Evaluation Of Microsofts Csr Policies And Activities

Evaluation of Microsoft’s CSR policies and activities Microsoft is one of companies that take social sustainability seriously and try to make a change in this world through its policies and activities. Its efforts pertaining ethical business conduct and policies has remarkable. Internal controls as defined by COSO achieve three main goals: Effectiveness efficiency of operations Reliability of financial reporting Compliance with applicable laws regulations. Thus far, Microsoft has been achieving this goal through strong internal controls through rigorous and periodic internal audits, multiple authorization levels, and employee performance scorecard. This also helps the company in complying with SOX Section 404 and PCAOB Auditing Standard 5. These internal controls cultivate ethical decision making by setting guidelines to follow. As we are moving from physical information storage to digital methods, the threats to privacy and security increase. Recent online privacy with NSA, Apple’s iCloud and Target’s data breach has instilled a fear of losing sensitive data to hackers. Microsoft’s internal controls, strong terms and conditions, and vigorous screening and data protection policies help build customer trust. Microsoft protects customer data to the extent that government has to issue a warrant/court order to obtain any information. Another major success for Microsoft is the YouthSpark program. Through its YouthSpark Program Microsoft has provided educational andShow MoreRelatedMicrosoft Internal And External Factors1652 Words   |  7 Pagesranging from personal computers to gaming devices, Microsoft has demonstrated its ability to adapt to internal and external changes. Analyzing the the current internal and external factors related to the business environment of the organization. An evaluation of the business environment in which, Microsoft operates in is very important for the progression of the company. The business environment factors are essentially divided into two groups: internal and external factors. These are events or situationsRead MoreStrategy and Society9783 Words   |  40 PagesAdvantage and Corporate Social Responsibility The Idea in Brief Many firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts are counterproductive, for two reasons: They pit business against society, when the two are actually interdependent. And they pressure companies to think of CSR in generic ways, instead of crafting social initiatives appropriate to their individual strategies. CSR can be much more than just a cost, constraint, or charitable deed. Approached strategically, it generates opportunityRead MoreMicrosoft - Strategic Management5346 Words   |  22 Pagesmarketing tactics; both the U.S. Department of Justice and European Commission found the company in violation of antitrust laws. Known for its interviewing process with obscure questions, various studies and ratings were generally favorable to Microsofts diversity within the company as well as its overall environmental impact with the exception of the electronics portion of the business. History Paul Allen and Bill Gates, childhood friends with a passion in computer programming, officially establishedRead MoreNokias Failure5185 Words   |  21 PagesIndustry Overview amp; Lifecycle | 6 | Porter’s 5 Forces Model | 7 | PESTEL Analysis | 9 | Industry’s Profitability condition, products and services and KSF’s | 12 | Industry Participants | 12 | Industry Competitors | 14 | Critical Evaluation of Nokia | 14 | Internal Analysis: SW Identification | 17 | Business Model Canvas | 19 | Implication of Strategy at Nokia | 22 | Company’s Structure and Control System | 24 | Reasons behind Low Performance | 24 | Strategy RecommendationsRead MoreSupply Chain Management29872 Words   |  120 PagesChapter 13: Financial and Operating Reports............................................................. 55 Chapter 14: Research Studies..................................................................................... 73 Chapter 15: Performance Evaluation .......................................................................... 83 Chapter 16: Firm Management and Advice................................................................. 85 Appendix: Web-Based LINKS Access...........................Read MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pages4 9.2 Building the team (.1.3) [3.5.3] [App G.2 Building teams] 9.4 Managing the team 9.3.2 Team building activities 9.2.4 Virtual teams 9.3.3.1 Team performance [9.4.2.2] 9.4.2.3 Conflict management 9.3.2.6 Recognition and awards Defining the Project 4.1 Project charter 5.1 Gather requirements 5.2 Defining scope 5.3 Creating a WBS 5.4 Tools and techniques 6.1 Define activities 9.1.2. Responsibility matrixes 10.1 Communication planning (.2.3.4) [App. G-4] Chapter 12 Outsourcing Read MoreCase Study148348 Words   |  594 Pagesstudy hours available will also influence the course design and the use of text and cases. †¢ †¢ For long programmes (50 hours +) it should prove possible to use the text and cases extensively and to supplement the course with other materials and activities. For shorter programmes, a more selective use of the materials is possible. For example, a course concerned largely with strategy formulation could confine the use of the text to Chapters 1–10 (or 11) and the associated illustrations, case examples

The Catastrophe of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Free Essays

On April 26 1986, the reactor Unit 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was not working properly. When workers tried to fix this problem in reactor 4 by shutting down the its power regulating system and its emergency safety systems, this caused the most serious and dangerous accident in the history of nuclear power generation. The Chernobyl accident released large amounts of radioactive materials into in the atmosphere, which were carried by air currents. We will write a custom essay sample on The Catastrophe of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant or any similar topic only for you Order Now Soon after this catastrophe, these radioactive materials were spread by the wind over many countries, which polluted their atmosphere. The release of radioactivity had a deadly effect on people’s health and the environment; thus, before building such a plant, safety and emergency procedures must be guaranteed. The radioactive materials, which have been released from the accident, affected people’s health for several years. The Russian government admitted the release of radioactivity, when the Swedish monitoring stations reported abnormal high levels of wind transported radioactivity as clarified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The government had to evacuate many areas and declare it as a † Forbidden zone † to protect people from radioactivity. Initially the accident caused the death of 32 people(B. Hummer,Nils â€Å"Chernobyl the accident† – http//:bcf. usc. edu/meshkati/chernobyl. html). The radioactive materials released from this accident are 200 times as much radioactivity as the Hiroshima and Nagasaki explosions (Dahl,Birgitta â€Å"The Chornobyl Nuclear Disaster† http//:scf. usc. edu/~melan). Its human death losses and the amount of the radiation released into the environment, raised a large number of problems not only for the treatment of severely exposed persons, but also The decisions that had to be taken considering the population. Thus, the number of people who were suffering from cancer was increasing and the number of thyroid cancers among children also increased in the most affected area: Belarus, Ukraine and Russia (Encyclopedia of Britannica online). Indeed, for several years, babies were born deformed and thousands were suffering from illnesses and cancer (which takes 8 to 10 years to appear), scientists and doctors were alerted because after only four years thyroid cancer increased much more than their expectations and its growth was more quickly than they expected and its pattern was different from the patterns known till now (Specter,M. Willy â€Å"The Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power accidents† `The New York Times`, Sunday march 31,1996). All these factors have increased diseases among the people living in the exposed area and the workers involved in clearing the site after the accident. In my opinion, it is extremely difficult to imagine the psychological effects of Chernobyl accident on the people who experienced it. In addition, this emotional stress and other psychological factors are the main possible cause of people’s illnesses after the accident and in the future. The radiation did not only affect people’s health but it polluted the environment and the territories beside the reactor. The area beside Chernobyl was heavily polluted because 70% of the radioactive substances fell on it (Encyclopedia of Britannica online). As stated by Najmedin Meshkati, a nuclear scientist; â€Å"The most dangerous thing was the food pollution (cesium, strontium, plutonium and americium) in milk and meat products are with concentration several hundred times higher than pre accident levels and often above the permitted levels and it will not disappear before 300 years†. Although, people know that these regions are heavily polluted and that meat and milk products have accumulated high quantities of radioactive substances, more than 1. 8 million people are still living there (Specter,M. Willy â€Å"The Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear power accidents† `The New York Times`, Sunday march 31,1996). They drink radioactive fluids, eat radioactive substance (cesium131) will stay in the food and liquids and will not disappear completely before 300 years†. The consequences of these substances will not be noticed but after many years and it will not only affect the present generation but also the future generation. To insure maximum safety, emergency systems should be guaranteed before building any nuclear power plant. Thus, authorities must not ignore the possibility of the occurrence of an accident. The failure of workers to identify the problem between the systems to insure safety, and their failure to cooperate with each other is unacceptable. Workers must be trained to deal with real emergency situations in order to respond fast and to control it. However, after Chernobyl, solutions to insure the safety of large-scale technological systems have fallen into the categories of management and cost control (B. Hummer,Nils â€Å"Chernobyl the accident† -http//:bcf. usc. edu/meshkati/chernobyl. html). The cost to clean up the mess caused by the nuclear power plants are much more expensive than to install a new emergency system. Thus, the cost to maintain safety is negligible compared to the cost, which they have to pay if an accident happened. Moreover, authorities must be strict concerning the regulations of nuclear power plants. Many improvements in radiation protection and emergency preparations have been made, possible by the Chernobyl experience (Encyclopedia of Britannica online). The lessons drawn from the Chernobyl accident are valuable: human’s life is precious. Thus, human must learn from their mistakes and know how to prevent their happening especially if these mistakes may cost innocent people’s lives. An accident such as the catastrophe of Chernobyl is a descrase for humanity, that’s why we cannot afford such mistakes again. Because some mistakes are unforgiving. How to cite The Catastrophe of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Essay examples

Go Ask Alice Essay Example For Students

Go Ask Alice Essay The novel, Go Ask Alice, is basically about a 15-year old girl who subjects herself to drugs. At first she is in love with Roger and comes from a loving home, but is also very curious about drugs. She ends up running away, which didn’t last, comes home just in time for Christmas, clean of drugs, starts up again and runs away. After all that she goes through, she loses her grandparents in the time period of two months, and ends up in a mental institution. After she pleads that it was only an accident she finally gets to go home. At the end she decides not to keep a diary anymore and she died three weeks later of an overdose. Significance of the Title: In my own opinion, I believe that the title, Go Ask Alice, means that you can ask Alice anything about drugs if you are curious. Once you learn of her mistakes, maybe you won’t follow in her footsteps and ruin your life, like thousands of teenagers do every year, by reading about what happened to her when she was curious about using drugs and what they would do for her. In her diary, I believe she is trying to tell us that drugs are not the answer to solving your problems. Impressions and Changes in the Main Character: My first impression of the narrator was that she was a sweet, talented young woman. It seemed as though she had it all; a loving, caring family, great friends, and then it happened. Once she tried the drugs was when her whole life and personality changed completely. She ended up in the mental institution by tripping out, only it was by accident and in the end, she lost her life. Memorable Passage: There were a lot of memorable passages that I will remember from this story, but one that I will always carry with me would have to be the following passage: â€Å"December 3 – Last night was the worst night of my? it was no wonder he was out of control. † Pages 67 – 68. That made a great impression on me. Thinking that if I were anywhere close to subjecting myself to this kind of tragedy, I will remember this passage always. Significance of Reading This Story: One of the discoveries that I learned in the story was that a thousand teens die each year by subjecting themselves to drugs. Also, I learned that subjecting yourself to drugs will not solve any of your problems. One change in my life is that now I know I will not ever let myself be the least bit interested in drugs, not even if my life is gone to nothing. My parents have told me that teenagers are always willing to try new things, and very often, it happens. With drugs being the topic here, I do believe that I will never let myself ever be the least bit interested. This book really had nothing very enlightening. It was very sorrowful and bitter. One affirmation I made after reading this book is that teens are going to be curious about anything. Some of them will be curious about drugs when they have nothing else going for them. After they start, thinking things will get better, they will actually only get worse. Therefore, in conclusion, I believe that drugs are not an answer to any prayers. In time, your life will only get worse if you subject yourself to using drugs.