Lurking Doubt Test Is Still an Applicable Test in Appeals Free Essay Example, 1500 words

It is important to state that the subjective measure proposed by Widgery is that the court should decide whether to let the matter rest as it is or whether they have some lurking doubt. In this case, the lurking doubt is considered if it makes the court wonder if some miscarriage of justice was committed. This subjective test is strictly not based on the evidence received by the court; instead, it is based on the general feel of the case and the personal opinion of the judge(s) of the case. The precedent set by Lord Widgery in 1966 became the lurking doubt test for the appellate court, where each member of the bench considers if the verdicts given are unsafe or unsatisfactory and then allows the conviction to pass or be quashed. The decision on whether the lurking doubt test should be consigned to history or still be used is based on the court itself and the trial jury. An analysis of different cases indicated that the test is still in use but can be arguable. From an analysis of Ma lleson s () research into the use of the lurking doubt test, it is found that after Widgery s introduction of the test in Cooper (1969), 6 cases used the test between then and 1989.We will write a custom essay sample on Lurking Doubt Test Is Still an Applicable Test in Appeals or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page In these cases, five courts decided that there was lurking doubt in the convictions returned by the jury. This indicates that in all cases, notwithstanding the passage of time, there is still the element of lurking doubt, and the test should not be consigned to history, instead, should get statutory recognition. A proposal by the Royal Commission indicates that the lurking doubt test should be given credence since in some cases, the experience of the judges dictate that there might be a miscarriage of justice based on the jury s verdict.

The Immigration And The Rule Of Law Essay - 1561 Words

The Republicans Immigration and the Rule of Law is a controversial topic because of the stereotypical propaganda that all legal and illegal immigrants take jobs and blow up buildings. These ideas are byproducts of racial profiling in America. Racial profiling is a common occurrence in the United States. In an article called Racial profiling - separate and unequal keeping the minorities in line - the role of law enforcement in America, it specifically talks about racial profiling in the police force. The article expresses that racial profiling is one of the most serious, enduring, and divisive human rights violations in the United States. April Walker has gone more into detail about racial profiling. Also stating that social and economic progress of African-Americans over the past fifty years, Americans continue to live in a country where racial inequity is the norm and it affects the progression of Black-Americans in the United States (Walker, 2011). The dominant belief about Blacks , upon which their legal rights, or lack of, were historically constructed, was the belief in their ontological inferiority. (Walker, 2011) . In traditional Americanism, Black-American people are perceived as poor, lazy, lustful, ignorant, and prone to criminal behavior. (Walker, 2011). April Walker also expresses multiple incidences that minorities were the victims of brutal attacks. Walker further goes into if race or religion or ethnicity increase the chance of becoming a victim,Show MoreRelatedThe Government Must Solve The Immigration Crisis1664 Words   |  7 PagesIt is time for the U.S. government to resolve the immigration crisis, which has not only become an ethical dilemma, but also an economic setback. Finding a solution doesn’t mean drawing up a quick law or rule that will slow down the crisis, we must tackle this dilemma head on ethically in a way that is acceptable for both the government and the public. 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Business Environment of a Home Electronics Retailer-Free-Sample

Question: Discuss your chosen organisations general external environment and analyse the impact of one real-life dimension in its general external environment in 2016/2017. Answer: Introduction: JB Hi Fi is an organization which has already made its way through the customers of Australia and New Zealand. JB Hi-Fi is a retail company based on Australia and New Zealand that deals with Blu-rays, video games, electronics, CDs. DVDs and other electronic home appliances. It is one of the renowned public listed retailers in the country. The purpose of the organization is to expand more within the Australian territory and more. The most significant factors that have affected the business of the organization in recent times are the increasing price, cost along with demanding for more service and products (Morris and Metternicht 2016). With the higher inflation rate in the country, the cost of daily lives of the citizen is growing higher. Culley et al. (2017) indicates that if the prices start increasing in such a way, the low and middle income group may start spending in a prudent way and they may also cut off the additional spending. Therefore considering the economic and social sys tem can be a headache for the management of JB Hi fi. Therefore this report aims to discuss the mission, vision and purpose of the organization along with discussing the macro environment of the organization. This report will discuss the external business environment of the organization along with its ethics and corporate social responsibility. The report will also analyze and evaluate the organizational culture of JB Hi Fi. Purpose and Mission of the organization: JB Hi fi is one of the fastest growing companies in the business and also one of the most successful ones. Although there are several competitors of JB Hi Fi in the regional market, such as Harvey Norman, David Jones, Myer, Target Australia and Noel Leeming in New Zealand, the company has kept on flourishing with a consistent growth. The company sells a number of products to the global brands such as Samsung, Sony, LG, Sharp, Plasonic, Apple, Asus, HP, Toshiba and several others. JB Hi Fi mainly operates from total of one hundred forty one stores including the Clive Anthonys stores and Hill and Stewart stores. The goal of the company is to have more two hundred stores all over New Zealand and Australia. The company also sells a number of products on internet. The organization also identifies the significance of social and environmental issues which matter to all the stakeholders, customers and suppliers. The vision and mission of the company is delivering the specialist range of reco rded and good quality music at low prices in Australia. This company also monitors the continuous developments of the corporate governance which are associated with the business activities. External environment of the company: Political The government of Australia has already signed a rewarding and significant Free Trade Agreement with China, which has revealed that the eradicated tariffs tend to contribute to the low cost for importing the necessary products from China to Australia. This agreement has a positive influence on the business operations of the organization. The company can now save a massive amount of financial expenditure while they are importing electronic equipments from China. Therefore this also implies that the company can now sell a lot of Chinese brands at their retail stores at a much cheaper price for gaining more attention from the consumers (Morris and Metternicht 2016). This has improved the opportunities for increasing the market competitiveness of JB Hi fi, but there are also cons of this agreement for the organization. The price advantage the organization has acquired through this may also be undermined. Therefore if most of the competitors of the organization start taking advantage of t he eliminated tariffs and starts offering products in a cheap price, the organization may risk losing some of the target customers as well. Economic As the economy of Australia is positive and comparatively floating for the retail organizations, the company can be benefitted. The RBA or the Reserve Bank of Australia has maintained the cash rate to low 1.5% since the second half of April 2016. Therefore this low interest rate has benefitted the organization to a great extent as the customers are now having more cash that they can spend easily. The rate of inflation and the unemployment rate have also been healthy in the last financial year. As stated by Culley et al. (2017) in the year 2016-2017 the inflation rate in the country has been maintained around or below 2%. Even the inflation rate was 3% in the year 2015 which was the highest till date. On the other hand, the unemployment rate has also been positive and it has been kept below 6% since the year 2016. JB Hi fi has been a constant beneficiary from the economy of Australia and New Zealand. The company has performed quite strong in the last financial year. The sales performa nce of the country has recorded that it was 42.3% increment in the last year while the fundamental profit before interest and the tax rate rose 38.5%. The growth of revenue has been boosted with the sales of audio gear, mobile phones, accessories, cameras and home appliances. These products have shown a strong demand as the economy was high and the consumer sentiment was high as well. Social With the low unemployment rate and changing societal concerns, the life style and attitudes of the consumers are changing with a great pace. People are concerned with improving their life style; therefore they are buying more electronic goods. The company also provides financial aid to the projects that are working for health and well being of Australian children and women (Arndt, Singhapakdi and Tam 2015). They also support several charitable organizations. Their corporate social responsibility helps them to attract more customers towards the organization. Technological With the help of the agreement between Australia and China, JB Hi fi now can offer more advanced technologies to the customers (Heard et al. 2017). In addition to that, the company has also planned to open up more online stores so that the customers can shop online. Environmental The company utilizes sustainable practices and products which enhances their image in front of consumers. Also it should be considered that the ethical consumerism tends to determine sales for the company (Graafland. and Smid 2016). Therefore ethical and sustainable practices help JB Hi fit to enhance its image to a great extent. Legal There are some legal issues with the company as the JB Hi Fi ha some price wars with ACCC. The company also had to face legal actions in the due to safety issues; therefore these issues have made the business environment a little tough. Ethics and Corporate social responsibility: Corporate Social responsibility is a definite form of self regulation that is embedded within the business model of every organization. These policies tend to function as a self regulatory mechanism that monitors the operations of the business and makes sure that the business practices are aligned with the ethical standards, law and global and national norms (Rao et al. 2016). This can also be considered as a concept framework where the companies integrate the environmental and social concerns in their everyday interactions and operations with the stakeholders of the company. The social responsibilities are not really focused on increasing the profits of the organization; rather it tends to entail the development of the business with a positive relationship for the society where they reside (Graafland and Smid 2016). JB hi fi is retail giant which a bigger seller than any other company is within the market. The company has helped several charitable organizations and it is still continuing. The company is a member of the Australian Charities Fund ad supports the goal of having one million donors within the year 2020 (Arli and Cadeaux 2014). The company has also started a project named Helping hands in the year 2009 which allows the employees of the company for donating to nine charity partners through deductions in their payroll. The matching staff contributions are effectively done to the community and charities (Rao et al. 2016). There are several other charities that the organization does. JB hi fi supports few other charitable organizations such as the Song Room which is a nonprofit organization which works with the disadvantaged children in Australia. The organization also supports other charities such as The Fred Hollos Foundation, Reachout.com, Redkite, Oxfam, Medecins Sans frontiers, Bushh eritage Australia etc. the employees of JB hi fu have selected their charity partners. They have already begun with the social concerns and more than five charities, but the numbers are increasing and the opportunities are increasing as well (Arndt, Singhapakdi and Tam 2015). There is also a program in their stores namely change for change. This is basically a donation program. There are several donation programs are installed in all the stores across Australian territory for encouraging the customers so that they donate their spare changes for help others lives (Paynter, Halabi and Lawton 2018). This provides the charities with the confidence that the organizations ongoing sustainable support will allow them to develop long-term projects and ensure we help deliver their long term vision short term goals together. Evaluation of the Organizational culture: The overarching concept organizational culture is the specific beliefs, values or principles based on which a particular organization runs their entire process of business in the market. In order to influence the customers towards purchasing products and services the impact of organizational culture leaves a major significance. After conducting an in-depth research and development on the overall employee review of JB Hi-Fi, an overview about the organizational culture can be portrayed. After making detailed analysis about the organizational culture of JB Hi-Fi, both positive as well as negative cultures have been highlighted that are as follows Agile work environment along with diversity: As per the opinion of several employees, this specific organization is constituted with extreme level of flexible work environment. Employees do not have to maintain a strict office hour for providing services to the customers. Every single employee is responsible to maintain the duration of work hour. Managers never intend to fix up their shift duration of employees. In addition, employees do not have to follow any sitting arrangement at their workplace. They are flexible enough in maintaining effective communication with each other even at the time of work hour (Uddin, Luva and Hossain 2012). Automatically, employees get courageous in providing better services to the customers. In addition, this particular organization has hired the employees from various cultural as well as psychological backgrounds and attitudes. In this kind of situation, employees having different cultural backgrounds have to face innumerable difficulties in maintaining an effective interaction with each other. Agile work environment within the business process of JB Hi-Fi has enhanced the comfort level among employees. They like to share their views and thought to those people with whom they are comfortable. Well structured reward and recognition system: The employees of JB Hi-Fi are very much satisfied in terms of their wages. Business managers by implementing reward and recognition policy tend to motivate the employees towards good services. At the end of the year, this specific organization tends to nominate those employees who have provided good services throughout the year. After receiving an appreciation, the organizational employees show their best endeavor for fulfilling the needs and demands of the customers (Erkutlu 2012). Automatically the organization is able to render the peak of success by expanding business beyond going the regional market. Reward and recognition policy is one of the most effective ways of motivating those employees who are not capable enough in performing well towards the services. Effective communication among the employees: Due to agile work environment, the internal rapport among the employees of JB Hi-Fi is very much effective. The employees before delivering the services to the customers tend to share necessary information with each other. Consequently, the entire operation process goes in a systematic and rhythmic way. In addition, employees belonging to diverse cultural backgrounds are not flexible enough in communicating effective communication with every individual (Shahzad, Iqbal and Gulzar 2013). In this kind of situation, the fellow employees show their cooperative outlook y maintaining non-verbal communication so that language barrier cannot affect the service method. This kind of rapport among the employees of JB Hi-Fi has left positive impact in rendering the success of business organization. Autocratic form of leadership at the workplace: Along with systematic and healthy organizational culture, JB Hi-Fi intends to follow autocratic system of work that highly affects a specific business organization in maintaining image and reputation. As per the point of view of several employees, the managers of this organization tend to follow autocratic leadership style at the workplace (Mills 2017). Autocratic leadership style implies the business managers in imposing their own decision on the employees. Business managers before implementing a specific business strategy and policy never intend to make an effective communication with the employees (Sarangi and Srivastava 2012). They like to change roster structure, impose their own decision on the employees while providing services, takes strategic decision without informing the employees. As a result, the existing staffs show their reluctant attitude in providing good services to the customers. Lack of opportunity in enhancing professional skill: JB Hi-Fi in the current business scenario does not intend to provide any training and development session to the employees in order to enhance their communication skill as well as professional competency. With the dynamic progress of market, the needs and demands of the employees are changing gradually. The employees have to attend effective training session in order to update their professional skill (Wolf, Dulmus and Maguin 2012). The business managers on the other hand impose extreme work burden on the employees within showing any kind of cooperation. These specific factors have become a major barrier in the growth of organization. After evaluating the entire organizational culture of JB Hi-Fi, it can be analyzed that the business managers can follow participative form of leadership style in order to make collective decision regarding the success of business. Conclusion: In conclusion, it can be said that the organization has made several efforts to be sustainable. This report has evaluated the external environment and the ongoing CSR policies of the organization. The organization helps numbers of charity organizations for helping the deprived ones in the society. The corporate social responsibility of the organization has been aligned in a way that it maintains the ethical concerns in an appropriate way. JB hi fi provides several financial aids to projects all over the country for the well being of the society and the community they are residing. The organizational culture of the organization is also aligned with the corporate social responsibility policies. However, there is a huge lack of professional skills. The management is working towards improving this situation as well. The organizational culture has been evaluated and analyzed as well. The external environment of the organization indicates that the organization needs to improve its technolo gical advancements for attracting more customers. Reference list Arndt, A.D., Singhapakdi, A. and Tam, V., 2015. Consumers as employees: the impact of social responsibility on quality of work life among Australian engineers.Social Responsibility Journal,11(1), pp.98-108. Culley, B., Graham, J., Kay, G., Norberry, J. and Wilson, S., 2017. Digital Marketing Plan: Naked Wines Australia.Newcastle Business School Student Journal,1(1), pp.68-89. Erkutlu, H., 2012. The impact of organizational culture on the relationship between shared leadership and team proactivity.Team Performance Management: An International Journal,18(1/2), pp.102-119. Graafland, J. and Smid, H., 2016. Decoupling Among CSR Policies, Programs, and Impacts: An Empirical Study.Business Society, p.0007650316647951. Heard, I., Heard, I., Love, P.E., Love, P.E., Sing, M.C., Sing, M.C., Goerke, V. and Goerke, V., 2017. Learning to build relationships for a better Australia: Indigenous reconciliation in action in the construction and resource sectors.Construction Innovation,17(1), pp.4-24. Arli, D. and Cadeaux, J., 2014. Drivers of corporate community involvement and challenges in measuring its impact.Social Responsibility Journal,10(1), pp.161-183. Mills, A.J., 2017. Studying the Gendering of Organizational Culture over Time: Concerns, Issues, and Strategies?. InInsights and Research on the Study of Gender and Intersectionality in International Airline Cultures(pp. 71-91). Emerald Publishing Limited. Morris, A. and Metternicht, G., 2016. Assessing effectiveness of WEEE management policy in Australia.Journal of environmental management,181, pp.218-230. Paynter, M., Halabi, A.K. and Lawton, A., 2018. The Neo-Institutionalism Influences on Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting Development in Australia: A Three Company Study. InThe Goals of Sustainable Development(pp. 193-214). Springer, Singapore. Rao, K., Rao, K., Tilt, C. and Tilt, C., 2016. Board diversity and CSR reporting: an Australian study.Meditari Accountancy Research,24(2), pp.182-210. Sarangi, S. and Srivastava, R.K., 2012. Impact of organizational culture and communication on employee engagement: An investigation of Indian private banks.South Asian journal of management,19(3), p.18. Shahzad, F., Iqbal, Z. and Gulzar, M., 2013. Impact of organizational culture on employees job performance: An empirical study of software houses in Pakistan.Journal of Business Studies Quarterly,5(2), p.56. Uddin, M.J., Luva, R.H. and Hossain, S.M.M., 2012. Impact of organizational culture on employee performance and productivity: a case study of telecommunication sector in Bangladesh.International Journal of Business and Management,8(2), p.63. Wolf, D.A.P.S., Dulmus, C.N. and Maguin, E., 2012. Empirically supported treatments impact on organizational culture and climate.Research on Social Work Practice,22(6), pp.665-671.

Poverty Appalachian Essays - Welfare Economics, Appalachia

Poverty: Appalachian Appalachian Poverty Poverty is a global problem, and it has existed from the beginning of civilization. Hunger, homelessness, and lack of health care are major aspects of this world-wide dilemma. Many countries are in complete poverty and a majority are third-world countries. Within the United States of America, a land of plenty, there are also pockets of extreme poverty. Governments around the world are trying to solve this huge problem. Third world poverty and Appalachian poverty, which occurred in the United States of America, have developed for various reasons, and these situations have led to a great deal of problems. Throughout the world, poverty has plagued all countries. In smaller, under-developed countries many people die from starvation. These countries can not afford to support their citizens. Due to their financial problems, the people lack proper shelter and clothing to keep themselves warm during cold months. Since they lack adequate shelter and clothing, diseases occur all over. These diseases develop a lot easier with poor nutrition. Once again with more financial problems, health care is limited to none. Lawrence Senesh, the contributor of "Poverty as a Social Problem" from World Book, says poverty is usually caused by the difficulty in holding and even getting a job(650). Ability, education, and skills help determine the kind of job an individual gets (650). Horten 2 Everyone does not have the same physical abilities and mental abilities. Poor health and abilities prevent some people from holding a job. Through science people have been able to hold onto jobs a lot easier (650). It has increased the need for professional workers and lowered the demand for the unskilled (650). So, the people with higher education will get paid a higher income, and people with lower education will get paid a lower income. Changes in economic slumps can often bring poverty. When businesses drop off and production declines people lose jobs without warning (650). Poverty is also caused by social conditions, such as racial discrimination (Blacks, Asians, and Mexicans) (650). Whites are usually the ones who do the discriminating (650). There are a variety of third-world countries in the world. A third world country is a country that is economically depressed and continues to grieve. Examples of third world countries are Bosnia, Hungary, Austria, Romania, and Somalia. The United States of America, the richest country in the world, has its share of poverty (Senesh650a). Granted, American poverty is no match to third world poverty, but for such a prosperous country it is pretty sad. Most third world countries do not have social security or welfare (650a). So, the people of those countries have no income to keep themselves going. Even though America does have both social security and welfare, this country still has many homeless and starving people. Horten 3 Appalachia includes thirteen states, ranging from southern New York to eastern Mississippi (650a). About eighteen million people live in Appalachia. In March, 1965, the United States Congress passed the Appalachian Regional Redevelopment Act. The legislation was designed primarily to create more jobs by attracting tourists and industries. It provided funds and made the area more accessible. Funds also were made available for new schools and health facilities, land and mine reclamation, and timber and water conservation. The poverty in America will not be solved all at once (650a). Simply creating jobs will not help eliminate poverty because there are some people who are disabled and just can not work (650a). The government social welfare programs help to add income to many people (650a). These people could be the retired, unemployed, disabled, or widowed (650a). In order to help the less fortunate, the people that are employed are taxed to raise money to pay for social security and other benefits (650a). For the higher income workers taxes are higher, and for lower income workers taxes are lower. Michael Winerip stated in "What's a Nice Jewish Lawyer Like John Rosenberg Doing in Appalachia?" from New York Times Magazine, that Rosenberg left Washington to go to Kentucky ; he quickly realized that the land was barren. A land that was once bountiful Horten 4 for its time is now a vast quantity of nothing (Winerip25). In the video tape "Applachian Poverty"directed by Susan Jones, she shows how runned down Applachia really is. The government has been trying to eliminate poverty for decades. In 1946 an employment act was passed (Senesh 650a). This act charges the federal government to keep the economic stability of the United States of America (Senesh 650a). The way the government has tried to decrease the poverty

In The Womb essays

In The Womb essays The National Geographic Video, In the Womb makes use of 3-dimensional and 4-dimensional sonar technology to depict a babys development in its mothers womb. It depicts the development from a collection of cells, to a fully formed baby in the last months of pregnancy. Inside its mothers womb, the baby is shown in real time, making movements such as sucking its thumb, smiling, blinking, and making finger movements. The film also includes scenes of in-utero surgery to correct a genetic defect before birth. The film is an example of how technology can be used to not only improve physical human health, but also emotional health. Being able to see, in real time, the development of the fetus inside her body can have a powerful effect on an expectant mother and father, especially with their first-born. They are able to see, right from the beginning, the development and growth of their baby. This technology provides a very strong emotional bond between the parents and child, as well as between the parents. This can bring about an emotional process that may encourage the mother to take better care of her and thus her infants physical health as well. Feeling movement inside her body, the mother can now visualize the growing baby, and find the process of pregnancy and birth more meaningful and possibly somewhat easier to handle. The National Geographic video can therefore make people even more aware of the precious nature of new life. While it is not possible to make such a video for every expectant mother, seeing this video can help expectant parents to be more aware of the process inside the womb. Furthermore, if technology or funds are not available for 4-D sonar photography, the video can supplement normal sonar technology to help parents be more aware of the coming child. In this way, National Geographic has created a well-constructed video to answer many of the questions regarding the begi...

Assessing the effects of evolving consumer expectations of corporate philanthropy on the shareholder and stakeholder primacy models of CSR. A case study of Marks and Spencer

In other words, it involves spending organization’s resources for the benefit of society. It is usually done directly or through a company’s foundation. In some cases, donations are in the form of an organization’s facilities, products and services. The areas covered under corporate philanthropy consist of education, health, art and environment (Council on Foundations, 1982). On the other hand, CSR or corporate social responsibility is an enterprise level program designed to bring positive change in society. The primary effect of the evolution of consumer expectation on CSR is the incorporation of this concept into corporate strategy of such organizations. Likewise, the effect on the shareholder’s model of CSR is also considerable. The incorporation of the CSR model within corporate strategy enables the shareholder to enjoy returns from the CSR program of the organization. The returns usually manifest in the form of increased sales and profits, which resul ts from the goodwill created by the CSR program (Urip, 2010). One of the distinctive features of the CSR concept is the involvement and participation of all the stakeholders including shareholders, employees, customers, supply chain partners, community and government. This feature is the central point of the stakeholder’s primacy model of CSR. According to this model, the CSR incorporates the interests of the society at both the strategic and operational level. Furthermore, this concept also entails the interaction and relationship of all the key stakeholders in the context of CSR. This means that an integral aspect of CSR is the interaction of the organization with internal and external stakeholders. The internal stakeholders consist in the form of employees, top management and shareholders, whereas external stakeholders consist of government, non-government organization and community. The scope of issues that CSR covers ranges from the environment, economic and social faced by the community and society at large. The stakeholder’s primacy model on CSR also entails that CSR should be considered separate from the core operations and activities of the business. This means that CSR should be given similar importance compared to other core functions such as marketing, sales, finance and HR. However, according to this model, CSR is a voluntary concept. Nevertheless, it should be noted that changing a consumer’s expectations has made this concept more of an obligation. This is due to the fact that consumers increasingly hold the view that corporations are directly responsible for the well being of the society and, therefore, should play their due role (Fernando, 2011). 2.2. Aim: To assess the effects of evolving and changing consumer expectations of corporate philanthropy on the shareholder and stakeholder’s primacy models of CSR 2.2.1. Objectives: To understand how the evolving consumer expectations has affected the CSR programs of Marks and Spencer. To determine the changes in consumer expectations in regard to corporate philanthropy. 2.2.2. Research questions For the purpose of attaining research objective, this study will make use of following research questions: Is the CSR program of Marks and Spencer part of the organization’s corporate strategy Is the CSR program of Marks and Spencer affected by the evolving consumer expectations of corporate philanthropy What areas of society are covered by the Marks and Spencer CSR program Does Marks and Spencer’s CSR program come under stakeholder’s primacy model of CSR 3.0 Literature Review The literature reviews enable the understanding of the topic in the context of different theories. The theories, which are brought under discussion usually exists in academic journals, books and other research dissertations The literature review will enable the research to determine the effects of customers’ expectations of corporate philanthropic initiatives on an organization’s primary CSR model. However, before delineating these effects, it is imperative that a clear understanding of the meaning and scope of CSR is made. Usually CSR referred to all the activities, which are conducted by a private organization for the well-being of the general public or community. These activities can relate to different social and environmental issues. The CSR activities do not differ from each other regarding the amount spent on each activity but on the basis of the way in which an organization indulges in that CSR activity (Werther Chandler, 2010). The importance of CSR and its im plications are vital for any global or national business. As a result, the changes in the consumer expectations have assumed vital importance for the nature of organization’s CSR model. Business concern for society is not a new concept but can be traced backed many centuries.. Initially, the activities, which are now categorized as CSR, were seen as merely corporate or business philanthropy. The perception and expectation from the consumer that companies or businesses are an important part of society and, therefore, has responsibility towards society originated in last few years. This led to the development of formal concepts of CSR (Carroll, 1999). Likewise, academic and scholarly work on CSR and corporate philanthropy started in the last century, which led to the belief that CSR is an obligation of every corporate entity. Bowen, who is considered the father of the modern concept of CSR, classified CSR as those activities, which enables businesses and companies to achieve ob jectives, which are desirable for any society (Bowen, 1953). This definition is very simplistic in nature and does not cover the entire spectrum of CSR activities. Davis (1960) sees CSR as a responsibility on the part of a firm, which forces it to admit to duties, which are present in areas beyond the domain of commercial interest. Resultantly, firms will be engaging in politics, community welfare, education and health. Walton (1967) sees CSR as an activity, which will cost the organization without any material gain for the business. Therefore, such activity must be done on a voluntary basis. From this concept, it can be seen that CSR was seen as a matter of moral duty instead of something, which could generate material gain for the organization. However, this consideration has started to change as many firms expect intangible returns from their CSR initiatives. The intangible initiatives can be in the shape of goodwill and creation of a friendly image in the public eye (Louche et a l., 2010). On the other hand, the prevalence of CSR in the modern world has made it necessary for the organization to perform CSR activities. In the case by which an organization decides not to participate in CSR initiatives, it risks losing its customer base. This can be attributed to constant expectations from the consumers for socially responsible behaviour from the companies. Such consumers have increasingly become socially and environmentally conscious and support only those firms, which are involved in CSR and in the provision of sustainable products. The importance of such customers for businesses can be gauged from the recent researches, which show consumer’s preferences for socially responsible firms (Lindgreen Swaen, 2010). One such study showed that the market of those customers, who live their life according to the new concepts of health and environment, is expected to grow to 30% alone in the US (Forster, 2007). The customers are increasingly expecting a great a mount of sustainability from the corporate entities. This is one of the new trends, which have originated in the customer’s way of thinking as far as corporate philanthropy. Initially, consumers’ view any activity, intended to bring positive in the society, as part of corporate philanthropic initiative. Such initiative was considered separate and discrete from organization’s core activities, where were the provision of products and services to customers. Now, such initiative, which comes under the domain of CSR, needs to be considered a core business activity and, hence, part of organizational corporate strategy. Therefore, the primary effect of the changing and evolving expectations of corporate philanthropy on the consumers is the incorporation of CSR model in the organization’s main strategy. This incorporation will enable the organization to provide products and services, which are up to the social and environmental standards. And at the same time, it will enable the organization to launch separate but related initiatives intended to bring positive change in the society. Any organization, which fails to perform this, can risk losing customer base within the market. Therefore, the CSR model has now become an integral part of corporate strategy of all large multinational organizations (Fernando, 2011). The effects of changing consumer expectations has led to the development of the concept of ‘sustainable development’. According it is viewed as the responsibility of businesses to conduct their core activities in such manner, which will not affect the ability of the future generation to meet their basic needs (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). It can be seen from this concept that sustainability in the organization’s activities has now become an integral part of the customers. An organization can fulfil this expectation by integrating the economic, social and environmental consideration in its corporate strategy. This will enable it to achieve sustainability in all aspects of an organization’s operations ( (Visser et al., 2007). Another effect of evolving consumers’ expectation of corporate philanthropy on organization’s CSR model is the adoption of concept of â€Å"Triple Bottom Line† (TBL) by the organization. Ac cording to such, it is the obligation of the organization to put its focus on three main aspects. The first is related to the responsibility of economic success. Secondly, it is related to the responsibility to the environment and thirdly is related to the responsibility of the individuals and the community in general (Elkington, 1998). With this concept, the business organization has transformed itself from a primary economic entity to an organization, which is responsible for fulfilling social and environmental needs of the society alongside achieving their objective of profit generation. This change in the approach of conducting business is attributed to the evolving consumer’s expectation of corporate philanthropy. In the past, any activity on the part of the corporation for the well-being of the community was looked as an initiative taken on the part of shareholders and the high-management. However, with the emergence of CSR, such activities have come under the domain of institutions. Now all activities, taken for the improvement of society have assumed institutional shape (Gainer, 2010). It is equally important to understand the reasons, which led to the evolution of consumers’ expectations of business philanthropy. One pertinent factor responsible for the change is the increase in consumers’ awareness. Consumer awareness has gone a long way in changing the perception of business activities of the corporations. Consumers have now increasingly become aware of their rights. Moreover, this awareness is usually backed by legal and regulatory support , which increases the overall bargaining power of consumers in relation to the organizations. This has enabled the consumers to hold expectations from the corporate entities to perform their due share in the well-being of society. If any organizations fail to perform its obligations, it will not only face legal repercussions but also risk losing consumers in the market. In addition to this, h igh competition in the market is also one of the factors responsible in the shift of customers’ expectations. High forces of competition in the market have required the organization to look for new avenues to build and sustain their competitive advantage. One such technique is through the creation of goodwill within the general public. And the best method for creating such goodwill is through CSR. Furthermore, the effects of culture on CSR expectations are also considerable. For instance, according to Matten Moon (2004), in Europe, the CSR is viewed more in terms of philanthropy than the US, where it is most likely viewed as institutional activity. This difference is primarily attributed to the dissimilarity in the institutional environment and cultural values of the regions. This is the reason, why organizations usually incorporate CSR initiatives in the corporate policies and programs. On the other hand, in Europe, it is mostly viewed as an informal business activity. This shows that customers’ expectations of corporate philanthropy have not matured in Europe as it has done in the US (Baden et al., 2011). For the clear understanding of the problem, it is also important to allow comprehension of the stakeholders’ primacy model of CSR. It is not sufficient to only understand the activities but, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of all the stakeholders, who are directly and indirectly involved in it. Overall, the CSR model is focused on the improvement of society. Resultantly, it should incorporate all the values of society (Carroll, 1979). On the other hand, there is another school of thought, which views CSR as entirely aimed at addressing the issues of different stakeholders in place of the entire society. One proponent of this school of thought is Clarkson (1995). According to Clarkson (1995), the activities including CSR of any business entity are aimed at fulfilling the needs of stakeholders. According to this concept, corporations are free from any obligation concerning society. Instead, there are only responsible for the welfare of the community, which is direc tly affected by their activities. Likewise, (Maignan et al., 2005) also supports this assertion. According to (Maignan et al., 2005), businesses and corporations are responsible for satisfying economic and noneconomic needs of the stakeholders. However, it is difficult to ascertain the exact boundaries of stakeholders especially in the case of multinationals, whose activities spread to different dimensions and areas of society. Nevertheless, the stakeholder model of CSR provides a framework, which can be used to analyze the relationship of the business with the society in the context of CSR (Carroll Shabana, 2010). This theory plays more a complementary role than conflict, when viewed in the milieu of CSR. This theory allows a better understanding of relationship between principal factors involved in the provision of CSR related initiative. According to this theory, corporate units can be better understood through the relationship of different actors, which have a stake in the oper ations of the business (Friedman, 1970). This means that the objectives of any CSR initiative taken by the organization are indirectly related to the primary goal of the organization, which is profit maximization. It means any CSR activity conducted by the organization will eventually increase the customer base for the organization and will subsequently translate in the form of higher returns for the organization. This approach creates a win-win situation for all stakeholders. The community gets the benefit from the CSR activities whereas shareholders and management of the organization receive benefits in the form of increased profits (Freeman, 1984). Theoretically, this model is very effective in transforming capitalism into serving the interest of different stakeholders, excluding shareholders. Within the framework of this theory, the implications of the evolving consumer’s expectations are considerable. The new set of consumer’s belief expects the organization to wo rk for the wellbeing of actors who do not come under the category of stakeholders. As a result, it has become necessary for the organization to redefine the boundaries of stakeholders and include all those actors within society, who are not directly related to the activities of the organization. The primary implication of this for the organization is increased cost related to CSR initiatives without any translations of returns for the organization. In other words, the organization fails to achieve something tangible from such initiative. Moreover, such initiative has departed from pure CSR and has returned to the scope of corporate philanthropy. Previously, only stakeholder’s interest was considered in the CSR program, which is regarded as vital for the existence and success of the organization. This concept also takes into account the importance of power dependent relationships, which suggests that an organization customizes its CSR program according to the power enjoyed by certain stakeholder groups over the firm (Pirsch, 2007). 4.0 Methodology 4.1 Research approach: The research approach adopted for this thesis is the case-based approach. The case study approach will provide profound understanding of the effects of changing consumer’s expectations on an organization’s CSR models. The case study approach is preferred because it allows the collection of in-depth information, which can be comprehensively analyzed in order to reach definite conclusions (Kumar, n.d.). This approach will also enable understanding of the problem in isolation, which is not possible with any other research approach (Bergh Ketchen, 2009). As a result, a comprehensive study of the case will be conducted, which will enable identification and analysis of the factors affecting the consumer expectation of corporate philanthropy on the stakeholder primacy model of CSR. Due to the nature of the case study, the research approach will be primarily qualitative in nature. This approach is ideal because it allows clear comprehension of the all the dimensions of the top ic under discussion (Maxwell, 2005). Therefore, the first stage of this research will consists of in-depth research and review of the relevant literature. The stage will also consist of the study of primacy models of CSR in the context of organizational strategy. This approach will enable the fulfilment of the objective of ascertaining the effects of fluctuating consumer’s expectations on the stakeholder primacy models of CSR. 4.2 Case selection This research will study the case of Marks and Spencer as a model organization for understanding and concluding the effects of evolving customer’s expectation on organization’s dominant models of CSR. The case study approach is ideal in the present scenario because it will allow the research to investigate the problem while retaining the holistic point of view, which is necessary for accurate results (Henn, 2009). The reason Marks and Spencer is selected rests in its long history of corporate philanthropy in the shape of CSR. Likewise, it is a large organization, which makes it representative for all other organizations. This case is also appropriate as it will lead the research to accurate theory development. It should be noted here that the fact the each business unit of Mark and Spenser develops its own CSR strategy makes it relevant for this research. This case will also allow the understanding and identification of the issues concerning the CSR model of Marks and S penser. CSR has an integral position in the organization of Marks and Spenser. This can be attributed to the founders of MS who intended to build sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships with all stakeholders including the community and employees. This model of CSR was implemented with the belief that it will ensure long-term success for the organization. MS launched a number of initiatives under its CSR model relating to education, health, environment and employability. This model has led to the creation of trustworthy images of the company in the general public and the community (Hallbauer, 2008). 4.3 Sample size This research will use a sample of 25 to 40 respondents. This size is ideal to reach a representative conclusion and at the same time eliminates bias in the research. The information from the respondents from the sample will provide additional data and perspective to the information derived from literature and theory review. 4.4 Data collection Primary data: In order to ascertain the effects of evolving customer’s expectations of corporate philanthropy, a large chunk of data will be collected from comprehensive primary research. The case study approach will allow triangulation of data from multiple sources, which will further allow a balanced understating of the problem under discussion. The primary data will be collected from semi structured interviews, which will provide insight into the thought process of the respondents being interviewed. The respondents will include the customers alongside employees of the organization, which will permit an incorporation of the view points of both sides. The questions for the interview are divided according to the respondent type. The following tentative and semi structured questions will be presented the customers: What areas should be targeted in the organization’s CSR strategy Have you witnessed any changes in the the CSR activities of the organizations in last 5 years Do you consider corporate philanthropy an integral responsibility of the organization On the other hand, managerial staff of the organization will be asked to follow main questions: How many changes have taken place in the scope of CSR activities of the organization How much of this change reflects the changes in the customer expectations from the organization’s CSR model How much organization’s philanthropy has been transformed into formalized CSR system Using these questions, this study will collect the relevant data, which will later be used in collaboration with the literature review to address the concerned topic. Secondary data: This research study will also make use of a variety of sources of secondary data alongside primary data, collected from interviews. The secondary data will consist of the website and annual reports of the concerned organization. In addition to this, academic journals and books relating to the topic will also come under the purview of this research. The purpose of the secondary data collection is to determine the effects of evolving customers’ expectations of corporate philanthropy on the organization’s primary CSR model. In addition to this, external reports originating from third party sources, such as the government, will also be used to provide all-encompassing analysis of the topic. The secondary data will enable a balanced understanding of the organization’s CSR model in the wake of evolving customer expectations from corporate philanthropy. 4.5 Pilot study The main objective of the pilot study was to ensure that the terminologies used in the research methodology are correct. As a result, the pilot study was conducted in the shape of interviews from a narrow range of respondents. The method used for the pilot study was a face-to-face to interview. This method enabled direct feedback from the respondents. In addition to this, the method also allowed the interviewer to ask relevant and pertinent questions, which were not present in the question guide, for the sole purpose of clarity. 4.6 Data analysis The data collected from the interview will consist of qualitative data. Therefore, it will not be possible to apply statistical principles and techniques, which can be applied to quantitative data, to extract trends and patterns. As a result, the information collected from interviews will be analyzed to deduce normative patterns for further understanding. However, for the purpose of categorization, the data will be coded and compared according to the research questions. The purpose of this activity is to identify any gaps in the research. In the case of identification of certain gaps, extended data collection will be conducted to eliminate any deficiencies. Moreover, the comparisons will also lead to the elimination of discrepancies before the final stage, when this data will be used to derive concrete findings. The main objective of the data analysis is to find the different dimensions of the topic under discussion. As the data in question primarily consists of primary information, it will provide more realistic picture of all aspects of the problem. Furthermore, this data analysis could also be used with the literature review, which will allow an incorporation of primary data with the theory development in the research finding stage (Miles Huberman, 1994). 5.0 Conclusion The purpose of this research is to assess the effects of the evolving customer expectations in regard to corporate philanthropy on the stakeholder’s primacy model of CSR. For this purpose, the case of Marks and Spencer is selected. Marks and Spencer has a long history of CSR and, therefore, provides a representative model for research study. This research will make use of qualitative data for the purpose of analysis and deriving conclusions. The qualitative data will provide normative insight into the problem, which will enable accurate assessment of the problem under discussion. This research will make use of both primary and secondary data. The primary data will be collected from semi structured interview, which will be conducted from the sample of 25 to 40 respondents. The respondents are divided into two categories in the form of consumers and employees of the said discussion. The data collected will be used in collaboration with secondary data. The secondary data will con sist of academic journals, books, websites and external reports. The secondary data will enable the analysis of primary data in a more comprehensive and balanced manner. With this research methodology, the research study intends to achieve its objective, which is to assess the effects of evolving and changing consumer expectations of corporate philanthropy on the shareholder and stakeholder primacy models of CSR. 6.0 References Baden, Tonne Meyer, 2011. The effect of context and type of corporate philanthropy on moral capital. Journal of Business Ethics . Bergh, D.D. Ketchen, D.J., 2009. Research methodology in strategy and management. Emerald Group Publishing. Bowen, H., 1953. Social responsibility of the businessman. New York: Harper Row. Carroll, A., 1979. A Three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate social performance. Academy of Management Review, 4(4), pp.497-505. Carroll, A., 1999. Corporate Social Responsibility: Evolution of a defnitional construct. Business and Society, 39, p.268–295. Carroll, A.B. Shabana, K.M., 2010. The business case for corporate social responsibility: A review of concepts, research and practice. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), p.85–105. Clarkson, M., 1995. The Toronto conference: Refections on stakeholder theory. Business and Society, 33(1), p.82–131. Council on Foundations, 1982. Corporate philanthropy: Philosophy, management, trends, future, background. Council on Foundations. Davis, K., 1960. Can business afford to ignore social responsibilities. California Management Review, 2(3), p.70–76. Elkington, J., 1998. Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st Century business. Gabriola Island, Canada: New Society Publishers. Fernando, A., 2011. Business environment. Pearson Education India. Forster, T., 2004. Die grunen Yuppies. Werben Verkaufen, 51, p.45. Freeman, R., 1984. Strategic management: A stakeholder perspective. Boston: Pitman Publishing Inc. Friedman, M., 1962. Capitalism and freedom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Gainer, B., 2010. Corporate social responsibility. Third Sector Research, pp.187-200. Hallbauer, S., 2008. Retail marketing and new retail idea – Marks Spencer. GRIN Verlag. Henn, S.K., 2009. Business ethics: A case study approach. John Wiley Sons. Kumar, R., n.d. Research methodology. APH Publishing. Lindgreen, A. Swaen, V., 2010. Corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), pp.1-7. Louche, C., Idowu, S.O. Filho, W.L., 2010. Innovative Csr: From risk management to value creation. Greenleaf Publishing. Maignan, I., Ferrell, O. Ferrell, L., 2005. A stakeholder model for implementing social responsibility in marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 29(9/10), p.956–977. Matten, D. Moon, J., 2004. Implicit and explicit CSR: A conceptual framework for understanding CSR in Europe. ICCSR Research Paper Series, (29). Maxwell, J.A., 2005. Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. Sage Publications. Miles, M.B. Huberman, A.M., 1994. Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Sage Publications. Pirsch, J., 2007. A framework for understanding corporate social responsibility programs as a continuum: An exploratory study. Journal of Business Ethics, 70(2), pp.125-40. Urip, S., 2010. CSR strategies: Corporate Social Responsibility for a competitive edge in emerging markets. John Wiley Sons. Visser, W., Matten, D. Pohl, M., 2007. The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility: A complete reference guide to concepts, codes and organisations. London: Wiley. Walton, C., 1967. Corporate social responsibilities. Belmont, CA, USA.: Wadsworth. Werther, W.B. Chandler, D., 2010. Strategic corporate social responsibility: Stakeholders in a global environment. SAGE. World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987. Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Assessing the effects of evolving consumer expectations of corporate philanthropy on the shareholder and stakeholder primacy models of CSR. A case study of Marks and Spencer In other words, it involves spending organization’s resources for the benefit of society. It is usually done directly or through a company’s foundation. In some cases, donations are in the form of an organization’s facilities, products and services. The areas covered under corporate philanthropy consist of education, health, art and environment (Council on Foundations, 1982). On the other hand, CSR or corporate social responsibility is an enterprise level program designed to bring positive change in society. The primary effect of the evolution of consumer expectation on CSR is the incorporation of this concept into corporate strategy of such organizations. Likewise, the effect on the shareholder’s model of CSR is also considerable. The incorporation of the CSR model within corporate strategy enables the shareholder to enjoy returns from the CSR program of the organization. The returns usually manifest in the form of increased sales and profits, which resul ts from the goodwill created by the CSR program (Urip, 2010). One of the distinctive features of the CSR concept is the involvement and participation of all the stakeholders including shareholders, employees, customers, supply chain partners, community and government. This feature is the central point of the stakeholder’s primacy model of CSR. According to this model, the CSR incorporates the interests of the society at both the strategic and operational level. Furthermore, this concept also entails the interaction and relationship of all the key stakeholders in the context of CSR. This means that an integral aspect of CSR is the interaction of the organization with internal and external stakeholders. The internal stakeholders consist in the form of employees, top management and shareholders, whereas external stakeholders consist of government, non-government organization and community. The scope of issues that CSR covers ranges from the environment, economic and social faced by the community and society at large. The stakeholder’s primacy model on CSR also entails that CSR should be considered separate from the core operations and activities of the business. This means that CSR should be given similar importance compared to other core functions such as marketing, sales, finance and HR. However, according to this model, CSR is a voluntary concept. Nevertheless, it should be noted that changing a consumer’s expectations has made this concept more of an obligation. This is due to the fact that consumers increasingly hold the view that corporations are directly responsible for the well being of the society and, therefore, should play their due role (Fernando, 2011). 2.2. Aim: To assess the effects of evolving and changing consumer expectations of corporate philanthropy on the shareholder and stakeholder’s primacy models of CSR 2.2.1. Objectives: To understand how the evolving consumer expectations has affected the CSR programs of Marks and Spencer. To determine the changes in consumer expectations in regard to corporate philanthropy. 2.2.2. Research questions For the purpose of attaining research objective, this study will make use of following research questions: Is the CSR program of Marks and Spencer part of the organization’s corporate strategy Is the CSR program of Marks and Spencer affected by the evolving consumer expectations of corporate philanthropy What areas of society are covered by the Marks and Spencer CSR program Does Marks and Spencer’s CSR program come under stakeholder’s primacy model of CSR 3.0 Literature Review The literature reviews enable the understanding of the topic in the context of different theories. The theories, which are brought under discussion usually exists in academic journals, books and other research dissertations The literature review will enable the research to determine the effects of customers’ expectations of corporate philanthropic initiatives on an organization’s primary CSR model. However, before delineating these effects, it is imperative that a clear understanding of the meaning and scope of CSR is made. Usually CSR referred to all the activities, which are conducted by a private organization for the well-being of the general public or community. These activities can relate to different social and environmental issues. The CSR activities do not differ from each other regarding the amount spent on each activity but on the basis of the way in which an organization indulges in that CSR activity (Werther Chandler, 2010). The importance of CSR and its im plications are vital for any global or national business. As a result, the changes in the consumer expectations have assumed vital importance for the nature of organization’s CSR model. Business concern for society is not a new concept but can be traced backed many centuries.. Initially, the activities, which are now categorized as CSR, were seen as merely corporate or business philanthropy. The perception and expectation from the consumer that companies or businesses are an important part of society and, therefore, has responsibility towards society originated in last few years. This led to the development of formal concepts of CSR (Carroll, 1999). Likewise, academic and scholarly work on CSR and corporate philanthropy started in the last century, which led to the belief that CSR is an obligation of every corporate entity. Bowen, who is considered the father of the modern concept of CSR, classified CSR as those activities, which enables businesses and companies to achieve ob jectives, which are desirable for any society (Bowen, 1953). This definition is very simplistic in nature and does not cover the entire spectrum of CSR activities. Davis (1960) sees CSR as a responsibility on the part of a firm, which forces it to admit to duties, which are present in areas beyond the domain of commercial interest. Resultantly, firms will be engaging in politics, community welfare, education and health. Walton (1967) sees CSR as an activity, which will cost the organization without any material gain for the business. Therefore, such activity must be done on a voluntary basis. From this concept, it can be seen that CSR was seen as a matter of moral duty instead of something, which could generate material gain for the organization. However, this consideration has started to change as many firms expect intangible returns from their CSR initiatives. The intangible initiatives can be in the shape of goodwill and creation of a friendly image in the public eye (Louche et a l., 2010). On the other hand, the prevalence of CSR in the modern world has made it necessary for the organization to perform CSR activities. In the case by which an organization decides not to participate in CSR initiatives, it risks losing its customer base. This can be attributed to constant expectations from the consumers for socially responsible behaviour from the companies. Such consumers have increasingly become socially and environmentally conscious and support only those firms, which are involved in CSR and in the provision of sustainable products. The importance of such customers for businesses can be gauged from the recent researches, which show consumer’s preferences for socially responsible firms (Lindgreen Swaen, 2010). One such study showed that the market of those customers, who live their life according to the new concepts of health and environment, is expected to grow to 30% alone in the US (Forster, 2007). The customers are increasingly expecting a great a mount of sustainability from the corporate entities. This is one of the new trends, which have originated in the customer’s way of thinking as far as corporate philanthropy. Initially, consumers’ view any activity, intended to bring positive in the society, as part of corporate philanthropic initiative. Such initiative was considered separate and discrete from organization’s core activities, where were the provision of products and services to customers. Now, such initiative, which comes under the domain of CSR, needs to be considered a core business activity and, hence, part of organizational corporate strategy. Therefore, the primary effect of the changing and evolving expectations of corporate philanthropy on the consumers is the incorporation of CSR model in the organization’s main strategy. This incorporation will enable the organization to provide products and services, which are up to the social and environmental standards. And at the same time, it will enable the organization to launch separate but related initiatives intended to bring positive change in the society. Any organization, which fails to perform this, can risk losing customer base within the market. Therefore, the CSR model has now become an integral part of corporate strategy of all large multinational organizations (Fernando, 2011). The effects of changing consumer expectations has led to the development of the concept of ‘sustainable development’. According it is viewed as the responsibility of businesses to conduct their core activities in such manner, which will not affect the ability of the future generation to meet their basic needs (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). It can be seen from this concept that sustainability in the organization’s activities has now become an integral part of the customers. An organization can fulfil this expectation by integrating the economic, social and environmental consideration in its corporate strategy. This will enable it to achieve sustainability in all aspects of an organization’s operations ( (Visser et al., 2007). Another effect of evolving consumers’ expectation of corporate philanthropy on organization’s CSR model is the adoption of concept of â€Å"Triple Bottom Line† (TBL) by the organization. Ac cording to such, it is the obligation of the organization to put its focus on three main aspects. The first is related to the responsibility of economic success. Secondly, it is related to the responsibility to the environment and thirdly is related to the responsibility of the individuals and the community in general (Elkington, 1998). With this concept, the business organization has transformed itself from a primary economic entity to an organization, which is responsible for fulfilling social and environmental needs of the society alongside achieving their objective of profit generation. This change in the approach of conducting business is attributed to the evolving consumer’s expectation of corporate philanthropy. In the past, any activity on the part of the corporation for the well-being of the community was looked as an initiative taken on the part of shareholders and the high-management. However, with the emergence of CSR, such activities have come under the domain of institutions. Now all activities, taken for the improvement of society have assumed institutional shape (Gainer, 2010). It is equally important to understand the reasons, which led to the evolution of consumers’ expectations of business philanthropy. One pertinent factor responsible for the change is the increase in consumers’ awareness. Consumer awareness has gone a long way in changing the perception of business activities of the corporations. Consumers have now increasingly become aware of their rights. Moreover, this awareness is usually backed by legal and regulatory support , which increases the overall bargaining power of consumers in relation to the organizations. This has enabled the consumers to hold expectations from the corporate entities to perform their due share in the well-being of society. If any organizations fail to perform its obligations, it will not only face legal repercussions but also risk losing consumers in the market. In addition to this, h igh competition in the market is also one of the factors responsible in the shift of customers’ expectations. High forces of competition in the market have required the organization to look for new avenues to build and sustain their competitive advantage. One such technique is through the creation of goodwill within the general public. And the best method for creating such goodwill is through CSR. Furthermore, the effects of culture on CSR expectations are also considerable. For instance, according to Matten Moon (2004), in Europe, the CSR is viewed more in terms of philanthropy than the US, where it is most likely viewed as institutional activity. This difference is primarily attributed to the dissimilarity in the institutional environment and cultural values of the regions. This is the reason, why organizations usually incorporate CSR initiatives in the corporate policies and programs. On the other hand, in Europe, it is mostly viewed as an informal business activity. This shows that customers’ expectations of corporate philanthropy have not matured in Europe as it has done in the US (Baden et al., 2011). For the clear understanding of the problem, it is also important to allow comprehension of the stakeholders’ primacy model of CSR. It is not sufficient to only understand the activities but, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of all the stakeholders, who are directly and indirectly involved in it. Overall, the CSR model is focused on the improvement of society. Resultantly, it should incorporate all the values of society (Carroll, 1979). On the other hand, there is another school of thought, which views CSR as entirely aimed at addressing the issues of different stakeholders in place of the entire society. One proponent of this school of thought is Clarkson (1995). According to Clarkson (1995), the activities including CSR of any business entity are aimed at fulfilling the needs of stakeholders. According to this concept, corporations are free from any obligation concerning society. Instead, there are only responsible for the welfare of the community, which is direc tly affected by their activities. Likewise, (Maignan et al., 2005) also supports this assertion. According to (Maignan et al., 2005), businesses and corporations are responsible for satisfying economic and noneconomic needs of the stakeholders. However, it is difficult to ascertain the exact boundaries of stakeholders especially in the case of multinationals, whose activities spread to different dimensions and areas of society. Nevertheless, the stakeholder model of CSR provides a framework, which can be used to analyze the relationship of the business with the society in the context of CSR (Carroll Shabana, 2010). This theory plays more a complementary role than conflict, when viewed in the milieu of CSR. This theory allows a better understanding of relationship between principal factors involved in the provision of CSR related initiative. According to this theory, corporate units can be better understood through the relationship of different actors, which have a stake in the oper ations of the business (Friedman, 1970). This means that the objectives of any CSR initiative taken by the organization are indirectly related to the primary goal of the organization, which is profit maximization. It means any CSR activity conducted by the organization will eventually increase the customer base for the organization and will subsequently translate in the form of higher returns for the organization. This approach creates a win-win situation for all stakeholders. The community gets the benefit from the CSR activities whereas shareholders and management of the organization receive benefits in the form of increased profits (Freeman, 1984). Theoretically, this model is very effective in transforming capitalism into serving the interest of different stakeholders, excluding shareholders. Within the framework of this theory, the implications of the evolving consumer’s expectations are considerable. The new set of consumer’s belief expects the organization to wo rk for the wellbeing of actors who do not come under the category of stakeholders. As a result, it has become necessary for the organization to redefine the boundaries of stakeholders and include all those actors within society, who are not directly related to the activities of the organization. The primary implication of this for the organization is increased cost related to CSR initiatives without any translations of returns for the organization. In other words, the organization fails to achieve something tangible from such initiative. Moreover, such initiative has departed from pure CSR and has returned to the scope of corporate philanthropy. Previously, only stakeholder’s interest was considered in the CSR program, which is regarded as vital for the existence and success of the organization. This concept also takes into account the importance of power dependent relationships, which suggests that an organization customizes its CSR program according to the power enjoyed by certain stakeholder groups over the firm (Pirsch, 2007). 4.0 Methodology 4.1 Research approach: The research approach adopted for this thesis is the case-based approach. The case study approach will provide profound understanding of the effects of changing consumer’s expectations on an organization’s CSR models. The case study approach is preferred because it allows the collection of in-depth information, which can be comprehensively analyzed in order to reach definite conclusions (Kumar, n.d.). This approach will also enable understanding of the problem in isolation, which is not possible with any other research approach (Bergh Ketchen, 2009). As a result, a comprehensive study of the case will be conducted, which will enable identification and analysis of the factors affecting the consumer expectation of corporate philanthropy on the stakeholder primacy model of CSR. Due to the nature of the case study, the research approach will be primarily qualitative in nature. This approach is ideal because it allows clear comprehension of the all the dimensions of the top ic under discussion (Maxwell, 2005). Therefore, the first stage of this research will consists of in-depth research and review of the relevant literature. The stage will also consist of the study of primacy models of CSR in the context of organizational strategy. This approach will enable the fulfilment of the objective of ascertaining the effects of fluctuating consumer’s expectations on the stakeholder primacy models of CSR. 4.2 Case selection This research will study the case of Marks and Spencer as a model organization for understanding and concluding the effects of evolving customer’s expectation on organization’s dominant models of CSR. The case study approach is ideal in the present scenario because it will allow the research to investigate the problem while retaining the holistic point of view, which is necessary for accurate results (Henn, 2009). The reason Marks and Spencer is selected rests in its long history of corporate philanthropy in the shape of CSR. Likewise, it is a large organization, which makes it representative for all other organizations. This case is also appropriate as it will lead the research to accurate theory development. It should be noted here that the fact the each business unit of Mark and Spenser develops its own CSR strategy makes it relevant for this research. This case will also allow the understanding and identification of the issues concerning the CSR model of Marks and S penser. CSR has an integral position in the organization of Marks and Spenser. This can be attributed to the founders of MS who intended to build sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships with all stakeholders including the community and employees. This model of CSR was implemented with the belief that it will ensure long-term success for the organization. MS launched a number of initiatives under its CSR model relating to education, health, environment and employability. This model has led to the creation of trustworthy images of the company in the general public and the community (Hallbauer, 2008). 4.3 Sample size This research will use a sample of 25 to 40 respondents. This size is ideal to reach a representative conclusion and at the same time eliminates bias in the research. The information from the respondents from the sample will provide additional data and perspective to the information derived from literature and theory review. 4.4 Data collection Primary data: In order to ascertain the effects of evolving customer’s expectations of corporate philanthropy, a large chunk of data will be collected from comprehensive primary research. The case study approach will allow triangulation of data from multiple sources, which will further allow a balanced understating of the problem under discussion. The primary data will be collected from semi structured interviews, which will provide insight into the thought process of the respondents being interviewed. The respondents will include the customers alongside employees of the organization, which will permit an incorporation of the view points of both sides. The questions for the interview are divided according to the respondent type. The following tentative and semi structured questions will be presented the customers: What areas should be targeted in the organization’s CSR strategy Have you witnessed any changes in the the CSR activities of the organizations in last 5 years Do you consider corporate philanthropy an integral responsibility of the organization On the other hand, managerial staff of the organization will be asked to follow main questions: How many changes have taken place in the scope of CSR activities of the organization How much of this change reflects the changes in the customer expectations from the organization’s CSR model How much organization’s philanthropy has been transformed into formalized CSR system Using these questions, this study will collect the relevant data, which will later be used in collaboration with the literature review to address the concerned topic. Secondary data: This research study will also make use of a variety of sources of secondary data alongside primary data, collected from interviews. The secondary data will consist of the website and annual reports of the concerned organization. In addition to this, academic journals and books relating to the topic will also come under the purview of this research. The purpose of the secondary data collection is to determine the effects of evolving customers’ expectations of corporate philanthropy on the organization’s primary CSR model. In addition to this, external reports originating from third party sources, such as the government, will also be used to provide all-encompassing analysis of the topic. The secondary data will enable a balanced understanding of the organization’s CSR model in the wake of evolving customer expectations from corporate philanthropy. 4.5 Pilot study The main objective of the pilot study was to ensure that the terminologies used in the research methodology are correct. As a result, the pilot study was conducted in the shape of interviews from a narrow range of respondents. The method used for the pilot study was a face-to-face to interview. This method enabled direct feedback from the respondents. In addition to this, the method also allowed the interviewer to ask relevant and pertinent questions, which were not present in the question guide, for the sole purpose of clarity. 4.6 Data analysis The data collected from the interview will consist of qualitative data. Therefore, it will not be possible to apply statistical principles and techniques, which can be applied to quantitative data, to extract trends and patterns. As a result, the information collected from interviews will be analyzed to deduce normative patterns for further understanding. However, for the purpose of categorization, the data will be coded and compared according to the research questions. The purpose of this activity is to identify any gaps in the research. In the case of identification of certain gaps, extended data collection will be conducted to eliminate any deficiencies. Moreover, the comparisons will also lead to the elimination of discrepancies before the final stage, when this data will be used to derive concrete findings. The main objective of the data analysis is to find the different dimensions of the topic under discussion. As the data in question primarily consists of primary information, it will provide more realistic picture of all aspects of the problem. Furthermore, this data analysis could also be used with the literature review, which will allow an incorporation of primary data with the theory development in the research finding stage (Miles Huberman, 1994). 5.0 Conclusion The purpose of this research is to assess the effects of the evolving customer expectations in regard to corporate philanthropy on the stakeholder’s primacy model of CSR. For this purpose, the case of Marks and Spencer is selected. Marks and Spencer has a long history of CSR and, therefore, provides a representative model for research study. This research will make use of qualitative data for the purpose of analysis and deriving conclusions. The qualitative data will provide normative insight into the problem, which will enable accurate assessment of the problem under discussion. This research will make use of both primary and secondary data. The primary data will be collected from semi structured interview, which will be conducted from the sample of 25 to 40 respondents. The respondents are divided into two categories in the form of consumers and employees of the said discussion. The data collected will be used in collaboration with secondary data. The secondary data will con sist of academic journals, books, websites and external reports. The secondary data will enable the analysis of primary data in a more comprehensive and balanced manner. With this research methodology, the research study intends to achieve its objective, which is to assess the effects of evolving and changing consumer expectations of corporate philanthropy on the shareholder and stakeholder primacy models of CSR. 6.0 References Baden, Tonne Meyer, 2011. The effect of context and type of corporate philanthropy on moral capital. Journal of Business Ethics . Bergh, D.D. Ketchen, D.J., 2009. Research methodology in strategy and management. 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Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st Century business. Gabriola Island, Canada: New Society Publishers. Fernando, A., 2011. Business environment. Pearson Education India. Forster, T., 2004. Die grunen Yuppies. Werben Verkaufen, 51, p.45. Freeman, R., 1984. Strategic management: A stakeholder perspective. Boston: Pitman Publishing Inc. Friedman, M., 1962. Capitalism and freedom. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Gainer, B., 2010. Corporate social responsibility. Third Sector Research, pp.187-200. Hallbauer, S., 2008. Retail marketing and new retail idea – Marks Spencer. GRIN Verlag. Henn, S.K., 2009. Business ethics: A case study approach. John Wiley Sons. Kumar, R., n.d. Research methodology. APH Publishing. Lindgreen, A. Swaen, V., 2010. Corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1), pp.1-7. Louche, C., Idowu, S.O. Filho, W.L., 2010. Innovative Csr: From risk management to value creation. Greenleaf Publishing. Maignan, I., Ferrell, O. Ferrell, L., 2005. A stakeholder model for implementing social responsibility in marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 29(9/10), p.956–977. Matten, D. Moon, J., 2004. Implicit and explicit CSR: A conceptual framework for understanding CSR in Europe. ICCSR Research Paper Series, (29). Maxwell, J.A., 2005. Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. Sage Publications. Miles, M.B. Huberman, A.M., 1994. Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Sage Publications. Pirsch, J., 2007. A framework for understanding corporate social responsibility programs as a continuum: An exploratory study. Journal of Business Ethics, 70(2), pp.125-40. Urip, S., 2010. CSR strategies: Corporate Social Responsibility for a competitive edge in emerging markets. John Wiley Sons. Visser, W., Matten, D. Pohl, M., 2007. The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility: A complete reference guide to concepts, codes and organisations. London: Wiley. Walton, C., 1967. Corporate social responsibilities. Belmont, CA, USA.: Wadsworth. Werther, W.B. Chandler, D., 2010. Strategic corporate social responsibility: Stakeholders in a global environment. SAGE. World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987. Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

China vs. USA. The Quest for Global Supremacy Research Paper

China vs. USA. The Quest for Global Supremacy - Research Paper Example The Euro zone has become the lowest ranked commercial performers after severely affected regions in Africa. Although the United States has maintained its financial superiority, the stability of this particular region is not constant. With a fluctuating financial graph, the United States does not have control of the global commercial market. This leaves the top spot to upcoming commercial hubs. Asia and Middle East have countries with the fastest growing economies. With political instability making the Middle East a poor investment area, Asia remains the only region with the capability of claiming the throne in matters of commercial and financial success. One country that has significantly improved its commercial capabilities is the Republic of China. This paper will focus on the supremacy battles between the United States and China. The paper will also provide a perspective on which country has the highest probability of clinching the top spot in the long run. A perspective on the investment of both nations shows the difference between their strategies. In China investment opportunities are obtained from all nations across the globe. Regardless of their financial position China has invested in many countries in all continents. According to Swedroe, China has invested in 30 percent of all the countries in Africa (par, 4). This means that China looks to capitalize on the resources that Africa can bring to the global market. This maximization of the resources in Africa has raised the economy of China by around 10 percent (Lash, par 7). The situation is different when it comes to the United States. The United States bases its investment on the ability of the country to pay back in certain conditions. In most cases the United States strikes deal with state government instead of venturing into private investment. The private investment China undertakes enables the country to contract with other private companies who are in need of