Adverse effects of flood in Pakistan

Adverse effects of flood in Pakistan Executive Summary: The Flood of 2010 which affected around 20 million people in Pakistan directly and left them homeless have been the worst flood that Pakistan and the world has ever seen. The research was conducted on the subject of â€Å"adverse effects of flood in Pakistan† and how it has affected our agriculture, banks, economy, imports and exports. The research was basically exploratory in nature in which we gathered articles from various institutions, organizations and newspapers. There is so much material available on the topic that it became a challenge for us to remain specific and to the point. One more problem was that due to many sources there were a clash in the facts & figures so we have taken out the reliable resources in order to make it less confusing. The research concluded that the flood has caused unprecedented devastation to Pakistan’s economy, agriculture, infrastructure, imports/exports and above all, to human lives and dignity. Not only 20 mill ion have to be given food and shelter but for the long term the government and the people have to create jobs so that they can stand on their own feet again. Introduction Natural Disaster is the effect of natural hazards which includes flood, tornado, volcano eruption, earthquake or landslide that affects the environment, leads to financial, environmental and/or human losses. It is terrible event that is not caused by human activity and results in deaths, injuries or damage to property. The resulting loss depends on the capacity of the population to support or resist the disaster, and their resilience. This perceptive is concentrated in the formulation: disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability .A natural hazard will hence never result in a natural disaster in areas without vulnerability, e.g. strong earthquakes in uninhabited areas. The term natural has therefore been disputed because the events simply are not hazards or disasters without human involvement. Natural disasters which occur due to the change of plate tectonics are earthquakes, volcanoes, geyser eruptions and tsunami. These different types of natural disasters have taken away millions of lives and have caused trillions of dollars in terms of financial losses. The recent flood in Pakistan was one of the worst natural disasters in Pakistan’s history and in world’s history. It was one of the biggest disasters that the world have ever experienced not in terms of death but in terms of people affected, area affected and in terms of financial losses that occurred. Almost one- eighth of the population was directly affected by flood. The floods that recently caused great damage to Pakistan had more impact than the combine impact of tsunami in 2004, Haiti earthquake in 2010 and Earthquake of 2005 that affected northern areas of Pakistan. The affected people in these combine three disasters were around 11 million people but in the recent flood affected around 20 million people across Paki stan. Pakistan has experienced floods and the details of those floods are provided below: Flood in September 1992 affected 12 million people Flood in August 1992 affected 6 million people Flood in August 1976 affected 5 million people

Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Ethics - Assignment Example At the beginning of the study, ethical in nature and was meant to explore the effect of lack of treatment in the black males (Shavers, Lynch & Burmeister, 2000). However, the unethical part comes into focus later on in the study when a cure is, and no one bothers to use it. The team is only interested in the medical side despite the human beings having a right to existence in the availability of treatment. The achievement of scientific and medical results is more important than the health of human beings. Codes of ethics explicitly state that doctors and nurses should not deny their patients treatment for reasons of judgment based on discrimination (American Nurses Association, 2001).The experiment raises many ethical questions on whether it is moral to continue an investigation even after a cure has been discovered. There is also the concern whether professional nurses should allow the public to be misinformed during a research. Nurse Ever had a prior knowledge of what was being researched and the effects that it would have on the subjects. As a professional nurse, the most appropriate action to take was to inform the patients the nature of the study. However, she ignored her duties and participated in the denial of these rights to the patients. Her contribution to the study was a direct violation of the nursing code of ethics (Emanuel, 2003). The Nazi medical experiments are similar to the test that was conducted in blacks in Tuskegee. A conflict of roles is identified; the nurse has a duty to do as the doctors prescribed for the patients. Although what is done is wrong, the primary responsibility of a professional nurse is to obey the doctor’s orders. The nurse should always be concerned with the well-being of the subject, and these should be more important than interests of science (American Nurses Association, 2010). There should be respect for the participants’ right to withdraw from a research a factor that was considered in the film.

Kaizen Costing and Target Costing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Kaizen Costing and Target Costing - Essay Example Target Costing Process: Mostly companies use target costing to project visible cost targets for any new products they seek to establish in the market. The targets set by companies are very aggressive. The idea behind this approach is to maximize cost control and ensure that profit is as steep as possible. The process begins when a company's top management establishes its target cost for the new product. For instance a Chrysler Neon or Caterpillar Excavator. The cost estimating group in the company will break the costs for the whole product into cost targets for sub-assemblies and individual components of the product. These could be engine, the transmission seats, the steering, the gear, the covers, the paddle, the clutches etc. Mostly a gap exists between the target costs as well as the cost projections for the new product based on current designs and manufacturing capabilities of the product. The real deal lies in narrowing down the gap that exists between the cost projections and target costs through cost reduction. This is where the cross functional teams come into play. By analyzing modes of manufacturing involved, process associated with the product, the raw material requirements and the costs, they figure out the cost saving opportunities. The following paragraphs will focus on the approach applied by DaimlerChrysler and Caterpillar deployed target costing in their companies. In these companies, target costing is supported by a matrix organizational structure which has both horizontal as well as vertical functional teams.

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 12

Sociology - Essay Example This globalization process has been strongly debated in the media, political and social circles for the past several years. If one includes colonialism as an ancestor of the process, one could say the debate has raged for generations. The International Monetary Fund defines globalization as â€Å"a historical process† involving â€Å"the increasing integration of economies around the world, particularly through trade and financial flows† (International Monetary Staff 2002). Globalization is typically considered a necessary and unavoidable process leading to future world economic development. However, many have criticized the process because it tends to exacerbate present inequalities that exist within and between nations, threatens the employment and living standards of individuals in all countries and prevents the natural social progress with which each of these countries have been engaged. It seems clear that even though the process is unlikely to change or to reverse , very few people are likely to benefit from the process called globalization. The ways in which many organizations conduct business have changed dramatically under the concept of globalization. It is the survival strategy of the marketplace to continuously strive to increase efficiency within the workplace by producing the greatest quantity of products with the least expenditure of resources. As globalization continues, this is also changing the way in which companies conduct business, such as through the concept of the value-added chain. â€Å"In its most basic form, a value-added chain is ‘the process by which technology is combined with material and labor inputs, and the processed inputs are assembled, marketed, and distributed† (Gereffi, Humphrey & Sturgeon, 2005). By outsourcing many activities and production processes to less developed countries and marketing to more developed countries, many corporations have also

Differences Between Taoism and Buddhism

Differences Between Taoism and Buddhism The differences between Taoism and Buddhism Taoism is originated in China and many believe that it is started in the sixth century B.C. whereas Buddhism is said originated in the 500s B.C. in India. Both Taoism and Buddhism are great philosophical traditions and religions that have long histories and had strongly influenced and shaped the Chinese culture and values.   These two religions have some similarities, they even considered as one kind in Malaysias culture. Both Taoism and Buddhism belief in reincarnation which means the life after death and both have similar ultimate goals.   However, they are very different in their beliefs, practices and perspectives about individual life, society, values, culture, the environment and even the universe. Taoism and Buddhism have different objective principles, different views and beliefs about the life after death which is widely known as reincarnation, different ways and solutions to cooperate and solve the problems in life, and different perspectives and practices about marriag e. The word Tao of Taoism in Chinese means the way or the path. In Taoism, its objective is to achieve Tao which means to attain the right path in life and by doing so; we will be able to become immortal.   Besides that, Tao is sometimes also considered as the origin of everything which already existed and guiding the whole world and everything to work on their roles before the universe was being formed (Wow Essays, 2004). In Taoism, it is more focusing on personal or individual philosophy, because it is more focusing on how to achieve Tao, harmony and balancing of one-self and it do not motivate people to find ways and solutions to help and improve the community or society as in every individual should do it by herself or himself (EduBook, 2008).   It is also said that everything in the world is simple, correct and good, life becomes complex is because human being choose to live a complex life (Wow Essays, 2004). On the other hand, in Buddhism beliefs live is suffering which is different by comparing with Taoism that believes that life is all about goodness, Buddhist believes that having illness or suffering is the nature of life which we cannot escape from (Difference Between, 2010). Birth, get old, get sick or ill, and death are the nature cycle of life. According to Buddhism, the only way to put suffering in life to an end is to understand the four noble truths of life and practice the noble eightfold path which are the right knowledge or understanding, right intention, right speech, right behavior or action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration (Buddhist Temples). The first noble eightfold path is right knowledge that refers to the correct understanding of what is life about or the understanding about the four noble truths of life (Wow Essays, 2004).   The second path is right intention means the right wills aspect which is to abstain from lusts, to gain immunity of negative emotions such as hate and anger, and to be innocuous which is not to be violent or aggressive (Knierim T., 2010).   The third path is right speech which brings the meaning of not to talk bad or harmful words and to be aware of what we are saying by choosing the right words and right tone.   The forth path is right behavior or right actions which is to act in a correct way and the reasons of action or behavior, and this consists of the five main rules of Buddhism which are not to kill, pilfer, consume alcoholic drinks, commit in sex crimes, and also to be honest (Wow Essays, 2004).   The fifth path is right livelihood which is to gain or earn money and wealth in the legal and moral way (Knierim T., 2010).   The sixth path is right effort involves practicing the right will and control self-serving devotion and thirst (Wow Essays, 2004).   The seventh path is right mindfulness which is to be aware and have the ability of see things without affected by the other people or environment.   The eighth path is right concentration refers to the mental force of focusing on the ultimate goal of Buddhism, and this involves practicing the meditation which is to clear your mind and develop the right concentration (Knierim T., 2010). Both Taoism and Buddhism believe in the life after death which is known as reincarnation (Wow Essays, 2004). They believe that life cycle does not have a beginning or an ending which simply means that life, death and rebirth are perceived as a continuous cycle; they think that death is not the end of the life (Valea E., n.d.).   But both of them have different explanations and perspectives on reincarnation.   According to Taoism, soul or spirit never die, it will be shift to the other body which is to reborn to be another person and this will be repeated until it attain the Tao.   It is said that everyone has a inner light of oneself which can guide us back to clean and clear mind and pull away from distractions and lusts, Tao can only be obtained by following this inner light of oneself (Wow Essays, 2004).   Taoism also believes that soul has the ability to travel through space and time and becomes immortal when Tao is achieved (Difference Between, 2010). Whereas in Buddhism beliefs, samsara, the wheel of rebirth and the sufferings of life will only come to an end when ones achieve Nirvana which is the highest or final state of the life cycle and become immortal (Religion Facts, 2010).   The other belief of reincarnation in Buddhism that is different from the belief in Taoism is that Taoism believes that reborn is a transformation of soul from one human body to another, but according to the Buddhism belief, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth consist of good and evil behavior which divides the transmigration into three different stages and this lead to the transformation of souls into different forms respectively.   The ones who act totally different way from the rules and practices of Buddhism will be send to the hell and this is the first stage of the transmigration.   In the second stage, those who did something which is considered quite bad or evil will be transmigrating into animal forms, yet spirits will become more alik e to human or rebirth as a human again after turns of transmigration.  Ã‚   The following stage which is the third stage, involves the spirit becomes chaste by putting down self egos and lusts which is change from aesthesis to non-aesthesis, and it also consist of going through many phases of spiritual transformation and rebirth; finally reach the Nirvana which is the ultimate goal of Buddhism.   The stages of reincarnation is determined by ones action, it is said that the past action decide the current life, and present action decides the future life, because Buddhist believes that ones behavior is according to the mind and thoughts but not fate, therefore one shall deserve what it takes from the result of what he or she did (Wow Essays, 2004). Besides than the perspectives and beliefs, the difference between Buddhism and Taoism is the ways of handling and solving the problems in life such as health problems.   According to Taoism, everything in this world has its own natural order, and the way to handle problems first is to understand the nature; the Yin-yang concept is the core concept of this particular principle.   Yin-yang concept state that reality are binary which consist of the combination of two opposite elements to form the entirety by balancing these two totally opposite elements.   In addition, by conquering the defectiveness of soul by attaining the balance of oneself, then lead to conducting the mental or cosmic energy that is known as Chi in one selfs body is believed that can help to heal illness or sickness of body (EduBook, 2008).   The creation of the Tai Chi exercise is based on the Yin-yang concept which can help to circulate and balance the Chi in the body and maintain body health because Taois t believe that illness are cause by the imbalance or jamming of Chi in the circulation of body (Robinson B.A., 2010)    Meanwhile, in Buddhisms beliefs, problems in life like illness and sickness are a part of life; hence they should be accepted as the nature of life.   Buddhism requires the finding of problems source; meditation is the practice of Buddhist that guide people to find focus, peace and calm in one self, and the presence of focus, peace and calm will help to identify the origin of problems and guidance to take good actions to overcome the problems (Knierim T., 2010).   At the same time, unlike Taoists healing illness by balancing the opposite elements and conducting the Chi, Buddhists seek for medications (EduBook, 2008).   However, because Buddhists believe in the nature of life, so herbal medications which are extracted and purified from the plants is the only medication that is used by Buddhists. Buddhism and Taoism are also different in how they look at relationships and marriage. According to Buddhism beliefs, marriage is not a necessary event ones life, so there is no special type of ceremony or practices for getting married.   Besides that, sexual activity is only accepted socially and ethically when it takes place in marriage, and it is not accepted when there is not within a marriage relationship.   Buddhism beliefs that in a marriage, both husband and wife will need to possess four important qualities to become a well-matched and maintain a good marriage, the four qualities are faith, virtue, generosity and wisdom.   Faith requires the understanding between the husband and wife, it is through understanding each another helps to build up trust, honor and faith, and faith is the main key which will lead to the development of virtue, generosity and wisdom.   According to Buddhism beliefs, satisfactions of the five senses and reproduction are the two main purposes of marriage because it is said that not a single figure, sound, smell, savor and touch can attract a man more than a woman and this same goes to a woman. Besides that, reproduction is important to the society because of the obligations of the family which means children will be the one who are responsible to take care and support the parents and protect and continue the unique customs of the family (Gamage C., 1998). On the other hand, Taoism believes that woman represents Yin and man represents Yang, and the Tao means the path to harmony will be achieved when a woman and a man get into a relationship and commit together as one, the Yin chi will be accepted by the man and Yang chi will be received by the woman, then both Yin and Yang will combined into one and balanced.   Some people relate the word Tao with marriage by saying that marriage is the Tao to future means the way or path towards the future because the life after marriage is like a new life and through marriage babies are born: babies are the hope and creation for the future.   At the same time, since Taoism emphasize on balancing and harmony of nature, it also laid stress on the harmony of the relationships between people especially for husband and wife.   Thus, husband and wife should avoid confrontations and serious conflicts.   Prevention of confrontations or even conflicts can be made by calm, love, caring, respect, accept ance, humility, communication, emotional control, self-awareness, self reflections, sacrifice, and support and understanding of each another. On the whole, both Taoism and Buddhism are religions that guide people how to live a good life and teach the important values of life.   These two religions have some similarities and sometimes these similarities may even cause people to mistaken that both of them are the same religion or some may mistaken the beliefs and practices of Buddhism and the beliefs and practices of Taoism.   There are similar beliefs between these two religions such as both of them believe in the life after death and life cycle never end and also both have similar ultimate goal, but their objective principles, their understanding, beliefs and interpretation about the life after death, their perspectives and methods to deal with the problems especially health problems in life, and their point of view and practices in relationships and marriage are very different.   Both have their unique and different way of thinking and interpretation of life. Differences Between Taoism and Buddhism Differences Between Taoism and Buddhism The differences between Taoism and Buddhism Taoism is originated in China and many believe that it is started in the sixth century B.C. whereas Buddhism is said originated in the 500s B.C. in India. Both Taoism and Buddhism are great philosophical traditions and religions that have long histories and had strongly influenced and shaped the Chinese culture and values.   These two religions have some similarities, they even considered as one kind in Malaysias culture. Both Taoism and Buddhism belief in reincarnation which means the life after death and both have similar ultimate goals.   However, they are very different in their beliefs, practices and perspectives about individual life, society, values, culture, the environment and even the universe. Taoism and Buddhism have different objective principles, different views and beliefs about the life after death which is widely known as reincarnation, different ways and solutions to cooperate and solve the problems in life, and different perspectives and practices about marriag e. The word Tao of Taoism in Chinese means the way or the path. In Taoism, its objective is to achieve Tao which means to attain the right path in life and by doing so; we will be able to become immortal.   Besides that, Tao is sometimes also considered as the origin of everything which already existed and guiding the whole world and everything to work on their roles before the universe was being formed (Wow Essays, 2004). In Taoism, it is more focusing on personal or individual philosophy, because it is more focusing on how to achieve Tao, harmony and balancing of one-self and it do not motivate people to find ways and solutions to help and improve the community or society as in every individual should do it by herself or himself (EduBook, 2008).   It is also said that everything in the world is simple, correct and good, life becomes complex is because human being choose to live a complex life (Wow Essays, 2004). On the other hand, in Buddhism beliefs live is suffering which is different by comparing with Taoism that believes that life is all about goodness, Buddhist believes that having illness or suffering is the nature of life which we cannot escape from (Difference Between, 2010). Birth, get old, get sick or ill, and death are the nature cycle of life. According to Buddhism, the only way to put suffering in life to an end is to understand the four noble truths of life and practice the noble eightfold path which are the right knowledge or understanding, right intention, right speech, right behavior or action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration (Buddhist Temples). The first noble eightfold path is right knowledge that refers to the correct understanding of what is life about or the understanding about the four noble truths of life (Wow Essays, 2004).   The second path is right intention means the right wills aspect which is to abstain from lusts, to gain immunity of negative emotions such as hate and anger, and to be innocuous which is not to be violent or aggressive (Knierim T., 2010).   The third path is right speech which brings the meaning of not to talk bad or harmful words and to be aware of what we are saying by choosing the right words and right tone.   The forth path is right behavior or right actions which is to act in a correct way and the reasons of action or behavior, and this consists of the five main rules of Buddhism which are not to kill, pilfer, consume alcoholic drinks, commit in sex crimes, and also to be honest (Wow Essays, 2004).   The fifth path is right livelihood which is to gain or earn money and wealth in the legal and moral way (Knierim T., 2010).   The sixth path is right effort involves practicing the right will and control self-serving devotion and thirst (Wow Essays, 2004).   The seventh path is right mindfulness which is to be aware and have the ability of see things without affected by the other people or environment.   The eighth path is right concentration refers to the mental force of focusing on the ultimate goal of Buddhism, and this involves practicing the meditation which is to clear your mind and develop the right concentration (Knierim T., 2010). Both Taoism and Buddhism believe in the life after death which is known as reincarnation (Wow Essays, 2004). They believe that life cycle does not have a beginning or an ending which simply means that life, death and rebirth are perceived as a continuous cycle; they think that death is not the end of the life (Valea E., n.d.).   But both of them have different explanations and perspectives on reincarnation.   According to Taoism, soul or spirit never die, it will be shift to the other body which is to reborn to be another person and this will be repeated until it attain the Tao.   It is said that everyone has a inner light of oneself which can guide us back to clean and clear mind and pull away from distractions and lusts, Tao can only be obtained by following this inner light of oneself (Wow Essays, 2004).   Taoism also believes that soul has the ability to travel through space and time and becomes immortal when Tao is achieved (Difference Between, 2010). Whereas in Buddhism beliefs, samsara, the wheel of rebirth and the sufferings of life will only come to an end when ones achieve Nirvana which is the highest or final state of the life cycle and become immortal (Religion Facts, 2010).   The other belief of reincarnation in Buddhism that is different from the belief in Taoism is that Taoism believes that reborn is a transformation of soul from one human body to another, but according to the Buddhism belief, the cycle of birth, death and rebirth consist of good and evil behavior which divides the transmigration into three different stages and this lead to the transformation of souls into different forms respectively.   The ones who act totally different way from the rules and practices of Buddhism will be send to the hell and this is the first stage of the transmigration.   In the second stage, those who did something which is considered quite bad or evil will be transmigrating into animal forms, yet spirits will become more alik e to human or rebirth as a human again after turns of transmigration.  Ã‚   The following stage which is the third stage, involves the spirit becomes chaste by putting down self egos and lusts which is change from aesthesis to non-aesthesis, and it also consist of going through many phases of spiritual transformation and rebirth; finally reach the Nirvana which is the ultimate goal of Buddhism.   The stages of reincarnation is determined by ones action, it is said that the past action decide the current life, and present action decides the future life, because Buddhist believes that ones behavior is according to the mind and thoughts but not fate, therefore one shall deserve what it takes from the result of what he or she did (Wow Essays, 2004). Besides than the perspectives and beliefs, the difference between Buddhism and Taoism is the ways of handling and solving the problems in life such as health problems.   According to Taoism, everything in this world has its own natural order, and the way to handle problems first is to understand the nature; the Yin-yang concept is the core concept of this particular principle.   Yin-yang concept state that reality are binary which consist of the combination of two opposite elements to form the entirety by balancing these two totally opposite elements.   In addition, by conquering the defectiveness of soul by attaining the balance of oneself, then lead to conducting the mental or cosmic energy that is known as Chi in one selfs body is believed that can help to heal illness or sickness of body (EduBook, 2008).   The creation of the Tai Chi exercise is based on the Yin-yang concept which can help to circulate and balance the Chi in the body and maintain body health because Taois t believe that illness are cause by the imbalance or jamming of Chi in the circulation of body (Robinson B.A., 2010)    Meanwhile, in Buddhisms beliefs, problems in life like illness and sickness are a part of life; hence they should be accepted as the nature of life.   Buddhism requires the finding of problems source; meditation is the practice of Buddhist that guide people to find focus, peace and calm in one self, and the presence of focus, peace and calm will help to identify the origin of problems and guidance to take good actions to overcome the problems (Knierim T., 2010).   At the same time, unlike Taoists healing illness by balancing the opposite elements and conducting the Chi, Buddhists seek for medications (EduBook, 2008).   However, because Buddhists believe in the nature of life, so herbal medications which are extracted and purified from the plants is the only medication that is used by Buddhists. Buddhism and Taoism are also different in how they look at relationships and marriage. According to Buddhism beliefs, marriage is not a necessary event ones life, so there is no special type of ceremony or practices for getting married.   Besides that, sexual activity is only accepted socially and ethically when it takes place in marriage, and it is not accepted when there is not within a marriage relationship.   Buddhism beliefs that in a marriage, both husband and wife will need to possess four important qualities to become a well-matched and maintain a good marriage, the four qualities are faith, virtue, generosity and wisdom.   Faith requires the understanding between the husband and wife, it is through understanding each another helps to build up trust, honor and faith, and faith is the main key which will lead to the development of virtue, generosity and wisdom.   According to Buddhism beliefs, satisfactions of the five senses and reproduction are the two main purposes of marriage because it is said that not a single figure, sound, smell, savor and touch can attract a man more than a woman and this same goes to a woman. Besides that, reproduction is important to the society because of the obligations of the family which means children will be the one who are responsible to take care and support the parents and protect and continue the unique customs of the family (Gamage C., 1998). On the other hand, Taoism believes that woman represents Yin and man represents Yang, and the Tao means the path to harmony will be achieved when a woman and a man get into a relationship and commit together as one, the Yin chi will be accepted by the man and Yang chi will be received by the woman, then both Yin and Yang will combined into one and balanced.   Some people relate the word Tao with marriage by saying that marriage is the Tao to future means the way or path towards the future because the life after marriage is like a new life and through marriage babies are born: babies are the hope and creation for the future.   At the same time, since Taoism emphasize on balancing and harmony of nature, it also laid stress on the harmony of the relationships between people especially for husband and wife.   Thus, husband and wife should avoid confrontations and serious conflicts.   Prevention of confrontations or even conflicts can be made by calm, love, caring, respect, accept ance, humility, communication, emotional control, self-awareness, self reflections, sacrifice, and support and understanding of each another. On the whole, both Taoism and Buddhism are religions that guide people how to live a good life and teach the important values of life.   These two religions have some similarities and sometimes these similarities may even cause people to mistaken that both of them are the same religion or some may mistaken the beliefs and practices of Buddhism and the beliefs and practices of Taoism.   There are similar beliefs between these two religions such as both of them believe in the life after death and life cycle never end and also both have similar ultimate goal, but their objective principles, their understanding, beliefs and interpretation about the life after death, their perspectives and methods to deal with the problems especially health problems in life, and their point of view and practices in relationships and marriage are very different.   Both have their unique and different way of thinking and interpretation of life.

Eulogy for Grandfather :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Grandfather My grandfather will be remembered as a hardworking and modest man. He had simple needs. He was forthright and honest, a person with humble beginnings who placed a great value on education and friendship. I will remember him as the only grandparent I ever knew. I will remember him as a man who was content with what life had given him. He never asked for much and in the years I knew him, he lived a simple life. My grandfather's lifetime could be divided into three different parts. He was born in An Kai Lai, Kaiping, Guangdong, China on May 29, 1909. The direction of this early period started with his steamship voyage at the age of 14 from China to Victoria, B.C., Canada, in 1923. He was held in a holding cell until his 6th uncle came and paid the Head Tax. His early life was marked with many obstacles and hardships. He worked as a kitchen aide and cook in various small towns in Saskatchewan, where he learned to speak and write English. He developed an independence that I could still see during the time that I knew him. At age 19, he returned to China in 1928 to get married to Der She, returning to Canada alone in 1930. He lived through the Great Depression of the 1930's in Saskatchewan, becoming prematurely grey in his 20's. He didn't talk much of this period of his life. From the bits and pieces he shared with family, it was a very difficult time for him. However, he did learn the game of curling, a favorite Saskatchewan sport. His love of curling never left him. Up to his last days, it was the only event he thoroughly enjoyed to watch on TV. He even timed his meals around the curling schedules. It gave him great pride whenever Canada won the world titles. From 1943 to 1960, he purchased and operated the Liberty Cafà © in Elrose, Saskatchewan. Despite the long days in the restaurant business, he developed many close and valued friendships with the Canadian townspeople and farmers within the community. People called him "Lee" and loved his home-baked pies, sugar doughnuts, and fresh bread. When the surrounding farmers came into town for their supplies, it was a special treat to stop into the Liberty Cafà © for coffee and a piece of pie. He took pride in his abilities and in the respect he had earned in the community. Eulogy for Grandfather :: Eulogies Eulogy Eulogy for Grandfather My grandfather will be remembered as a hardworking and modest man. He had simple needs. He was forthright and honest, a person with humble beginnings who placed a great value on education and friendship. I will remember him as the only grandparent I ever knew. I will remember him as a man who was content with what life had given him. He never asked for much and in the years I knew him, he lived a simple life. My grandfather's lifetime could be divided into three different parts. He was born in An Kai Lai, Kaiping, Guangdong, China on May 29, 1909. The direction of this early period started with his steamship voyage at the age of 14 from China to Victoria, B.C., Canada, in 1923. He was held in a holding cell until his 6th uncle came and paid the Head Tax. His early life was marked with many obstacles and hardships. He worked as a kitchen aide and cook in various small towns in Saskatchewan, where he learned to speak and write English. He developed an independence that I could still see during the time that I knew him. At age 19, he returned to China in 1928 to get married to Der She, returning to Canada alone in 1930. He lived through the Great Depression of the 1930's in Saskatchewan, becoming prematurely grey in his 20's. He didn't talk much of this period of his life. From the bits and pieces he shared with family, it was a very difficult time for him. However, he did learn the game of curling, a favorite Saskatchewan sport. His love of curling never left him. Up to his last days, it was the only event he thoroughly enjoyed to watch on TV. He even timed his meals around the curling schedules. It gave him great pride whenever Canada won the world titles. From 1943 to 1960, he purchased and operated the Liberty Cafà © in Elrose, Saskatchewan. Despite the long days in the restaurant business, he developed many close and valued friendships with the Canadian townspeople and farmers within the community. People called him "Lee" and loved his home-baked pies, sugar doughnuts, and fresh bread. When the surrounding farmers came into town for their supplies, it was a special treat to stop into the Liberty Cafà © for coffee and a piece of pie. He took pride in his abilities and in the respect he had earned in the community.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 17109201 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 2012. 1. 5 Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness ——A Probe into the Character of Emily A Rose for Emily is a short story written by American author William Faulkner first published in the April 30, 1930 issue of Forum.It describes the tragedy of a typical southern lady, Miss Emily, who is deeply victimized in her character and mind by the conventional system of the South and patriarchy; thus even though she wants to fight, she still fails to confront and deal with the changes caused by the shock of northern industrialization all by herself and finally leads to destruction and self-destruction on the way of pursuing happiness.This essay concentrates on exploring the character of Emily with the efforts she has made for her life and especially the reasons for her failure in â€Å"fighting† from the three aspects as Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, (the well-known phrase applied from the United States Declaration of Independence). 1. The Backup of Early Life As a descendent of the southern conventional noble family, Emily was born in the environment full of the thought of feudalism and hierarchy which makes her acquire not only the attitude of arrogance and indifference to common people, but, most importantly, the habit of obedience to her father.Before her father dies, he is the only one Emily could rely on in her family. Therefore, there should be no blame to her that she depended on her father when she was still young, just as most of us would depend on our parents during our childhood and youth. However, the fact the she gets to be thirty and is still single reveals the abnormality of the dependence. Actually, it is no longer pure dependence on her father. Instead, the dependence has developed into over obedience which then is taken advantage of by her father to control her completely under the constraint of the old southern tradition.The control is ju st described by William Faulkner as the tableau, â€Å"Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background, her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the back-flung front door†. The father, a typical symbol of patriarchy, clutching a horsewhip, acts as a tyrant. It’s him who holds the Griersons always a little too high for what they really are and uses his horsewhip, which exactly symbolizes patriarchy, to beat off all of the young men who come to make proposals to his daughter, Miss Emily, believing that no one is quite good enough for her.In fact, in his opinion, none of the young men are quite good enough not for his daughter, but for the old southern tradition and its dignity. He never regards Emily as an independent individual. On the contrary, he regards her as the tool to maintain their dignity in the conventional system. However, Emily has been regarding her father as the whole b ackup of her life since she was born. What’s more, she has been in this state for more than thirty years. She has long been used to this dependence and even allows this kind of dependence to conquer her strong desire for free life and love. To her, this dependence is just her whole life.Therefore, when her father dies, she cannot accept the fact because her father is her whole dependence and the dependence is just her whole life. Her father’s death has also deprived all the hope of her life. Her father and the old tradition her father represents are the root of Emily’s tragedy; thus, her father’s death should be regarded as the chance for Emily to free herself from the constraint of the conventional system. It’s the beginning of Emily’s fighting for her own life, liberty and happiness. 2. Liberty Getting rid of her father’s control is just like releasing from a prison.After a long time of being sick, she is seen again with hair cut sh ort and looks like a girl, which declares the beginning of her liberty. However, Faulkner describes her as resembling to those angels in colored church windows—sort of tragic and serene. The word of â€Å"tragic† seems to have indicated the sad ending of Emily’s life even though she has the chance to gain liberty. And the reason lies on Emily’s wrong interpretation of liberty. From the description by Faulkner, after her father’s death, the character of Emily appearing before the readers is still such an arrogant and indifferent person typically symbolizing the old tradition.It is clearly known by the readers that actually Emily never frees herself from the fetter of the conventional system even though she has gotten rid of her father’s control. However, Emily sees her liberty from a different angle. To her, liberty means to live in a way she has long been used to at her own will. Since her father died, nobody and nothing can ever take her un der control any more. Therefore, she ignores all the others’ denouncing the smell of her house, vanquishes the new generation’s demanding her taxes and rejects the newer generation’s attaching a mailbox.She still carries her head high enough—even when others all believe that she is fallen, because the way of living she has been used to is just to maintain dignity as much as she can in the environment of the old southern tradition. She refuses to free herself from the conventional system because it’s the very place she feels relatively free. In contrast, the new world with all those changes caused by the shock of northern industrialization is where she will feel unsafe, uneasy and uncomfortable.Similarly in the film The Shawshank redemption, the two people, the old log, Brooks, and one of the protagonists, Red, have much difficulty in adjusting themselves to the life outside after they get their parole from decades of imprisonment. Brooks even commi ts suicide and Red can never pea unless asking for permission. And Emily has also been imprisoned for more than thirty years which has made her long ago assimilated by the old tradition. Emily has made efforts for her life and liberty after her father’s death. Unfortunately, she interprets her liberty in the way which is against the development of the new world both in aterial and spiritual aspects. And her false interpretation is still due to the over thirty years’ imprisonment of patriarchy and the conventional system of the South. 3. The Pursuit of Happiness Even though the living style has been assimilated by the convention, there is still something that everyone is born with including Emily. That is the desire for happiness. Emily lives in her own old world but all alone. She earns liberty but lacks happiness. Therefore, when Homer Barron shows up, she believes that he is the source of her happiness and makes up her mind to grasping the slight of hope.However, the chance of gaining happiness is ruined again by the conflict between her old world and the shock of northern industrialization. What’s worse, finally she leads to the road of destruction and self-destruction by her extreme desire resulting from patriarchy and the old tradition’s severe oppression Homer Barron, a Yankee, comes from the north and symbolizes the northern industrialization, which is definitely against the old tradition and even some basic principles of Emily’s own old world such as the feature of dignity. But on the other side, he seems to Emily the hope for her happiness.As a woman oppressed by spiritual loneliness for such a long time, the desire for love and happiness is strong enough to for Emily to conquer the continual restraint of conventional hierarchical thought. As a result, she goes out of the old house, which symbolizes the convention, with her head high and together with Homer Barron with his hat cocked and a cigar in his teeth, reins a nd whip in a yellow glove driving in the glittering buggy on Sunday afternoons. She even decides to marry him by buying a complete outfit of men’s clothing regardless of all the objects and conflicts.During this period, she has gradually become deeply trapped in the love and happiness with Homer Barron. She has been oppressed by patriarchy and the southern convention for more than thirty years, and now the love she is experiencing is so unique and incomparable that it has become the whole happiness of her life and that it is impossible for her to let it go. If Homer Barron isn’t going to leave her, then the love and happiness will certainly continue. However, as the symbol of northern industrialization, Homer Barron holds a completely opposite attitude towards the relationship with Miss Emily.He just regards it as a pure way of entertainment without any responsibility, which is a sharp conflict between not only Homer and Emily, but also the morals of northern industria lization and the old southern convention. Under the pressure of the conflicts and the long-term victimization by patriarchy and the convention, Emily’s character and mind has been completely deformed. In the end, to prevent the happiness from disappearing, Emily takes drastic measures as killing Homer and let the body stay with her forever so that her love and happiness will also never leave.This measure finally destroys her whole life and leaves her a complete tragedy as well as Homer Barron. In this extraordinary short story, the character of Emily William Faulkner created has made some efforts to earn her own life and liberty and even persist in the pursuit of happiness. However, her life is based on patriarchy and the conventional system of the South for more than 30 years; the liberty she goes after is still trapped in the old tradition; and her pursuit of happiness comes across the conflicts between the southern old tradition and the shock of northern industrialization. All of these negative factors lead to the final tragic destruction. References Olga W. Vickery. The Novels of William Faulkner: A Critical Appraisal [M]. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964 Fang Yigui [ ]. [J]. ,2007 1 Liu Aiying [ ]. [J]. ,1998 2 Liu Zhuo [ ] & Peng Changliu [ ]. : [J]. ,2004 5 Wang Minqin [ ]. ?< > [J]. ,2002 2? ,? 66-69 Xiao Minghan [ ].  ·. : ,1997?

Fashion Industry China: Csr Case

Fashion Industry China: CSR Case Subject Submission Date Class Team Members CSR cross-analyses on fashion Industry Tuesday 15, 2012 MBA Pudong – Corporate Social Responsibility Christiane Pagsisihan Damien Dandelot Jose Antonio Mallen Tendai Chitapi Vera Boisa Harbhajan Khalsa Executive Summary The research paper trough four main Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) issues (Children Labor, Working condition, Environmental impact and Environmental Sustainability) indicates several glaring trends within the fashion industry.First of all, there appears to be an overall evolution in the CSR practice and actives during the last decade in the fashion industry. Moreover, it seems evident that CSR is more and more considered as important issues in the fashion industries whatever the specification and the market are. Finally, after having make a close comparison between six fashion companies, it seems that if companies continue to develop its CSR actions in activities such as eco-fr iendly ingredient sourcing, fair pricing, eco-manufacturing, and efficient non-wasteful distribution, as well as corporate sponsorship, they will result competitive advantage.Indeed, with the implementation of CSR initiatives brands build a positive image and then are more able to counter criticism for other issues that may affect the company. Introduction Over the last decade, corporate social responsibility has moved to the forefront of consumers’ minds and has elicited numerous responses on the part of the fashion industry.It should not come as a surprise given that it encompasses the design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, retailing, advertising, and promotion of all types of apparel (men’s, women’s, and children’s) from the most rarefied and expensive haute couture (literally, â€Å"high sewing†) and designer fashions to ordinary everyday clothing (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2012). Within the industry there are different kinds of activit ies, such as model agencies, creative agencies, media specialized in fashion (i. e. Fashion TV) and textiles etc.According to Market Line Report, Global Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods (2012), the global textiles, apparel and luxury goods market (men, women and children clothing, textiles, footwear and luxury goods) had total revenues of about $3 trillion in 2011, representing a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3. 7% for the period 2007-2011. The performance of the market is forecast to accelerate, with an anticipated CAGR of 4. 2% for the five-year period 2011-2016, which is expected to drive the market to a value of more $3. trillion by the end of 2016. Put simply, the fashion industry is a huge sector and thus deserves a closer examination as to the human rights and environmental impacts. Due to the fact that the industry encompasses a myriad of companies, we have selected six companies established in China (Table 1 and Exhibits 1 to 6). Indeed, in China, the textile and cl othing industry is the largest 1|Page Fashion Industry China: CSR Case – Team 7 MBA Pudong manufacturing industry. There are about 24,000 enterprises that employ 8 million workers.In addition, China is the largest clothing producer in the world, and has the largest production capacity for textile mill products consisting of cotton and silk (Qiu, 2005). Table 1 – General description of the six companies selected (data from 2011) Company Inditex SA H&M Gap Inc. Levi's Hermes LVMH HQ Spain Sweden USA USA France France Market Mid to low income Mid to low income Mid to upper income Mid to upper income Higher income Higher income Total revenue (billion) $ 17. 53 $ 15. 1 $ 14. 55 $ 4. 8 $ 4. 8 $ 30. 08 Net Profit (billion) $ 2. 45 $ 2. 76 $ . 83 $ 0. 14 $ 1. 2 $ 3. 81 Number of Stores 5,527 2,325 3250 470 283 3095 Number of Markets 82 43 44 110 57 60 Number of Employees worldwide 109,512 59,440 132,000 17,000 8370 98,000 CSR issues relevant to the fashion industry Then, befor e moving on, the major CSR issues in the fashion industry are outlined below (Table 2). Indeed, this table aims to highlight the major issues that fashion industry must consider into practices. These table has been made according some information coming from diverse councils and web site, but with a primarily focus on the Nordic Fashion Association, Code ofConduct and Manual (2012). Table 2 – List and describe the CSR –related issues relevant to the industry CSR issues relevant to the fashion industry Description of the issue Human Rights Exploiting people for profit. This concern is widespread throughout the fashion industry worldwide. Freedom of association and the effective Ensure that workers participating in unions are not subject to discrimination recognition of the right to collective bargaining or punitive disciplinary actions. Forced Labor Trafficking and exploiting human beings for the purpose of monetary gain.Issues Child Labor Discrimination Working Conditi ons Wages, payroll records and deductions Labor contracts Environment Corruption and Bribery Ethical Animal Ethics Models Employing children under the legal age to work in factories, sweatshops or even in their own homes. Unfair treatment in favor or against a person based on their religious affiliation, skin color, nationality, gender, race, economic class etc. Forced labor. Extended work hours with little or no compensation. Occupational health and safety. Withholding pay and legal documentation. Refusing to negotiate with unions. Abuse of power and authority. Toxic waste.Heavy chemicals and dyes. Abuse of power by officials, corporate or otherwise, for illegitimate gain. Use of real animal fur or exotic animals. Animal abuse and testing. Refraining from the promotion of unattainable body ideals and unhealthy lifestyles. Note that due to the fact that the fashion industry requires extensive manual labor and the use of raw material and chemicals, the two most critical global issues according to the classification to the United Nations Global Compact (UNCG) are Human Rights and the Environment. However, these categories are still very broad; therefore, the analysis will be split into four sub-categories: ? Human Right: Child Labor, Working Conditions, Environmental: Impact and Sustainability. 2|Page Fashion Industry China: CSR Case – Team 7 MBA Pudong The six companies are combined according to the filter: UN: Human Rights – Child Labor Company LVMH Inditex SA Gap Inc. Levi’s H Hermes Main Action Supplier Code of Conduct Staff Sponsorship Supplier Protocol Based on Best Practices California Transparency in Supply Chains Act Terms of Engagement Supplier Protocol Control Supplier Code of Conduct Impact Effective abolition of child labor. Provide financing & education material.Develop projects for children End forced Child Labor/Human trafficking Sponsoring children to go to school Improvement of child labor conditions. Effective abolition of child labor. Provide financing and education material. Impact Train managers in â€Å"best practices†. Training and improvement of suppliers (safety protocols). 50 CSR specialists – End forced labor. Improve building and fire safety standards. Train suppliers in their own language – they know what to look for during factory audits. Reduction in Chemicals Train managers in â€Å"best practices†.Impact Reduction of CO2 emissions Reduction of CO2 emissions Guidelines for sustainable garment production Reduction of CO2 emissions Direct impact on the environment Control illegal activities of hunting. Genuine / Greenwashing On the way to be Genuine but still Greenwashing. Genuine Greenwashing Genuine Greenwashing On the way to be Genuine but still application of the policy is still Greenwashing. Genuine/ Greenwashing Elimination of forced labor. Freedom of association. Genuine Greenwashing Genuine Genuine Elimination of forced labor. Freedom of association.Gen uine/ Greenwashing Genuine Genuine Genuine Genuine Genuine Genuine Company Risk Reputation HIGH Reputation HIGH Reputation HIGH Reputation – HIGH Reputation HIGH Reputation HIGH UN: Human Rights – Work Conditions Company LVMH Inditex SA Gap Inc. Levi’s H Hermes Main Action Human Resources Development Develop science and technology Code of Vendor Conduct Term of Engagement Improve working conditions. Human Resources Development Main Action Environmental Task Force Criteria of eco-efficiency Sustainable Apparel Coalition Forest Products Purchasing Policy Reduction of chemical use.Socially responsible supply channel. Company Risk Quality of product – HIGH Reputation HIGH Reputation HIGH Reputation MEDIUM/ HIGH Reputation HIGH Quality of product – HIGH Company Risk Coherent reputation & image – HIGH Reputation HIGH Reputation HIGH Reputation HIGH Reputation HIGH Coherent reputation & image – HIGH Company Risk Coherent reputation & image à ¢â‚¬â€œ HIGH Reputation & Cost – HIGH Reputation – MEDIUM UN: Environment – Impact Company LVMH Inditex SA Gap Inc. Levi’s H Hermes UN: Environment – Sustainability Company LVMH Inditex SA Gap Inc.Main Action Encourage biodiversity Staff Sponsorship Green initiatives. High EPA ranking. Impact Reforestation and social program Product lines that use 100% organic cotton Reduction of water use. Improve operational efficiencies in Chinese fabric mills. Genuine/ Greenwashing Genuine Genuine Genuine 3|Page Fashion Industry China: CSR Case – Team 7 MBA Pudong Levi’s H Hermes Robust vetting system for suppliers Transparent chemical policy Technological Development Ensures suppliers are in compliance with TOE Reduce water and energy in supply chains.Reduce environmental resources Genuine Genuine Genuine Reputation HIGH Reputation HIGH Reputation HIGH Ranking The following graphs illustrate how each company ranks in comparison with one another b ased on. But, before reading them, it should be taken into consideration that each company has different external environments and stakeholders which directly affect the CSR activities and strategies. Indeed, even though each of these companies is in the fashion industry, each has a distinctive market and set of requirements, such as boutique vs. massive distribution.Therefore, the rankings cannot be interpreted a prime facie. UNGC : Human Right – Children Labor High Impact of the CSR issue UNGC : Environment – Impact High Impact of the CSR issue Low Low Genuine/ Greenwashing High Low Low Genuine/ Greenwashing High UNGC : Human Right – Working Conditions High Impact of the CSR issue UNGC : Environment – Sustainability High Impact of the CSR issue Low Low Genuine/ Greenwashing High Low Low Genuine/ Greenwashing High 4|Page Fashion Industry China: CSR Case – Team 7 MBA Pudong From that it is possible to rank the six companies (Table 3).Indeed, accord ing to the four graphics above, there are evidences that some companies are working better in terms of CSR. For instance, it is possible to point out that the luxury brands are more involved in the CSR than the others. However, that make sense, because the margins are greater; therefore it easier to spend money on responsible business practices, but also because the reputation (quality and image) is a big issues (Bendell & Kleanthouse, 2007). In addition, it comes to the mind the fact that the mass-production companies, such as H and INDITEX, have to manage other problems that luxury brands do not have to deal with.However, Levi’s is historically founded on very strong ethical values and this is reflected in the daily practices. Indeed, Levi’s is consistently a leader in CSR and responsible business practices. Thus, as it was said above it is difficult to compare companies which deal everyday with different issues and market and public. Table 3 – Ranking of comp anies studied by Team 7 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 Company Levi’s Hermes LVMH Inditex SA H Gap Inc. Conclusion The research indicates several glaring trends within the fashion industry.First and foremost, there appears to be an overall CSR evolution that started with crisis management, moved into brand insurance and finally ended with the implementation of initiatives that build a positive brand. In many cases, scandals involving child labor, poor working conditions and/or crimes against the environment caused them to develop policies and guidelines that tell employees how to act and make decisions. A prima facie, the companies attempt to institutionalize CSR. In other words, the organization, employees and board of directions will align company goals and business strategies in accordance to higher CSR standards.In order to obtain external recognition for these efforts, many of the companies obtained accreditation with socially responsible authorizes, such as ISO 14001, EPA certificati on, FTSE and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The companies put forward the idea that they are socially responsible and tend to publicize high numbers or percentages to tout their accomplishments. Yet, rarely do they provide information of the methodologies or absolute values that would place clearer, understandable quantitative values to the effects of their efforts.As a result, these numbers cannot be taken at face value. Thus, they are making a tremendous effort to be responsible mainly for marketing purposes as opposed to divine intention. Finally, without question, these fashion retailers hold a disproportionate amount of power and influence over the entire industry and therefore are put in a higher level of responsibility 5|Page Fashion Industry China: CSR Case – Team 7 MBA Pudong Exhibit 1 – H Company Christiane R. Pagsisihan H (Hennes ad Mauritz), a Swedish multinational clothes retailer, offers modern basics to high fashion apparel.Its objective is to deliver a never-ending stream of must-have pieces at affordable prices, comparable to other major retailers such as Uniqlo, Forever21, Topshop and Zara. The company works with a multitude of buyers, designers and suppliers to produce collections that are both up-to-date and with quality. Its recent expansion brought about opening 2700 stores worldwide in over 48 markets and employing over 94,000 people from all over the world. Its largest market is Germany, followed by the US, France and the UK. As of 2011, the company reached $15. billion worth of revenue, and 2. 50% revenue growth. (Yahoo Finance, 2012) In terms of H vision, its focus is â€Å"to be run in a way that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. By sustainable, we mean that the needs of both present and future generations must be fulfilled. † (H, 2012) Its CSR work is grounded on their desire for continuous improvement. As mentioned in their website, â€Å"We have a responsibility towards everyone who contributes to our success, including those who are not employees of H.That is why we work closely with our suppliers to develop sustainable social and environmental standards in the factories that manufacture H products. We have to ensure that our employees’ human rights are not violated, and the same applies to employees of our suppliers and other co-operation partners, and to our customers. † (H, 2012) Accordingly, H is also an active member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), and is committed to align its strategies with the 10 universally accepted principles that the initiative stands for.Apart from UNGC, H is also a member of the Fair Labor Association (FLA), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), and Fair Wage Network among many others. (H, 2012) With regard to how it addresses various industry issues, H is proactive in their approach in setting new standards to ensure that it’s aligned with its company’s vision. H came up with a 7 Susta inable Strategy framework, an approach to managing its business. The framework is composed of the following commitments: 1 – Provide fashion for conscious customers – Make products with an added sustainability value. – Choose and reward responsible partners – Work with partners who share our values 3 – Be ethical – Always act with integrity and respect 4 – Be climate smart – Be energy-efficient and inspire others to reduce total CO2 emissions. 5 – Reduce, reuse, and recycle – Aim for zero waste to landfill. 6 – Use natural resources responsibly – Conserve water, soil, air and species. 7 – Strengthen communities – Contribute to the development of the communities where we operate. *Taken from H website: (http://about. hm. com/content/hm/AboutSection/en/About/Sustainability/HMConscious/Strategy. tml) The framework the company came up with is not uncommon, however, the commitments it chose to value are the fundamental principles that any fashion retail company should consider. Despite H CSR efforts, it still encountered mishaps in the past, publicized by several articles by the media. Its main challenges consist of human rights and environmental issues. The company’s sustainability report mentioned that, â€Å"producing raw materials like cotton requires a lot of water and goes with concerns about chemical use and working conditions. † (H, 2011) 6|PageFashion Industry China: CSR Case – Team 7 MBA Pudong Back in 2010, it was reported that H knowingly passed of genetically modified (GM) cotton – grown with synthetically agricultural chemicals- as organic cotton. (Vijayaraghavan, 2011) Another challenge that the company is aware of is its fabric processing issues. â€Å"Fabric production can require intensive use of chemicals, again raising concerns for the environment and for the health of the workers. † (H, 2012) In 2011, Greenpeace r eleased a report claiming that clothing from top brands including H were tainted with hazardous chemicals.H has also been attacked for sourcing its production in developing countries with poor labor standards. As mentioned in an article from Triodos, â€Å"Reports are published that include accusations of child labor, unhealthy working environments, and low wages at the factories supplying H. † (Triodos Bank, 2011) In spite these issues, H has been transparent about their sustainability strategy and as mentioned in an article, â€Å"is committed to working with its Chinese suppliers to reduce water, energy, and toxic-chemical use in its supply chains. (Vijayaraghavan, 2011) As highlighted in H Sustainability strategy, it continues to implement actions that help diminish the challenges that they’re currently facing. Listed below are some of the action plans the company implemented: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Make 100% of paper carrier bags from FSC Certified Paper. Reduce environmental impacts in cotton cultivation by using more sustainable cotton Help to lead the industry to zero discharge of hazardous chemicals Continue constantly to review and update chemical restrictions.Ban Fluorocarbons, Toluene from production Replace Solvent- Based Polyurethane with water based alternative. Promote the development of Harmonized Corporate water accounting and reporting Standards Promote reduced water consumption in garment production Monitor waste water quality at supplier factories Develop and implement environmental guidelines for the purchase of non-commercial goods. *Taken from H Sustainability Report – (H, 2011) Ultimately, H CSR efforts seem genuine; however, bad PR attacks its credibility.Although H had a couple of mishaps, staying true to their commitments, being conscious of where it sources its materials, and monitoring their production process would make a big difference. When faced with CSR challenges, the company should always go ba ck to its extensive sustainability strategy framework, and ensure that whatever it does as a company, that it should always stick to its commitments and vision. 7|Page Fashion Industry China: CSR Case – Team 7 MBA Pudong Exhibit 2 – LVMH: About Corporate Social Responsibility in China Introduction Damien DandelotRecent financial crisis and economic troubles do not affect sales of luxury brands. According to the Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study (Bain & Company's, 2012), luxury spending rose 8% to $US274 billion in 2011, with growth in the US, Europe and China (Holmes 2011). However, luxury brands, such as LVMH, have recently been a target for public criticism (Kapferer, 2012). Indeed, luxury goods are ‘criticized for being extravagant, overpriced, exploiting third world suppliers, and wasteful when many people are struggling financially’ (Waller & Hingorani, 2011, p. 1).Moreover, recently luxury sector has been in the middle of a under enormous scrutiny: reports have deeply criticized this industry for lagging behind (Bendell & Kleanthouse, 2007). Indeed, just by looking on the web, it easy to find idea such as: ‘sustainable and luxury are incompatible terms’. Thus, this exhibit will focus on the issues related to luxury brands and social responsibility, with a particular focus on LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) -the world’s largest luxury goods conglomerate- in China and its practices in domain of Human Right (Children Labor and Safe working conditions) and Environment (Impact and Sustainability).China is for LVMH a target! According to Ma (2010), the number of Chinese’s luxury customers will rise to 250 million around 2015. In addition, between others, China is in the middle of the criticism about luxury development. Indeed, China constitutes a menace for the planet; critics point out the behavior of the richest whose consumption per capita is disproportionate (Kapferer, 2012). The company This study will examine the CSR activities run by LVMH, via, between other things, the analysis of its mid-2012 Financial Report and 2011 Annual Report.But first of all, let point out some information (Table 1). Table 1 – An overview of LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Company) Industry Founded Headquarters Products Brands Luxury goods, retail 1987 Paris, France Clothing, cosmetics, fashion accessories, jewelry, perfumes, spirits, watches and wines Wines and Spirits: The Glenmorangie Company Limited, Hennessy, Moet Hennessy UK, Moet Hennessy Asia Pacific, Moet Hennessy Diageo France, Veuve Clicquot, Moet & Chandon. Fashion and Leather Goods: Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Celine, Givenchy, Kenzo, Loewe.Perfumes and Cosmetics: LVMH Fragrance Brands, Guerlain, Perfumes Christian Dior. Watches and Jewellery: Chaumet, De Beers, Hublot, Tag Heuer. Selective Distribution: Le Bon Marche, Sephora, DFS. â‚ ¬23. 659 billion +16% from 2010 (29% of the revenue is from Asia, without Japan) â‚ ¬3. 465 billion Nearly 98,000 employees worldwide (about 64 % outside France) 3095 stores in total (641 in Asia, without Japan) in in over 60 countries Revenue 2011 Net Profit 2011 Employees Geography Company’s visionLVMH is quite clear on what is its risk according to its vision and then its value, goal or mission: ‘Like any human activity, the businesses of the LVMH Group have an impact on the environment. [†¦] The challenges faced by each business have been clearly identified’ (LVMH, 2011 p. 125). Indeed, in LVMH’s Annual Report (op. cit. ) we can find commitments such as: – Corporate mission: ‘A global vision dedicated to serving the needs of every customer. The successful marriage of cultures grounded in tradition and elegance with the most advanced marketing, industrial’ (op. cit, p. ). – Managing risk and non-compliance: ‘Some Maisons are bringing their sites into regulatory compliance, particularly those classified fo r environmental protection [†¦] LVMH requires its partners to subscribe to its Supplier Code of Conduct by virtue of which it reserves the right to conduct compliance audits at any time and without notice’ (op. cit, p. 125). – Organization and management techniques: ‘The main goal of the internal organization is to harness the commitment of all Group personnel and train them by offering resources best suited to their particular situation’ (op. it, p. 125). – Economic impact: ‘Since 2010 [LVMH] has lent its support to the ‘Conservation Cotton Initiative’ whose goal is to promote the cultivation of organic cotton in Africa and thus benefit the local clothing industry’ (op. cit, p. 129). – Environment: ‘46% of Group sites (excluding stores) were ISO 14001-certified and 27% of industrial, logistical or administrative sites (excluding stores) had been audited. [†¦] Particular focus was placed on environmen tal risk management. †¦] building construction, renovation and operation, the Maisons implement a number of different standards and certifications, such as HQE, BBC, BREEAM and LEED. [†¦] Following the completion of the Carbon Footprints and energy audits, the Maisons have implemented a number of initiatives’ (op. cit, p. 126-127). – A commitment to citizenship: ‘The first component of the LVMH corporate sponsorship program focuses on preserving artistic heritage. †¦] Children in elementary and high schools as well as art students benefit from educational programs designed and initiated by the Group to give them greater access to the best of culture, particularly in the areas of music and the visual arts [†¦]’ (op. cit. , p. 133). A prima facie, LVMH try to let converged its entire conglomerate together, by encourage its brands to follow the corporate’s goal and vision. Indeed, by promoting some values such as ecology, education, good practice labor, Human Right, medicine, etc. 8|Page Fashion Industry China: CSR Case – Team 7 MBA Pudong round the world, and by signing some certification and others accreditations, such as the United Nations Global Compact (LVMH, 2006), LVMH impose at its brands some behaviors and conducts rules. LVMH a discrete proactive company Although there was a lot of descriptive information on the web and in different articles and in LVMH Annual Report (2011), there were very few specifics in terms of the financial figures pertaining to the implementation of CSR various initiatives. Indeed, for China only seven intra-/ extra-organizational activities have been found on Environmental and Human Right (Table 2).Table 2 – LVMH CSR Sustainable Development UNGC Children Labor and Safe working conditions Impact and Sustainability Children Labor and Safe working conditions Children Labor and Safe working conditions Impact and Sustainability Children Labor Sustainability Children Labor and Safe working conditions Medicine Activity Human Resources Staff Sponsorship Corporate inhouse initiative Encourage biodiversity Suppliers Code of Conduct Research Activity To improve the performance and the ‘Sustainable development’ consciousness of their leaders, LVMH organized 16 forums, for 400 managers representing more than 30 brands and 30 countries.The subject of these forums covers all CSR spectrums. LVMH has been sponsoring a group of middle school students from Sichuan since the 2008 earthquake through academic support provided by the employees and by financing educational materials, in order to fight against Children labor. LVMH discuss with its brands about matters concerning human rights, nondiscrimination and equality with their employees by means of posters, Intranet sites, inhouse media and in new employee guide booklets. LVMH is a partner in the Tianzi natural reserve (China) under a 10-year sponsorship agreement comprising eforestation, orchi d planting and a social program. LVMH defends the principles of the Global Compact: elimination of professional discrimination; freedom of association and effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; elimination of any form of forced labor; effective abolition of child labor. Pasteur Institute in China Thus, according to the table above, there are evidences of CSR framework on the top. For instance, the motto of the top management includes some CSR idea: renew, recycle, reduce, and review.And like many others, LVMH is auditing regularly in its carbon imprint (since 2004). In fact, according to Kapferer (2012) all luxury groups have already imply some structure (Environmental Task Forces, Charters, etc. ) that make CSR an inherent criterion in all top decisions. However, still according to Kapferer (2012), even if CSR is already, for all luxury groups (LVMH, PPR, etc. ), on the top of their agenda (since 2001), they have not publicized it: ‘Luxury has moved forw ard but does not talk much about it’ (op. cit. , n. d. ). LVMH between genuine and ‘green washing’ policyAccording to Bendell & Kleanthous (2007) when we measure company’s performance in social issues, the brands did not fare well. To link that to LVMH, Bendell & Kleanthouse (op. cit. ) measured 10 luxury brands on their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance. The results are not very convincing. Indeed, by giving a score out of 100, and graded from A (the best) to F (the worst), out of the 10 companies, no one were graded more than a C+: L'Oreal topping the ranking, followed by Hermes and LVMH (followed by the same grade, but not the same score).In terms of practical issues there is an understandable paradox. Indeed, a 100% move to ethical trade (Children Labor and Safe working conditions and green concerns (Impact and Sustainability) today in the luxury sector would hurt the quality of their products (Bendell & Kleanthouse, 2007). However , all luxury groups have adopted some high CSR goal of becoming sustainable luxury models (op. cit. ). In this sense, LVMH policy does not go in the direction of ‘green washing’, but rather of a genuine incorporation of the CSR concerns into the whole value chain (sourcing, creating, manufacturing, logistics, istribution, marketing, servicing, waste and recycling). Nonetheless, even its effort and its strategy of integrate CSR on the top; LVMH is still between two lines; indeed, because the company must provide a self-expression which reflects class, status, and quality, the company cannot turn in green or ethic concerns tomorrow, but must to be ready to take the turn when this one will appear. Conclusion and Recommendations Because it seems clear that as luxury brands LVMH promotes itself to the worldwide audience, LVMH is increasing the extent to which CSR and sustainability issues feature in its business practices.Then by being more proactive in their civic responsib ilities and keeping within government regulations in its business operation, LVMH can build a reputation as a good corporate citizen. If LVMH can continue to develop its actions in activities such as eco-friendly ingredient sourcing, fair pricing, eco-manufacturing, and efficient non-wasteful distribution, as well as corporate sponsorship, the company will finally has a competitive advantage.Indeed, some CSR actions deeply thoughtful can, on one hand, help to promote a specific image that management would like to portray to its various stakeholders, and on the other hand, can also counter criticism for other issues that may affect the company. Thus, if LVMH will bear upon its providers and distributors to accelerate behavioral changes and align faster with CSR standards, it will play a leading role in the redefinition of the ‘modern hero’ (Kapferer, 2012). Indeed, the rich of tomorrow by its conspicuous choice of luxury brands will demonstrate not only their taste and w ealth but their sense of discernment and altruism.In other words, because luxury brands can lead the way by redefining the notion of quality and the luxury dream, more than individual, LVMH can differentiate itself from its competitors, but moreover, be sustainable in social, economic and ecological in term. 9|Page Fashion Industry China: CSR Case – Team 7 MBA Pudong Exhibit 3 – Inditex Company Jose Antonio Mallen Inditex is the largest fashion retailer in Spain and one of the world’s largest fashion retailers. Over 100 textile design, manufacturing and distribution companies form the group.The products are shown in eight different concept stores (Zara, Pull, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Uterque). Inditex has opened until this moment 5. 963 stores in 85 different markets. FISCAL YEAR Net Sale (million of euros) Net Profit (million of euros) N? of stores N? of markets Number of employees 2011 13,793 1,932 5,527 82 109,512 2010 12,527 1,732 5,044 77 100,138 11/10 10% 12% 483 5 9. 4% The Inditex financial year is from 1st February to 31st January of the following year Source: Inditex annual report 2011Inditex was the first Spanish company to sign on the United Nations Global Compact in 2001, and since 2010 is a member of the UN Global Compact Advisory Group on Supply Chain Sustainability. Besides sign on the United Nations Global Compact, Inditex works with two other institutions in order to develop its corporate social responsibility: The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and The International Textile Garments & Leather Workers Federation (INDITEX, 2012). Inditex is listed as well in the FTSE ranking the second within the retail supersector leaders (FTSE, 2012) and is included in the Dow Jones sustainability Index since 2002.As mention in its press dossier â€Å"Inditex views social and environmental variables as a strategic vector for its management system. Sustainable growth, which customers and society in gen eral increasingly demand, is a value we at the company share and apply to our supplier relationships†. The CSR strategy is apply and integrated in the business through the Internal Code of Conduct and the Code of Conduct for External Manufacturers and Suppliers, in the social area, and through the Environmental Strategic Plan in the environmental area.The open and honest relationship that Inditex maintain with its stakeholders is based in transparency management and its efforts in this area have received international recognition. (INDITEX, 2012) Labor and Human Rights (100% in Communication on Progress) Through the Code of Conduct, which is non-negotiable for all Inditex suppliers and manufacturers, is how the company guarantee acceptable working conditions for each one of the employees of Inditex manufacturers and suppliers. The company is visionary in this aspect and develops new programs in Brazil, India, Cambodia or Turkey, even when India only represents the 5% of its pr oduction.Child Labour: Inditex has a specific protocol for the prevention of child labour in its supply chain. This protocol is based on the best practices of the industry, but Inditex goes more deeply into other aspects that let it for example develop de Vidya project for the Indian children. Safety Conditions: In collaboration with scientific and technological institutions and companies, it has started up a programme of training support for its suppliers on specific and relevant aspects of the Inditex health and safety 10 | P a g e Fashion Industry China: CSR Case – Team 7 MBA Pudong protocols.It works directly with the suppliers to avoid the use of risky methods in the clothes manufacturing and providing them alternative methods. (INDITEX, 2012) Environment (94% in Communication on Progress) Inditex is always aware of the possible impact of its activities (design, manufacturing, distribution, retail) on biodiversity and the environment, encouraging compliance with environm ental regulations and looking for increase efficiency in resources consumption and reduction of environmental impact. Inditex implements these issues in the form of an environmental management system.The company is totally proactive in this aspect, leading the industry and signing on different organizations and projects that support environmental issues. Proof of this, is that in 2011 Inditex supports two of the international organizations that are most representative in boosting policies of environmental and natural resource management: Better Cotton Initiative and The CEO Water Mandate (included in the global compact initiative) Impact: The major impact that Inditex create in the environment is through its activities of distribution and retail.They addressed this topics through concrete actions like open all its new stores with a criteria of eco-efficiency (483 stores with this concepts in 2011) or setting the objective of reduce the emissions from logistical activity by 20% by 20 20. Usually, almost all the CSR actions have an immediate or future economic benefit for the company. In this particular case, although looks like a genuine action, the opening of new eco-efficiency stores involves a decrease in the costs of power and water in these stores. For this reason is difficult to know the final reasons (CSR or profit) of the company.Sustainability: The natural resources and water spend to manufacture Inditex’s products is one of its main concerns. Several chains of the group have developed specific 100% organic cotton collections. In the same direction, Inditex is using tencel, a fibre which is manufactured from eucalyptus wood and which is totally biodegradable. What the company communicates through different sources (annual report, press release, etc. ) about its CSR efforts in sustainability is quite close respect to what external sources show.I have not found any issue related with a CSR wrong management. Moreover, the company is usually listed i n the top of sustainability rankings. In my opinion their efforts in CSR are genuine, because not only was one of the first Spanish companies adopting social and environmental responsibility into their strategy but also because as they say in their annual report: â€Å"Inditex maintains a continuous dialogue with its stakeholders in order to identify the issues that most interest or concern them† (INDITEX, 2012).It is difficult to improve the company’s CSR performance. They were developing a CSR strategy for a long time; they have tools and resources to manage the different CSR issues that affect them, in a positive or negative way, and a very proactive way approaching CSR. These are the main reasons because I think that Inditex is a leader and should be an example to others companies within the industry. Probably this could be the next step in its CSR strategy, showing to their competitors the best way to approach CSR strategy in their companies. 11 | P a g e