How can a company pursue sustainable development in order to Dissertation

How can a company pursue sustainable development in order to contribute to excellence competitive edge and financial position - Dissertation Example How can a company pursue sustainable development in order to contribute to excellence competitive edge and financial position? This research explores how companies can support sustainable development to improve their competitiveness in the light of the lessons from Toyota. This study mainly relies on secondary data to gather qualitative as well as quantitative data in order for meeting the research objectives. The findings indicate that Toyota strongly supports the concept of sustainable development to gain a competitive edge over its rivals. The sustainable business operations have greatly benefited the TMC to improve its competitive edge and strengthen its financial position. Toyota has been successful in making their customers aware of the company’s environmental sustainability efforts. The organisation increasingly relies on sustainability reports and social networking sites to communicate its sustainability initiatives to the company stakeholders. The emergence of globalisation eliminated international trade barriers and thus intensified cross border flow of capital, labour, ideas, and cultures. Evidently, globalisation and the resulted fast industrial expansion contributed to various issues like global warming, climate change, water pollution, and increased energy consumption, which in turn pose potential threats to the long term sustainability of the environment today. There has also been a notable increase in the population growth over the last two decades, and that worsened the condition. Researches indicate that world’s current non-conventional energy sources will be consumed out if people and organisations continue to consume the energy at the current rate. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the use of conventional energy sources, maintain water quality, and take other environmental actions to meet the needs of future generations. However companies like Toyota have adopted the concept of sustainable development t o drive environment-conscious growth and thereby enjoy wider market acceptance. TMC encourages and establishes innovative technologies to reduce the environmental impacts of its business operations and inspires local communities to support the company’s environmental efforts. In this context, it is relevant to explore how a company can pursue sustainable development in order to contribute to the competitive edge and financial position. 3. Literature review 3.1 A brief overview of Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the world’s leading automobile manufacturer headquartered in Japan. The organisation was founded on 28th August 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda. As of 2010 Toyota employed 300,734 people worldwide to run its business and the company was rated as the largest automobile manufacturer in the world by means of production (Toyota: CSR & Sustainability News). TMC is a part of the Toyota Group and currently the organisation has presence in almost all countries across t he globe. Since its foundation, the organisation has been particularly focusing on quality because the management believes that quality is the key to brand loyalty. In order to ensure improved product quality, the organisations has developed extensive production line strategies which can make sure that production and assembly processes are in line with accepted industry standards. According to reports, one of

Transformational Change Essay Example for Free

Transformational Change Essay The Transformational learning process conceived by Jack Merzirow has four stages. Transformational learning is a process to help people solve their problems and help them to make life changes. The four stages are; recognizing a significant problem, confronting it intensely , finding a solution, and integrating a new perspective as well as a new set of assumptions into your life pattern. Recognizing a significant problem is the first step in being able to figure out what the problem or issue is in your past or current life. Once you are able to recognize the problem you will be able to talk out the situation or problem with someone. Confronting a problem intensely is difficult. Especially once you have to be honest with yourself. If you are having a difficult time in your life it makes it difficult to remain calm and level headed. Most people have a hard time looking at themselves and realizing they need help. If you remain calm and level headed you will be able to see the problem and figure out a solution. Finding a solution to the problem or situation can be a process. Once you are able to look at the problem calmly and rationally a decision or solution will come easier. You will be able to start to see light at the end of the tunnel. The steps to the solution will become more clear. Integrating a new perspective and a new set of assumptions into your life you must be able to understand new ideas, thoughts, and points of views differently. Realizing this will help guide all of your expectations to the right direction and way of thinking. You will realize that being open to new ideas and thoughts will help you to make the right decision and feel good about it. When you face a significant issue in your life, such as considering a totally new career or adopting a value system required by a new relationship, you are entering a learning cycle with complex challenges. Although the learning resulting from a significant experience of this kind may be renewing, its outcome is likely to be more far-reaching than that. Because of the depth of its outcomes, this type of learning experience is called transformational. It produces a new level of meaning in your life. Inevitably, the transformational learning cycle moves through the stages of recognizing a significant problem, confronting it intensely, finding a solution, and integrating a new perspective and a new set of assumptions into your life pattern. This process requires a great deal of reflection and is often painful and stressful. Transformation, though desirable, rarely comes easily. It separates life into distinct â€Å"before† and â€Å"after† realities. ) Source taken from Ashford Textbook Chapter 5. 2. When I was 22 I found out I was pregnant. This was a terrible time in my life. I was working three jobs just to make ends meet for myself. I had been dating my now husband Jeremy,but at that time boyfriend of only six months. We were friends for a year before we started dating. At the time I was on two different types of birth control for medical reasons and was told I would not be able to get pregnant. Being young and stupid I never questioned my Doctor any more about it. I was in disbelief. In my mind there was just no way. I was also still menstruating. Anxiety, questions and depression were all I could think about when I found out. I had to confront this issue but how? First my biggest concern how far along was I? Second should I have the baby, have an abortion or give it up for adoption? Last how did this happen? Once I confronted the issue with Jeremy we were both scared and angry at each other we ended up breaking up. I was emotional and scared. He was young and immature. I found out I was four months along, this limited my options. I decided to keep the baby. Now she is 15 beautiful and smart. I explained to Jeremy I would be keeping her. We did not talk till I was a little over seven months. I reached my seventh month before we decided together to come up with a solution. We both knew we wanted to be together. Neither of us wanted to be without the other but we were so scared and young we didnt know what to expect. I decided to quit one job and only work two. I had my own apartment so he moved in with me. It was really difficult for us the first couple of years, mostly trust was the issue. Trust is something we both value. Now that we have been married and together for a total of 18 years we look at things differently. We have to keep an open mind and listen to each other. We don’t always get along but we do have respect for each other. Together we have a friendship and a bond that will last us for the rest of our lives. Ideas, thoughts and emotions are always changing just like points of views and expectations. I know now my expectations of Jeremy are completely different for when we first got together. Mezirow identified seven phases occurring in the challenging learning process: experiencing a disorienting dilemma, self-examination, critical assessment of assumptions, recognizing that others have gone through a similar process, exploring a process, formulating a plan of action and reintegration. Mezirows self-examination was the biggest and hardest for me in the beginning of our relationship. I felt like we had rushed into having a baby and moving in together. I was questioning myself as well as Jeremy. I felt like I didnt know him well enough but then on the other hand we had created life. I knew I loved Jeremy and there was not anyone else I wanted to be with. I just knew he was not ready to be a father or a husband at that time. I would look at myself and wonder for the first 3 years we were together and wonder if I made the right choice for me. I had so many plans and Jeremy and my daughter were not in them. Now I look back and I am happy with the choices I made. I just wish I had went to college instead of just working to pay the bills. The transformational learning process created by Mezirow has helped people to identify their problems and life choices. Once you use they processes to figure out the problem you will be able to find the correct solution.

Pardoners Tale, Chaucer, Canterbury Essay -- essays research papers f

The Pardoner's Subconscious Character "The Pardoner's Tale," by Geoffrey Chaucer, makes evident the parallel between the internal emotions of people and the subconscious exposure of those emotions. This particular story, from The Canterbury Tales, is a revealing tale being told by a medieval pardoner to his companions on a journey to Canterbury. Though the Pardoner's profession is to pardon and absolve the sins of people, he actually lives in constant violation of sins such as gluttony, gambling, and, most importantly, avarice. The Pardoner does feel guilt and advocates not to commit avarice; he exclaims, "'Radix malorum est Cupiditas,'" (line 426) as his theme more than once. Because he drinks so heavily before the poem, he is not aware that he is personifying himself in his tale. Furthermore, he inadvertently places a character in the story that is parallel to himself and who reveals his own personal desire: the old man. The Pardoner's sinful lifestyle and drinking habits are the cause for the old man to be placed in the story. His whole life, even his profession, is filled with terrible sin every day. The Pardoner knows himself that he is just in it for the money: "'Thus kan I preche agayn that same vice / Which that I use, and that is avarice.'" (Lines 427-28). Even though he is such a hypocrite, his daily greed and lifestyle does make him feel guilty. He continues on about how good of a preacher he is and how he can get money from even the poorest of people. As time passes and he continues on, the effect of the drink can be seen to take place with the subject of his speech. "†¦his tongue loosened by drink, the Pardoner is conceivable as sufficiently carried away to boast incautiously as well as impudently." (Whittock, 187). When his tale starts to unfold, the parallel begins to take place. At the point where the old man encounters the three men, the Pardoner is personified. The first reaction to the old man is of his physical appearance. The old man is extremely old looking and decrepit. "Why lyvestow so longe in so greet age?" (Line 719). This may have been a reaction the Pardoner himself has encountered in reality. Because he cannot grow facial hair and become a man, others have poked fun at him (as the host a... ...oner in turn destroys fiction in order to complete the process of rendering everything subjective and meaningless." (Williams, 73). His grim hopelessness towards life is not present because with life comes age, which he does not possess. He can never share in pleasures everyone else around him may feel, so he has to have different pleasures in life such as gluttony, avarice, deception, and jealousy. Therefore, all he is left with is a life that will be forever still and lonely. On the other hand, his drinking is what lets us see into what he actually wants. His parallel with the old man is his only way of letting the reader know of his true feelings. Works Cited Williams, David. "Language Redeemed." The Canterbury Tales: A Literary Pilgrimage. New York: Twayne, 1987, 73-88. Gerould, G. H. "The Vicious Pardoner." Critics on Chaucer. Edited by Sheila Sullivan. Gables: Miami UP, 1970, 129-32. Hussey, S. S. "Chaucer: An Introduction." New York: Methuen & Co., 1981, 177-83. Whittock, Tevor. "The Pardoner's Prologue and Tale." A Reading of the Canterbury Tales. London: Cambridge UP, 1968, 185-94.

Gallipoli Essay

A relevant idea in the film Gallipoli, produced by Peter Weir, is that war is a tragic waste of life. Weir made this idea seem relevant in the world today by using film techniques including music, dialogue and symbolism. Gallipoli is the story of a young man who went off to World War One. This particular film narrates the story of an eighteen-year-old from Western Australia who boarded a troop ship bound for Gallipoli. These soldiers fought the Turks in a campaign to capture Constantinople in 1915. It was Archy Hamilton’s sacrifices that highlighted the main idea that war was a tragic waste of life. Music is the first technique used to show us that war is a tragic waste of life, an idea that is relevant in the world today. Adagio in G Minor was a fitting sad and sombre piece. It was played along with blue lighting and visual effects such as the smoke when the soldiers crossed from Lemnos to Gallipoli. This piece of music really made me feel sad. It really helped to convey the sombre mood. The blue lighting and smoke also helped to add to the tension of the scene. This scene reminded me of animals heading off to a slaughterhouse. The superior officers acted as the humans, whilst the soldiers acted as the animals. It was these attitudes towards life and society that really helped me to understand that war is a tragic a waste of life. The officers’ attitudes showed that they did not seem to care about the soldiers’ lives or personalities. They just wanted to win the war. This idea is backed up by the dialogue between Major Barton and Colonel Robinson. â€Å"If the Turks get back in their trenches we’ll get cut to pieces! † â€Å"I still say you must go. † This attitude of the officer’s also has relevance in today’s world. There are still people out there nowadays who are so ambitious that they do not care what is in their way or who gets hurt. They are determined to reach their goal, for example a parliamentary race for election or an athlete’s fight for a champion title. Dialogue is a technique used to show us that war is a tragic waste of life, an idea that is still relevant in the world today. In the opening scenes we are shown a tracking shot of Archy sprinting and his ‘world-class’ time. This is showing us a brief snapshot of Archy’s talent. Later in the film Uncle Jack says to Archy, â€Å"You’ve got the God-given ability to be amongst our very greatest. † This piece of dialogue really conveyed to me the extent of his talent and that he could go far. This is why I was dismayed to find out that Archy was killed in action. The enemy does not care who is in the firing line or what the opposition’s personal talents are, they are just there to win the war. So not only is war a tragic waste of life, but a waste of talent too. Eric Bogle’s hit single ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ also backed up this idea. In the song he mentioned the â€Å"wounded and maimed. † This refers to those men like Archy, who had the potential to go far but war got in the way. Their talents were wasted or never had the chance to develop, because their countries were fighting over a minor issue that could have been resolved. This idea is also relevant in the world today because everyone has the potential to do or become something great. You just have to look deep inside yourself to find it. That is why it makes me so sad to see people wasting their talent and potential over one silly and stupid mistake and then end up going to jail. Another technique used to show that war is a tragic waste of life is symbolism. Symbolism is also used to show that this idea is still relevant in the world today. One example of this would be the use of watches. We are shown a close up shot of Uncle Jack clocking Archy’s record-breaking time. Later in the film, before Archy goes over the top of the trench, we are shown him hanging up the watch along with his other meagre possessions. This shows us that it means something to him. I believe this is because it reminds him of back home, his friends and family. The watch is also a symbol of Archy’s talent and is something that brings Uncle Jack and Archy closer. I also believe that the use of watches is used to symbolise death and that death runs on it’s own clock. This idea is also relevant in the world today when people face the tragedy of cancer. We cannot control whether we will be alive tomorrow, we just have to let life run its course. It made me really sad to see the watch being hung up on the bayonet because I felt it brought me to the end. Also, when Uncle Jack is saying goodbye, he said, â€Å"Take care of it boy. This is referring to the watch. This statement reinforces Archy’s youth by using the word â€Å"boy†. It also reinforces the meaning of the watch for him. To conclude, the techniques used to show that war is a tragic waste of life are music, dialogue and symbolism. These techniques were also used to show this main idea’s relevance in today’s world. I think the world today has become smarter than the days of world wars. There will still be skirmishes, but mankind has become smart enough to know not to sacrifice everything all over again.

Are computer teachers better than human teachers Essay

Although computer teachers have some advantages, I prefer humanteachers. Human teachers make learning fun, and they can be caring and understanding. Computer teachers do have some advantages. The computer teachers can teach more than the humanteachers can in about the books. They have better memory than the human teacher has because they are computers, computer can memorize anything. Moreover, computer teachers will be fairly to all of the students. In addition, students learn from the computers, they can learn more independently because t he computer cannot care when they do not pay attention in the class. However, humanteachers sometimes have a sense of humour and are more fun than computers. The human teacher can teach the students in the best way, they know what the students want. Moreover, they can make the students know what life is; the humanteachers can talk their life experience to the students, this is very important to the future of the students. The students can learn some things that out of the books from the humanteachers. Moreover, they will care the students, they will care what do the students will do after school or do they feel happy or not. The humanteachers also can make friends with the students. Computers have not feeling and therefore they do not understand the feeling of students, but teachers care for students and encourage them. Human teachers can do many things to the students but the computer teachers cannot. For example, the ways that they teach, the computer teachers just have one way to teach, but humanteachers have many ways. The computer teachers do not have life experience, they cannot talk about life, but the humanteachers have. The computer will not care about the students and they cannot make friends with the students, but the humanteachers can. Why do the humanteachers can do more things to the students than the computer teachers can? Because they are human, they are not machines. Human know what human want, the human teacher may have the same past to the students. They will understand the students feeling, they can help the student solve their problems. Therefore, the humanteachers are better than the computer teachers  are.

Writing problems Essays

Writing problems Essays Writing problems Essay Writing problems Essay My Problem in Writing And solutions Every time I am asked to write about any topic, I find myself facing a major problem asking myself what I am going to write, and how I am going to present, express my ideas and support my personal opinions in a clear organized way that the reader would understand me. Learning how to write an essay was a frustrating process for me until , I came to understand some steps that made it easy and sometimes fun. I learnt to start by researching the topic using all different resources available like interest and libraries. I write Down questions, notes, quotations, facts, interesting passages and it sources. Its always good to have a variety of Sources; Quoting from a few sources only, will sound inexperienced; while quoting from numerous sources Will sound knowable and supportive to the topic. As I am researching the topic I start analyzing the arguments of different writes and authors. The argument consists of two main things a claim and reasons for that claim, neither a claim without reasons; nor reasons without a claim is an argument. When I am creating my own argument, first I identify my main claim then locate all its reasons. The reasons should show explanations of the claim and whether it s rue or not. I also map out if there is enough evidence supporting my claim, and if there is any other After spending decent amount of time researching, comparing arguments. I begin to think critically to discover the insights of the topic trying to find something original to say about it. I look to define the Problem if There is any! Why its a problem?. A problem for who? When did it become a problem? And what is the roots of that problem ?. I go back to do more research about the problem I outlined, Answers for the questions I wrote down and educate myself more about this problem . I look or evidence supporting it, it s sources how strong or weak they are, and if I believe it or not. Now I think I can start writing my own opinions and ideas whether I agree or not, I can also present my arguments it s claims and it s reason s. My main claim will be my thesis for example I wrote my thesis for this topic at the end of the introduction which is Learning how to write an essay fun. . Many people may not believe that thesis which makes it arguable and that what I try to make all my thesis. Then I think about how I am going to organize and outline my writing, I free write the whole ratings to omit mistakes, remove paragraphs or add evidence . I try to choose appropriate arrangement for my writings. The introduction of any topic is what grabs the readers attention I can present my introduction by An interesting fact, or a personal experience, or a surprising information, or even exciting quotations. The entire introduction should lead toward the presentation of my claim or thesis. I begin my paragraph by focusing on one idea only, and the first sentence of the paragraph will be my topic sentence of the paragraph . It describes the point of the paragraph then I evolve more ideas in the paragraph. I provide examples to illustrate my ideas, use quotations, show more evidence , offer another perspective to my idea, elaborate on causes/effects, definitions, comparison/contrast. The conclusion will be my closing paragraph where I recap my main idea in a clear , summarizing Manner, I also learned to try to make a graceful exit from the essay by leaving memorable impression by the Reader, that it wont be boring like describing a powerful image, or using quotations, or personal Experiences, or actions need to be done, or explaining why the topic is important, or lea conclusion and I keep it short. I am going to end my essay with this closing paragraph that I found online as an example on ending a topic with an image and it s for a famous writer George Orwell describing Charles Dickens as he sees him When one reads any strongly individual piece of writing, one has the impression of seeing a face somewhere behind the page. It is not necessarily the actual face of the writer. I feel this very strongly with Swift, with Defoe, with Fielding, Stendhal, Thacker, Flatter, though in several case I do not know what writer ought to have. Well, in the case of Dickens I see a face that is not quite the face of Dickenss photographs, though it resembles it. It is the face off man of about forty, with a small beard and a high color. He is laughing, with a touch of anger in his laughter, but no triumph, no malignity. It is the face of a man who is always fighting against something, but who fights in the open and is not frightened, the face of a man who is generously angry-in other words, of a nineteenth-century liberal, a free intelligence, a type hated with equal hatred by all the smelly little orthodoxies which are now contending for our souls.

The Fake Truth About Oskar Sch essays

The Fake Truth About Oskar Sch essays It is easy to believe what you have not seen, and even easier to believe what lies before you eyes. Steven Spielbergs historic film Schindlers List has undoubtedly affected and persuaded millions of viewers into accepting Oskar Schindler as a hero. Through the memories of those who knew him, along with historic documents and facts, the film can be said to possess a factual recollection of this historic figure. Although there are minor discrepancies between the historical facts, the novel, and the film, Spielbergs version concerning Oskar Schindler is a reliable source for the truth behind this mysterious man. Even though the novel and the film are fiction, they present a reliable truth about Schindlers life and his actions during the Holocaust. The film is based on the novel written by Thomas Keneally. This strips the film of its credibility as a documentary because both film and novel present fictional dialogue. However, both Keneally and Spielberg interviewed witnesses in an effort to make Schindlers story as historically correct as possible. In the novel, Keneally states in his authors note: I have attempted ... to avoid all fiction, since fiction would debase the record, and to distinguish between the reality and the myths which are likely to attach themselves to a man of Oskar's stature. It has sometimes been necessary to make reasonable constructs of conversations of which Oskar and others have left only the briefest record. But most exchanges and conversations, and all events are based on the detailed recollections of the Schindlerjuden (Schindler Jews), of Schindler himself, and of other witnesses to Oskar's acts of outrageous rescue. (Qtd. in Fogel 315) These words assure the reader that the novels events are not fiction at all and that the book is a historically correct recollection of the type of man that Schindler was. In effect, Spielberg's Schindler's List con...