Capital Punishment Essays (1820 words) - Human Rights,

Capital Punishment Capital punishment is the lawful infliction of the death penalty and since ancient times it has been used to punish a wide variety of offenses. The Bible prescribes death for murder and many other crimes such as kidnapping and witchcraft. Major felonies carry the death penalty and some of these felonies are treason, murder, larceny, burglary, rape, and arson. In the 1800's however, England enacted many new capital offenses, and hundreds of persons were being sentenced to death each year. In the United States prior to the Civil War the death penalty was imposed on slaves for many crimes, but the penalty for others were less severe. Today, in 37 of the 50 states you can be sentenced to death if found guilty of a crime worthy of the death penalty. The United States is the only western democratic nation that has not banned the practice of capital punishment (Levine 160). Capital punishment is not answer to crime. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only lig ht can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction" (mccsc.edu). Due to lack of a fair trial, innocence on death row, and the myth that it saves citizens money, the death penalty should be abolished. The US constitution states, "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense." The US system is very good about keeping this right for every accused criminal. Although, there are those lawyers who don't care about the people they represent. There are lawyers who have passed the bar, and have taken the oath to honorably defend. However, because of their illegal and immoral actions they were disbarred. Lawyers like this should not defend the accused, but they do. This does not protect the right to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense. A major aspect of the death penalty is that it is final. So what should happen if mistakes are made? As of today April 28, 2000 there are about 3,500 men and women on death row (icomm.ca/aiusa). Even if only half of one percent were innocent that would mean that about 16 people are waiting their death for a crime they did not commit. There are so many aspects that go into the conviction that it is impossible to have an infallible legal system. Witnesses can mistake identification, false testimony can be given, and an overall prejudice can all affect the outcome of a trial. Prejudice and inadequate defense can all lead to a false death sentence. People who advocate the death penalty argue the point that it is cheaper to kill an inmate on death row, than it is to house them in a correctional facility. The idea is because they are dead the taxpayers will not have to pay for the inmate. One aspect that contributes to the support of capital punishment is that it affirms the principle of the rule of law. Law should be reflective over the ideas of the community that is outraged over the vicious crimes. Therefore, it would be fitting to sentence a punishment that is worthy of the crime. When a child is growing up and he takes a cookie out of the cookie jar, parents would say something like, "OK, well now you can not have any sweets after dinner." They would not ground the child for a week. It is human nature to make a punishment that fits the crime. In these terms the death penalty would be a sensible punishment. It states in the Bible an eye for an eye, which would support this claim fully. Although the sixth Commandment also states that though shall not kill. So because one sin has

Visit The Cosmic Pillars of Creation, Again

Visit The Cosmic Pillars of Creation, Again Do you remember the first time you saw the Pillars of Creation? This cosmic object and the ghostly images of it that showed up in January 1995, made by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope, captured peoples imaginations with their beauty. The PIllars are part of a a starbirth region similar to the Orion Nebula and others in our own galaxy where hot young stars are heating up clouds of gas and dust and where stellar EGGs (short for evaporating gaseous globules) are still forming stars that may someday light up that part of the galaxy.  Ã‚   The clouds that make up the Pillars are seeded with young protostellar objects- essentially starbabies- hidden away from our view. Or, at least they were until astronomers developed a way to use infrared-sensitive instruments to look through those clouds to get at the babies within. The image here is the result of Hubbles ability to peer past the veil that hides starbirth from our prying eyes. The view is amazing.   Now Hubble has been pointed again toward the the famous pillars. Its Wide-Field 3 camera captured the multi-colored glow of the nebulas gas clouds, revealed wispy tendrils of dark cosmic dust, and looks at the rust-coloured elephants’ trunk-shaped pillars. The telescopes   visible-light image it took provided an updated, sharper view of the scene that so caught everyones attention in 1995.   In addition to this new visible-light image, Hubble has provided a detailed view that youd get if you could strip away the clouds of gas and dust hiding the stellar newborns in the pillars, which is what an infrared light view gives you the ability to do.    Infrared penetrates much of the obscuring dust and gas and unveils a more unfamiliar view of the pillars, transforming them into wispy silhouettes set against a background peppered with stars. Those newborn stars, hidden in the visible-light view, show up clearly as they form within the pillars themselves. Although the original image was dubbed the Pillars of Creation, this new image shows that they are also pillars of destruction.    How does that work?   There are hot, young stars out of the field of view in these images, and they emit strong radiation which destroys the dust and gas in these pillars. Essentially, the pillars are being eroded by strong winds from those massive young stars. The ghostly bluish haze around the dense edges of the pillars in the visible-light view is material that is being heated by bright young stars and evaporating away. So, its entirely possible that the young stars that havent cleared their pillars could be choked off from forming further as their older siblings cannibalize the gas and dust they need to form.   Ironically, the same radiation that tears apart the pillars is also responsible for lighting them up and causing the gas and dust to glow so that Hubble can see them.   These arent the only clouds of gas and dust that are being sculpted by the action of hot, young stars. Astronomers find such intricate clouds around the Milky Way Galaxy- and in nearby galaxies as well. We know they exist in such places as the Carina nebula(in the southern hemisphere sky) which also contains a spectacular supermassive star about to blow up called Eta Carinae.   And, as astronomers use Hubble and other telescopes to study these places over long periods of time, they can trace motions in the clouds (presumably by jets of material flowing away from the hidden hot young stars, for example), and watch as the forces of star creation do their thing.   The Pillars of Creation lie about 6,500 light-years away from us and is part of a larger cloud of gas and dust called the Eagle Nebula, in the constellation Serpens.

Law of Tort Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law of Tort - Research Paper Example Torts can be classified into three categories depending on the nature of the defendant’s conduct: intentional torts, strict liability torts and torts of negligence (Edwards, et al., 2009). An intentional tort is a tort that describes a civil wrong resultant from a deliberate act on the part of the defendant. Intentional torts usually involve actions which may also constitute a crime, for example an assault. However, a tort should be distinguished from a crime. Strict liability torts refer to situations where an individual is liable for injury of another no matter the precautions that were taken. This type of torts is found to a lesser degree, more often than not in the context of product liability. Negligence as a tort decides legal responsibility for slapdash action or inaction which causes injury. Thus, the tort of negligence covers a wide span of human activity and it may not necessarily be concerned with the activity itself but also the manner in which the activity is carr ied out. A negligent conduct is that which falls bellow an acceptable standard and it will mount up to a tort if it causes damage to a party. Negligence will be proved where the defendant owed the claimant a duty of care, the defendant breached that duty of care, the breach resulted to harm or damage to the plaintiff and lastly, the type of damage suffered by the plaintiff is closely related to the defendant’s conduct/actions (Stuhmcke, 2001). The objectives of the law of tort are to compensate victims of injury and loss and protect the interests of individuals that are their reputation, property etc. The other objective of the law of tort is to ensure that individuals check their actions and realize that they affect other people. It also provides the means whereby a person who regards himself or herself as above suspicion in a dispute can be judged by being declared in public to be on the right by a court (Postema, 2002). The person who commits a tort is known as a tortfeaso r and the one to who suffers the damage is known as the tortfeasee. The Duty of Care Element For a tort of negligence to occur, the defendant must have been bound to perform some duty, that is, a defendant is only liable in negligence to a person to whom the defendant owes a duty of care and if this element is absent, the action of negligence will fail (Heaven v Pender, 1883). In this case, an owner of a dry dock supplied ropes that were used to support a phase that has been slung over the ship’s side. The stage failed because it had been previously burned and it injured an employee of a different contractor who was working over the ship’s side. The court held that the defendant, who as the ship owner was liable of tort of negligence because he failed to carry out his duty of care by checking the condition of the ropes before using them (Reid & Zimmermann, 2000). Thereza being an employer of the twenty employees, she has a duty to take due care and diligence when deali ng with them. She has a duty to fairly remunerate them as agreed in the employment contract and provide a good working environment for her workers which ensures employee health is maintained. She is also bound to supply the employees with the necessary tools and equipments to enable them carry out their work and maintain their safety. Another duty of Thereza as the ‘

Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 15

Assignment 2 - Essay Example cussion by Timiraos in the journal article is that people who are not credit defaulters or have fairly good credit scores below 620 will have the opportunity to own homes at reduced interest rates as well as reduced percentage required for a down payment from 3.5% to 3% in the two leading financial mortgage organizations: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The program by the federal government has ensured that this is possible but not to everybody and not in every financial institutions including banks. What the federal regulation has not shed into light and which if not properly explained might raise hopes of people for nothing is that those qualifying for the 3% down payment are required to not only have perfect credit when it comes to loan payment but are required to have mortgage insurance. Having mortgage insurance is an added cost to the people and hence they are even better off with the 3.5% down payment that was present initially. The banks also offer mortgage loans for the people but they do not do so for everybody and are even afraid to implement the federal regulation as a result of the losses they incur with mortgage defaulters. They are left at losses and in order to avoid this, they select very few people to provide the mortgages to. All is not gloomy about the regulations as is evident from the increase in housing contracts by new home buyers. The sales and contracts from the time the federal regulations were announced have increased by around 0.3% and this is very encouraging. The prices of homes have been increasing which makes buying a house on cash basis very hard for majority of the people. However, with the new regulations, people are bound to get loans to purchase their houses no matter the price. The federal government is trying its best but with the slow reaction and more negative than positive results of the regulations, they are bound to ease the conditions and make better the regulations. The mortgage is most likely to get cheaper and more

Life Now And Life Five Years Ago English Language Essay

Life Now And Life Five Years Ago English Language Essay My life now and my life five years ago are similar but there are also some major differences. Five years ago,I was living in Havre and going to high school. I didnt have to work because my parents supported me. I went to school everyday and spent time with my friends. I babysat my nieces everyday after school because both of my parents were working at the time. I had the responsibility of feeding them and making sure nothing happened to them while I was watching them. I didnt really have any major goals five years ago. I wasnt really thinking about my future quite yet. On the other hand, now I live in Great Falls and Im not in high school anymore. I have to work now in order to support myself. I only work twenty hours a week because Im in school right now. I have a lot more responsibility now than I did five years ago. I have to take responsibility for myself now and everything that I do. I have a lot of major goals now. For instance, I want to graduate and get my two year degree. I want to come back and get a bachelors degree. I have a lot of things that I want to accomplish now. Five years ago, I really wasnt going anywhere with my life, but now Im starting to get my life in order and deciding what I want to do. In addition,I am still living at home with my parents and I still go to school. I still baby sit my nieces every once in a while. I find time to spend with my family and friends. I still have some of the same responsibilities. I help my mom take care of my oldest niece. She has always lived with us, so Ive always helped take care of her ever since she was a baby. Even though she is not a baby anymore,I still have to baby sit her when my parents are gone because she is not quite old enough to stay by herself yet. I still have to depend on my parents for transportation because I dont have a vehicle right now. My life now has changed a lot in only five years. ~Â © 2005 Brandy Doney~ My Brothers There are many differences and likenesses between my two brothers. Glenn, my eldest brother, was very rebellious as a teenager. For example, he would go out drinking all night with his buddies, and was always looking for trouble. Eric, whom is older then me, but younger than Glenn, was not rebellious as a teenager. A couple of examples are the fact that Eric always put his academics ahead of everything and stayed out of trouble. Glenn did not attend college, but pursued a career in the military. Where as Eric did attend college, became a pharmacist, and is in the Army National Guard. They are both religious, but Glenn is a Catholic who speaks with anyone and everyone about his religion, and Eric is a Christian who lets you believe what you believe. Glenn is a very manly person. He hides his emotions, is very handy around the house, and runs his family in the military style. Eric is a semi-feminine person. He shows his emotions, hires someone else to fix things around the house, and d oes not run his home in the military life style. Glenn is overly protective of his family. Eric is protective, but not overly protective of his family. Both Glenn and Eric have a wonderful sense of humor. There is never a dull moment when they are in the same room. Another likeness is that they both have served time in Iraq. They went over to Iraq within one month of each other, and are coming home within one or two months of each other. It has been very difficult for our family having the only two boys in Iraq. Glenn and Eric are both married to their high school sweethearts, and have had large families. Glenn has three boys, and one girl. Eric has three girls. Lastly, they both own beautiful homes that are comfortable for their family sizes. My brothers are very different, yet similar. ~Â © 2005 Kelly Deck~ Phones Although cell phones and regular phones have the same purpose and they both work the same, they have many differences as well. For example a cell phone has to have at least six service bars in order to talk an dthe battery has to have a charge before it will work. The battery needs to charge for about an hour but it depends on what kind of charger you use. The charger that comes with the cell phone doesnt take as long to charge the phone as chargers purchased over the counter. A hard wired phone, one that has to be installed through wiring within your home, can be used anywhere in your home and is maintained by telephone servicemen. some of hard wired phones are cordless, which means they can be used throughout the home and even in the yard. You cant take your hard wired phone with you in your vehicle because service is limited to just a short range. A cordless phone has to be returned to its base periodically to be recharged. With your cell phone, someone can leave you a message an dyou can get it right on the phone where as on a home phone, you have to have an answering machine. Although they have many differences, they also have some similarities. They both have to be charged in order to keep the battery full an dthe phone working. You can use both to make an drecieve a call. They also both ring t tell you that you have an incomming call. A cell phone can be programed for special rings but a hard wired phone has only one ring tone. Cell phones are much smaller in apperance than a hard wired phone. Cell phones may have different apperences and gadgets but they both serve the same purpose. ~(c)2005 Laura White~ Compare Contrast: Errors

Public Company and Patagonia

As resources and commodity's decrease, it is harder and harder to make a difference in the world today. Patagonia continues to work hard to do their part with the resources that are available. Patagonia is a privately held outdoor clothing company based out of Ventura, California that generates yearly sales of approximately $540 million. Patagonia has developed outdoor apparel that is marketed towards outdoor sports, travel and every day wear. The company integrates Its core values into every product that it produces. They are known for their innovative designs, and environmental responsibility.Its high integrity and commitment to the environment has placed Patagonia on the Deciphers Institute's â€Å"WorldS Most Ethical Companies† list for SIX consecutive years since the list was first developed In 2007 (Unknown, WOMEN Honorees, 2012). This case analysis will examine the history of Patagonia, and Its business philosophy. Patagonians business model will be evaluated as well as the captured cost and value of the company. Next, we will examine Patagonians environmental position and its sustainability. The product lifestyle initiative will be analyzed and how well it worked for the company.Patagonians financial statements are important to determine the success of the company's financial goals. Lastly, I will share some lessons that I learned from Patagonia and this case study. History Patagonia was started from one entrepreneur's passion. Hypochondriac, founder of Patagonia, developed a passion for rock climbing. In 1953 his passions brought him west to the San Fernando Valley in California, where he became an expert at climbing. He knew that he couldn't explore his passion of climbing the way he wanted to because of limited appropriate climbing gear available.The only available climbing ear were pitons, which are metal spikes that were driven Into cracks or seams In the rocks. Pitons are left In the rock, meaning that a long climb could require hundreds of these tools. After frustration, and financial hardship, Schoolyard became Inspired after meeting a Swiss climber that had crafted his own set of iron pitons. He turned pitons that were stronger than what was currently on the market. Word of Cinnabar's invention spread, and he began selling his pitons out of the back of his car for $1. 50 each.Although the hobby was enough to support him, he often lived on less than a dollar day. Drifting along the California coast, climbing in Yosemite, and surfing in Baja, Cinchonas was happy with his lifestyle. By 1966 Cinchonas decided to partner with Tom and Doreen Frost to create Cinchonas Equipment. They quickly became the largest supplier in the United States. For nearly a decade Cinchonas and Frost made improvements on nearly every climbing tool. Tom and Doreen worked with Cinchonas â€Å"Just to pay the bills†. In 1972 Cinchonas Equipment added an outdoor apparel line called â€Å"Patagonia†.Patagonia grew very quickly. Cinch onas and his wife Melinda knew they wanted to sell items that would have a minimal impact on he environment. So they made many decisions in their business approach that would help the environment such as using organic cotton to make t-shirts. Soon after the establishment of Patagonia, it became its own company, no longer under the ownership of Cinchonas equipment. However, like many start-up companies, Patagonia tried to expand too quickly. Growing its sales from $20 million to $100 million as well as expanding its services into Japan and Europe.This wide-scale expansion placed Patagonia into a dire financial situation. The recession that took place in the ass's forced the company to lay off about 20% of its staff. Patagonia continued to grow despite some of the financial troubles that they faced (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010). Cinchonas did not allow the recession or the financial troubles of the company to stop his vision for Patagonia. Instead, he chose to go in a more sust ainable direction. The company switched to the more expensive organic cotton in 1996, a risky business move considering it increased the firm's supply costs.However, no other company was producing clothes with organic cotton. He invested in other sustainable materials and decided to make products more durable. This session a risky move because companies often rely on consumers coming back to get replacement products. Plausibly, the more durable the product, the less customers will need to purchase for replacement. However, the exact opposite occurred: consumers were more willing to do business with Patagonia due to its environmental consciousness and the fact that they could trust Patagonians products to last a long time.Connoisseurship's on Business Cinchonas used Patagonia as an experiment to â€Å"challenge conventional wisdom and present a new style of responsible business† (McAllen, 2011). He wanted to stay way from the traditional way of doing business, and focused his efforts on â€Å"doing the right thing†, rather than on profits. Doing the right thing for Cinchonas meant ensuring that every decision that was made regarding the business, was environmentally sound and responsible. One decision that he made was to no longer use anti-odor technology because it was not safe for the environment.The competition Patagonians products were comparable to those of their competitors. Other stores in the industry such as North Face, Marmot Mountain, and Mountain Hardware, all shared the same interest of selling outdoor apparel. However, because of quality, environmental impact, and innovation, Patagonia is able to charge more for their and some of the top outdoor sportswear companies in the industry during 2009. Patagonians gross profit margin for 2010 was 52. 6%. Whereas the average gross profit margin of the other five companies (Columbia Sportswear, V. F.Corporation, Nikkei, and Timberland) was $44. 95%. Not to mention Patagonians 12- month Net Inc ome Growth for 2010 was 42. 5%, which was substantially higher than the average net income growth of its competitors at 26. 525% (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010, p. 12). This goes to show that despite the company's more expensive product, consumers were willing to pay more for higher quality, and items that were environmentally safe. Marketing isn't that important Patagonia used a much different marketing approach than its competitors, using less than 1% of its sales towards marketing and advertising.They have strengthened their brand based upon their environmental commitment, and â€Å"profit sharing with environmental causes† (Alienist & Door-Near, 2012). As social media becomes more popular, and ads are now a part of what one sees when scrolling down their timeline, any companies get free advertising. The company took advantage of this and used it as an outlet to communicate to consumers and the public. Although it would have given them possibly some advantage, Patagon ia did not use its environmental stance as part of their marketing tool.However they educated the public on the impact that their company had on the environment. Doing so attracted more consumers. Patagonia uses its website not Just for selling outdoor apparel but also as an educational tool about the environment, and the products that the company uses in its production. The type of information that Patagonia put on their website shows that the company has taken their business very serious and that they are aware of their environmental responsibility. They use the website not Just to sell the items, but to showcase that they items that are produced show corporate responsibility.In addition to the information on their website, Patagonia at times did put out ads for their company. The advertisements were usually very short and included educational messages. They believe that it is more important to show people useful information that will help enhance their lives. In a recent intervie w Patagonia UP Joy Howard stated that their position is to â€Å"solve problems in the world,† and that advertising is the â€Å"dead last thing† to the company (McAllen, 2011). This goes to show that the company is more focused on the environmental sustainability than on profitability.Educating consumers about what they are buying and how it affects the environment, sells the product itself. Exhibit Use of organically grown cotton Patagonians concern for the environment also caused them to decide to use organic cotton in their clothing. They wanted to continue to follow their mission tenement of â€Å"Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis† (Unknown, Company Info, n. D. ). Cotton is one of the world's most insect dependent crops, therefore causing a risk to the environment because of the pesticides that are used.In 1996 Patagonia switched apparel to 100% organic cotton produ cts. They already had clothing that was made with conventional cotton, and made up about 20% of the company's sales, but switching to organic cotton was a risk that they were willing to take. Patagonia was not the first company to use organic cotton. The decision to clothing companies decided to cancel their organic cotton line, so it was perfect timing for Patagonia to drop their line. Although initially Patagonia found success in introducing its organic cotton products, they also faced some challenges.Because of the items and styles that were unavailable for production using organic cotton and because some of the suppliers refused to switch to organic cotton citing â€Å"lack of supplier alternatives and skepticism about the market potential†, Patagonia had to decrease its product line in order to stay in line with the 100% organic cotton initiative that they made. Due to the increased price for organic cotton, the company's costs increased. Product costs increased 25-30% w ith the use of the organic cotton. Organic cotton had a drastic decline in production, therefore costs were higher than normal.In addition, Patagonia struggled to maintain the quality of its product, once they switched. With cotton products making up more than 20% of the company's sales (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010), they were forced to get it right, and to make their product desirable enough to sell. Business Model: Does it really work? A business model is a model that is designed for the successful operation of the equines, identifying customer base, revenue sources, products and details of financing. Patagonia seems to have a business model that has helped the company be very successful and remain relevant amongst its customers and competitors.They have stayed true to their core values which is to provide quality, integrity, and environmentalism. Since the start- up of Patagonia, they have never operated under conventionalism, and has continued to stand out from every othe r outdoor apparel chain. Focusing more on environmental sustainability and social responsibility rather Han profits, Patagonia has become the worldwide leader of environmentally responsible business. They have continued to remain innovative in their approach to doing business, as well as in the product development and marketing.Creating and Capturing Value Achieving Growth, being Profitable, and minimizing ecological expenses are somewhat contradictory goals but somehow Patagonia has been very successful at achieving these goals. Their business model is based on making minimum environmental impact but creating products that have create value, without compromising the company's capital. In order to stand apart from competition, Patagonia has effectively positioned itself as a supplier of superior quality products and has continued to commit itself to minimize its impact on the environment, once again staying true to its core values, and mission statement.On the supply side of the bus iness the company uses activities and relationships along the value chain that provide the finished goods and create value. The company has been able to create value by creating integrity in its product and product's performance. The company shows confidence in the product that they create, by offering warranties and as well s the promise to provide replacement products when items become too worn. They also creates value by using only quality materials such as organic cotton when manufacturing its products.They have also created value by influencing the customer's experience. Patagonians uses catalogs that don't focus so much on selling their product as other companies do, but the catalogs are informational in nature regarding the environment (Wang, 2010). Patagonia also only works with suppliers responsibility, therefore never compromising the value of the company or its products. Patagonia has also created a social and psychological factor through their advertising, educational me ssages, donations, and campaigns.This has helped the company capture value because the company differentiated themselves from its competitors and other apparel companies, and it gave consumers the willingness to purchase a product with quality despite the fact that their apparel was more expensive than its competitors. The fact that Patagonia cares about the environment, and customers feel that they can trust their product, consumers are willing to pay more for Patagonians products.Sustainable future Patagonians business model is not one that is begging for consumers to come in a arches their product on an impulse. In fact their model is designed to do the exact opposite. In 2004 Hypochondriac, wrote in a black Friday ad â€Å"Don't buy this shirt, unless you need it† (Exhibit 1). This statement was not made because Cinchonas doesn't want his items to sell, or doesn't want the business, he made the statement because he wants his consumers to make responsible decisions that wi ll have a positive effect on the environment.He helps consumers make those smarter decisions by producing items that last longer and that do not need to be replaced as often. Patagonians Environmental Position Patagonians business model supports environmental position in that the company makes a deliberate attempt to focus more on the products that they sell rather than on the profits that they make. They do so by launching such initiatives as their Product Lifestyle Initiative where they encourage consumers to reduce, repair, reuse, and recycle their Patagonia purchased products.This particular initiative does not focus on profit, it actually costs the company more money, however, they choose to stay focused on acting environmentally responsible, and not causing unnecessary harm to the environment. For the most part, Patagonia has used the same business model since it opens its doors in 1972. Their focus has always been the same, â€Å"inspire and implement solutions to the enviro nmental crisis† (Unknown, Environmental and Social Responsibility, n. D. Over the last 40 years, Patagonia has become a leader in the industry have implemented many environmental and social initiatives such as; using only organic cotton in its cotton products since 1996; redefining corporate transparency through its Footprint Chronicle† website – documenting what is working in the supply chain, what's not, and steps the company is doing to address TTS challenges; launching its Common Threads Partnership, which invites customers to take mutual responsibility for the entire life cycle of the company's products through the 5 Or's: reduce, repair, reuse, recycle and remained; becoming the first brand member of the [email  protected] system; being one of the first California companies to switch to wind energy upon deregulation and adding on-site solar energy systems; being the first company in California to incorporate as a benefit corporation launching $20 Million & Change, a fund to help like-minded responsible start-up companies; and Becoming one of he first U. S. Outdoor apparel companies to introduce Fair Trade Certified†* garments (for fall 2014). (Elks, 2013) resources to help the environment and still maintain its integrity as well as follow its mission statement. They have continued to remain as the leading outdoor apparel company with more than $600 million revenue in 2013. Patagonia has not slowed down.Their business model has worked for them over the last 40 years. As times continue to change and other retailers pick up on Patagonians business practices, such as being more environmentally conscience, the use of organically grown cotton, he product differentiation threatens the sustainability of Patagonians business model. Other retailers offering a similar product as Patagonia, affects their gross profit margin, therefore causing Patagonia to continue evolve and spend more money to create product differentiation within their o rganization. Patagonians business model does place some pressure on their environmental stance and could cause some conflict in providing high quality products.Although consumers are willing to purchase products from Patagonia at a high price, with initiatives such as the Product Life Cycle, consumers are purchasing less, and Patagonia will overall have more overhead, due the repairs that they are offering their consumers. If consumers aren't buying as often, it will be difficult for Patagonia to continue to purchase the high quality materials that they use to produce their garments. Product Lifestyle Initiative: â€Å"Reduce, Repair, Reuse, and Recycle† The Product Lifestyle Initiative was a plan by Patagonia to help customers to buy only what they really needed, and encourage them to reduce their consumption.Patagonia would promise to provide their customers with high quality garments, and roved a guarantee that would allow customers to have their items repaired if anything ever happened to them as many times as needed. Once the products are no longer wanted, the customers are asked to â€Å"facilitate its reuse† (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010). The store planned on doing this by creating an online swap meet. Once all options were exhausted and there is no longer use for the product, customers are asked to recycle their items with Patagonia. In planning for this initiative to take off, the executives acknowledged many obstacles that would hinder the success of the initiative.Analysis of the Initiative As Patagonia stays focused on doing their part to not cause unnecessary harm to the environment and plans to reach and maintain 10% annual growth in sales other a five year timeshare, starting in 2010, their Product Lifestyle initiative would likely hinder the type of above average growth that they are seeking. The initiative is expected to cost $60,000 over the course of the first year of implementation (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010). Although that amount is very small compared to the amount of profit the company makes, sales would drop and cost of labor would increase. Patagonia is one of the only companies that offers to fix damaged items for customers. Through the Product Lifestyle Initiative, they will repair products from other brands, and â€Å"encourage customers to limit their consumption to only essential products,† (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010, p. 8).The Product Lifestyle Initiative however, it seems as though it will cost more to implement and maintain the initiative, than revenue that will be generated from the initiative. The initiative will cause a higher rate of product returns, and new team members will need to be hired in order to create a repair department or use a third-party vendor. In 2010 the company was insignificantly staffed to handle the existing returns. In order to accommodate the increase of returns, the stores were told to provide replacement products in order to reduce wait times. Furthermore, in order to increase â€Å"the percentage of recyclable products from 65% of products in June 2010 to 90% in spring 2011† investment in research and development would have to increase (Reinhardt, Cascade's, & Hymn, 2010).All of the things that are involved in this portion of the initiative cost more money for the company, but it does not mean that there would be more profit. The initiative does not seem to generate any venue. Although Patagonia focuses more on the environmental footprint than on profits, realistically, in order for them to stay in business and continue to grow at a steady rate, it is not beneficial for them to implement initiative that cost a more than they will be able to bring in. The replacement portion of the initiative could increase revenue for the company. Since Patagonia is willing to allow customers to bring in garments purchased from other retailers for repair, they could charge those customers a small fee.Customers who pur chased their products directly from Patagonia and are able to provide a except or some proof of purchase, could get their products repaired for free. For customers who own Patagonia products, but bought them from other sources such as used clothing stores, could still bring in their garments for repair, but at a small fee. The initiative would have no affect on the way that customers purchase products in the store nor customer behavior, but it could potentially have a negative effect on the business if implemented. Although implementing the initiative will promote responsible behavior for customers and the company, it may do more harm than good to gross profit margin.If the company is serious about continuing to grow the company 10% over the five year time frame, they would want to think about how they can implement initiatives that not only help maintain their environmental position, but also that increase their profit. Has Patagonia been successful in achieving its goal of profit? Although Patagonia spends most of its efforts focusing on its environmental responsibility, in order to remain in business and profitable they must also set financial goals. While focusing on their environmental responsibility, they set a goal to increase sales by 10% annually. Patagonia has been successful at achieving this goal. For 2011 fiscal year, Patagonia reported annual sales of $417 million.During the 2012 fiscal year Patagonia recorded its best year financially. They increased their sells by 30% earning $543 million (Shannon, 2013). As of 2012 Patagonia has doubled its revenue and tripled its profits since 2008 (Martin, 2012). They continue to perform financially although not at a consistent rate. However they have come very close to their sales goals each year and some years far exceeding that goal. Patagonia has done many things to continue to remain competitive in the outdoors apparel industry. In 2010 Patagonia Cost of goods sold and the company's sales have not been truly consistent, but they remain successful in their efforts.Although Patagonia has a history of doing well financially, Yves Chicagoan admitted in 2012 that he did not expect the company to continue to grow at the same rate as other retailers are catching on and trying to adopt some of their philosophy. Richard Jeff, a retail and apparel expert, says that Patagonia â€Å"is doing things incrementally better† (Martin, 2012). Which means that the competition is lurking closely behind. As Meany's catch on to their philosophy, Patagonia will need to be more innovative in its approach in order to continue to grow at a steady rate. What if Patagonia were publicly traded? Some of the most successful organizations are publicly traded. Companies that are publicly traded allow the market to determine the value of the company through daily stock market trading (Unknown, Public Company, 2014).Publicly traded companies have less control over the organization structure and must answer to shareholders' on certain decisions. They also give less control to the owner and company founders. Patagonia has an organization structure that is different than any other organization out there. The structure of the organization allows the company to focus on environmental awareness as opposed to profits as most companies. If Patagonia were publicly traded, the dynamic of the organization would be completely different. Being a private company, Patagonia is not required to report to stockholders or gain their approval in any way. This is one of the biggest advantages for Patagonia and their business structure.If Patagonia were publicly traded they would have to change the organization Truckee to focus more on the profit, as shareholder's would have an interest in the company, and would want to ensure that they are able to profit from any decisions that are made regarding the organization. The decision to use only organically grown cotton may not have been approved had Patagonia bee n publicly traded, because to shareholder's they could see it as a potential risk. They are able to take on greater risk because there is no one to tell them that they can't. As a publicly traded company Patagonia and its founder would have much less control over the business structure, ND every decision would be about how to gain profit. Publicly traded companies have many pressures on them including how quickly the company is expected to grow. The business model would not focus on being responsible.Not to mention as a private company, Patagonia is not required to make their financial information public, as publicly traded companies are. With sales growth reaching an average of 6% each year, and the company closely reaching their sales growth goal of 10% the current strategy works very well for Patagonia. The decision to utilize organic grown cotton in its garments, has been very successful. Patagonia has been innovative and works diligently to stay ahead in sales as well as it env ironmental operations. Being a private company has allowed Patagonians decision-makers to not only focus on what they want, but also on what is best for the company.Patagonians market strategy, though exceedingly bold, is sustainable in the sense that eccentric ideas have become their norm. In Cinnabar's book Let My People Go Surfing, he said, â€Å"it's okay to be eccentric, as long as you are The sustainability of Patagonia also falls in line with the sustainability of the planet. There are many companies that can learn from Patagonians business model forever in order to remain successful it would be difficult for some of the top retailers to remain competitive in the market should they change and adopt Patagonians practices. Patagonia has built their business and brand around a philosophy instead of around products.Their business strategy has driven up sales to 6% and continues to offer high-quality premier garments. Patagonians business model being much different than its compe titors, leaves room for continued growth and innovative ideas. Would other firms choose to follow Patagonians environmental practice? Although Patagonia has been successful in its business approach and environmental practice, it would be difficult for already established firms to successfully fully take on Patagonians environmental practices. All things being equal, if Nikkei and Patagonia were to share their practices, they would reach a Nash equilibrium. Lessons Learned Patagonia continues to focus on the environment and making a difference one step at a time.This action is commendable, especially because they are not following the norm for the industry. With the success of Patagonia I have learned that in order to be successful, you must also do what you are passionate about, and allow everything else to fall into place. That is what Cinchonas did with Patagonia. He was passionate about the environment and the affect that his decisions had on it. Although he wasn't as focused on profits as other organizations, he was able to follow his passion and have the most successful outdoor apparel company in the country. The type of passion that Yves Cinchonas has for the environment and Patagonia can definitely be applied to many aspects in life.

Mass Society Theories, Social Responsibilty Theory and the Media Essay

The first half of the twentieth century played a vital role in the state of the present media. The century commenced with the influx of new forms of media as modernization uncontrollably invaded all social forms. The dominant medium of the nineteenth century, the newspaper, sustained its power at the beginning of the century. Moving pictures, or film, was born and started to form its own cult of followers. The entrance of radio and television also received a warm welcome from the masses in the succeeding decades. These innovations in media technology received harsh criticisms from different sources (Baran & Davis, 1995). The impact of the new media technology in the recent course of history was evident. Thus, it incited chaos among the social elites that started relentless criticism of the power of media and the formulation of what is now known as the mass society theory. Leaders of established social and political institutions feared the kind of society that would grow out of this aspect of modernization. Long-term effects of the ‘uncontrolled’ use of media were the focus of the mass society theory. Mass society theorists highly regarded the power of media, especially the new, more technologically-advanced ones, and how it could influence the average people in the society, which are potentially more powerful than the social elites. They also feared that the power of media could be a tool for the rise of a totalitarian social order in America, as what some parts of Europe had experienced (Baran & Davis, 1995). The reputation of the media also led the theorists to push their assumptions forward. The powerful people manipulated what was supposedly a ‘free’ media. Yellow journalism was rampant to protect their reputation. Sensationalized and over-dramatized news stories were as widespread to attract audiences for profit. The elites also started to question the quality of culture the media projected. It was accused of being cheap and tasteless, and that the media practitioners were not qualified to formulate that type of entertainment which instantly became popular to the masses. With all these issues raised against the dominant and emerging forms of media, scholars and some media practitioners volunteered and attempted to lead media reform and ‘prescribe’ how media system should function, giving birth to the normative theories. Earlier thoughts of authoritarianism and libertarianism were strongly criticized. Many were not convinced what authoritarianism proposed – to subject the media to governing authorities that would control these media and sustain social order (Baran & Davis, 1995). Libertarian thought, on the other hand, seeks total freedom of the media from control. After the World War II, the Hutchins’ Commission formulated the social responsibility theory that compromised the authoritarian and libertarian thoughts. The principles of the social responsibility theory could be considered innovative as it was able to make the two opposing thoughts meet at a certain point. It, somehow, answered the key points of mass society theory, but not totally scrapping them as these assumptions can still be observed today. Social responsibility theory regarded the media the same as the mass society in terms of media’s power. The theory considered how much these media could influence the society, and that the media has the power to corrupt people’s minds. Social responsibility theory advised that media should consider their obligations to the society through professional ethics and by promoting what was lacking or needed in the society. At that point, most media companies had accepted this thought and strived to achieve its ideals. The social responsibility theory encouraged media owners to recognize their role to the society and that they were an effective catalyst to social change, or to a ‘Great Community’, as the Chicago School envisioned. In that way, the fear of a totalitarian social order was reduced since social responsibility theory appealed for idealism of individual media practitioners through being able to identify their active role in preserving democracy (Baran & Davis, 1995). As the twentieth century moved towards its second half, media systems had exerted efforts to absorb the ideals of the social responsibility theory. It diluted the bad image of media that the mass society theorists projected while the social responsibility theory aimed for informativeness, truth, accuracy, objectivity, and balance (Baran & Davis, 1995). Up until now when traditional media boundaries are slowly melting caused by the rapid innovations in technology, the threats posed by the mass society theory are still present and the social responsibility theory’s ideals are still being tried and tested. Reference: Baran, Stanley J., & Davis, Dennis K. (1995). Mass Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment, and Future. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.