Model Essay - Ways to Structure an Academic Writing Model

Model Essay - Ways to Structure an Academic Writing ModelHow you structure your academic writing is very important. You need to start by creating a plan of action that will give you a good idea of how you will go about getting through your project. A plan for the writing of an academic paper can be written in several ways.There are many different types of academic papers and, for each one, there are rules that must be followed, but no matter what type of paper you have to write, it has to follow certain rules. The first step is to study the subject matter thoroughly before you begin your research.This is where you will decide how much information you want to include in your research and which points you would like to focus on. You may want to outline the entire research and then go back and review it later. Or you may want to re-write sections of the research for example, sections that are too technical, or where you have removed details.Once you have planned out your research, then you need to prepare a plan of action. You will need to outline your topic and your goals. The next step is to establish the scope of your paper. Then, you need to discuss the length of your paper, and your time frame.The next step is to make sure that you know the topic and theme of your paper. You need to understand all of the important points and angles before you start writing. After you have read and re-read the paper, you may decide that you want to use some additional information from your research. You need to see if the new information will help you in the paper.If the essay turns out well, then you can continue to add in your knowledge as you proceed through the paper. If you find that your research needs some more information, you can go back andreframe your information to incorporate new information. This can be done by using some creative thinking or by re-writing sections of the research so that you can include a new point in the paper.There are many different plans for your academic writing. It all depends on the subject and the level of difficulty of the writing. However, when you choose to write a model essay, you need to be very clear about what you want to say and about the style you will use. A model essay gives you an outline of how you will put all of your research together and gives you the tools you need to come up with a concise and compelling piece of writing.

Why U-M - Book Review - The Essay Sample

Why U-M - Book Review - The Essay SampleAn essay sample is the most common material for a student to ask about in his or her admissions essay. An admissions essay is one of the most important parts of the college application. In order to make your essay appealing, you have to focus on the topic that will compel the reader to read more. The material that you use should reflect on your personality and your thinking.For this, you have to emphasize on what your personal background has been. You can write about your interests, hobbies, as well as educational achievements. Remember that the essays are meant to capture the attention of the readers.So, in order to start, you have to start writing about your personal background and how you learned about it. How did you come up with the question or the answer?In this essay, you can always start by giving an explanation for the question that you are asking. Write a personal explanation, which can serve as a test for the reader. Most of the time s, an admissions student asks the reason for their question.What better way to show your individuality and make it interesting than to show your personal introduction? The reason for asking this question must be something unique, which will draw the attention of the reader to it.What type of life do you lead? Where do you live? These are important questions for a college admissions essay.Keep the personal and the academic topics separate in a college essay. A student may already be enrolled in a specific program, which might make them reluctant to share their personal life.

Identity, Culture, and Organisation

Introduction Organisations have recently encountered forces from some sources that encompass rivals, shareholders, and clients, which have caused them to adopt a â€Å"lean on mean† policy. For workers, this move has caused rationalisation and cutting back every expression demonstrating real or potential unemployment. Irrespective of the expression selected, this tendency has made many employees to reconsider concerns of dedication, faithfulness, and the identity of workers.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Identity, Culture, and Organisation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The usual mental treaty was typically relational with shared confidence supposedly at the core of the union between workers and employers (Gioia et al. 2010). In line with this comprehension, workers at National Health Service in the United Kingdom showed faithfulness and dedication whereas employers provided job security, future of the profession, as well as training and development. The sense of the new psychological treaty argument affirms that there exists a decrease in the dedication and fading away of identity with bosses. The notion of reduced identity has also been studied in academic literature, which discloses that identity in organisations is associated with motivation, confidence, dedication, and nationality (Zachary et al. 2011). Due to identity in organisations, there could be a great improvement in performance. In academic research, there are two different points of views, viz. the view of multiple identities and that of trade off. This paper discusses these two competing perspectives in the context of National Health Service and explores the function of identity dynamics at occupations, stating their significance, and elucidating them theoretically. Organisational identity At the level of an individual worker in the National Health Service, the termination of organisational mooring lines denotes th e lack of logic, belonging, and management, and thus the optional focal points for identity have turned out to be higher-flying. There are implications that workers presently focus on the externalities of organisations with adherences to the line of work or the internalities of organisations in the form of occupation or project teams. Therefore, apparently the concern of identity has recently turned out to be more intricate with dissimilar concentrations on identity (Clark et al. 2010). Research vividly offers varying concentrations on identity and loyalty with the occupation or career. Additionally, numerous academic advancements exist in the National Health Service though there is a lack of empirical activities specifically concerning the subject of nested identities. Two different points of view can be obtained from abiding academic research (Ravasi Phillips 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 1 5% OFF Learn More One of the viewpoints presents multiple identities and affirms that varying concentrations of identity do not require being in a contest, but are in agreement with one another. People might identify with their direct co-workers, identify with the standards of their bosses, and as well feel dedicated towards their occupation (Ashforth, Rogers Corley 2011). A good example that can demonstrate this assertion is the case of a physician who may closely identify with co-workers in the healthcare sector, identify with the standards and goals of the National Health Service (NHS), and have loyalty and links with the health profession. A different viewpoint proposes that trade offs associations exist amid various centres of identity (Grimes 2010). In this regard, when a person identifies with his or her medical co-workers it is at the cost of the career and organisation. In an attempt to revisit the medical correlation, if a physician identifies with his or her med ical professional co-workers, it complies with the fact that the state of identity with the NHS and medical career reduces. Role of identity dynamics at work Delineating and considering identity in National Health Service Identity in the National Health Service has become a significant theoretical lens to discuss the association involving a worker and boss and in addition, it has been identified as a cognitive association between the description of the organisation and the description of self. Essentially, powerful identities in organisations come up when people integrate the discernment of the standards of the employer into their own point of view (Schreyà ¶gg Sydow 2010). Therefore, personal and organisational standards are well suited. A progression like that comes up from two approaches. One of the approaches is the similarities with a boss where people choose to join organisations whose standards equal their own established convictions (Edwards Edwards 2012). The second appr oach is emulation where the individual convictions of a person vary in the course of employment to turn out to be strongly matched with those of their boss. The theoretical foundation of the work in the sector focuses on the theories of social identity and self-categorisation. Organisational identity assesses the progression of the way workers describe themselves via their association with the boss (Dutton, Roberts Bednar 2010). The practice of identification in the National Health Service fundamentally hails from social evaluations between employees and their characteristic groups. Therefore, identity is outlined by the awareness of employees that they belong to particular social groups in conjunction with a number of psychological and value importance to them of their group devotion.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Identity, Culture, and Organisation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Concisely, people describe themselves by getting into social sets that carry significance to them; for instance, physicians could describe themselves as partaking in a health profession whose objective is to assist in taking care of individuals in the society (DeRue Ashford 2010). Additionally, physicians will participate in the health career, which is an impressive profession, and thus in this manner boost their confidence and self-identity. In a bid to elucidate the identity of a person, a second practice of social evaluations arises between groups. Individuals in a similar social group are viewed to be compatible (Balmer 2008). In this regard, dissimilarities with other individuals are augmented, thus resulting into the uniqueness and attractiveness of the groups of compatible individuals. The insinuation of the practice of social identity is that people describe themselves via group membership and assign to features of the group, and thus the more powerful the identity, the more the mind-sets and conduc t of a person are controlled by the standards of the group. Organisational identity is a precise demonstration of social individuality (Arendt Brettel 2010). Organisational identity has normally been associated with three interrelated aspects namely: Constructive organisational fit Emotional dedication Internalisation The difference between organisational identity and the outlined aspects is that organisational identity is self-definitional (Scott 2007). Therefore, employees possess organisational standards and convictions instead of merely embracing them. Research on identity Currently, the idea of organisational identity has focussed on two major themes. One of the themes is the roots of identity and the other is the connotations of organisational identity (Weber Dacin 2011). Research has revealed that particular aspects boost organisational identity in the National Health Service with the likelihood that the identity of employees with their boss is higher if: Members of a gr oup are compatible with them Organisational standards are similar to personal standards Term increases The personal characteristics imply a higher inclination to identify with the organisation (Tlili 2008) There is little or no conflict involving group identities As aforementioned, many studies have examined the results of organisational identity. Research on organisational identity has also revealed that organisational recognition constructively relates to job satisfaction and motivation and it negatively relates to turnover objectives as well as real turnover (McLeish Oxoby 2011). Theoretical explanations The Rising Organisational Identity Programme As emphasised earlier, some variations to the employment affiliation have cropped up and brought about restored identification with career and workgroups (Powell 2007). A significant topic that has not been adequately studied is the character of the affiliation between career, group identity, and identity of the organisation (Rooney et al. 2010). Future research should aim at demonstrating whether identities are corresponding and matching or whether strong recognition with the career could occur at the cost of other kinds of identity.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The argument of multiple identities In self-identity studies, it has been suggested that a person will be a member of numerous social groups with all of them partaking in the general sense of identity. Nevertheless, â€Å"these identities will not bear identical meaning or value and could be organised subconsciously in a nested structure; therefore, employees may embrace multiple identities† (Ahlgren Tett 2010, p.25). In the case of a National Health Service, multiple identities could arise from affiliations with the organisation, co-workers, career, or departments. In an excellent situation, standards and convictions of these unique societies will be corresponding and mutually buttressing (Edwards Peccei 2010). Therefore, an employee will identify with various kinds of identities like those with the group, career, and organisation. The argument of trade off The connection involving career and organisational identity Due to the lack of a strong relationship within Nationa l Health Service, workers have deliberately taken up optional basis of identity. The standard organisational term has decreased, but workers stay in the same occupation for elongated terms and thus identify with lasting social group, viz. their career (Christian 2011). In brief, a higher trade off involving career and organisational identity exists. With regard to the downsizing incident, career identity has become more powerful while organisational identity has become weakened. The inconsistencies of recognition for industrial scientists have been studied with professional principles being in disagreement with the ones embraced by their bosses (King, Felin Whetten 2010). This conflict of identities is anchored in the idea that employees are administered by two sources. One of these sources is the managerial standards and cultural principles of the organisation. The second source is the principles of occupational societies, as well as â€Å"collegial management†. This fixati on to a professional society is based on the perception that since â€Å"trained consultants are believed to have interiorised the principles of the career, professions support right to govern their own activity† (Alvesson 2012). Due to hiring trained workers in the National Health Service, workers anticipate a particular degree of independence and the organisation supposes that they will carry on with the occupation at hand. Therefore, the conflict turns out to be a query of reliability between the influences of position in an organisation against the influence of technology, knowledge, and ability. The aforementioned inconsistency presupposes that there will be a clash between organisational and occupational identity (Akerlof Kranton 2005). Nevertheless, the philosophers of organisational identity propose that the affiliation between career and organisational identity in the National Health Service has brought about unconstructive and constructive affiliations. The affili ation involving group and organisational identity Contending literatures disprove enhanced identification with career, but aim at renewed concentration on groupings in organisations. Few practical researches have evaluated these groups, and one of them is the practical research by Haslam in 2004. Haslam (2004) reveals that workers identify more powerfully with their groups as compared to identification with their bosses and in fact, the group is a more powerful forecaster of constructive employee approaches. Haslam’s affirmation hinges on the allegation that identity is more enhanced in smaller groups for they are more probable of structuring distinct societies with common principles due to maintained interaction (Smith 2011). Conclusion Organisational identity has turned out to be a significant topic in organisations, and specifically National Health Service, in the modern age due to the creation of unions and acquirements and the supremacy of organisations where it is prog ressively hard to understand organisational confines. The view of reduced identity has also been studied and unveils that identity in organisations is connected with motivation, confidence, dedication, and nationality. Due to identity in organisations, there could be a great advancement in the performance of National Health Service. In academic studies, two different points of view exist and they consist of the view of multiple identities and the view of trade off. This paper demonstrates that with the increase in organisational identity, there is a corresponding increase in the group and career identities. Similarly, when organisational identity is poor, group as well as career identity will as well be poor (Edwards 2009). Therefore, at the extremes seems to be enhanced occupation-associated identity or poor occupational associated identity. This outcome reveals the authority of characteristics mainly supported by the strong constructive association between the requirement for iden tity and command of organisational identity. Reference List Ahlgren, L Tett, L 2010, ‘Work-based learning, identity and organisational culture’, Studies in Continuing Education, vol. 32 no. 1, pp. 17-27. Akerlof, G Kranton, R 2005, ‘Identity and the Economics of Organisations’, The Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 19 no. 1, pp. 9-32. Alvesson, M 2012, Understanding organisational culture, Sage, London. Arendt, S Brettel, M 2010, ‘Understanding the influence of corporate social responsibility on corporate identity, image, and firm performance’, Management Decision, vol. 48 no. 10, pp. 1469-1492. Ashforth, B, Rogers, K Corley, K 2011, ‘Identity in organisations: exploring cross-level dynamics’, Organisation science, vol. 22 no. 5, pp. 1144-1156. Balmer, J 2008, ‘Identity based views of the corporation Insights from corporate identity, organisational identity, social identity, visual identity, corporate brand identity and corporate image’, European Journal of Marketing, vol. 42 no. 10, pp. 879-906. Christian, L 2011, ‘Discerning the unique in the universal: the notion of organisation identity’, European Business Review, vol. 23 no. 6, pp. 632-654, Clark, S, Gioia, D, Ketchen, D Thomas, J 2010, ‘Transitional identity as a facilitator of organisational identity change during a merger’, Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 55 no. 3, pp. 397-438. DeRue, D Ashford, S 2010, ‘Who will lead and who will follow? A social process of leadership identity construction in organisations’, Academy of Management Review, vol. 35 no. 4, pp. 627-647. Dutton, J, Roberts, L Bednar, J 2010, ‘Pathways for positive identity construction at work: Four types of positive identity and the building of social resources’, Academy of Management Review, vol. 35 no. 2, pp. 265-293. Edwards, M 2009, ‘HR, perceived organisational support and organisational identif ication: an analysis after organisational formation’, Human Resource Management Journal, vol. 19 no. 1, pp. 91-115. Edwards, M Edwards, T 2012, ‘Procedural justice and identification with the acquirer: the moderating effects of job continuity, organisational identity strength and organisational similarity’, Human Resource Management Journal, vol. 22 no. 2, pp. 109-128. Edwards, M Peccei, R 2010, ‘Perceived organisational support, organisational identification, and employee outcomes’, Journal of Personnel Psychology, vol. 9 no. 1, pp. 17-26. Gioia, D, Price, K, Hamilton, A Thomas, J 2010, ‘Forging an identity: An insider-outsider study of processes involved in the formation of organisational identity’, Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 55 no. 1, pp. 1-46. Grimes, M 2010, ‘Strategic sensemaking within funding relationships: The effects of performance measurement on organisational identity in the social sector’, Entrepr eneurship Theory and Practice, vol. 34 no. 4, pp. 763-783. Haslam, S 2004, Psychology in organisations, SAGE Publications Limited, London. King, B, Felin, T Whetten, D 2010, ‘Perspective—Finding the organisation in organisational theory: A meta-theory of the organisation as a social actor’, Organisation Science, vol. 21 no. 1, pp. 290-305. McLeish, K Oxoby, R 2011, ‘Social interactions and the salience of social identity’, Journal of Economic Psychology, vol. 32 no. 1, pp. 172-178. Powell, S 2007, ‘Organisational marketing, identity and the creative brand’, Journal of Brand Management, vol. 15 no. 1, pp. 41-56. Ravasi, D Phillips, N 2011, ‘Strategies of alignment Organisational identity management and strategic change’, Strategic Organisation, vol. 9 no. 2, pp. 103-135. Rooney, D, Paulsen, N, Callan, V, Brabant, M, Gallois, C Jones, E 2010, ‘A new role for place identity in managing organisational change’, M anagement Communication Quarterly, vol. 24 no. 1, pp. 44-73. Schreyà ¶gg, G Sydow, J 2010, ‘CROSSROADS—Organising for Fluidity? Dilemmas of New Organisational Forms’, Organisation Science, vol. 21 no. 6, pp. 1251-1262. Scott, C 2007, ‘Communication and social identity theory: Existing and potential connections in organisational identification research’, Communication Studies, vol. 58 no. 2, pp. 123-138. Smith, E 2011, ‘Identities as lenses: How organisational identity affects audiences’ evaluation of organisational performance’, Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 56 no. 1, pp. 61-94. Tlili, A 2008, ‘The organisational identity of science centres’, Culture Organisation, vol. 14 no. 4, pp. 309-323. Weber, K Dacin, M 2011, ‘The cultural construction of organisational life: Introduction to the special issue’, Organisation Science, vol. 22 no. 2, p. 287. Zachary, M, McKenny, A, Short, J, Davis, K Wu, D 2011, ‘Franchise branding: an organisational identity perspective’, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 39 no. 4, pp. 629-645. This essay on Identity, Culture, and Organisation was written and submitted by user Am1ra to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The eNotes Blog Ten Writers Wrap UpChristmas

Ten Writers Wrap UpChristmas Christmas is a time when we all want to express just the right words about how much we love one another, to celebrate the year that was, and to anticipate and hope for the future. Here are ten sentiments by writers who may reflect what you are feeling during this holiday season. 1. In the late 1800s, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote these words in his poem Christmas Bells: And in despair I bowed my head; There is no peace on earth, I said; For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men! Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men. Sadly, our world is in more turmoil now than it was in Longfellows day, yet we all still hold on to the hope that one day, peace and love will eventually prevail. 2.   â€Å"Hey, great idea: if you have kids, give your partner reading vouchers next Christmas. Each voucher entitles the bearer to two hours reading time *while the kids are awake*. It might look like a cheapskate present, but parents will appreciate that it costs more in real terms than a Lamborghini.†Ã‚   ― Nick Hornby, The Polysyllabic Spree 3. A lovely thing about Christmas is that its compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.   ~ Garrison Keillor 4.   Christmas to a child is the first terrible proof that to travel hopefully is better than to arrive.   ~ Stephen Fry 5. Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesnt come from a store.   ~ Dr. Seuss 6.   â€Å"One can never have enough socks, said Dumbledore. Another Christmas has come and gone and I didnt get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.†Ã‚   ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone 7.   â€Å"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Dont clean it up too quickly. ― Andy Rooney 8.   â€Å"He went to the church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and for, and patted the children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of homes, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed of any walk, that anything, could give him so much happiness. † ― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol 9. â€Å"Thanksgiving was nothing more than a pilgrim-created obstacle in the way of Christmas; a dead bird in the street that forced a brief detour.† ― Augusten Burroughs, You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas 10.   â€Å"Let the children have their night of fun and laughter. Let the gifts of Father Christmas delight their play. Let us grown-ups share to the full in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern task and the formidable years that lie before us, resolved that, by our sacrifice and daring, these same children shall not be robbed of their inheritance or denied their right to live in a free and decent world.   Winston Churchill, Christmas Eve Message, 1941

Hedging Oil Consumption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hedging Oil Consumption - Essay Example There are other inherent risks associated with business such as currency fluctuations, volatility of crude oil prices and so on. In order to reduce exposure to volatility in the market, many participants prefer hedging strategies using derivatives. A derivative is a financial instrument which derives its value from the underlying asset. One of the hedging strategies alternatives that are available to the market participants is by using futures derivative. The main purpose of futures markets is to minimise uncertainty in transactions and hence reduce risk. The basic objective of futures market is to hedge the associated risk by taking such a position so as to neutralize possibility of risk as far practicable. A futures contact is a standard contract between two market participants to buy or sell a specific asset of standard quality, quantity for a given price agreed upon on the date of contract (also known as strike price) with payment and delivery occurring at maturity date. The cont racts are standard in the sense that quantity, quality, price, strike price, delivery date, initial margin, marking to market, etc. are done via intermediary and not directly negotiated between parties involved in transaction. Hence, the refinery may enter into futures contract with its customers giving them the opportunity to purchase oil at current prices at a later date in future. In this way even if the prices of oil rises in future, the refinery would not require to pass on the higher costs to their customers (CME, 2006, pp.49-53). After discussing the concept of futures, it is now important to illustrate how futures might help the US Gulf refinery to hedge risk. There are two different methods of hedging namely short hedge and long hedge. A short hedge is suitable when the hedger owns the asset (as in this case) and expects it to sell at some time in future. Thus, the oil refinery may take short position in futures contract. A long hedge on the other hand involves taking the l ong position (buy at later date). This strategy is suitable when the hedger (in this case customer) knows that it will have to purchase a particular asset in future but would like to purchase at current price. In both the strategies payment and deliver occurs at maturity of contact which is usually three months. To further illustrate these strategies in details, consider the following example: Assuming that on June 13 (present) the oil refinery has taken a short position by negotiating a contract to sell 1 million barrels of crude oil. It is also agreed that the price applicable in the contract will be on the market price of September 13. So, for each 1% rise, the producer will gain $10,000 and similarly for each 1% decline in price refinery will lose $10,000. The standard futures contract on CME platform is 1,000 US barrels (or 42,000 gallons), hence the company can hedge exposure by shorting 1,000 September futures contracts. If the last trading close price was $90 per barrel, str ike price is $85 and assuming that price per barrel in September is actually $80, then per barrel gain of the oil refinery would be $5 (since, $85 - $80). This means the total gains for entire contract would be $5000 ($5 x 1000). Using the above example the long hedge strategy can be explained as

The Management Roles of a Principal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Management Roles of a Principal - Essay Example From this paper, it is clear that courses offered once, as well as the availability of teachers, influence the schedule’s development. Together with the principal, the counselor does the actual work, remembers not to schedule courses at the same time, and considers to accommodate the schedule of teachers. In making adjustments, the principal and the counselor make an initial run through to determine arising conflicts. The district provides a computer program called TEAMS to help manage the schedule. The guidance office, as well as the principal, makes the final approval. As the paper outlines budget management is also part of the role of an administrator. However, the central office is the one responsible for allocating the budget, as well as in providing assistance. In preparing the budget, the goal is to look at the needs of the campus and try not to exceed in its allocation. Budget management process begins towards the end of the year and extends into the Summer months since the school does not have the actual budget until the start of the next school year. Campuses receive their budget allocations after September 1, which includes general operating funds, special education, title funds, and compensatory education funds, as well as the travel and staff development. The Site-Based Decision Making (SBDM) committee, which is composed of teachers, parents, and community leaders helps the principal in making sure that the whole management process is thoroughly made. Allocating the funds is the last step of the process, and the budget is then finalized before September 1st.

Levi Strauss Essay Example for Free

Levi Strauss Essay As one attempts to assess the business ethics of Levi Strauss and Nike in this writing assignment, we are again compelled to revisit the critical distinction of conduct that is legal, yet still unethical. In both instances, Levi Strauss and Nike behaved with the parameters of legal conduct, yet few would argue that profiting from exploitive work conditions is an ethical behavior of any socially responsible organization (broad view social responsibility). Obviously, it’s very tempting to just condense this argument to the point of â€Å"bad companies boosting profits from lower labor costs via exploiting foreign workers in sweatshops†. I am going to take a much broader approach here in my assessment, as complete fairness to the two corporations here requires a bit of an indictment of the legal, regulatory, political, and socioeconomic environment that they operate in. So, let’s start there †¦ how is it that both of these large corporations are permitted (and driven) to outsource (with relative impunity) labor to countries with poor labor laws? In order to fairly assess their conduct, one must first examine the system under which they operate. How has corporate America gone down this path? Why do so many large U. S. corporations outsource labor en masse, which costs the U. S. economy so many jobs domestically? Let’s start by looking in the mirror and by that I mean you and I †¦ the U. S. consumer. Our thirst for cheap merchandise made overseas knows no limits. Do any of us look at the country of origin for goods, and if it’s non-U. S. do we even pause for a second to consider boycotting said goods due to loss of American jobs? Or boycott due to the nation of origin’s reputation for worker abuse? Of course we don’t. We want that Japanese high definition television from Wal-Mart that costs $100 less. We want the clothing from China or Indonesia that is 30% cheaper than similar brands made here. So, my first premise in this entire argument is that American consumers are NOT socially responsible in their purchasing habits. This lack of social responsibility on the demand side is a catalyst for Levi Strauss and Nike to seek cheaper labor overseas – for if they do not, their competitors assuredly will and they will be at a competitive disadvantage. Now, let’s assess the legal and regulatory environment under which both entities operate in the United States. Has Congress made it illegal to outsource labor to countries that they know are abusing their labor forces? In general, of course not. Congress maintains a blind eye to the problem, debating it over the years here and there in a politically motivated, half-hearted effort to occasionally placate certain voting segments (labor unions; displaced workers). Do they tougher their stance? Do they for one minute say to themselves, â€Å"this is really wrong, and socially irresponsible†? By inaction Congress is tacitly approving this practice, which of course is what powerful corporate lobbyists want. The profit motive has large U. S. corporations addicted to cheap labor now; Pandora’s Box has been opened and no one has the political will to attempt to close it. So let’s recap so far: we’ve indicted the U. S. consumer and our lawmakers in the legislative branch of the U. S. government (Congress) as major cultivators of the pro-outsourcing environment for which Levi Strauss and Nike must successfully operate under. Next on our list of socially irresponsible contributing parties – the judicial branch of the U.S. government. When the U. S. Supreme Court found in 2010 that the formation of so called â€Å"Super PACs† for campaign donations was legal, this gave corporations new powers under the law to, in effect, buy our government via opulent and obscene campaign spend funneled to candidates. The end result of this ruling is that corporations that profit greatly from outsourced labor are now able to pay for the elections of our Congressmen – and gee, wonder how this economic â€Å"favor† will be repaid when attempts to rein in outsourcing come up in Congress? Let’s move on to our two protagonists in this debate: Levi Strauss and Nike. Now that we’ve got the backdrop well in hand, and a reasonable person would agree that a massive systemic failure in the U. S. has allowed and promoted unchecked outsourcing of jobs, it’s time to discuss these two corporate giants and their respective behaviors here. Do these two corporations have a responsibility to monitor the conduct of the companies they do business within particular, their contractors and suppliers? As a personal believer in the broader view of corporate social  responsibility, I believe that they do. Notwithstanding the fact that all of this outsourcing is legal, and despite the mitigating factors that I’ve argued above that do alleviate these two companies of all of the blame – I still believe that they need to take the higher moral ground. Levi Strauss overall has conducted itself with far greater corporate social responsibility than Nike has, in my judgment. Strauss for many years withdrew from China due to their notoriety as a non-democratic country with abusive labor conditions. Regrettably, it had to re-enter China eventually to keep pace with competitors. Also, witness the way that Strauss treated its displaced U. S. workers as it (with some remorse) eventually had to close all its U. S. plants due to competition from outsourcers. Strauss gave generous severance and retraining dollars to the affected workers. In my estimation, Strauss has had to compromise its socially responsible corporate culture due to pressures from the warped competitive environment that was designed around them. It became a matter of survival for their corporation; their management had to adapt or risk failure and loss of the shareholders’ investments in the company. That is why I authored the overview above – I think it’s highly relevant to assessing Strauss’s conduct here. The system failed Levi Strauss – they wanted to behave under the broad definition of corporate social responsibility, but the demand for cheaper outsourced goods by consumers and the legality of outsourcing jobs (Congressional oversight failure) forced an adaptive change against their moral grain. Nike, however, is no apologist when it comes to their outsourcing. In fact, they are proud of it – even boasting that they pay outsourced workers higher than average wages for their region. To me, this is tantamount to bragging that â€Å"we don’t abuse those workers as badly as others do†. Frankly, that attitude offends my sensibilities and my personal set of ethical standards. I also deem it to be in direct conflict with the broader definition of corporate social responsibility. Lastly, I think that corporations have the obligation to take the ethical high ground and behave in a socially responsible manner (broad definition). That said, however, I do not believe that it’s a fair expectation to demand that high standard if adhering to same places the company’s very existence at risk due to systemic failures beyond their control. Levi Strauss attempted to â€Å"do the right thing†, but poor rules and oversight make competing in a broad ethical manner quite dangerous to its ultimate survival. Strauss’s example should serve as a wakeup call to U. S. consumers and our Congress: systemic change is needed, and it’s needed NOW.