British Petroleum Oil Spill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

British Petroleum Oil Spill - Essay Example Findings   3.1 Summary of findings of your analysis   4. Conclusion   4.1 Discussion of findings in context of theory and prior literature 5. References 1. Introduction   1.1 Theories used in case analysis The paper talks about the oil spill caused by British Petroleum’s (BP) in 2010 that occurred in the Mexican Gulf and caused irreparable damage to the environment and life in and around that area. It looks at the company’s behavior post the oil spill and their reaction in front of the media and as expressed in their annual reports. More specifically, this paper looks at how BP’s reaction post the disastrous oil spill ties in with the theories about company behavior. Some theories used as reference for this paper include the legitimacy theory, the stakeholder theory and the institutional theory etc. 2. The case   2.1 Context   Background information about the case   British Petroleum (BP) is the 6th largest oil and gas company worldwide. BP is invol ved in all stages including the extraction of oil to the retail of the final product (BP, 2012, p.1). In â€Å"2010† the company faced a ruinous crisis when the drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon blew up on April 20, 2010. This cataclysmic disaster resulted in the killing of 11 persons and critically wounded many others (BP Annual Report, 2010, p.6). The spill continued for almost three months, making this catastrophe the biggest disaster of its kind (Mason, 2010, p.1). The scientists who had been vigorously studying the possible repercussions were still not sure about the complete extent of the environmental damage even after a whole year had passed. Further research is still required to provide a holistic detail on the matter because the destruction caused by the BP oil spill is too far reaching in a ripple effect caused by direct environmental damages. (Kinver, 2011, p.1). 2.2 Data   description of corporate disclosure vehicles chosen for analysis The annual report for 2010 was highly reflective of BP’s reaction to the disaster. O’Donovan (2002, p.344) says that companies reveal information in the annual reports only with the purpose of gaining support from the society and to retain their legitimacy in society. Companies that find themselves in situations that BP found itself in often try to improve their image by providing more information in their annual reports that â€Å"concerns† ethics and environmental issues (Deegan et al., 2002, p.312). This information is used by the company to clean up the mess it has somehow created in a disaster that has happened on its watch (Deegan and Rankin, 1996, p.50). BP increased greatly the amount of environment related information in its annual report under the law of legitimacy and to counter the bad press it was receiving in the aftermath of th disaster. It kept repeating to the media how it would clean up its mess, compensate the people and make amends for its mistake, thus making sure th at all stakeholders, including the society and the government, continued to foster a positive image of the company, as explained by the stakeholder theory once more. These changes in the annual report were useful for the investors, accountants, regulators, environmental groups and the community because they provided these stakeholders with additional insight about the disaster and how BP proposed to go ahead with the scenario (Summerhays, 2011, p.3). BP’s reaction was timely, even â€Å"instantaneous† according to the institutional â€Å"theory† (BP, 2010, p.1) however they were condemned by the government because they failed to contain the spill before it reached the coast (Robertson

THE LUXURY FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

THE LUXURY FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY - Essay Example The world is also experiencing increasing urbanization as several people shift from rural places to urban centers. As people move from rural areas to urban centers, they tend to change their lifestyle trend especially their eating habits (Pride and Ferrell 26). As the number of people working in office increases, people tend to get less time to prepare foods at their homes. Such consumers under constraint of time usually opt to each outside in restaurants and cafes’. Other factors seen to have led to the high growth in food service industry include tourism. Some investors opt to put up luxurious food service industry for purposes of hosting tourists that visit the country (Great and Gavin 6). Britain is one such country that has witnessed an increase in growth of food service industry over the last decades. The high growth rate has mainly been seen in London the capital city. Among the restaurants based in London include Hakasan, Nobu and Zuma. His are food joints that have been able to build luxury element within the service industry. The question that may be asked is, ‘How have these restaurants been able to build such luxury, and what tools have the restaurants used to build the luxury element? The purpose of this paper is to examine the marketing tools that have been used by Hakasan, Nobu and Zuma to build the luxury element within the foodservice industry. This will also involve analysis of the 7Ps employed by the three restaurants. The paper will conclude by the most important elements derived from the study of luxury service industry in general particularly the food service industry. Finally, the paper will provide a recommendation regarding what has been learnt from the study. The Chartered Institute of Marketing (2) defines marketing as the management process which entails identification, anticipation and satisfaction of the

Assignment AdvanceTopicManagement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assignment AdvanceTopicManagement - Essay Example According, employees interest such as legal right has been compromised to customer and employers interest. Based on three journals regarding CSR, it carries out investigation on this common CSR misbehaviour problems by Chinese manufacturers, analyzes reason, current development and solution for this matter. Fiedman & Lee (2013) introduce that agency theory is a concept that explains why behavior or decisions by member of group, it provides a platform to explain relationship between agency and shareholders. It suggests that management of firms is undertaken on behalf of shareholder can improve the operation efficiency and increase profitability. In another hand, they explain that agency theory can be used to explain the failure CSR. The first article is about the Harmonious Society and its relations on Chinese CSR by Kok 2009. The second article is about Remaking the World of Chinese Labour and it deals with the key problems in the Chinese manufacturing industry by (Friedman and Lee 2013). The third article is Agency theory and it reviews the business problems in China. This article is a Strategic CSR or stakeholder theory emphasizes the balance among varieties of stakeholders, emphasizes the balance between social impact and economic impact during CSR implementation (Kok,2009). The article is a Comparative literature reviews on CSR development, exploration, to explore that how Harmonious Society will contribute to increasing CSR engagement. However, as employee, customer and employer etc are located in different positions. It is accompanying with power and interest conflicts, which is hard to be balanced (Martin Samy, 2010). The paper concluded that Hu Jintaos harmonious society is unlikely to promote CSR in China. Despite the harmonious society created by Chine President, the country still continues to violate labor laws which are leading to poor working conditions. This is with regard to the large number of manufacturing

The Truman Show Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Truman Show - Assignment Example The film appropriately shows the dilemma of identity experienced by Truman as he wonders whether is life is real or is part of a staged drama, with its script written by other controllers. This dilemma which he experiences is part of the multiphrenia referred to by Gergen in many respects. First, the self population of Truman in his own life and the presence of a large audience watching Truman’s activities through hidden cameras is a determinant of the fact that Truman has a multiple sense of ‘self’ where one is himself and the other is the Truman being watched by the audience. Even the world around Truman is part of the staged â€Å"reality† based in the sets of Seahaven thereby creating an artificial world for Truman to dwell in. While every other character in the show is an actor, Truman is one who is just living his life like a supposedly normal individual, but which is a show for the world outside. Although Truman seems to be quite a popular character from the television show, it is important to understand that Truman himself has been isolated from the external world just as Gergen described is an implication of the inculcation of more and more individual values. Before being himself, Truman is put in front of others in the world making him an object similar to a commodity or a good that is understood in terms of its demand among the people. Gergen gives a critical thought on the set of interpretations made by the audiences who base their meanings out of some pre-knowledge gained through experience. Gergen has called this ‘forestructure’ or ‘perspective’ which is a set of prior understandings which enable an individual to derive meanings out of any textual or verbal information. Since the same perspective has now adopted multiple forms, there has been an increase in the complexity of truth. This fact also introduces confusion as to concept of rationality within an individual. Although Truman is able to f ind his way out of the fake world he had been forced into. In many ways, Truman is living an ideal life: one which is illusory and fake, and the way his life differs from an average human being largely lies in the perception of Truman’s world.  

How Dickens uses language Essay Example for Free

How Dickens uses language Essay There is a variety of repetition in the passage. Phrases like ‘Dead and Buried’ are repeated to remind us, as readers, that most of Pip’s family is dead. The word ‘buried’, suggests that it happened some time ago and that he never knew them, which makes us feel pity and sympathy for the character. Pip talks about his life in the marsh country, where he resided by the river and near the sea. This could possibly highlight how Pip (small like a river), may be connected to something greater than he could’ve ever imagined (like the sea). Dickens also uses some interesting vocabulary, with fascinating imagery in this passage. For example he describes the sea as a ‘distant savage lair’. The word ‘distant’ tells the reader that there is an unknown, oncoming threat. The word ‘savage’ suggests it was over powerful and violent. Finally, the word ‘lair’ implies a dangerous place, where victims are taken to be devoured. This shows the reader that Pip is not safe, and seems to be in grave danger. Alliteration is another technique which Dickens has input in the passage. The phrase ‘low leaden line’, (which describes the river), is a good example of this. Rivers are supposed to be an aquatic blue colour, but Dickens describes it as ‘leaden’, which is a depressing grey colour, suggesting a bleak setting. Finally, Dickens uses third person in the passage, although this is questionable. In one sentence, Pip goes from narrating as an adult in the 1st person and then switches to the 3rd person, where he looks back at himself as a small child. This is because he is in utter disbelief at how lost he was, which is effective as the reader feels confused, just as Pip would have as a small child.

Ethics on Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative Essay Example for Free

Ethics on Immanuel Kants Categorical Imperative Essay Abstract : . Kant’s ideas or his take on ethics was based upon autonomy (self-governance), and reason. He believed that unless a person freely and willingly makes a choice, then their action has no meaning much less any moral value. Kant also thought that every man when using reason when analyzing moral dilemmas would in fact agree with what he called the Categorical Imperative. In accordance with the good will aspects Kant’s claims on good will is the only thing that can be considered good without limitation. In this paper I will discuss several situations that I have been involved in where both the Categorical Imperative and a good will have applied to my personal experiences. Before I get started I would like to shed a little more light on the Categorical Imperative that Kant and others viewed as very valuable and vital if trying to understand the complexity of ethics and his moral philosophy. It is also important that one must clearly interpret exactly what the Categorical Imperative consist of before trying to administer or apply its formula to anyone. As human beings we tend to always have to have a logical answer based on reasoning from one source or another. Kant as a philosopher probably conceived ethics as the study of how it would be most rational to act, which is pretty straight forward indeed, but a few of the core aspects of Kant’s Categorical Imperative have many arguments posed against them especially from a Utilitarian perspective. I have done a lot of things that can merit a superior conclusion, and I have also committed acts that result in me being rewarded. Now as far as the inferior side of the coin goes, did I enjoy the rewards or gratitude given to me due to my actions that were viewed as moral or the right thing to do? Yes I enjoyed them and I will probably sub-consciously commit those same acts again. Now in accordance with the superior side of things I also have helped others I never even met just because I felt that it was a good will and I stand by those which make them a principle. Therefore I am superior in those particular cases. I do not believe that it is hard to find an individual that acts out of mere principle and expects no reward, I believe that it is just a lot of dishonest and naive people that are not willing to be honest about their true reason or rationalizing. The philosophical views from one of the greatest German philosophers to ever live continue to interest and influence scholarly opinions all around the world. Immanuel Kant was one of those brilliant thinkers or philosophers that were able to give valuable insight that surround many different ethical values of morality. Kant’s ideas or his take on ethics was based upon autonomy (self-governance), and reason. He believed that unless a person freely and willingly makes a choice, then their action has no meaning much less any moral value. Kant also thought that every man when using reason when analyzing moral dilemmas would in fact agree with what he called the Categorical Imperative. In accordance with the good will aspects Kant’s claims on good will is the only thing that can be considered good without limitation. In this paper I will discuss several situations that I have been involved in where both the Categorical Imperative and a good will have applied to my personal experiences. Before I get started I would like to shed a little more light on the Categorical Imperative that Kant and others viewed as very valuable and vital if trying to understand the complexity of ethics and his moral philosophy. It is also important that one must clearly interpret exactly what the Categorical Imperative consist of before trying to administer or apply its formula to anyone. As human beings we tend to always have to have a logical answer based on reasoning from one source or another. Kant as a philosopher probably conceived ethics as the study of how it would be most rational to act, which is pretty straight forward indeed, but a few of the core aspects of Kant’s Categorical Imperative have many arguments posed against them especially from a Utilitarian perspective. I have done a lot of things that can merit a superior conclusion, and I have also committed acts that result in me being rewarded. Now as far as the inferior side of the coin goes, did I enjoy the rewards or gratitude given to me due to my actions that were viewed as moral or the right thing to do? Yes I enjoyed them and I will probably sub-consciously commit those same acts again. Now in accordance with the superior side of things I also have helped others I never even met just because I felt that it was a good will and I stand by those which make them a principle. Therefore I am superior in those particular cases. I do not believe that it is hard to find an individual that acts out of mere principle and expects no reward, I believe that it is just a lot of dishonest and naive people that are not willing to be honest about their true reason or rationalizing. Just because one person may will a certain thing does not mean that the majority of people will follow suit. For example a key element of Kant’s theory is the concept of intentions or intent. To him the actual outcome or the consequences of a particular action doesn’t matter at all, it’s the intentional aspects he is concerned with. Imagine that you are a serial killer just walking down the street and you see a defenseless elderly woman walking in front of you. It’s no one else around and it’s very dark on the streets. You also have a knife to ensure a silent job and a very easy kill. Now let’s say you decide not to kill this elderly woman and spare her life, but not because you are worried about acting immorally but you did not want to risk her screaming and alerting anyone else that she was being attacked. In the end u decided not to act on your will then according to Kant you have not acted ethically. That’s where I find flaw in his analysis and theory. So our actions according to Kant’s philosophy doesn’t make us a better person because when you acted or (chose not to act), you weren’t considering action in terms of its morality. You actually abandoned the ideas of moral choice, and merely acted out of a sense of self preservation. However if you did chose not to kill the elderly woman because you suddenly realized that it was wrong to do so, then you would have acted morally according to Kant’s theory on Categorical Imperative. Can the Categorical Imperative even accurate enough and practical to be applied into a personal real life ethical dilemma? I do not believe that it could. My interpretation of Kant’s theory was the he thought that if everyone just used reason when trying to figure out their ethical duties, then everyone would come up with the same rules to follow. This may be true but I would say that it is very unlikely that humans will ever be unbiased enough to do this, and the Categorical Imperative fails to take into account the complexity of human beings and their relationships to one another. The formula that Kant used was the concepts surrounding universal law. By this universal law formula he was able to capture the concept that a maxim will work for everyone who it is applied too. The next formula Kant used was the end in itself which occurs when people try to use maxims, (rules that suit themselves) this formulation states that we must not treat others as if they do not have their own life, and respect their acts regardless of ethical belief. It may be my duty to give a small contribution of my earnings to charity, church, or to the homeless indeed, but a homeless man cannot demand that I do so for him because I am not a means to his end, and he has to respect that concept. The key thing to keep in mind here is that you can’t use people just as a means to an end because people are ends in themselves. For example you couldn’t kill a baby Hitler just because that will save a thousand Jews, according to Kantain perspectives. With the baby Hitler example the maxim would be â€Å"killing babies that will commit genocide when they grow up†. On the contrary what if that was a moral rule; like you must kill any babies that will grow up and commit genocide. If the maxim could function as a rule, then actions based on it will be morally right. These maxims also serve as a way to better understand the rigidly parameters that surround ethical issues. Now as I said earlier on I have a foot-hole in both aspects of this topic. I have done things to receive rewards especially when beautiful women are around. And I have also just given a pure stranger a ride home in the rain after seeing them struggle with groceries. And I never told a soul it was just a mere act of kindness and the ethical thing to do as far as good will goes. That is what makes Kant’s theory in my eyes as secondary to my individuality. I do not agree with him on some aspects of his analysis and some I can relate too. We all are presented with these scenarios and many of us as typical human beings tend to neglect the infrastructure behind morality of ethical issues. I would say that ethical theory must have examples attached to them; otherwise it wouldn’t be a very good ethical theory. These theories can never be applied practically if one could not imagine using them in different circumstances. The Categorical Imperative does sort of show any rational thinking person both how to tell the difference between right and wrong, and the moral necessity to choose to act in accordance with what’s right. Personally I fall right in between when it comes to this as I said I have done a little of both sides, being superior( acting out of principles), and I have acted to gain reward but not as much as I have been considered superior. I try my best to act accordingly with morality, and being a dedicated Christian this isn’t that hard. My main source of morality stems from the Bible. I use the Bibles principles as a guideline to how to act morally. I believe that this is the only true source of ethical acts, and that there is no man made doctrines or philosophies that can properly address this complex issue. As long as I understood Gods Laws and follow a righteous path, morality or acting morally comes like second nature. So to sum it all up about Kant’s perspectives I believe he was a little more concerned with a person’s intentions than a consequentialist with utilitarian views, but Kant did feel that if you didn’t act according to the Categorical Imperative you could be accused of acting unethically. It was clear that Kant like me was not content with the popular moral philosophy of his day. According to Kant, when we act upon a maxim that can’t be universalized or (willed by everyone else) we are contradicting ourselves. Meaning that without a will that everyone else views as objective then any action taken can potentially contradict one’s self. To further understand Kant’s philosophy I will walk you through a series of scenarios that I have experienced in my life. I can recall several occasions where the categorical Imperative aspect of Kant’s philosophy has shed light on my ethical or morally based actions. One afternoon I was riding down the street and I noticed a few guys struggling with groceries trying to get back to their school. I could have kept going and actually I did, but I decided to turn around and offer them a ride to their destination. Now according to Kant’s good will I acted on a matter of principle, and not to gain reward. There was nothing I expected to gain from my actions. Now if I had asked them for gas money or maybe some sort of payment for the ride then at that point I become inferior according to Kant’s Categorical Imperative. There was another instance when I acted morally and ethically in Kant’s eyes and that was the time I acknowledged an older woman attempting to put air in her tire at Kroger grocery store. Actually at the time I was in need of air for my tire too and the clerk had turned on the machine but before I got there to it she came and was experiencing trouble getting the air in her tire. I politely offered her assistance and she was very grateful and she insisted that I take five dollars for my actions. Now I in fact was not expecting to get paid for this, but she insisted that I take it. I made it very clear that I felt that this was a universal duty of mine to assist at a time when my assistance was clearly needed. She was older and having trouble with the air pump so I felt an obligation to assist her so I did so. Now did I act morally according to Kant’s Categorical Imperative and the good will? Was I superior or inferior? Yes I acted morally because Kant was not concerned with outcome or consequences he only focused on the intent of that particular action. Kant also emphasizes the absolute necessity of separating genuine morality from all empirical considerations. I find Kants formula to be a valuable tool but it neglects to define moral law as God-given.

History of the Development of Impedance Cardiography (ICG)

History of the Development of Impedance Cardiography (ICG) Review the history of the development of impedance cardiography (ICG) from its theoretical base and direct applications for non-invasive measurement of cardiac output, to its most recent applications in assisting CPR, in rate responsive pacemakers and its potential application in automatic electrical defibrillators (AEDs). Impedance Cardiology often called ICG, is a measure of change across the thoracic region of the body over the cardiac cycle. If there is high fluid volume and blood flow, a low impedance across the region is calculated. Impedance Cardiology is also used to measure blood flow in major vessels of the cardiac region from which stroke volume is obtained. A change of impedance can be useful in calculating stroke volume, cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance due to the fluid volume changing with every heart beat. Cardiac Output (CO) along with the concentration of haemoglobin and arterial oxygen saturation are the cornerstones in the movement of oxygen. Cardiac output can be used to confirm the usefulness of treatment or if treatment is required as it analyses the functional performance of the cardiovascular system. The measurement of cardiac output is important in cardiothoracic surgery. There are several different methods for calculating the cardiac output. Firstly there is invasive methods that are quite accurate however the use of these methods are usually limited to intensive care units. While using invasive techniques the loss of blood, risk of infection and other complications are usually a matter of concern which leads to a alternative method, that being a non-invasive technique. For example Impedance Cardiology (ICG) is a method that is used quite often as it is easily used, provides a continuous reading of the cardiac output measured and has a better accuracy than that of other non- invasive techniques that are available. Impedance Cardiology involves applying a current field across the thorax using a constant magnitude, high frequency and a low amplitude alternating current.  ¹ Bio-impedance is a non-invasive technique where the stroke volume is estimated based on the changing of impedance that occurs in the human arterial system during the cardiac cycle due to the constant change of blood volume. Cardiac output is a lot easier to measure by impedance cardiology compared to thermo dilution with a catheter interested in the pulmonary artery, as it can be applied quickly and easily. It also does not cause risk of blood loss, other complications or infection that would be carried with the arterial catheters. Invasive methods cannot monitor the cardiac output continuously whereas ICG will. Non-invasive techniques are the solution to all these problems. Cardiac output is calculated by multiplying the stroke volume by the heart rate. Stroke volume is the volume of blood that is pumped by the heart during every cardiac cycle. This means that measuring the differences in impedance gives an estimate of the changes in stroke volume. ¹ The American Heart Association (AHA) resuscitation guidelines stated the chest compressions are the main source of effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A number of feedback devices have been developed to try to improve the efficiency of chest compressions, all of which improved guideline complaint CPR but did not improve the patients outcome. The ICG provides a non-invasive measure of the hemodynamic status of the body and is being investigated as another method of helping to improve CPR. This led to a study being set up Heartsine Technologies to investigate whether there was any relationship between compression depth, thrust and ICG amplitude during CPR. This also let a correlation between these to be established. The impedance cardiogram was recorded using 2 electrodes from defibrillation pads. The compression depth (cm), compression thrust (kg), end-tidal CO2 (kPa), systolic blood pressure (mmHg), carotid flow (ml/min) and cardiac output (L/min) were all measured at two minute intervals for each model (13 porcine models in total).  ² The results of the study showed that there is a strong correlation between the correlations achieved with compression depth, compression thrust and between ICG amplitude. The table below shows the results obtained in the study and shows the correlation between the three: The ICG measurement provides another measurement of CPR efficiency with physiological effects that are compared to chest compression depth and chest compression thrust. The results show that the ICG measurement could be used in the development of CPR feedback algorithms for AEDs (automated electrical defibrillators).  ² Improved impedance cardiogram measurement and recording methods have enabled their use in critical care of patients. Cromie reported that the use of both ICG recordings from two defibrillator pads , which is used to overcome the awkward application of using multiple electrodes and frequency analysis of the calculated derivative of the impedance signal (dZ/dt) which also provides information about circulatory arrest that occurs in the porcine model.  ³ He then reported an algorithm that was based on the ICG using the peak magnitude in a frequency range for detecting cardiac arrest. It was brought about that the frequency analysis by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) in public access defibrillators (PAD) and automated electrical defibrillators (AEDs) would compromise its processing capabilities and the use of integer filters to calculate the frequency components was proposed. An algorithm that was only based on the impedance cardiogram that had been recorded through the use of two defibrillator pads, by using the strongest frequency and amplitude, could lead to a decrease in beginning CPR and could determine the circulatory arrest. Integer filters were used to analyse the frequency of the impedance cardiogram signal. Filters are lighter, simpler and a lot more adaptable when it comes to comparing with Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). This approach is more desirable as it limits the processing abilities of the devices that could compromise usability of the FFT, even though the approach is less accurate. The two techniques were compared with one another using 13 cases of cardiac arrest and 6 of normal controls. The best filters were used on this set and an algorithm that detects cardiac arrest was tested on a much wider set of data. The algorithm was then tested on a validation set and the ICG was recorded. It was tested on 132 cardiac arrest patients and 97 c ontrols. The results indicated that cardiac arrest using the algorithm had a sensitivity average of 81.1% with the samples ranging from 77.6-84.3%. The specificity of the validation set was 97.1% with the samples ranging from 96.7-97.4% at a 95% confidence limit. These results show that automated defibrillators with impedance cardiogram analysis has the potential to improve emergency care by enabling non qualified persons to carry out appropriate CPR and it can also improve the detection of cardiac arrest when the algorithm is combined with ECG analysis. ³ He then reported an algorithm that was based on the ICG using the peak magnitude in a frequency range for detecting cardiac arrest. It was brought about that the frequency analysis by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) in public access defibrillators (PAD) and automated electrical defibrillators (AEDs) would compromise its processing capabilities and the use of integer filters to calculate the frequency components was proposed. The results of the frequency spectrum of the first order derivative of the impedance cardiogram (dZ/dt) recorded using the two defibrillator pads can be used as a marker to calculate circulatory collapse. The results obtained provide tools for the development of applications for the use of impedance cardiograms in defibrillators in emergency clinical practice. Automatic Electrical Defibrillators are available in public areas along with trained rescuers. AEDs that recognise circulatory arrest use a hemodynamic sensor together with algorithms based on ECGs, would aid in the management of collapsed patients where accurate, quick and critical decisions must be made.  ³