Management of Exchange Rate Exposure and Risk - 1099 Words

Management of Exchange Rate Exposure and Risk It is noted that there are so many ways to manage the exchange rate risk that holds different methods, which suit different risks and exposures. Hence, in order to manage transaction exposures, organizations prefer some precautionary measures that must be taken on making contracts as some measures must be analyzed with financial market. First aspect is to select the right contract currency that holds principles, which must be followed while choosing the contract currency. Second aspect is adjust price and interest that blended soft and hard money as if one has to accept the adverse currency to be the contract currency since it try to adjust price and interest. Moreover, the influence of hard money appreciation along with soft-money depreciation must be offset, which keeps contract value stable. However, the exchange rate clause prevents the risks of currency fluctuation is usually added with long-term contract. Thus, number of currencies that have weighted average, which is used as a measure of value. Hence, by taking precautionary measure, company suffers that gain more profit (Wahlen et al., 2012). Hence, there are some different steps in management of financial risks; first step is to identify financial risk within the organization, second step is to measure the risks, third step is to define organization’s risk management policies that preserve the company’s financial policies. Next step is to execute the financialShow MoreRelatedHow Companies Are Managing The Foreign Exchange Risk Through The Use Currency Options1383 Words   |  6 Pagesforeign exchange risk through the use currency options. For instance, some companies who didn’t not take risk management seriously had resulted in inefficient use of capital, increased liabilities, and reputation risk. Moreover, a lack of certainty can cause confusion as to what a company’s acceptance of risk is, such as a level of acceptance. 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Csr of Mnc Free Essays

string(215) " Enhancement Programme to improve the nutritional quality of food and beverage products by assessing the level of four nutrients \(based on international guidelines\) – Saturated Fats, Trans Fats, Salt and Sugar\." Table of Contents INTRODUCTION1 UNILEVER2 PHILANTHROPY DETAILS2 CSR IN BUSINESS PROCESS3 DEALING WITH SUPPLIERS3 CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMUNITY4 REDUCTION IN ACCIDENT RATE4 SOURCING OF RAW MATERIAL4 SIGNATORY ISSUES5 AWARDS5 UNILEVER IN INDIA5 PROJECT SHAKTI5 SANJIVINI6 PROCTER GAMBLE6 PHILANTHROPY DETAILS7 CSR IN BUSINESS PROCESS8 CSR: COMPANY POLICIES9 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS (FMCG)10 CITIGROUP INC. 11 PHILANTHROPY DETAILS11 FINANCIAL LITERACY11 Microfinance12 Community Relations12 ‘Plant-a-Tree’ initiative12 CSR IN BUSINESS PROCESS12 Diversity12 Technology13 Climate Change13 Environment and Social Risk Management Policy (ESRM)14 SIGNATORY INITIATIVES14 HSBC15 CSR AT HSBC15 GLOBAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES16 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS (BANKING)18 VODAFONE19 CSR IN BUSINESS PROCESS19 COMPLIANCE WITH GRI GUIDELINES22 CONCLUSION23 REFERENCES24 Introduction Within the world of business, the main â€Å"responsibility† for corporations has historically been to make money and increase shareholder value. Although for decades, business has also been engaged in charity, philanthropy, and civic activities including social investments in health. We will write a custom essay sample on Csr of Mnc or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many times these investments were less than strategic, and were not directed to real social change. Is then Corporate social responsibility planting trees in some vague corner of the world or supporting a certain cause? Today, business understands â€Å"doing well by doing good,† In the last few years, a movement defining broader corporate responsibilities– for the environment, for local communities, for working conditions, and for ethical practices–has gathered momentum and taken hold. The era of new corporate responsibilities have emerged. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is about how businesses align their values and behavior with the expectations and needs of stakeholders – not just customers and investors, but also employees, suppliers, communities, regulators, special interest groups and society as a whole. CSR demands that businesses manage the economic, social and environmental impacts of their operations to maximize the benefits and minimize the downsides. CSR is not only about fulfilling a duty to society; it should also bring competitive advantage. Through an effective CSR programme, companies can: †¢improve access to capital sharpen decision-making and reduce risk †¢enhance brand image †¢uncover previously hidden commercial opportunities, including new markets †¢reduce costs †¢attract, retain and motivate employees But in India most of the CSR Activities are philanthropic in nature, but globally it forms only a small percentage of total CSR. What if Indian companies also s tarted looking at CSR as more than money donations and can we push them. this where CSRidentity is positioning itself. CSRIdentity is a resource that can be used to †¢teach managers and to-be-managers about â€Å"the real† CSR provide a tool/resource/database for CSR depts to refer to for CSR activities †¢Highlight â€Å"good† CSR practices from cos. to motivate them †¢use this to motivate Indian cos to match global standards CSRidentity. com Services a. Project identity for the corporate b. Project identity for the brands c. NGO Research d. CSR Research The first purpose of CSRidentity. com is to build capacity of the corporates on CSR. And the second purpose is to help corporates project their identity. The portal takes the mode of information, research, analysis, views and interviews. It invites thought leaders to share a path which can be followed by others, share innovations in business, and share what went wrong. And while doing this, it will ensure that corporates think of the larger purpose than being myopic money makers. CSRidentity. com has rich information on CSR in philanthropy, CSR in business processes, CSR policies, Global trends in CSR †¦ It plan to share CSR case studies of all the global fortune 500 companies, leading 200 Indian companies SMEs, and leading companies in about 20 countries. Each case study offers great learning and replication potential. Unilever Unilever is a Fortune 500 company and a global leader in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) category. As Unilever products touch a huge number of consumers worldwide every day, the company believes it has an opportunity to impact many lives through its CSR program. Globally Unilever lays more emphasis on CSR in the true sense i. e. a reduced emphasis on philanthropy. To ensure this, all brand managers in Unilever constantly work towards initiating CSR Initiatives for their brand to reduce the impact of its brands on the environment. Mission : Unilever’s mission is to add Vitality to life. To meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. To understand the vast program, it has been categorised into sub categories which include initiatives in Philanthropy, Business Processes, Impact on Environment, Company Policies and Signatory Issues. Philanthropy Details Food Donation In 2005, nearly two billion pounds of food and grocery products were provided through the Second Harvest network. Available through food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters and other distributions centres, the foods helped over 25 million Americans stave off the risk of hunger. Nine million of these were children. Unilever’s product donations made up 7. 6 million pounds of the charity’s total food basket – a threefold increase on our previous year’s donation. In total, Unilever US gives away products worth around $12. 5 million every year, around 70% of which goes to the Second Harvest’s hunger-relief work. Donations during Natural Disasters – Katrina and Rita Unilever donated $1 million to relief efforts following the hurricanes – divided equally between the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Employees also dug deep, contributing over $600,000 as part of a matching-gift programme. Conservation of National Parks In May 2008, Unilever contributed grants of over $240,000 to 12 national parks across the United States in an effort to aid wild life preservation. Orphaned and Abused Child Welfare Unilever donated an industrial washing machine to the Durban’s Children Society which is a care centre for children in the age group of 8-18 years and have been orphaned, abused or neglected. The washing machine helps fulfil the cleaning needs for over 60 children in the society on a daily basis. Child Education Unilever donated $1 million for the Families of Freedom Scholarship fund – a fund initiated to assist the education of children who lost parents to the September 11 attacks. CSR in Business Process Nutrition Value in Food Products Unilever initiated the Nutritional Enhancement Programme to improve the nutritional quality of food and beverage products by assessing the level of four nutrients (based on international guidelines) – Saturated Fats, Trans Fats, Salt and Sugar. You read "Csr of Mnc" in category "Papers" The move has resulted in several changes in products like: †¢Reduction of 20% added sugar in brands for children such as twister †¢Reduction in salt levels in soup products from European markets by 10% †¢Breyers Ice cream launched a fat free range in North America with 50% less saturated fats Initiating Hygiene Unilever believes in developing products that would deliver benefits to people and make a difference to their health while promoting best practices for hygiene by partnering with local, government and international bodies. Behaviour change is a high priority on Unilever’s campaign and includes The Global Handwashing Day Campaign by Lifebuoy, Safe Drinking Water – Pureit, Improving Oral Health Care – Pepsodent and Close Up, Enhancing Self Esteem and Better Skin – Dove and Vaseline. Influence on Consumers Includes inculcating best practices among consumers (Hygiene Campaign), Promoting outdoor learning and development in children (Dirt is Good Campaign), breaking stereotypes (Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign) Dealing with Employees The company lays emphasis on certain key areas of employees such as Leadership Development, Health and Safety of Employees, People Vitality, Global Diversity, Continued focus on Gender, Diversity Planning and Listening to employees. Dealing with Suppliers The expectations of Unilever’s suppliers are codified in the Business Partner Code. It specifies guidelines which suppliers must follow in order to continue business with Unilever which include health and safety of workers, labour standards, consumer safety and impact on the environment. Unilever also conducts a Supplier Audit Programme to identify areas of improvement and non compliance. Contributing to the Community Unilever measures its contribution to the community using the London Benchmarking Group model. In 2008 a total of 91 million Euros was contributed to commercial initiatives in the community (27%), social investment (35%) and charitable donations (38%) with the greatest emphasis on health (52%) and Educations (13%). Reduction in accident rate Unilever has continuously strived to reduce the accident rate at its production centres. It has succeeded in reducing the accident rate from 0. 26 to 0. 21 per 100,000 hours worked over one year. CSR in Company Policies Advertising The company policy restricts marketers from using ‘size zero’ models in any of the ad campaigns of Unilever. Sourcing of Raw Material Unilever has decided to purchase all palm oil from certified sustainable sources only, in this regard it has already purchased the first batch in November 2008. It has also decided to procure tea for Lipton bags only from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms by 2015. Choice of Suppliers Unilever has a stringent expectations manual which their suppliers are expected to adhere to, if they wish to continue business with Unilever. The company has identified eleven parameters for the suppliers to adhere under the sustainable agriculture policy. Already a third of the suppliers have registered with the electronic system to adhere to the norms. CO2 Emission control The company has targeted to reduce emission by 25% measured per tonne from production plan by 2012. Water Conservation The company has also committed to reduce water usage in the production process, during the years 1995-08 the company has reduced water consumption by 63%. It has also introduced product variants like Surf in India which equired less water to wash clothes to conserve water. PVC Usage The company has decided to eliminate the use of PVC (where sustainable alternatives are available) in an effort to reduce the impact of PVC on the environment. Waste Reduction Through the continuous efforts of the company, the production process has reduced its waste per tonne of production by 68% in the 1995-2008 period. Signatory Issues Global Compact Uni lever has instituted a senior management position to ensure that labour standards are upheld and the company continues to support the UN Global Compact’s principles on human and labour rights. This aspect has been given high priority by the executive committee. GRI The assessment of Unilever’s Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting has been certified to be B+. The same has been verified by third party – Corporate Citizenship. Awards †¢Awarded Two ‘Good Egg’ awards by Animal Welfare NGO Compassion in World Farming in recognition of their decision to source eggs only from cage free sources †¢Unilever was awarded for the tenth year running, the leader in food sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Secured the Platinum standard award in the UK Business Community Corporate Responsibility Index †¢Included in Global 100 Most Sustainable corporations in the world for the fifth year running, a 2009 list compiled by Corporate Knights and Innovest Strategic Value Advisors †¢Gained joint first place in VBDO (Association for Investors in Sustainable Enterprises) 2008 rating for sustainable supply chain management, ahead of 34 o ther companies listed on the Dutch Stock Exchange Unilever in India Commitment to UN Global Compact HUL has separately reaffirmed its commitment to the UN Global Compact and its ten principles. They support institutionalization of the principles enshrined in the Global compact amongst companies in India and are a founder member of the UN Global Compact Society of India. Project Shakti Hindustan Unilever’s Project Shakti is a rural initiative that targets small villages populated by less than 2000 individuals. It is a unique win-win initiative that catalyses rural affluence even as it benefits business. Lifebuoy Swastya Chetna Lifebuoy Swastya Chetna (LBSC) is a rural health and hygiene initiative which was started in 2002. LBSC was initiated in media dark villages (in UP, MP, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Orissa) with the objective of spreading awareness about the importance of washing hands with soap. Fair and Lovely Foundation The Fair Lovely (FAL) Foundation aims at economic empowerment of women across India by providing information, resources and support in the areas of education, career and enterprise. It specifically targets women from low-income groups. Sanjivini HUL started Sanjivani – a free mobile medical service camp in the year 2003 near its Doom Dooma factory in Assam. The aim was to provide free mobile medical facility to the interior villagers in Assam. This was done keeping in mind the lack of quality medical facilities available in the villages in and around Doom Dooma. PROCTER GAMBLE Procter Gamble Co. is a Fortune 500, American MNC headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio As of 2008, P is the 8th largest corporation in the world by market capitalization and 14th largest by profit. It manufactures a wide range of consumer goods. It has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands including Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Always, Whisper, Pantene, MACH3, Bounty, Dawn, Gain, Pringles, Folgers, Charmin, Downy, Lenor, Iams, Crest, Oral-B, Actonel, Duracell, Olay, Head Shoulders, wella, Gillette, Braun, and Fusion Vision: Be, and be recognized as, the best consumer products and services company in the world. Purpose: Company wants to be the innovation leader in every business, product category and country where P competes. P views sustainability as a significant responsibility — and a continual source of opportunity. 2012 SUSTAINABILITY GOALS OF P Strategy 1: Products Develop and market at least $20 billion in cumulative sales of â€Å"sustainable innovation products,† which are products with a significantly reduced (;10%) environmental footprint versus previous or alternative products. Strategy 2: Operations Deliver an additional 10% reduction (per unit production) in CO2 emissions, energy consumption, water consumption and disposed waste from P plants, leading to a total reduction over the decade of at least 40%. Strategy 3: Social Responsibility Enable 250 million children to Live, Learn and Thrive. Prevent 80 million days of disease and save 10,000 lives by delivering 2 billion liters of clean water through Children’s Safe Drinking Water program Strategy 4: Employees Engage and equip all P employees to build sustainability thinking and practices into their everyday work. Strategy 5: Stakeholders Shape the future by working transparently with stakeholders to enable continued freedom to innovate in a responsible way. P follows CSR activities in following categories Philanthropy Details Education Over the past 12 years, P has built over 140 schools across rural China, helping tens of thousands of children access better education facilities and an improved learning environment. Through this program, P builds and maintains facilities, trains teachers, and provides health and hygiene education programs. P Hope Schools engage employees on multiple levels, even encouraging participation from employees’ families. It uses cause-related marketing efforts, more than 320,000 retail outlets and 100 million consumers have also supported P Hope Schools. Shiksha (India) Through Shiksha, which means â€Å"education,† P is providing children in 15 cities and 75 villages across India with access to education. This program commits a portion from the sale of P brands toward the education of children in need in India. P India has also launched the Shiksha Ambassador Program, allowing employees to lead a word-of-mouth campaign to raise awareness of the issue. Infant health Pampers/1 Pack = 1 Vaccine campaign helps babies in underdeveloped regions, especially Africa, get off to a healthy start. Each time a consumer purchases a package of Pampers, a vaccination is provided via UNICEF to a child in need. So far, more than 50 million vaccinations have been funded. P hopes to eradicate maternal and neonatal tetanus through this effort, saving tens of millions of lives. Safe Drinking Water Children’s Safe Drinking Water initiative provides safe drinking water for children in need around the world, with an emphasis in Africa. It provides emergency relief and establishes safe drinking water technology to children and their families. This program is on the ground in developing nations such as Uganda, Kenya and Malawi. Thus far, technology has provided more than a billion liters of clean drinking water. Goal is to provide up to 2 billion liters of water by 2012. Community Welfare Enfance Mal-Logee (France) Program supports families with children living in sub-standard housing. This Live, Learn and Thrive program helps move families from sub-standard living conditions to safe, accessible housing, allowing children to stay with their families rather than being placed in orphanages. T. O. U. C. H. Together for Our Community Here) program has resulted in thousands of hours of voluntary work to help disabled, sick, and underprivileged children in Geneva. CSR In Business Process Waste Management P Gattatico Plant instituted a â€Å"War on Waste† program in January 2008 to reduce the trend in liquid waste due to increasing change-over sanitizations as production lines â€Å"produced to demand. † Gattatico i s a waste â€Å"lead site† for EMEA. At the end of FY 07/08 the site avoided 3,000 tons of disposed liquid waste. By the end of FY 08/09 they plan to reduce by another 2,200 tons. This plan will have over a 50 percent reduction impact on the waste footprint by FY11/12. The key interventions include: recycling wash water back into the process; improved washout procedures; and adding wastewater treatment to reduce the COD levels prior to sewer discharge. Energy saving and Emission reduction P operations pioneered breakthrough technologies to reduce energy consumption. Among the simple, low-cost steps were the following: oUsing water spray instead of electric power to cool water oRecovering waste heat from washout and sanitization water Using high-efficiency long-life lighting Over the year, these changes helped to reduce mean output energy by 6 –10 percent for each site. They are currently being reapplied across other business units. In addition, energy training and energy audits were conducted at all sites this year, making each self-sufficient in delivering sustainability opportunities. There has been a decrease over the past three years in CO2 (Direct) : 2. 9 million metric tons, 2. 9 million metric tons and 2. 8 million metric tons in 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively. Also there has been a decrease over the past three years in water consumption: 91 million m3, 90 million m3 and 87 million m3 in 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively. Technology/ Information Technology Managing innovation sustainably begins with the use of comprehensive analysis tools. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) generates a complete environmental footprint, extending beyond carbon impact to measure total energy and water use and waste production. Also included are the impacts of consumer use of P products, as well as all emissions into the air, water and land. This detailed review pinpoint areas where our innovation efforts can be most effective. Recycle At manufacturing site for perfume in Avenel, New Jersey, P developed a new process for blending scrap material for reprocessing as an ingredient for potpourri. As a result, annual generation of scrap waste at the site has dropped from 50,000 kg to zero. Each site monitors total suspended particulates, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx). Overall, the total air emissions decreased from last year to 15. 9 thousand metric tons. P continues to find innovative recycling methods to change the trend to be more efficient. CSR: Company Policies Disclosure policy Disclosure controls are systems and processes that help ensure that important information is made available to the right people at the right time. The Company requires every area of the business to maintain disclosure controls to provide adequate assurance that significant information is reported to the appropriate levels of the Company – so that the appropriate business steps can be taken to address any issues, and so that the Company can consider whether the information should be disclosed externally Antitrust Policy and Compliance Guidelines Antitrust laws are designed to prohibit agreements among companies that fix prices, divide markets, limit production or otherwise impede or destroy market forces. P policy is that all employees strictly comply with antitrust laws and the competition and anti-monopoly laws of all countries, states and localities in which they conduct P business. Supervisors and managers are responsible for ensuring that employees under their responsibility are aware of and comply with this policy. Child Labor and Worker Exploitation Policy P does not use child or forced labor in any of our global operations or acilities. P do not tolerate unacceptable worker treatment, such as exploitation of children, physical punishment or abuse, or involuntary servitude. The Company respects employees’ right to freedom of association, third party consultation and collective bargaining where all P by law. P expect our suppliers and contractors with whom P do business to uphold the same standards. HIV/AIDS Policy All employees, including those who are HIV infected or with AIDS, are treated consistently with the Company’s Purpose, Values Principles (PVP) by the Company, their managers and coworkers. PG treat employees with HIV/AIDS the same as PG treat those with other serious illnesses. Specifically, an employee who is HIV-infected or with AIDS: have the same employment rights and responsibilities as other employees, has the same eligibility for employee benefits and programs, including medical care and disability coverage, as non-infected employees, is afforded privacy and confidentiality protection consistent with the Company’s handling of confidential, medical or other sensitive information, and is provided management support to remain productive Fair Competition P compete strictly on the merits of our products and services and make no attempts to restrain or limit trade. P do not enter into agreements with competitors concerning prices, production volumes, customers or sales territories. P do not disparage the products or services of a competitor. P collect competitive information through proper public or other lawful channels but do not use information that was obtained illegally or improperly by others, including through misrepresentation, invasion of property or privacy, or coercion. Advertising/Promotion Policies Neither deceptive advertising nor questionable promotional activity can ever be justified. These are vital tenets of P dedication to consumers and essential to gaining and keeping their continuing loyalty to our brands. P observes standards of commercial fairness in devising, using and selecting advertising and promotions, so the products succeed based on their own quality and performance and our reputation as a company, rather than by false or deceptive statements or comparisons. AWARDS 1. In December of 2007, P was honored with the highly prestigious Presidential Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership. . International Health Communication Gold Medallion Award, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health — for building market-based relationships that sustain and deliver safe drinking water. 3. Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Award, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency for outstanding leadership in protecting children from environmental risk . 4. Global Leadership Award, United Nations Association of the USA — in part, for providing clean water for millions around the world through the Children’s Safe Drinking Water program. Report is prepared using the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G3 Guidelines. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS (FMCG) FMCG industry primarily deals with the production, distribution and marketing of consumer packaged goods. Some of the prime activities of FMCG industry are selling, marketing, financing, purchasing, etc. The industry also engaged in operations, supply chain, production and general management. With increased competitiveness in the sector, it is critical for an each organization to leverage its social activities in order to gain a competitive advantage. The increased credibility and goodwill earned from the customers and associates is an invaluable intangible asset for the FMCG organization. CSR has now become a part of the corporate strategy thinking. A CSR activity of FMCG companies generally involves improving their processes and brings out change through policy measures. Most of the companies use communication medium and channels partners to showcase their activities and sensitize the population about the issue. Global FMCG companies have presence in more than 50 countries and CSR activities are designed according to the local issues and problems. Business Process: Innovation is the key for P and through innovation company brings efficiency in overall operations. Use of technology to reduce the inventory, waste management and emission reduction issues are some of the activities undertaken. Unilever mainly concentrates on providing more nutritional value to its product and promoting good practices for hygiene. Unilever is also involved in waste management and emission reduction. Company policies: P strongly advocates CSR through its policies and follows the same across all the offices and manufacturing units. Providing right information to consumers, no discrimination of employees on social status or on health issues like AIDS. Unilever mainly controls its supply chain through strict policy measures and make them also socially responsible. Philanthropy Most of the P activities across the globe concentrate on Child welfare. Through Live, Learn and Thrive Program Company provides education, scholarship, safe drinking water to millions of children. Unilever is providing to relief to disaster affected areas. Also wild life preservation and environment conservation initiatives are undertaken. CITIGROUP INC. About the Company: Citigroup Inc. , a global financial services company, provides consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions with a range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. The core citizenship priorities of Citi include microfinance, financial education and asset preservation, and the environment. These are the areas in which Citi holds specific expertise and has an opportunity to make a material difference. We will be discussing the CSR activities undertaken by Citi under two major heads – philanthropy and CSR in business practices. Philanthropy Details Financial literacy The Citi Foundation supports programs that provide individuals with access to knowledge and incentives that help them take control of their financial future by making informed decisions, acquiring and preserving financial assets, and responding to major life events that can affect income and expenses. The specific goals of Citi Foundation program are: †¢Invest over $200 million over ten years in financial education; †¢Support programs to help low income families build and preserve assets. Performance highlights for 2008: Total funding till date has been $149 million. In 2008 alone, Citi invested $28 million in 73 countries. The total number of individuals reached through this program by the year 2008 is 22,344,441. Microfinance The Citi Foundation has been supporting the expansion and evolution of the microfinance industry for decades. Its approach is to: †¢Expand outreach to millions more low-income borrowers †¢Build and preserve borrowers’ assets via savings, housing finance, remittances, insurance, and financial education †¢Build global awareness of microfinance as an effective poverty alleviation tool The highlights of the microfinance initiative of Citi are as follows: Citi Foundation sponsored the Microfinance Banana Skins Survey 2009 that describes the risks facing the microfinance industry. Citi launched an innovative micro-savings product called Citibank Pragati in India. It utilizes a biometric ATM, which can identify customers not only on the basis of a card and a pin, but also by their fingerprints, and it displays and speaks to customers in up to six languages. On May 9, 2007, SKS Microfinance and Citibank announced a $40 Million (Rs. 180 crores) financing program involving Citibank India purchasing loans that are originated by SKS. Community Relations Under its community relations initiative, one of the major programs of Citi has been its Office of Homeownership Preservation (OHP). Through this, Citi is working hard to keep distressed homeowners whose mortgages it owns or services in their homes and out of foreclosure. It established its Office of Homeownership Preservation (OHP) in 2007, as the foreclosure crisis began to emerge. This initiative has helped approximately 440,000 homeowners since 2007 through loss mitigation and proactive loan modification. In the year 2008 OHP: †¢Reached out to 88,000 borrowers †¢Participated in 106 borrower outreach program in 72 cities †¢Trained more than 600 counselors from 304 non-profit organisations †¢Worked with 18,240 borrowers to find foreclosure solutions ‘Plant-a-Tree’ initiative In April 2007, Citi adopted a ‘Plant-a-Tree’ initiative to create environmental awareness by encouraging its credit card holders to switch to paperless statements, planting a tree for each conversion made. CSR in business process Diversity Citi strives to be an ‘Employer of Choice’ by: a. Hiring, training, mentoring and championing individuals from diverse backgrounds. b. Offering training to employees on topics such as â€Å"Championing Diversity,† â€Å"Valuing Diversity and Inclusion at Citi† and â€Å"Leadership Through the Lens of Diversity. † It strives to be a ‘Business Partner of Choice’ by a. Maintaining a diverse supplier base. Its supplier diversity team tries to identify and hire qualified business enterprises owned by minorities, women, and people with disabilities, veterans and disabled veterans. Energy Citi has undertaken various initiatives to conserve energy by following certain practices in its business process. It has developed a ‘Green Energy Community Investment Fund’ which supports the installation of solar electric systems on commercial buildings, especially the ones which are under privileged. Also, between the year 2006 and 2008, it centralized its recycling of e-waste operations in New York. More than 0. 1 million devices were recycled between these two years itself. Citi is also looking at increasing the component of purchases with recycled content in its office supplies. In the year 2008, it increased from 33% to 38%. Employees Citi is particularly focused towards its employees. It provides Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) to help employees manage stresses related to job loss, personal counseling etc. It also offers Flexible Work Strategies program through which the employees can decide when they want, from where they want and how they want to work. Technology In the year 2008, Citi launched ‘log off for Savings’ program. This program involves centrally managing PC sleep settings. This initiative would cut down GHG emissions and save costs too. Another of its initiative, Desktop Standardization Initiative (DSI) deployed ‘Thin Client’ technology which uses anywhere from 6 to 50 watts, versus the 150 to 350 watts used by a standard PC. Citi also plans to reduce number of overall datacenters from 52 to 24. In the year 2008, it has come down to 32 datacenters. Citi has also been adopting ‘virtualization’ to reduce the need for physical resources. It is also trying to conserve energy resources through travel substitution by Using Tele- and video conferencing wherever possible. Climate Change On May 8, 2007, Citi announced that it will direct $50 billion over the next 10 years to address global climate change through investments, financings and related activities to support the commercialization and growth of alternative energy and clean technology among the clients and markets it serves, as well as within its own businesses and operations. In 2008, Citi eliminated six million square feet of office space through the Alternative Workplace Strategies program. Environment and Social Risk Management Policy (ESRM) This policy was developed in 2003 to help address environmental and social issues from both a credit risk perspective and a reputation and franchise risk perspective. The CMB ESRM Policy’s core elements are based on the Equator Principles. The ESRM policy assesses the proceeds from the financial transactions into three categories: ? Category A: Use of proceeds is expected to have a significant adverse impact on society and/or environment. Category B: Use of the proceeds is expected to have limited adverse impact on society and/or environment. ?Category C: Use of proceeds is expected to have minimal adverse impacts. Signatory initiatives Equator Principles In adopting the Equator Principles, Citi agreed to provide loans only to those projects whose borrowers can demonstrate their ability and willingness to co mply with comprehensive processes aimed at ensuring that projects are developed in a socially responsible manner and according to sound environmental management practices. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Citi uses Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 Sustainability Guidelines in Citi’s 2008 Citizenship Report. It is a self-declaring a â€Å"B† Application level. The carbon Principles Through its commitment towards the Carbon Principles, Citi has sworn in to †¢Encourage investments in cost effective demand reduction to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions. †¢Encourage clients to invest in cost effective renewable sources of energy and distributed technologies. Assess and reflect the risks in the financing of certain fossil fuel generation in the light of the need to substantially reduce greenhouse gas pollution through its Enhanced Due Diligence process. On September 14, 2009, Citi announced that it has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) for the ninth consecutive year, affirming Citi’s position as a global sustainability leader. Associations Citi has many NGO partners: Friends of the Earth (U. S. ), EcoLogic Finance, Forest Trends, Rainforest Action Network, Wildlife Habitat Council, World Wildlife Fund etc. Awards Citizenship Best Corporate Citizen, Second Place in Foreign Company Category Common Wealth Magazine, Taiwan Best Bank for Corporate Social Responsibility The Bank of the Year Competition, Hungary Honorable Mention for Best CSR Award Taiwan Academy of Banking and Finance Diversity 100% Corporate Equality Index Human Rights Campaign (United States) – fifth time on the list Employees Best Flexible Work Practices Hong Kong HR Awards 2008 The City Foundation The Citi Foundation is committed to the economic empowerment of individuals and families, particularly those in need, in the communities where it works so that they can improve their standard of living. Citi is particularly interested in supporting program innovations in the following priority focus areas: Microfinance: Help individuals and families improve their lives through economic self-sufficiency and reduce financial vulnerability Small and Growing Businesses: To create employment opportunities and support broad economic growth Education programs: To help improve quality and access to primary and secondary education in Citi markets internationally, and in the United States programs that increase the number of low-income and first-generation students who enroll in postsecondary education and earn a degree Financial Education and Asset Building: To help individuals and families develop the knowledge they need to achieve financial stability HSBC HSBC Holdings plc is a public limited company incorporated in England and Wales in 1990, and headquartered in London since 1993. As of 2009, it is both the world’s largest banking group and the world’s 6th largest company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine. HSBC has an enormous operational base in Asia and significant lending, investment, and insurance activities around the world. The company has a global reach and financial fundamentals matched by few other banking or financial multinationals CSR at HSBC The focus of HSBC’s work on environmental issues primarily addresses the risks and opportunities associated with climate change and natural resources, including energy, water management, waste and biodiversity. The social initiatives they prioritise include making financial services available more widely and providing access to education. HSBC believe this is the best way to help communities build capacity, financial independence and long-term prosperity. Sustainability at HSBC is overseen by the Corporate Sustainability Committee of the HSBC Holdings Board. The Corporate Sustainability Committee is responsible for advising the HSBC Holdings Board, committees of the Board and executive management on sustainability policies, including environmental, social and ethical issues. Focus Area The main focus of HSBC’s commitments is on two main themes – education and the environment. HSBC believes that we are dependent upon the skills of future generations; if we do not prepare them adequately, we limit our future potential. Access to education can be life changing and helps to equalise opportunity. It is also a prerequisite for economic growth and the development of stable societies. Their educational support focuses on: †¢Disadvantaged children †¢Financial and business literacy †¢Environmental education and understanding They equally believe that the needs of today’s society should not be fulfilled at the expense of future generations. It believes that we are dependent upon the state of the environment, and if we degrade it, we damage our future prospects. Our environmental support focuses on: †¢Climate change †¢Freshwater (e. g. rivers) †¢Biodiversity (plants, forests and animals) Global Education Programmes Opportunities for disadvantaged children – Future First The flagship programme, Future First, has taken on the challenge of helping homeless children, orphans and children in care around the world. For this they are working in partnership with the charity SOS Children’s Villages, among others, with the shared aim to provide access to education and life skills training. This helps the children to grow in confidence and, in time, to make their own contribution to society. Our presence in over 80 countries and territories presents us with a large network of people and resources capable of making a significant difference to these children’s lives. Rural Children Programme China has seen impressive economic growth over the last two decades but a vast disparity remains between the prosperity of rural and urban regions. To help support the ongoing success of the country, HSBC has identified a need to build up the educational infrastructure in rural areas where 95 per cent of primary schools are located. HSBC’s Rural Children Programme aims to improve facilities and provide training to teachers in curriculum design, computer-aided teaching, nutrition and counselling to help support a modern and rounded education for rural children. Financial Literacy Programme – JA More than Money As household debt rises throughout many developed countries and the world faces economic uncertainty, gaining an early understanding of how to create and manage a sustainable income is ever more important for individuals and for society as a whole. HSBC launched JA More than Moneyâ„ ¢ in 2007 in partnership with Junior Achievement Worldwide ®. HSBC colleagues are involved in classroom activities where they draw on their own skills and experience to teach children about earning, spending, sharing and saving money. Promoting environmental education: Eco – Schools Climate Initiative The HSBC Eco-Schools Climate Initiative is run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and with HSBC’s support will be able to expand the programme across the world. The programme involves a tried and tested seven step processes to engage the entire population of the school in practical activities to improve their local environment. Through these seven steps, students, parents, teachers and the wider community are encouraged to take a more active role in environmental decision making. Investing in the Environment Protecting the environment is central to HSBC’s sustainability strategy as a carbon neutral organization. They focus on reducing the footprint of their own operations and even encourage their clients and suppliers to do the same. They also partner with leading environmental organizations to achieve shared goals. The Climate Group works with corporate and government leaders in some of the world’s cities to tackle climate change. Participation in the HSBC Climate Partnership has enabled the launch of new offices and recruitment of new members in Beijing, Hong Kong and Delhi plus the launch of the UK Together campaign, helping households save carbon dioxide by providing cheap and easy ways for consumers to reduce their carbon footprint. The HSBC Climate Partnership has helped WWF to support 33 nature reserves in China to tackle increased flooding, reduce pollution and safeguard endangered species in the central and lower Yangtze River. The HSBC Climate Partnership makes up around 80% of HSBC’s overall investment in the environment. It is complemented by a number of local programmes, many of which allow its employees the opportunity to engage in and understand conserving their local environment. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS (BANKING) Banks act as financial intermediaries in our society: they price and value financial assets, they monitor borrowers, they manage financial risks and they organize the payment system. By performing these functions, banks have a huge impact on society. They usually require firms and households to adopt certain behaviour in order to increase the chances that these lenders will pay interest and amortizations. As such, they also may affect sustainable development. Socially responsible banking is becoming a well-established notion in the financial services industry. Financial institutions are coming round to the idea that there is more to invest than just to check the figures. In the US, every one out of eight dollars invested is subject to some social or ethical screen. In most countries, private households have the opportunity to save or invest their money not only on the basis of financial rewards, but also in the face of the nonmonetary value of savings and investments. In many OECD countries, specialized banks offer savings accounts to the public while promising that the savings will be used to finance environmentally sound projects or for operations of entrepreneurs who find it hard to get access to finance from institutions that are more conventional. Women and minorities have been targeted specifically in this respect in the US based on so-called community investments. In more than 40 countries – including several developing countries like Brazil and South-Africa – people can put their savings in socially responsible investment funds that in some way or another check for corporate social responsibility (CSR) of the firms in which they invest. Banks increasingly are involved with financing economic activity that aims at sustainable development and offer microcredit to the poor and deprived. Some of the important CSR initiatives taken by various banks are: Reporting Standards Non-financial reporting is a very popular instrument in the banking sector and this is a partial confirmation of CSR’s maturity of the sector. Banks have developed their own reports and use the ‘Global Reporting Initiative’ (GRI) reporting framework. Financial Literacy With growing business banks and other financial institutions have started realizing of creating awareness about financial planning. To address this issue banks have started with financial literacy programs at various levels. Like HSBC has launched JA More than Moneyâ„ ¢ program to educate children on financial planning while on the other hand Citi has various programs targeting adults for the financial literacy. Climate Change and Environment Protection Banking Industry has shown concerns towards changing climatic conditions. Although banks have less impact on the natural environment than, say, the chemical or mining industry, their relatively low impact on environmental sustainability is more than compensated for by their impact on society as a whole. Most of the initiatives are towards reducing the total CO2 emitted not only by them but also by their stake holders forming part of the value chain. Some of the important steps are like commitment of USD50 billion by Citi towards climate control investments, HSBC’s eco-school climate initiative to provide education on climate conservation awareness. Energy Banks are encouraging investments in green energy. The encouragement is mainly in terms of funds and other financial assistance specifically allocated for installation of green energy sources. Recycling of waste and use of recyclable supplies is been done at the institution level by majority of the banks. Vodafone Vodafone is a British mobile network operator, with its headquarters in Berkshire, England, UK. It is the largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world by turnover, and has a market value of about ? 75 billion (August 2008). Vodafone currently has operations in 31 countries and partner networks in a further 40 countries. Vision : To be world’s mobile communications leader, enriching customers’ lives, helping individuals, businesses and communities be more connected in a mobile world. Vodafone’s latest Corporate Responsibility Report It highlights how the company’s expansion in emerging markets is facilitating economic development by increasing access to communications. The rapid expansion of the network means one of Vodafone’s biggest issues is how to control greenhouse gas emissions. To address this Vodafone recently announced a target to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2020 in its established markets. This year’s report outlines how the company aims to achieve this ambitious goal. Vodafone is also exploring how its products and services can help other industries cut their carbon footprint, and is increasing its focus on managing climate impacts in the supply chain. Vodafone’s social and environmental performance in 2008/09 is reported in its signature ‘We said, We have, We will’ format. CSR in business process Decreased like-for-like carbon emissions by 4. 7% In 2008/09, company’s total CO2 emissions was1. 31 million tonnes, 4. 7% lower than last year despite an increase in energy use. The carbon intensity of the Group’s energy consumption has decreased due to our increased use of green tariff energy – energy generated from renewable sources. This Group reduction target applies to our entire local operating companies that active for a full year in 2006/07; and to their CO2 emissions from all energy ources except business flights and other greenhouse gases. Increased the number of sites powerd by on-site renewable energy by 7. 5% across the Group Vodafone now has 429 base stations powered by on-site renewable energy in eight countries, Diesel is often used to power sites that are not connected to the electricity grid, as well as being used in back-up generators in case of power failure. In 2008/09, diesel use accounted for 6. 3% of our total CO2 emissions from network energy use across the Group. This proportion is higher in our Indian operations. Collected 1. 82 million handsets for reuse and recycling Vodafone has exceeded our target to collect 1. 5 million handsets during 2008/09. Vodafone operating companies continued their efforts to collect handsets for recycling, collecting approximately half a million more handsets than last year – representing a 37% increase. Begun a pilot project to assess capability for recycling e-waste in Mumbai In 2008/09, Vodafone commenced an end-of-life assessment of mobiles in India, particularly in Mumbai, with The Environment Resources Institute. The study aims to assess current practices and devise strategies to improve end-of-life management of mobile phones. Supply chain Vodafone expect all our suppliers to maintain high ethical, environmental and labour standards, and Vodafone work with them to build their CR capability. Our Code of Ethical Purchasing (CEP) sets out our requirements and Vodafone assess new and existing suppliers for compliance with the CEP. Vodafone also engage in industry partnerships to improve CR standards throughout the supply chain for the ICT sector as a whole. Diversity in workforce The strategy, launched in April 2008, aims to ensure that Vodafone’s workforce reflects its diverse customer base and that the company has an inclusive working environment that embraces the benefits diversity brings. Implementation of the strategy is overseen by a global steering committee. The initial focus is on gender and nationality diversity. In 2008/09, 13% of our most senior managers – including three operating company CEOs were female. A total of 23 nationalities were represented in top management bands, an increase on 2007/08. Introduced a new health and safety strategy In February 2009, Vodafone developed a three-year strategic plan to prevent fatalities and ensure effective implementation of our product safety policy. To achieve this, Vodafone will introduce initiatives to promote leadership in health, safety extend our online management and reporting systems, and improve health and safety governance and risk management. Consumer Issues Vodafone’s reputation depends on earning the trust of its customers. Their loyalty is vital to the long-term success of our business. This section covers a range of issues that Vodafone believe play an important part in maintaining customer trust. Important consumer issues include the clarity of our pricing, the responsibility of our marketing material, the way Vodafone handle customer privacy and our measures to protect customers from inappropriate content, contact and commercialism. Vodafone also address other consumer issues such as responsible mobile phone use, driving safety and mobile theft. Safety from RF EMF Developed employee awareness training and awareness initiatives on RF fields Vodafone has made significant investment in e-learning programs, induction briefings and face-to-face training to raise awareness among relevant employees in all our local operating companies to enable them to fulfill their vital role in communicating our approach to RF fields. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has issued guidelines on levels of exposure to RF fields. Vodafone’s policy on Health and Safety of RF Fields requires that all our base stations – and the mobile phones Vodafone sell – comply with ICNIRP guidelines. In fact, RF field exposure from our base stations is typically hundreds, if not thousands, of times below the limits set by the guidelines. Mobile for blind and deaf people Vodafone is currently focusing on making its services easier to use for customers who are: †¢Blind or visually impaired †¢Deaf or hard of hearing †¢Elderly or have special healthcare needs. This text-to-speech software – enabling blind and visually impaired customers to use text messages – is an updated version of Mobile Speak. Health Service vial mobile An mHealth services pre-feasibility study in India. A total of ? 450,598 was provided by the Fund towards these initiatives at 31 March 2009. In 2008/09, Vodafone fostered continued developments in mHealth by partnering with and investing in t+medical, the leading provider of mobile phonebased technology used to transfer patient biometric data. t+Medical’s innovative technology enables patients with chronic diseases to record details about their condition and treatment using their mobile phones. The information is quickly and easily relayed to nurses who can monitor the data and take action if Necessary. Corporate Governance The Board of the Company is committed to high standards of corporate governance, which it considers are critical to business integrity and to maintaining investors’ trust in the Company. The Group expects all its directors and employees to act with honesty, integrity and fairness. The Group will strive to act in accordance with the laws and customs of the countries in which it operates; adopt proper standards of business practice and procedure; operate with integrity; and observe and respect the culture of every country in which it does business. Vodafone Group Plc Annual Report 2008 65 Awards During the year, Vodafone’s 2007 CR report won the main accolade of the Corporate Register Reporting Awards for the best report and was commended by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (â€Å"ACCA†) for the best isclosure in Tax and Public Policy. Vodafone is included in the FTSE4Good and Dow Jones Sustainability Index and rated fifth in the Global Account Ab ility Rating. The Vodafone Group Foundation The Vodafone Group Foundation is a UK registered Charity established by Vodafone Group Plc in 2002. It has invested over ? 100 million in projects since its creation and currently receives ? 24 million per annum from the Vodafone Group Plc which it distributes between projects globally and its unique global footprint of 23 Vodafone Foundations. Vodafone is committed to making a difference in the communities in which it operates. The Vodafone Group Foundation has invested over ? 00 million in projects since its creation in 2002 concentrating on disaster relief, helping disadvantaged children via sport and music initiatives and specific projects across Vodafone’s 23 local Foundations worldwide. Philanthropy Details The Vodafone Group Foundation has donated ? 10m to the United Nations Foundation over five years, part of which has been made available to the Measles Initiative for Immunization programs. As a second phase of their support of these activities, VGF and the UN Foundation have now begun work with WHO on a new program to use technology to improve disease surveillance, a critical aspect of fighting not only measles but many other diseases. The Vodafone Group Foundation partnership is the largest financial commitment made by any corporation to the UN Foundation. Philanthropy in India Vodafone Group Plc has established the Vodafone India Foundation, with an initial commitment of $10 million. This step signifies a further landmark in the development of Vodafone’s presence in India and confirms the Group’s commitment to invest socially in the communities where it operates. This activity will be supported by The Vodafone Group Foundation which has developed a unique network of 23 Foundations around the world during the last five years. Compliance with GRI guidelines Vodafone has benchmarked its CR reporting against the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability reporting guidelines. The company assess its application of the GRI reporting framework to be at level B+. Independent assurance report to Vodafone KPMG LLP was engaged by Vodafone Group Services Limited to provide assurance over selected aspects of the Vodafone Group plc 2008/09 Corporate Responsibility Report. Conclusion CSR activities are followed worgwide but their ways of approach are different depending upon company and their nature of business. CSR projects are frequently carried out as a cooperative effort; involving external partners can enhance the success and value of the project, and projects can benefit from the experience of local organizations or stakeholders. Companies are faced with the challenge of expanding their reporting to include the social and ecological effects of their business activities. This involves, in particular, maintaining international standards and norms with respect to CSR topics. More and more, however, even socially relevant CSR projects and their effects are being carefully scrutinized. It is no longer enough simply to assert that a project is doing something positive for society The goal is to develop a CSR strategy that addresses the most urgent social needs on the local agenda, while avoiding risks and identifying new opportunities to achieve corporate objectives. In a country with widespread poverty, for example, adapting a company’s products to the resources of low-income consumers can serve a social purpose and at the same time help the company gain access to new customer groups. Providing basic and further training ensures a well trained labor force and alleviates a shortage of qualified workers. Well planned CSR activities can have the immediate effect of helping a company’s business run more smoothly while also ensuring the long-term availability of the workers and resources that are necessary for corporate success. Rather than following fleeting trends or giving in to pressure from NGOs, companies need to integrate sustainable CSR activities into their everyday routine so that they gradually become second nature. Another option is to outsource CSR projects or transfer them to partners with greater expertise and experience in the relevant area. Particularly when projects are too far removed from a company’s core business, it is wise to assign responsibility for them to competent entities or independent structures. CSR projects can only survive if they are integrated into a company’s core business over the long term. It is not simply a matter of developing a positive reputation, but also of shaping sustainable business processes. It is therefore important to review the effectiveness of projects on a regular basis. Accordingly, (CSR) management is responsible for introducing CSR projects that have been successfully launched to the relevant departments and making them part of the company’s core business as independent products and processes. In purchasing, certain social guidelines should be the norm, and environmental standards should be the norm in the area of development. References www. csridentity. com www. csrwire. com www. unilever. com www. citygroupinc. com www. hsbc. com www. pg-india. com www. vodafone. co †¢Sustainibility report of all five companies How to cite Csr of Mnc, Papers

Walden free essay sample

Although he conducted his great experiment to prove this theory in 1845, could we survive today on Thoreau’s base necessities and would we be happier if we did? In his book Walden, Thoreau describes life in a home that he built himself at Walden Pond, where he remained for two years and two months, away from the luxuries of civilization. Thoreau hoped to prove in order to get more out of life we needed less. One can agree that physical survival is dependent on Thoreau’s base necessities. However, to survive emotionally, to be happy, and to reach â€Å"self-actualization† as defined in â€Å"Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs†, more is required. There are deep primal needs that were not addressed such as companionship, competition, and the need for comfort. By the time you finish reading this essay I will convince you why Thoreau’s â€Å"Walden† experiment is a rough draft of Maslow’s â€Å"Hierarchy of Needs† theory published in 1943. We will write a custom essay sample on Walden or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Abraham Maslow expanded on Thoreau’s idea of what it is that a human being needs to be happy and attain self-actualization. He created a hierarchy of needs commonly represented in a pyramid structure. The base of the pyramid represents physiological needs such as breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, and excretion. This was the level Thoreau also believed would be all that was necessary for an individual’s happiness. While it is true that this baser level of needs must be satisfied to progress toward happiness and self actualization, human beings are complex creatures and more is required. Above the physical needs in Maslow’s pyramid are needs for safety which include security of body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health, and property. Once the needs of safety are satisfied then the next level of the pyramid represents needs of love and belonging. They include friendship, family, and sexual intimacy. Above the needs of love and belonging are the needs of esteem. This level includes self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect towards others, and respect by others. According to Maslow in order to advance to a next higher level in the pyramid one must first satisfy the need of the bottom levels, until you get o the top of the pyramid, where an individual can achieve self-actualization. This level includes morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, and acceptance of facts. Maslow further theorized that deficiencies in any of these baser needs caused an individual to return to the section of needs on the pyramid that had to be satisfied before self-actualization could continue. No matter how civilized we believe ourselves to be we are really just clever animals or â€Å"brute creations† as Thoreau puts it. To the bison of the prairie it is a few inches of palatable grass, with water to drink; unless he seeks the shelter of the forest or the mountain’s shadow. None of the brute creation require more than Food and Shelter. † (Thoreau, 11)[iii] What Thoreau does not mention is that even in nature there are more needs than this. The bison also requires companionship from its fellow bison and the security of family. The bison have their own pecking order in which every bison have a place. The warmth and proximity of fellow bison in the heard provides â€Å"heat† to the bison and protection from predators. While true that the bison will occasionally wander away from the heard in search of food, it never strays too far, which would put itself in a situation of danger and leave itself open for attack. Man is no different. Humans also require the â€Å"heat† of others to be truly happy, the warm friendly smile of a good friend, the sultry, incandescence of a passionate lover and the sweltering love of a child, which all serve to ignite the fire in our souls. Although humans have no natural predators we are our own enemy and therefore create herds or families to protect ourselves from ourselves in the shelter of love and nurturing. Thoreau himself left Walden Pond several times in need of the companionship of others Evolution increased the size of our frontal lobes and made us the clever animals we are. It is this increase in our capacity for knowledge along with the drive for survival which fuels the need to become better that the animal next to us. It allows us to use our cleverness to create new and better ways of doing things. This innate propensity for creativity makes society better as a whole. Inventing new industrious ways to make work easier makes it easier to compete. While anyone can agree with Thoreau that any individuals are lost in the so called rat race of society it is only because the cheese that moves humankind through the maze is the wrong motivator. When I refer to the rat race I mean people’s drive to work to get money to buy things to be better than the neighbor next to him. Thoreau believed the cheese in the maze of life for humans is monetary gain and believed as a society we should instead seek to become self actualized. However his experiment had little impact because just as it was in 1845 when Thoreau conducted his experiment, in today’s society people go to school to gain knowledge in order to make more money. Without employing the radical steps Thoreau took, there needs to be a shift in society aimed at gaining knowledge to better mankind as a whole, to increase comfort, and to learn the secrets that are out there in the ether of space. Unfortunately at this time there is no greater motivator for society than the almighty dollar. Therefore the greatest flaw of our society is not ascribing to motivators that provide the true comforts of life but instead to become enslaved by the idea that only money has value. If one were to have Thoreau in front of him, to engage in dialogue, and brought up the point that we have made advances in many fields to increase comfort. We could cite such examples as science and medicine. We could argue that these advances produced life saving remedies such as penicillin to treat illness. Thoreau’s response would surely be that the body would not need penicillin if we did not use it and would eventually adapt to the sickness curing itself. However, some sicknesses evolve to remain viable predators against the organisms they use to proliferate. We are not the only â€Å"clever animals† out there, we are also not the only ones who use technology to increase our comfort. Some animals such as the Chimpanzee have made their own advancements in the field of medicine. Because of their inability to create fire they are exposed to parasites in stagnant unpurified water and uncooked food. They combat disease by eating the Trichrome Plant also known as Veronia Amygdalina, which although taste unpleasant to them, evident in the facial expressions they make when eating the plant, they force themselves to eat it regardless of its aversion. As the plant passes through their digestive tracts the sharp tiny hooks or Trichromes latch on to the intestinal parasites which exit with the chimpanzee’s excrement. [iv] Would the chimpanzee be able to live with the intestinal parasites? Yes! But it creates discomfort and comfort is a need of any society. I am by no means saying that Thoreau is incorrect; I am asserting that his experiment was incomplete. I direct you to the theory Maslow put forward as it offers deeper insight into the needs of man. We have evolved past our primitive form but not our primitive needs. In order to attain self actualization one must be willing to embrace technology. To do this we can’t all just run off alone into the woods and live off the land. Even the Amish, who shun â€Å"Modern† technology, ascribe to some degree of technology, live in groups and situate themselves to be comfortable. There is a â€Å"need† for each other because we sustain each other. Also, we are only half of a whole. Man needs woman because couples produce children who mature to become adults. It’s a cycle necessary for reproduction that perpetuates the species and moves us forward. The feeling of discomfort is an indicator that something is wrong this is why you feel pain if you cut your finger. The desire to be comfortable is a need, so society’s modern comforts are indeed a necessity. What needs to change is not our drive of working to gain and be comfortable, but instead the idea of what is valuable and what can be gained. If instead we all saw the betterment of mankind as the major issue then we could all truly be happy. A â€Å"Star Trek. † society, if you will, in which there is no currency yet all can live in lavish comforts. Ultimately the quest for knowledge of the universe would be the true goal.

The elegance of the hedgehog Review Essay Example

The elegance of the hedgehog Review Paper Essay on The elegance of the hedgehog Finally I finished reading The elegance of the hedgehog Muriel Barberry. I read the book for a long time for me for about a week, paralellelno with other books. Impressions were very mixed What, in fact, the book:. How hard being in this world is not the same as everyone. What efforts have to make a sensitive natures and highly organized so that they are not exposed all those hypocrites who surround them. Of course, how can they understand something, we can say that from the very first pages of the book did not like hiding behind their everyday masks. . The story is very clearly felt false. Stanislavsky would say: do not believe it! Embarrassed that it concierges and twelve girls is almost the same; those. the author does not take the trouble to at least give the appearance of having different expressions of a similar mindset. The whole focus is on the emotional perception of the text, it follows that the reader is not necessary to focus their attention on such trifles, is superfluous. We will write a custom essay sample on The elegance of the hedgehog Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The elegance of the hedgehog Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The elegance of the hedgehog Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the end Madame Burberry still managed to revive their heroes, and they finally -That began to speak human language, it is consistent with their image. Such candor is captivating, and if the whole novel was written in a similar tone, so it would be great. And it turned out normal, ie in any way. . If you fall into the hands, you can read, but not necessarily because it will be remembered hardly The next time, I think, I shall refrain from reading the next masterpiece of French litindustrii My evaluation.: 5/10.

3 Causes of Deindustrialization

3 Causes of Deindustrialization Deindustrialization is the process by which manufacturing declines in a society or region as a proportion of total economic activity. It is the opposite of industrialization, and therefore sometimes represents a step backward in the growth of a society’s economy. Causes of Deindustrialization There are a number of reasons why a society might experience a reduction in manufacturing and other heavy industry. A consistent decline in employment in manufacturing, due to social conditions that make such activity impossible (states of war or environmental upheaval). Manufacturing requires access to natural resources and raw materials, without which production would be impossible. At the same time, the rise of industrial activity has done great harm to the very natural resources on which industry depends. In China, for example, industrial activity is responsible for record levels of water depletion and pollution, and in 2014 more than a quarter of the countrys key rivers were deemed unfit for human contact. The consequences of this environmental degradation are making it more difficult for China to sustain its industrial output. The same is happening in other parts of the world where pollution is on the rise.A shift from manufacturing to service sectors of the economy. As countries develop, manufacturing often declines as production is shifted to trading partners where the costs of labor are l ower. This is what happened to the garment industry in the United States. According to a 2016 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, apparel experienced the largest decrease among all manufacturing industries with a decrease of 85 percent [over the last 25 years]. Americans are still buying as many clothes as ever, but most apparel companies have moved production overseas. The result is a relative shift in employment from the manufacturing sector to the service sector. A trade deficit whose effects preclude investment in manufacturing. When a country purchases more goods than it sells, it experiences a trade imbalance, which can reduce the resources needed to support domestic manufacturing and other production. In most cases, the trade deficit must become severe before it begins to have a negative effect on manufacturing. Is Deindustrialization Always a Negative? It is easy to view deindustrialization as the result of a suffering economy. In some cases, though, the phenomenon is actually the result of a maturing economy. In the United States, for example, the â€Å"jobless recovery† from the financial crisis of 2008 resulted in deindustrialization without an actual decline in economic activity. Economists Christos Pitelis and Nicholas Antonakis suggest that improved productivity in manufacturing (due to new technology and other efficiencies) leads to a reduction in the cost of goods; these goods then make up a smaller relative portion of the economy in terms of overall GDP. In other words, deindustrialization is not always what it looks like. An apparent reduction may in fact just be the result of increased productivity relative to other economic sectors. Similarly, changes in the economy like those brought about by free trade agreements may lead to a decline in domestic manufacturing. However, these changes usually have no adverse effects on the health of multinational corporations with the resources to outsource manufacturing.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Study Guide

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Study Guide The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,  by L. Frank Baum, is a book that has transcended its time and place.  More than a century after its publication, it remains a seminal piece of popular culture (helped, of course, by the iconic 1939 film adaptation starring Judy Garland). Much of the novel’s continued  popularity and presence can be attributed the stunning imagination that Baum brought to the work. Equally important, however, is the fact that the story lends itself to multiple interpretations. New generations continue to reinterpret the tale, despite Baums own insistence in the original introduction that the story â€Å"was written solely to please children of today.† Fast Facts: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Author: L. Frank BaumPublisher:  George M. Hill CompanyYear Published:  1900Genre:  Childrens novel  Original language: English  Themes:  Childhood innocence, inner strength, friendship  Characters:  Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard, Glinda the Good Witch of the NorthNotable adaptations:  The Wizard of Oz  (1939, dir. Victor Fleming)   Plot Dorothy is a young girl living in Kansas with her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. A cyclone hits; terrified, Dorothy’s dog Toto hides under the bed. Dorothy goes to fetch him as her aunt and uncle hide in the cellar. The Cyclone carries the whole house- with Dorothy and Toto in it- away. When they land, Dorothy discovers that she has arrived in Munchkinland, part of the Land of Oz. The house has landed on and killed the Wicked Witch of the East. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, arrives. She gives Dorothy the Wicked Witch’s silver slippers and tells her that to get home she will have to travel down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to ask for help from the Wizard. As Dorothy and Toto travel, they meet three companions: A Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman, and a Cowardly Lion. Each lack something- the Scarecrow needs a brain, the Tin Woodman needs a heart, and the Lion needs courage- so Dorothy suggests they all travel to the Emerald City together to ask the Wizard for help. At the Emerald City, the Wizard agrees to give them each what they seek if they kill the Wicked Witch of the West. In Winkie Land, the Wicked Witch sees them coming, and attacks them several times on the way. Finally the Witch uses a magical Golden Cap to summon flying monkeys, who tear the stuffing out of the Scarecrow, dent the Woodman badly, and capture Dorothy, Toto, and the Lion. The Wicked Witch makes Dorothy her slave and tricks her out of one of her silver shoes. This annoys Dorothy and in a fit of anger she throws water on the Witch, and is astonished to see her melt away. The Winkies are delighted and ask the Tin Woodman to become their king, which he agrees to do once Dorothy is home. Dorothy uses the Golden Cap to have the Flying Monkeys carry them back to the Emerald City. There, Toto accidentally reveals the truth: The Wizard is just an ordinary man who traveled from Omaha via hot air balloon many years before. He gives the Scarecrow new stuffing in his head for brains, the Woodman a stuffed silk heart, and the Lion a potion for courage. The Wizard agrees to take Dorothy home with him in his balloon, appointing the Scarecrow ruler in his absence, but once again Toto runs off and as Dorothy gives chase the Wizard accidentally cuts his lines and floats away. Dorothy asks the Flying Monkeys to carry her home, but they cannot cross the desert that bounds Oz on all sides. She and her friends set off to Quadling Country to seek the help of Glinda. Along the way the Lion is asked to become king of the animals in a forest and agrees to do so once Dorothy is home. The Flying Monkeys are summoned for a third and final time to fly them the rest of the way to Glinda. Glinda tells Dorothy that her silver shoes will take her anywhere she wishes to go, and then uses the Golden Cap to ask the Flying Monkeys to take her friends to their respective new kingdoms, and then sets the Monkeys free. Dorothy returns joyously to Kansas with Toto, ecstatic to be home. Major Characters Dorothy:  The  protagonist of the story. She is a young girl from Kansas who lives  with her aunt and uncle on their farm. She maintains a cheerful and childlike happiness in the face of adversity, and demonstrates bravery in frightening moments. She has little patience for deception or indecisiveness. The Scarecrow:  A scarecrow whose greatest  wish is to have the intelligence he believes he lacks. He joins Dorothys journey to the Wizard in order to request a brain.  Ã‚   The Tin Woodman: A former woodchopper who was cursed by the Wicked Witch of the East. Her spell  caused an enchanted axe to chop off each of his limbs.  The Tin Woodman slowly replaced every part of his body with tin, but he did not replace his heart. He wants to ask the Wizard for a heart. The Cowardly Lion:  A lion who  believes himself to be a coward.   The Wicked Witch of the West:  The sister  of The Wicked Witch of the East (who was killed accidentally by Dorothy). She is very powerful and very angry at all times, and is greedy for more power. The Wizard. An ordinary human who, like Dorothy, traveled  into Oz by accident. Taken to be a powerful wizard by the inhabitants of Oz, he goes along with the ruse and builds up an illusion of immense power, though he means no harm. Glinda the Good Witch of the North. A good witch, Glinda is kind and merciful, but her influence diminishes away from her home in the North. She attempts to safeguard and guide Dorothy throughout her adventures. Themes Many of the themes of the book can be seen as simple lessons Baum wished to convey to his young readers. Childhood Innocence:  The story celebrates a conception of childhood that combines duty, virtue, and good behavior with an unfettered imagination. Baum paints Dorothy as thoroughly enjoying her voyage through the magical world of Oz while never flagging in her determination to return home. Inner Strength:  Through the story many of the characters start off believing themselves to be lacking in some fundamental way- the brains, courage, and heart Dorothy’s companions wish for, and Dorothy herself seeks a way to get home- that they turn out to have always possessed. Friendship: The power of helping others and caring for them triumphs over the greed and anger of the Wicked Witch. None of the characters would have found what they wanted without the help of the others. Literary Style and Devices Straightforward Text:  Inspired by classic fairy tales, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is written in a straightforward, plain way that is easy for children to read and understand. Bright Colors: Baum uses a lot of description, emphasizing bright colors and exuberant descriptions in order to generate mental images. Repetition: Baum uses repetition powerfully. Goals, important details, and other aspects of the story are repeated, as are plot points- there are several smaller quests nested inside the main one of Dorothy getting home, for example. Compartmentalized Chapters:  Baum makes  it easy to keep things straight by focusing each chapter on a single main event, with a clear end-point when the chapter finishes. This style makes it easier to easy to read the story in several sittings, as a parent might to a children. Interpretations of The Wizard of Oz The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is frequently interpreted as more than just a children’s story.  Complex political, social, and historical theories have been credited to it. Populism. One of the most famous theories involves the populist movement that collapsed in the late 19th century, linked to the debate over monetary policy. According to this theory, Dorothy represents the American people as innocent and easily fooled, while other characters represent aspects of society or politicians of the time. Economic forces and theories are represented by The Yellow Brick Road (the gold standard) and the Emerald City (paper money), and the Wizard is the deceptive politicians manipulating the public. There’s more to the theory, but the more you dig into it the less sense it tends to make. Religion.  The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  is frequently identified as a coded allegory by both Christians and atheists, usually using the same symbols in different ways. For religious readers, the story can be seen as a tale of resisting temptations and battling evil through faith. For atheists, the Wizard is a deity who is ultimately revealed to be a sham. Feminism.  There is evidence of a  feminist subtext in The Wizard of Oz. The male characters are all lacking- they are fakes, cowards, and frozen, or part of otherwise oppressed or passive  groups. The women- Dorothy and Glinda most notably- are the true powers in Oz. Legacy The Wonderful Wizard of Oz continues to be read by children and adults around the world. It has been adapted many times for stage and screen and continues to influence both children’s literature and adult fiction. The storys  imagery and symbolism- the Yellow Brick Road, the silver shoes (turned into Ruby Slippers for the classic film), the green-skinned witch, the fanciful companions- are regularly used in new works as both callbacks and reinterpretation. The book is often described as the first American fairy tale, and is indeed one of the first children’s stories to specifically refer to American locations and culture. Key Quotes â€Å"There is no place like home.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oh no, my dear; Im really a very good man; but Im a very bad Wizard, I must admit.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"How can you talk if you haven’t got a brain? I don’t know†¦ But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking†¦ don’t they?†

Marketing trends Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing trends - Assignment Example It is vital that business entities realise this, and try to make consumers feel satisfied. Without customer satisfaction, the business has not achieved its core objective. Consumer movement is the collective movement that exists among consumers (Higham, 2009). It exists in order to protect the interests of consumers in the region. People still have no idea of their rights when it comes to the purchase of products. This movement is there to ensure consumers get the right treatment from business owners. It unites consumers with the aim of enabling them to fight for their rights. It is similar to trade unions. Branding offers consistency. It is hard for consumers to remain loyal to products if the brand labels keep changing. Consumer loyalty is vital in any business field. This brings the need to have a consistent brand that consumers can relate to, without having doubts. One importance of branding is the identity it creates (Higham, 2009). Identity is a key component in the retention of clients. Brands are symbols of what people have come to love and appreciate. Although they may sometimes look old, it is up to the organization to determine if a change in brand can cause a shift in customer loyalty. One of the major effects of online marketing is the website traffic that may increase after time. It is a well-known fact that, many individuals spend most of the working hours online. With online marketing, it becomes easier to look for products and goods to purchase. If millions of people did this in an hour, the traffic created may be immense and result in site traffic. Online marketing strategies need to have numerous, comprehensive campaigns. That means that, an immense proportion of folks need to be involved in the progression (Ferrell & Hartline, 2010). Internet marketing increases the chances of sales. As a means of advertising, it is a new method of reaching consumers, while giving them time to do other activities.

Health Systems and Healthcare Systems Coursework

Health Systems and Healthcare Systems - Coursework Example It left the rest of the underprivileged population either to pay for the healthcare services it sought or to go without health care (Newdick 1995, p. 42). Thereby, it became evident to the then Labor government that the people in the UK were being deprived of even the very basic health care because they simply could not afford to pay for it. Thereby, the guiding philosophy behind the envisagement of the National Health Service was to make healthcare more affordable and to assure that even the marginalized UK citizens got access to affordable healthcare. The thing that needs to be understood is that the coming into existence of the National Health Service in the UK was the outcome of a marked shift in the mindset of the policy-making individuals and institutions with regards to health care. For instance, the contrivance of NHS was guided by the emerging belief that health care happened to be a basic right and did not happen to be a luxury doled out as a matter of charity (Gormley 1999, P. 26). The ruling elites in the UK did come to the agreement that the existent health care system in the UK was in a state of abysmal mess and that a National Health Service was needed to replace this lackadaisical and biased system. The good thing was that the health care infrastructure created during the II World War did help a lot in the creation of a National Health Service in the UK (Gormley 1999). The emergency medical services and the healthcare infrastructure created during the II World War did help a lot in the creation of a pan UK National H ealth Service. The II World War had a cataclysmic impact on the governance in general and on the health care in particular. This planned upheaval did go a long way in the envisagement of a very democratic and egalitarian health care system in the UK.

Reading Strategy Essay Example for Free

Reading Strategy Essay What Is It? To aid their comprehension, skillful readers ask themselves questions before, during, and after they read. You can help students become more proficient by modeling this process for them and encouraging them to use it when they read independently. Why Is It Important? Dolores Durkins research in 1979 showed that most teachers asked students questions after they had read, as opposed to questioning to improve comprehension before or while they read. In the late 1990s, further research (Pressley, et al. 1998) Revealed that despite the abundance of research supporting questioning before, during, and after reading to help comprehension, teachers still favored post-reading comprehension questions. Researchers have also found that when adult readers are asked to think aloud as they read, they employ a wide variety of comprehension strategies, including asking and answering questions before, during, and after reading (Pressley and Afflerbach 1995). Proficient adult readers: Are aware of why they are reading the text Preview and make predictions Read selectively Make connections and associations with the text based on what they already know. Refine predictions and expectations Use context to identify unfamiliar words Reread and make notes Evaluate the quality of the text Review important points in the text Consider how the information might be used in the future Successful reading is not simply the mechanical process of decoding text. Rather, it is a process of active inquiry. Good readers approach a text with questions and develop new questions as they read, for example: What is this story about? What does the main character want? Will she get it? If so, how? Even after reading, engaged readers still ask questions: What is the meaning of what I have read? Why did the author end the paragraph (or chapter, or book) in this way? What was the authors purpose in writing this? Good authors anticipate the readers questions and plant questions in the readers mind (think of a title such as, Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman). In this way, reading becomes a collaboration between the reader and the author. The authors job is to raise questions and then answer them – or provide several possible answers. Readers cooperate by asking the right questions, paying careful attention to the authors answers, and asking questions of their own. HOW CAN YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN? To help readers learn to ask questions before, during, and after reading, think aloud the next time you are reading a book, article, or set of directions. Write each question on a post-it note and stick it on the text you have the question about. You may be surprised at how many typically unspoken questions you ponder, ask, and answer as you read. You may wonder as you read or after you read at the authors choice of title, at a vocabulary word, or about how you will use this information in the future. You should begin to model these kinds of questions in the primary grades during read-aloud times, when you can say out loud what you are thinking and asking. Read a book or text to the class, and model your thinking and questioning. Emphasize that even though you are an adult reader, questions before, during, and after reading continue to help you gain an understanding of the text you are reading. Ask questions such as: What clues does the title give me about the story? Is this a real or imaginary story? Why am I reading this? What do I already know about___? What predictions can I make? Pre-select several stopping points within the text to ask and answer reading questions. Stopping points should not be so frequent that they hinder comprehension or fluid reading of a text. This is also an excellent time to model repair strategies to correct miscomprehension. Start reading the text, and ask yourself questions while reading: What do I understand from what I just read? What is the main idea? What picture is the author painting in my head? Do I need to reread so that I understand? Then reread the text, asking the following questions when you are finished: Which of my predictions were right? What information from the text tells me that I am correct? What were the main ideas? What connections can I make to the text? How do I feel about it? Encourage students to ask their own questions after you have modeled this strategy, and write all their questions on chart paper. Students can be grouped to answer one anothers questions and generate new ones based on discussions. Be sure the focus is not on finding the correct answers, because many questions may be subjective, but on curiosity, wondering, and asking thoughtful questions. After students become aware of the best times to ask questions during the reading process, be sure to ask them a variety of questions that: Can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the text Have answers that might be different for everyone Have answers that can be found in the text Clarify the authors intent Can help clarify meaning Help them make inferences Help them make predictions Help them make connections to other texts or prior knowledge As students begin to read text independently, you should continue to model the questioning process and encourage students to use it often. In the upper elementary and middle school grades, a framework for questions to ask before, during, and after reading can serve as a guide as students work with more challenging texts and begin to internalize comprehension strategies. You can use an overhead projector to jot notes on the framework as you think aloud while reading a text. As students become comfortable with the questioning strategy, they may use the guide independently while reading, with the goal of generating questions before, during, and after reading to increase comprehension. How Can You Stretch Students Thinking? The best way to stretch students thinking about a text is to help them ask increasingly challenging questions. Some of the most challenging questions are Why? questions about the authors intentions and the design of the text. For example: Why do you think the author chose this particular setting? Why do you think the author ended the story in this way? Why do you think the author chose to tell the story from the point of view of the daughter? What does the author seem to be assuming about the readers political beliefs? Another way to challenge readers is to ask them open-ended question that require evidence from the text to answer. For example: What does Huck think about girls? What is your evidence? Which character in the story is most unlike Anna? Explain your reasons, based on evidence from the novel? What is the authors opinion about affirmative action in higher education? How do you know? Be sure to explicitly model your own challenging questions while reading aloud a variety of texts, including novels, subject-area textbooks, articles, and nonfiction. Help students see that answering challenging questions can help them understand text at a deeper level, ultimately making reading a more enjoyable and valuable experience. As students become proficient in generating challenging questions, have them group the questions the time they were asked (before, during or after reading). Students can determine their own categories, justify their reasons for placing questions into the categories, and determine how this can help their reading comprehension. When Can You Use It? Reading/English Students who have similar interests can read the same text and meet to discuss their thoughts in a book club. Members can be given a set of sticky notes to mark questions they have before, during, and after reading the text. Members can then share their question with one another to clarify understanding within their group. Since students reading level may not necessarily determine which book club they choose to join, accommodations may need to be made, including buddy reading, audio recordings of the text, or the use of computer-aided reading systems. Writing  Good writers anticipate their readers questions. Have students jot down the questions they will attempt to answer in an essay or short story before they write it, in the order that they plan to answer them. Stress that this should not be a mechanical process – as students write they probably will think of additional questions to ask and answer. The key point is to have students think of themselves as having a conversation with the reader – and a big part of this is knowing what questions the reader is likely to ask. Math Students can ask questions before, during, and after solving a math problem. Have students think aloud or write in groups to generate questions to complete performance tasks related to mathematics. Social Studies Use before, during, and after questions when beginning a new chapter or unit of study in any social studies topic. Select a piece of text, and have students generate questions related to the topic. At the end of the unit of study, refer back to the questions and discuss how the questions helped students to understand the content. Science Use before, during, and after questions to review an article or science text. You can discuss articles related to a recent scientific discovery with students and then generate questions that would help them to focus their attention on important information. Lesson Plans Lesson Plan: Questioning, The Mitten This lesson is designed to introduce primary students to the importance of asking questions before, during, and after listening to a story. In this lesson, using the story The Mitten by Jan Brett, students learn how to become good readers by asking questions. This is the first lesson in a set of questioning lessons designed for primary grades. Lesson Plan: Questioning, Grandfathers Journey. This lesson is for intermediate students using the strategy with the book, Grandfathers Journey, by Allen Say. Lesson Plan: Questioning, Kokos Kitten This lesson is designed to establish primary students skills in asking questions before, during, and after they listen to a story. You can help students learn to become better readers by modeling how and when you ask questions while reading aloud the true story, Kokos Kitten, by Dr. Francine Patterson. This is the second lesson in a set of questioning lessons designed for primary grades. Lesson Plan: Asking Pre-Reading Questions This is a language arts lesson for students in grades 3-5. Students will learn about asking questions before reading and will make predictions based on the discussion of the questions. Lesson Plan: Asking Questions When Reading In this lesson, the teacher will read The Wall by Eve Bunting with the purpose of focusing on asking important questions. The students and the teacher will then categorize the questions according to the criteria for each.  © 2000-2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Original URL: http://www. teachervision. fen. com/lesson-plan/reading-comprehension/48698. html Asking Questions When Reading Grade Levels: 4 8 Lesson Summary. Generating questions plays a key role in the process of learning how to read, and then again in learning how to read better. There are so many question that students may have about the text that they encounter – questions about the authors style or purpose, questions about new vocabulary, questions about what might happen, etc. Students need to first begin to feel comfortable asking questions, then learn to ask the vital questions that will direct their focus and clear up confusion. In this lesson, the teacher will read The Wall by Eve Bunting with the purpose of focusing on asking important questions. The students and the teacher will then categorize the questions according to the criteria for each. Materials When you read the story ahead of time, write any questions that pop into your head on post-it notes and have them available. Provide large pieces of paper and post-its for students, and locate enough copies of the book The Wall for partners. Provide a piece of paper for each group of four students. Prepare a piece of chart paper titled QUESTIONS with different columns of categories: Questions that are answered in the text Questions that I have to make an inference to answer Questions that are not important to understanding the story. Questions that require research to answer Questions about the authors style Questions that clear up confusion Objectives: Students will ask questions before, during, and after reading. Students will categorize important vs. interesting questions with a focus on important questions. Procedure Explain that good readers ask questions before, during, and after reading to help them understand a story better. Today, were going to focus on asking questions. Present the book The Wall to the students and say, I will read the title, and the back cover and look at the illustrations and think of as many questions as I can. These are the questions that I have before reading. Read your prepared post-it notes to the students. Read the story to the children and think aloud, asking questions while reading. Stress that these are the questions you have during reading. Read your prepared post-it notes to the students. When you have finished reading the story, ask questions that pop into your head and stress that these are the questions that you have after reading. Read your prepared post-it notes to the students. Take your questions on post-its, think aloud, and categorize them in the appropriate column according to the type of question that you asked. The students partner-read and use post-its on pages where they have a question. Have partners narrow their questions down to two questions. Then have the partners share their questions with another paired group. The groups of four students choose one of their questions and write it on a larger piece of paper. Gather all students and have them share their questions. With help from the class, have students categorize their questions. Discuss the questions that are important vs. interesting, and have students focus on the important questions.  © 2000-2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Original URL: http://www. teachervision. fen. com/lesson-plan/reading-comprehension/48697. html Asking Pre-Reading Questions Grade Levels: 3 5 Lesson Summary This is a language arts lesson for students in grades 3-5. Students will learn about asking questions before reading and will make predictions based on the discussion of the questions. Students should be able to differentiate between a question and a statement, generate questions, and work in cooperative, heterogeneous groups. Objectives Students will brainstorm prior knowledge about the topic of a text Students will make predictions about the text by asking effective before reading questions in order to improve our reading comprehension. Key Understandings Asking and discussing questions will improve our comprehension of the text. Good readers ask questions before they read. Materials Two narrative texts Pre-reading Show Rubric Pledge Procedure Select two narrative texts, one will be used to demonstrate the before reading questioning strategy, the other will be used for guided practice. It may be easier to choose two texts by the same author or two texts of the same genre. Discuss the ways in which a pre-game show and asking questions before, during, and after reading are similar. Good readers are like sports casters. Just as sports casters discuss the sports event before, during, and after the game, good readers ask and discuss questions before, during, and after reading. This improves comprehension, or understanding, of the text. You may say something such as, Who has watched a football, basketball, or baseball game on television? Sports casters help us understand the game by discussing it. They discuss the game with us before the game, during the game and after the game. Before the game, there is a pre-game analysis. That means that the announcer gives us background information about the game, teams, players, and coaches. This information can be used to make predictions about the outcome of the game. During the game, the announcers provide play-by-play coverage. They discuss important or controversial plays to help us understand whats going on in the game and to explain how certain plays may affect the outcome of the game. They even provide replays of the most important events of the game to make sure we remember them. Finally, after the game, announcers interview the coaches and players to get different perspectives about how the game was played. They review the highlights of the game, confirm or disprove their predictions, and discuss the implications of the outcome of the game. Tell students they are going to focus on asking questions before they begin reading a text. If possible, show a video clip of a pre-game sports cast. Use the analogy of a pre-game show and before reading questions to help students ask effective before reading questions. As you generate questions for each topic. Spend some time wondering about the answers and making predictions about the book. Write your predictions about the book in a separate column. Identify a purpose for reading the text. Narrative = for literary experience/enjoyment Expository = for information Functional = to perform a task/follow directions. Examine the cover illustration and read the title, modeling how to ask questions. Write the questions on chart paper or on an overhead projector. Look at the author and model how to generate questions. Activate background knowledge by taking a picture walk with students. Cover the print with sticky notes, and think aloud as you model how to generate questions, make predictions, and build vocabulary by carefully examining and discussing the illustrations in the text. Ask questions about the setting, characters, events, and genre of the book. Pre-Game Show Questions Before Reading Predictions Team A vs. Team B What teams are playing? What do we know about these teams? Where are they from? Have we ever seen either team play? In your opinion, are they skilled? Is one team better than the other? Title of Story/Cover What topic might this story be about? What do we already know about this topic? Have we read any other books about this topic? Do we have any experience related to this topic? Where and when did we have the experience? Coach Who is the coach? What do we know about the coach? What teams has he/she coached in the past? What is his/her coaching style? Author Who is the author? Who is the illustrator? What books have he/she written or illustrated in the past? Can we describe the style of the author/illustrator? Have I ever read other texts by this author? If so, what do I remember about those texts? Stadium Where is the game being played? Who has the home field advantage? What are the current weather conditions? How will the weather conditions affect the game? Setting Where and when does the story take place? Is the place/time familiar or unfamiliar to us? Have we read any other stories with a similar setting? Players Who are the key players? What positions do they play? What are their skills? Characters Who are the main characters? What role might they play in the story? Can we predict some of their character traits by examining the illustrations? Plays What plays are the coaches likely to run? Events What events may take place in this story? Rules/Principles of Game What are the rules of the game? What are winning strategies? Genre of Text What genre of story is this? (fairytale, folktale) Have we read other stories of the same genre? What are the characteristics of this genre? Tell students that the class will read the story together tomorrow, and learn to ask new questions while they are reading to help understand the story. Guided practice Give students the opportunity to practice writing and discussing some before reading questions for a new story. Place students in 6 groups and have each group record or role play a pre-reading show for the new book, just as sports casters broadcast a pre-game show. 1. title/cover 2. author/illustrator 3. setting 4. characters 5. events 6. genre of literature Select student leaders to guide each groups through the process of examining the cover of the new story and taking a picture walk. Allow groups to discuss their topic. Students should generate two of their own before reading questions on their topic, and then share their questions and provide feedback to each other. Have groups include information from their prior knowledge and personal experience as they discuss the before reading questions, and have them discuss the possible answers and make predictions about the book. After each student has had the opportunity to formulate and write two questions, jigsaw the groups to form TV crews for a pre-reading show. Each TV crew should have six students, one student from each group, 1-6. Review the parts of the rubric. Provide a time limit for each TV show, and tell students that each show should include: an introduction of the members of the TV crew slogan, jingle, or music a discussion of their prior knowledge about the topic a discussion of each members questions predictions about the book from each member Give groups the opportunity to practice asking and discussing their questions before role playing or videotaping their show. If time permits, allow students to make larger visual aids to display during the discussion. Microphones can be made quickly from rolling paper into tubes. Sharing Ideas Distribute rubrics to the class. Allow students to score each TV crew as they present. Independent Practice Have students think of a younger child that they will spend time with this week. Have them think of a book that they can read to the child. Have students use some of the before reading questioning strategies they learned to help the younger child understand the story. Students can use this questions framework worksheet to help them with questions to ask before reading, and help the child make predictions. The worksheet reminds students to ask questions about the title and cover, author and illustrator, setting, characters, events and genre. Assessment Each group will be assessed using the scores from the presentation rubric, scored by their peers and teacher.  © 2000-2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Running Records Page Description: A running record is a way to assess a students reading progress by systematically evaluating a students oral reading and identifying error patterns. This template will help you track your students oral reading accuracy. Take advantages from kids that love harry potter Book Covers from Around the World: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Page Description: Enjoy comparing and contrasting colorful cover art for J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with this printable handout. Discuss the differences in interpretations from around the world with your students. Grade Levels: 2 7 Analyzing a Book Character Page Description: This chart of questions will help students analyze the cover art of a book. Use this worksheet when talking about the different cover art on each international edition of the Harry Potter books. Grade Levels: 3 – 8 Literacy Glossary Page 1 of 2 Accuracy Rate: This is the rate, shown as a percent, at which students accurately read the text. Concept Map: A concept map is a type of graphic organizer which allows students to consider relationships among various concepts. Often students are encouraged to draw arrows between related concepts enclosed in oval or other shapes. Error Rate: This is a ratio of errors to words in the text. Fluency: The rate and accuracy with which a person reads. Fluency results from practicing reading skills often and with a high rate of success. Formative Assessment: These tests are ongoing and based on the curriculum, providing a way to monitor student progress. They can be used to place students in groups, based on instructional needs. Frustrational Level: This is the level at which students are unable to read with adequate comprehension. Genre: A genre is a particular type of literature, such as narratives, poetry, dramas, or fables. Independent Level: This is the level at which students can read without assistance. Materials at this level should be chosen for independent reading, or fluency practice. Independent Reading Inventories: An informal formative assessment that provides graded word lists and passages designed to assess the oral reading and listening comprehension. Insertion: In a running record or informal reading inventory, this is a miscue in which students add another word when reading printed text. For example, if the sentence is: The dog played, the student reads: The happy dog played. Instructional Level: This is the level at which students can read with assistance from the teacher. Materials at this level should be chosen for reading instruction. Metacognition: This is thinking about ones own thinking, or being aware of ones own learning. When students are aware of how they think and learn, they can be taught to regulate their thought and learning processes. Omission: In a running record or informal reading inventory, this is a miscue in which students do not read a word or words in the printed text. For example, if the sentence is: The sky was bright blue, the student reads: The sky was blue. Onset: The part of a syllable that comes before the vowel of a syllable. The onset of the word box is /b/. Phoneme: the smallest unit of sound. It distinguishes one word from another (e. g. , man and fan are distinguished by the initial phoneme). Phonemic Awareness: This is a type of phonological awareness that involves the awareness and manipulation of individual sounds. Phonological Awareness: The auditory awareness of sounds, words, and sentences. The understanding that speech is composed of sentences made up of words. Words are comprised of syllables, and syllables are comprised of phonemes. Qualitative Data: Qualitative data consist of verbal or graphic descriptions of behavior and experience resulting from processes of observation, interpretation, and analysis. It is often comprehensive, holistic, and expansive. Qualitative Tools: These are tools that produce qualitative data consisting of verbal or graphic descriptions of behavior and experience resulting from processes of observation, interpretation, and analysis. Quantitative Data: Quantitative data consist of information represented in the form of numbers that can be analyzed by means of descriptive or inferential statistics. It is often precise and narrow data. Reading Conferences: Conferences conducted by teachers during independent reading time provide an opportunity to meet with a student to assess progress, to note reading strategies that are being used, monitor books being read, and to provide guidance in developing reading strategies. Rime: The part of a syllable that consists of its vowel and any consonant sounds that come after it. The rime of the word box is /ox/. Scaffolding: A scaffold is a supporting framework. Scaffolded learning is a teaching strategy that helps support students in their learning when they may have difficulties. A goal of scaffolded learning is to have students use a particular strategy independently. Screening Tests: These tests provide information that serves as a baseline. They are usually given to determine the appropriate starting place for instruction. Self-Correction: In a running record or informal reading inventory, this is a miscue in which students do not read a word or words correctly, but return to the text and read the word or words correctly. Self-Correction Rate: This is the ratio of self-corrections to errors when reading the text. Sound-Print Connection: Understanding the relationship between print and sound. Substitution: In a running record or informal reading inventory, this is a miscue in which students replace the printed word with another word. For example, if the sentence is: She said, No,' the student reads: She shouted, No. Summative Assessment: These tests are usually given at the end of a unit or at the end of the year. They assess a students strengths and weaknesses over a period of time.