Profit Pathology and Disposable Planet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Profit Pathology and Disposable Planet - Essay Example Both â€Å"Flow† and â€Å"Pathology† address crucial problems that endanger people’s lives. â€Å"Flow† is a documentary directed by Irene Salina in 2008 and introduces the difficulty many people around the world have in finding clean water and how chemicals have contaminated drinkable water around the world. It is common knowledge that water is indispensable for survival; however, the reality is that water is becoming scare throughout the world. As stated in â€Å"Flow†: â€Å"The world is running out of fresh water.† This dramatic observation represents a real threat to millions of people around the world compelled to drink dirty water. This scarcity of fresh water is related to the pollution caused by companies whose chemical products contaminate the water. â€Å"Flow† presents examples from Mexico, Bolivia, India and South Africa where people die after drinking contaminated water. This pollution is a point Michael Parenti denounce s in his article. He indeed presents pollution as s threat to people’s health and survival. Indicating the companies’ involvement in the pollution, he states: â€Å"This corporate system of capital accumulation treats the Earth's life-sustaining resources (arable land, groundwater, wetlands, foliage, forests, fisheries, ocean beds, bays, rivers, air quality) as disposable ingredients presumed to be of limitless supply, to be consumed or toxified at will†. ... He indeed presents pollution as s threat to people’s health and survival. Indicating the companies’ involvement in the pollution, he states: â€Å"This corporate system of capital accumulation treats the Earth's life-sustaining resources (arable land, groundwater, wetlands, foliage, forests, fisheries, ocean beds, bays, rivers, air quality) as disposable ingredients presumed to be of limitless supply, to be consumed or toxified at will† (Parenti). He clearly denounces the destruction of the world’s resources and the toxic chemicals companies discharge in them therefore threatening people’s health and lives. Similarly â€Å"Monsanto† and Parenti’s article also share the same concern about the deadly effects of chemicals and the invincibility of the multinationals that have total control over the organizations supposed to regulate the fields. This documentary directed by Marie-Monique Robin in 2008 presents Monsanto, a multinational agri cultural biotechnology corporation, involved in the production of herbicide and genetically engineered seeds. Even though Monsanto claims â€Å"to help farmers produce better crops† (Monsanto) there is a growing controversy concerning the health risks that the products constitute. In fact, some studies find that the herbicide, Round up, and other chemicals â€Å"Provoke the first stages that lead to cancer† (Monsanto). Because of these health risks, workers and researchers raise the question of safety; however, their concerns did not find easy answers since they soon found out that the company was very powerful and well-grounded. Their priority was not the safety of their workers or the environment but to make profit. One of the company’s reports indicates: â€Å"We cannot afford to lose

Oil Spill Response Essay -- Nature Natural Oil Essays

Oil Spill Response Abstract This paper describes equipment and techniques for responding to oil spills. Various techniques for the containment, cleanup and recovery of oil spills are examined; advantages and disadvantages of each are considered. Along with providing insight for oil spill response, this paper discusses environmental factors which can contribute to the success or failure of a cleanup operation. Introduction: " Oil is the life blood of our modern industrial society. It fuels the machines and lubricates the wheels of the world’s production. But when that vital resource is out of control, it can destroy marine life and devastate the environment and economy of an entire region†¦. The plain facts are that the technology of oil-- its extraction, its transport, its refinery and use-- has outpaced laws to control that technology and prevent oil from polluting the environment†¦" (Max, 1969). Oil in its many forms has become one of the necessities of modern industrial life. Under control, and serving its intended purpose, oil is efficient, versatile, and productive. On the other hand, when oil becomes out of control, it can be one of the most devastating substances in the environment. When spilled in water, it spreads for miles around leaving a black memory behind (Stanley, 1969). Oil spills, no matter large or small, have long been of concern to pollution control authorities in this country. Due to its destructive nature, once an area has been contaminated by oil, the whole character of the environment is changed. When it has encountered something solid to cling to, whether it be a beach, a rock, the feathers of a duck or gull, or a bather’s hair, it does not readily let go (Stanley, 1969). By its nature o... ... Issues Resources Series 5 (61): 18-20. Max, N.E. 1969. Oil pollution and the law. Washington, D.C.: The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. National Research Council. 1989. Using oil pollution dispersants on the sea. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Nelson, A.N. 1971. Effects of oil on marine plants and animals. London: Institute of Petroleum. Peter Lane. 1995. The use of chemicals in oil spill response. MI: Ann Arbor. Robert, J.M. and Associates. 1989. Oil spill response guide. New Jersey: NOYES DATA Corporation. Stanley, E.D. 1969. Oil pollution: Problems and policies. Washington, D.C.: The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. Swift, W.H, . C.J. Touhill, W.L. Templeton, and D.P. Roseman. 1969. Oil spillage prevention, control, and restoration—state of the art and research needs. Washington, D.C.: The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.

Business systems in Japan and China Essay

Introduction After the World War Two, Japan embarked on a journey of reviving its economy. The fast industralisation process is nothing short of spectacular. Japan’s basic infrastructure was basically destroyed in the war and she grew from a war-torn state to a world leading economy in a few decades. This requires good company and government governance, in order to achieve this result. Japan is also a major technology and export hub in Asia and she is currently the world third largest economy by Gross Domestic Product. (World Bank, 2014). Prior to the economic reform of Deng Xiao Peng, the Chinese government has total control of all the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) under the communist system. It is a very highly centralized system that only the Chinese State government has power and control over it.(Laaksonen, 1988) Under the reformation policy, individuals are allowed to trade and sell surplus products in rural area and small businesses are allowed in urban or city. This marks the start of the China’s Socialist market economy. As a result of the open door policy, Chinese economy grew from a third world country to the second largest economy of the world in less than four decades. (World Bank, 2014) Despite the great differences of these two economy, the fact that its governance and cultures are deeply influence by the idea of Confucianism. (Chan, 1986) Hereby, in this article, discussion will be separated into two parts that are based on the similarities and differences between the two business systems. Differences 1. Keiretsu Vs Reform Policy In Japan, Keiretsu formed the largest business group and its one of the key contributors to the Japan’s economy which usually employed Japanese style of management and system. Zaibatsu was the forerunner of Keiretsu which are family run and it is the main business system before Second World War. There are two types of Keiretsu: namely horizontally organized Keiretsu and vertically organized Keiretsu. In horizontally organized Keiretsu, capital and human resource are closely knitted together and cross directorships and holding of stock among group members are not uncommon. The cross-holding of stock among the top 6 corporate group was as high as 24% (Tokyo Business Times, 1989) in the late eighties. This allows the group to be very close  and strong. Some of the examples of company with this structure are Mitsubishi and Sumitomo. (Okumaru, 1976).The governing of company are handed to professionals or agents to prevent dispute among group members. In vertically organized Keire tsu, it is formed by a huge parent company. She has its own supply distributorships and suppliers. Every flow and operations of the company follows a top to down process so as to control inventories and manufacturing quality. Many small and medium sized enterprises in japan utilize this system. Some of the example of such company are Sony and Toyota. In 1979, China started her reform programme after the initiating of economic open door policy by Deng Xiao Ping. The state government vows to liberalise and modernised China’s key industry like agriculture, technology and defence. More autonomy are given to the State Owned Enterprise to manage their own division. For example: The State Owned Enterprises are given the rights to form their company structure in accordance to the needs of leaner production process or market maximization. Hence, workers are now able to choose and change job with respect to their interest and expertise. This highly promotes the effectiveness of the State Owned Enterprises. (Lichtenstein, 1993) The state government also implements the use of Profit and Loss contract (yinkuibaokan) whereby a portion of the profits are contributed to the state government and the remaining profit can be kept by the State Owned Enterprise. China’s state government also undertake a few other methods to reform, this includes the downsizing of the State Owned Enterprises , setting up of stock exchange in Shanghai and Shenzhen and transformed some important industry to shareholding companies so that it can trade. All in all, this gives rise to the socialist market economy in China whereby capitalism way of managing the economy is enforced. 2. Developing its own industries Vs Foreign Direct Investment Ever since the Second World War, Japan has decided to become an export driven economy, and the Japanese have been fast to recover its economy by competing fiercely in the ever increasingly saturated market. The products they are churning out are of good reliability and they often undercut its co mpetitors by a huge margin to win the contract. As illustrated in the case of Hitachi at a sales presentation in 1985, Hitachi stressed to undercut its competitors severely. (Fallows 1993) Japan owed its rapid industralisation process to the huge domestic exports. The export ranged from the early days textile to  automobiles and later on, high technologies products such as semiconductors. Japan invested heavily on research and development to create high value products to make it desirable to the world. As a result of the severe undercutting of competitors. Japan’s enterprise have to come out with several ways to enhance efficiency to ensure profitability. Toyota created a system called Just-In-Time (JIT) which emphasize on the redundancy of keeping live inventory. (Uno, 1987) It was first created in the 1950s and later slowly dispersed into the different industries and plants in Japan in the 1960s and 1970s. It requires close and collaborative relations with all suppliers for it to work. However, with good implementation, it can ensure lean production with little slack and good flow process. This process brings about the envy of the industrialised world especially in the United States. Other industrialised nations tried to emulate the success of JIT, but not always with positive results due to the poor implementation. Japanese companies also used Total Quality Control(TQC) in manufacturing. It is first coined by Professor William Demming of New York City but it is the Japanese that utilize it.The ideas of Total Quality Control is to have no or little tolerance for rework. Reworking a product are deemed as a wastage of time. By adopting a do it once, do it well approach, further time and cost can be saved to make the production lean. After the 1979 economic reforms by the Chinese state government, the state government allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to enter into Chinese market. It is the movement of long term foreign financing that allows a shareholding of at least 10% of the State Owned Enterprises. This usually includes the transfer of technology and know-hows to the host country from the Multi-Nationals Companies (MNCs). As a result of the transfer of technology, the host country in this case the State Owned Enterprises will have gained insights on the production process. Hence, further research and development by the State Owned Enterprises is possible. Also, in 1979, the state government created four Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Guangdong and Fujian province to encourage the facilitation of Foreign Direct Investment that mainly foreign investment will stay in this four zones. The state government realizes that by creating four zones is not enough to open up the market. Therefore, in the 1980s wholly-owned foreign enterprises are allowed and also more east coast ports are opened up to encourage foreign trades and investment. China State government viewed  Foreign Direct Investment as a very important catalyst to improve its economy. Subsequently, foreign enterprises are given the same treatment as a State Owned Enterprise and the joining of World Trade Organisation in November 2001 makes a very huge milestone in China’s economic history. Due to rising manufacturing cost Japan industries, Japan has begun to pour Foreign Direct Investment into China to cut cost. As evidenced by (Kunii et al., 2002) , during the period of first six months of 2002 , Japanese firms concluded deals of $3.15 billion. This goes to show the importance of Foreign Direct Investment for both countries in a win-win situation. Japan can benefit from the low production cost and China can benefit from the capital inflow and technology transfer. As of 2012, China is the leading Foreign Direct Investment in the world. (Perkowski, 2012). 3. Socialist Market Economy Vs Capitalist Market Economy The socialist market economy is the only model that are used by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It is based on the dominance of State Owned Enterprises and maintaining a free open market, its origins can be traced from the Chinese economic reforms introduced under Deng Xiao Ping. During the early stage of economic reform in China, socialism are deemed as the basis for the reform, and therefore has to adopt capitalist techniques to survive. It is also known as the social capitalism despite adopting the free market system of capitalism. (Schweickart, 2006) Japan adopted the system of capitalist market economy which got its influence from her western counterparts. It’s a system that encourage free trading in the market in the forms of products, shares and commodities. Despite Japan uses Keiretsu in their business systems, it is still by large using a capitalist system. The need for consumption of luxury products and export of domestic shows the use of capitalist system. Similarities 1. Intervention of government bodies Historically in Japan history since Meiji Restoration, Japanese government has always played a very important role in the industrialisation. To be able to play catch-up with the western nations, the government deemed the intervention necessary. It also enable the government to be strengthened through the lending of private funds and invest it in key industries such as  shipbuilding, communication in the Meiji’s government. The intervention of government in financing benefited the big groups of zaibatsu and later on Keiretsu. After the Second World War, the Japanese government once again realised the importance of state support for the companies and economies to grow quickly. (Johnson, 1982) In recent times, Japanese government agencies such as Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and Ministry of Finance (MOF) have been actively participated in business by giving funds and supports to industry that are of utmost national interest. On the other hand, big business can exert huge influence on the political scene by endorsing political candidate that are beneficial to the interest of the big corporation. With respect to Japan, Korean government intervention of chaebols (big conglomerate) are largely similar to Japan. In the earlier days, the Korean government invested heavily and provide financial aids to chaebols such as Lucky Goldstar and Samsung. With the strong backing of the government, these companies are able to flourish. (Song, 1990) By 1990s, the reforming of State Owned Enterprises especially small and medium state enterprises became a top priority for the Chinese state government. After a carefully study by the state government, a new reform system formed under the name of â€Å"the Regulations for Transforming Managerial Mechanisms of the State Owned Enterprises’ ( Liberation Daily, 1992). This includes of fourteen kinds of power to instill self-management. Even though, it’s a move by the Chinese state government to liberalized State Owned Enterprises. But, government steps by steps intervention of the process is still very much needed. Especially, during the early periods of reforms, they are many uncertainties and fluctuations in the market that requires government intervention to ensure the reformations process is smooth and steady. 2. Confucianism Influence All the major East Asian management system have been influenced heavily by the Confucian tradition. (Oh, 1983). This includes China, South Korea and Japan which has some olden Chinese co-relation. It does not only has heavy influence towards these countries culturally but also economically. For example: In Japan, huge emphasis is put on the seniority in both workplace or at home. Similarly, likewise for Korea. Respect are to be given to elders or person with high seniority. Individualisms and competitiveness are not  part of the teaching of Confucianism. In the economy of these East Asian countries, they are generally competitive and placed a lot of emphasis on individual actualization. Though, these countries are influence deeply by Confucianism, its more applicable to the management level which is at micro level. At macro levels, the government efforts and communitarianism could be the explanation for the competition in the world market. Conclusion In conclusion, this article has discussed about the similarities and differences between Japan and China. There are three main differences that are discussed in this article. Firstly, its Japan’s Keiretsu and China’s reform policy. Japan’s Keiretsu was the predecessor of zaibatsu and it’s the dominant force of Japan’s economy. Deng Xiaoping pushes for economic reforms and turned its communist economy to a socialist economy. Secondly, Japan invested heavily in the research and development of technology as to become world major exports nations. Through the process of undercutting its competitors, Japan’s enterprises utilize Just in Time process and Total Quality Management to ensure high efficiency and lean production cycle. On the other hand, China relied on Foreign Direct Investment to boost its economy. In the process of Foreign Direct Investment, not only it creates jobs for the country but also learn about foreign technologies through technology transfer. Lastly, the Chinese employed a socialist economic models which is often referred as state capitalism whereby the government still practiced one party communism. Japan on the other hand, support a free trade market which is similar to the capitalist systems in the west. The article also discusses the importance of government or state intervention of the economy. For Japan, the government provides good infrastructure and financial aids to industry that are deemed promising. In china, the Chinese state government slowly guides its economy through intervals of reforms to prevent the reformation for being too fast or slow. Lastly, Confucianism plays a big role in influencing the management style of Japanese and Korean organization but not so much in China State Owned Enterprises. References Businessweek, (2002). In Japan , China is Sexy. pp.22-23. Chan, W. (1986). Chu Hsi and Neo-Confucianism. 1st ed. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. Johnson, C. (1982). MITI and the Japanese miracle. 1st ed. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press. Laaksonen, O. (1988). Management in China during and after Mao in enterprises, government, and party. 1st ed. Berlin: W. de Gruyter. Liberation Daily, (1992). Regulations for Transforming Managerial Mechanisms of the State Owned Enterprises. Lichtenstein, N. (1993). Enterprise reform in China. 1st ed. Washington, DC (1818 H St., NW, Washington 20433): Legal Dept., World Bank. Oh, T. (1983). A Comparative Study of the Influence of Confucianism on Japanese Korean, and Chinese Management Practices. 1st ed. Honolulu: Academy of International Business Asia-Pacific Dimensions of International Business. Okumaru, H. (1976). Six Largest Business Groups In Japan. 1st ed. Tokyo: Diamond Publishing. Perkowski, J. (2012). China Leads In Foreign Direct Investment. [online] Forbes. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jackperkowski/2012/11/05/china-leads-in-foreign-direct-in vestment/ [Accessed 12 Aug. 2014]. Schweickart, D. (2006). China: Market Socialism or Capitalism?. p.137. Song, B. (1990). The rise of the Korean economy. 1st ed. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. Tokyo Business Time, (1989). Intimate Links With Japan’s Corporate Groups. pp.14-19. Uno, K. (1987). Japanese industrial performance. 1st ed. Amsterdam: North-Holland. World Bank, (2014). Gross Domestic Product 2013. [online] Available at: http://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/GDP.pdf [Accessed 31 Jul. 2014]. Word Count: 2503 words

Essay Hobbes and Goldman The Good Life and Political...

The nature of a good life and its relation to political legitimacy is a subject which both Thomas Hobbes and Emma Goldman examine in their writings. Hobbes claims that only basic survival is necessary to live a good life because ultimately life is more valuable than comfort. Goldman on the other hand claims that freedom is far more important than simply living and a good life can only be lived by someone who is free to do as they please. In order for a political theorist to understand how legitimate governments and communities aught treat their citizens these theories are essential. For example, if a community holds a Hobbesian view than they will have a strong authoritarian leadership, whereas in a Goldman inspired community would have†¦show more content†¦Stemming from his theories regarding the definition of a good life, Hobbes’ view of political legitimacy is very centered on the ability of the ruler to effectively govern. The first and most important aspect of H obbes’ view of legitimacy is the idea of a â€Å"social contract.† A social contract an agreement between those who are in power and those who are ruled which is a framework which one can view societal relations within. In Hobbes’ ideal government the citizens are free to do anything that is not proscribed by the state; however, if the sovereign creates laws or â€Å"chains,† citizens must accept them as legitimate because of the social contract that they tacitly agree to. Citizens give up their rights to resources and freedom of action in exchange for the benefits of peace as well as the protection of the sovereign. In essence, according to Hobbes, any government which can provide stability for its people is legitimate (although he also claims there may be benefits to an autocratic monarchy as opposed to more democratic forms of government.). Furthermore, Hobbes disputes the idea that people need to give explicit consent to be legitimately governed. In t he utopian â€Å"Commonwealth† that Hobbes proposes a ruler can become legitimate not only through a concordat with the populace but also through strength of arms. If a ruler acquires power though coercive means then, according to Hobbes, he has totalShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesGlobalization 16 †¢ Managing Workforce Diversity 18 †¢ Improving Customer Service 18 †¢ Improving People Skills 19 †¢ Stimulating Innovation and Change 20 †¢ Coping with â€Å"Temporariness† 20 †¢ Working in Networked Organizations 20 †¢ Helping Employees Balance Work–Life Conflicts 21 †¢ Creating a Positive Work Environment 22 †¢ Improving Ethical Behavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment