Saturday, November 9, 2019
An Old Man’s Winter Night Analysis
An Old Manââ¬â¢s Winter Night This is a very haunting poem about an old man who stands alone dying in a dark house in winter. His memory is failing him and because of that he doesnââ¬â¢t know who he is or why he is in the house but he stays there inside the house because of the gruelling winter weather outside. There is no sense that the old man is existing for anyone or anything, he is purely alone. He is alone not only because no one is with him, but also because there will be no one to remember him after he dies.He develops a fear of the cellar beneath him and the darkness that lies outside so he strikes the ground in an attempt to frighten the unknown rather than confronting his fears. Finally, he falls asleep in front of the fire only to be disturbed by a log that has shifted in the fire but in due course, falls into a deep sleep. Frost uses the dying fire as a symbol to his fading life. As the night goes on, the fire dims and the old man grows closer to death. He knows th at eventually the darkness will consume him.The piece does not stray from the subject matter from the beginning to the end, continuously conveying the extent of how scared and lonely he is. Frostââ¬â¢s intention is clearly to portray the depth of loneliness that the old man is feeling in his old age and the emotions that accompany this. In terms of form, the poem does not have a traditional rhyme scheme and the lines vary in length. Frost uses many different literary devices throughout the poem such as imagery which appeals to our sight, touch and hearing senses.Frost has used Imagery such as ââ¬Å"In clomping there, he scared it once againâ⬠which appeals to our touch because you can almost feel how he has stomped the floor to try and frighten off the unknown. He has appealed to our hearing senses by using personification, ââ¬Å"like the roar of treesâ⬠lets you almost hear how the trees were thrashing around on the cold winter night. ââ¬Å"That brought him to that creaking room was age. He stood with barrels round him ââ¬â at a lossâ⬠appeals to our sight and paints a vivid eerie image of him standing alone in the dark house.Frostââ¬â¢s use of personification, ââ¬Å"like the roar of treesâ⬠is used to give a more humanistic quality to the trees to create a more eerie surrounding. Onomatopoeia is used ââ¬Å"crack of branchesâ⬠to make you think about the sound and to give a realistic feel to the poem, but more significantly alliteration is used, ââ¬Å"doors darklyâ⬠, ââ¬Å"beating boxâ⬠and ââ¬Å"separate starsâ⬠, this makes the poem sound more pleasant to the readers. There is also evidence of internal rhyme on the tenth line ââ¬Å"In clomping there, he scared it once againâ⬠An internal rhyme puts emphasis on the two words that rhyme and quickens the pace of the line.On the twenty third line, he used caesura to form important thoughts rather than breaking it ââ¬Å"And slept. The log that shift ed with a joltâ⬠. There are eight strong enjambments throughout the poem helping it to run on and flow into the next line and continue momentum instead of the usual rhythm a poem would have. The mood of the poem is sad and disheartening. Frostââ¬â¢s use of imagery creates a sad setting. ââ¬Å"All out of doors looked darkly in at himâ⬠could almost mean that people know and see that he is alone in the house but yet they choose to ignore it.The tone of the poem is candid, almost as if Frost is just telling a story without any feeling or emotion being put into it. From reading the poem, we realise that the old man is alone but the writer never clarifies the reason why, he only repeats that he is completely isolated and beyond the comfort of another human being. The most poignant aspect of this poem is the old manââ¬â¢s loss of memory and the frost forming on the windows because itââ¬â¢s so cold, ââ¬Å"Through the thin frost, almost in separate stars, that gathers o n the pane in empty rooms. He has no recollection of his purpose or identity and simply finds himself standing ââ¬Å"with barrels round him ââ¬â at a loss. â⬠Not only is the old man isolated in body, he is isolated in mind. His memories of his past happiness cannot comfort him now. Although the old man is in a state of utter isolation, he still has the bravery to fight for his existence and attempt to scare away his fears that creep through the night. Although the old man is unaware of what exactly he is afraid of in the cellar or the dark of night, he clutches to the act of ââ¬Å"clompingâ⬠as a familiar and unfamiliar comfort.The devastating sense of loneliness and fear is accentuated by the noises all around the old man, the cracking of branches, the roar of the trees ââ¬â this use of personification is used to make the scene more disturbing. However, the old man himself remains silent throughout the poem. When he does make sounds, he resorts to the more anim alistic action of stomping his feet rather than trusting his voice. In reading the title of the poem it suggests there should be a pleasant setting of an old man inside house beside a fire on a cold winterââ¬â¢s night but instead the writer has denied the readers any comforting expectations. Instead the writer conveys that he is slowly dying alone in the house on a devastatingly cold frosty night but he wants to live and fight death until the end even though he is losing his mind he still knows he doesnââ¬â¢t want to die. The old manââ¬â¢s isolation keeps the reader at a distance so they are not able to feel a sense of empathy with the old man.If Frost divulged the old manââ¬â¢s thoughts it would be easier for the readers to form some kind of connection with him but Frost wants the readers to feel the same lonely, isolated feeling that the old man has and does this by rendering the old man mute. The reader is forced to remain a silent onlooker who cannot connect to the i nner workings of the old manââ¬â¢s mind. This poem could be interpreted as how Frost feels about his life at this point in time. ââ¬Å"All out of doors looked darkly in at him through the thin frost almost in separate starsâ⬠This could be Frostââ¬â¢s way of expressing his feelings that he thinks nobody cares about him anymore.The poem does not end on a completely desperate note. Although the man is frightened of what he does not know, he still succeeded in ââ¬Å"scaringâ⬠off the unknown when he was alone and frightened. Frost suggests that even a person in the depths of isolation and loneliness is still capable of maintaining a presence and ââ¬Å"keepingâ⬠a house. The old manââ¬â¢s behavior in the house is not ideal or necessarily human, and he is still destined to face death and constant loneliness, and yet his house is still his own because of his insistent grasp on it and his refusal to abandon himself completely.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Sociology and Durkheim Essay
Sociology and Durkheim Essay Sociology and Durkheim Essay Color of Fear It has been expressed through the views of Marxism that human societies move forward through tension and class struggle. Marx argued that land owners would exploit their workers in order to keep an ongoing cycle of labor. The land owners would limit those allowed to work for them which in turn would create a hostile environment and a need to survive. Those without work would have to find other means to survive for instance through crime or charity in order to keep themselves and their families alive. The tension for survival would rise between both classes and eventually cause a revolution consisting of the landowner versus the laborer or worker, this concept was also known as a shift from Feudalism to Capitalism (Roberts). It was by the theories of Marxism that a history of relations would always be set between the exploiter class (landowners) and the exploited class (the workers). Most of what Marx argues about has been going on since the day exploitation was ever cre ated. These unfortunate events are still seen throughout our world and we can honestly say that it may never be erased from this earth ever. Through my own eyes I have seen this battle countless of times, it has always been my people versus the landowners. Growing up as a kid I would always come home from school to see my grandmother so tired from working under the hot summer sun in the planting fields and greenhouses off the I5 in the city of Encinitas. The beliefs of Marx can be described through the life of many minorities working in the same conditions as my grandmother used to. The owners of the fields would exploit their workers with threats and the use of the fearful word, Immigration. One could not say a word for it was these hard working conditions that kept a scarce meal on the table to be able to stay alive. The landowners would offer work and the laborers would keep quit about the working conditions and the ongoing circle of classes would keep going. Capitalism plays a k ey role in what Marx believed, he has stated that through Capitalism one can not be and individual with their labor and creating something that comes from the mind and hands of ones self. This idea can also be seen with the migrant workers of today, many of us as I did when I was very young, thought that migrants liked working in these fields and conditions but the reality is just the opposite. The workers place themselves in these harsh working conditions not because they enjoy it but because it is the only way to be able to survive and keep some sort of income coming in. Armed with his Enlightenment ideology, Durkheim made the point that sociology would study the social life using scientific methods (Roberts). Through his work he created a phenomena known as social facts: ââ¬Å"manners of acting, thinking, and feeling external to the individual, which are vested with coercive power by virtue of which they exercise control over him (sic).â⬠what Durkheim meant by his stateme nt was that humans have a certain way of thinking, feeling and acting. These types of feelings and actions had said, by Durkheim, to be seen even way before we are even born and after we die these emotions and feelings keep on living on after as well (Roberts). We use these emotions that Durkheim described, but it is stated in his work that it is not until after we learn these concepts through socialization into an already existing culture (Roberts). Durkheim also had many other theories that branched out form what I have previously stated some of his other work used the notion of feelings, emotions and norms of life to answer the question of why society stays together and not cause chaos and anarchy. This theory that Durkheim had was known, by him, as mechanical solidarity. His work states that this form of solidarity had developed way before its time and seen through people of tribes and villages (Roberts). According to Durkheim what keeps society together was similarity. Similar values in
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Rubric - Quick Guide for all Content Areas
Rubric - Quick Guide for all Content Areas A rubric is a tool that teachers use to assess many different types of assignments including written work, projects, speeches, and more. Every rubric is divided into a set of criteria (ex: organization, evidence, conclusion) with descriptors or markers of quality to explain each criterion. A rubric also has a rating scale that uses point values or standard performance levels to identify a students level of mastery for an assignment. The rating scale on a rubric makes it an excellent way to grade an assignment as well as a way to progress monitor student performance over time. Rubrics are also useful as teaching tools that spell out expectations for students to follow. Research shows that student input in constructing rubrics can improve scores and engagement. Finally, rubrics can also be used to facilitate self and peer reviews of student work. Rubric Criterion Generally, all rubrics, regardless of subject matter, contain criteria for introductions and conclusions. Standards of English, or grammar and spelling, are also criteria common in a rubric. There are, however, many different criteria or measurements in a rubric that are subject specific. For example, in a rubric for an English literary essay, the criteria might include: Purpose or thesis statementOrganizationEvidence and support In contrast, a rubric for a science lab report might feature other measurements such as: ProblemDefinitionsData and resultsSolution The descriptors for the criteria contains qualifying language for each level of performance that links the rubric assignment or task to the lesson or units learning objectives. These descriptors are what make a rubric different from a checklist. The explanations detail the quality of each element in a rubric according to a standard of mastery while a checklist does not. Scoring with Rubric Descriptors Student work can be rated on a rubric according to different scales or levels of mastery. Some examples of levels on rubric could be: 5-scale rubric: mastery, accomplished, developing, emerging, unacceptable4-scale rubric: above proficiency, proficient, approaching proficiency, below proficiency3-scale rubric: outstanding, satisfactory, unsatisfactory The descriptors on the rubric are different for each level of mastery. Take, for example, the difference in the language in a 3-scale rubric that rates student work for the criterion incorporation of evidence: Outstanding: Appropriate and accurate evidence is explainedà well.à Satisfactory: Appropriate evidence is explained, however, some inaccurate information is included.à Unsatisfactory: Evidence is missing or irrelevant. When the teacher uses a rubric to score student work, the value of each element must be done in increments, and different point values can be assigned. For example, a rubric can be organized to award 12 points for outstanding use of evidence, 8 points for satisfactory use of evidence, and 4 points for unsatisfactory use of evidence. It is possible to weight one criterion or element to count more heavily in the grading. For example, a social studies teacher may decide to triple the points for the incorporation of evidence in a students response. Increasing the value for this element to 36 points when the other elements in an assignment are 12 points each indicates to the student the importance of this criterion. In this example, the assignment, now worth a total of 72 points, could be broken down as follows: Introduction or thesis- 12 pointsEvidence- 36 pointsOrganization-12 pointsConclusion-12 points Reasons for Rubrics When rubrics are given to the students before they complete their work, students have a better understanding of how they will be assessed. Rubrics may also help reduce the time spent on grading which may result in an increase of time spent on teaching. One important benefit of using rubrics for assignments is that they help teachers develop consistency in evaluating student performance across a class. When used on a larger scale, rubrics can provide a consistent scoring method across a grade,à school, or district. For some assignments, multiple teachers can grade a students work using the same rubric and then average those grades. This process, known as calibration, can help build teacher agreement around the different levels such as exemplary, proficient, and developing. More on Rubrics: Creating and Using RubricsHow to Create Rubrics
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Religion and TV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Religion and TV - Essay Example Each of these theories, in turn, yields specific hypotheses for empirical tests. Informational Needs: A Theory of Social Influence Giddy and Pritchard (1985) applied the theory of "informational needs" (Harris and McCombs 1975) to help explain variation in viewing religious TV programming. They did not, however, point out that this theory has its roots in a theory of religious influence promulgated by White (1968). In particular, White's conceptualization of how individuals acquire religious values, broader moral orientations, and other attitudes with motivational consequences was focused on the interactional forces at work within specific communities and congregations. For Catholics, this approach would view members' attitudes and behaviors as grounded in a specific parish context. Such an approach would appear quite valuable for understanding patterns of exposure to religious media For example, it would not be surprising if parishioners communicated their religious orientations to one another during various parish-related activities, thus reinforcing even greater levels of interest in religious values and orientations. Such heightened interest might likely be expressed through greater consumption of Catholic religious programming, as parishioners attempted to gain more religious information and knowledge from these programs. Parishioners who were less integrated into parish activities and networks, and thus less exposed to the forms of interaction that would promote the growth of such "informational needs," would probably be less likely to view this type, or any type, of programming. Thus, it is our hypothesis that those individuals with a greater number of ties to a parish congregation, who interact more frequently with other members of the parish community, and who are more involved in parish life would be more likely to consume Catholic religious programming than other types of programming. Justifies offered to support financial assistance There are several additional questions, which cannot be explored with our data, also emerge. What is the actual content of the support of financial assistance primarily for spiritual growth and development, the increase in religious television programming, both locally and nationally, clearly make this an area of research to be pursued. In addition, the commitment of mainline religions to increase their presence on the television airwaves suggests that religious institutions have implicit theories about why home viewers attempt to participate in financial matters with a spirit. The viewers offering utilities against the contributions return Pentecostal. A principal theme of these programs is that "right thinking" must be wed with the charismatic gifts (charisma) of the early Church (for example, glossolalia, prophecy, and d vine heating). Glossolalia is often interpreted as evidence that an individual has received the fullness of the Spirit. Pentecostal spokespersons agree in their d istinctive doctrines, the Pentecostal experience, d vine healing and fundamentalism; however, in other matters there is wide diversity Neo-Pentecostal: These programs utilize spokespersons who practice the Pentecostal experience but who remain members of non-Pentecostal denominations. In these glossolalia is practiced but not regarded as more important than other charisma. Prosperity Preachers: Programs featuring Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal evangelists who, claiming revelational knowledge, propagate the idea that God has already guaranteed not only spiritual comfort and physical healing but also material prosperity. Believers are taught that they can have any and
Thursday, October 31, 2019
The Undermining Of Nationalism By Globalization Essay
The Undermining Of Nationalism By Globalization - Essay Example Since nationalism focuses on the patriotic feeling, globalization does not have any such attachments so to speak (Taylor 2002). The element of a proper national identity seems amiss when one discusses the finer aspects related to globalization, as this has added to the internationalization of individuals, companies, and events in entirety. There is a great deal of learning at hand with regards to nationalism and globalization which will be discerned and discussed in the context of this paper. Nationalism is a combination of the national rights that an individual has for his own nation. But globalization does not agree with the same premise. Therefore nationalism has more relation with the nationalistic stance as compared to the globalization debate. In some viewpoints, nationalism goes one step ahead of globalization and hurts its cause. Therefore it would not be wrong to suggest here that the nationalism regimes get seriously undermined by the globalization approaches that are undertaken every now and then. The companies have also held on to this belief for a long time now, especially with the advent of the globalization realms which have shaped up the world, and have played their vital role at changing perspectives. Since individuals and corporations have long relied on the extent and positives attached to the phenomenon of nationalism, globalization has taken a nosedive especially within the quarters of the patriotic feelings and sentiments (Moeller 2006). However this cannot be said with reference to the business conglomerates, multinational organizations and business corporations of repute who have for long believed in the premise of going global and staying within the national domains as well. There are some hindrances in terms of studying the globalization ranks but one thing which assures the debate is that globalization is here to stay as it brings quite a few positives which the phenomenon of nationalism has been unable to inculcate or provide in the recent past. Nationalism can be taken control over yet globalization remains an entity which is still unexplored and there is much to learn in the coming days (Guibernau 1996). Globalization is a very strong and mighty phenomenon which can easily absorb the nationalism concept yet nationalism keeps on coming back to haunt the basis of globalization in the current times.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Canadian Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Canadian Government - Essay Example Canada is a democratic country, practicing what is known as the liberal form of democracy (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 8). This paper purports to discuss and analyze the different types of democratic governments in relation to the Canadian political system, highlighting some of the pros and cons of the practiced form. As already mentioned, the Canadian government is liberal in nature. Liberal democracy essentially imparts greater freedom to the public than is offered by the simple definition of democracy which merely empowers the general public to choose their political representatives through voting and elections (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 8). Liberal democracy ensures greater empowerment through three stipulations: the government works within a legally defined parameter and is checked by rules and laws, written in the form of a constitution; the public has freedom to gather and express political views through a free media and open access to information; and the political representati ves compete in a fair election where the public is free to choose amongst them through open voting (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 8). A democratic government, be it liberal or otherwise, can be of one of two basic forms: direct and representative or indirect. The direct form of democratic government is essentially what was practiced in the Greek politics, where the general public is literally given the power to choose and plan every law and policy that the government proposes and wishes to implement (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). These policies and laws are voted upon by the public, so that the voting system is not restricted merely to the election of the representatives (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). However, this system is not appropriate and practical for the modern day complex societies (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). Therefore, an indirect method of democracy is practiced whereby the public chooses their representatives who then make the appropriate laws and policies without public intervention (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). The government, in this case, is authorized to implement policies even by force, that is, through the use of the police and military, and other government agencies (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). The public chooses the representatives that it considers to best serve their interests (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). The parties prepare an agenda beforehand on the basis of which they fight the elections. This agenda is often the only way of predicting the partyââ¬â¢s course of action once it is in authority (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). In turn, the government, at least that of Canada, is expected to be responsible, that is, it is answerable to the public, and has duties in the social and economic fields that it needs to fulfill to make the state a welfare state (Mintz, Tossutti, and Dunn 7). The representative form of democracy is
Sunday, October 27, 2019
BP Corporate Governance
BP Corporate Governance The concept of corporate governance is the system by which business corporation are directed and controlled. The three main aspect of good corporate governance are seen in shareholder right, transparency and board accountability. (Corporate governance by Alan Calder 2008). Definition: Corporate governance is concerned with holding the balance between economic and social goal and between individual and common goal and aim is to align as nearly as possible the interests of individual, corporation and society (Sir Adrian Cadbury, 1999). Using the British Petroleum case, we develop a model of efficient corporate governance addressing all facets of the society in which corporations exist such as economic, ethical, political, and social. These facets determine the norms by which corporate decisions are judged. Without incorporating every facet into decisions, companies will eventually fall short and company just cant do the things in profit motive by sacrificing the moral and ethical issues British Petroleum failed in averting the Mexico oil spill due to lack of coordination between board and chairman and interlacing all the facets of society in the corporate decision making process. This failure contributed to the mismanagement of the company by a relatively detached board of directors who failed to assimilate high ethical management standards into the foundation of decision making process. This model developed here will help companies in addressing the appropriate system of corporate governance which serves as a foundation to avert failure through the practice of high ethical patterns of behavior which are needed to survive in the modern business world. Case analysis and discussion By late 2010,the British Petroleum has become a cause cà ©là ¨bre amongst those concerned with corporate governance and particularly with the social, ethical and environmental responsibilities of business In the 21st century, corporate governance has become critical for medium and large organisation. The organization which fallows corporate guidelines strategy performs well than compared to organization which does not adhere to the guidelines. Corporation work with governance framework which is first set by law and then by regulation emanating from the regulatory bodies to which they are subject. The chairman and Boards of directors are responsible for the Mexico disaster as they not properly scrutinised the outsourcing to the partner and we call as leadership failure. The responsibilities of the board include setting the companys strategic aims, providing the leadership to put them into effect, supervising the management of the business and reporting to shareholders on their stewardship. It will be critically analyses the corporate governance structure of British Petroleum and its related issues regarding the corporate social responsibility. British Petroleum Corporate Governance structure Board structure British Petroleum Board fallows unitary board structure, characterized by one single board comprising both executive and non executive directors. The unitary board is responsible for all aspects of the company activities and all the directors are working to achieve the same ends. The shareholders elect the directors to the board at the company annual general meeting. The Board of British Petroleum focuses more on Agency theory which take into account of principle- agent framework. The work of Jensen and Meckling (1976) in particular, and of Fama and Jensen (1983), are associated with this Agency theory (Corporate governance -Christine A Mallin). In Agency Theory, in the context of corporation and issues of corporate control, agency theory views corporate governance mechanisms, especially the board of directors as agent to monitor the functioning of management or the corporation. The focus of the theory is on design proper incentives measure and implementing those incentives and monitoring the performance. Economic performance is vital, and increasing shareholder value is deemed good. Agency theory, however, is not able to address the issues of non-direct shareholder interests such as political pressures and societal expectations from firms such as British Petroleum The corporate governance structure of a firm should provide the medium of norms and best practices which balance the needs of all stakeholders of the firm. Therefore, the model of corporate governance structure for firms must include economic, political, social and ethical norms for decision making in order for firms to gain and retain legitimacy which leads to resources and survival. British Petroleum Plc board governing principle is as fallows. The BP Board is responsible for the direction and oversight of BP plc (BP) on behalf of the shareholders and is accountable to them, as owners, for all aspects of BPs business. The Board recognize that in conducting its business, BP should be receptive to other relevant constituencies. British Petroleum believes that good corporate governance involves to specify the role and responsibilities and the proper utilisation of distinct skills and processes. The Board therefore focuses on activities that enable it to promote shareholders interests, such as the consideration of long-term strategy, the monitoring of executive action, and ongoing Board and executive management succession. The board gives clear guide lines for the allocation of authority for the executive management of BP through the group Chief Executive (GCE) and these can be seen in the Governing principle The BP Goal The Goal of British petroleum is to maximize the shareholders value by investing the resources to activities in the oil, natural gas, petrochemical and energy business. The role of the Board The Board is collectively responsible for pursuing the BP Goal and is accountable to shareholders for all the actions of BP. The Boards role is to govern BP by discharging its sole responsibilities, which include Focus primarily on strategic issues; Regard to economic, political and social issues and any other relevant external Matters which may influence or affect the development of BPs business; and Exemplify through these Board Principles and its expectations for the conduct of the BP business and its employees. The Board and its processes The Board will take into confidence and seek to obtain the view of the shareholder as a whole, the board will decide the agenda for the financial year and these will be done with consultation of chairman, general chief executive and company secretary. Discussion at Board meetings will be open and constructive and the record will be kept confidential, unless there is a specific decision or legal requirement to make disclosure. The entire director can obtain independent professional advice relating to directors own responsibilities and the affairs of BP. Board Composition and Compensation Composition, Size, Independence and Tenure The Board comprise a experienced individuals with appropriate range of knowledge and working principle in Experience in dealing with strategic issues and long-term perspectives; Leadership experience, a superior knowledge of business principles and capacity Independent thought; Ability to participate constructively in deliberations; and Willingness to exercise authority in a collective manner. The director are elected annually by shareholder and half of director excluding the chairman, are non-executive director. Board and Director Evaluation The Board will evaluate its own working condition and performance including the work of its committees and this is done to keep the efficiency of the board. The performance and contribution of individual directors as members of the Board will be reviewed periodically, with the Chairmans performance being reviewed annually. The non executive will monitor the work of General chief Executive, the performance of the Executive directors will be monitored by the GCE and Non-Executive directors. Board Induction and Education All the directors will be given induction and training program for enable them to fulfil their responsibilities as directors, all the directors especially non-executive directors are prepared give sufficient time for the discharge of their BP responsibilities. The board will be kept informed by the directors through company secretary. The Nomination Committee will keep under review the commitments of Non-Executive directors and make recommendations to the Board if the Committee concludes that a directors other commitments are inconsistent with those required by BP. Role of the Chairman The Chairman will the leader of the board and act as facilitator, and has authority to act and speak for the board meeting on matter relating to the board principle. The Chairman is empowered to make any decision, establish any policy, take any action or enter into any obligation which is consistent with the Board Principles. and, in so doing, may interpret the Board Principles in any reasonable manner. The Chairman will ensure that systems are in place to provide directors with accurate, timely and clear information to enable the Board to consider properly all matters before it. The Chairman is responsible for ensuring the integrity and effectiveness of the Board Principles. The chairman role is clearly followed as per Sir Adrian Cadbury observation the primary task of chairman is to chair the board. This is the work they have been appointed to do and, however the duties at the top of the company may be divided. Chairing the board is their responsibility alone (p. 78). He clear highlights an important difference between CEOs and chairman. This principle is adhered by the British Petroleum as per Sir Adrian Cadbury statement on chairman. Role of the Deputy Chairman The Deputy Chairman will play as role of chairman in his absence and deputy Chairman normally serve as the Boards Senior Independent Director and will be accessible to shareholders who have concerns that cannot be addressed through normal channels. The Company Secretary The company secretary is selected by the nomination committee and all the board members have access to the advise and service of company secretary. The Company Secretary is responsible for advising the Board and the Committees onà all governance matters, ensuring that Board procedures are followed, that the applicable laws and regulations for the conduct of the affairs of the Board are complied with and for all matters associated with the maintenance of the board Board Committees The Board consists of permanent committee which are as The Chairmans Committee, Safety, Ethics and Environment Assurance Committee (SEEAC), Remuneration Committee, Audit Committee, Nomination Committee Chairmans Committee: Consist of chairman and all non-executive Directors and it work include; Evaluate the performance and the efficiency of the GCE Review the structure and systems for senior executive development and determine the succession plan for the GCE, the Executive directors and other senior membersà of executive management Determine any other matter which is appropriate to be considered by all of theà Non-Executive directors Safety, Ethics and Environment Assurance Committee: consist of four to six Non-Executive Directors and it work include Monitor and obtain assurance that the management or mitigation of significant BP risks of a non-financial nature is appropriately addressed by the GCE Receive and review regular reports from the GCE or his delegate, the Group Internalà Auditor and the Group Compliance and Ethics Officer regarding the GCEs adherenceà to the relevant Executive Limitations and his management in responding to risk Review material to be placed before shareholders which addresses environmental,à safety and ethical performance and make recommendations to the Board aboutà their adoption and publication Remuneration Committee: Consist of at least three Non-Executive Directors and it work include Determine the terms of engagement and remuneration of the GCE and the Executive directors and to report on those to shareholdersà Determine on behalf of the Board matters of policy over which BP has authorityà relating to the establishment or operation of BPs pension scheme of which the Audit Committee: Consist four to six Non-Executive Directors and it work include Monitor and obtain guarantee that the GCEs internal control system is in place and implemented effectively in the observance of the audit and relevant toExecutive Limitations Review regular reports from the GCE or his delegate, the Group Internal Auditor and the Group Compliance and Ethics Officer which evidence the GCEs adherence to the relevant Executive Limitations and his management in responding to risk Review all financial disclosure documents including quarterly results, annual accounts, prospectuses, information and offering memoranda to be placed before shareholders or filed with regulatory bodies and make recommendations to the Board about their adoption and publication Nomination Committee: Consist of chairman and chairs of SEEAC, Audit and Remuneration committee and it work include Categorise recommend candidates for appointment or reappointment as directors and company secretary Review the mix of knowledge, skills and experience of the Board to ensure the orderly succession of directors Evaluate outside directorship/commitments of the Non-Executive directors Risk and Internal Control The GCE will not cause or permit BP to operate without a comprehensive systemà of controls and internal audit to identify and manage the risks that are material to BP,à to protect BPs assets and to monitor the application of BPs resources in a mannerà which meets the standards of external auditors. (BP governing plc extract from bp.com) Weakness of corporate governance structure in British petroleum In the wake up of Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the corporate governance structure and the governing principle collapsed , the oil giant send uncharismatic leader, chief executive Tony Hayward to placate its major partners and stakeholder. Instead, BP should quickly provide new leadership and replace its ineffective top decision-makers. That would be just the first step in trying to win back the confidence of its partners and regaining investors trust while it continues to work on stopping the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico and cleaning up the environmental disaster its created,The Financial Times in an editorial on July 6 said theres an urgent need for changes at the top of BP. And foremost investor Warren Buffett has said Hayward needs to be replaced for the good of both BP and the U.S. The FT made clear what it believes BP should do: There is no question that top management will have to be changed following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. It noted that BPs response has exposed shortcomings in leadership and presentation.(Gene Marcial, financial columnist in Daily finance 7/12/2010) Analyst Lucy Haskins of Barclays Capital in a recent report noted that there are serious corporate governance questions given the magnitude of events at BP, which she describes as structurally disadvantaged. Haskin advises BPs nonexecutive directors should should change the whole corporate governing system of the company, like appointing new CEO and new leadership team.(Analyst Lucy Haskins of Barclays Capital in financial times December 2010) As we can see, on paper, BP addressed the management teams responsibilities in their corporate governance program. It is this same program that is being rated by Management Excellence and ranked accordingly. BP ranked number three on the list and surprising to many as BP ethics are based solely on board structure and policies. If the rating were based on management actions then we would have a new ranking, as ethics should be based on the verbs that management take in the day-to-day operations of the company; not the policies.Ãâà Olsen (2005) points to BP having more fatalities than compared to other company and also the recent 11 death in the April 20, 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon (Casselman, 2010). Considering death toll of BP and disaster like the Texas Refinery explosion, pipeline leaks, illegal doming, and the Gulf Coast oil leak, we feel some things out of place and the rating system has it wrong, as environmental issues cannot be measured by policy and Procedure but the actual action and their day-to-day activities to gauge the ethical behaviour. Effective boardrooms need to be able to perceive fraud and misdeeds within their organization. To accomplish this, directors need to make sure they have internal controls that monitor, detect, and measure the usefulness of red flags. Employees and management must be properly trained to spot red flags within the scope of their job functions. Properly trained employees and management should be able to spot red flags sooner; leading to a reduction in cost per incident for fraudulent activities within the organization.Ãâà Creating an effective board, by utilizing Leblanc and Gillies (2003) model, can strengthen the overall sustainability of an organization. Effective boards have to understand the ethical risks, red flags, and internal controls within their organization. As failure to do so, often leads to a road, no one wishes to go down As per Tony Jackson review in Financial times British Petroleum has a stubborn nature of corporate culture which is difficult to change and also has defective safety culture. If we go through BP annual report which shows its top priorities are safety but it has not adhered to this statement as seen from Texas refinery explosion and Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Independent safety expert has given advise about BP US refinery safety upto to scratch and from we can assume there specific problem of corporate governance, Several investment professionals have said recently that the BP affair underlines the duty of owners to examine companies on safety. The recently refurbished UK Corporate Governance Code lays out the official position. The board, it says, is responsible for determining the nature and extent of the significant risks it is willing to take in achieving its strategic objectives. The board should maintain sound risk management and internal control systems. In other words top level management policy is not carried in execution below and this will make us believe the hypothesis of weak corporate governance in BP. Several institutional investors didnt buy BP share because of before the disaster because of safety worries. These all indicate weakness in safety, Ethics and environment Assurance Committee and actual fact the work is not up to mark of the committee Recommendation for good corporate governance in British Petroleum In general, we would recommend that corporate governance structure should establish a relationship among a company, its shareholders, and society in order to promote a fair, transparent, and accountable principle in an enterprise. Furthermore, the board of directors should be independent from the sphere of influence of the CEO and senior management. The board must bear no material relationship between the corporation and major independent directors. The Board should fallow the combined code of UK and Sarbanes-Oxley act of US as per the company operation of BP Refineries. Corporate governance structure for a particular firm must fulfill with societal norms to maintain legitimacy and resources in that society. In the model of corporate governance structure for firms developed in this manuscript, norms included economic, political, social and ethical norms Further, compliance by all the five groups of corporate governance structure -the Board of Directors external analysts, regulators, outside advisors and management form the model of corporate governance and all the group should remain independent in order to maintain check and balance The more proactive role is needed by the states and companies for the development process aimed at balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability and social cohesion, has motivated the following three interlinked business movements: This can be done by the following way Worldwide reforms on corporate governance. Corporate social responsibility SUMMARY In critically examining the case of British petroleum we have discussed with example of how corporate governance failures directly led to the fall in share price and loss of confidence in investor community. Though it is a helpful example to study and provide a scholarly discussion of the destructive effects a failure of corporate governance structures and corporate social responsibility can have on a companys shareholders, stakeholders, and society in general; a broader analysis leads us to conclude that having a governance structure in place that blends all appropriate norms of ethical, social, political and economic facets of society will have the most lasting and positive impact on all stakeholders. The interaction of all groups in the corporate governance structure is needed to help a corporations abide by best practices at all times. Sound corporate governance give confidence in the investors that the business environment in which the company operates is fair and transparent. It tells investors that that the company is made up of conscientious employees who respect the rights to ethics of care, justice, rights and utility. Overall, the notion of corporate governance is contained in the ethics of care, justice, rights and utility, and this is why it is of supreme importance in all business entities. Reference and Bibliography New UK Corporate Governance Code in force from 29 June 2010 BP plc -Board Governing Principle, September 20,2010 from bp.com Takis katsoulakos and Yannis Kat soulacos, Emerald Group publishing Ltd, Volume. 7 no. 4 2007,pp-355-369, Uche Nwabueze and Joan Mileski, Emerald group publishing Ltd, Volume 8 no .5, pp 583-594 Tony Jackson (2010), BP must ensure Its good intension become reality. Financial times, 27 June Oil spill Panels Reilly Fault Regulator, Wall street Journal(online), New York, March 4th ,2011 Leblanc R Gilllies J(2003), The coming revolution in corporate governance, Ivey Business Journal BP leads nation in Refinery Fatalities, Retrieved (2010), 1st October Ross, M (2008) 1st April, Fraud Red Flags Mallin A C (2010) 3rd edition, Corporate Governance Guler Aras David Crowther (2009), A Handbook of Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Robert G Monks and Nell Minow(2004), 3rd edition, Corporate Governance Joseph. B. White, Proquest Document ID: 2282002181, Source , Newspaper British Petroleum Annual Report 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)