Judicial Activism and Empowerment of Indian Women Essay

Women’s empowerment is a noted concept in social change, which is much discussed, often elusive and sometimes abused. Yet in the context of development, women’s leadership and agency in social change have been levers for women’s empowerment within communities. Women have sought to fight entrenched interests for community benefits, and have garnered through their collective strength, a new identity. Women’s rights around the world are an important indicator to understand global well-being. â€Å"Creating the environment which imparts equal status to women in family, society and country is the sole motive behind various facets of programmes being run for women empowerment.† –Pratiba Patel, President of India (Express newspaper apr.14, 2011) Though Women have a unique position in every society whether developed, developing or underdeveloped, she still belongs to a class or group of society which is in disadvantaged position on account of several social barriers and impediments. This is particularly due to the various roles they play during various stages of their life, as a daughter, sister, wife, and mother etc. However, she tries too hard to stand equal to that of the men. The historical phase of development of women very well portrays the empowerment of women, in different periods. Vedic period: During the Vedic period women enjoyed a fair amount of freedom and equality. The Vedic period can be termed as feminine glory. Women participated in all spheres like men. They studied in Gurukulas and enjoyed equality in learning Vedas. In Aitereya Upanishad, the wife was called as companion of husband. In the Rig-Veda, the wife was blessed to live as a queen in the house of her husband. The word Thampati, so often used in the Veda, characterizes both wife and husband. According to MacDonnell and Keith, this word signifies the high status of women in ancient India. Men and Women together performed religious duties and carried out other function. In the Mahabharata the wife was called the root of Dharma, prosperity and enjoyment. No man was allowed to perform religious duties without his wife. Thus, like the status of women in the contemporary western world, the status of women in India was based on liberty, equality and co-operation.[1] Post – Vedic period: In post – Vedic period the status of women suffered a setback when various restrictions were put on women’s rights and privileges by Manu. This decline dates back to the period of the Manusmriti and the increasing authority of man. The birth of a daughter which was not a source of anxiety during the Vedic period became the source of disaster for the father. Education, which had been an accepted norm for women, was neglected and later on girls were totally denied access to education. Despite the overall social and cultural subordination of women, it is surprising to find that law givers recognized the right to property, particularly that which was known as streedhana, women’s property. [2] Medieval Period: With invasion of India by Alexander and the Huns, the position of women was further degraded. Their education and training came to a sudden halt. For reasons of security, movement outside was restricted which in turn denied opportunities in community affairs. Uneducated and devoid of any status, they came to be treated as chattels. Social evils like sati, child marriage, and female infanticide arose. Women suffered great disabilities. The evil of dowry had become deep–rooted and the system of Devadasi has already spread. The medieval period saw women living oppressed in the feudal social order and patriarchal families.[3] British period: The attitude, behaviour and living pattern of Hindu society changed drastically during the British regime due to education and western impact on the socio-cultural life of India. During the period there were two major movements which affected the position of women. There were the Social Reform Movement of the nineteenth century and the Nationalist Movement of the twentieth century. Both these movements raised the question of equal status of women. The issues which attracted the attention of the nineteenth century social reformers were sati, ill-treatment of widows, the ban on widow remarriage, polygamy, child marriage, denial of property rights and education to women. The Reformers thought that by giving women access to education and by enacting progressive legislation social change could be initiated. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, M.G. Ranade, Mahatma Phule, Lokhitwadi, Aurobindo and others from all parts of the country raised their voice against the unjust practices while revivalists like Dayamanda saraswati, swami Vivekananda and Annie Besant Believed in receiving the old Vedic society presumed to be ideal for women.[4] Mahatma Gandhiji too, vehemently criticized the custom of child marriage, prohibition of widow remarriage, temple prostitution and the custom of purdah. The nationalist movements not only draw a large number of women to political activity but also generated strength and confidence among women which helped them to organize and fight for their cause. The formation of the All India Women’s Conference in 1927 was a crucial event in women’s march towards equality. Many laws were enacted which tried to eradicate certain social evils. These included an Act legalizing remarriage of widows, child marriage Restraint Act 1978, an Act recognizing Hindu women’s right to property, etc. Besides the social legislation, there were other laws affecting women’s work status, such as limiting hours of work in organized industries, prohibiting night work, restricting work in mines, establishment of crà ¨ches for the children of the women workers etc. Thus in short, during the British rule, awareness was created for the removal of social malaises, while education and organizing political participation increased women’s mobility. PRESENT STATUS OF WOMEN IN INDIA: The most important event after independence has been the drafting of the Constitution of this country enshrining the principles of equality, liberty and social justice. The framers of the Constitution were aware of the problem of emancipation of the female sex. They realized that equality was important for the development of the nation. It was evident that in order to eliminate inequality and to provide opportunities for the exercise of human right it was necessary to promote education and economic interests of women. It became the objective of the state to protect women from exploitation and provide social justice.[5] All these ideals were enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution. The Preamble to the Constitution of India resolved to secure to all its citizens justice–social, economic and political; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, equality of status and opportunity; and to promote among them fraternity assuring the dignity of an individual and the unity of the Nation. To attain these objectives, the Constitution guarantees certain fundamental rights and freedom, such as freedom of speech and expression, protection of life and personal liberty. The principles of gender equality and protection of women’s right have been the prime concerns right from the days of Independence. Accordingly, the country’s concern in safeguarding the rights and privileges of women found its best expression in the Constitution of India. Article 14, confers the equality before the law or the equal protection of the law to every person. It not only prohibits discrimination but also makes various provisions for the protection of women. And there is a prohibition of any discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, however, Art. 15(3) empower the state to make any special provision for women and children.[6] And also equality of opportunity is guaranteed for all the citizens in matters relating to employment or opportunity to any office under the state, forbidding discrimination on the grounds only of inter alia sex.[7] Article 19(1) (a) deals with the Freedom of speech and expression and Article 19(1) (g) provides for the Freedom to practice any profession or to carry out any occupation, trade or business. Article 21 ensures that â€Å"No person shall be deprived of his life or personal a liberty except according to the procedure established by law†. Women have a right to lead a dignified, honourable and peaceful life with liberty. DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF STATE POLICY Article 39 mentions that the state shall direct its policy towards providing to men and women equally the right to means of livelihood and equal pay for equal work. The state is directed to make provisions for ensuring just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief.[8]And there is a fundamental duty imposed on every citizen to renounce the practices derogatory to the dignity of women.[9] In short, Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles provide the framework to achieve the ideals of the Preamble of the Constitution. Fundamental Duties too, recognize upholding the dignity of women as one of the duties. The perceptions on Fundamental Rights and the guidelines of Directive Principles of State Policy, is well reflected in various progressive labour legislations such as: ââ€" ª Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 ââ€" ª Minimum Wages Act, 1948 ââ€" ª Factories Act, 1948 ââ€" ª Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 LEGISLATIVE MEASURES: Inspired by the constitutional safeguards, the State has enacted various legislative measures to provide protection to women against social discrimination, violence and atrocities and to prevent child marriages, dowry, rape and practice of sati, etc., the Equal remuneration Act of 1976 provides for equal pay to men and women for equal work. The Hindu Marriage Laws Amendment Act 1955 has been amended by the Marriage Laws Amendment Act of 1976 to provide for the right of a girl to repudiate a child marriage before attaining maturity whether the marriage has been consummated or not. The Act 1956 for Suppression of Immoral Traffic against Women and girls was amended in 1986 to make the sexual exploitation of female, a cognizable offence. It was renamed as â€Å"The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act of 1986†. An amendment brought in 1984 to the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 made women’s subjection of cruelty a cognizable offence. A second amendment to the Act in 1986 makes the husband or in-laws punishable, if a woman commits suicide within 7years of her marriage and it has been proved that she has been subject to cruelty. The Child Marriage restraint Act of 1929 raises the age for marriage of a girl to 18 years from 15years and that of a boy to 21years. The Factories Act of 1948 provides for establishment of crà ¨che where 30 women are employed. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1971 legalized abortion by qualified professional on humanitarian or medical grounds. The enactment â€Å"Indecent representation of women (prohibition) Act, 1987† has also been passed to protect the dignity of women and prevent violence against them as well as their exploitation. Some of the other measures which were taken for the progress of women were that in pursuant to a request by the United Nations General Assembly to prepare a report on the status of women in India (CSWI) was constituted in 1971. The terms of reference of the committee was to examine the Constitutional, legal and administrative provisions that have a bearing on the social status of women, their education and employment and to asses the impact of these provisions during the last two decades on the status of women in the country, particularly in the rural sector and to suggest more effective measures; It was also to consider the development of education among women and determine the factors responsible for the slow progress in some areas and suggest remedial measures and to survey the problem of working women, including discrimination in employment and remuneration. TOWARDS EQUALITY: In order to examine the status of women, as house wives and mothers in the changing social pattern and their problems in the sphere of further education and employment, the committee was to undertake survey or case studies on the implication of the population policies and family planning programmers on the status of women in addition to the above mentioned aspect. It was empowered to suggest any other measure which would enable women to play their full and proper role in building up the nation. The committee submitted its report entitled ‘Towards Equality’ in December 1974. The report was a landmark in the social history of India heralding a conscious change in attitudes, behaviour, law, establishment of special institutions and creating both infrastructure and environment for equality for women. The National Commission for Women was set up as a statutory body on 31st January 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, (1990) to review constitutional and legal safeguards for women and recommend amendments to meet lacunae, inadequacies in such laws, participate in economic development of women and evaluate the progress made. However, there are many areas of inequality where working women still strive to overcome like: More women are in lower skilled part time work; Women are promoted less and earn less; Women are not equally represented in Government as Men; Women undertake significantly more of household work and childrearing than men and are often depict ed as weaker sexes and are sexualized. JUDICIAL RESPONSE: Over the years, the general public has come to repose absolute faith in the Judiciary. The Supreme Court of India has responded to issues of gender justice in a positive manner. Some of the decisions given by the apex court in the recent past has significantly advanced the cause and dignity of women. In Nigammar vs. Chikkaiah Case (2000)[10] compulsory blood test to determine paternity was held to be violative of fundamental right of life or liberty. In Chandrimadas Case (2000)[11], the Supreme Court has held that where a national Bangladeshi woman was gang raped, compensation can be granted under public law (Constitution) for violation of Fundamantal rights on the ground of Domestic Jurisprudence based on Constitutional provisions and Human Rights jurisprudence. In John Vallamatton V. Union of India (2003)[12], the Supreme Court struck down section 118 of Indian Succession Act, 1925 restricting bequeathing of property for religious or charitable use except in the manner provided the rein. It was that the right to equality of women vis-à  -vis their male counterparts is accepted worldwide and it will be immoral and illegal to discriminate women on the ground of sex. In CEHAT V. Union of India (2001)[13], the Supreme Court referred to the repercussions of unhindered female infanticide effecting overall sex ratio in various States. The Court issued directions to Central government, State government, Union Territories, and appropriate authorities for the implementation of the enacted Act, further in CEHAT & Others. Petitioners V. Union of India & Others Respondents (2002)[14], the apex court made the registration of the clinics with ultrasound machines mandatory and directed the State governments to take suitable action for creating awareness in public. In this way, judiciary has acknowledged the concept of ‘Gender Equality’. The formal equality given by the Constitution and the Law is however, not equivalent of substantive equality which enables enjoyment of all rights on an equal basis. While formal equality has afforded women access to areas of Education, empowerment and even political participation, on terms that are often equal to those by men, it is in the so-called private sphere, in areas such as marriage and the family that women continue to be denied equal rights. In the present situation, women are better educated and have entered all possible fields proving their might. They hold more jobs worldwide, yet most women continue to suffer from occupational segregation in workplace. There are artificial barriers, created by attitudinal and organizational prejudices, barring women from top executive jobs. Women, though more educated are not more equal. Gender equality is a multifaceted concept which implies equality of opportunity in economic as well as socio-political and legal aspects. Gender equality is not just morally right, it is pivotal to human progress and sustainable development. Economic opportunity does not mean their mere presence but includes the quality of women’s economic involvement. In developed countries, women may gain employment with relative ease, but their employments are usually transitory and are paid less than men. Herald Sun, an Australian newspaper has also recently raised issues relating to this. The question of gender equality is a very old and burning problem. Twenty years ago in Mexico the First World Conference on Women inspired a movement that has helped, to reduce gender inequality worldwide. Illiteracy among women is declining, maternal mortality rates are beginning to fall, and more women are participating in labour force than ever before. Now a days, women has broken their ill-social shackles and are ready to face the contemporary challenges without any help and hesitation and consequently, March 8, is formally observed and celebrated in several countries, including India as a mark of integrated achievements towards the equality of rights, status and dignity of women and their equal participation in economic, social and cultural development in contemporary world scenario. CONCLUSION: To curb down the menace of existing gender inequality many steps have been taken at the national as well as the international levels, but still a lot needs to be done to stamp out the growing violation of women’s dignity. Is there Gender Equality in Reality? I would say in the Gender Equation, women are evidently the victims. At this juncture, society needs to see women as dynamic promoters of social transformation, and have a powerful influence on their ability to control their environment and contribute to economic development. There should be a kind of positive respect for women. Only then, her rights can be well protected and nurtured. Physical violence is only the tip of the ice berg, what we don’t see below the surface is the lack of respect. Once we ensure that society in general and men in particular show a positive kind of respect to women, to their wives, the other rights are bound to follow in normal course. Though umpteen steps are taken in this direction like discouraging discrimination, lengthy legislations invoking equality but the picture is still disheartening and remains only in the talks. And the war on inequality, discrimination, violence and unempowerment is still continuing, making the road to success a not-reachable one.

Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary Essay

Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a Wildlife Sanctuary, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam, India. Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National park in Bhutan. The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam Roofed Turtle, Hispid Hare, Golden Langur and Pygmy Hog. Their goal is to be able to fully fund the preservation and keep the sanctuary alive and thriving for many years to come. This is an effort that will take everyone that is involved help. One particular ecological uniqueness is the vegetation: The Burma Monsoon Forests of Manas lie on the borders between the Indo-Gangetic and Indo-Malayan biogeographical realms and is part of the Brahmaputra Valley Biogeographic Province. The combination of Sub-Himalayan Bhabar Terai formation with riverine succession leading up to Sub-Himalayan mountain forest makes it one of the richest biodiversity areas in the world. The main vegetation types are: Sub-Himalayan Light Alluvial Semi-Evergreen forests in the northern parts. * East Himalayan mixed Moist and Dry Deciduous forests (the most common type). * Low Alluvial Savanna Woodland, and * Assam Valley Semi-Evergreen Alluvial Grasslands which cover almost 50% of the Park. Animals in the sanctuary: * The sanctuary has recorded 55 species of mammals, 380 species of birds, 50 of reptiles, and 3 species of amphibians. Out of these wildlife, 21 mammals are India’s Schedule I mammals and 31 of them are threatened. The fauna of the sanctuary include Asian Elephants Indian Rhinoceros, Gaurs, Asian Water Buffaloes, Barasingha, Tigers, Leopards, Clouded Leopards, Asian golden cat, Capped Langurs, Golden Langurs, Assamese Macaques, Slow Loris, Hoolock Gibbons, Smooth-coated Otters, Sloth Bears, Barking Deer, Hog Deer, Sambar Deer and Chital. * The park is well known for its rare and endangered wildlife which is not found anywhere else in the world like the Assam Roofed Turtle, Hispid Hare, Golden Langur and Pygmy Hog. Manas houses about 380 species of birds. Manas have the largest population of endangered Bengal Florican. The major other birds includes Giant Hornbills, Jungle Fowls, Bulbuls, Brahminy Ducks, Kalij Pheasants, Egrets, Pelicans, Fishing Eagles, Serpent Eagles, Falcons, Scarlet Minivets, Bee-Eaters, Magpie Robins, Pied Hornbills, Grey Hornbills, Mergansers, Harriers, Ospreys and Herons. Two major biomes exist in Manas and they are the grassland biome and the forest biome. The biological interrelationship among the life forms in the area pretty much coexists with each other as anywhere else in the world where there are predators and prey but with the help of people to govern their environment a little bit so that the species survive and don’t become extinct. Their was quite a bit of human intrusions precisely a century ago the British Government declared Manas as a protected area and hunting and killing of wildlife was banned. In 1928, the name Manas Wildlife Sanctuary was inscribed and by 1955 Manas was approximately 391sq kms large. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a Tiger Reserve in 1973; which was amongst the first in the country and was also declared as the World Heritage site under the N (ii) (iii) (iv) in the year 1985. In 1989, the status of â€Å"Biosphere Reserve† was also granted to Manas. In the year 1990, the center declared this region as â€Å"Manas National Park†. A lot of effort has been made and achievements such as at least 47 poachers around the Manas National Park surrendered to MMES their hand made guns. MMES have employed most of these ex-poachers as guards paying them monthly salaries. MMES also established the MMCA or the Conservation Area which the society is responsible for. Constructing roads and bridges in the area and maintenance of these roads for the past few years have been solely the MMMES achievements. Domestic as well as foreign tourists visit the place and eco-tourism is gaining momentum. MES is eagerly looking for donations so that their enthusiasm and willingness to support conservation takes a materialistic path. Most of the times MMES is in need of funding and they depend on the tourists or contributors to help them financially. If Manas revives back to a stable state which I think is quite possible, MMES would have played a herculean role in this effort. In fact, the Maozigendri boys are an example for the youth of this country to step forward and protect Mother Nature who is most vulnerable to destruction. The Manas Maozigendri Eco-tourism society stands tall as an exemplary organization with a lot of passion and tremendous wildlife conservation values. So we as that people began to participate and support our wildlife preservations and the diversity of the area. Preservation through Communication Preservation through communication can be reached through publications, newsletters and community and outreach activities. Teaming up with Wilderness Committee’s to host an educational slideshows. Things like this can be very informative for example â€Å"Over 50 people came out to listen to Caribou Biologist, Dave Quinn, discuss one of BC’s most endangered species. Over 700 people attended the Hyde Creek Salmon Festival in November and NWPS was one of the many environmental groups in attendance.   They provided a relevant presentation about wildlife as a feature of the festival. Thanks to a large number of volunteers, NWPS is able to continually update their website to provide current, interesting information. Through their ‘Passion for Wildlife’ program they engage a number of people in the preparation of educational information about the wildlife they seek to preserve. Each year many members of the public visit this website to access current information about its wildlife education and habitat stewardship programs, as well as up to date information about wildlife in British Columbia. †¢ Preservation through Education Another way is through education through the Wildlife Education Programs in schools, language centers, seniors’ homes and community centers throughout the region. Through these programs people will be provided with information on wildlife in BC, endangered species and environmental issues. Each year they provide an entertaining and informative wildlife presentation for over 700 school-aged children. †¢ Preservation through Involvement The NWPS had launched the Nature Walk & Workshop Program in 2005. Seven classes from the Lower Mainland participated in the Nature Workshop program and visited one of the following natural areas: Lighthouse Park, Bear Creek Park, Capilano River Park, or Burnaby Lake Park.   Through this program, students learn about wildlife, visit wildlife habitats and participate in stewardship activities. Many individuals visit natural spaces and learned about wildlife in BC through their Owl Prowl field trips and a special Earth day program. †¢ Preservation through Stewardship Having the community to assist in the preservation through stewardship in another avenue. In celebration of Earth Day 2005, NWPS hosted a trail restoration event in Deep Cove, BC. Over 20 volunteers and community members assisted the District of North Vancouver Parks Department by helping restore a section of the popular Baden-Powell trail. At the end of the day, our team had built an 11-step staircase on the trail and had planted many tree seedlings Animal Rescue Calendar – Supporting Animal Rescue Groups Supporting animal rescue groups is a very good way to support preservation. This year NWPS produced a TISOL Animal Rescue Calendar. They reached another 5,000 people and cemented working relationships with over 12 groups. They have planned for this campaign to break-even for this year and have established a platform for greater success in the future. †¢ Outreach Funding – Support from Communities Annual outreach campaigns can reach people out of your arm reach. And you do this by asking them to engage in supporting the environment through our education programs. If intrusion goes unchecked the lost for the preservation will be great. We really have to look at the big picture here when we see this because it is not a small problem, to some it may be but this kind of intrusion could cause many species to become extinct. Can you imagine ten years from now not being able to show your child, or grandchildren what a Bengal Tiger looks like. I mean to literally not be able to visit the zoo and have to tell you child that this particular animal no longer exists. This will happen to many species if certain precautions are not takes. Wildlife is just as valuable as our own; it creates a balance here on this earth. Reference http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/338 http://www.wild-india.com/WildlifeSanctuaries/manas-wild-sanctuary.html

CTV Building Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

CTV Building - Assignment Example The report produced by the Royal Commission had also officially identified the key players after the disaster. This report aims to evaluate the faults on the part of the key players and stakeholders leading to technical deficiencies in the design of the building. Gerald Shirtcliff was the CTV building’s site manager and he was later found to have faked his qualifications and therefore was not up to the mark. The head of the consultation firm, ARCL, Alan Reay was said to be â€Å"ultimately responsible† even though his designer and engineer David Harding was inexperienced in working with multi-storey buildings. This is because Reay had supervised Harding and therefore he was responsible for relying too much on the incompetent engineer. According to Reay, he thought that Harding being a registered engineer was eligible for the task. In reality Harding lacked the necessary experience and was also inexperienced to use the software Etabs with which the seismic testing of the building was done. Moreover, the Christchurch City Council was blamed for having issued a building permit despite the presence of structural weaknesses. The weaknesses were further deepened after the 2010 Christchurch earthquake and the Christchurch City Council had a very brisk assessment of the building. ... The boulders start breaking and falling on the streets and a chaos strikes. People start running here and there in confusion in order to protect themselves from the falling debris. The road starts to crush and bend as it the ground shakes (Wilson, 2012). These are the live moment experiences of Alex, a witness of the massive, life threatening earth quake that took place in Christchurch, New Zealand on 22nd February 2011. The earth quake had a magnitude of 6.3 units on the Richter scale and was extremely savage and disastrous. Figure 1. Tragic Aftermath. This picture shows the damaged building. The Press. (March 26, 2013). Tragic aftermath [Photograph]. Retrieved from The Canterbury Television building was huge and employed a large number of people including doctors, dentists, counselors, journalists, TV crews and the list goes on. The earthquake killed 115 people including international students enrolled in a language school that was also located inside the building. Search and rescu e teams from various countries such as United Kingdom and Japan flew to New Zealand in order to recover the dead bodies that had been buried deep inside the remains (Bryant, 2013). The CTV building had collapsed completely and there was little hope that anyone could have survived beneath it. Three critical factors caused its collapse, as described in a report released after the earthquake. Firstly, there was a violent horizontal ground shake that took place. Secondly, the columns were brittle and lastly, the layout of the structural walls was asymmetrical (International Business Times, 2012). Figure 2. A rescue worker walks through the rubble in central

Motorsport (Nostalgia Super Stock) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Motorsport (Nostalgia Super Stock) - Essay Example larity evolved into a classification of drag racing involving hundreds of drivers and cars competing in Championships and Grand Drag Racing events (nostalgiasuperstock.com). There are different series, events and clubs, running Nostalgia Super Stock —the rules applied were developed by representatives from clubs of NSS events.The largest annual drag racing event is named after Dave Duell: the Dave Duell Classic. The event has hosted as many as 90 NSS cars competition. It is regarded as the Class National event. The Dave Duell Classic is presently run at Beechbend Raceway, Kentucky (nostalgiasuperstock.com). The event is run in combination with NMCA events but is administrated by Doug- Dave’s son.Some of the rules governing Nostalgia Super Stock include: Historical accuracy of the car- should be American manufactured and models meant for drag racing, multiple carburetion preferred, slick width designation of 10.5W at a maximum, footbrake only- meaning no transmission brake is allowed, etc. Nostalgia Super Stock is popular among men and women who enjoy the classic style of 60s drag racing cars. NSS is mostly popular in the mid-west, with online platforms such as ‘Victory Nostalgia Super Series’ helping to update the enthusiasts about upcoming events (nostalgiasuperstock.com). Some of the popular cars dominating NSS include Texas Whale, Dragn Wagn, Big Red Ram and Hustling

Organizational Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Organizational Culture - Essay Example Closely related to organizational culture in meaning is organizational values. Values refer to acceptable standards that govern individual employees’ behavior in an organization. Without these values, each employee would adopt behaviors that they deem fit in their own analysis which could conflict with the behaviors that an organization seeks to promote. The organizational values have to be in line with the mission and the vision. Woodside (2010) gives examples of the distinctive values in blue chip companies like Ford Motors and Marks & Spencers which were established by their founders and further sedimentation accomplished by their inheritors. Values would be chosen through the process of measuring, diagnosis, deciding and finally embedding. It has been noted that organizational culture guides the success of an organization, hence an important aspect to both the profit making and the non-profit making organizations. But success or performance remains a relative concept among business research scholars. Woodside (2010) gathers definitions of performance from various scholars ranging from an organization’s ability to achieve its goals to an organizational measure of efficiency, effectiveness and economy. In the same way, there exist various variables in measuring organization performance. This complexity has been cited by Shahzad, Luqman, Khan & Shabbir (2012) as the reason for minimal research on the impact of organizational culture on performance. In this paper, performance would be considered as the attainability of an organization’s goals. A positive correlation has been established between organizational culture and organizational performance with well performing firms possessing certain strong cultural traits. Shahzad, Luqman, Khan and Shabbir (2012) noted that superior and perfectly imitable organizational culture ensures attainment of sustainable competitive advantage.

Regulatory Measures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Regulatory Measures - Essay Example ns into effect on 1st November, 1991 after USSC discovered that several organizations lacked ethics and compliance programs and failed to meet defined standards. Most organizations had substandard programs that fallen short of meeting the goals and expectations of the Sentencing Commission. The Sentencing Guidelines have greatly encouraged American businesses to create effective ethics and compliance programs (ECEPs). The FSGO seldom applies to large companies today because virtually all their crimes are adjudicated in the courthouse. However, the Guidelines still apply in the courthouse even as Non-Prosecution Agreements (NPAs) and Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) vastly influence or contribute to out of court settlement (Ferrell et al. 2008). The goal of the FSGO is to incentivize American corporations to aim high and self-police on ethics. According to the FSGO’s Advisory Board, more recognition and consistent promotion of ethics and compliance programs by the enforce ment of the US would significantly incentivize business organizations to invest more in self-policing efforts against corporate crime. The U.S. Congress passed Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002 to protect the public and shareholders from fraudulent/corrupt practices and accounting errors in the enterprise. The legislation sought to improve the accuracy of corporate disclosures. The Securities and Exchange Commission administers Sarbanes-Oxley Act (De & Argosy University, 2006). Apart from improving the accuracy of corporate disclosures, SOX sets deadlines for compliance and publishes rules on the requirements. The US Congress enacted SOX in response to increased cases of high-profile financial scandals in early 2000s involving large companies such as Tyco, WorldCom, and Enron. These scandals rattled investor confidence across the country. Two US Congressmen, Paul Sarbanes and Michael Oxley, drafted the act, which primarily aimed at improving accountability and corporate governance (De &

Description Essay on Fairness Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Description on Fairness - Essay Example In sports, fairness is often associated with the umpiring decisions. For example, in a cricket match, the umpire can rule a batsman out if the ball hits the leg of the batsmen. However, the umpire should make sure that the ball was heading towards the stumps before it was hit on the pads or legs of the batsmen, before ruling against the batsmen. There are many cases, in which the umpire commits mistakes while giving leg before wicket (LBW) decisions against batsmen. Under such circumstances, people often label it as an unfair decision. On the other hand, if the umpire makes the correct decision, people will accept it as a fair decision. In politics, governments often take some decisions in favor and against the interests of the people. For example, crude oil prices are fluctuating in global market and because of that many governments in the world forced to adjust the petroleum prices in their country. For example, Indian government recently increased the prices of petrol in domestic market several times. Wall Street Journal dated 4 November, 2011 has pointed out that â€Å"The opposition lashed out at the UPA govt for raising petrol prices with BJP attributing it to the Govt’s mismanagement and the Left parties asking all their state units to launch nationwide protests† (India This Evening: Opposition Attacks UPA on Petrol Price Rise). In short, the petroleum price hikes in India is not labeled as a fair decision by the opposition parties even though, ruling coalition government label it as a fair decision, considering the price hikes of crude oil in global market. In criminal justice system also, the word fairness is used extensively while analyzing the punishments given to the criminals. While Saddam got the capital punishment, many of the people labeled it as an unfair decision whereas many others accepted it as a fair decision. Same way when Gadhafi was killed, many of the supporters of Gadhafi labeled it as an unfair decision from the part of the revolutionists. There are many instances in which criminals escape from punishments whereas innocents suffered punishments because of the loopholes in criminal justice systems. In such cases also people wills say that the criminal justice system failed to maintain fairness while labeling a person as criminal or innocent. Media industry is another areas in which the word fairness often brings controversies. Media often report news with color. In some cases, it may create or fabricate false stories about prominent people in order to raise its ratings and popularity. In such cases, we will say that the4 media did not show any fairness while reporting news. In marketing also we often use the word fairness. For example, there are many instances in which sales people use bad tactics to close the sales. They may even spread false stories about the product and services of the competitors. At the same time, there are many sales professionals who keep certain integrity in their professio nal life. In the first case, we will say that fairness was not maintained whereas in the second case we will say that fairness was maintained. In business or in beauty industry, the word fairness holds a completely different meaning. Many of the cosmetic products available in the market claim that it can increase the fairness of a person. There are lots of fairness creams available in the market. These products claim that consistent usage of it may provide fairness to the skin. Here fairness means better skin