomed by Nintendo, because the extensive share of information between players and their friends can bring significant results that even multi-million dollars advertisements can not bring (Trout, J., 2006). But in the end, credits belong to Nintendos core value of creativity. Without creativity, they could not develop products with preeminent functionality, and there would be no way for them to claim the leading position in the market. -BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY: They had expanded the market with their productsWii fit and Brain training. Now also women and old People play with consoles! They succeeded in creating a whole brand new videogames market in which they have no competitors and so they didnt have to create a price war with their products. Nintendo is not fighting against Sony and Microsoft. Its real enemy is the indifference that many people still feel towards gamingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (-President Satoru Iwata, Towns, 2006) In order for Nintendo to capture and retain profitable market share, it would be thought to be possible by achieving higher profitability than their competitors. However, as the insight above suggests, Nintendo have structured business strategy upon the mission to go out and reach the people that would not consider themselves to be gamers). This dramatically increases the size of the total addressable market for Nintendo marketing, and their intuitive strategies have meant that Nintendo touches many more people than the typical gamer with more profits to match. The mission to touch those indifferent to gaming, the company adopted the The Blue Ocean Strategy which is centred upon creating a market where there initially was none and going where no other organisation has gone yet (Rosmarin, 2006). To reach this untapped market, Nintendo adopted an all inclusive, gender and age-neutral stance to gaming. This was achieved by going against the grain of competitors and including women in their audience, welcoming women by introducing a feminine aesthetic in product marketing (for example the Wii and the DS are visually light, curvy, bright, people based products) and focusing on gaming/entertainment content that appeals to both sexes (for example the Wii Fit, Brain Training and Nintendogs). This can be contrasted to the gaming content of competitors in the market Sony and Microsift, which are typically associated just with competition content (Marketing Magazine, 2008). The SWOT analysis of Nintendo STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES Nintendos strengths include a well established brand name, well known franchises, ability to manufacture goods at a low price and innovative products as will be discussed later in this report. Since its computer gaming establishment in 1977 Nintendo has maintained a strong and brand image. This has been supported by their success in quality products such as previous market leaders the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Nintendo 64. The franchises that Nintendo possess such as their gaming icons, Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, etc have enabled them to maintain customer loyalty and recognition. These franchises have also allowed Nintendo to touch on other markets i.e. toy market. Nintendos two major weaknesses would be their dependence on outside contracted manufacturers and lack of games compared to its competitors. Ironically, one of Nintendos strengths would also constitute as one of their biggest weaknesses. The dependence on specific manufacturers leaves Nintendo vulnerable if those manufacturers were to fail or suffer any difficulty in producing the required amount. The inability for manufacturers to supply goods on a timely basis would significantly impact on Nintendos performance as the switching costs between competitors within the industry are relatively low. The unavailability of products would ultimately constitute in loss of market share. OPPORTUNITIES THREATS The main opportunity that Nintendo are exposed to is that the world evolving to which more people are becoming more technologically compatible. People are introduced to technology at an earlier age and are becoming more computer orientated. Another opportunity for Nintendo would be the online gaming support system. It is anticipated that the sale level of gaming consoles will decrease as the number of online gaming subscriptions will increase .This includes the possibilities of introducing newer systems or even upgrading current products to align themselves with current online innovations and to potentially compete against upcoming new competitors. There are a number of threats that Nintendo may or have come across which include counterfeit products, competitors implementing motion detection additions and new companies planning to branch into the gaming industry. Counterfeit products are an issue to which will affect the sales of games. Even though extensive measures have been implemented to prevent such from happening, with time, the market will also manage to find ways around any security imposed. It has already been demonstrated that new technologies have been implemented by competitors which will provide intuitive gaming experiences at almost the same level as Nintendo. That being said this poses as a threat to one of Nintendos competitive advantage being product differentiation. The ever advancing technology market has allowed companies to enter into the gaming market. A major threat would be newer companies indulging into this market with even more advance peripherals and capabilities .A potential threat could be Apple which already have the motion detection and touch screen technology implemented into their iPhone and iPad. Sony took a risk putting the Blu-Ray player into the PS3, whilst Microsoft only offered the HD-Dvd drive as an extra peripheral so they could charge less for their console. This is often touted the main reason the Blu-Ray standard won. There were 5million PS3s in the market and less than 1million HD-Dvd players when Toshiba decided to pull the format. I always emphasise the Nintendo goal of putting smiles on the faces of everyone we touch whenever I visit our Global companies, both in Japan and throughout the world, and I think Im getting the message across. I want everyone at Nintendo to know I expect everything that they do, their every action, to lead to this goalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Although our employees are all over the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ we are all unified to achieving Nintendos corporate mission (-President Satoru Iwata, CRS Report, 2009). As Mr. Iwata said, Nintendo works to put smiles on the faces of everyone we touch (President Satoru Iwata, CSR Report, 2009), which shows that, Nintendo sincerely cares about the video game players, and always strives to bring unforgettable experiences to these consumers through continuous innovation and improvement. This is one of the secrets behind their success. CROSS COMPARISON Why they throve during recession. What do they have in common Particular focus on: Good relationship and communication within the company. Long term orientation Strong commitment for a good brand image [WiiStrategyCanvas.jpg]

The Opening of Glass Menagerie Essay -- Glass Menagerie Plays Themes E

The Opening of Glass Menagerie The opening of Glass Menagerie is key in establishing themes, relationships, dramatic conventions character symbolism and style. Discuss. The opening of the play ‘Glass Menagerie’ let the audience know about various elements of the play such as themes, relationships, characters and dramatic conventions. This was done by detailed description of the setting and the narrator, Tom informing the audience. The main themes of the play could be found in the opening. The fact that the play was about memory had been made clear in the beginning with the line, â€Å"the scene is memory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Once again confirmed very clearly by Tom who said, â€Å"the play is memory.† The audience could easily interpret that this play was Tom’s memory of his life with Amanda and Laura in St Louis. At the end of the play the audience found out that Tom could not erase the memory of leaving Laura. â€Å"Oh, Laura, Laura I tried to leave you behind me but I am more faithful than I intended to be.† This theme of memory influenced Amanda also as the play progressed. It became evident that she could not escape from her memories of living in the â€Å"Blue Mountain† where she had a pleasurable and an abundant life. Few minutes after the play began the audience already hears Amanda babbling about it â€Å"I remember one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This happened throughout the play consistently. She would talk about her life in the â€Å"Blue Mountain† whenever she got a chance to. So it would be quite true to say that Amanda was living in her memory, which caused her to deny the reality. The idea of accepting the reality was also evident in the opening of the play. Tom spoke of gentleman caller who â€Å"is the most realis... ...When she had one finally, he turned out to be the greatest disappointment and left her devastated in the end. So Amanda had to awkwardly sum the whole incident up by saying â€Å"things have a way of turning out so badly,† and blame it all on Tom. The unusual dramatic conventions were set in the opening. The narrator, Tom directly addressed the audience, â€Å"I am the narrator of the play†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which was unusual. Also by using the screens to produce appropriate images and music frequently, the play was made more interesting and accessible to the audience. The opening of the play was the key in establishing themes, characters and their relationships and dramatic conventions as it revealed them effectively to the audience. So the audience could easily understand what was happening, guess what would happen and receive the message that was meant to be delivered.

The Crisis Of Underperformance Education Essay

Education is considered as the most valuable tool for human edifice † ( Barineka Nbina, 2010 ) . Education nationally is recognized as the greatest investing in the state that can convey civilisation, development and socio-economic advancement. The twenty-first century is characterized by promotion in scientific discipline and engineering ( Okebukola, 1996 ) . â€Å" In his survey Barineka Nbina ( 2010 ) point out that every state is endeavoring to accomplish scientific and technological discovery with their environment. Therefore, the instruction of scientific discipline and engineering is going more demand and activity oriented than earlier † . Existing research suggest that Information and Communication Technology ICT has been integrated into capable instruction ( Hennessy et al, Granger et Al, Jamieson-Proctor et Al ) . The hapless criterion of scientific discipline in secondary schools nationally remains as a major issue. Badr ( 2010 ) reference that 70 per cent of 10,000 secondary school pupils that were surveyed in Egypt said that uninspiring learning discourage so to prosecute farther instruction in scientific discipline watercourse. â€Å" Teachers need to comprehend ICT as chiefly a tool for learning and larning across the course of study although there are foundations accomplishments in ICT that pupils need to larn before they can take part to the full in an ICT-rich schoolroom. † ( Tin, 2002 ) . ICT is an indispensable facet of everyone ‘s day-to-day life with about every sector recommending for the usage of ICT to carry through its undertakings. The bing research survey shows that the usage of ICT as a back uping tool in instruction is a precedence for about all states but advancement has been uneven. There is significant difference adulthood within and between schools within the state in footings of ICT. A really low per centum of schools have embedded ICT into the course of study, and show high degrees of successful and appropriate ICT usage to back up learning across the state. Reynolds e.tel ( 2003 ) in his findings revealed that several instructors reveal that ICT has surely raised criterio n and presentation of work, while many of the instructors from most schools still see ICT as uneffective and clip cachexia. Reynolds e.tal ( 2003 ) further reveals that these findings reveal that the attack of learning differs from school to school.3. Research Problem and Aims ( Required words 150 and Actual words 209 )Problem statementThe crisis of underperformance of our instruction and preparation system remains a major issue. The criterions of public presentation in our instruction system are really low. Although in 2010 the base on balls rate increased by 6.8 % to 67.5 % . , but there is still a concern with hapless public presentation in Science. Science larning requires skilled and specialist instructors who provide quality inputs in the schoolroom. Barineka Nbina ( 2010 ) found that every state is endeavoring to accomplish scientific and technological discovery with their environment. Therefore, the instruction of scientific discipline and engineering is going more demand an d activity oriented than earlier. Badr ( 2010 ) reference that 70 per cent of 10,000 secondary school pupils that were surveyed in Egypt said that uninspiring learning deter them to prosecute farther instruction in the scientific discipline. Possibly the hapless public presentation in Science is due to miss of instructor ‘s resources.PurposeThe purpose of this research is to look into the current resources used by instructors to learn, the effects that affects those resources and to better the academic competences and ICT acceptance in instruction of scientific discipline in secondary schools by planing an e-teaching intercession tool. This will give the consequences to enable those who would make good in the programme to be eligible for entry into a sheepskin programme in third instruction.4. Literature Review ( Required words 1000 and Actual words 1195 )Theoretical modelThis research will be grounded on Technological credence theoretical account ( TAM ) model and Task-techno logy tantrum ( TTF ) theoretical account. TAM construct specifies that â€Å" the causal relationships between system design characteristics, perceived usefulness the grade to which a individual believes that utilizing a peculiar system would heighten his or her occupation public presentation † ( Davis, 1989 ) , perceived easiness of usage â€Å" the grade to which a individual believes that utilizing a peculiar system would be free from attempt † ( Davis, 1989 ) , attitude toward utilizing, and existent use behavior ( Davis, 1989 ) . â€Å" TAM provides the overall enlightening representation of the mechanisms by which design picks influence user credence, and should hence be helpful in applied contexts for prediction and measuring user credence of information engineering † . TTF theory holds the theory that engineering will merely be used if its capablenesss are fiting to the demands of the undertaking to be performed and it ‘s more likely to hold a posi tive impact ( Goodhue and Thompson, 1995 ) . Technology that does non offer sufficient advantage it will non be used. The ground of uniting these two theoretical accounts is because it captures two different facets of user ‘s picks to use information and communicating engineering. Dishaw et Al ( 2002 ) indicate that â€Å" Both facets, attitude toward the IT ( TAM ) and rationally determined expected effects from utilizing the IT ( TTF ) , are likely to impact user ‘s picks to utilize IT. TAM will be used to look into on the factors that affect ICT tools acceptance by instructors for learning scientific discipline. TTF will be used to analyze the impact of ICT tools that are presently available to help instructors.Use of ICT in ClassroomsAl-Zaidiyeen et Al ( 2010 ) conducted a research in â€Å" Teachers ‘ Attitudes and Levels of Technology Use in Classrooms: † their findings revealed that the degree of ICT usage by rural secondary schools instructors is low, this implies that ICT are barely of all time used for educational intents by instructors in rural secondary schools. â€Å" Teachers are more likely to integrate ICT usage in their schoolroom if they see its relevancy to their direction and are convinced that the design of instruction package is compatible with educational ends and the single acquisition demands of pupils. † ( Al-Zaidiyeen et Al, 2010 )Use of ICT as medium for learning scientific disciplineYucel et Al ( 2010 ) in a survey of â€Å" Models to research Turkish instructors ICT integrating phases and the factors that affect ICT integrating † indicate that a batch of ICT integrating to instruction has failed because instructors were unsure about how ICT could be integrated into the course of study. Yucel ( 2010 ) indicate that in order for instructors to be able to utilize ICT they should be equipped with the necessary accomplishments and cognition. Flick and bell argues that although ICT is a buzzing word in this century but still â€Å" few instructors really do non understand how engineering is used in scientific dis cipline, nor can they adequately describe the relationship between scientific discipline and engineering. † Flick and Bell ( 2000 ) indicate that â€Å" If the intent of engineering in scientific discipline instruction is to heighten scientific discipline instruction and larning instead ( than for the engineering ‘s sake entirely ) , a different attack is necessary † . Flick and Bell ( 2000 ) further provinces that instructors should look at engineering as a manner of assisting pupils explore subjects in more deepness and in more synergistic ways. Bell and Flick reached these consequences by garnering thoughts from cognition of research, K-12 learning experience, and learning experience in scientific discipline instructor instruction with engineering.Teachers ‘ Knowledge and Attitudes towards ICT usageYucel et Al ( 2010 ) consequences revealed that there is no relationship between instructor ‘s negative attitude and instructors ‘ cognition on ICT . Yecul et Al ( 2010 ) reached these consequences by transporting out correlativity analysis between dependant and independent variables. Yucel et Al ( 2010 ) further indicate that â€Å" attempt seeking to better instructors ‘ attitudes is non likely to hold a direct impact unless their feeling of ego adequateness is improved † . Yecul et Al ( 2010 ) consequences contradict with Al-Zaidiyeen et Al ( 2010 ) consequences. Researchers globally believe that the usage of ICT tools for educational intents depends upon the attitudes of instructors toward the engineering ( Summers, 1990 ; Al-Zaidiyeen et Al, 2010 ) . Al-Zaidiyeen et Al ( 2010 ) reached the consequences by appraising indiscriminately selected 650 instructors in Jordan, in the usage of ICT, and the degree of attitude of instructors towards the usage of ICT.ICT Adoption betterment intercessionsTrainingAdeyinka et Al ( 2007 ) in the survey of an appraisal of secondary school instructor ‘s utilizations of ICT : deduction for farther development of ICT ‘s usage in Nigerian secondary schools suggests that in order for instructors to be technological progress, they need to go to ICT workshops.5. Research Methodology ( Required words 200 and Actual words 612 )This research will consist of 3 stage ‘s, each stage will lend in better shaping this survey. This survey will use instance survey and a descriptive study method to let the research worker a graphic description of how secondary school instructors are doing usage of ICTs.Phase 1: To analyze the current instruction intercession tools that are utilized in secondary schools for instructors to better Teach scientific disciplineA instance survey will be used in which an interview with KwaZulu natal secondary schools scientific discipline instructors will be conducted to analyze current methods of ICT ‘s that are utilized as support tool for them to learn scientific discipline better. Lone instructors from class 10,11and 12 w ill be interviewed. The interview inquiries will consist of both open-ended inquiries and close-ended inquiries. Examples of inquiries to be asked such as: 1. Which ICTs tool do instructors hold entree on? 2. What is the adequacy degree of the assorted facets of ICT availability/ entree in your school? Datas collected from these interviews will be used to better derive insight on the current ICT tools of learning scientific discipline that are used in secondary schools. This information will assist for theoretical coverage on current toolsPhase 2: To look into the factors that are impacting the use of those toolsA descriptive study method will be used, whereby class 10, 11 and 12 scientific discipline instructors will be handed a questionnaire in KwaZulu natal secondary schools to analyze the factors that are impacting the use of instructors back uping tool to learn scientific discipline better. The research variables for this stage are: instructors demographics, instructors ‘ perceptual experience about the sensed easiness of utilizing ICT, Teachers perceived utility of ICT, instructor ‘s old ages of experience, teacher ‘s cognition all these are independent variables, the dependant variable will be, Perceived usage of ICT by instructors to better Teach scientifi c discipline All points in collected information from the questionnaire will be subjected to a factor analysis spontaneously. A varimax rotary motion will be used to pull out factors. Likert type grading will besides be applied across all points. Stepwise arrested development techniques will be employed to explicate discrepancy the factors that are impacting the use of ICT scientific discipline instruction tools. Descriptive and illative statistics will besides be employed.Phase 3: To plan and prove an e-teaching intercession tool for helping instructors to learn scientific discipline betterOn the completion of the first two stages, the factors will be known. An appropriate intercession e-teaching tool will be designed and experimented with the purpose of measuring the effectivity it has on the instruction of scientific discipline in secondary schools. The experiment will affect five instructors from class 10 to 12 who will be selected from rural and urban schools in KwaZulu natal state of South Africa.

The Body Shop, Corporate Social Responsibility

The objective of this piece of work is to undertake a critical analysis of the cosmetics company The Body Shop, in terms of its philosophy, business practices and other activities and assess the extent to which the organisation can legitimately be regarded as a socially responsible corporate entity. The concept of corporate social responsibility will necessarily be outlined and discussed to provide a theoretical framework within which the subsequent analysis will itself be located. The study will then explore the organisation’s opposition to animal testing, its support for community trade and commitment to environmental protection. The chosen areas represent three of the five core values that underpin The Body Shop’s mission statement (Appendix 1) the other two being the activation of self-esteem and the defence of human rights, which will not be addressed specifically. It is anticipated that the structure of the study will allow the company’s history, achievements, strengths and limitations in each defined area to be evaluated within a holistic paradigm (Campbell & Kitson, 2008). The values which the company has defined and set for itself will ultimately be used as benchmark criteria against which the organisation will be assessed. Evaluation will therefore be an ongoing and integral part of the analysis, rather than a process that is separate and distinct from it, although the main themes and issues will be drawn together to expose areas of concern and signpost future courses of action. Introduction The Body Shop International PLC is a global cosmetics company launched in 1976 by Anita Roddick and her husband Gordon, which was predicated on ethical principles and the values of environmental sustainability. Generally known as The Body Shop, the company has 2400 stores in 61 countries, two thirds of which are franchised, selling a range of over 1500 products (The Body Shop, 2009a). The company also sells its products through an in home sales programme, The Body Shop at Home, in the United States, Australia and here in the United Kingdom (Carroll & Buchholtz, 2009). One of the first companies to prohibit the use of ingredients tested on animals, The Body Shop also pioneered Community Trade agreements with countries in the developing world. The company is also attributed for shaping ethical consumerism in the way it has produced and retailed its various consumer products. For many years, bolstered by its eco-friendly credentials and ethically focussed marketing strategies, The Body Shop accommodated a decidedly popular position within the public consciousness and for some at least, was seen as the epitome of a socially responsible organisation. In March 2006, The Body Shop was sold to L’Oreal in a  £652. 3 illion takeover deal, netting Anita and Gordon Roddick  £130 million for the firm they had conceived and set up thirty years previously (The Times, 2007). Anita Roddick died in September 2007 of a brain Haemorrhage (BBC News, 2007). Corporate Social Responsibility At its most basic, corporate social responsibility is an umbrella term used to describe the various ways in which organisations strive to ‘integrate social and environmental obligations with their business activities’ (Watson and MacK ay, 2003:625). Put differently, corporate social responsibility is the belief held by increasing numbers of individuals that businesses have responsibilities to society and the community in which they operate, that go beyond their obligations to investors. Although evidence of socially responsible business ventures can be traced back some significant time, the concept of corporate social responsibility in its recognisably modern form is generally regarded as a Twentieth Century phenomenon, finding formal expression in Howard Bowen’s Book ‘Social Responsibilities of the Businessman’ (1953). Bowen defined social responsibilities in the business context as those which are ‘desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society’ (Bowen, 1953:6). Since then, definitions of corporate social responsibility have become more sophisticated responding to and taking account of changes in the complexity, nature, diversity and size of business organisations operating within an increasingly global context. There are those however who believe that ethical and moral considerations or indeed social responsibility of any kind have no place in business, its operations or processes. Milton Friedman argued that ‘there is one and only one social responsibility of business – to use it resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits’ (Friedman, 1962:133). He disputed that businesses can have responsibilities, ‘Only people can have responsibilities’ he asserted (Friedman, 1970). Friedman viewed business organisations as amoral, accommodating a position that is neither moral nor immoral. In this sense, as long as business takes place in context of open and free competition, is conducted in the spirit of fairness and within the ule of law, questions of social responsibility remain mute. Other theorists link the growth and ascendancy of corporate social responsibility, to the proliferation of ethical consumerism. From this perspective, it is the demands of consumers for products and services that are produced ethically, do not benefit from human exploitation or have no detrimental effects upon the environment, rather than the philanthropic endeavours or altruistic tendencies of business entities that is of most significance (Burchell and Cook, 2006). Irrespective of its precise definition or the theoretical perspective from which it is evaluated, there is little doubt that since its formalised conception, corporate social responsibility has become a major entity on the management and business landscape as well as the object of widespread academic interest. In this context, it appears that the CSR concept has a bright future because at its core, it addresses and captures the most important concerns of the public regarding business and society relationships (Carroll, 1999). Opposition to Animal Testing From the outset, The Body Shop has maintained and publicly declared that it does not test its cosmetic products on animals, nor does it commission others to do so on its behalf, as it considered the practice to be unethical. Indeed, this sentiment became a central facet of the organisation’s philosophy and one that set it apart from its main industry competitors. It is also a policy that has served to define the organisation in terms of its ethical stance and one that has been reaffirmed in many of the company’s publications (The Body Shop, 2006a). In the 1980’s The Body Shop, supported by many of its customers and a wide spectrum of animal protection groups, campaigned for a change in the law on the testing of animals for cosmetics purposes in the UK, Europe, the Netherlands, Japan and Germany. In 1996, The Body Shop presented the European Union with a petition signed by over four million people, objecting to the use of animals in cosmetic testing, which at the time was the largest of its kind ever constructed. The organisation played a significant part in the UK government’s decision in 1998 to ban animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients. Additionally, the various campaigning activities of Anita Roddick resulted in the banning of finished product tests in Germany and the Netherlands, whilst in Japan The Body Shop was responsible for organising the first major campaign on this issue. In 1995, The Body Shop arranged for the independent auditing of its Against Animal Testing supplier monitoring systems and for their certification using the ISO 9002 quality assurance standard. The organisation was one of the first to sign up to the Humane Cosmetic Standards scheme (HCS) in 1996. This internationally recognised framework was conceived and implemented to enable consumers to easily identify in the purchasing process, cosmetic and toiletry products that have not been tested on animals. In 2004, The Body Shop Foundation (BSF) awarded  £20,000 to The Centre for Alternatives to Animal Testing at John Hopkins University to support research into alternatives that might eradicate the need for animal testing entirely. In 2005, the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) awarded the company first place in the cosmetics category for ‘Achieving Higher Standards of Animal Welfare’ in recognition of its efforts on this issue (RSPCA, 2005). The following year, it was awarded first place in the ‘Best Cruelty-Free Cosmetics category by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Lauren Bowey of PETA said at the time of the presentation that ‘The Body Shop is a driving force in promoting a more humane lifestyle. By renouncing animal tests, The Body Shop has shown beauty doesn’t have to have an ugly side’ (The Body Shop, 2006b). In 2008, the RSPCA once again recognised the achievements of The Body Shop, by presenting it with the Good Business Award and in 2009 the society bestowed its ultimate accolade, A Lifetime Achievement Award upon the company. The Body Shop was presented with a special lifetime achievement award for its longstanding commitment in campaigning for animal welfare, and for the work of Dame Anita Roddick in being instrumental in driving legislative change, which has seen an European Union wide ban on animal testing come into force this year’ (RSPCA, 2009). Despite its seemingly impressive track record, there are those who argue that The Body Shop’s stance against animal testing did not develop from deeply hel d ethical beliefs concerning animal welfare, but was rather a commercially motivated strategy to enhance the company’s profitability. Anita Roddick, apparently held no strong views on the issue, but after the use of a Not Tested on Animals slogan was proposed by the company’s first cosmetic consultant Mark Constantine and was later proven to have improved sales, her commitment to this cause seemed to shift. Indeed, no mention is made of animal testing or lack thereof in any of the company’s early promotional literature, nor could its customers reasonably deduce The Body Shop’s ethical position on the matter from logos or slogans on the packaging of its initial product lines. It was not until 1987, when The Body Shop undertook a promotional campaign with the British Union Against Vivisection (BUAV) to end testing on personal care products, that the company’s alignment and identification with the issue against animal testing for cosmetics products can be said to have taken place (Entine, 1996). The Not Tested on Animals claim that became almost synonymous with The Body Shop brand has also been the target of much criticism by animal welfare campaigners and others who argue that the statement is clearly and demonstrably false. For example, it is not possible for The Body Shop or any other cosmetics producer to guarantee that its products contain materials or ingredients that have never been tested on animals. All cosmetics contain fragrances, colourings, preservatives and other formulations that must comply with international regulation and certification processes. It is the case that compliance with such regulatory mechanisms almost certainly involves the use of animal testing, even if it is acknowledged that such tests were conducted some time ago. Indeed, The Body Shop’s shift from the use of Not Tested on Animals to the adoption of Against Animal Testing logo in 1989 was influenced to a large extent by legal challenges in Germany and in the United States following complaints from cosmetic companies and animal welfare groups. The objections were not solely concerned with The Body Shop’s unjustified and exaggerated claims, but the organisation’s portrayal that its policies and practises vis-a-vis animal testing were somehow more ethically robust and superior to those of other companies. In making the transition from one position to another, The Body Shop redoubled it publicity campaign giving the impression in the public domain at least, that it was strengthening its opposition to animal testing in the production of its cosmetics. Perhaps the most significant attack against the Body Shop by animal rights supporters and indeed those who subscribed to and took seriously the notion of corporate social responsibility, followed the sale of the company by Anita and Gordon Roddick to L'Oreal in March 2006. Despite vowing to give away the ? 30 million that she apparently made from the sale, Anita was accused of ethical hypocrisy and abandoning the principles that she had espoused during the course of her entrepreneurial career and upon which her Body Shop empire had itself been based. At its core was the policy of opposition to animal testing, a position that was not one shared by L'Oreal and for which Roddick herself had criticised the company in the past (Roddick, 1992). Campaigners against animal testing also pointed to L'Oreal’s link with the Swiss multinational firm Nestle that held a twenty six per cent share in the company (Milmo, 2006). Nestle, had attracted condemnation in the past for its alleged role in promoting baby powder in the developing world and had also been voted as the ‘world's least responsible company’ in an internet poll (Berne Declaration, 2005). Support for Community Trade Community Trade is a system that promotes the purchase of gifts, products, natural ingredients and accessories from communities around the world that are socially or economically marginalised and is a concept that The Body Shop has actively supported for more than twenty years. By allowing producers to access markets that would otherwise be unavailable to them and ensuring that remuneration for the materials, ingredients and products that are supplied is fair and ethical, Community Trade has the very real potential to provide stable sources of income for producers in some of the most socially and economically disadvantaged parts of the world. Indeed, Community Trade and other variants of it such as Fair Trade, is a central pillar of corporate social responsibility and as an identifiable scheme or programme, can have demonstrable benefits for those individuals and groups who participate in it. Under the banner of Trade Not Aid, The Body Shop purchased its first Community Trade products in 1987 from Tamill Nadu, a small community in Southern India. In 1991, Kayapo Indians used their skills to harvest the Brazil nut oil which Body Shop used in one of the company’s bestselling hair conditioning products. Similar projects quickly developed in various parts of the world such as New Mexico where the Pueblo Indians were commissioned to supply The Body Shop with Blue Corn, an essential component of its scrub mask product. Since then, the organisation has identified and worked with trade partners in over twenty countries and is now helping over twenty five thousand people throughout the world to earn a fair wage. It is also that case that more than half of The Body Shop’s core product lines contain one or more ingredients acquired through Community Trade (The Body Shop, 2006c) and that in 2009  £7. 4m was spent to support the Community Trade programme itself (Body Shop, 2009b). Over the years, the Community Trade programme has enabled The Body Shop not only to source high quality, sustainable and demonstrably natural ingredients and other products from across the world, it has allowed the organisation to make a real contribution to the lives and future of those with whom it has developed trading links and partnerships. ‘Community Trade is our commitment to trading fairly and responsibly with suppliers. We actively seek out small-scale farmers, traditional craftspeople, rural cooperatives and even tribal villages, all of them highly skilled experts at their work’ (Body Shop, 2009b). Through its Community Trade programme, The Body Shop has also supported initiatives in its supplier’s local communities, with projects that involved the building of wells, schools, community centres and the supply of educational material to enable learning and the acquisition of knowledge. Indeed, The Body Shop’s pioneering efforts in the area of Community Trade is regarded by many as a model within the cosmetics industry and one that the organisation itself hopes that others will strive to emulate (The Body Shop, 2006c). In 1996, a Code of Conduct was constructed by The Body Shop which outlined the ethical standards to which all of its suppliers should adhere. The Code was developed further in 2005 to ensure its alignment with the Ethical Trade Initiative (ETI) Base Code that sought to identify minimum standards for workers within a global context (The Body Shop, 2005). The Body Shop gave operational expression to the Code by setting up monitoring and assessment systems to ensure compliance by all its suppliers. The Body Shop also worked with those groups whose practices or conditions fell below that which was expected as it believed an educational and awareness raising approach was a more responsible and imaginative way to deal with none compliance than more Draconian responses. Indeed, there is evidence that by engaging with this audit process, suppliers have become more valuable as partners, not only for The Body Shop, but for other retailers and in some cases have caused suppliers to implement their own ethical trade agreements with others further down the supply chain. Whilst The Body Shop would appear to have pioneered the notion of Community Trade, at least if one were to accept the accuracy of the organisation’s publicity and promotional material, some anthropologists and activists have criticised the company for exaggerating the scale and nature of its programmes and other claims that have been made regarding its support for indigenous communities throughout the world. In 1994, it was estimated that Community Trade spending accounted for less than 0. 6 per cent of The Body Shop’s gross sales (Bavaria et al. , 1994). This figure is clearly meagre when compared with the finances of the fair trade organisation Traidcraft, which in the same year disclosed that no less than 31 per cent of its turnover came from fair trade sources (Entine, 1995). Such comparisons are used to question why The Body Shop focuses so much public attention on a programme that accounts for such a small proportion of its total business. Terence Turner, an anthropologist at the University of Chicago has argued that The Body Shop’s purchase of Brazil Nut oil from the Kayapo Indians did nothing to prevent the destruction of the their rain forests, as the company claimed in its public pronouncements. According to Turner, the Kayapo derived most of its income from selling logging and mining concessions on their lands, the very the activities that the Body Shop claimed to have protected through its Community Trade programme. Turner also argued that whilst The Body Shop used images of Kayapo Indians extensively in its stores and in other ‘informational broadsheets’, to enhance its depiction as a culturally sensitive company, the villagers have not been fully compensated for the use of their images by the company in this way (Bavaria et al. , 1994). There is evidence also that some of The Body Shop’s Community Trade associations are patronising and have brought mixed economic benefits for producers, whilst creating tensions, divisions and evoking widespread disruption to the existing social order for indigenous communities. It has certainly not helped the Indians come together as one people; on the contrary, it has contributed to internal antagonisms and divisions, not to mention social dislocation and alienation which recently ruptured the community completely’ (Corry, 1993:11). Environmental Protection As one would expect from a company that has aligned itself so fundamentally with ethical principles in its business practices and operations, environmental protection forms a significant part of The Body Shop’s philosophy of sustainable development. Indeed, since its creation, the organisation has supported the use of technologies and materials that cause minimal harm to the environment and its inhabitants and has promoted the use of resources and ingredients in its product lines that are renewable and sustainable. In 1976, when The Body Shop set up its first UK store in Brighton, it was the one of the first cosmetics companies to provide a refill service and actively encourage its customers to return their used containers and packaging for recycling, a practice that continues today (Roddick, 2006). In continuing its tradition of waste reduction The Body Shop has recently introduced plastic bottles made from one hundred per cent recycled material, an initiative that built upon the company’s replacement of all its carrier bags in 2008 with recycled and recyclable paper bags, the environmental benefits of which are apparent (The Body Shop, 2006d). The Body Shop also sources wood products through suppliers who are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and hopes ultimately to become a carbon neutral retailer by 2010 (The Body Shop, 2006d). In seeking to turn the rhetoric of its environmental protection objectives into reality, the Body Shop is constantly exploring new ways to improve business practices that result in the reduction of the company’s carbon footprint. Many of its stores have already benefitted from structural refurbishment projects that have resulted in energy efficiencies and more are planned in the future as part of an ongoing programme. Low energy lighting and heating systems, conversion of company cars to lower emission models and the reduction of air travel by Body Shop staff are all hoped to contribute towards the longer term objective of carbon neutrality. Where it is possible, The Body Shop is also committed to using renewable sources of energy to run its offices, stores and warehouses throughout the world. In the UK for example, sixty five per cent of its stores are linked to renewable energy contracts. Such energy saving and conservation strategies have been underpinned by awareness training for staff members, which it is hoped will lead to further reductions in the company’s use of finite environmental resources (The Body Shop, 2009d). Although regulatory changes are planned in the future (DEFRA, 2006) public companies are not currently compelled by law to report on their environmental record, unlike the publication of financial statements, nor indeed maintain systems though which such data can be accurately captured. It is the case however that The Body Shop voluntarily published three independently verified environmental statements in 1992, 1993 and 1994, each of which met the criteria of the European Union Eco-Audit, which is now the Eco-Management and Audit scheme (EMAS). In 1994, The Body Shop enhanced and developed its environmental reporting strategy, by combining it with evidence based information of its performance and progress in a number of other areas. The outcome was the production of The Body Shop’s Values Report 1997, a document that is often seen as ‘one of the most significant social performance reports ever prepared’ (Carroll & Buchholtz, 2009:798) and for which the company developed its own ethical auditing methodology (The Body Shop, 2008). Since then The Body Shop has produced further Values Reports, the latest of which includes contributions from a stakeholder’s panel and an external advisor Alan Knight. Alan serves on the UK Sustainable Development Commission and is a highly respected voice, whom we felt would challenge and provoke us’ (The Body Shop, 2009:8). Despite the apparently positive stance taken by The Body Shop on matters of environmental protection and its portrayal in the public domain as the very epitome of a progressive company, there are those who have challenged this perception and rather than being a champion of green issues within the cosmetics industry, believe the org anisation is concerned more with the pursuit of profit than it is with saving the planet (Suzuki, 1996). Whilst publicly declaring its commitment to recycling, The Body Shop has in the past printed its catalogues on ReComm Matte paper, a product produced by Georgia Pacific, a company based in Atlanta notorious for its environmental problems and the large scale harvesting of rainforest timber. Sources within The Body Shop at the time said that the firm had switched from the post-consumer waste recycled paper it was then using to the Georgia Pacific product in January of 1993, apparently because it was cheaper and glossier than the material it had replaced (Entine, 1996). The Body Shop has also phased out the use of reusable and more easily recyclable unbreakable glass containers in favour of plastic receptacles made from petrochemicals that are not recyclable in the majority of markets within which The Body Shop operates. Once again, sources within the company suggest that this move was motivated by escalating shipping costs and thus the imperative to save money, although was apparently promoted in the media and within company literature as being environmentally progressive. There is also evidence that some of The Body Shop’s processing operations have resulted in the discharge of non-biodegradable and some toxic chemicals into local sewerage systems. David Brook, former head of The Body Shop’s United States Environmental Department has confirmed a number of incidents that involved the leaking of materials from the company’s facility in New Jersey. This is underpinned by public records held by the Hanover Sewerage Authority that cites three cases of discharge, although Michael Wynne, an official with the organisation suspected that there were probably more (Entine, 1994).