Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay QUESTION 1 A INTRODUCTION â€Å"The best and most successful organisations recognise that they will only prosper in the long term if they satisfy the aspirations of their stakeholders; including customers, suppliers, employees, local communities, investors, governments, public interest and environment groups. To satisfy this intense scrutiny and the demands for greater accountability in society, businesses and other organisations are increasingly recognising the need to measure, track and report on their social and ethical performance.† Ethics in purchasing and supply management can relate to a wide range of issues from doubts about suppliers business procedures and practices to corruption. Decisions on ethics and corporate social responsibility are at the heart of corporate strategy. They particularly influence the purpose of the organisation. By ethics and corporate social responsibility is meant the standards and conduct that an organisation sets itself in its dealings within the organisation and outside with its environment. Ethics is particularly concerned with the basic standards for the conduct of business affairs for example, policy with regard to honesty, health and safety and corrupt practice. Corporate social responsibility has a wider remit to include the organisation’s responsibility beyond the minimum to its employees and those outside the organisation. Topics will vary with each organisation but may include environmental ‘green’ issues, treatment of employees and suppliers, charitable work and other matters related to the local or national community not conforming to approved standards of social or professional behavior; unethical business practices QUESTION 1 B INTRODUCTION The Chartered Institute of Management defines codes of ethics as a set of principles or values, used by organizations to steer the conduct of both the organization itself and its employees, in all their business activities, both internal and in relation to the outside world. Ethical codes go further than most policy statements in that they are focused on matters of right and wrong rather than just on standards of behavior and applies individually as well as collectively to the organsation’s members, and affects its internal affairs as well as those with its external stakeholders. Code of Ethics in Relation to Internal Issue This is a code that applies to all employees involved in the purchasing process within Kyerico. In addition to full compliance with the Kyerico’s General Business Principles, all affected employees shall: 1. ACT HONESTLY AND ETHICALLY * Carry out their duties in an honest and ethical way by ensuring that business policies and practices are aligned with ethical principles. * Maintain the confidentiality of privileged information acquired in the course of their work, except when disclosure has been authorized or is legally obliged. * Act in good faith, responsible, with due care, competence and diligence, without allowing one’s independent judgment to be subordinated. Provide information that is true and not designed to mislead. * Clearly communicate ethical expectations to those with whom they work. * Refrain from using or appearing to use confidential information acquired in the course of one’s work for unethical or illegal advantage either personally or through third parties. * Ensure the integrity of records; including documenting obtained discounts in a proper form. 2. AVOID CONFLICTS OF INTEREST * Avoid actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships. No actions should be taken and interests outside Kyerico should be avoided that may make it difficult to perform his or her company work objectively and effectively. No direct or indirect financial interest in a supplier or competing company is allowed. * The acceptance of gifts or personal favors of commercial value is not acceptable, which includes invitations to sporting or social events. It is to be made clear to third parties that personal favors can only influence the business relationship negatively and that business decisions are based solely on benefits to Kyerico and not on considerations of past or future personal gain. 3. FOLLOW A FAIR PROCESS TO SELECT SUPPLIERS AND AWARD BUSINESS TO SUPPLIERS * Support the principle of fair competition as a basis for selecting suppliers and awarding business to suppliers. * While considering the advantages to Kyerico of maintaining a continuing relationship with a supplier, avoid any arrangement that could, in the long term, prevent the effective cooperation of fair competition. * Fully comply with the internal purchasing process of purchase requests and purchase orders when awarding business to a supplier. No purchase will be done without a purchase order. * Not share information related to quotes from suppliers with any other supplier at any time. 4. SELECT SUPPLIERS THAT COMPLY WITH HIGH ETHICAL STANDARDS * Select suppliers and award business to suppliers that are committed to act fairly and with integrity towards their stakeholders and that duly observe the applicable rules of the law of the countries they operate in. * Terminate the relationship with suppliers that do not adhere to general Kyerico’s policies for suppliers, like the child labor and forced labor policies. Code of Ethics in Relation to External Issues This is a code that applies to all suppliers dealing with Kyerico. In addition to full compliance with the Kyerico’s General Business Principles, all affected suppliers shall: 5. CHILD LABOUR SHALL NOT BE USED * There shall be no new recruitment of child labour. * Suppliers shall develop or participate in and contribute to policies and programmes which provide for the transition of any child found to be performing child labour to enable her or him to attend and remain in quality education until no longer a child. * Children and young persons under 18 shall not be employed at night or in hazardous conditions. * These policies and procedures shall conform to the provisions of the relevant ILO standards. 6. NO DISCRIMINATION IS PRACTICED * There is no discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination or retirement based on race, caste, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation. 7. LIVING WAGES ARE PAID * Wages and benefits paid for a standard working week meet, at a minimum, national legal standards or industry benchmark standards, whichever is higher. In any event wages should always be enough to meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income. * All workers shall be provided with written and understandable Information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment and about the particulars of their wages for the pay period concerned each time that they are paid. * Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor shall any deductions from wages not provided for by national law be permitted without the expressed permission of the worker concerned. All disciplinary measures should be recorded. * Employment practices such as training or apprenticeship wages, pre-employment fees, deposits, or other practices that effectively lower an employees pay below the legal minimum wage are not permitted. 8. SUPPLIERS’ TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES * Under no circumstances should suppliers abuse or intimidate, in any fashion, employees * Any disciplinary measures should be recorded. * Suppliers should have a grievance/appeal procedure that is clear, easy to understand and should be given to the employee in writing. * In the event that suppliers employees are unable to read, the grievance/appeal procedure should be read and explained to them by a union representative or another appropriate third party 9. WORKING CONDITIONS ARE SAFE AND HYGIENIC * Suppliers shall provide a safe and hygienic working environment, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment. * Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training, and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers. * Suppliers shall ensure access to clean toilet facilities and to potable water, and, if appropriate, sanitary facilities for food storage shall be provided. * Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe, and meet the basic needs of the workers. * The supplier observing the code shall assign responsibility for health and safety to a senior management representative. 10. HEALTH AND SAFETY * Suppliers shall ensure a safe and healthy workplace and provide a written safety and health policies and procedures that minimize negative impacts on the workplace environment, reduce work-related injury and illness, and promote the general health of employees. * Suppliers must provide training and adequate equipment to ensure workplace safety practices. * Suppliers should assign responsibility for health and safety to a senior management representative * Suppliers should have appropriate health and safety policies and procedures and these should be demonstrable in the workplace QUESTION 2 Purchase management is the maintenance of an efficient supply chain (from raw materials to manufacturing to customers). It also involves several functions including: finding suppliers, estimating the cost of materials, contracting with suppliers, purchasing materials, negotiating, handling purchasing problems and maintaining purchase records. It is also responsible for controlling the cost of the goods ordered, controlling inventory levels and building strong relationships with suppliers. Employees who serve in this function are known as buyers, purchasing agents, or supply managers There are two major types of purchasing: purchasing for resale (retail and wholesale businesses) and purchasing for consumption (industrial businesses). Effective purchase management is essential to keeping the costs of developing products low and ensuring the development process is fast and productive. Because the process of developing products is so expensive, purchasing must be carefully managed and constantly improved. Several factors are key to effective purchasing management. Among these are: skilled purchasers, cost-effective, quality materials and reliable suppliers.

Positive and Negative Affective Outcomes

Positive and Negative Affective Outcomes Work stress is a significant problem in the industry. This article explains stress as demands of the job and a person inability to meet those demands. Stress can be both positive and negative. This research has examined the positive and negative effects of stress. For positive stress term Eustress is used and for negative stress the term distress is used. This is a study of one hundred and forty four employees from three New Zealand organizations about stressful work-related events, its effect on performance and moral of the employees. Unlike other studies this research has also focused on positive outcomes of the stress if stress is effectively coped. Cognitive appraisal scale(CAS) was used for primary appraisal. The job related effective wellbeing scale ( jaws ) was used to measure the relation of the employees with their job. Factors which were identified as coping strategies for stress were systematic problem solving, social support, positive reappraisal, self-controlling, confro nted coping, escape-avoidance, accepting responsibility, and distancing. With respect to our research from this article we can identify that stress can be both positive eustress and negative distress. From this research we can identify some variables like Organizational and situational variables such as managerial style and support, work control, organizational culture and employment stability are likely to impact on employees stress. Individual difference variables such as anxiety personality type and optimism/pessimism also affect how an employee takes stress. Article: Positive and Negative Affective Outcomes of Occupational Stress Much research over the last decade has emphasised the negative consequences of excessive work-related demands on an individuals physical and psychological health and wellbeing. While there is as yet no single agreed-upon definition of stress, the present research defines it as a relationship between the person and the environment that is appraised by the person as taxing and endangering his or her well-being (Lazarus Folkman, 1984, p19). Occupational stress arises from demands experienced in the working environment that affect how one functions at work or outside work. Past research has predominantly focused on the negative aspects of stress. This is not surprising given the documented impacts of stress on health, wellbeing and work-related performance. However the positive psychology movement proposes that, instead of focusing on human pathology, research attention should also be directed towards positive health, growth and wellbeing (Seligman Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). It has been argued that stress is a part of life and cannot be avoided, and that stress can result in beneficial outcomes as well as negative ones (Selye, 1973, 1974). If negotiated appropriately, stress can be energizing, stimulating and growth producing for the individual as abilities are extended and new accomplishments made (Quick, Nelson, Quick, 1990). There is increasing interest in the potential for positive outcomes from the stress process including stress-related growth and positive personal changes (Folkman Moskowitz, 2004; Somerfield McCrae, 2000). If a stressful situa tion is resolved successfully then positive, rather than negative, emotions may predominate but there is a need for further to identify the stress-related processes associated with positive and negative emotions (Folkman Moskowitz, 2004). Good health encompasses more than just avoiding disease: it also involves the attainment of positive wellness, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, social and physical (Nelson Simmons, 2003, p 98). Acknowledging the positive response to the stress process may impact on how stress in the workplace is managed. Distress and Eustress The term eustress was coined by Selye to denote the positive aspects of stress in contrast to distress representing the negative aspects (Selye, 1974). Other influential writers have also suggested that stress is not inherently maladaptive (Hart, 2003; Hart Cotton, 2002; Karasek, 1979; Lazarus, 1999; Lazarus Folkman, 1984; Tedeschi Calhoun, 2004). In the context of the workplace, stressful events can lead to perceptions of positive benefit (Campbell-Quick, Cooper, Nelson, Quick, Gavin, 2003; Nelson Simmons, 2003). However although many researchers have investigated distress, eustress has been neglected until recently. Eustress is defined as a positive psychological response to a stressor as indicated by the presence of positive psychological states. Distress (or stress in keeping with common terminology) is a negative psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by the presence of negative psychological states (Simmons Nelson, 2001). Simmons and Nelson (2001) found eustress and distress to be distinguishable by affective state. Hope, meaningfulness and positive affect were significant indicators of eustress (Nelson Simmons, 2003). Meaningfulness is the extent to which work appears to make sense emotionally and to be worth investing effort in. Hope is the belief that one has both the will and the way to succeed. State positive affect reflects a condition of pleasurable engagement, energy and enthusiasm. Eustress was also associated with task engagement or absorption (Campbell-Quick et al., 2003; Rose, 1987). Task engagement denotes being enthusiastically involved in and pleasurably occupied by the demands of the work at hand (Nelson Simmons, 2003, p 103). This is similar to the concept of flow (Campbell-Quick et al., 2003) in which people are so actively involved in the task that nothing else seems to matter (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). Distress on the other hand is indicated by negative work attitudes and psycholo gical states such as negative affect, anger, job alienation and frustration (Simmons, Nelson, Neal, 2001). Eustress is similar to the concept of morale defined as the energy, enthusiasm, team spirit and pride that employees experience as a result of their work (Hart Cotton, 2002, p. 102). Distress and eustress/ morale are not mutually exclusive: they can occur simultaneously in response to the same demand and are likely to result from different processes (Hart, 2003; Hart Cotton, 2002). The stress process There is at least some consensus that stress should be seen as a process or interaction between demands and the individuals ability to deal with them (Sulsky Smith, 2005). One conceptualization of this process is the cognitive-transactional model (Lazarus, 1966). The focus of this model is on individual and situational factors that interact with the appraisal of demands to produce outcomes (McGowan, 2004; Sulsky Smith, 2005). Antecedents to Eustress The transactional model considers stress to be a process involving appraisals of threat or challenge (primary appraisal), coping (secondary appraisal) and reappraisal. Primary appraisal involves a decision as to whether a demand (potential stressor) is both relevant and stressful in that it is seen to represent a potential threat to the individuals goals, beliefs or expectations (Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus, 1999). Demands can also be appraised as irrelevant or relevant but benign. A demand appraised as irrelevant or as benign (offering the chance to preserve or enhance wellbeing) does not initiate the stress process as there is no potential threat to overcome (Lazarus, 1999). If a demand is appraised as relevant and stressful then further appraisal takes place. Stressful appraisals include an appraisal of threat or loss, where the individual perceives the demand as exceeding the resources available to cope with it; but also of challenge, when resources are high relative to the demand and there is potential for mastery and personal growth (Lazarus Folkman, 1984). Threat and challenge appraisals represent distinct constructs and are associated with diff erent patterns of physiological arousal (Quigley, Barrett, Weinstein, 2002; Tomaka, 1993; Tomaka, Blascovich, Kibler, Ernst, 1997); subjective experience of strain and affect (Maier, Waldstein, Synowski, 2003), coping expectancies and performance (Boswell, OlsonBuchanan, LePine, 2004; Skinner Brewer, 2002). Threat and challenge appraisals represent distinct constructs and can occur simultaneously (Lazarus Folkman, 1984). Whether a challenge or threat was initially appraised, in order to reduce the demand some form of coping action is taken (Lazarus Folkman, 1984). Coping responses are influenced by initial appraisals. Challenge appraisals have been associated with more use of problem-focused coping (Bjorck Cohen, 1993; McCrae, 1984) while threat appraisals were linked to more emotion-focused coping (McCrae, 1984). While some coping research has linked emotion focussed coping with an increase in distress, the effectiveness of any particular coping strategy depends on its appropriateness (Folkman Moskowitz, 2004; Lazarus Folkman, 1984). Hypothesis 1: Challenge appraisals will be positively associated with task-focused coping. Hypothesis 2: Threat appraisals will be positively associated with emotion-focused coping. Research has predominantly focussed on negative outcomes and has only recently acknowledged that positive emotion can arise in stressful situations as a result of effective coping. Coping responses such as relaxation, direct action/task focussed coping and positive reappraisal can lead to the experience of increased positive affect while inappropriate or maladaptive coping responses may lead to negative affective reactions (Folkman Moskowitz, 2004). Eustress is not simply the result of a positive experience with positive events. It arises from effective negotiation of the stress process rather than a process of passive savouring (Simmons, Nelson, Quick, 2003). Hypothesis 3: Eustress will be positively associated with task-focused coping. Hypothesis 4: Distress will be positively associated with emotion-focused coping. Outcomes of Eustress Eustress has been shown to have a positive impact on subjective as well as objective performance (Skinner Brewer, 2002; Tomaka, 1993), possibly as a result of the increased motivation provided by task engagement. Hypothesis 5: Eustress will be positively associated with satisfaction with the outcomes of the stress process. Hypothesis 6: Distress will be negatively associated with satisfaction with the outcomes of the stress process. Over the long term eustress may result in positive changes in wellbeing, growth, flexibility, adaptability and performance (Quick et al., 1990), while distress may give rise to the stress outcomes commonly discussed in everyday language, for example the negative effects on physical and psychological wellbeing. Simmons and Nelson (2001) found that eustress was related to positive perceptions of health among nurses. Edwards and Cooper (1988), in a review of research on the effects of positive psychological states on health, found that positive psychological states produced an improvement in health both directly through physiological processes and indirectly by facilitating coping with stress (Edwards Cooper, 1988). Although long-term outcomes are beyond the scope of the present study, an increase in motivation, work performance and positive work-related affective states may also increase long-term job satisfaction. Method Three New Zealand organizations participated in the study. These were a public sector organization where fulltime administrative, clerical and management roles predominated; a retail business with part-time and full-time roles and a University department including fulltime teaching, research and administrative roles. Response rates for the three organizations were 52% (85 responses), 44% (26 responses) and 34% (33 responses) respectively. Participants were 74 males (51%) and 67 females (47%). Ages ranged from 18 (11%) less than 21 years, 50 (35%) between 21 and 36 years, 54 (38%) between 37 and 55 years, and 21 (25%) above 55 years in age. Three respondents did not indicate age or gender. The mean time respondents had spent within their current organization was six and a half years (SD = 7.32). There were significant differences between the three organizations only on tenure (F(2,132)= 15.62, p Measures Before answering the questions on appraisals and coping, participants were asked to identify one specific stressful event they had recently experienced at work and to answer the questions in relation to that event. Primary appraisals were assessed by the eight-item Cognitive Appraisal Scale (CAS; Skinner Brewer, 2002). Four questions each related to threat and challenge appraisals. Question two was reworded to relate to a work setting (grade changed to outcome) and all questions were given in the past tense to indicate an event that had already been encountered. Although the CAS assesses both frequency and intensity for each item, no difference in responses were found between frequency and intensity measures (Skinner Brewer, 2002) and so were replaced by a six-point scale where 1 = strongly disagree and 6 = strongly agree. Questionnaire (WCQ) assessed coping strategies used by participants to manage their stressor event (Folkman Lazarus, 1988). The measure assesses actual coping (as opposed to trait coping) by focussing on how the recently experienced event was negotiated. The 66 items of this scale assess eight forms of coping: planful problem solving, positive reappraisal, seeking social support, confrontive coping, escape-avoidance, distancing, self-controlling and accepting responsibility. Coping data were recoded into task-focused and emotion-focused coping as reported below. The Job Related Affective Wellbeing Scale (JAWS) was used to assess participants emotional reactions to their work (van Katwyk, Fox, Spector, Kelloway, 2000). Participants were asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 the degree to which they had experienced 30 different emotions over the past 30 days. As the scale focused on recent emotional experience, it tapped state affect and is a valid representative of immediate stress process responses. The emotional responses covered two dimensions: positive/negative affect and arousal. This provided four quadrants: negative affect/low arousal (e.g. My job made me feel bored), negative affect/high arousal (e.g. My job made me feel anxious), positive affect/low arousal (e.g. my job made me feel calm), and positive affect/high arousal (e.g. my job made me feel enthusiastic). Skinner and Brewer (2002) found an association between threat appraisal and negative active affect (e.g. anxiety) but not negative deactivated affect (e.g. boredom) and between challenge appraisals and positive-active affect (e.g. excitement) but not positive deactivated affect (e.g. calm). Emotions should be considered in terms of both valence and level of activation (Skinner Brewer, 2002). High-activation affective responses are consistent with the meaning of threat and challenge, or the need to act to avoid failure and its negative consequences on one hand or to achieve success and its benefits on the other. For the present research eustress was conceptualised as the positive affect/ high arousal quadrant and distress was conceptualised as the negative affect/ high arousal quadrant of the JAWS. The outcome measure for this study was a single item that asked respondents to rate their level of agreement with the statement I felt positive about the outcomes of the situation. Responses were coded so that 1 = strongly disagree and 6 = strongly agree. The limitations of this measure were recognised and addressed as far as possible during the data analysis. Performance and other outcome data were not available for this study. To correct for the unreliability of the single outcome indicator the error term was fixed at a specific value (Bollen, 1989). The fixed value was determined by multiplying the proportion of error variance (1 [rho]) of the indicator by, the variance of the indicator, where [rho] =.80. Statistical Analyses A two stage approach was adopted for the data analysis using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM; see Anderson Gerbing, 1988; Schumacker Lomax, 1996). Stage one involved the building of measurement models for each of the measures used in this study. The rationale for building measurement models is that it allows for the best indicators of a construct to be identified and thus provides evidence for validity of the measure. Given the current sample size it was decided that for the final structural model at least four items for each construct would be used. In essence, this not only increased the subject-variable ratio but also served to identify the most unidimensional set of items to specify a construct. Unidimensionality is an important aspect when exploring structural relationship between various constructs as clear unambiguous measures allow for better predictive validity (Anderson Gerbing, 1988; Schumacker Lomax, 1996). For the CAS a two factor model, challenge and threat, was tested with the final model being specified with the strongest loadings in each subscale. For the JAWS only two factors were tested, high-pleasure high-arousal, and low-pleasure high-arousal, again using the best indicators for these hypothesized constructs. For the WCQ a second order measurement model was tested with eight factors: planful problem solving (PPS), positive reappraisal (PR), seeking social support (SS) self-controlling (SC), confrontive coping (C), distancing (D), accepting responsibility (AR) and escape avoidance (EA). The four best fitting items were used to specify each factor (Anderson Gerbing, 1988). For the full structural model two higher-order factors (task-focused and emotion-focused coping) were specified using subscale scores as observed indicators. Task-focused coping strategies were planful problem solving, positive reappraisal, seeking social support and self-controlling. Emotion-focused coping strategies were confrontive coping, distancing, accepting responsibility and escape avoidance. Having identified the measurement models for each factor a structural model was specified using the hypotheses stated above (see Figure 1). [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Model Fit For all CFA and SEMs both absolute and incremental goodness-of-fit indexes were used. Absolute fit was assessed using the chi-square statistic. Incremental goodness-of-fit measures were the comparative fit index (CFI; Bentler, 1992), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA; Steiger Lind, 1980). The CFI and TLI indexes have coefficient values ranging from zero to 1.00, with values of .90 and higher being traditionally viewed as representing good fit (Bender, 1992). Fit values for the RMSEA suggest adequate fit where values fall between .08 and .10 and acceptable fit where RMSEAs are below .08 (Byrne, 2001; MacCallum, Browne, Sugawara, 1996); Hu and Bentler (1999) suggest that a RMSEA less than or equal to .06 indicates good model fit (Hu Bentler, 1999). Results The results for the measurement models are presented in Table 1. For the CAS the model fit was good and suggested a reasonable approximation to the data. The reliabilities were .78 and .72 for the challenge and the threat scales respectively. For the WCQ model fit was again reasonable. For each of the lower order factors the reliability estimates were: planful problem solving =.66, social support = .66, positive reappraisal = .79 self-controlling = .63, confrontive coping = .69; escape-avoidance = .77, accepting responsibility = .60, and distancing = .56. For the higher order factors, task-focused and emotion-focused coping, the reliability estimates were .74 and .65 respectively. Results for the JAWS again suggested that the specified two factors were reasonably approximated with reliability estimates of .90 for the positive affect high-arousal (eustress) and .81 for negative affect high-arousal (distress). Correlations, means and standard deviations are presented in Table 2. As expected, challenge appraisal was associated positively with task-focused coping, with eustress and with subjective performance. Although threat appraisal was positively associated with emotion-focused coping it was not associated with distress or subjective performance. Task-focused coping was associated with emotion-focused coping, suggesting that respondents who used more task-focused strategies also used more emotion-focused strategies. Emotion-focused coping was positively associated with distress and negatively associated with subjective performance. Eustress and distress were, respectively, positively and negatively associated with subjective performance. All results for the final structural model were standardized. For the final model the goodness-of-fit was reasonable ([chi square] = 734.1; df = 294: TLI =.92; CFI = .93; RMSEA = .10). All specified paths in the model were statistically significant and in the hypothesized direction (see Figure 1). Hypotheses 1 and 2, that challenge appraisals would be associated with task-focused coping and threat appraisals would be associated with emotion-focused coping, were supported. Hypotheses 3 and 4 that linked eustress and distress to task and emotion-focused coping respectively were also supported. With regard to subjective perceptions of performance in the stress situation, hypotheses 5 and 6 were supported. Eustress was positively associated and distress was negatively associated with subjective performance. Overall the results support the hypothesised model. Discussion The aim of this study was to investigate the antecedents and outcomes of the stress process and to include positive (eustress) and negative (distress) affective outcomes. The research showed support for the hypothesised structural model. The relationships between primary appraisal and coping support one of the key propositions of the cognitive-appraisal model of stress: the choice of coping strategy is affected by appraisals as to whether a demand represents a threat or a challenge. Previous research has found threat appraisals to be associated with greater use of emotion-focused coping (Lowe Bennett, 2003) and this was supported by the present study. Emotion-focused coping was in turn associated with distress and dissatisfaction with outcomes. Challenge appraisals were not related to emotion-focused coping but were related to greater use of task-focused coping strategies. The implications of these findings for stress management in organisations are considered below. As predicted, challenge appraisals were associated with eustress and perceptions that the stress processes had been effectively managed. The choice of coping strategies was also an important influence on affective outcomes: task-focused strategies which focused on addressing the demand were associated with eustress while emotion-focused strategies which failed to address the demand were associated with distress. This suggests that, as proposed by Lazarus and Folkman, when people face a demand it is not the demand in itself but the ways in which the demand is managed that impact upon outcomes. Implications for research The outcome measure in this study was limited to self-reported satisfaction with the outcome of the stress process. Further investigation should examine a broader range of outcomes including objective measures of performance and long term variables including physical and psychological health, both of which have been shown to be affected by work-related stressors. Further research is also needed to address several other issues including the precursors to threat and challenge appraisals and mediators of the stress process. A range of factors may affect primary and secondary appraisal processes. Individual difference variables such as anxiety (Skinner Brewer, 2002), personality (Penley Tomaka, 2002) and optimism/pessimism (Riolli Savicki, 2003) have been linked to differences in appraisals, coping and outcomes. Organisational and situational variables such as managerial style and support, work control, organizational culture and employment stability are also likely to impact upon the stress process. Further research into these factors is important to help build effective strategies for managing workplace demands. Implications for practice Work-related stress is a major problem with serious implications for health and wellbeing but managing it is far from straightforward. This may account for the documented ineffectiveness of stress management interventions(Beehr ODriscoll, 2002; Sulsky Smith, 2005). In managing the stressors at work, it is important to identify, assess and control stressors, but also to avoid removing the rewarding aspects of the job. Distress is not the inevitable consequence of occupational stressors: when demands are managed appropriately growth and positive change can occur as challenges are faced and overcome. Although distress has become a major concern, it is often not feasible to remove all stressors from work and this may not in fact be desirable. Recognition of the potential for positive outcomes of the stress process raises the possibility of identifying ways to increase the task-focused management of work-related demands to increase enjoyment, satisfaction and performance. The challenge lies with providing the tools required to increase the effective management of workplace demands. Any suggestion that cognitive-appraisal models of stress imply that stress is an individual problem, best addressed by teaching positive appraisal and coping, is flawed. Primary appraisal includes a subjective assessment of the balance between demands and resources. Increasing resources or reducing demands is more appropriate and more consistent with legal requirements than attempting to retrain individuals to appraise demands positively, and training in effective coping has been shown to have only limited impact(Folkman Lazarus, 1988). Coping strategies are rarely used singly, and no one strategy or combination of strategies is always effective. The ability to use a repertoire of coping strategies flexibly is important. One component of stress management could be to encourage the use of task-focused and flexible coping behaviour and to promote learning that can be generalised to new situations, but stress management begins with consideration of organisational issues. Leadership, pe er support, organisational culture and policies, work design and reporting arrangements are important as are job analysis, staff selection and training to enhance role clarity and the fit between the person and the work environment. Effective systems for motivation and performance management are essential.

Essay --

Another reason why sugar harms the body is that a calcium deficiency leads to osteoporosis. Sugar will steal calcium from the blood stream; however, if there is not enough calcium in the blood stream, the sugar will then pull vital calcium from the bones. The calcium taken directly from the bones causes them to be weak and fragile, which unmistakeably leads to osteoporosis (((APPLETON, 23))). Osteoporosis is a bone disease that plagues many Americans. The best way to counteract osteoporosis is to drop sugar from the diet completely. Americans on average do not have a proper calcium-phosphorus ratio and sugar simply creates more havoc for the human body. Because of an imbalance of nutrients, important enzymes of the human body are disrupted. The human body is full of small chemical reactions called enzymes. These enzymes enable cells to function properly and efficiently. One important role of enzymes is that of metabolism. Metabolism is a digestive process that relies on properly functioning enzymes. The enzymes that control metabolism need a proper balance of nutrients in order to function properly. However, the enemy, sugar, once again causes harm. Sugar negates these nutrients, leaving the enzymes weak and ineffective. An increased amount of sugar in the body decreases the effectiveness of enzymes, therefore decreasing metabolism. A decrease in metabolism causes food to be digested and absorbed at a slower rate. A weak metabolism leaves the human weak as well. The enzymes that are responsible for metabolism are negatively affected by sugar. Due to a slowed metabolism, allergies can result if food is not properly digested. The enzymes in the small intestine are greatly affected by sugar. Sugar makes the digestion process slow... ...foreign invader. Common autoimmune diseases are Rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type one diabetes, and hyperthyroidism, to name a few (((CAMPBELL, PG 184))). These diseases distress all to many Americans because they appear because of an overload of sugar. The endocrine gland is greatly inhibited by the increase in sugar. The body regulates the affect of sugar on different minerals by the endocrine system. It is an automatic process that occurs in the body be specialized organs, or glands. Processes such as respiration, heartbeat, digestion and elimination of food, body temperature, and balanced body chemistry rely on properly functioning endocrine glands (((APPLETON, PG. 27))). Without these automatic processes occurring properly, the human body will decay rapidly. Sugar greatly inhibits the endocrine gland, which in turn annihilates the human body.

Curry Chicken and Yellow Rice :: Recipe Food India Indian

Curry Chicken and Yellow Rice When I was in high school, I= had many friends whose parents cooked meals containing the ingredient, curry†¦curry goat, curry desserts, curry stew, curry chicken. One of my friends would invite me = to her home and, almost every time I was there, I could bet on curry being part of= the meal that would be served for the night.&n= bsp; Though I am Hispanic, I decided to make curry chicken for this proje= ct due to the simple fact that I always wanted to know what it was exactly, but had never asked†¦was it a sauce, a powder, or just spices mixed togeth= er? Where did it originate from? I wanted to find this out for myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love my culture’s food, but I want= ed to do something different, learn about another culture other than my own. The word cu= rry, comes from the English word â€Å"kari†, which means sauce. Even so, being that it is an ingre= dient mainly used in India, it does not come as a powder (which is provided to us= in American supermarkets, what I used for my recipe), but rather is achieved by combining a variety of spices, for example, cardamom, poppy seed, nutmeg, coriander, and ginger. By mix= ing these spices, along with approximately 20 others, a â€Å"masalas† or combination is made, which varies from one area of India to the next, depending = on the cook. By making this concocti= on of spices, a bright yellow-green and thick sauce is made. It became available to us as a pow= der by way of the British; colonists residing in I= ndia came up with the idea of curry in powder form so as to more conveniently ma= ke Indian-flavored dishes in England. Unfortunately, when made into a po= wder, the flavor is not as enhanced. In addition, the original masalas of spices used i n India contain antioxidants wh= ich help protect our cells, allowing them to better fight off heart conditions = and several forms of cancer. Bloo= d flow is also improved, which prevents clotting and diminishes strokes. Aside from curry= , the rice which accompanies the curry chicken in my recipe, also has great histo= rical/cultural/economical value. Curry Chicken and Yellow Rice :: Recipe Food India Indian Curry Chicken and Yellow Rice When I was in high school, I= had many friends whose parents cooked meals containing the ingredient, curry†¦curry goat, curry desserts, curry stew, curry chicken. One of my friends would invite me = to her home and, almost every time I was there, I could bet on curry being part of= the meal that would be served for the night.&n= bsp; Though I am Hispanic, I decided to make curry chicken for this proje= ct due to the simple fact that I always wanted to know what it was exactly, but had never asked†¦was it a sauce, a powder, or just spices mixed togeth= er? Where did it originate from? I wanted to find this out for myself. Don’t get me wrong, I love my culture’s food, but I want= ed to do something different, learn about another culture other than my own. The word cu= rry, comes from the English word â€Å"kari†, which means sauce. Even so, being that it is an ingre= dient mainly used in India, it does not come as a powder (which is provided to us= in American supermarkets, what I used for my recipe), but rather is achieved by combining a variety of spices, for example, cardamom, poppy seed, nutmeg, coriander, and ginger. By mix= ing these spices, along with approximately 20 others, a â€Å"masalas† or combination is made, which varies from one area of India to the next, depending = on the cook. By making this concocti= on of spices, a bright yellow-green and thick sauce is made. It became available to us as a pow= der by way of the British; colonists residing in I= ndia came up with the idea of curry in powder form so as to more conveniently ma= ke Indian-flavored dishes in England. Unfortunately, when made into a po= wder, the flavor is not as enhanced. In addition, the original masalas of spices used i n India contain antioxidants wh= ich help protect our cells, allowing them to better fight off heart conditions = and several forms of cancer. Bloo= d flow is also improved, which prevents clotting and diminishes strokes. Aside from curry= , the rice which accompanies the curry chicken in my recipe, also has great histo= rical/cultural/economical value.

The Awakening Essay -- Kate Chopin essays research papers

The Awakening is a story full of symbolism and imagery that can have many different meanings to the many who have read it. I have read several different theories on Kate Chopin’s meaning and though some are vastly different, they all seem to make sense. It has been said that Kate Chopin might have been ambiguous just for this reason. At some point, almost everyone struggles with knowing or not knowing their purpose in life, and therefore it seems, that on some level, most who read the story about Edna Pontellier can relate to her in some way. I believe that those who have theorized about this story, have done so based upon their own struggles with the same issue. To me, life is all about self discovery and what one does upon their self discovery. Each time that I read this story, I can feel the pain and the turmoil that Edna experiences before and after her awakening.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ocean is the center and foundation of this story. The ocean is also part of the scenery and the background, without the ocean, there would be no story. Not only is the ocean the center and the foundation, it is also a symbol of many things in this story. To me, the ocean in this story takes on human characteristics in that to me, it symbolizes a seducer or seductress. The ocean also becomes an escape from reality and symbolizes life itself. The ocean is important because it is what helps bring Edna into her awakening and that is good, in the sense that it helps Edna into finding herself. However, the ocean is evil in that it is responsible for Edna’s demise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I believe that in the beginning of this story, Edna has not yet discovered who she is or what she really wants out of life. Edna has come to the Grand Isle as a dutiful wife and mother who grew up in an oppressive, unloving and un-nurturing home without her mother. Edna’s marriage is not a loving one, neither she, nor her husband have an emotional connection to each other. Edna goes about her life as a mother and wife in a mechanical fashion, she doesn’t have the mind for it and it’s obvious that her current position where she wants to be although at first she doesn’t see it yet. Edna most likely has never experienced any sort of love or connection with anyone. She doesn’t seem to think very highly about her husband, father, or sisters. Her love for her children is flighty at best. It’s as if she’s been locked in a cage m... ...is tragic to me that Edna had to choose suicide however, I don’t see Edna as a failure for what she did. I think that Edna was a woman who was ahead of her time, just as some have said Kate Chopin was ahead of hers. The ocean in this story also symbolized life for Edna. Tragically, Edna was not ever afforded the tools necessary to deal with her awakening. Edna was love starved due to her upbringing and her marriage, which made it impossible for her to live life as a lonely nonconformist as Madame Reisz had done. Edna was also born into a society where women were not aloud to be anything but mothers and wives, which are positions that Edna was intended for. At first, Edna feared the ocean and life as an individual, then she is awakened sexually, spiritually, creatively, and emotionally and throws herself into her discoveries, and she learns to swim in the ocean and the void in her life seems to be filled. However, Edna sees terror and death while swimming and begins to feel the terrors of isolation as she casts off her facade. Edna begins to struggle and fight life’s currents, getting caught within the tumult, she becomes exhausted with it all until she can no longer stay afloat.

Apush Supplemental Reading Notes- Early Settlements

APUSH SUPPLEMENTAL READING NOTES Early Settlements by James Horn |Please answer each question thoroughly and completely. If you have treated this assignment lightly, you will | |be at a disadvantage in writing essays that call for â€Å"substantial and appropriate outside information. † Read Early Settlements | |(http://www. gilderlehrman. org/history-by-era/early-settlements/essays/early-settlements ) by James Horn and complete the prompts below. |In two or three well thought out sentences, summarize the major point of this reading. (Please be thorough. This will be very important to| |you late in the year when reviewing for the AP test) In this reading, the author wrote about the early English settlers of | |the New World.He opens with a quote from a passage from the 16th century that speaks about the colonies in the new world, and how England| |should get involved and start to colonize as well. The author then goes into detail on the establishing of the 13 colonies of England in | |the New World and later on, the lifestyle in terms of immigrants, diversity, and population. The article ends talking about the expansion | |from the original 13 colonies to what would make Britain known as â€Å"the acknowledged master of North America†. |In a couple of sentences, what was the bias of the author? From what perspective does the author write–political, social, and economic? | |Why is this significant in the document you have read? Related article: Apush Taxation Without Representation DbqWhile most essays and articles seem to have some form of bias, I do not| |pick up in any way a sense of this at any time in the reading. He conveys his message of England’s rise to dominance of North America, | |maybe slightly hinting at bias in that sense, but nonetheless, in a writing style hat displays facts one by one, and gets straight to the| |point. This style of writing is clearly significant in the document simply because it is an easy way to limit bias, and shorten the | |article, therefore making it more reader-friendly for some- if not most readers. | Continued on the next page |Different from the â€Å"what is the main point† question above, list several things that you learned from this reading, things that you did | |not know before doing this reading. |Treaty of Utrecht (1713) gave Britain control of the areas of Hudson Bay, Acadia (Nova Scotia), and Newfoundland | |Spanish were involved in the Fr ench and Indian War | |The British 13 colonies grew in population (nearly 5 times size) over 60 years | |Surges into the backcountry (west of Appalachian) began so early (early 18th mainly) | |Black populations grew even more rapidly from about 20,000 in 1700 to 326,000 by 1760 | |Rice became the third great staple of Britain’s transatlantic commerce, alongside West Indian sugar and Chesapeake tobacco | |5,000 Algonquians who lived along the coastal plain of Virginia when the English first arrived, only about 1,000 remained by 1700 The purpose of this assignment is to help you be prepared to refer to historians or historically significant individuals in your AP test essays.In the space below, write down quotes from the document that you think might be useful. Try to be selective–choose those that are| |genuinely typical of the writer’s thinking or that highlight a major point in the writer's thinking or argument. Include page numbers so | |that you can find them again when we review. | |â€Å"English indentured ervants, Ulster Irish, Catholic Irish, Scots, French Huguenots, and tens of thousands of Germans from the Rhineland and Swiss cantons moved into the coastal plain; flocked to the burgeoning port cities of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia; trekked along fertile river valleys into the interior; and pressed on toward the Appalachian Mountains† â€Å"Together, Virginia, Maryland, and the Lower South accounted for fully 87 percent of all Africans and African Americans living in the | |mainland colonies in 1760† â€Å"The turn of the century witnessed a new direction in English colonizing activities. Peace with Spain in 1604 brought an end to | |privateering, plunder, and the need for a North American base from which to attack Spanish shipping† | | | |â€Å"Jamestown, founded on May 14, 1607, barely survived its first five years.A combination of disease, Indian attacks, faction, and the | |failure to make any signi ficant discoveries or profit brought the colony to the edge of collapse on several occasions and discouraged | |continuing investment. The discovery of a lucrative cash crop, tobacco, which could be cultivated extensively in Virginia and brought a | |handsome return in England, saved the colony but not the Virginia Company, whose exclusive charter was revoked in 1624. SOURCE: http://www. murrayschools. org/MHS/apus/ 10. 1. 2007

A Prisoner and Yet

A Prisoner and Yet   is an autobiographical piece of non-fiction that was written by Corrie ten Boom two years after her release from the Ravensbruck concentration camp in Nazi Germany. The book is set up in a style that differs from what I am used to. In it, rather than focusing on her story, Corrie addresses individual occurrences she experienced over the course of her imprisonment. Later on, she treats each almost like a parable, using the one to two page subchapter to illustrate either a spiritual or moral lesson for the reader. Over the course of the 170 page book, she addresses a widespread variety of topics including faith, compassion, fear, acceptance of death, courage, strength, sin, love, morality, turning the other cheek, timidity, prayer, covetousness, kindness, and even the bond between brothers and sisters in Christ despite of language barriers. It's really quite remarkable. I started the book thinking the set up would prove awkward and unsettling, but I soon found myself engrossed, incapable of putting the book down. With each flip of the page, my thirst for a definitive ending to Corrie's struggles grew. I was hooked.As an autobiographical account, the hero of A Prisoner and Yet. . . was naturally the author, Corrie ten Boom, and, boy, let me tell you, she was a hero. Selfless and strong-willed, the Dutch watchmaker stood firm in her beliefs even when she had lost everything: her freedom, her family, her country, and even the clothes off her back. The Lord Jesus Christ was her Conqueror. Through His grace and glory, she knew she would be delivered. Corrie did not fear death in the camps. Rather, she embraced the opportunity to spread the Word of God. She preached daily, sometimes up to five times, and prayed with those in need or coming into the faith. It was amazing that someone so oppressed and in such close proximity to death could still have so much hope and conviction. Throughout the book, Corrie attributed much of her survival to the constant companionship of her sister Betsie. Betsie was equally faithful and often provided spiritual guidance when Corrie felt herself straying or in need of extra help. They were inseparable. Sadly, Betsie was a frail thing. She could not carry out heavy labor and became sick easily. Corrie often wondered at her sister's seemingly innocent view of their wretched surroundings. She always looked so peaceful. It was terrible to read when poor Betsie died of sickness, but at least she had gone to a far better place. The story begins with a recollection of the author's life before imprisonment. The readers are given a quick description of the author's home which she shared with her father, Casper Ten Boom, siblings, and an eclectic group of Jews. After the fall of Holland in 1940, the Ten Booms had joined the Dutch resistance, offering a safehouse for God's People. According to the author, â€Å"it was often said (that their house), ‘was the gayest underground address in all the Netherlands'† (ten Boom 7). They were contented, as close to at peace as they could be in such a dark time. Sadly, on February 28, 1944, that peace ended. The ten Boom residence was raided by the Gestapo. Their house was searched and the family was taken into custody. Corrie, her father, and Betsie were transferred to Scheveningen Prison. There, Corrie hardly ever saw the sunlight, spending her days locked in solitary confinement. Later on in her time there, waiting to go on trial, she found out that her father had died shortly after being brought to the prison.She and her sister were reunited when they were sent to Kamp Vught, a political concentration camp. There, conditions were not so bad. They were able to slack off at work and received Red Cross packages and mail from home. Due to her background as a watchmaker, Corrie was given the opportunity to do detailed work on radio parts. After awhile, she and her sister were transferred to a German concentration camp called Ravensbruck. As Corrie aptly described it, the place was hell. They were stripped naked and forced to hand over their belongings before being redressed and sent to barracks where the beds looked more like a line of shelves, tightly packed with women instead of books. Using a bible they had snuck in, the sisters performed worship services with the girls in their barracks daily, keeping up the dwindling morale. Slowly, they became thinner and weaker – Betsie more so than Corrie. Finally, one day in late fall of 1944, Corrie heard the voice of God tell her that her release was drawing near and that she would be free by the first day of winter. This prediction became reality, but sadly fifteen days too late for Betsie. Corrie's sister had gone Home to meet her Maker. The author finished the story by telling of her return to the Netherlands and documenting her decision to open a home which â€Å"would soon be the happy home of people who had been released from the wretchedness of imprisonment† (ten Boom 169). In the end, I believe that Corrie Ten Boom wrote this novel as a testament to the horrors of her experience and to the strengthening of her faith through the experience. A Prisoner and Yet. . . immortalized both her story and, by extent, the stories of many women, men, and children who were held at the various prisons and camps across Europe during the Nazi regime. I am thankful that I stumbled upon it and I would recommend the read to those struggling with their faith, growing in their faith, or merely interested in the treatment of political prisoners in WWII.