Corporate social responsibility true acts as an umbrella that incorporates the internal activities of a business, and its linkage with the external environment. To the external environment, social corporate responsibility fulfills the expectations of the society with regard to an organization in matters relating to ethics, legal concepts, and economically.
Corporate responsibility puts an organization in status of morality, and full of ethical values in its conducts, which in return makes the organization to benefit from its investors and to work in accordance with the law. The primary role of the corporate responsibility is to make an organization realize its other responsibilities apart from making profit1. Such responsibilities include, stakeholders, employees, those who supply the organization, the intended consumers, the surrounding community, as well as the government among other groups.
It is true that how the business conducts itself in relationship with the society is related to the corporate responsibility. On the other hand, corporate responsibility also is a factor on how business conducts itself internally because business ethics is a part of corporate responsibility.
For instance, the economic issues defined by the corporate responsibility in an organization are the overall expectations of the society of receiving goods and services of quality from the business at affordable prices. Unless the business has effective production processes and committed employees who are up to the achievement of the set goals, it would be hard for the business to give such an output to the society2.
The primary role of the business is to work effectively, enjoy profits at the end of their business year, and to put into consideration the shareholders interests. The legal responsibility covered by the corporate responsibilities expects that the business will perform its duties with regard to the rules and regulations set by the society because of competition in the marketing environment.
Currently, all businesses have many legal responsibilities concerning almost every activity in their day-to-day operations. Such legal responsibilities include goods and services laws, customer laws, employees, and the surrounding environment laws. The ethical responsibilities under corporate responsibility have major concern with the societal expectations, that the business would be ready to treat the members of the society in a fair and just manner3. This implies that any business has more than just apply and obey the law; the society has norms that need to be met by the business even though they are not included in the law.
The business has a responsibility of organizing itself internally on how to meet and comply with the norms of the surrounding society for its business to be effective. The society as well as higher expectations of the business and its employees to be good citizens who can be willing to offer any needed support to the community or the whole nation through the support programs. The society would also expect the business to join hands in times of need for the benefit of the whole community.
In most of the cases, the society expects the business within it to offer equal businesses opportunities, to be assured by the business that the goods and the services offered are safe; workers have protected as well as the environment nearby4. The society feel satisfied when such issues are met by the business around it. Moreover, for the business to meet all these requirements of the society, the internal part of it must be very organized and united to achieve the internal goals first and then the external ones.
There is a dire need for the existence of the relationship between businesses and the society. The increase of the modern companies in the world has resulted to creation of many social challenges to the environment. The corporate world can solve these challenges better. When businesses volunteer to handle these societal problems, there are increased chances of eradicating much government rules and regulations, thus making businesses have a future in the market.
Several businesses have proved to have a big reserve of both human and financial capital, that they should offer at least a portion of it to manage the social problems in the society. The business has both primary and secondary stakeholders such as the customers, future generations, trade and industry, and regulatory bodies.
An example of a businesses primary stakeholders are the owners, whose the business has a legal obligation to them5. It is an obligation of any business to ensure that its owners are rewarded according to their levels of investments. The employees of the organization are part of the primary stakeholders who are also supposed to claim from the management.
The business as well as a great responsibility to its customers in a way that, the customers will receive goods and services of value, and safe. The business still has a responsibility to its counterparts that they perform business operations together. The social corporate responsibility ensures that apart from making profits, the business feels sure of future continuation and developments6. Media is an example of a secondary stakeholder, that the business must develop some mechanisms to deal with.
Most of the media houses focus on the big businesses, and it is up to the business to conduct itself well internally to avoid bad image portrayed by the media. When a business adopts a corporate responsibility, several benefits have been associated with it. Apart from the society benefiting from this relationship, the business as well has been proofed to benefit in various ways, to begin with, the business starts enjoying improved financial performances, and lower operating expenses.
Above all, the image of the business is positively displayed as well a good reputation, this is achieved through the good deeds and the support offered by the business to the society and other stakeholders. Moreover, the business enjoys increased productivity and the improvement of the quality of goods and services its offering to its customers. Out of the increased productivity and the quality of goods, the business starts experiencing high sales and on the other hand, customers’ builds loyalty to the business and its products.
Through corporate responsibility, the business is in a position to retain its old customers as well as attract more and more customers to the business7. It also becomes easier for the business to have a wide variety of sources of capital, and the workforce of the business has diversifications. All these benefits are internal, enjoyed after a good relationship of the business with the society is developed.
The community and the public in general also enjoy several benefits like charitable contributions, high quality products at an affordable prices, and other supports like in education, sources of employment, and home creation programs. The community also benefits from the free programs offered by the business employees to the nearby society.
As the company and the community benefits, the environment as well as some paybacks especially due to the high material recyclability, and the regular usage of renewable sources. For the business to manage the corporate responsibility well, and for a long time its management should be prepared and ready. The management is the core source of the things done by the business either internally or externally.
The business management team then passes this to the employees who are one of the primary stakeholders to facilitate the plans of working towards the togetherness of the business and the society. This implies that the cooperation of the business with the society must involve the internal practices of the business for it to be successful. All the benefits gotten out of this relationship of the business with the society are of much help to both the business and the society. These benefits are realized by the business either as an increased profit, sales or through attraction of more customers8.
The business and the society around is like a one big circle that keeps on rotating, one part benefiting the other, as well as enforcing one another. The society expects a lot from the business in its operation beginning with the goods and services of quality to other forms of support.
For the business to feel it has fulfilled its obligation, it meets these requirements of the society through the support of its employees. In return, the society responds positively to the business, making it grow and develop to offer more support. The corporate responsibility of the business cannot succeed without the incorporation of the internal practices.
Bibliography
Henser, M. ‘Social corporate responsibility’, ABA Journal. vol. 88, 2002, PP. 30-79.
Houmor, P. ‘Social Responsibility’, Pratiyogita Darpan. vol. 3, No. 26, 2008, PP. 102-130.
Idowu, S. ‘Professionals ́ Perspectives of Corporate Social Responsibility’, Professionals ́ Perspectives. vol. 58, No. 22, 2009, PP. 255-380.
Manickom, J. ‘The social corporate responsibility’, Outlook Business. vol. 3, No. 18, 2008, PP. 40-59.
Mildred, H. ‘Business corporate Responsibility’, Billboard. vol.86, No. 18, 2003, PP. 89- 115.
Neil, N. ‘Assessing an experiment in social responsibility’, News ombudsmen in North America. vol. 67, No. 15, 2003, PP. 125-150.
Roy, R. ‘Business corporate Responsibility’, Black Enterprise. vol. 18, No. 5, 2001, PP. 32-102.
Werther, W. ‘Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility’, Stakeholders in a Global Environment. vol. 11, No. 8, 2009, PP. 255-405.
Footnotes
- M Henser. ‘Social corporate responsibility’, ABA Journal. vol. 88, 2002, PP. 30-79.
- S Idowu. ‘Professionals ́ Perspectives of Corporate Social Responsibility’, Professionals ́ Perspectives. vol. 58, No. 22, 2009, PP. 255-380.
- P Houmor. ‘Social Responsibility’, Pratiyogita Darpan. vol. 3, No. 26, 2008, PP. 102-130.
- J Manickom.‘The social corporate responsibility’, Outlook Business. vol. 3, No. 18, 2008, PP. 40-59.
- N Neil. ‘Assessing an experiment in social responsibility’, News ombudsmen in North America. vol. 67, No. 15, 2003, PP. 125-150.
- R Roy. ‘Business corporate Responsibility’, Black Enterprise. vol. 18, No. 5, 2001, PP. 32-102.
- W Werther. ‘Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility’, Stakeholders in a Global Environment. vol. 11, No. 8, 2009, PP. 255-405.
- H Mildred. ‘Business corporate Responsibility’, Billboard. vol.86, No. 18, 2003, PP. 89-115.
Miller’s Death Of A Salesman: Thematic Analysis
Death of a Salesman is a 1949 chef-d’oeuvre stage play by Arthur Miller, which addresses various issues that were affecting American society at the time. Specifically, the theme of the American dream features prominently in this play. According to Mgamis, historian James Truslow Adams coined the idea of the American dream to mean the pursuit “of a better, richer, and happier life for all our citizens of every rank which is the greatest contribution we have as yet made to the thought and welfare of the world” (p. 69). At the time when Miller wrote this play, Americans were eager to renew their lives and establish a promising future especially after the ravaging effects of World War II. However, this quest for betterment, albeit positive in nature, had many loopholes and negative impacts on people’s lives. In the play, Miller uses the protagonist, Willy Loman, and other characters to explore both the positive and negative effects of the American dream. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the theme of the American dream in the play, Death of a Salesman, together with the usage of irony in the same context.
Thematic Analysis
The American dream is multifaceted with both positive and negative effects on citizens’ lives and wellbeing. On the one hand, some people are willing to work hard and exploit the available opportunities to become successful, especially in terms of wealth accumulation. This is the positive side of the American dream – the idea that a person could become highly successful as long as he or she is willing to pay the cost through diligence. Mgamis argues that American society “celebrated people who, with nothing but pluck and ingenuity, created financial empires that towered over the national imagination” (p. 69). This was, and still is, the beauty of the most coveted American dream. On the other hand, another group of individuals mistakenly assumes that by virtue of being Americans living in the country, they have the inherent right of becoming successful, even without working hard. This delusional thinking has seen many Americans fail to exploit their full potential because they live under the illusion that they are wired for success. Willy Loman, the protagonist in Death of a Salesman, is such one character representing the delusional side of this dream.
According to Willy, anyone living in America and has good looks, charisma, and a certain level of likeability, he or she is guaranteed success. Consequently, he does not put in the required hard work and strategic execution of goals to become successful. On the contrary, he only dreams of success, and he tells his children, “Someday I’ll have my own business, and I’ll never have to leave home anymore” (Miller, p. 18). Willy’s idea of success lies somewhere in the future, and thus he does not even acknowledge any other form of progress from a pragmatic perspective. Despite the fact that Charley is quite successful, Willy believes that he will be more prosperous because “Charley is not – liked. He’s liked, but he’s not – well-liked” (Miller, p. 18). Willy’s misconstrued understanding of success under the illusion is so deeply rooted that he does not seem to appreciate the underlying absurdity. Even though he is poor and struggling when offered a job by Charley, he retorts, “I got a job, I told you that. What the hell are you offering me a job for?” (Miller, p. 29). This assertion is ironic in itself.
The irony lies in the fact that Willy borrows Charley money, while at the same time insisting that he does not need a job because he is good-looking, charismatic, and likable, and thus within no time, he will be successful. Miller also uses irony to criticize the distorted idea of the American dream. For instance, while Willy is convinced that what is needed for success in America is a set of certain attributes, such as likeability, charisma, and good looks, he knows that he lacks the same. He admits, “I’m fat. I’m very – foolish to look at, Linda…they do laugh at me” (Miller, p. 24). It is ironic that Willy does not have the very attributes that he claims are associated with success. In other words, he dreams of becoming prosperous using what he does not possess.
Similarly, after realizing the absurdity of his dreams, Willy contemplates suicide as the only way his children and wife could get access to an insurance claim of $20,000. Ironically, while he understands that if the company finds out that he committed suicide it might not compensate the family, he thinks it is the only way out of his failure (Centola, p. 32). Ben reminds him, “You don’t want to make a fool of yourself. They might not honor the policy” (Miller, p. 100). However, Willy is adamantly delusional and he posits, “How can they dare refuse? Didn’t I work like a coolie to meet every premium on the nose? And now they don’t pay off? Impossible” (Miller, p. 100). The author uses this irony to highlight the futility of thinking that the American dream is an automatic ticket to success for all Americans residing in the country. Many people, just like Willy who knows that the insurance company might not pay after his death, are aware that success requires dedication and strategic execution of plans, but they fancy the idea of becoming prosperous out of nothing.
However, some individuals, such as Ben, are pragmatic about the American dream, and thus they work hard to attain success and material wealth. Ben tells Willy’s sons, “Boys, when I was seventeen I walked into the jungle, and when I was twenty-one I walked out. And by God I was rich” (Miller, p. 34). In other words, Ben understands and acknowledges the place of hard work and taking calculated risks in order to realize his dreams. He is not simply a wishful thinker – he acts on his dreams, which is the underlying concept of the American dream. Miller uses the contrasting ideas of Willy and Ben concerning success to educate the audience about the need to be realistic when pursuing the ever-elusive American dream.
Conclusion
In Death of a Salesman, Miller presents a strong case against the illusion of the American dream that many Americans were obsessed with in the post-World War II era. While almost everyone was optimistic about a better future, very few were willing to work hard to realize their dreams. Willy’s idea of success under the American dream based on good looks, charisma, and likeability was relatable to many Americans at the time. Ironically, while these people knew what was needed to achieve success, they chose to remain delusional, like Willy. Miller was critical to the idea of the American dream as portrayed in the play, Death of a Salesman.
Works Cited
- Centola, Steven. “Family Values in “Death of a Salesman”.” CLA Journal, vol. 7, no. 1, 1993, pp. 29-41.
- Mgamis, Majid Salem. “Death of a Salesman: Critique of the American Dream.” International Journal of Language and Literature, vol. 5, no. 1, 2017, pp. 69-71.
- Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. Penguin Books, 1998.
The Problem Of Poverty In Art Of Different Periods
Artists have always been at the forefront of addressing social issues, by depicting them in their works, they attempt to draw the attention of the public to the topics which are often avoided by politicians. The problem of poverty affects many societies worldwide, and to this date has not been eliminated. This theme has been covered by many artists who lived in different periods, one of them is Banksy, who is famous for his murals. In his work Slave Labour, he depicted an impoverished boy with a sewing machine making British flags. The same problem was raised by Thomas Kennington in his painting The Pinch of Poverty, which shows a young girl and her family selling flowers. Despite living in different epochs and using different techniques, both of them were similarly motivated to highlight the problem of the poor in society by employing the same image of child labor.
Banksy is one of the most renowned artists of the 21st century whose works always reflect the plights of society and manage to produce an impact on the viewers. As it was mentioned earlier, the work illustrates a child in shabby clothes who is concentrated on his task of sewing Union Jack banners. The significance of this mural can be explained by two factors, the first one is the artist himself, who earned the status of a respected social commentator who openly discusses taboo topics. The second factor is the particular situation this work was created to address, namely, the production of London Olympics memorabilia in sweatshops (Jones). Thus, Banksy’s goal behind the mural was to show to those people who live in Western countries that the comfortable environment they live in is largely dependent on the poor of the developing world. According to the statistics, seven of every ten people on the planet live on ten dollars or less a day (Kochhar). This situation directly influenced the work of Banksy, who was motivated to demonstrate to his fellow Britons the social conditions endured by poverty-stricken people.
Similarly, the theme of poverty was also explored by Kennington, who, nevertheless, lived more than one century before Banksy and had a slightly different perspective on the topic. In his painting, he depicted a woman with three of her children sitting in the street and trying to sell flowers. This was a common situation for the late Victorian Era, which was characterized by a significant gap between the wealthy and the poor who lived in slums (Darby). This inspired Kennington to create a series of paintings dedicated to this problem, and The Pinch of Poverty was one of them (The Foundling Museum). The goal of the artist was to show the public that there was a significant issue with the people who did not have much and had to make their children work. The art pieces of Kennington and Banksy share the same theme and goal, yet their perspectives are strongly influenced by their particular historical periods. The Victorian artist shows the poor in his own country while the modern one depicts those from foreign nations, which is explained by the developments that took place over the century.
Another similarity between the two works is the use of the symbol of a working child, which is employed to have a greater effect on the viewer’s emotions. Children are usually associated with purity and virtue, the qualities which come into conflict with the circumstances depicted in the pictures. It allows the artists to impact the feelings of their audience and make them think about the problem of poverty. There are other important symbols that the authors use to convey additional meanings and highlight certain ideas that they would like the viewers to think about. In the mural, the boy is sewing small replicas of the Union Jack, which can be interpreted as a critique of Britain as a country that takes advantage of the vulnerable. While another crucial symbol in the painting by Kennington is the flowers, which reflect the girl’s innocence and add brightness to the otherwise grim scene. It is worth noting that the artists used different techniques, which also can be explained by the historical periods they lived during, to modern viewers, murals seem more thought-provoking and exciting than oil paintings.
Thomas Kennington and Banksy lived in different epochs, but they both were keen on demonstrating social plights through art, and the problem of poverty was one of them. In their works, both artists wanted to recognize the issue of poor people, but they did it using different perspectives, which were shaped by their historical periods. Banksy aimed at making people realize that their lifestyles largely depend on the cheap labor from the developing countries, while Kennington attempted to draw the public attention to their fellow citizens’ troubles. The artists used the symbol of a child at work and in difficult life circumstances to further highlight the theme they chose to address. Thus, the theme of poverty in art, as evidenced by the works of Kennington and Banksy, has remained topical for a long time.
Works Cited
Banksy. Slave Labour. 2012. Flickr, Web.
Darby, Nell. “Desolation Row: Victorian Britain’s Sensational Slums.” History Today, 2017, Web.
Jones, Damian. “Banksy’s ‘Slave Labour’ Mural Sells for £561,000 to Artist Who Plans to Paint Over It.” NME, 2018, Web.
Kennington, Thomas. The Pinch of Poverty. 1891. The Foundling Museum, London. Look at Paintings, Web.
Kochhar, Rakesh. “Seven-in-Ten People Globally Live on $10 or Less Per Day.” Pew Research Center, 2015, Web.
The Foundling Museum. “The Pinch of Poverty Returns.” The Foundling Museum, 2015. Web.