Corporate Governance Essay Example for Free

Corporate Governance Essay In a commercial organisation, the board of directors is typically charged with the key responsibility for corporate governance – protecting the rights of shareholders and creditors, ensuring contractual obligations and regulatory compliance. In the public sector, the elected government is typically responsible for corporate governance, and in semi-government and statutory bodies like State Rail, Sydney Water, the Australian Broadcasting Authority, the University of NSW, etc – and in not- for-profit organisations – governments will usually mandate a body similar to a board of directors with the responsibility for corporate governance. What does corporate governance involve? In a recent article, Gomez Korine (2005, pp. 739-752) propose that: Corporate governance can be understood as a set of contracts that defines the relationships among the three principal actors in the corporation. To simplify what this actually means, corporate governance is the set of relationships where: †¢A key stakeholder whom they refer to as the sovereign (in the case of commercial organisations this would be the shareholders; in the case of public sector agencies, the elected government; for not-for-profit organisations this is often the ‘members’ or other key stakeholders as defined by legislation) †¢sets in place a governing body (eg, board, council, senate, etc) with responsibility for overseeing the actions of the governer (management, staff, employees, volunteers, players, etc) Increasingly, societies and governments are reacting to a rapidly changing world surrounding them, and modifying the regulations affecting ‘corporate governance’ accordingly. The numbers and interests of stakeholders who are affected by the actions of organisations is expanding. Organisations are being seen to impact on: the economy the natural environment society through opportunities for work and employment conditions of work family life, etc Consequently, there are increasingly complex expectations placed on organisations of all sizes to consider and take responsibility for decisions and actions beyond simply their ‘money making’ or other purposes and goals. Corporate governance covers a large number of distinct concepts and phenomenon as we can see from the definition adopted by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – â€Å"Corporate governance is the system by which business corporations are directed and controlled. The corporate governance structure specifies the distribution of rights and responsibilities among different participants in the corporation, such as, the board, managers, shareholders and other stakeholders and spells out the rules and procedures for making decisions in corporate affairs. By doing this, it also provides the structure through which the company objectives are set and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance†1. From this definition we see that corporate governance includes the relationship of a company to its shareholders and to society; the promotion of fairness, transparency and accountability; reference to mechanisms that are used to â€Å"gov ern† managers and to ensure that the actions taken are consistent with the interests of key stakeholder groups. The key points of interest in corporate governance therefore include issues of transparency and accountability, the legal and regulatory environment, appropriate risk management measures, information flows and the responsibility of senior management and the board of directors. Harshbarger and Holden (2004) point out that while many of the governance issues that organizations face are not new, the environment in which they confront them is more challenging than ever: State and Federal law enforcement have applied significantly increased resources and a more aggressive philosophy toward confrontation of governance lapses; the media spotlight has increased awareness among those constituents directly affected as well as the business community as a whole; shareholder proposals are taken more seriously; and the judiciary has demonstrated its willingness for a more stringent definition of good faith. As well, there are a number of factors that have brought ethical issues into sharper focus, including globalization, technology and rising competition. Van Beek and Solomon (2004) also note the ability to deliver a professional service will necessarily take place in an environment in which there is an increasing tendency towards individuality, while society as a whole becomes more global. The new realities of corporate governance show that no entity or agent is immune from fraudulent practices and have altered the way companies operate; they have re-defined the baseline for what is considered prudent conduct for businesses and executives (Dandino, 2004). CORPORATE STRATEGY Strategy can be developed at many levels – in a multi-layered organisation there may be: †¢Corporate level strategy – decisions made for the whole corporation or organisation to gain the better of adversaries or attain ends. Business unit or divisional strategy – decisions made for the business unit or division to gain the better of adversaries or attain the business units end. Functional strategies – such as marketing/finance/huma n resources/IT/technology/ operational/production/etc. strategies. There would be marketing decisions (or finance or HR decisions, etc) designed to get the better of an adversary or attain a marketing/finance, etc, end. †¢So what do we mean by ends? Other terms that are frequently used here for the same concept are goals or missions or visions. Organisations typically have (or should have) a set of goals, desired outcomes or a view of their purpose (mission), or their future achievements and positions (visions) in mind. Ideally these are clearly articulated and understood by everyone in the organisation. When these ends (goals, mission, vision) are clearly understood, then the board, management, staff and partners of the organisation are able to ‘develop’ strategy to achieve these. What is a strategic plan? A plan, whether strategic, tactical, operational, marketing, finance – or whatever – is really just a set of decisions that have been captured in some form (document, web page, PowerPoint presentation, video, etc) that set out the answer to three key questions: 1. Where are we now? 2. Where are we going? 3. How will we get there? Accordingly, a plan is formed by: †¢analysing the existing and ex pected future trends and factors affecting the organisation/business unit, etc †¢setting down clear statements of the outcomes that will help to achieve the ends that the organisation has set itself (these statements of outcomes are commonly called objectives) †¢describing some tactics and actions that will lead to achieving the outcomes ETHICS IN A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT The dawn of a global knowledge society with information-driven economies and expansion of cross-border trade as consequences of liberalization and globalization policy is placing new demands on business organizations for more innovative approaches in business ethics at both local as well as global business environment (Nissanke and Thorbecke, 2005). This premise is consistent with Brownlie et al. (1999) who indicate that; â€Å"What is it like to think new thoughts†¦ to undo the fragile web of assumption†¦ to render new images to the familiar†¦ to look anew at the world†¦ to see the ordinary and everyday from a fresh perspective?† Many research scholars today share this view and indicate that what they took for granted, assumed, believed and worked towards has been upended by those who argue that in order to ‘get it right’ in a global business environment, organizations must rethink their business ethics approach. Sheth and Sisodia (1999) also support this hypothesis by asserting that, the context of ethics in global business environment is changing in fundamental ways. The acceptance of law-like generalizations has to be, as they suggest, â€Å"Either enhanced or modified†. The old opinion of business ethics as â€Å"an oxymoron†, or that â€Å"business organizations do not have ethics† (Laczniak and Murphy, 1993) is being re-thought. The business ethics is increasingly being called into question from various quarters (Brownlie et al., 1999) and research scholars are developing the discipline in order to challenge the ethical complacency that existed in the past. Business ethics is ultimately the ethics of power, of how to handle the power of business and how that power is acquired, increased and exercised. The need for ethics in business has never been greater, precisely because the power of business was never so manifold and as extensive as it is today (Mahoney, 1997). The term ‘ethics’ has generally been used to refer to the rules and principles of right and wrong conduct. It therefore boils down to morality and good or bad conduct. Business ethics are a set of rules that stipulate how businesses and their employees ought to behave (Aldag and Stearns, 1991). DiPiazza (2002) says â€Å"I see ethics as a mission-critical issue†¦. deeply embedded into who we are and what we do. Its just as important as our product development cycle or our distribution system†¦its about creating a culture based on integrity and respect, not a culture based on dealing with the crisis of the day†¦We speak to ourselves every day, ‘Are we doing the right things?† Sheth, Gardner and Garret (1988) opine that ethical decision-making in a business environment is very complex, and that allegedly â€Å"guilty business practitioners have quite sincerely stated that they honestly did not realize that their actions could possibly create ethical problems†. Business organizations operating at international levels often find that many countries differ in what is considered wrong or right in a business market. IN TERMS OF SONY: ETHICS Ethical business conduct and compliance with applicable laws and regulations are fundamental aspects of Sonys corporate culture. To this end, Sony has established a Global Compliance Network comprised of the Compliance Division at the corporate headquarters, a global compliance leadership team, and regional offices around the world; adopted and implemented the Sony Group Code of Conduct; and set up Compliance Hotline systems through its Global Compliance Network all in order to reinforce the Companys worldwide commitment to integrity and help assure resources are available for employees to raise concerns or seek guidance about legal and ethical matters. In July 2001, Sony Corporation established the Compliance Division, charged with exercising overall control over compliance activities across the Sony Group, to emphasize the importance of business ethics and compliance with applicable laws, regulations and internal policies. The Compliance establishes compliance policies and structures for the Sony Group and performs crisis management functions. In July 2003, Sony established a regional compliance network comprised of offices in the Americas, Europe, Japan, East Asia*1 and Pan-Asia,*2 which are charged with exercising regional control over compliance activities to strengthen the compliance system throughout the Sony Group. Officers responsible for compliance in each region have the authority to issue instructions concerning compliance to Sony Group companies in their respective regions and, by cooperating with one another, are working to establish and maintain a comprehensive global compliance structure. To further reinforce global compliance efforts, a Compliance Leadership Team was formed in September 2009 as an additional component of the global compliance organization. The Compliance Leadership Team assists the Sony Corporation General Counsel and Compliance Division in identifying, developing and implementing key compliance strategies and compliance-related measures; encourages more active participation in Group-wide compliance activities from a larger group of key Sony personnel by involving not only the Regional Compliance Officers but also experienced legal/compliance personnel from Sony Group companies; and creates a global framework that by its very structure highlights the companys compliance priorities and commitment to best practices. *1Coverage area of East Asia compliance office: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea *2Coverage area of Pan-Asia compliance office: Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa and Oceania *3 The Americas Office is responsible for Sony Corporation of America, the Sony Pictures Entertainment Group, and the Sony Music Entertainment Group, in addition to the Electronics Group companies in the Americas Region . The Sony Europe, East Asia and Pan-Asia Offices are responsible for the Electronics Group companies in their respective regions. The Japan Office is responsible for Sony Corporation, the Sony Computer Entertainment Group, and Sony Financial Holdings, in addition to the Electronics Group Companies in Japan CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: Sony is committed to strong corporate governance. As a part of this effort, in 2003, Sony adopted the Company with Committees corporate governance system under the Companies Act of Japan. In addition to complying with the requirements of applicable governance laws and regulations, Sony has introduced its own requirements to help improve the soundness and transparency of its governance by strengthening the separation of the Directors function from that of management and advancing the proper functioning of the statutory committees. Under Sonys system, the Board of Directors defines the respective areas for which each of the Corporate Executive Officers is responsible and delegates to them decision-making authority to manage the business, thereby promoting the prompt and efficient management of the Sony Group. Sony Corporation is governed by its Board of Directors, which is appointed by resolution at the shareholders meeting. The Board has three committees (the Nominating Committee, Audit Committee and Compensation Committee), consisting of Directors named by the Board of Directors. Corporate Executive Officers are appointed by resolution of the Board of Directors. In addition to these statutory bodies and positions, Sony has Corporate Executives who carry out business operations within designated areas. Board of Directors: Determines the fundamental management policies of the Sony Group Oversees the management of Sony Groups business operations Appoints and dismisses the statutory committee members Appoints and dismisses Representative Corporate Executive Officers and Corporate Executive Officers Nominating Committee: Determines the content of proposals regarding the appointment/dismissal of Directors Audit Committee: Monitors the performance of duties by Directors and Corporate Executive Officers (with respect to processes in place to ensure the adequacy of the financial reporting process, to enable management to ensure the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, to ensure timely and appropriate disclosure, and to ensure compliance with applicable law, Articles of Incorporation and internal policies). Monitors the status of any other items described in the Internal Control and Governance Framework determined or reaffirmed by the Board of Directors in accordance with the Companies Act of Japan. As part of its monitoring, attends the Nominating Committee and Compensation Committee meetings. Oversees and evaluates the work of the independent auditor (including to evaluate the adequacy of its independence and its qualification, to propose its appointment/dismissal or non-reappointment, to approve its compensation, to evaluate the appropriateness of its audit regarding the financial results and internal control over financial reporting, and to pre-approve its engagement for any services other than audit services to be provided) Prepares the Audit Committee Review Report in which the Audit Committee expresses its opinion on the performance of duties of Directors and Corporate Executive Officers, on the Business Report and on the independent auditors audit procedures and results based on its review activities including review of the matters subject to the Committees opinion in the Audit Committee Review Report. Compensation Committee: Sets policy on the contents of individual compensation for Directors, Corporate Executive Officers, Corporate Executives and Group Executives, and determines the amount and content of individual compensation of Directors and Corporate Executive Officers in accordance with the policy Corporate Executive Officers: Make decisions regarding the execution of Sony Group business activities within the scope of the authority delegated to them by the Board of Directors Corporate Executives: Carry out business operations within designated areas, including business units, headquarters func tions, and/or research and development, in accordance with the fundamental policies determined by the Board of Directors and the Corporate Executive Officers

Important Event in Chinese History Essay Example for Free

Important Event in Chinese History Essay The May Fourth Movement (traditional Chinese: ä ºâ€Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ© â€¹Ã¥â€¹â€¢; simplified Chinese: ä ºâ€Ã¥â€ºâ€ºÃ¨ ¿ Ã¥Å  ¨; pinyin: WÇ”sà ¬ Yà ¹ndà ²ng) was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919, protesting the Chinese governments weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem. These demonstrations sparked national protests and marked the upsurge of Chinese nationalism, a shift towards political mobilization and away from cultural activities, and a move towards populist base rather than intellectual elites. The broader use of the term May Fourth Movement often refers to the period during 1915-1921 more often called the New Culture Movement. Backgrounds: Following the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. This marked the end of thousands of years of powerful imperial rule, and theoretically ushered a new era in which political power rested with the people. However, the reality was that China was a fragmented nation dominated by warlords, who were more concerned with their own political powers and private armies than national interests. The Chinese Beiyang government was occupied with suppressing internal affairs, and did little to counter the influence exerted by imperialist foreign powers. The Beiyang government made various concessions to foreigners in order to gain monetary and military support against their rivals. Defeats by foreign powers and the presence of spheres of influence inflamed a sense of nationalism among the emerging middle class and cultural leaders. Leaders of the New Culture Movement believed that traditional Chinese values were responsible for the political weakness of the nation. This created a rather peculiar situation, in which Chinese nationalists called for a rejection of traditional values and the selective adoption of Western ideals of science and democracy. May fourth Movement (Chinese Students Protest) In 1989 there were growing economic hardship caused by high inflation set the ground for a large-scale protest movement by students intellectuals and other parts of a disaffected urban population. University students and other citizens in Beijing camped out at Tiananmen Square to protest against those who slowed reform. Protests also spread to many other cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou.Martial law was declared on May 20 1989, military units were deployed in Beijing. Demonstrators were suppressed brutally, most observers believe that casualties numbered in the hundreds.The entire world expressed horror at the brutal suppression of the demonstrators, the central government eliminated opposition, held in custody large numbers of protesters and urged for required political re-education not only for students but also for party cadre and government officials.

Role And Ethics Of Pakistani Media Media Essay

Role And Ethics Of Pakistani Media Media Essay Media has become double-edged sword for a society while it has the power to shape and reshape public opinions. Media has been playing very effective role since its inception, with the passage of time gained extraordinary power. It can influence and change the beliefs, norms and the structure of a society. Latest technologies have exceptionally amplified the power and utility of the mass media and at the same time have put huge pressure on media scholars to rethink and redefine the guidelines of ethics for media practitioners. Media can form the public opinion from one point to another. Media has vital compulsion towards the society as it has to inform to educate and to entertain but it has been working as opinion maker more than else. It can change a hero to villain and a villain to hero. There are some ethics that media has to follow according to the societys norms. These ethics are not the written rules that state promulgates but the sense of responsibility make media to follow the m. Every society has its own norms that cannot be implemented on others so media has to follow different norms in different societies. Research work of Kai Hafez, Journalism Ethics Revisited: A Comparison of Ethics Codes in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Muslim Asia (2002), discussed about the ethics of media in Muslim and European states that what ethical codes those states have. Muslim rulers did not allow media to be free. They imposed strict policies on freedom of expression and freedom to information. The study revealed that political frame for a free media was established in a country and free expression is the inevitable consequence. Media, in Muslim states, cannot criticise and negatively depict their rulers. The study also argued regarding the ethics of media as western media demands for a common global ethics, which should be noticed as western media programmes that are available in Muslim states like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan etc, creating ethical problems regarding the social norms as it promotes pornography taken as cultural invasion into Eastern societies that are not much open like West. Journalism ethics in Europe and in Islamic world have evidently diverse corridors. While talking about Islamic world, the state authorities promulgate ethics, which make difficult to cover the important issues of the society. While in West, media ethics protect the individual rights to express almost everything. These diversities established that Western codes promote individualism and the codes followed in Islamic states are based on collectivism. The codes of ethics for good journalism seem more complicated. Both sides, West and Islamic states, try to protect personal privacy or even try create balance in news coverage according to the norms of their society. Islamic codes are stricter as compare to Western codes that provide much protection of privacy and sensationalism. However, it came with lower freedom of expression in news coverage regarding the state, the society and religion. Arab states stand first in strictness as Saudia Arabia does not allow publishing or broadcasting any thing even against their sect and other Arab states as well as other oriental states follow these traditions. Islamic Mass Media Charter of Jakarta 1980 demands journalists to be more loyal with religion that is impossible in West. Although rights of freedom of expression are inbuilt parts but only in documents and most Islamic codes, restrict the freedom of expression. Some Islamic states have misused the traditions and norms of their societies for their own interests of remain in power as long as they want or at least as they can. In western states, individuals have been enjoying freedom of speech and have talked about every issue openly what they want to discuss. Comparison between these two codes is much easy to distinguish them as both are going on opposite direction. Role and Ethics in Pakistani Media Media Ethics in Pakistan, a research report of Gilani Research Foundation (GRF) was selected to review its results and findings as well as its effect on developing code of conduct for Pakistani media. The organization is working to enhance and support scientific methods in the field of social and political research. The aim of the organization is to train and support the Pakistani social scientists, market researchers, media planners about the nuances and challenges of research in Pakistani environment. The report was developed after a survey back in 2002 in Pakistan. In its introduction, report presents a comprehensive analysis of the role of Pakistani media as it says the role of media has significantly been increased in Pakistani society. Media is affecting people personally, socially and politically. In 2007, Pakistani people were watching talk shows more than entertainment programmes. Two reasons were behind that increase in talk shows viewership, one was that those kinds of programmes were new to Pakistani society and the other was that Pakistani people take interest in political issues and current affairs that attracted people. The report also examine the scope of the media that has been stepped-up however, before 2001 country had only PTV, a state-run television channel, which had provided news, entertainment etc., People did not have any other choice of watching TV channels. However, after the start of independent private TV channels era, they attracted the Pakistani people with great power. Lots of news channels begun telecasting the talk shows and breaking news that no doubt start spreading information among the masses but it also put an important responsibility on media that while enjoying the freedom and power to reshape the opinion, media has to be more responsible and consider society norms during broadcasting. Unfortunately, Pakistani young media has made so many mistakes. Every TV channel wants to be The first in breaking the news and maximum viewership of their talk shows so they put ethics aside. GRFs report also discussed the growth of mass media in Pakistan, which was very much helpful to understand the nature of Pakistani media. It is all necessary to develop an effective code of conduct that media should be examined carefully and comprehensively. This portion of the report covered the growth of Pakistani media in last 50 years when 80per cent of the population were living in rural areas. They people did not have access to information due to lack of literacy, improper road conditions that constrained the speed of delivering newspapers and cost of the newspapers had somehow been played a role in distribution of information. Having all these problems, media did enjoy a significant role at that time. Nevertheless, media boosted up the area of its reach day-by-day and start participating to shape the civil society. In a part of print media, the report explained the role of newspapers and magazines, which have increased its circulation by 10 times, as it had 50 years back. Readership of newspapers were divided in regulars and casuals including English and Urdu readers. Price of the newspapers had also affected its circulation that why half of the readers borrowed newspapers. The report suggested that how newspapers survived while passing through hard times of restrictions by the authorities, especially by the dictators. During Zias regime newspapers had to get their copy approved from PIDÂ  [1]Â  on repeatedly every day. They were not allowed to publish news stories that criticising the government. PID instructed them what to be published and what not to be. Once a mainstream English newspaper ordered by PID to remove a news story from the paper, it left the space blank to give people a message that here was a news story but government did not allow us to publish (Zamir Niazi 1986). About electronic media, report revealed that TV has become an important part of Pakistani society as more than 80per cent of urban and almost 50per cent of rural population own TV sets, watched regularly but the high effect of its content has been exaggerated. The number of campaigns against the political parties was remained unable to make people to change their loyalty. The report marked the relationship between reach, awareness, attitude formation and behaviour change as very much complex to understand. Less than 50per cent of people having radio sets, listen it regularly. It is far more essential to be aware of the role of electronic media along with its influence and boundaries while developing the code of ethics. The report further lay a hand on the parameters of media ethics that what should be codes for media, which has to cover political, commercial and social issues. However, discussed little more that a code of conduct should linked with global norms to ensure the programmes and advertisements discourage violence, ethnicity, religious discrimination and hatred. Media should respect the sovereignty and culture of the state that are declared in the constitution. The report talked about Pakistani authorities those were working to establish a regulatory body and official code of conduct for media. At that time, a bill draft proposing codes of ethics that media should: Be accurate Promote truth Be fair Respect the right of privacy Repress any kind of discrimination Decrease harm in society Report in decent way Droop violence Discourage sensationalism Avoid to be slander and libel Media supposed to provide accurate information. Unconfirmed and incorrect information could create huge problems in society as well as among countries. However, Pakistani media is in race of ratings that makes it as fast as it can be. With the aim to defeating others, media practitioners, most of the time spread wrong information, which sometimes made them sorry and urged them to publish contradictions. Regarding TV programmes, PEMRAÂ  [2]Â  rules say, No programme shall be aired which contains material which may be detrimental to relations of Pakistan with other countries (Section A, Clause 1/O). However, few months back, a Pakistani English news channel broadcasted an unconfirmed Wikileaks cable accusing India that Hindu extremist lobby could attack Pakistan. The report also suggested that Indian government supported by genocidal army that propagated against Pakistan. The report created problems between the two countries. Wikileaks pointed it out a wrong cable so that Pakistani media had to publish contradiction. In recent news, while reporting on Presidents health issue, media seemed clueless about the facts that why actually Mr. Zardari went to Dubai, every news channels and newspaper reported different information that were proved wrong. Media should avoid speculation-based reporting. Media personnel must be fair and have to be objective rather subjective. Media have to put both sides of a picture in front of its viewers or readers and let them to develop their own point of view regarding any issue. However, Pakistani media either print or electronic, in its content, looks like biased that favor one party and trying to prove the others wrong. Talk shows are at their best to doing this where some anchor persons taking side of their beloved party. They specially criticized the government, reason of doing this is that Pakistani people were always complaining against the government policies and somehow they were right but it is not an anchors job to do so. Media ethics demand them to be fair and unbiased. Geos self-proclaimed most watched talk show Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Sath is a best example of this because the programme always trying to establish that government has failed to deliver and it has to go home very soon. Opponents of the government are invited in the talk show. Print media also doing the same while publishing news reports. Another talk show entitled Hasb-e-Hal of Dunya News has also been doing the same as it always portrayed negative picture of national institutions, politicians and Pakistani society but in humorous way. Now in current issue of Haqqanis Memo scandal, almost every anchorperson of TV channels and news stories of newspapers seem to prove Hussain Haqqani guilty while the case is in court. Media ethics demand them to inform not to pass the verdict that he is guilty or not. Pakistan is an Islamic state and Islam asks to reduce harm and promote harmony in society. According to the PEMRA rules, Programmes must not be directed against the sanctity of home, family and marital harmony (Section A, Clause 3). Pakistani media supposed to play its part according to this rule but a one can easily see contrary reality of its performance. Like many broader ethical systems, journalism ethics include the principle of limitation of harm. This often involves the withholding of certain details from reports such as the names of minor children, crime victims names or information not materially related to particular news reports release of which might, for example, harm someones reputation. Reporting of accident or rape case, reporters along with camera operator reach victims house and start report in dramatic way that would hurt the feelings of affected family. Another PEMRA rule tried to decrease harm by saying that, contains an abusive comment that, when taken in context, tends to or is likely to expose an individual or a group or class of individuals to hatred or contempt on the basis of race or caste, national, ethnic or linguistic origin, colour or religion or sect, sex, sexual orientation, age or mental or physical disability (Section A, Clause 1/c). Nevertheless, TV programmes of disabled persons can often be seen on Pakistani media those will hurt the feelings of disabled people. So many sex-orienting dramas, religious, ethnic and sex-based documentaries have also been part of TV programmes. For some offensive material is acknowledged as important to the story. Indecent words, videos and pictures are often seen in Pakistani media. Vulgar stories, immodest dialogues and indecent dressing of actors in TV dramas, are unsuitable for Pakistani society. Shouted-anchors sometimes used harsh language. Indecent content should be moved from front to inside page of newspaper and in TV programmes from prime time to late night, when children are not watching and the PEMRA rules say that No programme shall be aired which is against basic cultural values, morality and good manners (Section A, Clause 1/i) and Particular care should be taken to ensure that programmes meant for children do not contain objectionable language or are disrespectful to their parents or elders (Section A, Clause 2). During floods in 2010, in name of information media, especially electronic media put affected families on show with their broken houses, crying and appealing for help. Media could easily inform masses regarding the devastation and the most flood-hit areas without exposing the harsh reality of the condition of flood victims by showing the destruction through charts and maps. While reporting a scuffle between she-males in unfitted way as they physically had beaten each other, media had ignored the PEMRA rule which says denigrates men or women through the depiction in any manner of the figure, in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent or derogatory (Section A, Clause 1/L). As few of them were shirtless and used, abusing language but camera operator did not take of the camera and the telecasting authorities did not stop that vulgar piece of video. To regulate TV advertisements, the PEMRA rules said, No advertisement shall be permitted which glorifies adultery, lustful passions or alcoholic drinks or the non-Islamic values (Section A, Clause 2/d), but advertisements of facial and hair removing creams, body lotions, beauty soaps etc, promote adultery and lustful passion among young generation. All these activities are absolutely against the Islamic values. It is violation of privacy rights to publish private information about someone who has a logical expectation of privacy. No one has the right to interfere others personal matters. Investigative reporting demands some extraordinary efforts to get hidden truth of any important event but sometimes journalists efforts violate the right of a persons privacy. The report also talked about the media actors that includes media personnel, audience and the judges who are the third party to examine the role of media and its effects on the behaviours. Nowadays, media industry has become a huge commercial industry, which has a complete hierarchy of professionals as owners, managers and other professionals. The report argued that the role of media owners should be limited in the organization as their focus would be only on maximum profit and they could violate the code of ethics that demands something beyond the financial benefits. There should be a board of professionals, which run the organization according the codes. Conclusion All fields of lifework ought to have set of rules to follow to ensure the safety of the society as well as themselves. Those rules also ensure restrictions on who could take personal benefits of his/her position in immoral way. This research is a well effort by GRF to discuss the ethics in Pakistani media. However, there are so many areas that were remained untouched, as it talked about the journalism ethics that are already existed but did not recommend anything new for ethical codes. A comprehensive history of print and electronic media in Pakistan was thrash out in the research, which is, somehow, looks irrelevant when it revealed the result of a survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan, which provided information regarding the number of people in Pakistan who are watching TV, listening radio and reading newspaper regularly. GRFs report should spoke about the criteria for ethical codes, freedom and limitations of media organizations according to norms of Pakistani society rather to discuss how many people buy newspapers, and how many borrow it from other. It should reveal the actual performance of the media that is it working efficiently and obeying the ethical codes or just focusing on financial benefits. If media working against the journalism ethics than how much it is affecting the society negatively and how it could be put on the right way. Norms of Pakistani society should also be discussed, which will be very much helpful to judge the existing ethical codes. This kind of judgment, which was missing in the report, could make someone able to develop new lines for media to follow. This country paper of GRF conferred the parameters of media ethics that it should caters the need of public according the norms but the paper did not speak how media could build up a proper code of ethics that is acceptable for every one. This is not reasonable, in a paper on media ethics, to present information about scuffles between governments and media regarding the content, which was published in newspapers over the years, purely based on personal conflicts. If the conflicts were based on code of ethics related to societys problems, in that case, it would be better for both the government and media organisation, it would help government to promulgate official code of ethics as well as would help media to put and maintain pressure on governments erroneous policies.

Military Policy :: essays research papers

POLSCI 111  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gerard Chretien Introduction to American Government  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  May 15, 2001 MILITARY DEFENSE POLICY Dear Mr. President,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a proud American and veteran of our great armed forces, I strongly advocate that you initiate a new policy regarding the maintenance and strategic welfare of our nations forces. The current conditions of our military are not in sync with the needs of the 21st century challenges and objectives. There is numerous issues that need to be addressed such as: new weapon development, increase in pay, consolidation of various programs, review of oversea deployment policy and so forth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Currently you are aware that your predecessor (malignant Bill Clinton) and his administration have not developed any policy to upgrade our forces during his presidential tenure. Having served in the military, I can say from personal experience, that our forces need a desperate infusion of new weapons and strategic programs that would do away with inefficient and obsolete ones. Our men and women, who wear their proud uniform, represent one of America’s most treasured assets, thus their needs must be held to a high standard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the Clinton era, for that matter, since the end of the Reagan era, defense spending has been systematically reduced across the board (omitting the Gulf War). This type of reduction leaves our armed forces inadequately supplied with resources to combat issues that affect the U.S. domestically and abroad. The current status must be overhauled and restructured.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  You may feel that as a result of the Cold-War ending and the majority of America feeling the need to expand our military is not necessary, I urge you not to ride the same track of thought. Having rogue states still capable in constructing weapons of mass destruction (e.g. Iraq) and host of other states that despise our way of life, it’s imperative, now more than ever, that we stay militarily capable and ready to defend America’s interest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now there is many who believe that the United States should down grade military production because of several factors. First, the United States is the remaining super-power in the world, a threat from an antagonistic country like North Korea or Iraq seems ridiculous and very remote. Secondly we have the world’s most productive economy, allowing us to build and purchase anything that fits our interest. Last and most importantly we have and sustain the most dangerous armed forces known to man. Such factors leads us to believe that military spending is futile in age of peace time and further more, America’s most dangerous rival (Soviet Union) is no longer a threat, but a cooperative diplomatic engaging state.

Antigone :: essays research papers

We are not what we are; we are who society recognizes us to be. The responses from society for our actions are what gives us our sense of self. Without other people your identity does not exist for it is society who acknowledges or denies the individual their identity. We are who society allows us to be. Society represents that which is more powerful than the individual. Society’s needs are always greater than the individual. The identity of the individual will suffer for stepping outside of the boundaries set by society for that individual. Society sets boundaries for individuals that give the individual a certain area of movement, actions, and speech. Those individuals that cross those boundaries not only could lose their identity but will most likely suffer societal penalties that often result in death. Those individuals that live their lives and reach for goals within their boundaries, using what is within their boundaries set by the society that individual lives in, will be rewarded by reaching their goals set within the scope of limits set by society. Using examples from the movie â€Å"The Return of Martin Guerre† one can see the importance of complying with the demands of society in order to obtain the desired identity. In 1527, a family with the name of Daguerre moved from French Basque country to a village called Artigat. This village had different moral attitudes about whom and what the individual is. The family understood this and from the beginning made changed to themselves that allowed society and the individual family member to fit together in a tighter fashion. For instance, the family Daguerre changed the name to Guerre in order to ‘fit in’ to their new society. Also the Guerre family learned to speak in a different dialect because their new found society also spoke that dialect. The most extreme example of conceding to the demands of society was the women in the family were no longer equal to the men in the family. This inequality of the sexes was demanded the most at the local church. The women in the Guerre family abided by these laws. In the end, these compromises made by the family in order to be accepted and contribute to their new society paid off. For instance, when an imposter threatened infiltration into the Guerre family the society of the town rose up and made efforts to back the family and protect them. If the family had not chosen to make concessions, then it would not be surprising if the society they lived in would leave them to their own devices for their own defense against the imposter.

Of Ants and Terrorists Essay -- essays research papers

Of Ants and Terrorists   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After several hours and extensive questioning of family and friends, I decided to write this analogy assignment on the vast similarities of ants and terrorists. I had several topics to choose from; however, I wanted to write about something that relates to our present times. There are dozens if not hundreds of similarities between these two. For example they both live in organized societies, they range in sizes from a very few to several thousands. You could also find both of these groups all over the world. These two â€Å"species† are well organized, very meticulous and determined. For these and other reasons, I decided to write this paper on this subject.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lets start with the organization of these two. Ants operate in highly organized colonies. There’s a queen and every ant has a specific function within the colony. There’s the worker ant, responsible for the construction of the complex anthill; also, the farmer ant duty is to gather food and ensure of a vast supply of foodstuff for the queen. Now lets look at a terrorist group, for example â€Å"al Qaeda†, as we have found out from the last several weeks of media coverage, this group is also extremely highly organized. They have their â€Å"queen†, Usama bin Laden, which runs a pretty darn good structured outfit. This terrorist group is based on a chain command, with its captains, lieutenants and foot soldiers. The al Qaeda group has many branches like, ...

Reaction Paper: Prenatal, Infancy, Middle Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood Prenatal Development

Development is a lifelong and dynamic process that follows highly definitive processes from conception to old age. Basic themes developed in childhood are transferred or modified through the development stages unto adulthood. The prenatal development as covered by Gregoire & Jungers is extremely crucial for child development specialists or counselors.The developments that occur even before the birth of a child have profound influences on the health and well being of the individual as the process of growth and development continues. In the chapter, â€Å"Prenatal Development† the authors highlight physical, cognitive, emotional and social gains that is made.According to the authors, physical and behavioral characteristics are influenced by genetics and the environment. Prenatal development is further subdivided into three distinct categories based on the duration and the associated developments in pregnancy.For instance, between week one and week three marks ovum period, week f our to eight marks the embryo period and week eight onwards marks the fetal period(Gregoire & Jungers 115).During the ovum period, implantation of the fertilized egg occurs followed by the formation of the neural tube. Most organ systems begin forming in the embryonic period. Development of organ systems precedes both in a cephalocaudal and proximodistal direction.During this period of development, the only risks to normal development are the teratogens. The understanding of the risks to prenatal development is useful because it aids the mother in making decisions aimed at avoiding events, activities or nutrition that may negatively impact on the health and development of the fetus.Some of the teratogens as listed by the author include any substance that may cause structural damage to the unborn such as drugs, environmental pollutants, alcohol, infectious diseases, diet and other factors related to psychological health like stress and anxiety. However, there are other factors that m ay also directly affect the physical development at the prenatal phase.The prenatal phase of development is defined by some authors as the period between conception time and birth. In normal circumstances, this duration typically lasts 38 to 42 weeks. During this entire period rapid changes accompany the transformation of fertilized egg, to zygote and eventually to a baby.It is only during this phase of development that systemic growth occurs so rapidly in the absence of any form of direct external influences. Any influence to the unborn is transmitted via the mother. Due to the rapidity of growth and development coupled to the vulnerability of the unborn to deleterious external influence, the prenatal phase demands strict medical management (Curtis & Newman 58).The authors succeed in presenting a critical analysis of the prenatal stage of development; however the presentation is highly complex and extremely modeled for the sole benefit of counselors. The text may not be appropriate from child development specialists without an advanced level of professional or academic achievement.During the prenatal stage of development, all activity takes place in the uterus. The behavior of the unborn can only is described through the experiences of the mother. Mothers possess an extraordinary sensitivity to the movement of the fetus.Based on the descriptions of these movements, the behavior of babies is described as being active or passive. They are active when they are kicking or rolling while when they are quiet their behavior is described as being passive.Fetal movements are more noticeable from the sixteenth week towards the twentieth week. By the seventh month of pregnancy, eyelids open. Taste and smell also develop. Studies have also established that grasp reflex also exists in utero.InfancyAfter the birth of an infant, the development domains necessarily expand from the biological aspects to other domains that had earlier on been less important. Thus, Gregoire & Ju ngers begins the analysis of the stage of infancy by looking into the physical, cognitive as well as the socioemotional domains that categorically characterize the changes and transitions that will occur during the entire lifespan of an individual.The first noticeable changes at infancy are the reflexes fundamental for survival and adaptation to the new environment. As development progresses, other some reflexes are maintained while a select number are discarded due to their non-importance in survival and adaptation.Some of the survival reflexes that the author notes include; rooting, breathing, papillary, eye blink and sucking while the primitive reflexes may be observed as swimming, stepping, plantar, babinski, startling and palmar(p. 114).Just like in prenatal development, motor and physical development proceed via the cephalocaudal and proximodistal patterns. Motor developments allow the infant to accomplish the raising of heads and chest followed by sitting, crawling, standing and eventually walking. Between eleven to fifteen months, many infants begin to walk unaided.Fine tuning of motor skills allows them to perform tasks such as uncoordinated reaching and grasping using their palms. Later on coordinated reaching and grasping is observed as the infant learns to use thumb and the forefinger.As these motor developments become more and more apparent other physical developments in seeing and hearing also becomes noticeable. It is at this time that sensitivity to sounds becomes evident. As such they can be soothed, distressed, or even alerted via the influence of varying frequency or rhythms of tones.Through auditory developments, infants learn how to discriminate between non speech sounds and speech sounds and even begin to show preference for human voices and by extension, ton specific human voices. Moreover, attachment and temperament attributes begin to not only determine their bonding with closer carers but also how they behave and respond to the enviro nment.Gregoire & Jungers, posit that during infancy emotional development is externally affected by the nature of parent's responsiveness and that over a period of time self regulation among infants is internalized. It is also during the same time that gains in self awareness are achieved.In a nutshell, infants learn of their own existence as distinct beings and as they begin to discover how to interact with their environment they realize that their actions possess predictable results. At the later stages, they gain knowledge of their own physical composites (p. 119).According to Christiansen et al, infancy extends to toddler hood and is associated with cognitive, sensory and musculoskeletal development. Social and emotional gains are also made. By early infancy, differences in temperament and personality become manifest. These character attributes are modeled by genetic and environmental factors which directly influence early social development (Christiansen et al 49).These first e ighteen months after birth characterize the beginning of communication, the acquisition of walking skills and use of hands for grasping and reaching and the child's relationship with the social environment. With rapid physical growth, motor and sensory fine tuning, the impacts of cultural, social emotional and cognitive influences become integral in development.Middle ChildhoodBy middle childhood, sense of identity as reflected through play activities, gender roles, and family relationships can be observed. Even though physical growth can easily be measured, rapid development in social skills, linguistic skills and cognitive gains are even more compelling.It is at this period that imaginary and physical play, self care activities, school and family chores and responsibilities emerge to demand the child's concentration (Christiansen et al 48). According to Gregoire & Jungers, this period ranges from six years to eleven years and is marked by great strides in cognitive development. It is also at this period that children are exposed to peer and other social sphere influences (124).Children demonstrate an extensive knowledge of language. Gains and use of vocabulary, grammar as well as pragmatic skills are astounding. After mastering good grammar correcting of grammatical mistakes, these young learners then begin to communicate with regard to context. Code switching enables them to adapt their linguistic skills to the persons they are communicating with.Gains on self concept can be observed when children start to make social comparisons and interpret their behaviors and abilities in relation to their social environment. During middle childhood children demonstrate very high esteem which later drops off to realistic levels.This leveling off of self esteem is only possible after children succeed in incorporating feedback about their competency in relation to that of other peers or other individuals in the social environment.On the emotional scale, self conscious emo tions develop as children begin understanding the concept of personal responsibility. By learning to interpret how others are feeling or thinking, they understand other people's perspectives. These developments are further buttressed by emotional self regulation which is linked to a variety of social functioning aspects.Pre-schooling and schooling increases the importance of peer associations in middle childhood. Through peers they learn socially appropriate behaviors and emotions such as empathy, sympathy and shyness.Since children only make friends with other children identical to them in terms of gender, race, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, achievement, popularity and social behavior, peer associations became incredibly important in modeling their behavior and cognitive gains.The importance of middle childhood developments cannot be underrated as some researchers point out. Middle childhood activities can be used to predict adult work competence. Peer relations in middle c hildhood may be used to predict early adulthood involvements in romantic relationships(Huston & Ripke 25).In a nutshell, middle childhood is characteristic of a stage where individuals continually refine motor skills, focus on academic and/or school related tasks while at the same time nurture peer relationships that would become very useful not only in adolescence but also in early adulthood.AdolescenceAccording to Copher & Mortimer, adolescence marks the development period when individuals establish identities. This stage of development is often associated with significant emotional strain as individuals are forced to model themselves into who they think they are and what they hope to become as they progress to adulthood.Identities are basically grounded on relationships, roles, status and character traits. Character trails can either be classified as behavioral or psychological attributes. In the western world, adolescence as a stage is conceptualized as experimental, carefree an d playful. As these adolescents mature into adulthood, the conceptualization changes to being independent, hardworking, responsible and productive.It is important to note that the author restricts this classification to Western conceptualization since these definitions vary the world over with regard to the cultural, social and even legal context. These asynchronies attribute to identity conflicts and status inconsistencies among different social institutions(http://family.jrank.org).Typically, adolescence occurs between the ages of 12 to 19 years. The period is characteristic of hormonal changes. The pituitary gland releases growth hormones which stimulate the release of a wide variety of other homes by different glands in the body.These hormones aid in body growth and sexual maturation. Key aspects of sexual maturation include the release of androgens and estrogens which trigger sexual maturation.Physical changes in the body as manifest in the growth and maturation of reproductive organs and other secondary sexual features also signify sexual maturation and finally, spermarche in boys and menarche in girls are directly related to pubertal changes.There are other physical developments that are not associated with sexual maturation   but which can also be observed during adolescence. For instance, as opposed to childhood, a reversal of cephalocaudal growth occurs. Release of thyroxine by thyroid glands results in height and weight gains.These developments can be measurably be seen as broadening of the boy's shoulders and girls hips, increase in the growth of legs, feet and hands. Boys increase muscles while girls accumulate more fat. Gins also occur with respect to the improvement in motor skills which vary between the sexes.On the cognitive development front, adolescents develop the capacity to engage in abstract scientific thinking but this does not necessarily imply that such individuals find it much easier to plan and make everyday decisions. Peer associ ations lead to the formation of cliques. Peer affiliation, conformity and peer pressure also increases during this development phase(Gregoire & Jungers 130).Adolescents are always in search of autonomy and their emotional development is characterized by the same. While early childhood is almost supremely influenced by the family, peer influences rival family influences in adolescence. Thus, even though parent-child relationships remain crucial, conflicts between adolescents are their parents are not unusual occurrences.Huge gains in cognitive development imply that many adolescents can engage in operational thought hence they may often recognize multiple choices that are available to them. Some choices may not be optimal. Problems in decision making are attributable to this multiplicity of choices.Since adolescents have to make decisions in a dynamic sociopolitical world with varying traditional expectations, economic upheavals and contemporary conditions, there are times when the d ecisions made may be grossly inappropriate. In fact, a majority of the changes related to sexual maturation and hormonal changes also reflect on physical and motional status of the adolescents.In preparation for adulthood, adolescence marks the period of educational attainment while at the same time working to attain considerable financial health. However, for a majority of youth, adolescence which comes with increased risk taking creates several youth problem behaviors like substance abuse and delinquency.Problems with the law may also arise due to engaging in legally prohibited activities like smoking and drinking. Play in adolescence assumes a structured and formalized nature hence music, competitive sports, dances and a host of other group experiences. Social relationships are nurtured because of their importance. Productive pursuits like volunteer activities and work are taken up by some individuals and such pursuits may last a lifetime.