Social Performance of Gap Inc.

Introduction Social responsibility means taking care of the interests of the stakeholders of a company1. The stakeholders of a company are the employees, the customers, the government, the suppliers, shareholders and the public in general.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Performance of Gap Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With the increasing competition, managers of companies are doing their best to ensure that they stay ahead of competition. Social responsibility to all stakeholders has become a great strategy to enhance competitiveness. Gap Inc. has all the classes of stakeholders. The company has 134,000 employees who work in its various departments worldwide2. It has an approximate customer base of 14 million customers who are served from various stores owned by the company. The company appreciates the fact that in order to achieve success, it must incorporate the help of all the stakeholders. The company also understands that the problems they face in the global business arena are too complex and they can be overcome through combined efforts. The major stakeholders to the company are government officials, manufacturing companies, factory managers, human rights groups, environmental groups, trade unions and investors. The stakeholders play an important role in the social responsibility program of the company. Their input in terms of expertise has seen the company go far. Collaboration with the stakeholders has enabled the company to address issue of child labour in Uzbekistan and improve on the supply chain of the company. The company has collaborated with the International Labour Rights Fund (ILRF) to improve on labour relations and standards in global export business3.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gap Inc. has also collaborated with workers united to help improv e on the garment production in Canada and the United States. This has ensured that the workers in the North America have an ample economic environment. Another stakeholder that collaborates with Gap Inc. is Maquilla Solidarity Network (MSN) to improve on the rights of employees4. This collaboration has seen the increasing respect freedom of association of workers among other benefits. The company also offers other benefits to the employees such sick pay, transport and other employee benefits. These are just some examples of responsibility performance of the Gap Inc. Gap Inc. also operates within the legal requirements hence it is responsible to the government. The company complies with the provisions on employment, minimum and maximum wages of employees, employee safety among other provisions. Social Performance with Regard to Employees Positive Aspects The company views its employees as important stakeholders in the organization. There are many positive aspects of employee social r esponsibility by the company. One positive aspect is encouragement of employees to pursue their goals in the organization. The company encourages the employees to â€Å"wear their passion†. Another positive aspect is on the communication to the employees. The management has always encouraged the communication to the employees on the progress of the company and also on their roles and responsibilities. By encouraging the employees and motivating them to take pride in their jobs has created a positive impact to the society. Employees interact with the customers of the company and if the employees are well motivated, the customers will get better services from them. Employees play a central role in creating a positive impact in the society5. Gap Inc. has entered into collaborations with various human rights groups and trade unions. This shows that the company’s social performance with respect to employees is great. The company has reduced child labour in the companyâ€⠄¢s activities through the collaboration with groups such as the International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF), As You Sow, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) and Environmental Justice Forum among others.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Performance of Gap Inc. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By reducing or attempting to eliminate child labour, the company is impacting positively on the society. To start with, the children are rehabilitated and encouraged to attend schools. This gives the children a chance for better lives in the future hence a better society. By employing people who have attained the legal age, the company has set a good precedence to other companies hence the society will reap from this later. Gap Inc. has shown a lot of social responsibility to the employees by following the provisions of the human rights groups and employment law. The company has entered into partnerships with International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF), Workers United, Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), Ethical Training Initiative (ETI), Corporate Involvement Program (CIP), and Maquilla Solidarity Network (MSN) among others. This has ensured that the company respects human an employment rights of employees. As a consequence, the company offer attractive salaries to the employees and it strive to reduce occupational hazards. The company also provides insurance to any eventualities which may happen to employees in the course of their duties6. Through providing better services and offering good salaries, the company has contributed positively to the social lives of the people. The company also provides transport facilities to the workers working in various farms such as in Uzbekistan. The lower level employees are also provided with sick pay and sick care where they are paid even when they are on sick leave. With these benefits and incentives, the employees can afford to live comf ortably and take care of their families. By reducing the occupational hazards and providing insurance to the employees, the company ensures that the society is healthy. This is a big positive impact on the society. Negative Aspects Despite the efforts mentioned above, there are negative aspects in responsibility to the employees. One negative aspect is failure to eliminate employment of underage children in the cotton farms in Uzbekistan.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company has only managed to reduce the employment to these underage children but not to eliminate the practice fully. Employment of underage children has impacted negatively on the society. The children do not get a chance to acquire better education and their future is at stake. This is dangerous for the future of the society in general7. Another negative aspect is the fact that the company has partially ignored training and employment development. Very little efforts are directed to this important aspect and this has a negative impact in the society. Employees are trained only on ethical issues but not on work other technical workers. The employees do not stay up to date with the current trends and therefore there is possibility that their services to the company and to the society in general will become obsolete. According to a research conducted by the company on its responsibility to thee employees, 67% of the employees expressed their dissatisfaction with the training prog rams that the company has8. Apart from the good remuneration, the company has ignored other aspects of employee responsibility such as sick pay, provision of food within the work place, organizing of social events and other related benefits. This has a negative effect to the society since it leads to less socialization and a possibility of strained families. These are some aspects that have contributed to poverty and social deprivation of the employees. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is evident that the company has done a lot to enhance employee social responsibility. The company has been striving to create an ample working environment, to remunerate the employees well, provide incentives to the employees and follow general international guidelines in its dealing with employees. This has created a positive impact in the society. However, the company needs to improve on some issues which affect negatively the company’s social responsibility to the employees. The comp any should eliminate employment of minors since this has a negative effect on the society. Additionally, the company should start training facilities for the employees and facilitate growth. This will enable the employees to keep in touch with the recent developments and be able to think rationally. Another issue that the company needs to improve is on provision of social benefits such as vacations, outings, employee team building activities and other activities which enhance the social well being of people9. The opinion of the writer is that the Gap Inc. has achieved a milestone in employee responsibility. When asked about their views about Gap Inc., its 77% of the employees responded that they considered the company to be a great place to work in10. Gap Inc.’s performance with respect to employee responsibility is better compared to that of other companies. This is because of the importance that Gap Inc. attachà © to its employees and other stakeholders in general. The com pany understands that employees are important assets to an organization and they can be used to enhance competitive advantage11. Bibliography Andersen, Erika. Growing great employees: turning ordinary people into extraordinary performers. London: Erika Andersen, 2006. Bourne, Lydia. Stakeholder relationship management: A maturity model for organizational implementation. Burlington: Gower Publishing Ltd, 2009. Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc.,2011. Web. Horrigan, Bryan. Corporate social responsibility in the 21st century: debates, models and practices across government, law and business. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009. Pohl, Manfred and Tolhurst, Nick. Responsible business: How to manage a CSR strategy successfully. London: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. Footnotes 1 Bryan, Horrigan. Corporate social responsibility in the 21st century: debates, models and practices across government, law and business. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009. 2 Gap Inc. Social responsi bility. Gap Inc., 2011. 3 Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc., 2011. 4 Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc., 2011. 5 Erika, Andersen. Growing great employees: turning ordinary people into extraordinary performers. London: Erika Andersen, 2006. 6 Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc., 2011. 7 Lydia, Bourne. Stakeholder relationship management: A maturity model for organizational implementation. Burlington: Gower Publishing Ltd, 2009. 8 Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc., 2011. 9 Manfred, Pohl and Nick, Tolhurst. Responsible business: How to manage a CSR strategy successfully. London: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. 10 Gap Inc. Social responsibility. Gap Inc., 2011. 11 Bryan, Horrigan. Corporate social responsibility in the 21st century: debates, models and practices across government, law and business. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009. This essay on Social Performance of Gap Inc. was written and submitted by user Preston Nelson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Disabled People in the Workforce Professor Ramos Blog

Disabled People in the Workforce HuffPost Article Summary: In the article, â€Å"Disabled Individuals Bring Innovation to the Workforce† by Jay Ruderman, it discusses the positive effects of disabled people in the workforce. Unfortunately, â€Å"the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is twice the national average† (Ruderman, 2013), which really sucks because disabled have a lot to offer. Where would we be if Beethoven stopped composing music after he became deaf? Or if Roosevelt wasn’t elected to be the President of the United States? Also, because of the difficulties they’ve had to face in their daily routines, â€Å"they know how to think out-of-the-box† (Ruderman, 2013). The U.S. Department of Education has released studies that said â€Å"workers with disabilities are rated consistently as average or above average in performance, quality and quantity of work, flexibility, and attendance† (Ruderman, 2013). There also needs to be more disabled people in the workforce because the disabled population has increased by 25% and they need to make a living somehow. People with disabilities may look different than us, talk different than us, and even perform tasks different than us but just because theyre different doesnt mean that they should be thought of any less than people without disabilities. Discussion Questions: Is there a mostly positive environment for disabled workers? Will a negative environment affect their performance/the willingness to hire them?

Short case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short - Case Study Example This article seeks to explore some of the problematic details in the relationship with specific reference to the value of unions to the Canadian economy. The general thinking behind the establishment of trade unions is the safeguarding of the welfare of workers. In the rush to make profits and enhance their corporate profile, companies may engage in trade practices that contravene their moral obligations to the workers. Proponents of trade unions including United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) work under the philosophy of protecting workers from the excesses of corporate practices (Business Case 8). Comparative evidence, case reviews and situation analyses indicate a gap in trade union activity between the United States and Canada. Unlike Canada, there has been a significant decline among workers in the United States to join trade unions (Bronfenbrenner, 2007). Differences in corporate culture and working practices have been cited a determining factor of the differences between the United States and Canada. Critical questions continue to attend to the question regarding the value of unions in the Canadian economy. Although collective bargaining agreement are meant to secure the interest of workers, past incidences show and precedence shows that companies would not easily cede to the demands by workers, which may lead to dire consequences on the economic front (Segerlund, 2010). Basically, collective bargaining denies the corporate world of the individual initiative and competition within the work force. This is because the workers are conditioned to operate under some common laws, which do not inspire the nurturing and growth of individual enterprise. One case that is easily recalled was the tussle that pitted Walmart and UFCW in 2009. Walmart refused to accept the condition set by the arbitrator and chose to close down its stores. Walmart’s action illustrated a growing resistance by the

Business Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Research - Essay Example This trend of use of celebrities in adverts is not likely to change in the near future. The media have contributed to this obsession through overloading the society with information and demonstrations of celebrities and giving them entertainment. The use of celebrities in adverts accrues benefits not only to the organization but also to the celebrity. Through the use of a celebrity, the consumer feels a positive feeling of association and security. The consumers deem their celebrities as idols, and once they recommend the use of a product, they deem such products as of high quality. Consumers like to be associated with celebrities, and they end up buying such products because they would like to be like the celebrity. In essence, the use of a celebrity makes a product stand out and be recalled by the consumers. The use of a celebrity makes the products or services stand out. Celebrity endorsement has been regarded as a way of getting the brand noticed amidst the high competition in th e market environment. There are huge impacts of the use of celebrities in adverts among consumers through audio visual commercials. ... Relevance of the Research Numerous studies have been carried out to identify the impact of celebrity endorsements on sales and marketing. Nevertheless, there is disagreement and debate on the precise role of celebrity endorsement on customer discernment towards the brand. Customer attitudes form the basis for increased sales and marketing of a product. Some studies note that there is a weak correlation between the two while others state that there is a strong correlation between the two. This research proposal will provide a basis on the acquisition of insights in the field of consumer discernments towards a brand or product and the impact of celebrity endorsements on them to influence sales and marketing. This proposal will structure a systematic review with respect to these associations to offer marketing economists a useful guide on celebrity endorsement. Because this proposal will assist clarify the role of celebrity endorsement in adverts, it will also serve societal and practic al relevance. For organizations, it is particularly significant to identify the positive and negative effects of celebrity endorsement on the discernment of the customer towards the product and brand so purchase decision making and purchasing behavior can be increased. This paper will give insights on the significance of celebrity endorsement through giving reference to an example of celebrity endorsements such as David Beckham by Adidas. An enhanced comprehension of celebrity endorsement unquestionably prompts managers to take on an effective policy by which sufficient customer discernment will be engendered. This will lead to increased customer purchase intents, which will positively affect the

Explain how to establish ground rules with learners to promote respect Essay

Explain how to establish ground rules with learners to promote respect for others - Essay Example Their ultimate goal is to create a conducive learning environment. Success establishment of these rules and group discussions should be considered. Each and every student’s opinion must be reflected and then discussed thoroughly. A list of these rules is finally written down and pinned in the classroom for everyone to refer to (Frei 2007, 55). The teacher should encourage interactive teamwork between the students. These set of rules mainly involves negotiable rules and non-negotiable rules. The teacher usually states non-negotiable rules, but they should not be discriminative. They include observing start and finish time of the lesson, full participation in class and preparedness of the learners. Negotiable rules may include switching off phones or eating in class. After establishment of ground rules, awareness must be created to students on the measures to be taken if they override them. This should be very clear and must be enforced by the agreement and subsequent adherence to the rules. Encouraging group work and teamwork in class highly improves the supportiveness of the student towards each other (Frei 2007, 77). It also establishes mutual respect between the learners and towards the teacher. This directs positive thinking and makes learning interesting which has an overall positive result on the course and education at

Comparative Advantages Of Presidential And Parliamentary Systems Politics Essay

Comparative Advantages Of Presidential And Parliamentary Systems Politics Essay At the birth of every nation is the key structural question, how best to govern ones people and state. This has predominantly been met with two, very differing and opposing answers that of presidentialism and parliamentarism. The variables that determine this choice are inherently entrenched in the political, social and economic history of the state in question. As such one cannot dismiss one particular system on a political or ethnocentric basis, but evaluate it on its applicability and suitability to the state that it presides in, and the impact the innate strengths and flaws of both systems. However given the huge number of political systems to study and the national variations that occur within each state it would be impossible to present a comprehensive comparison of the systems, as such I will focus on two systems in particular, the United Kingdom and the Unites States of America. These can be regarded as the figureheads of their respective systems and the models upon which most other systems are based. The American constitution was created in 1787 with the radical idea that no single branch of the political structure should have precedence over another. As such the concept of separated power was introduced. This involved a significant departure from the traditional forms of government of the colonial states that had controlled and exploited the New World states such as the US itself. The governments of the industrialised imperialists tended to be dominated by the executive. This is another significant factor which encouraged these ex-colonial states to reject the democratically imperfect parliaments of the European imperialists in search of a fairer, more representative system inspired by the ideas of Aristotle  [1]  . Therefore both the executive and legislative is elected separately and therefore have dual democratic legitimacy. Therefore neither body is accountable to the other such as in the British parliament, so there is no danger of one branch holding more power and dominating the other. This ensures a more balanced government and one that more correctly expounds the political will of the public. The fact that there are bicameral and presidential elections makes the system much more representative and democratic then in the UK where only the legislature is elected. It also makes the political institution more flexible to the changing tide of public opinion. For instance if the British public becomes dissatisfied with its Labour government after its election it may have to wait five years before they can vote against them, whereas in the US elections for at least one aspect of government occur every two years, enabling government to better represent the contemporary political desires of its c itizens. This arouses another key component of the presidential model; it has set term times for its officials. For instance the President is in office for four years and can only be removed by being impeached by the congress, a very rare move. This gives the system a stability and removes the uncertainties of the parliamentary system where the threat of both the vote of confidence and anticipated elections always hang over the government. Anticipated elections though inducing a certain amount of uncertainty into the parliament, they also give the government a much greater flexibility then that of its American counterpart, enabling them to alter the political landscape of the parliament to react to the changing moods and reality of the domestic and international environment. New elections may be called before the obligatory five years for a number of reasons, for instance to strengthen a parties ruling majority, to introduce a new government if one cannot be created or becomes unworkable or t o respond to crises such as a huge scandal in government.  [2]   In terms of elections in the Congress the framers ensured that both houses of the bicameral legislative should be elected, in keeping with the founding democratic principles of the American constitution. This leads to a much fairer and representative governing of the people as all aspects of the legislative and presidency are elected by the people. However the relatively high number of elections may go some way to explaining the extremely low voting turn out of the American people, perhaps somewhat apathetic to elections they dismiss as commonplace and thus irrelevant. These dual Presidential and Congressional elections allow the opportunity for both a legislative and government division. If different parties occupy each house or the congress is united against the opposing administration there can be a divided government. This can lead to a deep division within the presidential system if the two sides disagree, it can be very difficult to enact legislation or concur on appointments to the Supreme Court  [3]  , famously described by Rauch under the term of demosclerosis. However, few examples of a unified government since WWII demonstrate that unification does not guarantee efficient, informed, timely and effective public policy  [4]  , as seen under Jimmy Carters administration and due to the individualist based nature of US politics rather then party orientated. In fact the potential delays associated with dual democratic legitimacy ensures that policies are not rushed and are mutual accepted by both the executive and legislature. The third branch of the presidential system is the Supreme Court, yet Schubert has shown that it is only since 1957 has the supreme court began to exert its power over the congress and president by asserting its constitutional right to veto laws it deems unconstitutional. Previously to this the Supreme Court had only struck down Presidents actions fourteen times, failing to maintain an effective separation of power by undermining the system of balance and checks that the US model is based on.  [5]  A more independent and aggressive judiciary helps to ensure that the constitutional rights of the public are preserved and to limit the powers of the executive and legislative. However there still remains the capacity for a combined, presidential, congressional and federal over turning of the Supreme Court ruling so as to ensure the balance of power remains. Though the British parliament encompasses a number of similarities with the US model such as a bicameral legislative and three branched system, it still remains profoundly different in how these institutions are created and distributed. Most importantly only the legislative is democratically legitimate. This means that the executive originates from and is appointed by the legislative. This has a number of critical implications. Without the potential legitimacy conflicts that may occur in America the government can rule much more efficiently and quickly then the grid locked Presidential model. However the executive is prevented from abusing this power by the fact they have no democratic power base and as such, are accountable to the legislative by a vote of confidence. This allows a flexibility in the parliamentary system that America lacks. If the government suffers from ineptitude, an unworkable hung government or national crisis the government can be expelled and new elections call ed. This has only occurred once in Britain in 1979 when the minority government of Labours Callaghan was removed with a vote of no confidence when the government had become hung and ineffective  [6]  . The UK also has an unelected head of state, albeit a de jure power role. Though this is extremely undemocratic when compared to the US system, monarchists argue that the royal family acts as a symbolic vessel for all the heritage and wisdom of the previous generations and is a fundamental institution of the British consciousness. The same can also be said for the lower house of the UKs bicameral legislative. The house of Lords is another unelected part of the parliament, albeit much less influential then the house of parliament. This gives the parliament a stability, in its continuity that the permanently changing congress lacks, even if this is at the expense of democratic inclusiveness. The house of Lords also acts as the highest judiciary court of the parliamentary system. They can repeal government decisions only by legal precedents as the UK has no constitution. This streamlines the political structure and thus reduces the opportunity for inter-branch conflict which would slow down and inhibit the mechanism of governing as demonstrated by the demosclerosis that occurs in the US. However this is an obvious merging of powers and allows room for the abuse of power and conflict of interests, and as such is a serious flaw in the UK system. The traditional form that parliament or legislature takes is that of a majoriatarian, where there is one dominant party with a majority of seats (51 %plus). With Britains tradition of a ministers loyalty to their party and the whip system, they have very disciplined parties compared to America. This allows the party with an absolute majority to pass their legislative quickly and efficiently. Whereas in the US, despite the importance of party labels, member of Congress are independent players who vote not primarily out of party loyalty but to advance their constituency and career interests  [7]  . This means that the fluidic environment of Congress relies on undisciplined parties in order for it to function in a divided government, the existence of a whip system in such a divided government would produce comprehensive grid lock. This is a final example of the inherent indigenous nature of politics, what works in one state may not work in another. This is evident in the wide spread failure of president democracies such as in South Vietnam. Americas attempts during the Cold War to remake the third world in its image have obviously been an over-riding disaster. Both these systems require a number of prerequisites in the nation they are being implemented in. America requires a lack of ideological rigidity, undisciplined parties and locally-orientated politics  [8]  , whereas Britain needs public deference to its political rulers and an allegiance to authority. So despite each systems blatant imperfections they are ideally suited to the two entirely different nations they exist in.

Cda Competency Goal # 1 Essays Examples

Competency Goal #1 To establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment. One of the primary concerns in a preschool center based program is establishing and maintaining a safe, healthy learning environment. I will explain how I maintain this with examples in different areas and the goals I feel are important for a child to achieve. Two of the activities that I practice are fire safety and tornado drills. The purpose of fire/tornado drills is to let the children know where and what to do in case of and emergency situation.The most important reason for these drills enforces is to try and to teach the children to be calm and feel safe. We practice the drills monthly. The classroom is another area of significance for safety. The toys are checked daily, the room is clean and clutter free. The child’s personal belongings are put in his or her cubby and marked with their name. All medicines and chemicals are stored in a cabinet and are locked at all times. The room is set u p in a manner that my Para’s and I are able to supervise the children at all times. The telephone numbers of each child’s parents are in a file cabinet located next to the office phone.All emergency numbers are posted next to the office phone. The outdoor play area is checked daily for debris and equipment is in good and stable condition. We practice hygiene habits such as washing hands before and after meals, after the use of the bathroom and after they have their diaper changed. By establishing this habit at a young age, the children will grow-up developing cleanliness and pride in taking care of themselves. I use a private room separate from the classroom when changing diapers and use the Universal Safety precautions as well.The room is clean and tidy. The toys are washed weekly and the diaper area after each change with Clorox wipes and a disinfecting spray. This helps to keep germs from spreading. Good nutrition is essential in young children. Serving well balance d meals by choosing foods from the Food Pyramid (4 basic food groups) is important. All of our meals and snacks are provided through our school meal service and is pre-portioned for each child. I also use nutrition as an overall theme by doing activities like art, stories, and food tasting projects.The children sit at tables and chairs; also use silverware that is size appropriate. Meal time is a learning experience so all the children serve themselves family style. The actual room is set in an organized manner with open stations for the children to see materials and are able to play freely. All of the centers are labeled and books are shelved in an orderly fashion. I have developed a daily schedule and weekly themes to provide stimulation and knowledge. Having the room structured assists me to meet my goals as a lead teacher.