Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Macromolecule Definition and Examples

Macromolecule Definition and Examples In chemistry and biology, a  macromolecule is defined as a molecule with a very large number of atoms. Macromolecules typically have more than 100 component atoms. Macromolecules exhibit very different properties from smaller molecules, including their subunits, when applicable. In contrast, a micromolecule is a molecule which has a small size and molecular weight. The term macromolecule was coined by Nobel laureate Hermann Staudinger in the 1920s. At the time, the term polymer had a different meaning than it does today, or else it might have become the preferred word. Macromolecule Examples Most polymers are macromolecules and many biochemical molecules are macromolecules. Polymers consist of subunits, called mers, that are covalently linked to form larger structures. Proteins, DNA, RNA, and plastics are all macromolecules. Many carbohydrates and lipids are macromolecules. Carbon nanotubes are an example of a macromolecule that is not a biological material.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Perform Your Dissertation Methodology

How to Perform Your Dissertation Methodology Dissertation Methodology: Ways to Perform and Present The methodology is an important section in every dissertation paper, which goes after the literature review, and remains an obligatory part of the paper. When writing a dissertation, you first list your research questions providing a detailed short review of the other scholars’ opinions about your dissertation’s topic. In addition, you bring supplementary information about the ways the scholar have reached their final data and research results. It covers assumptions, theoretical work, methods used, original data, etc. It is important to use other researchers’ works to figure out how to perform your own research activity and how to deal properly with a research question revealing. On this stage, you plan what data to collect, what analyses to conduct, and what methods to use. The methodology section reveals the main approach you have chosen for your paper performing and the main reasons for using it. How to Provide Methodology Properly Your methodology section needs to provide a clear vision of the other researchers’ results, all existed studies in your chosen field of science, literature review, and the main ways of conducting research work. There is no difference what exact field of science you are dealing with and what subject you are analyzing, the methodology section must include the following elements: The Research Question Recap You need to demonstrate that the methods used perfectly fit the purpose of your research work. Moreover, you need to recap the main question once introducing your methodology. Design or methods’ detailed description It is obligatory to demonstrate all the methods chosen and describe them in details to let the reader see what kind of results can be found eventually. You must clearly explain your process, every conducted analysis, and reveal and explain your main approach. Stay clear and detailed since such complex work, as a dissertation, must have a section with an explanation of every part of research work with theoretical information and calculations. Other researchers can further use your information written in this section, thus write down everything in the slightest details to let other people recreate your experiments or calculations if needed. Your chosen method background and justification You need to explain why you have chosen a certain method and why it remains more beneficial in the exact case. Therefore, present background and the justification of your choice and highlight the possible results of the chosen methods in use. Be aware that your method needs to be related to the exact research problem you are working with. Moreover, stay clear to let the readers get the entire information in details. Your chosen method evaluation and its possible limitations There are no doubts you cannot find a perfect research method. Still, you need to reveal what benefits and extra results can bring your chosen method and why it is perfect for your research problem. Therefore, since every research requires a set of appropriate analyses and calculations, you choose the best method to reach the needed final data. In the same time, every method has its limitations, thus make sure to note them in your paper. You can write an outline of your methodology section to make sure you will put the needed information and data into your paper in the slightest details. Common Types of Dissertation Methodology The most common types of dissertation methodology include the following: A Scientific Study. A Social or Behavioral Studies. Arts and Humanities Critical Dissertation. A Creative Art Dissertation. A Scientific Study The main characteristics of the methodology section are reproducibility and accuracy. The chosen methods need to be robust and clear to the reader. Additionally, include only vital information about the methods used, procedures, equipment, and experiments. Use detailed information about statistical models used and every conducted analysis. Remember, your work must have a practical usage, thus since other researchers can further use your information written in this section, write down everything in the slightest details to let other people recreate your experiments or calculations if needed. A Social or Behavioral Studies This kind of academic sciences requires the same top characteristics of the methodology section, which are reproducibility and rigor. The chosen methods need to be research aimed and clear to the reader. Furthermore, include only vital information about the methods used, procedures, equipment, and experiments. In the same time, this kind of paper requires a more complex approach since must include the additional research questions. If you use a mixed approach, you need to explain the chosen research methods. These sciences require interviews and other broad questionings to be conducted. Use detailed information about statistical models and every conducted analysis. Remember, your work must have a practical usage, thus since other researchers can further use your information written in this section, write down everything in the slightest details to let other scholars recreate your experiments or calculations if needed. Additionally, deal with every question to satisfy readers’ interest in various ethical issues related to research. Arts and Humanities Critical Dissertation Arts and Humanities Critical Dissertation requires the same top characteristics of the methodology section as in social sciences, which are accuracy and reproducibility. The selected method needs to be research aimed and clear to the reader. Whats more, this section is greatly related to a literature review and needs to contain various X’s and Y’s theories. Make sure to include only vigorous information about the methods used, exact procedures, equipment, and experiments. This kind of a dissertation paper requires a more complex approach since must include the additional research questions. These sciences require moving carefully from literature review to analysis. Provide a detailed justification of your chosen models and every conducted analysis. Make sure your work has a practical use and can be used by other researchers, thus write down every step of your practical analyses in the slightest details to let other scholars re-form your experiments, studies or calculations if needed. Moreover, deal with every question to satisfy readers’ interest in various ethical questions, historical and cultural contexts related to a research question. A Creative Art Dissertation The methodology section in a creative art dissertation is rather oriented on a creative approach than a critical one. In the same time, it requires a substantial critical essay and the explanation of the used theories. The chosen methods need to be robust and clear to the reader. Make sure to include only important information about the methods used, procedures, equipment, and experiments. Despite the creative style of the work, use detailed information about statistical models used and every conducted analysis to show that you can look at your work from an objective point of view. This type of dissertation also needs to have a practical usage, thus since other researchers can further use your information written in this section, write down everything in the slightest details to let other scholars reconstruct your experiments, analyses or calculations. Elements You Need to Avoid in Methodology Every part of a methodology section must be related to others, thus make sure to provide a logical structure and detailed explanation of every method used. It can be beneficial to change the places of the methodology section’s parts in order to provide a proper structure and revealing the information in the right order. There are numerous elements, which you need to avoid in your methodology section: An extensive review of methodologies. Even if you want to describe fully the used methods and procedures, an extensive review of the methodology can be a waste of time. It also can influence badly on the result of your dissertation paper. The long list of equipment or unnecessary procedural details. It is great to provide a detailed explanation of every method, procedure and equipment used, but providing too excessive procedural details will not help to succeed. Write down only the information needed for reproducing your research. Raw data. Make sure to check what data you are providing in your dissertation paper. Therefore, do not use raw data, and better place it in an appendix if needed. How to Deal with Methodology’s Selection When you start performing your dissertation, you first list your research question providing a detailed short review of the other scholars’ opinions about your dissertation’s topic. Further, you bring extra information about the way the scholars have reached their final data and research results. This data covers assumptions, theoretical work, methods used, original data, etc. It is important to use other researchers’ works to figure out how to perform your own research activity and how to deal properly with a research question investigation. On this stage, you plan what data to collect, what analyses to conduct, and what methods to use in order to provide a perfect dissertation paper. The methodology section reveals the main approach you have chosen for your paper performing and the main reasons for using it. There are different methodologies for postgraduate dissertation and undergraduate dissertation. In the same time, these two main types of methodology require a detailed literature review and the selected approach. Your chosen set of methods must be related to a research question and remain organic and natural. Besides, this type of dissertation also needs to provide a practical usage, thus since other researchers can further use your information written in this section, describe each of your analyses or experiments in the slightest details to let other people recreate your research works if needed. How to Provide a Good Methodology Definitely, the good methodology for postgraduate and undergraduate dissertation are two different works. The undergraduate dissertation methodology needs to engage with other researches’ outcomes and be greatly related to a research question. Moreover, in the undergraduate dissertation, you need to show your ability to analyze diverse approaches and opponents’ ideas as well. There is a need to synthesize the information and use it for your personal research work. The undergraduate dissertation methodology also needs to reveal the ability of a student to both synthesize the analyzed sources and provide original ideas. Make sure to show that you can conduct immense investigations and have a needed set of fundamental research skills. A postgraduate dissertation requires original research conducted with unique ideas revealed. Often, the leading postgraduate dissertations are published in popular journals or even monographs. If you tend to develop your research career, providing original research and a perfect dissertation paper is crucial. The chosen methodology must contain the exact methods, procedures, and equipment that allows the researcher to provide exceptional conclusions, and engage many scholars to continue your research work. The importance of your dissertation for future research works makes your dissertation paper the top one. Once providing a great methodology, you let other scholars modify it and bring additional theoretical and practical results in a certain field of science. The best postgraduate dissertation is a collection of original and rigorous research, which engage more scholars to develop the chosen research question and to improve the used methods and procedures. The great methodology brings advanced possibilities for research conduction, and remains transferable, thus allowing other scholars to use it in order to answer related questions. Therefore, the methodology must be clear, detailed, and adaptable. Presenting Your Methodology Your dissertation methodology is a vital part of your paper, which makes the entire research project completed properly. The methodology is a set of special methods, procedures, and equipment used in order to conduct all the needed analyses and bring the needed results. When dealing with the methodology presentation, make sure to stay clear and logical. One of the main methodology’s purposes is to convince the readers of the high quality of your research, the validity of your chosen methods, and the value of your conclusions. Once presenting your methodology, you need to demonstrate and prove the high value of your results and the validity of the chosen methods. In addition, it is important to show that the selected methods are related to a research question. Many researchers prefer presenting the methodology that seems rhetorical and remains rigorous at the same time. Often, various methodologies gather the attention of people who want to measure its value and practical usage. If you want to engage your audience into a conversation about your methodology, you can use one of the following ways: Show that you use the methodology never used before by other scholars to reveal your original and unparalleled approach. Use a little reassurance to bring the attention and support of your readers. Use the signposting, the way to refer back to a literature review and remain what are the exact previous research results you have to deal with. Defining your own terms and providing an audience with a chance to meet a new approach, which can be further modernized and used by other scholars. Summary The methodology is a vital section in every dissertation paper, which goes after the literature review and remains an obligatory part of the paper. When writing a dissertation, you first list your research questions providing a detailed short review of the other scholars’ opinions about your dissertation’s topic. You bring additional information about the way the scholars have reached their final data and research results (assumptions, theoretical work, methods used, original data, etc.). It is important to use other researcher’s works to figure out how to deal properly with a research question revealing. On this stage, you plan what data to collect, what analyses to conduct, and what methods to use. The methodology section reveals the main approach you have chosen for your paper performing and the main reasons for using it. Your methodology section needs to provide a clear vision of the other researchers’ results, all existed studies in your chosen field of science, literature review, and the main ways of conducting research work. The good methodology for postgraduate and undergraduate dissertation are two different works. The undergraduate dissertation methodology needs to engage with other researches’ outcomes and be greatly related to a research question. Moreover, in the undergraduate dissertation, you need to show your ability to analyze diverse approaches and opponents ideas as well. There is a need to synthesize the information and use it for your personal research work. The undergraduate dissertation methodology also needs to reveal the ability of a student to both synthesize the analyzed sources and provide original ideas. Make sure to show that you can conduct immense investigations and have a needed set of fundamental research skills. A postgraduate dissertation requires original research conducted with unique ideas revealed. If you tend to develop your research career, providing original research and a perfect dissertation paper is crucial. The chosen methodology must contain the exact methods, procedures, and equipment that allows the researcher to provide exceptional conclusions, and engage many scholars to continue your research work. The best postgraduate dissertation is a collection of original and rigorous research, which engage more scholars to develop the chosen research question and to improve the used methods and procedures. The great methodology brings advanced possibilities for research conduction, and remains transferable, thus allowing other scholars to use it in order to answer related questions. The methodology must be clear, detailed, and adaptable. When dealing with the methodology’s presentation, make sure to stay clear and logical. One of the main methodology’s purposes is to convince the readers of the high quality of your research, the validity of your chosen methods, and the value of your conclusions. Once presenting your methodology, you need to demonstrate and prove the high value of your results and the validity of the chosen methods. In addition, it is important to show that the selected methods are related to a research question. Many researchers prefer presenting the methodology that seems rhetorical and remains rigorous at the same time.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Description of the Afterlife in Different Cultures Essay

Description of the Afterlife in Different Cultures - Essay Example That is why different cultures attach different meanings and beliefs to this afterlife. (Still3) The Greeks for instance, believe that once someone dies, they go to another world, whereby you are welcomed by a goddess who is very beautiful. Homer uses a narrative to explain this myth. He shows how Odysseus was carried in a ship together with other companions in a black ship. He also explains that there is another region which they saw, and which was covered by mist and clouds where another goddess sits. According to the Greeks, the dead communicate with each other and can always see each other. They also believe that after the end of the physical life, the spirits of the dead join the dead in the new land even before they are physically buried. That is why Elpenor and Odysseus manage to talk to one another, and that is why Elpenor sends Odysseus with a message that, he should be buried soon. (Homer 89) They also believe that the living can communicate with the dead through spirits and that one can recognize the dead by appearance. That's why when Odysseus made the sacrifice of a ram, he even saw his mother's spirit who did not speak to him, but god advised him on how to lead his life. The gods act like their seers and can foresee all the shortcomings in life, and warn their families. Greeks have different gods for different things, who also have different names. Through the sacrifices they make, the living are told what they want by talking to their god and asking these gods, questions which are not clear to them. (Homer 150) The (home) land of afterlife appears to be a very scaring place from Homers description. It appears like a lifeless place. For instance, "huge rivers, fearful waters, oceans which no man can cross on foot." This means that there is a lot of water in this land and people use boats to move across these waters. The living can communicate with the "Living" dead verbally. The dead live together as groups, and they seem to appear in groups of their gender. The women came in large numbers to drink the blood. Odysseus seems to hold a very detailed conversation with people's spirit who had died long time ago. It appears to be a question answer dialogue between him and these spirits and also the gods of the people. (Homer 601). The deaths of people can always be prophesied just like Odysseus death was prophesied. There is also revenge from the dead to those who had crossed them or killed them. The Greeks afterlife seems to have very many interactions with the living. It's like there is always a channel of interacting and communicating between the living and the dead. According to the Islamic culture, afterlife is a moment to enjoy more than the physical life. They believe that, in that land, Angels are all over taking guard on the dead; the environment is so good and very peaceful. They believe that once one dies, they go to accompany their God in a precious land. They believe that the physical life on earth is actually a preparation to the afterlife in heaven. According to them, their afterlife is in heaven, and that all generations will meet some day in that land. Once someone dies, they go to heaven and they will be judged one day, the day when all the generations will meet. However they believe that the faithful Muslims will be rewarded for their faith. That is what the Koran (Qur'an) states, and that their God is very generous. They

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Future Trends in Health Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Future Trends in Health - Assignment Example The major area of interest is the increased cost in health care and the advances made in information technology. Cost of health care is core in determining health education procedures because health care costs continues to escalate, nevertheless it has been more slowly over the years which compels their prices up. Younger and healthier people are prone to see higher premiums because of the benefit mandates and other requirements under the health care laws. Increased individual premiums among many employees are a common phenomenon. Due to increased health rates and healthcare costs, quality assurance is taking central roles in the transformation of good health. For this reason heath information technology (HIT) has taken over to try and cut down the healthcare spending and in the long run increase efficiency, safety and quality of medical care delivery. This has greatly influence the health care education and the entire sector as whole. The major roles that IT has played in transforming healthcare education are healthcare delivery and in general how government registration supports the widespread of better and satisfactory medical services among its

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The Stanford Prison Experiment Essay Example for Free

The Stanford Prison Experiment Essay In August of 1971, Phillip Zimbardo constructed a mock correctional facility. Placing an ad in a local newspaper, and with over 70 responses, he conducted interviews with 70 male candidates across the U. S. and out of those 70 candidates 24 of them were sorted out through mental diseases, drug abuse, and psychological issues. With a pay of $15/a day, he divided the candidates, 9 guards and 9 prisoners. He constructed the basement floor at Stanford into a correctional facility taking the doors off hinges and replacing them with steel door with bars and cell numbers. Each prisoner was stripped and searched and sprayed, the same way as if they were going to a real prison. Each prisoner was given robes to wear with their own prisoner number on the back and on the front, and they could only go by prisoner numbers not by name. They also were given rubber slippers and chains wrapped around their ankles and hair nets as opposed to shaving their heads. There were three cells will three cots each, enough for the 9 prisoners. Each 8 hour shift had three guards each and even some on call for back up. The first day went well with no incident, the second day however the prisoners began to riot by taking off their hairnets, pulling off their numbers off their robes. Being outrages and infuriated the guards went into each cell stripped the prisoners, took their cots, and sprayed them with the fire extinguisher. The ringleader of the riot was put into solitary confinement by the guards. After only 36 hours, one prisoner #8612 then began to act crazy, to scream, to curse, to go into a rage that seemed out of control. It took quite a while before they became convinced that he was really suffering and that they had to release him. Guards forced the prisoners to repeat their assigned numbers in order to reinforce the idea that this was their new identity. Guards soon used these prisoner counts to harass the prisoners, using physical punishment such as protracted exercise for errors in the prisoner count. Sanitary conditions declined rapidly, exacerbated by the guards refusal to allow some prisoners to urinate or defecate anywhere but in a bucket placed in their cell. As punishment, the guards would not let the prisoners empty the sanitation bucket. Mattresses were a valued item in the prison, so the guards would punish prisoners by removing their mattresses, leaving them to sleep on concrete. Some prisoners were forced to be naked as a method of degradation. Several guards became increasingly cruel as the experiment continued; experimenters reported that approximately one-third of the guards exhibited genuine sadistic tendencies. Most of the guards were upset when the experiment ended after only 6 days. The experiment ended when Zimbardo’s girlfriend, Christina Masalach, a graduate student there to conduct interviews, saw how bad the prisoners were being treated and how the conditions were. It was also said that some prisoners had experienced more abuse during the middle of the night as well as pornographic abuse from the guards. So, therefore the 2 week experiment ended in only 6 days.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Moralirtys Fickle Mind :: social issues

Moralirty's Fickle Mind If someone were to ask what morality is, what would one say? Some may think of it as integrity and decency, and others may see it as honesty and candor. However, by contrasting what was moral, and immoral in the past, one can clearly see that people’s concept of morality changes over time. Under what circumstances that this conceptual change takes place, one may never know. What many believe is that morality and immorality together have shaped both thinking and society as a whole, as it continues to be the â€Å"guiding light† under many circumstances. One example of our morality-based society proves itself through history. Slavery lasted for over four hundred years. It is apparent that harsh treatment of this manner lasted for such a long period of time because this type of thinking was accepted during those times. Once it was clear that this type of treatment was wrong, many people’s attitudes (other than blacks) changed toward the treatment of African Americans, so it is clear that morality played a key role in the thinking process and the outcome of how one race dominated another and what the result was. However, one must also take into account the fact that the rich and powerful have major influences over way of life; this is apparent even though a democratic society. The general dominating of one people or race over another still lasts to this day, as it is clear through the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. Another example of how society has been shaped by morality and immorality is the fact that immorality drove pilgrims from an â€Å"immoral† monarchy and led them to create a â€Å"moral† type of government on their own. However, even though morality seems to lead society in a general good direction, such as taking down Hitler’s army, it does not always lead to the best outcome in many circumstances, such as the taking over of smaller countries by the US, or reinstating the death penalty. Even though this government was created from a lesser, worse government, morality still is taking a few turns to make it the best government possible with amendments and laws. A capitalist society may not always benefit us, together as a people, in all the best ways. But as one can see, it is still apparent that morality, even if it is the morality of the rich and powerful, shapes our way of living.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Anglogold Ashanti: Analysis of Csr Strategy

AngloGold Ashanti An Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Essay 1 By: S. BLIDI ELLIOTT Index No. : EMBA 10110042 Course: Ethics, Social Responsibility and Governance Course No. : EMBA 663 Lecturer: Dr. Judy N. Muthuri Date: September 28, 2012 Word Count: 5,709 This essay is the first of a two-part series critically examining the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy and performance of AngloGold Ashanti (AGA). This first essay analyses the company’s CSR strategy and activities against the yard sticks provided by the Ghana Business Code and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).In analyzing AGA’s strategy, we explore the likely motivating factors driving the company’s CSR activities and how these drivers inform AngloGold’s responsiveness to environmental, social and other stakeholder issues. In evaluating AGA’s CSR reporting and performance, we present a background of the company followed by an overview of the company’s CSR strategy and analysis of whether that strategy conforms to accepted standards.This essay is written in partial fulfillment of the course requirements of the Ethics, Social Responsibility and Governance module (EMBA 663) of the Executive Masters in Business Administration program of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI – AN OVERVIEW AngloGold Ashanti is a multinational corporation headquartered in South Africa with various mining operations in ten countries spread across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The company’s primary activity is gold mining, though silver and uranium, among other by products, are produced in the process of extracting the gold from the ore bodies.In 2011, AngloGold reported sales of $6. 6 billion from 4. 33 million ounces of gold produced with a workforce of close to 70,000 persons across four continents. AGA is a truly global company with market capitalization of $16. 2 billion and listings on stock exchanges in A ngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 2 Johannesburg, Accra, London, Sidney and New York. The company is majority owned by shareholders in the USA (47. 9%) and South Africa (27. 9%), with the rest of the shares distributed throughout the world, including a 1. % shareholding by the Government of Ghana (AGA Sustainability Report, 2011: 5-10). AngloGold produces dore (unrefined gold bars) at its worldwide operations for sale mainly to gold refineries which sell on to bullion banks and jewelers. Like others in the industry, AGA has benefitted from recent increasing demand for gold as a store of value. This demand has been driven over the last few years by the worldwide economic downturn and banking crisis which have made investors wary of unstable currency and equity markets.This essay focuses on AGA’s operations in Ghana, where the company operates two mining properties in the west of the country at Iduapriem and Obuasi. These operations account for 11. 8 % of the company’s global production and revenues (AGA Sustainability Report, 2011: 22) Located in the Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana, Iduapriem and Obuasi were the main targets of the merger between AngloGold Limited of South Africa and Ashanti Goldfields Limited of Ghana to form the current company, AngloGold Ashanti, in 2004.SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY AngloGold Ashanti provides extensive, publicly available information about what the company calls its â€Å"sustainability† strategy and programs. The company’s â€Å"Sustainability Report 2011 – Sustainable Gold† (www. aga-reports. com/11/sustainability-report/home) is one part of AGA’s â€Å"Integrated Report 2011 – Pure Gold† which also includes the company’s Annual Financial Statements and a Mineral Resources and Ore Reserve Report. The company says its Integrated Report is in compliance with South Africa’s King Code on Corporate AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 3Governance 2009 (http://african. ipapercms. dk/IOD/KINGIII/kingiiicode/) which mandates companies operating in South Africa to issue a triple bottom line report on financial and sustainability performance. The King III Code further encourages companies to tailor their sustainability reports according to the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (www. globalreporting. org/reporting/latest-guidelines/g3-guidelines).AngloGold Ashanti appears to have gone to great lengths to remain compliant with the intent of King III Code by presenting sustainability and financial data as an integral part of the company’s governance and business strategy with strong emphasis on the company’s responsiveness to stakeholder issues. The company’s compliant posture is also evident in its reported reliance on the GRI Guidelines, the principles of the UN Global Compact (http://www. unglobalcompact. org/), and t he Sustainable Development Framework of the industry body, the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) http://www. icmm. com/our-work/sustainable-development-framework). While AGA does not specifically mention the Ghana Business Code, acceptance of the principles of the UN Global Compact amounts to acceptance of the Ghana Code which is nearly a verbatim rendition of the Global Compact. AngloGold Ashanti in its Sustainability Report 2011 expresses a mission to: To create value for our shareholders, our employees and our business and social partners through safely and responsibly exploring, mining and marketing our products.Our primary focus is gold and we will pursue value creating opportunities in other minerals where we can leverage our existing assets, skills and experience to enhance the delivery of value. This mission statement gives early insight that the company’s CSR strategy is largely driven by an instrumental motivation (Maignan & Ralston, 2002: 498) to ac hieve performance objectives – creating value. A reading of the company’s values statement enhances this impression of a firm focused on CSR as a means to achieve strategic business objectives. AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 4AngloGold’s stated values are closely aligned with the 10 principles of the Ghana Business Code (Ghana Business Code, 2006). The firm’s first value statement â€Å"Safety is our first value†1 speaks of health and safety at the workplace in alignment with the principles on human rights and labour standards of the Ghana Business Code and the UN Global Compact. The second value statement â€Å"We treat each other with dignity and respect† deals with honesty and ethical business and social practices and is aligned with the human rights, labour and anti-corruption principles of the Ghana Code.AngloGold declares its intent to respect the Global Compact (and by extension the Ghana Code) in its o ther statements concerning the company’s value for diversity and its respect for the environment. Two of the company’s value statements are particularly noteworthy as they speak directly to the company’s sustainability strategy. In value statement 4, the company declares â€Å"We are accountable for our actions and undertake to deliver on our commitments†. This statement goes to the core of what some writers (eg.Crane, Matten & Spence, 2008:5) see to be an essence of corporate social responsibility – companies being accountable for negative impacts of their actions and taking the appropriate corrective and, in the best case, preventive measures. AngloGold’s value statement 5 â€Å"The communities and societies in which we operate will be better off for AngloGold Ashanti having been there† is a powerful statement of commitment by the company to go beyond the scope of its legal and economic responsibilities into the higher realms of â⠂¬Å"Carroll’s Pyramid of CSR† (Branco & Rodrigues, 2007:10). See Appendix for full text of AngloGold Ashanti’s Mission, Vision and Values Statements AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 5 AngloGold Ashanti’s Sustainability Report 2011 is a centralized, group level report, but its supplementary sustainability data and country reports provide a localized perspective of the company’s CSR performance, with particular reference to its performance in Ghana.ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI CSR REPORTING AND THE GRI The Global Reporting Initiative was established in 1997 with a mission to provide a common framework for CSR reporting based on globally accepted principles, concepts and metrics (Hedberg & Malmborg, 2003: 155). The Guidelines give firms a template for the content and presentation of their CSR reports to enable comparison with other such reports. The Guidelines are divided into two parts covering the reporting principles and guidance and the standard disclosures (https://www. globalreporting. org/resourcelibrary/G3-Guidelines-InclTechnical-Protocol. df). Part 1 of the Guidelines give guidance to firms on how to determine the content of reports based on principles of materiality, stakeholder inclusiveness, sustainability context and completeness. This Part also intends to help firms maintain the quality of their reports with regard to accuracy, timeliness, reliability and clarity. The overall objective is for reports to not only present the issues affecting individual firms, but how the firms’ social, economic and environmental performance contributes to sustainable development at the global level.Part 2 of the guidelines covers standard disclosures expected of companies in terms of their strategy and profile, approach of management to CSR issues and a common set of performance indicators. Disclosures on strategy are intended to establish the link between the firm’s business strategy and its governa nce and sustainability performance. AngloGold Ashanti appears to have embraced the GRI Guidelines in an effort to communicate its adherence to widely accepted CSR principles and processes. Hedberg andAngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 6 Malmborg (2003: 153) have suggested that a firm’s use of the GRI Guidelines is often motivated by the firm’s need to â€Å"seek organizational legitimacy† by using a globally respected template that would lend credibility to the company’s reports. AngloGold gives itself an A+ rating for adherence to the GRI Guidelines, meaning the company believes that its sustainability report includes reporting on all indicators of relevance to the GRI.In closely examining the AGA report for 2011, it is clear that AngloGold has closely followed the guidelines on what content to include and how to include it in keeping with the Standard Disclosures of the GRI. The first section of the Standard Disclosures calls for presentation of a high level analysis of the company’s strategy. AngloGold’s Sustainability Report 2011 adheres to this guideline through a statement from AngloGold CEO Mark Cutifani (AGA Sustainability Report, 2011:12) outlining the company’s vision and how this vision links with the company’s business strategy and sustainability performance.He outlines key focus areas for the company’s strategy, including health and safety for employees and business stakeholders, minimizing the environmental impact of operations, protection of human rights, maintaining efficiency in production, controlling costs, maximizing returns and â€Å"delivering value† to community stakeholders. AGA believes these strategic focus areas are consistent with the company’s definition of sustainable development because they cover the social, economic and environmental issues of most concern to the company and its stakeholders (AGA Sustainability Report, 2011: 13).Stakeholder pressure from a negative duty perspective (Maignan & Ralston, 2002:498) is evident when the CEO reports that â€Å"to our key stakeholders it appears we may have taken our local communities and the various levels of government for granted† (AGA Sustainability Report, 2011:13). This pressure from local communities, particularly communities around the AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 7 ompany’s operations at Obuasi and Iduapriem in Ghana, has pushed AGA to declare that its CSR strategy is centered on the concept of â€Å"rebuilding trust with local communities, regulatory authorities and government leaders† (AGA Sustainability Report, 2011:13) through an approach of creating mutually beneficial value for the company and the communities in which it operates. In line with the GRI Standard Disclosures, the CEO statement affirms engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including the Extractive Industries Transparency I nitiative (EITI) and the United Nations Global Compact in developing its CSR strategy and performance.AngloGold further identifies the key risks and impacts on sustainability and the effects on stakeholders that would affect the company’s long term performance. Among risks and sustainability trends of concern to the company is the issue of ‘resource nationalism’ which AngloGold describes as the tendency for governments to demand more returns from companies involved in extractive industries (AGA Sustainability Report, 2011:13). This resource nationalism is expressed through mining code revisions, increased royalty ayments and taxes, and increased demand for companies’ direct contribution to development initiatives. A related risk, from AngloGold’s perspective, is the issue of increased community activism around land use and availability of water. The company commits itself, in its 2011 report, to improve its performance in the areas of water and land use, waste disposal and environmental management. In conformity with the GRI, these commitments are expressed as performance targets which the company considers to be essential for its long term survival.AngloGold’s sustainability report provides extensive information profiling the company in keeping with section two of the GRI Standard Disclosures. The profile includes key information on shareholders, production levels, net sales, number of employees, AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 8 capitalization, and breakdown of all indicators by region and country operations, among other performance indicators. The company, in conformity with EITI, reports all payments to the Government of Ghana and local administrations (http://www. aga- reports. om/11/pdf/ghana. pdf). GRI guidelines provide specific environmental indicators required to be reported on by firms. AngloGold provides detailed data on reportable environmental incidents, energy efficiency, wa ter use efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions and cyanide certification (AGA Sustainability Report, 2011: 6-7). The issue of water is of critical concern at AngloGold’s Ghana operations, because of what the company describes as Ghana’s high levels of rainfall and water run-off which make implementation of ‘closed loop’ systems for recycling water unfeasible.Gold mining operations require huge quantities of water which brings these operations into competition with community agricultural programs for this often scarce resource. AngloGold admits that mismanagement of water supply and quality can have severe impacts on gold production as well as on the health of mining communities. In its Ghana Fact Sheet, the company says â€Å"water quality and usage are of concern globally, but are particularly significant for operations in Ghana, where there is significant potential environmental and social impact and a high level of stakeholder scrutiny† (http://www . ga-reports. com/11/pdf/ghana. pdf). The company agrees, in its 2011 report, that its suboptimal management of water in Ghana has led to disputes with local communities, and that greater efforts are being put into place to address these shortcomings through what AGA calls its Global Strategy for Water Security. The GRI guidelines also encourage companies to report on a range of social performance indicators regarding labour practices, human rights and other societal concerns.The guidelines make reference to several internationally recognized standards and protocols, AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 9 particularly the International Labour Organization (ILO) Tripartite Declaration Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Conventions on Civil, Human, Politi cal, Social and Cultural Rights.AngloGold’s close adherence to the GRI Guidelines may be laudable, but leaves questions as to the company’s motivations. Hedberg & Malmborg in their work on the use of the GRI guidelines among companies in Sweden, suggest that companies are motivated to use the guidelines to â€Å"provide a good and established structure for their reports† (2003:159) in order to seek societal legitimacy, and that a main reason the guidelines are used is to get a proper design for their reports.Because the Guidelines give firms leeway to choose the level and depth of their reporting, and that little if any verification of reports is done by GRI, Hedberg and Malmborg suggest the Guidelines may lack a certain credibility which may negatively impact the company in the long term (2003: 163). Given the above perception of the credibility challenges of the GRI Guidelines, AngloGold’s CSR strategy needs to be subjected to closer scrutiny, beginning with an analysis of the company’s stakeholders and the stakeholder issues that drive AGA’s CSR strategy and activities.STAKEHOLDERS Branco and Rodrigues in their paper on stakeholder theory and CSR remark that stakeholder theory is â€Å"inescapable if one wants to discuss and analyze CSR† (2007: 5). Maignan & Ralston, in discussing CSR motivations, speak of a negative duty approach by which companies engage in CSR activities because of legitimacy issues and stakeholder pressure (2002: 498). Woods (1991:703-705) in her corporate social performance model, emphasizes AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 10 he vital role of stakeholder management in a firm’s processes of social responsiveness. Stakeholder theory makes the case that CSR performance is driven by a firm’s need to respond to and satisfy the interests of its stakeholders. Branco and Rodrigues point further to the tendency of firms to pay greater attention to thei r primary stakeholders as opposed to the issues of secondary stakeholders who are not necessarily â€Å"essential for a firm’s survival† (2007:7).As a multinational company operating labor-intensive operations on four continents, and with listings on multiple stock exchanges, AngloGold Ashanti must tread carefully in order to be responsive to conflicting stakeholder issues while maintaining its focus on its fiduciary responsibility to primary stakeholders, particularly the company’s shareholders. The company’s stakeholder management strategy appears to be based on what the company describes as the â€Å"risks and drivers† that allow its operations to be successful and create mutual value for its shareholders and communities.The company says its stakeholder engagement policy intends to assure that its operations continue to meet performance targets while generating returns for its shareholders and community stakeholders. This approach speaks directl y to the â€Å"instrumental† dimension of CSR as explained by Maignan & Ralston (2002:498). An instrumental approach from a negative duty perspective implies that AngloGold pursues stakeholder engagement, and indeed its entire CSR strategy, because it is compelled to do so by stakeholder expectations and pressure, and not out of any altruistic principles.This explains the strong motivation for the company to manage stakeholders to avoid negative impacts and risks to its operations that would be detrimental to its financial performance. This is an approach that can be observed in all aspects of the company’s stated CSR strategy, which may prompt cynics, as Ghillyer notes, to â€Å"see these initiatives as public AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 11 elations exercises with no real evidence of dramatic changes in the core operating philosophies†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2008:62). AngloGold Chairman Tito Mboweni, in a sustainability statement in the comp any’s Integrated Report (2011:8) says â€Å"being a good corporate citizen, as we seek to be, is a prerequisite for being a successful miner† and that â€Å"governments and their citizens are entitled to expect not only a fair fiscal return but also a mutually respectful and beneficial relationship between them and the companies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .He however goes on to caution that â€Å"pushed too far, though, raised taxes and royalty rates will begin to discourage investment and reduce the overall value of the industry to both societies and shareholders. The regulatory environment is becoming increasingly complex and onerous. † The influence of stakeholders can be observed in the key issues driving AngloGold’s CSR strategy and emphasized in its Sustainability Report 2011. One such issue is what the company calls the trend toward greater â€Å"resource nationalism† among its stakeholder governments in the jurisdictions in which the company operates.Th e risk of resource nationalism impacts the company in terms of the increased community pressure on AngloGold to make explicit the benefits of its mining activities for communities and national economies, the increased community activism about access to and fair value received for scarce natural resources, and increased demand for higher tax and royalty payments to governments. AngloGold reports that it is responding to this stakeholder issue by developing a general framework to approach development in a more organized and systematic way.The company reports that it has increased its community investments in partnership with communities and local government administrations in an effort to demonstrate the benefits of what the company calls â€Å"responsible mining†. These measures can be seen as the company’s attempt to secure and maintain its legitimacy and social license to operate. AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 12 Artisanal and small-sc ale mining is another issue that has driven AGA’s corporate social response. This issue has particular resonance in Ghana where AGA mines properties which have for a great many years been mined by community members.The conflicts that have resulted from small-scale mining encroachments on AngloGold concession areas have led to charges of human rights violations against the company. These violations have included allegations of deaths resulting from AngloGold security interventions in â€Å"illegal† mining activities on the company’s concession area. In response to this stakeholder issue, AngloGold reports that it has become involved with initiatives in Ghana and at other operations to â€Å"formalize artisanal and small-scale mining in a way which will benefit local economies and create sustainable livelihoods† (AGA Sustainability Report 2011:16).The company says it is also cooperating with host governments to address the economic causes of illegal mining, and with international and industry organizations to develop common approaches. Of concern to AngloGold is the Dodd-Frank Act of the United States which requires the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to establish rules requiring certain companies to disclose their involvement with conflict minerals, particularly from the Democratic Republic of Congo where AngloGold maintains gold mining operations http://www. sec. gov/news/press/2012/2012-163. htm). The activities of illegal miners near AGA operations has the potential, the company believes, to taint the gold legally mined by AGA, especially in light of the global trend among consumers for â€Å"responsible gold† (AGA Sustainability Report, 2011:19) that does not contribute to conflict and human rights violations. AGA’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange makes it accountable to conform to the SEC’s rulings. AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & PerformancePage 13 Health and safety is anoth er multi-stakeholder issue emphasized by AngloGold in its 2011 report. The company reports that â€Å"safety and health are not only business imperatives, but are part of our obligation to operate with respect for human rights†. The health and safety of the company’s employees and the communities in which it operates is a pressing issue for nongovernmental organizations (NGO), governments and multilateral institutions interested in protecting the rights and preventing the exploitation of workers.AngloGold says it respects and values the ten principles of the UN Global Compact and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) in the development of a â€Å"safety transformation framework† to address its less than adequate health and safety performance. The company lists safety as its first value and has set firm targets for reducing work related accident, injury and health frequency rates by 2015 (AGA Sustainability Report, 2011:11).The companyâ₠¬â„¢s malaria control program at Obuasi, Ghana, has received commendation from Ghana’s malaria control program and a $138 million grant from the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria to enable the company step up intervention across Ghana. Ghana’s Daily Graphic newspaper reported in September 2012 (http://www. ghana. gov. gh/index. php/news/features/16095-anglogold-malaria-control-projectbenefits-40-districts) that AngloGold’s malaria program was set to benefit 40 communities in the Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Central and Ashanti regions of the country.Environmental and natural resource management is a prominent part of AngloGold’s CSR reporting in response to stakeholder interest, especially in Ghana where the company’s contamination of community water resources has been a contentious issue for many years. The company has accepted its liability for polluting the rivers around its Obuasi and Iduapriem operations in Ghana. The dr astic situation resulted in the suspension of the company’s operations by the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency in 2007. The companyAngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 14 claims these environmental issues are legacy problems which are being addressed through the implementation of more technologically advanced water management techniques (AGA Ghana Fact Sheet, 2011:4). AngloGold claims to have made extensive efforts to improve its CSR performance in Ghana particularly regarding land and water use, environmental protection and community investment. In 2011, the company commissioned an â€Å"independent† sustainability review panel to assess its performance in Ghana.The panel reported, in part, that â€Å"success at Obuasi requires that the company address Obuasi systematically in its planning, its engagement and communications, its investments, its governance and its development of capabilities† (AGA Sustainability Report 2011: 23). The challenges faced by the company in CSR performance in Ghana were highlighted in 2011 when the company was given the dishonor of receiving the Public Eye Award for 2011 for the company’s â€Å"irresponsible corporate behavior† (Public Eye Awards, 2011).The Public Eye Awards are run by Berne Foundation and Greenpeace to coincide with the annual World Economic Forum at Davos and call attention to CSR issues by naming and shaming multinationals seen to be culpable in environmental and social issues. The citation for the ‘award’ claimed that: The South African mining company AngloGold Ashanti contaminates land and people with its gold mining in Ghana. To extract 30 kg (66 lb) of gold, 6,000 tons of rock are mined every day, then ground up and mixed with cyanide in tanks.The highly-toxic mining waste is kept in large storage ponds that contaminate rivers and wells, as well as all those who (must) drink from them. Where there was once cultivated land, now the ground is contaminated and can no longer be farmed. In addition, in the company’s own guard houses, several suspects were tortured, and dogs were set on people; there have been fatalities as a result. Although the ecological and social problems in the mines – some mines are up to 100 years old – have been documented by authorities, NGOs and the company itself – and even AngloGold Ashanti committed itself in 2004 to improveAngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 15 the situation – things have in fact worsened since then. No wonder AngloGold Ashanti received the worst possible rating for social and environmental protection from the Ghanaian Environmental Protection Agency in a recent industry comparison. AngloGold has responded by claiming that its Public Eye award was â€Å"undeserved† and that its environmental and human rights record in Ghana should be seen in the context of the over 100 years of mining in Ghana usin g methods which are not acceptable by today’s standards.The company claims that it has invested heavily to improve the infrastructure and processes at its Ghana mines and that resolving all legacy issues would require more time (www. ghanachamberofmines. org/site/news/details. php? id=33). The company says it has worked closely with Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to remedy environmental concerns, but the EPA’s AKOBEN Programme (http://www. epaghanaakoben. org/) in 2010 gave AngloGold AKOBEN’s lowest overall rating of â€Å"Red†, indicating poor performance in environmental management.AKOBEN is an initiative of the Ghana EPA to monitor, evaluate and disclose environmental and social performance. The AKOBEN rating appears to buttress a 2011 report by Ghana’s Centre for Environmental Impact Assessment (CEIA) which alleged that discharge from AngloGold operations in Obuasi and Tarkwa had polluted some 262 streams with resulting hi gh incidence of keratosis, other skin diseases and type II diabetes (http://environmentalwatchman. blogspot. com/2011/08/mining-activities†¦ ). This report has not been independently confirmed.The negative impact of AngloGold’s gold mining on the environment, agricultural productivity and the livelihoods of Ghanaian communities has been extensively researched by Aragon and Rud who have reported that â€Å"†¦we find that mining has reduced agricultural productivity by almost 40%. This result is driven by polluting mines, not by input availability†¦ we find that the mining activity is associated with an increase in poverty, child AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 16 malnutrition and respiratory diseases†¦the actual fiscal contribution of ining would not have been enough to compensate affected populations† (2012:1). These negative reports tend to give credence to a criticism of CSR reporting as being window dressing far rem oved from actual performance. Haigh and Jones argue that there are â€Å"inherent contradictions between the pursuit of economic growth and goals of ecological maintenance and social justice† (2006:1) and that managers would not expend resources on CSR if they do not expect CSR to maximize â€Å"the gap between revenues and relevant costs† (2006:2).Haigh and Jones contend that companies have a â€Å"Business first (profit and market share) and Society second (other stakeholders in line after stockholders)† (2006:3) approach, suggesting that a firm’s CSR performance is a reaction to â€Å"first mover CSR strategies of competitors† out of fear of losing market position (2006:2). The Haigh and Jones argument does not detract from Woods who asserts that corporate social performance (CSP) is not â€Å"completely distinct from business performance† (1991:693).In Woods’ model of CSP, a company’s performance should be evaluated on the basis of the social responsibility principles motivating the company, the extent to which that company uses CSP processes and the societal impact of that company’s programs and activities (1991:693). AngloGold’s CSR reporting appears to be fairly consistent with the Woods CSP model. The company seeks to secure its license to operate and establish its legitimacy through its stated compliance with legal, economic and regulatory requirements.This is the expected behavior of a firm in line with the institutional principle of Woods’ model (1991:695). Woods’ organizational principle of public responsibility is expressed in AngloGold’s acceptance of responsibility for the negative outcomes of the company’s activities, as indicated, for AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 17 example, in AngloGold’s actions to clean up and prevent continued pollution of waterways in Ghana.Woods’ managerial discretion principle is articulated in the statements of AngloGold’s CEO and Chairman reaffirming the company’s commitment to be a good corporate citizen as expressed in the company’s philanthropic contributions to communities and the company’s community investments in feeder road repairs, health programs, youth apprenticeship programs, sustainable alternative livelihoods programs and other activities intended to improve the communities’ quality of life, above and beyond the company’s legal obligations.The second facet of Woods’ CSP model concerns a company’s use of processes of corporate social responsiveness. Woods says that â€Å"responsiveness complements but does not replace responsibility† and that â€Å"responsiveness provides an action counterpoint to the principled reflection of social responsibility† (1991:703). AngloGold appears to fulfill the three conditions Woods identifies as being characteristic of a socially responsi ve firm: 1) The company monitors and assesses environmental conditions 2) it actively manages its stakeholders and 3) manages the resultant stakeholder issues.AngloGold’s Sustainability Report 2011 is a testament to the depth of environmental scanning engaged in by the company in determining the risks and opportunities impacting the company. An extensive appraisal was done earlier in this paper of the company’s management of its stakeholders and stakeholder issues. It can safely be concluded, based on the company’s reporting, that AngloGold is a socially responsive firm.The third facet of Woods’ model involves the observable impacts of a company’s programs and policies (1991:708). The impacts of AngloGold’s CSR activities may be evaluated through the company’s reporting against social indicators such as that contained in the GRI AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 18 Guidelines mentioned above and can be obs erved in the positive results seen in AngloGold’s programs such as its highly commended malaria control activities in Ghana.Outcomes can also be observed, according to Woods, in the company’s institutionalization of policies to address stakeholder issues. CONCLUSION It is an easy conclusion to reach that AngloGold Ashanti is very adept, from the evidence of its CSR reporting, at hitting all the right notes in its effort to be seen as a socially responsible company. The company’s instrumental motivation in strong alignment with a negative duty motivation, far outweighs other factors as the driver of AngloGold’s CSR strategy and activities.The company’s diverse stakeholders – from shareholders in London and Johannesburg, and the SEC in New York, to the villagers of Iduapriem and Obuasi in Ghana and all others in between – present a multitude of issues that the company tries to address, using the GRI Guidelines and other international st andards, in its Sustainability Report 2011. The universal principles expressed in the Ghana Business Code are those the company professes to be the bedrock of its corporate value system, and against which the company reports its performance.AngloGold’s CSR performance in Ghana is far from adequate, but the company is transparent in publicly reporting these shortcomings. When all is said and done, however, AngloGold is a global company undertaking socially responsible activities with a strategic eye to profits for its shareholders. AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 19 REFERENCES AngloGold Ashanti. 2011a. Sustainable Gold. www. aga-reports. com/11/sustainabilityreport/home, first accessed August 2012. 5 -10 AngloGold Ashanti. 2011b. Sustainable Gold. www. aga-reports. om/11/sustainabilityreport/home, first accessed August 2012. 22 AngloGold Ashanti. 2011c. Sustainable Gold. www. aga-reports. com/11/sustainabilityreport/home, first accessed August 20 12. 12 AngloGold Ashanti. 2011d. Sustainable Gold. www. aga-reports. com/11/sustainabilityreport/home, first accessed August 2012. 13 AngloGold Ashanti. 2011e. Sustainable Gold. www. aga-reports. com/11/sustainabilityreport/home, first accessed August 2012. 6-7 AngloGold Ashanti. 2011f. 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Positioning stakeholder theory within the debate on corporate social responsibility. http://ejbo. jyu. fi/pdf/ejbo_vol12_no1_pages_5-15. pdf. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, Vol. 12, No. 1: 5 Branco, M. C. & Rodrigues, L. L. 2007. Positioning stakeholder theory within the debate on corporate social responsibility. http://ejbo. jyu. i/pdf/ejbo_vol12_no1_pages_5-15. pdf. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, Vol. 12, No. 1: 7 AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 20 Branco, M. C. & Rodrigues, L. L. 2007. Positioning stakeholder theory within the debate on corporate social responsibility. http://ejbo. jyu. fi/pdf/ejbo_vol12_no1_pages_5-15. pdf. Electroni c Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies, Vol. 12, No. 1: 10 Crane, A. , Matten, D. & Spence, L. 2008. Corporate social responsibility: In global context. 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The global reporting initiative and corporate sustainability reporting in Swedish companies. Corporate social responsibility and environmental management, 10: 155. Available at http://www. interscience. wiley. com AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 21 Hedberg, C. & Malmborg, F. 2003c. The global reporting initiative and corporate sustainability reporting in Swedish companies. Corporate social responsibility and environmental management, 10: 159. Available at http://www. interscience. wiley. om Hedberg, C. & Malmborg, F. 2003d. The global reporting initiative and corporate sustainability reporting in Swedish companies. Corporate social responsibility and environmental management, 10: 163. Available at http://www. interscience. wiley. com ICA. 2012. The king 3 code. http://african. ipapercms. dk/IOD/KINGIII/kingiiicode/, first accessed September 2012 ICMM. 201 2. 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Global Compact. http://www. unglobalcompact. org/, first accessed September 2012 AngloGold Ashanti: Analysis of CSR Strategy & Performance Page 22 APPENDIX AngloGold Mission To create value for our shareholders, our employees and our business and social partners through safely and responsibly exploring, mining and marketing our products. Our primary focus is gold and we will pursue value creating opportunities in other minerals where we can leverage our existing assets, skills and experience to enhance the delivery of value. AngloGold Values

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Comparing Two Advertisements Essay

In this essay I will compare two advertisements both of which are marketing motor vehicles. Both of these advertisements are presented on a single page but one is promoting a Nissan X-Trail jeep and the other a Fiat Seicento 2Tone car. I chose to compare these two advertisements, as they are both similar in a way that they are promoting motor vehicles. Both advertisements were found in glossy page magazines. The Seicento 2Tone I found in a â€Å"HELLO† magazine, which is read by both men and women of all ages. The Nissan X-Trail I found in a local magazine that again both woman and men of all ages read. The target audiences for the two advertisements differ. The Seicento 2Tone has many aspects that appeal to the female reader, more so then it would to the male reader. Likewise, with the Nissan X-Trail although the target audience could be male or female, it would seem to interest the men more because of the bolder sporty layout. The layout on the Fiat Seicento 2Tone is very soft and simple looking, as pale delicate colours have been used to give it a very gentle feel. The colours and background colour of the whole advertisement is very simplistic with the dull silver and slight orange trim around the car. It is very subtle, soft and feminine in contrast to the Nissan X-Trail, which is very colourful with an almost dark and rugged texture to its paper. The shining silver of the jeep, with its dark blacked out windows, gleams against the dark background with a splash of bright colour on the right hand side behind the jeep for the sporty gear, instantly appealing to the adventurous sporty type. The Fiat Seicento 2Tone appeals to the women because of its soft gentle appearance and the box with the two cars implying a pair of boots is placed at the top of the page, very large, leading down to the slinky title â€Å"Kinky Boots† automatically attracting a female readers interest and posibly mens interest as well. The title kinky boots also relates to the motto â€Å"Driven by Passion† which is appealing to women’s emotions more so than men. The second advertisement, the Nissan X-Trail, appeals more to the men because of its â€Å"Real Life Computer Game† which subtly implies an action packed ride. The image of the jeep in the Nissan X-Trail is placed in the middle of the single page, on a slant giving an off road impression. It is the main feature with most of the attention drawn to it, whereas the Fiat Seicento 2Tone is placed at the top of the page, with a wider spread surrounding. The setting of each advertisement has a similar connection to the type of car and the audience they are persuading. The Nissan X-Trail has a jam packed page full of colours and images just like an action packed computer game, in contrast to the Fiat Seicento 2Tone, which has a very unadorned almost quiet like setting with very appealing titles, logo’s and mottos to attract the readers attention. Another great aspect that attracts the female reader to the Fiat Seicento 2Tone advertisement is the use of persuasive, chatty and witty language, which would amuse the reader as well as making contact with them, by using a friendly and informal tone and style. Throughout the text sex appeal has been included for example, â€Å"turn a few heads† meaning catch people attention as you would with fashion and clothing. â€Å"Designed with exquisite details† almost like a designer dress that would stand out as the car would. â€Å"Metallic paint, matching interior trim and body, colour co-ordinated features† giving the gist that everything fits in and is matching like an out fit would. They then continue to say you could â€Å"look drop dead gorgeous† with a whole range of extra’s just for i 6199, â€Å"go on, treat yourself† as if they were talking about an item of clothing or makeup. All this would instantly attract and appeal to the female reader, whereas in the Nissan X-Trail aspects that attract the male reader to the advertisement are more male orientated features. With help of the text and language used the male â€Å"real life computer game† effect is enhanced. Short, simple sentences are used for emphasis on aspects related to the jeep. It also keeps the male readers attention as opposed to long complex sentences. It compares the car to a computer game, whereas, the Fiat car is being compared with fashion. To achieve this they used figures, mechanical and technical details, â€Å"the smooth control of a 2. 5l 180hp engine with multi mode 4WD system. † This would more than likely attract the men and create an imaginary game through driving the jeep. â€Å"Forget loading a hard drive, forget 3-D animation† meaning forget all that indoor computer fantasy life, drive the Nissan X-Trail and live the game real life or even â€Å"reboot your life. † The X-trail advertisement seems to appeal towards a male audience even though they use repetitiveness with rhythm of verse. As there are three very short stanzas in the Nissan X-Trail, all full of energy and power, it’s effective and can help to persuade the audience similar to the Fiat Seicento 2Tone with the chatty and witty informal tone. Both the Nissan X-Trail and the Fiat Seicento 2Tone use adjectives and modern language to persuade the reader. The Seicento 2Tone uses play on words such as, â€Å"Kinky Boots†, as the word ‘boots’ is cleverly linked to the image of the two cars parked next to a large shoebox. The word ‘kinky’ is a very seductive word, again introducing sex appeal. On the other hand the Nissan X-Trail does not use such obvious means of sex appeal, so instead use bold eye catching phrases. Weather it’s a monotone background with big, brash and bold white heading or an elegant refined orange heading both emphasis the subjects of both advertisements Both of the advertisements give some sort of detail, whether it is price, contact numbers or e-mail address they both give a different variety. I think that because the Nissan X-Trail was found in a local magazine there is no price list or finance offers. These are in fact found in the Fiat Seicento 2Tone as the magazine it is advertised in is found throughout the world; therefore it is open to a lot more readers and buyers. In both the advertisements there are telephone numbers and website addresses for people to contact for further information. Similarly both the advertisements have motto’s and logo’s not just advertising the car but the company itself for anyone who is interested in buying a car if its not particularly the one shown in the advertisement. At the bottom of the Fiat Seicento 2Tone there is an extra section of text in small font giving more detail about prices and payments and buying requirements. As opposed to in the Nissan X-Trail, there are no extra details. Personally, I think that both advertisements are effective but perhaps the Fiat Seicento 2Tone is more persuasive and appealing to the reader. I think this because of its informal witty sense from the text and the use of seductive feminine language. However, I think that overall the image and sense you achieve form the Nissan X-Trail is more inviting and appealing because of its boldness and adventure. I think that in an advertisement it is more important to persuade your reader then to attract them. If the advertisement has persuaded the reader, it has more that likely already attracted them. To further extent, I would conclude in saying that it is more important to be persuaded and attracted rather then just informed. I find that the Fiat Seicento 2Tone possesses both attraction and persuasion. I believe it has a greater impact and effect on the audience so; consequently it is the most successful.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on Father

With a huge percentage of divorce rates in the United States, it is common to find single parent families. In my case, I lacked the parental guidance of a father. This was, and still is a devastating part of my life. Looking back, I cannot recall my father being part of any aspects of my life, aspects that I believe are crucial factors in a child’s developmental process. I look at pictures and see how happy he made me. I just wish that the photo album was bigger. I see gifts that he gave me during Christmas time. I wish that I could give them all back for just one more Christmas day with him I would have to say that one of the most difficult things I have ever been through was my father leaving because I never had the opportunity to have a true father/daughter relationship. My father was never there when I needed advice on significant issues; although, I wanted him to be there more than anything. There was always my mother, but, sometimes, I desperately needed and wanted a second opinion. For example, one day I was watching a football game on television. The announcer said excitingly, â€Å"Tennessee has the first down!† â€Å"First down,† I thought to myself, â€Å"What’s a first down?† I then preceded to walk to the kitchen to ask my mother about this puzzling inquiry. My mother is one of the most knowledgeable people I know, but football is not her forte. She looked at me like I was asking her for help with Quantum Physics or something. At that point, I felt a longing for my father’s insights on manly things such as this. When I first turned sixteen I eventually found myself in another bind. This was a time when dating was now acceptable in my mother’s book. So, as I was getting dressed and ready, I began thinking. I was asking myself questions such as, â€Å"What do I say?†, â€Å"What do I do?†, and â€Å"What do boys enjoy talking about?† While all of these questions were racking my bra... Free Essays on Father Free Essays on Father With a huge percentage of divorce rates in the United States, it is common to find single parent families. In my case, I lacked the parental guidance of a father. This was, and still is a devastating part of my life. Looking back, I cannot recall my father being part of any aspects of my life, aspects that I believe are crucial factors in a child’s developmental process. I look at pictures and see how happy he made me. I just wish that the photo album was bigger. I see gifts that he gave me during Christmas time. I wish that I could give them all back for just one more Christmas day with him I would have to say that one of the most difficult things I have ever been through was my father leaving because I never had the opportunity to have a true father/daughter relationship. My father was never there when I needed advice on significant issues; although, I wanted him to be there more than anything. There was always my mother, but, sometimes, I desperately needed and wanted a second opinion. For example, one day I was watching a football game on television. The announcer said excitingly, â€Å"Tennessee has the first down!† â€Å"First down,† I thought to myself, â€Å"What’s a first down?† I then preceded to walk to the kitchen to ask my mother about this puzzling inquiry. My mother is one of the most knowledgeable people I know, but football is not her forte. She looked at me like I was asking her for help with Quantum Physics or something. At that point, I felt a longing for my father’s insights on manly things such as this. When I first turned sixteen I eventually found myself in another bind. This was a time when dating was now acceptable in my mother’s book. So, as I was getting dressed and ready, I began thinking. I was asking myself questions such as, â€Å"What do I say?†, â€Å"What do I do?†, and â€Å"What do boys enjoy talking about?† While all of these questions were racking my bra...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Deregulating Telecommunications

Deregulating Telecommunications Until the 1980s in the United States, the term telephone company was synonymous with American Telephone Telegraph. ATT controlled nearly all aspects of the telephone business. Its regional subsidiaries, known as Baby Bells, were regulated monopolies, holding exclusive rights to operate in specific areas. The Federal Communications Commission regulated rates on long-distance calls between states, while state regulators had to approve rates for local and in-state long-distance calls. Government regulation was justified on the theory that telephone companies, like electric utilities, were natural monopolies. Competition, which was assumed to require stringing multiple wires across the countryside, was seen as wasteful and inefficient. That thinking changed beginning around the 1970s, as sweeping technological developments promised rapid advances in telecommunications. Independent companies asserted that they could, indeed, compete with ATT. But they said the telephone monopoly effectively shut them out by refusing to allow them to interconnect with its massive network. The First Stage of Deregulation Telecommunications deregulation came in two sweeping stages. In 1984, a court effectively ended ATTs telephone monopoly, forcing the giant to spin off its regional subsidiaries. ATT continued to hold a substantial share of the long-distance telephone business, but vigorous competitors such as MCI Communications and Sprint Communications won some of the business, showing in the process that competition could bring lower prices and improved service. A decade later, pressure grew to break up the Baby Bells monopoly over local telephone service. New technologies- including cable television, cellular (or wireless) service, the Internet, and possibly others- offered alternatives to local telephone companies. But economists said the enormous power of the regional monopolies inhibited the development of these alternatives. In particular, they said, competitors would have no chance of surviving unless they could connect, at least temporarily, to the established companies networks- something the Baby Bells resisted in numerous ways. Telecommunications Act of 1996 In 1996, Congress responded by passing the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The law allowed long-distance telephone companies such as ATT, as well as cable television and other start-up companies, to begin entering the local telephone business. It said the regional monopolies had to allow new competitors to link with their networks. To encourage the regional firms to welcome competition, the law said they could enter the long-distance business once the new competition was established in their domains. At the end of the 1990s, it was still too early to assess the impact of the new law. There were some positive signs. Numerous smaller companies had begun offering local telephone service, especially in urban areas where they could reach large numbers of customers at low cost. The number of cellular telephone subscribers soared. Countless Internet service providers sprung up to link households to the Internet. But there also were developments that Congress had not anticipated or intended. A great number of telephone companies merged, and the Baby Bells mounted numerous barriers to thwart competition. The regional firms, accordingly, were slow to expand into long-distance service. Meanwhile, for some consumers- especially residential telephone users and people in rural areas whose service previously had been subsidized by business and urban customers- deregulation was bringing higher, not lower, prices. This article is adapted from the book Outline of the U.S. Economy by Conte and Carr and has been adapted with permission from the U.S. Department of State.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

African Geography and Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

African Geography and Growth - Essay Example The geography of Africa has to a large extent shaped the kind of economic opportunities available for the African countries and, thus, impacted on the economic development of the continent in general. The interaction between human and physical geography within the framework of economic development has been a major factor which is shaping the direction and rate of Africa’s economic development. This essay gives a critical analysis and discussion of the importance of geography in the economic growth of Africa, including the tragic economic challenges that the continent is experiencing. The essay also presents a discussion of the policies which would have to be put in place to safe Africa from the challenges it is facing which are hampering its growth. Africa’s physical geography, such as climate, has been described as the causes of its minimal economic growth. However, Collier (2007, p. 6) argues that there are geographic factors which act to divide Africa instead of unif ying it. These are said to be the most significant factors which are derailing the economic growth of the continent. To begin with, Africa is an expansive continent. Regardless of this, the nations within the continent and its economic regions are characterized by low income. This is explained by the fact that the natural resources within Africa are not evenly distributed. Some regions have an abundance of natural resources while in some regions of the continent, the resources are very scarce. This has contributed to the uneven economic growth within the continent with most of the continent’s regions registering minimal growth as compare to other parts of the world, such as Asia and Europe, as illustrated in figure 1 below. Figure 1: Comparative Per Capita Growth The physical geography of Africa is very enormous. Bloom and Sachs (1998, p. 207) point out that even if Africa is a large continent, it has been divided into many countries. For this reason, most of the countries wi thin the continent are landlocked. The divisions of countries within Africa have a result caused nations to be divided into those landlocked states which are rich in resources and those which have scarce resources. Moreover, some countries are coastal and rich in resources while others are costal but lack adequate resources. These four categories define the economies of Africa in terms of its physical geography. Those states which have scarcity of resources whether coastal or landlocked are lagging behind in the economic development. Because these two categories of nations are the majority within the continent, Africa’s growth in generally slow as compared to other regions. The landlocked states within Africa lack competitiveness in export and import trade. Lack of competitiveness has also affected the coastal countries. Naude (2004, p. 821) explains that the differences between the resource rich African states are not significant. This is the case whether the resource rich s tates are landlocked or coastal. It is because of the divisions within African states that the competitiveness in the export and import business has been derailed and thus making the content to have a tragic growth level within its economy. However, costal states in Africa participate in export trade but the landlocked countries are prevented from economic interaction with the world markets. The distribution of the African population is even unlike other developing regions such as Asia in which a majority of the population lives within the costal countries. Even though the trend of economic growth in Africa is generally parallel to that of the global economy, Africa

Friday, November 1, 2019

Discussion Questions - About Outsourcing Article

Discussion Questions - About Outsourcing - Article Example The case clearly shows that the organization exploited the demands of the industry by serving as a niche player in the provision of specific core competences’ services. The success of the company can therefore be linked to the ability to provide services that are specifically to the core competences in contrast to their ability of not using fake accents and pseudo names. This case is so because the organization seemed to have avoided risks by applying a method of service provision that other big companies could not venture into. It would not be wise for other BPO organizations to adopt the strategy of the company, as well as making them common. The reason behind this notion is that the strategy was developed by one organization in the industry, with the sole aim of capturing the core competences of the niche market. The fact that the strategy required a number of skilled personnel would rule out the urge for other companies to try developing the idea (Samarpan, 25). Such an idea would prove to add extra operational costs that some of the BPOs would not like to