Gender Bias in the Religion Essay

The term â€Å"religion† refers to a human spiritual approach which comprises of practices, beliefs, and symbols which have a supernatural quality or significance. This gives a follower of a given religion the meaning to the life experiences in reference to the truth. The question of whether there is gender bias in the religion has triggered many debates and discussions in the past and in the modern society. In order to determine whether there is gender bias in the religion, one requires knowing about the history of the major religions that exist and the state of women and men in the religions. The claims that gender bias exist in the religion emanates from the opinion that women seems to be oppressed in the religion. However, some argue that gender bias has been promoted by application of religious beliefs in a negative way. Every religion has defined roles of both men and women and these differences have played an important role in promoting gender bias. In all the religions, gender bias is linked to the dominant role that men play in the religion and in the society. The religious perception of who men and women are and their role determines is an important factor in determining whether gender bias in the religion exists. In this paper, the question of whether religion bias exists in the religion will focus on some of the most popular religions in the world; Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Arguments on why each of these religions is considered to have gender bias will be presented. In addition, the beliefs in the religions that speak against gender bias will be discussed Discussion Gender bias in Christianity Christianity is a religion whereby the religious beliefs and practices are based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians are expected to follow the teachings and the religious beliefs that were taught by Jesus. In Christianity, gender bias is linked to the dominant role of men in the religion and the society as compared to that of a woman. According to the Bible in Genesis1:26-28, both man and woman were created equal and in God’s image. Contemporary criticism of Christianity has been attributed to its gender bias. According to the Bible, the origin of sin is considered to have come from the woman. Some people have used this religious teaching to consider women inferior to men. Another argument that is presented to justify gender bias in Christianity is that almost all the writers of the Holy Scriptures were men, with the exceptions of the book of Eshter. Only a few women participated in the writing of the scriptures. However, women have a strong presence in the Holy Scriptures. These women include, Eshter, Naomi, Deborah, Rachel, Mary Magdalene, and the Virgin Mary. Christian beliefs and attitudes have varied based on the societies within which the Christians have lived. Because Christianity through its holy scriptures prescribe gender roles for both women and men, lack of involvement or minimal involvement of women in church leadership is considered to be gender bias in the religion. Women until the second half of the twentieth century were not allowed to take part in ecclesiastical and pastoral office duties. Only men were allowed to undertake religious duties in these offices. This traditional stance of Christianity still remains influential in some Christian denominations (Gilbert, 2006). For instance, the Eastern Orthodoxy, the Roman Catholic and the Complementarian Protestants still have men dominating the church leadership. Although women may participate in church leadership, their role is minimal as compared to the men’s dominant role. For example, the top leadership positions such as those of bishops, archbishops, and priests are reserved for men while women play a minor role in top leadership. The fact that women have a little role to play in the religions’ top hierarchy is considered to be gender bias in Christianity The role of women in the church is considered to have been overlooked, downplayed or denied throughout the Christian history. The minimal participation of women in religious duties contributed to the domination of men in the society and in government leadership. During the Patristic age, only men were allowed to take the religious teachings offices and sacramental ministry. The Christian society for a long time has not considered it right to have women serve in the church top leadership However, in the early centuries, the Eastern church allowed women to participate in church leadership to a limited extent by ordaining women as deaconesses. The Western church reserved the position of deacon for men only. In the ancient churches such as the Roman Catholic, Coptic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, church leadership continued to be reserved for men only. Up to date, these churches have the position of the pope, bishop, archbishops, and priests strictly reserved for men. Women serve the church as nuns. Another argument that is presented to support gender bias in Christianity is the selection of all Jesus’ apostles as men (The Good News Bible, Mark 3:13-35). Christians believe that Jesus was the son of God who suffered, died, and resurrected for their salvation. Jesus is considered to be the Christians’ model of a virtuous life, a physical incarnation of God, and a revealer of God’s message. The New Testament gospel is a written account of Jesus life. According to Christianity, Jesus had twelve disciples who were all men whom he appointed to be the leaders of the church. This is viewed as the reason why church leadership is often reserved for men. Because priests represent Jesus, then having male priests is considered to be right. Women are not ordained as priests in Christian churches which still hold the traditional stance of having church leadership received for women. Gender bias in Christianity is attributed to lack of ordination of women as priests. Women can only work as nuns but cannot be elevated to the positions of priests, bishops or pope in religious hierarchy (Roman Catholic). In the ancient Christian societies, only men served as priests. In early Christianity, the religious law makers or the Pharisees applied religious laws that discriminated women . According to the Good News Bible in John 8:1-6,the Pharisees brought an a woman to Jesus who they claimed had committed adultery. According to the Pharisees, the law of Moses required them to stone her to death. Jesus told them that the only one to stone the woman would be the one who had never committed a sin. None of the Pharisees stoned the woman. Jesus showed mercy to the woman due to the injustice that was being done to her since no punishment was being given to the woman’s sexual partner. Apart from such treatment against women by the traditional Jewish societies, rules that were put in place portrayed women as inferior to men. For example, men were not supposed to speak to women publicly. Modern Christianity teaches against such treatment based on Jesus’ teachings against the discrimination of women. Christianity advocates for men as the head of the family (McGrath, 2006). A woman who was created from man is meant to be a companion and a helper to a man, a belief that has made man to be viewed as superior to a woman . The application of this belief has promoted gender bias in the church and in a Christian society. The superiority of man over a woman which is supported by the scriptures has continued to influence the perception of women. The doctrine of Holy trinity in Christianity has been used to argue that men are the best suited in representing Jesus who is the son of God, who is also considered to be â€Å"Him† just like in Islam and Judaism. Although Christianity has been criticized for promoting gender bias, it has also spoken openly against ill treatment of women. In the story of creation, man and woman were created differently but they were supposed to work together as equals. A man and a woman in a marriage are meant to love and respect each other (The Good News Bible, Ephesians 5:31-33). The early Christian society which discriminated women (the Pharisees) was criticized by Jesus. In addition, Jesus preached against injustice on women and showed compassion towards them. Christianity is said to acknowledge the important role of a woman because Jesus who is the Christians’ model of a virtuous life accepted women, including those who were seen to be sinners. In the early church, women were depicted to be teachers, leaders, and apostles (Rebecca, 1997). The New Testament through the letter of Paul to Timothy preaches against discrimination. Apostle Paul asks Christians to treat each other well with respect, and the younger women with absolute purity. In Galatians 3:38 the Bible states that â€Å"there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus† . These teachings oppose roles that promote gender bias. The church has continued to promote the important value of women through the Virgin Mary. However, the issue of gender bias in the church has led to the formation of women’s movements with the aim of changing the role of women in the church. For example, the â€Å"Christian feminism† movement is trying to challenge some traditional Christian interpretations of the Holy Scriptures which define the role of women. The modern debate on gender has promoted Christian feminism and Christian egalitarianism arguments. Gender bias in Judaism Judaism is based on the Hebrew Bible which is also referred to as the Torah. The Hebrew Bible is the first section of Tanakh and it comprises of the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deutronomy. Some Jewish laws are not written in the Torah. Those that have been derived from the textual hints are referred to as Oral Torah. The religion just like in Christianity has defined roles for men and women (Elyse, 2008). Women are not allowed to become religious leaders in Judaism. In addition, priests are supposed to marry pure women (Leviticus 21:13-14). The Talmud passage in Reboot 61a-b indicate that priests should not marry a woman who is barren unless he has a wife and children. A barren woman is considered to be a â€Å"faithless wife†. Women do not participate in church leadership although various women such as Miriam (prophetess) and Rachel are recognized in the religion. In the traditional Jewish societies, the women were allowed to play the roles of prophetesses and Nazirites despite their minimal role in the religious matters. Jewish women were expected to participate in religious rituals. Orthodox Judaism portrays gender bias when women were exempted from studying some advanced Jewish texts although the evolutions of the orthodox society has resulted changes in such practices. Traditional Orthodox rabbis in the contemporary society oppose the change of Judaism accepted norms of observance to promote gender equality. These changes include the modern Orthodox Judaism support for more advanced education for Jewish women. Furthermore, the issue of whether women should study Talmud is still controversial in modern Orthodoxy. In traditional Orthodox Judaism, women are not allowed to serve as witnesses in a rabbinical court. The traditional exclusion of women testimony as advocated by Judaism is seen as discrimination against women. Jewish women are not ordained as rabbis, although rabbi – like positions for Orthodox women have now been created despite many followers opinion that ordaining women as rabbis goes against the Jewish law. The Torah in the book of Exodus 21:10 support polygamy which is considered to be gender bias against women (Rabinowitz and Harvey, 2007). Despite the gender bias in Judaism, several women are recognized as role models in the scriptures. Modern Judaism has now allowed active participation of women in reading the Torah, serving as a cantor, and being part of the Minyan. Gender bias in Conservative Judaism has triggered changes that aim at including mixed seating and promoting synagogue corporate leadership. Reform Judaism now promotes equality of women and men, encouraging women to participate in religious rituals earlier reserved for men. Gender bias in Islam Islamic teachings are based on the teaching of Prophet Muhammad, where the Muslims are required to observe the five pillars of Islam. Theologically, Islam promotes equality of men and women. The Muslim society however is seen to establish a distinction between men and women. According to the Islam teachings in Al-Baqarah, 2:228 â€Å"and women shall have rights, similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable†, women are equal to men. However, the different status and responsibilities for men and women in Islam depends on the religious interpretations. According to the Quran 49:13, Islam promotes equal treatment for both men and women (Stowasser, 1996). Gender bias in Islam is attributed to the Sharia law due to its promotion of practices that are to the disadvantage of the women. The Sharia law prevents the mixture of both men and women at the places of worship and the traditional interpretations of Islam are considered to allow polygamy for men. This is seen by some as against the equality of both men and women. Muslim women are not allowed to take religious leadership positions in Islam and a suggestion for women to become imams is criticized and disputed by many. Medieval Muslim women had problems accessing religious education as compared to the men. Women cannot be allowed to lead mixed prayers in the mosque since worshipping at the mosque is done with women and men in separate places. The women’s’ freedom of movement and travel is limited by the Sharia law, and women should only travel together with a male relative (Mumisa, 2002). For instance, the prohibition of women to drive in some Muslim societies is considered as the Sharia law discrimination against women. Although this was a move to promote a woman’s safety, Muslim women are sometimes prohibited from driving. Some Muslim women have been discriminated against due to extremist Islam beliefs. For example, in Afghanistan women have in the past been denied access to education and job opportunities. Islamic law has also undermined the involvement of women in leadership and it promotes gender –biased inheritance rules which are considered to oppress women . When giving evidence in a court according to Sharia law, a women’s evidence is counted as half that of a man’s evidence. Islam support polygamy and Shiite Islam is criticized for allowing mota or Sigheh where men can exercise a temporary marriage, and women are expected to submit to such practices. Muslim men are allowed by the Sharia law to marry non – Muslim women, while the same does not apply for Muslim women. Muslim women under Sharia law should not interact with men who are not their relatives unless in presence of a male relative. This is viewed as discouraging social interaction of women with other members of the society (Safi, 2003). Despite the ill treatment of women in Muslim societies that promote Sharia law, Islam promotes equal rights and dignity for both men and women. It has been argued that gender bias is linked to Islam not because the religion is biased but due to the practices that exist in Muslim societies. Islam provides women with an equal status to that of men in theory and in practice. The women are assured of financial security through inheritance whether it’s during marriage or in case of divorce and widowhood. Islam recognizes a woman’s’ role as a wife and as a mother, and it does not prohibit her from seeking employment. Islamic teaching defines men and women as recipient of† divine breath† due to their creation with the same human-spiritual nature and both men and women are acknowledged by Allah as His trustees on earth (Yvonne et al, 2006). Gender bias in Buddhism Buddhism is a religion whose teachings are based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism comprises of two branches, Mahayana and Theravada. Buddhists uphold the four noble truths (Eliot, 2003). Women Buddhists can easily integrate with other members of the society and are given an honorable place in the society. Buddhist women even in the ancient times were able to access religious knowledge and participate in religious ceremonies. However, womens’ religious roles differ from those of men. For example, religious women are not able to perform religious duties similar to those of the monks. Buddhism teaches that a marriage is a contract between equals. Gender bias is portrayed in the doctrine of Karma and rebirth in Buddhism which supports inherent male superiority. Furthermore, gender bias in Buddhism can be seen in the domination of men in religious leadership. Though Buddhist nuns can hold important religious positions, they are categorized as a group than can occupy a niche in the religious realm and secular world. Buddhism considers women as religiously insufficient hence they have to depend on men to make merit. The religion allows multiple spouses for a man and only one for a woman Both men and women in Buddhism are able to realize nirvana equally, although the paths of realizing it vary. Gender equality is promoted in Mahayana Buddhism since it allows the ordination of women to serve in religious duties as Bhikkhunis. Bhikkhunis are also referred to as Buddhist nuns. Buddhism promotes spiritual equality for both men and women a belief that prevents supremacy of males in the religion. This had Buddha acknowledge the spiritual potential of both women and men. For instance, the order of Bhikkhunis or nuns represents the important role of a woman in Buddhism. The Sasana is comprised of Bhikkus (Monks), Bhikkhunis (Nuns), laymen, and laywomen. This ensures that women are not segregated from religious activities. Unlike in Hinduism, funeral rites in Buddhism can be conducted by a widow or a daughter hence the birth of daughters only is not considered as a misfortune. However, male offsprings are preferred in Buddhist societies due to the ideology of male superiority. Gender bias in Hinduism The most authoritative text of Hinduism is the Vedas. The position that is given to both men and women depend on the specific text and context of the Vedas. For example, positive reference to women is given in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, while restriction on the role of women is given by the Manu smriti (Michaels, 2004). Gender bias in Hinduism is seen in the religious practices. For example, the birth of daughters with no sons becomes lamentation due to the importance of a male offspring in funeral rites. When a father dies in a Hindu community, only male offspring are allowed to assure a family of its happiness by carrying out funeral rites. A wife without a son is therefore superseded by a second or third wife. Male children in this case are highly regarded unlike the female children. The religious practice of Sati is criticized for discriminating and giving harsh treatment to women. The sati in Hinduism encourages the immolation of women after their husband’s death. Although women willingly take part in sati, many cases result from societal inducement or compulsion. Examples of women who are mentioned in Hindu Holy Scriptures to participate in Sati Vasudeva’s wives (M Bh. Mausalaparvan 7. 18) and Madri (M Bh. Adiparvan 95)). The Hindu religious practices promote discrimination of females due to the culture of payment of dowry, which makes female children to be viewed as a burden to the family. The religious customs of having the bride’s family pay dowry to the groom’s family has had many female children looked down upon with cases of female infanticide being witnessed . In Manu VIII 416-417,the ownership of property by women is restricted and alienation of Hindu widows from the society has also been attributed to female infanticide. Marriage of females at a very early age and denial of women to marry again after the death of a husband are gender bias religious practices that are still witnessed in some Hindu societies. Apart from the above arguments that support gender bias against women in Hinduism, the religion supports the participation of women in religious rituals. In addition, both men and women can learn about the sacred texts of the religion and women have been appreciated due to the representation of some deities in the religion as females (Williams, 2005). Conclusion Whether there is gender bias in the religion is an issue that has triggered heated debates from the people all over the world, especially the religious leaders. In various societies, gender bias has been witnessed. While some gender bias has been attributed to the religious beliefs and practices of the society members, some bias has been attributed to the culture of the people and not the religion. Various arguments have been presented to prove whether there is gender bias in the religions that exist. Some arguments support the notion that there is gender bias in the religion. In all religions, the beliefs, traditions and values that are advocated for greatly influence the way of life of the followers. Therefore,the role that different genders play in the society and in fulfilling religious duties are linked to the religious beliefs and traditions upheld by the members of a given society. This is why gender bias that exists in the society is related to the religion. References Eliot, C. 2003. Hinduism and Buddhism: A Historical Sketch, vol. I (Reprint ed. ), Munshiram Manoharlal Elyse G. 2008. The Women’s Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions. Jewish Lights Publishing Gilbert, B. 2006. Beyond Sex Roles: What the Bible says about a Womans Place in Church and Family, Baker Academic McGrath, E. 2006. Christianity: An Introduction. Blackwell Publishing Michaels, A. 2004. Hinduism: Past and Present (5th ed. ), Princeton University Press Mumisa, M. 2002. Islamic Law: Theory & Interpretation, Amana Publications Rabinowitz, I. , and Harvey, W. 2007 â€Å"Torah. † Encyclopaedia Judaica. Ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik. Vol. 20. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA Rebecca, G. 1997. Good News for Women: A Biblical picture of gender equality, Baker books Safi, O. 2003. Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism. Oneworld Publications. Stowasser, F. 1996. Women in the Qur’an, Traditions, and Interpretation, Oxford University Press The Good News Bible. 1976. American Bible Society, Harper Collins Publishers Williams, P. 2005. Buddhism: Critical Concepts in Religious Studies, Routledge, London & New York Yvonne, H. , Kathleen, M. , and Jane, S. 2006. Muslim Women in America: The Challenge of Islamic Identity Today. Oxford University Press

Ethical Egoism and Capitalism Essay

Ethical egoism, in general, is suggestive that every individual would act according to his or her own interests. According to the proponents of ethical egoism, every individual or any group will always be pushed to promote one’s own personal interests regardless of how others would view their decisions. However, a personal interest is viewed as a long-term commitment based on the ideas presented by the proponents of ethical egoism. Here, personal interest does not only cover the basic wants of an individual, but rather the needs of an individual which will benefit the individual or the groups for a longer period (â€Å"Ethical Egoism,† 2007). On the other hand, capitalism is an economic worldview that promotes the accumulation of capital for a long-term period. Capitalism as an economic thought is largely individualistic, and is most of the time focused on the individual who plays as the main player in all capitalist endeavors. As such, the proponents of capitalism greatly believe that every individual or group of individuals is always in pursuit of attaining their goals and interests (Hooker, 1996). Ethical egoism and capitalism, though are two different world perspectives have a distinct connection. In some ways, ethical egoism has widely influenced the growth and the process at which capitalism works. Both ideas are centered on pursuing and fulfilling the individual’s personal interests. And as such, the tenets of ethical egoism have become one of the most motivating factors in the capitalist world. Epicurus had his own idea involving ethical egoism. Epicurus defined self interest based on the pleasure that fulfillment of such self-interest can give. According to Epicurus, pleasure is only attained whenever the idea of pain is quickly vanquished. Hence, one must be ultimately with his or herself in order to become happy and fulfilled. And as such, he added that to live in a pleasant way, individuals must adjust to life in a prudent and honest way (Epicurus, 2002, 278). In accordance to this, Epicurus also added that individuals, while fulfilling their needs and self-interests must also learn to become self sufficient, stable and not reliant on chances, and must be complete (â€Å"Ethical Egoism,† 2007). These characteristics suggest that an individual, while being self sufficient, must only focus on the immediate and basic needs rather than giving up to the pleasures and unnecessary wants. As such, if people have become lured to unneeded pleasure, their desires will not be fulfilled and satiated, and will only cause pain and discontent amongst the people. While Epicurus suggested that the ultimate test for pleasure is the elimination of all causes of pain, he also concluded that reason and virtue are two of the most important factors in attaining happiness. As such, rational choices must be made in order to be fulfilled. Any wrong and irrational choice committed will cause discontent and unrest to the people, thus should be avoided (Younkins, â€Å"Epicurus on Freedom and Happiness,† 2007) Capitalism, on the other hand, is also founded on almost the same tenets. Capitalism is also geared towards achieving fulfillment which can be attained through the accumulation of capital goods, which capitalist entrepreneurs desire. Like how each tenet of ethical egoism is defined, the proponents of capitalism also strongly believe that a capitalist is always in search of satisfaction and fulfillment, which can only be achieved if his or her self-interests are being quenched. Like ethical egoists, capitalists are also focused on the attainment of individual satisfaction. And as such, every single capitalist puts a lot of effort into giving an assurance that each of his own capitalist endeavors is being realized and put into effect. Profit, as the main goal of the capitalists, is the counterpart of â€Å"pleasure† for an ethical egoist. While in ethical egoism, pleasure is only attained by eliminating sources of pain and discontent, profit is being considered as the main source of motivation and happiness for capitalists. In this light, profit is obtained by capitalists through the sheer use of intellect, competitive skills, and thorough reasoning in order to equip themselves in a tough competition among other and fellow capitalists. In addition to this, another character that links capitalism with ethical egoism, is the distinctive pursuit of morality behind the two ideologies. While ethical egoism greatly regards moral and righteousness for the attainment of their goals, in the capitalist perspective, capitalism is an avenue wherein moral is an imperative towards the creation of social system that will help realize the goals of a capitalist. Capitalism, hence is a system that encourages the practice of enhancing self-determination and giving priority to moral agencies for the system to function well (Younkins, 2007). Capitalism is also based establishing a rigid set of moral values. Capitalism is a system that operates on a strictly governed set of institutions that ensures that each move and actions are always watched. And in order to maintain the balance amongst the players in the system, every action made can be open to reward or sanctions. In addition to this, self-interests within a capitalist system are attained by valuing the balance between the needs and material gains. And as such, every value system and social norms are always honored in within the capitalist arena (Cilliers, 2008, pp. 30-31). In a way, the quench for self-interest and pursuit for material wealth are always related within the economic system. Pursuing any kind of self-interest and wishing to attain material wealth are always tied to the economic order, and such, the goal and the means must be properly coordinated. The capitalist system works in hand with the ideals of the ethical egoism in such a way that, both ideologies will suggest that in any kind of self-interest, one must always be able to determine the more prioritized aspect of the individual’s well-being. In both the underlying tenets in capitalism and ethical egoism, self-interest plays a huge role. Both of the ideologies suggest that, self-interest is one thing that should always be satiated by any individual. Failure to attain this will make human beings discontented for their lives, and such will always push to gain more. While in ethical egoism, the individual’s pursuit is directed towards eliminating his or her source of pain in order to attain pleasure; in capitalism, the individual’s self-interest is directed in gaining profit which he or she can attain by eliminating competition or by triumphantly overcoming any kind of competition that comes in his or her way. However, there are certain limitations that must be taken consideration in this pursuit of either self-interest or profit. As stated in ethical egoism, an individual must know how to control his or her pleasures. The excess of wanting too much material wealth will eventually establish discontent, unhappiness and pain on the individual. This goes the same in capitalism – every individual must learn how to control his or pursuit of gaining more profit that how it is supposed to work. If an individual or the whole society believes that they deserve more than what is rightful for them, the society will be in chaos. And as such, the people will become rather more dissatisfied, and order will be more oblivious to the minds of the people. The parallelism of the tenets between ethical egoism and capitalism shows the distinct comparison and similarity of the ideas contributing to both ideologies, with self-interest at the core of ethical egoism and capitalism. In essence, self-interest is what drives both ethical egoism and capitalist to achieve its purpose. Ethical egoism shares its influence with capitalism in such a way that ethical egoism shows that there is something that an individual wishes to attain. Alongside these wants and needs, an individual is ought to follow certain measures in order to fulfill his or purpose. And most importantly, there should always be limits to what an individual should wish to have. Excessively wanting something, in within either the tenets of ethical egoism and capitalism, will always be detrimental to the status of every individual or in any society. References Cilliers, J. (2008). Global Capitalism – Local Values. St. Gallen Symposium. Switzerland: University of St. Gallen. Epicurus. â€Å"Principle Doctrines. † Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy. Ed. Steven M. Cahn. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. â€Å"Ethical Egoism. † (2007). Center for Ethical Deliberation. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from http://www. mcb. unco. edu/ced/perspectives/egoism. cfm Hooker, R. (1996). Capitalism. The European Enlightenment. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from http://www. wsu. edu/~dee/GLOSSARY/CAPITAL. HTM Younkins, E. W. (2007). Epicurus on Freedom and Happiness. La Quebecois Libre. Retrieved October 2, 2008, from http://www. quebecoislibre. org/07/071111-4. htm Younkins, E. W. (2007). Capitalism: The Only Moral Social System. La Quebecois Libre. Retrieved October 3, 2008, from http://www. quebecoislibre. org/07/071111-4. htm

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Marketing (brand management question) - Essay Example A classic example will be DHL. This company won the Platinum Award (Airfreight / Courier Service category) in the Superbrand 2005. Its brand statement is to enhance the customers' businesses by offering express delivery and logistics solutions based on strong local expertise combined with a vast global network. They keep to their words and thus winning glory in the industry. Different from the business markets, consumer markets will need more product features and advertising for their product. The audience for consumer markets branding involve the general public, in which the variance of needs and desires are greater than a business markets. Dell Computer is the example of this category of branding. It manages to position itself as a customize personal computer provider. This is collaborated by its successful supply chain management which makes it its brand identity. A "branded house" means a company which itself is a brand. The products come under this company will be the subset of the main brand. In branding, it gains level of acceptance and importance in short time due to the previous identification with the parent brand. Take for example, Hewlett Packard. This brand name covers products from laptops, desktops, Palmtops to even printers. All the products carry the same brand HP though they have names and are under different product category. It enters the market of palm tops easily despite the effort by Palm Plc. In contrary to that, a "house of brand" would be a company that markets a range of brands. A classic will be the Procter and Gamble (P&G). It comprises a lot of brands from different product categories such as Duracell the battery, Pantene the shampoo, Olay the beauty products, Mr. Clean the household cleaner, Braun the oral care products and many more. 3. Discuss the risks and benefit of brand extension. Research detailed examples of each. The benefit for a company to use a successful for brand extension could help it to enter a new product category. Examples are like the Fairy brand (Unilever) which extended from washing up liquid to washing powder and Lucozade which extends from a children's health drink to sports drink. This brought advantages to the company as it does not post doubt on the customers which presume the product as a newly launched products. It sustains the trust on a single brand to an extended product under the same brand. However, a failure in doing so could cause damage. Firstly, it is the dilution effect of the brand by products. The example is like when people talk about Fairy, it is not just only a washing liquid anymore. Secondly, it posts difficulties to connect with the parent brand names. Imagine if Colgate is marketing a candy product. It will be a disaster to the brand as the messages from the brand is inconsistent. 4. Discuss factors involved in successful brand differentiation. The key factors that could drive a successful brand differentiation are Desire for sustainable brand differentiation The company and its employees would need to have the same vision on brand differentiation as both are involve in making the strategy a success. Without management support or

Contract and Tort Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Contract and Tort - Case Study Example The court recognized the right only when there is a remedy on the principle Ubi remedium ibi jus, which means where there is remedy there is right. One had to search for the proper remedy that suits his right then only he could succeed. If there was no remedy there was no right and there is no case. By passage of time the complicated litigations coming before the courts necessitated to change the concept of law. Accordingly the concept of law was changed as Ubi jus ibi remedium, which means where there is right there is remedy. This concept enable the courts to see that if there is a right existing then it will decide what is the remedy. Right of the litigant is given prominence over the remedies to protect the rights effectively. Under the new concept the courts have provided a remedy whenever there has been unjustifiable interference with the rights of a person. When the law of contract is read strictly, we find the rights are restricted to its terms and conditions. The law recognizes the rights that are specifically created by a contract and ignores if that right is not covered in the terms of contract. And such rights created by the contract are limited to only the parties to the contract, a third party do not derive any right against any of the parties to the contract even though the loss is caused to him due to the negligence. It provides relief to the parties to the contact only, that too it is limited to the extent of monitory or economic loss. The law of contract see whether there is any breach of contract by either of the parties to the contract but non else. The remedies in law of contract are strictly connected with the terms and conditions of the contract entered into by the parties. Once all the terms and condition of the contract are fulfilled no cause of action arises to either parties, even though any inconvenience caused due to unjustifiable interference by the other party with in the terms and conditions. But the law says that no person can interfere unjustifiably with the rights of the other person. If that happens the court provides remedy not under the law of contract but under the law of tort. This is how the tort overcomes the restriction involved in strict reading of the law of contract. The law fills up the gap in the law of contract mostly in cases of negligence of one of parties to the contract due to which the other part causes mental agony or physical or mental loss in addition to the economic loss. Some time the party who is not a party to the contract too subjects to the mental agony or physical loss due to the negligence act of the any other parson. In certain situations the courts cannot find any remedy in the law of contract, but the law of tort fills up this gap and provides the remedy. Contract and Tort inter relationship[9]: Contract and Tort have interrelationship as far as the remedies are concerned. Plaintiffs are at a liberty to choose the remedy either in law of contract or in Tort. The law of contract is specific and remedies under contract are time consuming and costly when compared to the Tort. As discussed above sometimes remedy cannot be found in contact in such conditions the remedy lies in the Tort. Where a dispute consists of ingredients of both contract and Tort as well then the plaintiff is at a liberty to choose the action either under contract or under Tort. It means that mere existence of all the ingredients of Contract do

Introspection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Introspection - Essay Example The depth of introspection a person has concerning ethical beliefs depends on their life experiences. An example would be a child raised in a monastery, who later becomes a monk. This child believes what he has been taught but also spends much time in prayer. This child has been taught about the sins of man. He then introspectively searches his soul for his sins. This allows for him to be a more ethical person. On the other hand, if a child is raised in a monastery, but physically or sexually abused by a priest, this child might not have high ethics. This child might even grow up to abuse other children since the cycle tends to repeat themselves. Experiences determine an individual’s ethics. Ethical beliefs can change over time. In fact, ethical beliefs change and grow as a person ages. A child might lie for fear of disapproval, but grow and become a truthful adult. Children learn as they grow. Another example would be a two-year-old might hit other children, but find out later hitting is wrong. It depends on how time and experiences change a child. Adults guide children’s ethics, but in the end, experiences dictate a child’s ethics and introspection. Finally, the true test of ethics is the reason behind an individual’s beliefs. If a person does not steal or commit murder for fear of prison, they are law abiding, not truly ethical. If a person does not steal because it is wrong, this makes them ethical. When a person thinks of others and how they feel; about what is right and wrong, then they are ethical.

Data base analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Data base analysis - Essay Example However, enabling the ordering of the netmask provides the most efficient results for client’s orders but this does not enhance the internal clients in resolving the external addresses. Using the NS1 as a forwarder severs enhances successful name resolution for the internal clients. In round robin disabling, this will prohibit any further load balancing and hence will not enable the internal clients in resolving the external host names. In this scenario the user are likely to suffer from many problems which may prevent them from obtaining IP addresses, these may include the expiry of the users IP address, the incorrect DHCP configuration, duplicate IP address on the same network and lack of DHCP server authorization. As a result of the introduction of the active directory in the network, this authorizes the DHCP server and the expiry of the users IP address stimulates the generation of a new IP address (Shapiro, 2008). This also prevents a computer from acquiring a new IP addr ess by itself and thus prevents the DHCP missing which prevents users on network subnets to acquire new IP addresses. However, duplicate IP address prevents the user from communicating in the network but does not prevent the generation of a new IP address from the server. ... es which are connected to the main network through a virtual private network which uses registered authentication information from the active directory in the network this prevent unauthorized entry in to the network and as well as providing cheap access in the main network. Employees of a company can enter into the network through the authorization given by the network administrators. This is through the registration of usernames and the generation of passwords by the active directory which gives each employee rights and limits to access the network resources. This can be used to control the access of network resources by different employees. The use of centralized backups in WAN makes the sharing of network resources easier and cheap, a more improved backup includes all the possible inclusion of all subnet LANs joined together to a central database for easier access of resources, this can be done through network sub netting. References Carvalho, L. (2012). Windows server 2012 Hyper -V cookbook. Birmingham: Packt Pub.. Shapiro, J. R. (2008). Windows server 2008 bible. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley ;. Tomsho, G. (2010). MCTS guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Active Directory configuration: exam 70-640. Boston, MA: Course Technology/Cengage

International business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International business ethics - Essay Example Virtue ethics is a philosophy that de-emphasizes rules and concentrates its focus on the 'nature' of the person acting. It does not argue that an act is good or bad but instead puts the moral fiber of the person under the microscope. To say an act is virtuous does not mean anything. There is no context for analysis. A person is virtuous, not the action itself. To say that a person acted out of virtue rather than fear of consequences and did the right thing or made the right choice in keeping with his morals better describes the philosophy of Aristotelian virtue ethics. He or she made the choice they did because they personally thought it the right thing to do, regardless of the rules or the opinions or advice of others in their society. They had the intestinal fortitude, responsibility, and accountability to themselves to make what they considered to be the right decision. Perhaps the phrase "I couldn't sleep with myself if I did it any other way" or, as the great bard William Shakes peare put it; "to thine own self be true". These everyday phrases describe the ethical nature of this philosophy. On the other hand, there are other philosophies out there as well. One of which deals with the nature of personal and societal group ethics. Jeremy Bentham's Principle of Utility founded on the philosophy of eighteenth century David Hume is one that has stood the test of the ages with, granted, some modifications. But for all intents and purposes it has survived mainly intact and is based on four fundamental pillars: Utilitarianism "(1) Recognizes the fundamental role of pain and pleasure in human life, (2) approves or disapproves of an action on the basis of the amount of pain or pleasure brought about i.e, consequences, (3) equates good with pleasure and evil with pain, and (4) asserts that pleasure and pain are capable of quantification (and hence 'measure')" (Cavalier p1). From these four pillars, Bentham developed utilitarian calculus as a way of measuring whether an act gave more pain than pleasure or vice versa. If it was demonstrated that the action was more pleasurable than painful then it was in keeping with the utilitarian philosophy and the action should be undertaken. This was modified over the years by philosophers such as John Stuart Mills and Ludwig Von Mises to come to mean the greatest good (or happiness/pleasure) for the greatest amount of people. There are a variety of utilitarian philosophies that have evolved since the time of David Hume. Two of those have bearing here. Act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. The first is whether an act itself is morally good defined as meeting the four rules. The second is an action taken by evaluating a rule and then following the rule that brings the most good or happiness to the most people. This appears to give the notion that there are good and bad rules. The question arises that if we follow utilitarian principles how can we make bad rules Aren't we following Act utilitarianism in making those rules Can bad rules come into being even with the best intentions These two philosophy's, virtue ethics and utilitarianism, have at their core one basic fundamental difference: individual versus society. Virtue ethics proposes that the person should make the right choice because they have considered all necessary things, been brought up right, were

Catecholase, Enzymatic Browning and Temperature Lab Report

Catecholase, Enzymatic Browning and Temperature - Lab Report Example The rate of enzyme reaction is affected by temperature, substrate concentration, pH, and presence of inhibitors and cofactors. The equilibrium model describes the effect of temperature on enzymes. In this model, enzymes lose activity at high temperatures and low and at low temperatures (Peterson, Daniel, Danson, & Eisenthal, 2007). The main hypothesis is to find out the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction and absorbance of enzyme catechol. To test the hypothesis, a solution of potato extract and deionized water was heated to four different temperatures and the rate of reaction and the absorbance was determined. It was found out that when the solution of the potato extract and deionized water and catechol was heated at room temperature, the measure of absorbance increased until at 40 Â °C. The absorbance value then reduced when the solution was heated at 60 Â °C to 100 Â °C. In enzymatic reactions, increase in temperature leads to increase in the rate of reaction due to the additional heat that increases random molecular movement. The activation energy of the reaction is thereby affected due to stress in the molecular bonds caused by the movement. From the findings, absorbance increased from room temperature to 40Â °C –the optimum temperature. Most enzymes have an optimum temperature between 35 Â °C and 40 Â °C. At room temperature, the hydrophobic interactions and the hydrogen bonds were not flexible enough to induce fit that was optimum for catalysis. At 60 Â °C, the forces are too weak to maintain the enzymes shape against the increased random movement of the atoms in the enzyme. At boiling temperatures the enzyme denatures and does not take part in chemical reactions effectively. This is in consistent with findings by (Daniel, et al., 2009) The main limitation for this experiment is that there was a delay of 10 seconds in pressing the button on the calorimeter. Therefore the total time used

Ufo Truths and Lies Essay Example for Free

Ufo Truths and Lies Essay When is the truth a lie?.. When it is only half told. The truth like an arrow in flight, if it deviates by a plus or minus . 0 degrees, in any direction, will not hit its mark. True it may come pretty close, may fall with in acceptable boundaries, but more times than not it will miss the mark altogether. Seems to me people always say they want that arrow (the truth) to hit dead center bulls eye all the time, but because of hidden agendas though the aim, was true when the arrow was loosed, the arrow ends up being deflected by things beyond the archers control and never is a solid hit. It is time for people to realize the government is not the only one that, under the guise of looking out for the public good or doing the right thing, because of their actions, turn whole truths into full lies, for a half truth is still a whole lie is it not, for there are no such things as half lies, lies are lies, and that is that Today the UFO and Alien Abduction Phenomena has finally stepped from the shadows and has taken its place in the full light of public awareness. Now we see flying saucers and aliens used to sell us any and everything from A to Z. This is good to some extent for now people from all walks of life are finally taking an active interest in this ancient phenomena. Still I feel we have a long way to go before we will ever, if we ever, make heads or tails out of the riddles of UFOs and ETs. Today they are being called everything from Angelic to Demonic, to Ascended Masters, and this can well be understood because the phenomena crosses all of the boundaries of the paranormal. If we are ever to get a handle on this slippery perplexation we must be willing to toss aside old ways of seeing and believing and be willing to look at things that we have been over looking either because of our fear of being ridiculed as fools by our government, gullible by the scientist, or heretics by our church. All the while these very same institutions claims it is for the good of the public that we forget this stuff and go on with our lives for it will drive you crazy, send you into a cult, or to hell. So far depending on which of these three institutions the investigators hale from this phenomena is viewed differently. If it is a government investigation it will not tell all it finds out because of National Security. If is a scientific investigation anything of a non tangible nature will be ignored. If it is a religious group anything that smacks of paganism, E. S. P, witchcraft, or magic will be excluded. Thus in the end, none of the investigators ever allow themselves access to the full scope of the phenomena they are trying, or at least claiming to try to investigate. It all depends on the mind set of the investigator that the True Experiencer tells their encounter to as to the spin that will be put on it when the a fore said Investigator retells and retails the Experiencers story. Very often those points of the Experiencers experience that clash with their ( the Investigators ) belief systems will be left out of the report or twisted to mean something else. Sometimes this is deliberate but at times it is accidental for the Investigators more times than not is not an Experiencer, and so over looks the subtleties of the encounter for the more sensual or sensational points of it. There in is the problem, for as I have learned because of my many encounters, the ETs tend to speak more to that part of the mind we call the sub conscience for that is the realm of the Quantum Mind. It is because the Investigators focus mainly on the realm of the Linear Mind ( the physical ) they often over look the deeper meanings and obvious messages and information that are sometime passed during the encounter. The Linear Mind speaks person to person, The Quantum Mind speaks Species to Species. I will explain by using the Betty Hills encounter for that is well known. Betty Hill was given a book by one of the beings she encountered, which she wanted to keep as proof that what she had experienced was real, and was told she could keep it, but the book was taken away. She was shone a star map that she was told was useless for her if she did not know where she was located on the map. A needle was put into her navel and she was told it was a test for pregnancy, but she knew that, that was no pregnancy test she had ever heard of. When these actions are viewed Linearly , that is to say in the context of the every day mind of her time these entities were deceitful tormentors. Today we know that the star map she was shone was accurate and did pinpoint the area that she was told the entities came from Zeta Reticula.

The Globalization At Macro Level Business Essay

The Globalization At Macro Level Business Essay This is a small assignment based on the question of Globalisation is inevitability for both manufacturing and service organisations .As an SME in your country, what does this challenge mean for business sustainability This report is consists of many factors which have adverse implications on the overall goals of the organisation. In this cutthroat competitive milieu globalisation has played a pivotal role in the ever-changing environment of the organization. Further, constant change in the culture and system of the organisation has their own significance in the organizational culture that will be discussed exhaustively in this report. Research Methodology GLOBALIZATION: Arguably, the biggest single challenge facing managers today is globalization: the creation of a unified world marketplace (Dunphy et al, 2007). According to (Brunes.B, 2009)Allied to globalisation, however, are three other challenges: how to achieve sustainability in a world of dwindling natural resources and increasing environmental pollution, how to manage an increasingly diverse workforce and at a time when business leaders are considered less trustworthy than ever before, how manage ethically. On the other hand (Jones, 1995; Deresky, 2000) thinks that globalisation is the name of economic phenomenon, which is related to the integration and Convergence of economic systems through the growth in international trade investment and capital flows (Jones, 1995; Deresky, 2000). While some authors has suggested that it is a merely combination of four factors such as social, cultural and technological elements. (Giddens, 2002) assures that with the help of globalization death of the distance is certainly possible. But, it also makes it possible for the organisation to cross the boundaries and start the cross culture communication with other organisations. According to the Reich (1998) shows some agreement amongst the writers that what is driving globalisation? Whether its intensification of international competition, economic liberalisation, removal of trade barriers or advent of new technologies. But some authors has unfortunately shed some light over the factors which brought about many conflicts between the stakeholders who see it as a force for global good and those who see it as the oppression of poor nations by rich ones (economist, 2002, Hosbawm, 2008; Klein, 2001; Stiglitz, 2007). (Brunes, 2008) According to a research more than half of the 100 larges t economies in the world were private corporations. Further, the sales of Ford and General Motors combined were greater than the combined GDP of sub sharan Africa. Which clearly proves the point of conflicts when globalization was seen as a force of global good and a oppression for the poorer community. Globalisation has its own implications that may hamper the organisations some ways or either helps organisations to grow and sustain in the market for a longer period. Sustainability stems from the same notion of having a globalized milieu with a set rules pre-defined by the regulatory bodies as per the behaviour and pattern of the organisation. (Brunes.B, 2008) has defined sustainability by highlighting the characteristics of sustainable organisations. There is a wide spread view that governments must solve environmental problems. However, the major multinationals outstrip many of the worlds national economies in terms of wealth and power, and their global coverage allows them to escape the requirements of particular governments seeking to place severe environmental restrictions on them. They can simply move their operations across national borders. In addition to that, (Dunphy et al, 2007) argues that it is highly likely that an organization the one who operates in competitive and hostile market, it has to work as per the desire of the stakeholders for increased profit with the need to act in the wider and long term interests of society as a whole. Therefore, the organisations in the volatile external environment are not potent enough to sustain in a scenario whereby managers do not have the authority to divorce their actions from the wider impact they have on society. Adding that, (Brunes.B, 2008) nor can they ignore the fact tha t a sustainable future of the organisation needs a non-volatile open and close system in the external environment of the organisation. In order to, bring about the sustenance in the system of the organisation. Incremental and transformational approaches should be intertwined in a way, which will then help to create a sustainable organisation. While, (Docherty et al 2002) proposed a theory that sustainability is not about the relationship of organisations to their environment, or the depletion of natural resources. But, sustainability encompasses three levels: individual, the organisational and societal. It is evident with the recent studies that sustainability is not merely the name of satisfying the needs of some group of people at the cost of others. But, it is a name of a cohesive process, which creates bond between the customers, personnel owner and society. Due to this reason, many organisations in Asian countries were unable to survive or stop functioning properly at some point. 2.2. Work Force Diversity:As Jones et al (2000) defines that: Diversity is dissimilarities differences among the people due to age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background and capabilities. It has very severe implications if it is not handled well. Any organisation can easily collapse in this highly globalised environment. In many transnational organisations people are engaging with the workforce of other culture and creating a synergy as per the requirement of production or service based company. In the case of Muslim Charity, which has made strategic alliances or co-partnering with the regional companies to deliver their projects in far fetch areas. (Brunes, 1998) By and large, migration and recruitment has been the important factors for transnational organisations as well. But, in high context cultural (leadership, 2008) countries preference of male over the female is always evident. Though, it has been proved time and again that organisations in economically developed countries accepted the workforce of minority (women). Yet (Cummings and Worley, 2001, 429-30) are in consent with each other at one point that is contemporary workforce characteristics are radically different from what they were just twenty years ago. Employees represent every ethnic background and colour range from highly educated to illiterate, vary in age as well and parents may have dual income or physically or mentally challenged. (Brunes, 2008) point outs that culture is not about the fact that all work forces possess the common work ethos and reacts in the same way. But, Ricks (1999) raised a very critical point about cultural differences that they are the most significant and troublesome variables encountered by the multinational company. Failure to understand this very point comprehensively can mislead managers of the organisations. This is where managers made many blunders. For instance, Muslim charity has a very diversified culture to extent whereby, sometimes conglomerates unable to resolve the disparities that pops up every now then. The main rationale behind is the differences in the culture. Moreover, (Hofstede, 1980) successfully determined the similarities and differences between national culture and the implications of these for the management of different groups. For example, workers from UK-Muslim Charity will be less effective if they to manage a group of employees from south Africa-Muslim Charity. On the contrary of that, (Cumming and Worley, 2001) came up with the brilliant concept that comprehensively covers all the dimensions of diversity. Diversity results from people who bring different resources and perspectives to the work place and who have distinctive needs preferences expectations and lifestyles. Therefore, In order to gain a competitive advantage organisations must establish a division that appraise the performance of the work force. Although, (Hofsetede, 1980) work on understanding the culture was criticised enormously by other authors on national cultures. Further, Hofsetede work showed some resemblance with the contemporary work of Handys (1986) in which he explained that four forms is striking. But, it has been observed from the past research work that in many organisations both role and task cultures are prevalent simultaneously. For instance, in most countries Muslim Charitys organisational environment is purely based upon the role culture. While, in low context culture where only task culture is prevalent only. In addition to this, both task and role culture is prevalent in the headquarter milieu. (Rogers et al, 2006) Bain and Company found a very interesting research on culture that: Culture is at the heart of competitive advantage, particularly where it comes sustaining high performance. Bain company research found that nearly 70 percent of business leaders agree: Culture provides the greatest source of competitive advantage. In fact, more than 80 percent believe an organisation that lacks a high performance culture is doomed to mediocrity. 2.3 Indvidualism v collectivism: (www.geert-hofstede.com) Geert Hofstede had explained about the Individualism and collectivism that they are the two ends of a framework. One, which is defined as a loosely-knit social framework in which individuals are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. Its opposite is collectivism in which preference is given to the tightly-knit framework in society in which individuals can expect their relatives or members of a particular in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. In the context of Muslim charity transition in the culture of the organisation is taking place where a framework of individualism is not viable in the system and subsystem of the organisation. Instead, Collectivism is replacing individualistic culture incrementally in the internal environment of Muslim Charity, whereby; internal stakeholders are performing conditionally in exchange of the reward system. Which is expected from the group of employers. Thus, the culture of individualism within the strategic business units or the divisions of regional offices of Muslim Charity is on the lower side. 2.4 MASCULINITY FEMININITY: Further, Hofstede highlighted more on the importance of the masculinity femininity. The masculinity side of this dimension represents a preference in society for achievements, heroism, assertiveness and material reward for success. Society at large is more competitive. Its opposite, femininity, stands for a preference for cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak and quality of life. Society at large is more consensus-oriented. By and large, preference to the masculinity over femininity has been removed from the ethos of Muslim Charity and a constant incremental change has enabled the system to adopt a policy whereby, equality has become the preference of charitable trust. However, some policies should be adopted whereby, everyone has the power to contribute and internal stakeholders expects a reward system purely based on fair policy specifically at the international stage. It has been observed in the 3rd world countries where organisations have not been able to adopt fair policy for both the sexes. Resulting, a great loss of human capital. Although, according to the (www.wolframaalpha.com) statistics of 2008 in Pakistan. Unemployment ratio remains to a 8%. But, the feminine community were ignored in all the sectors. One more critical point put forward by (Brunes.B, 2008) Hofstede, cultural dimension model that every organisation has its own orientation. Which is classified into two kinds; namely, employee oriented and employer oriented. First form of orientation is purely revolves around the employees preference to their personal goals which are entirely not align with the organisational aims. Employees try to attain these personal goals on the expense of organizational objectives. On the contrary, notion of employer orientation is the way of engaging employees and realign their orientation to attain common objectives of the organisation. In the culture of Muslim Charity this has been the most critical point. This is where management has not yet been able to successfully execute a work plan for employees. Resulting, a horrendous consequences faced by the organisation which ultimately hampered the working capital of the organisation. Employer orientated guidelines are required at national and int ernational platforms that will exhibit synergy at all levels in the hierarchy of the Muslim Charity. 2.5 Degree of leadership style: In (Brunes.B, 2008) Hofstedes cultural dimensional theory the very last element that is known as leadership style. It plays a vital role in the organisational culture as a whole which really transform and shifts it two a new level. (Brookes, 2008) There is no iota of doubt that different leadership styles bring various outcomes for the organisations, which are then used effectively by the leaders as per the requirement. (LD, 2008) Leadership styles are classified into three categories, which are as follows: a) Participative, b) Authoritarian c) Delegative. In the internal environment of Muslim Charity more or less all the styles of leadership are required. Due to low coercive power the flow of information in the scale of chain of command never transfer from operational core to strategic apex (bottom to top)(Bpp, 2008). As result of this, untimely delays in the decision-making makes it even harder for senior management to take S.M.A.R.T (G. jones, 2010) decisions. Occasional authoritative style will help organisation to attain its goals. However, long-term dictatorial culture in the high context cultural organisation can bring numerous conflicts. Which can cost heavily to any organisation, which has certainly deteriorated the internal environment of Muslim Charity. Pace-setting style which will enable the Muslim charity to engage employees to bring about their individual skills and delegate and participate in the operational activities that will increase the leverage of the business in the long run. 2.6 POWER DISTANCE: This refers to the response to power and authority at different levels of a hierarchy no society functions without some hierarchy and power distances. In cultures where power distances appear low, their informally prevails or is more subtle and is not necessary responding to a formal structure, close work supervision would be presented in cultures with wider power distances, the members of that society accept and respect hierarchy and even encourage it. Manager would expect autocratic decision-making. Employees work is organised according to what the next line of managers expect. So, (Brunes.B, 2008) Hofstede has looked at one very interesting dimension here as he recognizes social inequalities in many countries and work environments these are a part of life. (G. Jones, 2010) interestingly sub-classified the power distance in various categories. As per the classification Muslim Charity falls under the category of power distances coercive and legitimate power. Where power is centred at one place and a very limited delegation of authority prevails in such organisations. In particular low context culture organisation possess such distance powers. In the context of globalisation and conjunction of two power distances can some time possess uncertain threats to the open and close systems of the organisation? As a result of this processes within the organisation discontinue itself, which will then create hindrance in the flow of information of hierarchical structure. 4. Uncertainty Avoidance According to (Hofstede, 1980) the fourth dimension that Hofstede distinguishes is the uncertainty dimension. The spectrum is made up of uncertainty avoidance on the one end and uncertainty tolerance on the other end. Further, it can be defined as the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations, this expresses itself in the work place for example in the need for predictability. This dimension refers to the extent of the need to avoid uncertainty in life. Where this dimension is high, the effects of conflict, organisational politics, and competition at the work place are more feared. Naturally stress levels are higher, individuals are less entrepreneurial or independent. At the other end of the spectrum the opposite applies because the work force is willing to take risk, be less resistant to change and have less stress and job anxiety. To combine both power distance and uncertainty avoidance, consider figure 1.0 which is as simplified extraction from Hofstedes work to serve as an example only. Diagram of hofstede model. According to the model Pakistan falls under 3rd quadrant where the power distance is always very low in comparison with the uncertainty avoidance. In such circumstances due to high uncertainty avoidance whereby everything is structured in a society and rules that are required in the society are very stringent. In case of Muslim Charity uncertainty tolerance in the UK division is very low in comparison with the other end of the uncertainty spectrum. Collectivist . Pakistan 4Quadrant 3rd Quadrant Individualist . Britain 2nd Quadrant 1st Quadrant Feminine Masculine [figure is taken from Brunes. B, (2009), Managing Change] Fig1.0 Britain East Africa Uncertainty Avoidance Power Distance Low Distance High Distance [figure is taken from Brunes. B, (2009), Managing Change] 5. Globalization at macro level: As numerous writers has written a lot about globalization at various occasions. By and large the fundamental definition of globalization will change in the context of macro and microeconomics level. According to (www.Beerkens.info) the characteristics of the globalisation trend include the internationalizing of production, the new international division of labour, new migratory movements from south to north, the new competitive environment that generates these processes and the internationalizing of the state making states into agencies of the globalising world. 6. Key Drivers for Globalization: One of the authors had come up with 4 key drivers of globalisation. A change small change in any of the following drivers can have critical implications on the economic outlook of any country. Which will thus, slows the growth of companies. a) Customer drivers, b) Cost Drivers, c) competition Drivers, and Country Driver. As far as the cost driving force in terms customer is concerned will challenge any organisation when the demand and satisfaction need of all the customers converge and becomes a common need altogether. Afterwards, it would become very easy to run the business on a common platform. Cost Drivers: it is very crucial to recover or save the cost in the production of the service. While, at the same time company enables itself to increase its economies of scale that will allow the company to spread the cost and thus reduce or mitigate the financial risk on geographical bases. Henceforth, Muslim charity can achieve the economies of scale by sale volumes globally. Country Drivers: are the key fundamentals drivers that may bring about the increase in the overall profit of the MNCs (Multinational National Corporation). Economic trade policies (Whittington, et al, 2009) and (Porter. M,1982) reduction trade barriers can really thrive the profitability of any business. In addition, to this globalization also underpins the regulations related to standardization of either product based businesses or serviced based. As a result of that, meeting those standards can reduce the chances of speeding the cross-cultural business. Further, for Muslim Charity reaching to the wider audience requires a common cross communication tools and ethical standards, which will easily facilitate the business to run openly on, cross communication bases. Competition Drivers: (Whittington et al 2008) in this cut throat competition at global level. It is very important to determine the optimal capability profile of the competitors, which ensures their level to do business at local or progress it towards next level of globalization. According to (G.jones, 2008) competitors has the biggest say of driving the focus of competition from one level to another or divert the focus from one thing to another. (Porter.M, 1982) whenever the rivalry increases specially with the entry of new entrants into the market and they emerge from regional level to compete at international level. Resulting a profound impact of globalization will become evident for longer period. For instance, Muslim Charity is entering at the gross root level in charity sector of Bangladesh to penetrate the market by competing with the movers and shakers of the market at domestic level first and then progress further towards global level. According to (G. Jones, 2010) for a company to become less competitive or show no incline towards the competition will depend upon some factors as shown in the figure. Firstly, it has to remain competitive localised by having a certain niche strategy in the market, which is shown in the 1st quadrant of the figure. For a geographical space in the market occupying a certain space of product scope for sustainability perspective will bring about the competitive international broad range strategy which will push company to become globalised but at the same time remain uncontested. In the context of Muslim Charity moving from quadrant 2 to 4 is to expand the business by being local. Instead tapping the international market on regional and geographical level while, keeping the current competitive position. While, option 5 whereby the company has to sustain itself by closely reading the market condition and determining the ability of the competitors to market the transition. Product Scope Local or National Competitive Localised Niche Strategy 1 Competitive Localised Broad Range Strategy 3 International or Regional Competitive International Niche strategy 2 Competitive 4 International Broad Range Strategy Geographic market scope Globalise 5 [figure is taken from Brunes. B, (2009), Managing Change] 7. CONCLUSION: Finally, Intricate and demanding processes of Muslim Charity requires rigorous and intensive exercise of all the 6 dimensions of Haofstede model which will enable it to become more competitive for longer period of time. Further, it will make Muslim Charity to become order winner instead of order qualifier. If the points which were discussed comprehensively and the flaws comprehended in the report rectified practically. There is a possibility that Muslim Charity will certainly gain competitive advantage and it will sustain in the market. .

The Beveridge Report, 1942: Causes and Effects

The Beveridge Report, 1942: Causes and Effects CHAPTER 2: The publication of the Beveridge report in December 1942 is one of those moments in history which offer a unique challenge to historians. It is an event about which everybody at the time had a viewpoint. I recall my Grandfather telling me that William Bevridge was the architect of the welfare state, and the publication of his report marked a turning point in the lives of working class people across Britain. It is therefore a challenge for the historian to ignore their pre-conceived notions, and write an account of the Beveridge report based upon the information as it stands, rather than based upon perceptions. To write about what truly motivated Beveridge, what his true principles were, and what the real aims of the report were, rather than making assumptions based upon what is seen at face value. That is what I aim to do here. To understand the work, one has to understand the man, and that will be my starting point for this chapter. William Beveridge was a Liberal, indeed he became a liberal MP in 1944, but he was not a liberal in the classic tradition. Indeed, Beveridge would probably have more in common with the Liberal Democrat tradition of today than he would with the tradition of Lloyd George, and it should be remembered that he flirted with the idea of joining the Labour party at around the time he wrote his report. Various writers have wrestled with the idea of placing Beveridge somewhere on the left to right political spectrum, but in truth, any attempt to try and place him in this way would do the man and his work a disservice. Probably the best analysis is that of the Williams’ in ‘A Beveridge Reader’ and reiterated by Robert Leaper: â€Å"Beveridge was never a grand social theorist; he always favoured a practical, problem centred approach.†(1) From the evidence I have seen, it would be best to describe Beveridge as a pragmatist. He saw a problem, and looked for the best solution to solve the problem as he saw it. He showed no apparent concern for where the solution may have had its origins, only that the solution solved the problem. This is not to say that Beveridge did not have underlying principles. It has been argued by Albert Weale that two persistent themes run through his work: â€Å"The first is the belief that virtually the prime goal of public policy should be the development of an efficient economy capable of high levels of productivity. Underlying Beveridge’s conviction on this point, there appears to have been a tacitly assumed belief in the paradox of capitalist production: capitalism resulted in a highly unequal distribution of wealth, and yet it was the only system capable of producing sufficient wealth to eradicate poverty. The second persistent element in his social theory was Beveridge’s view that a highly centralized bureaucracy, staffed with public-spirited officials, would be the leading instrument of social reform.†(2) Having looked at what Beveridge was, it is also vitally important to understand what both he and his report were not. Beveridge was not a socialist and he was not a revolutionary, and neither was his report. As Eveline Burns points out: â€Å"In this context it can be seen that the Beveridge report is evolutionary, rather than revolutionary. The great contribution of the author consists in his recognition of the fact that the end of one stage of development had in fact been reached and that the time was ripe for the reorganization and new unification of the various programs in conformity with the changed social attitudes.†(3) Whilst I have broken with any idea of this being a report of revolutionary proportions, I must also break with the argument of Bartholemew, which I believe was somewhat dismissive of the report. He states: â€Å"So what did Beveridge propose? It was very simple. Everyone would make flat-rate contributions to a national insurance scheme. Those who fell ill, became unemployed or reached retirement age would, in return, receive flat-rate payments. That is it. The rest was detail.†(4) Bartholemew may technically be correct. The report did contain a lot of detail centred on this core principle. But the report also contained a vision or blueprint for the future, and in many respects, it was this part of the report which was of particular interest, as Beveridge went far beyond his initial remit. It is some of these ideas which I would like to look at now. As Burns points out: â€Å"It should be noted first of all that the report is essentially concerned with assuring freedom from want, in so far as want is due to interruptions of income or to the occurrence of costs unrelated to income to which all or the vast majority of the population are at some time or other liable.†(5) But this attack on want only formulated one part of the overall objectives, which was to attack what Beveridge described as the five giants. Beveridge stated in his second of three guiding principles: â€Å"The second principle is that organisation of social insurance should be treated as on part of a comprehensive policy of social progress. Social insurance fully developed income security; it is an attack upon want. But want is one only of the five giants on the road to reconstruction and in some ways the easiest to attack. The others are disease, ignorance squalor and idleness.†(6) Within the report, it was only the giants of want and by implication, idleness which were tackled head on. But with some imagination, it is not difficult to foresee the origins of the NHS, the development of a comprehensive education system and a local authority house building programme within its pages. Beveridge embodied within his plan, a vision for the future, which could be tackled piece by piece, beginning with want. The picture painted by Beveridge was an overall scheme which he described as follows: â€Å"The scheme embodies six fundamental principles; flat rate of contribution; unification of administrative responsibility; adequacy of benefit; comprehensiveness; and classification. Based on them and in combination with national assistance and voluntary insurance as subsidiary methods, the aim of the plan for social security is to make want under any circumstances unnecessary.†(7) Up to this point, I have tended to focus upon the social dimension of the Beveridge report, but as I have said before, we should not loose sight of the pragmatic dimension of the man. In signing of the report in 1942, Beveridge claimed it was marked by â€Å"economy in administration, adequacy in benefits and universality in scope.†(8) It is the aspect of economy in administration which is most commonly neglected when looking at the Beveridge report, and in assessing the man behind it. One of the most important motivations behind the report was the desire to rationalise the existing system which consisted of a set of unconnected bodies working under rules laid down by up to six different agencies. This system was seen by Beveridge among others as not only inefficient but also expensive in administration costs. Beveridge claimed in the report that: â€Å"Social insurance and allied services, as they exist today, are connected by a complex of disconnected administrative organs, proceeding on different principles, doing invaluable service but at no cost in money and trouble and anomalous treatment of identical problems for which there is no justification. In a system of social security, better on the whole than can be found in almost any other country, there are serious deficiencies which call for remedy. It is not open to question that , by closer co-ordination, the existing social services could be made at once more beneficial and more intelligible to those whom they serve and more economical in their administration.†(9) The same point is made in a rather more cynical manner by Bartholemew: â€Å"People who looked at the detail and actually read his words understood that the old Victorian was not proposing the bonanza which many assumed then and continue to believe. Keynes advised Beveridge on his costings and said, ‘the Chancellor of the Exchequer should thank his stars that he has got of so cheap.’ Members of the economic section of the Treasury believed that the Beveridge plan was actually cheaper than the provision which existed previously.†(10) The desire of Beveridge to create a more rational economic system as well as being a primary motive more his war on want, was also an important contributing factor in his desire to see a nationwide health system. Writing just after the publication of the report, Leo Wolman wrote: â€Å"These amount to saying that the scheme, in order to work and to avoid building up excessive expenditures and costs, must provide that the insured be kept healthy and fit for work and remain in employment lest they settle down too often and too long to living on the insurance benefits. The report attempts to translate these assumptions into practical proposals by calling upon the government to face the problems of the post-war unemployment and by laying the foundations for an unprecedented system of health and rehabilitation benefits and services.†(11) What Wolman observed in Beveridge was a belief that by introducing a health care system alongside the social care system, the health of people would be improved, leading to less stress being put on the social security fund through sickness. This desire to maintain the health of the workforce is also linked to Beveridge’s desire for greater efficiency. As Beveridge points out in his report: â€Å"It is in the interest of employers as such that the employees should have security, should be properly maintained during the inevitable intervals of unemployment or of sickness, should have the content which helps to make them efficient producers.†(12) It is worth noting that Beveridge received widespread support among the business community based upon his arguments of it leading to greater efficiency of the workforce. Samual Courtauld, chairman of the fabric firm, speaking to the Manchester Rotary Club in February 1943, declared himself: â€Å"Strongly in favour of the principles and almost all the proposals of the Beveridge report. I have not the faintest doubt that if we can survive the first severe business contraction which arises after the war, social security of this nature will be about the most profitable long-term investment the country could make. It will not undermine the moral of the nation’s workers: it will ultimately lead to a higher efficiency among them and a lowering of production costs.†(13) We have up to now focussed upon two dimensions of the aims and principles of the Beveridge report: the social and the economic. What we must now do is look at the political principles and aims of the report. I do not refer to party political aims but the underlying political aims. The aims of doing what is best for the nation as Beveridge saw it. There is good evidence that Beveridge saw a danger in men returning from war, seeking a better world and seeing nothing better than before. There is also evidence that there was a fear of possible consequences within the House of Commons. Beveridge wrote in his report: â€Å"There are yet others who will say that, however desirable it may appear to reconstruct social insurance or to make other plans for a better world of peace, all such concerns must now be put on one side, so that Britain may concentrate upon the urgent task of war. There is no need to spend the words today in emphasising the urgency or the difficulty of the task that faces the British people and their Allies. Only by surviving victoriously in the present struggle can they enable the freedom and happiness and kindliness to survive in the world. Only by obtaining from every individual citizen his maximum effort, concentrated upon the purposes of war, can they hope for early victory. This does not alter three facts: that the purpose of victory is to live into a better world than the old world; that each individual citizen is more likely to concentrate upon his war effort if he feels that his government will be ready in time with plans for that better world; that if these plans are to be ready in time, they must be made now.†(14) If the warnings of Beveridge were relatively subtle, then those expressed by Conservative MP, Quinton Hogg, in the parliamentary debate on 17th February, 1943, were very much to the point: â€Å"Some of my honourable friends seem to overlook one or two ultimate facts about social reform. The first is that if you do not give people social reform, they are going to give you social revolution. Let anyone consider the possibility of a series of dangerous industrial strikes following the present hostilities, and the effect that it would have on our industrial recovery.†(15) Whilst I am not totally convinced that this was a major factor in the reasoning of Beveridge, the lessons of what happened post 1918 would not have been lost on him. I do also believe that it strongly influenced Beveridge’s ability to sell the proposals to the Conservative part effectively. The true extent of this will be looked at in the next chapter. It has been argued by John Jacobs that â€Å"the impetus for what was to become the Beveridge report came from the TUC, who had for some time been pressing the Government for a comprehensive review of social insurance.†(16) Whilst there is no doubt that the TUC had a degree of influence, this is a far too simplistic model. It is my view that the origins of the report, and the principles within the report lie in the growing realisation that the world was changing, that there was a need both socially and economically for systems in place to be made more efficient. William Beveridge had a long history within this area of study and fully understood the deficiencies of the system. As has previously been emphasised, the report was not revolutionary in its ideas. But it was a document which exerted an immense influence upon the future of social policy in Britain. In essence, I would describe the report as the attempts by a pragmatist to rationalise an irrational system. FOOTNOTES: Social Policy and Administration Vol 25, No 1, March 1991 : Article By Leaper, R page 4 Political Studies Vol 27, Issue 2, June 1979 : Article By Weale, A page 288 American Economic Review Vol 33, No 3, September 1943 : Article By Burns, E page 519 Bartholemew, J : The Welfare State Were In (Politico, London, 2004) page 57 Prev Cite, Burns page 513 Beveridge, W: The Beveridge Report on Social and Allied Services 1942 (HMSO, London, 1942) page 1 Ibid Page 2 Thane, P : The Foundations of the Welfare State (Longman, Harlow, 1998) page 235 Prev Cite, Beveridge page 6 Prev Cite, Bartholemew page 58 Political Science Quarterly Vol 58, No 1, March 1943: Article By Wolman, L page 6-7 Prev Cite, Beveridge page 109 Manchester Guardian, February 19th, 1943 Prev Cite, Beveridge page 171 Hansard Parliamentary Debates: 17th February, 1943, Col 1818 Jacobs, J : Beveridge 1942-1992 (Whiting and Birch, London, 1992) page 140 CHAPTER 3: Time magazine printed on December 14th, 1942: â€Å"Not since the day of Munich had the British press given such play to any single story. War news was all but pushed from the pages of London’s war-curtailed dailies. Many of them devoted half their space to news of the document which, in the midst of war, looked forward to a better post-war world. The Beveridge Report, published last week was the biggest event for Britons in many years.†(1) In our present day age of cynicism towards anything political, it is difficult to imagine the idea of a government commissioned report selling 90,000 copies in its’ first week, and eventually seeing sales of 600,000. Even less, the idea of people cueing outside HMSO in London to buy a copy. Such euphoria today is usually reserved for the latest Harry Potter adventures. But in December 1942, this is exactly what happened. People wanted to but and read this document. It was headlined by ‘Time’ as ‘Rare and Refreshing Beveridge.’ This is probably an accurate representation of how people in Britain saw this report. A rare opportunity to read something new and refreshing. The Beveridge report appeared to capture a mood in a way which was not seen before, and is extremely unlikely to be seen again. What is also unlikely to be seen again is a document with such overwhelming approval. Bartholemew notes that: â€Å"In a survey at the time, nineteen out of twenty people had heard of the report and almost all were in favour of it.†(2) The Mass Observation Archives provide us with a valuable insight as to the public perception of the report at the time. Typical of the responses was that of a male skilled worker of 50, from Streatham: â€Å"I have read it and think it champion and will take a load off the minds of people. The most important proposals, well they are all very important but suppose the Retirement Pension and Unemployment increase are perhaps the greatest benefit. It should be passed as quickly as possible. I do not see how anybody can oppose it except perhaps the Insurance Companies but they don’t matter, they have feathered their nests long enough.†(3) Two things are interesting to note from this. Firstly, how enthusiasm can lead people to see things which are not there; in this case the promise of higher pensions and unemployment benefits. Secondly, the cynicism towards the insurance companies which would today, probably be directed towards the politicians. Amid the euphoria, there were comments which, although not really dissent, questioned some of the assumptions. The following is an opinion of a woman regarding family planning: â€Å"Well I’m one of the bad selfish women; I had only one child because I didn’t want any more. And now that my husband and I have parted I’m not particularly sorry. I think my young daughter looks forward to having a family of three or four. But of course she may change her mind when she marries or after she’s had one. After all, it’s such a terribly personal problem. I think that family allowances and better housing and more hope of social security would make a difference to the number of children in better off working class and lower middle class homes. But I don’t think anything on earth would make the educated classes start having large families, because they simply don’t want them.†(4) This is a rejection of the idea that family allowance payments would lead to larger families, This is an interesting observation in light of concerns at the time concerning the declining population. What should be clear from these observations of public opinion is a confirmation of what Bartholemew said. There was widespread public support for the Beveridge plan, to such an extent, the government acted sooner on the proposals than they had initially wanted. There is a general belief that the public support put pressure on the government to accept the conclusions of the report whilst the war was in progress. In light of this overwhelming public support, it is interesting to look at where opposition and criticism to the report came from. From what I have seen, I would place the opposition and criticism to the report into four different groups; government opposition (particularly the treasury), the Marxist left, the Right Wing of the Conservative Part, and Feminist opposition. I have not analysed opposition from insurance companies separately as their arguments correspond with those of the Tory right, and are fairly self explanatory. What is necessary is to look at the nature of the opposition from these four groups; what motivated their opposition, and to look at what extent these oppositions were ideological or practical. This will provide a better picture of where the country stood at this time. As I have mentioned earlier, public opinion compelled the government to act in a way which it did not really want to. There were concerns within the government regarding Beveridges’s plan, particularly from the Treasury. This position has been well explained by Pat Thane: â€Å"The treasury expressed serious doubts about the possible effects of Beveridge’s plans on the post-war fiscal situation. They feared that it would require a high level of taxation which would discourage saving and hinder post-war expansion. A fierce debate was conducted among government economic advisors between those who argued that need could be met more effectively and cheaply by benefits means-tested on the same basis as the newly introduced annual tax returns and adjusted to local cost-of-living variations, and Keynes, who admitted the logic of this view but argued that this was impossible without a reform of the system of direct taxation, which was not immediately practicable, and that contributory insurance was a useful means of making employers share the costs of welfare. Keynes was convinced that the Beveridge plan was the cheapest alternative open to us and that the feared financial difficulties could be avoided by careful Treasury management.†(5) To the historian, this Treasury opposition was by far the most important. In analysing the political climate of the day, it shows differences of thinking at the highest levels of government at a time of war, and when a coalition government was considered to be united. But even more importantly, this Treasury opposition was to continue into the period of implementation, and as we shall see later on, these arguments had profound consequences upon how the Beveridge plan was implemented. It should also be noted at this stage that opposition within Government was not restricted to the Treasury. Ironically, Bevin was initially strongly opposed to the conclusions of Beveridge, believing that it was contrary to the interests of the trade unions, which were best met by higher wages, although the TUC were strongly behind the plan. Whilst the majority of the Socialist movement including the Labour Party, the TUC and interestingly the Communist Party, were firmly behind the plan, the Marxist left were strongly against the plan on ideological terms. Their position is well summarised by a Socialist Party of Great Britain pamphlet written in 1943: â€Å"We propose to show that this apparently philanthropic gesture on the part of the Government will not be an entirely unmixed blessing for the working population, and the approval with which it has been received by different sections of political opinion arises in some cases from the complete lack of knowledge that whatever benefits, if any, may accrue to a certain number of workers, the employers will most certainly gain on balance in the long run.†(6) The essence of the Marxist left position was that capitalism was the cause of poverty and could not be reformed. It would therefore be wrong for socialists to support attempts to reform the system to make it more palatable. Groups such as the socialist party of Great Britain also viewed the report as an attempt to placate the working class, and prevent any possible social revolution at the end of the war. The position of these groups was in the overall scheme of things, of little relevance. This may not have been the case if the Communist Party, by far the largest Marxist organisation, had adopted a Marxist position rather than the reformist position of the TUC. If the opposition of the Treasury was practical, and the opposition of the left was ideological, then the opposition of the Tory right was a combination of the two. There existed then as now, a strong desire to minimise the role of government in affairs as much as possible, and so there was a natural ideological objection to the government run social insurance scheme. Conservative MP, David Willetts has reflected upon the Tory opposition, and has drawn the following conclusions: â€Å"Conservatives were wary of Beveridge for two main reasons. The Conservative Party conference of 1943 passed a motion ‘That this conference is of the opinion that the existing friendly societies should remain part of our social security system’ in response to the fear that Beveridge’s ambitious new social insurance scheme would undermine friendly society provision, a fear which proved well founded. There was also a worry that these benefits would not be as well-targeted as Beveridge hoped.†(7) As I referred to at the start, there was a certain coronation between the position of the Tory right and that of the Insurance companies, whose primary concern was that they would loose a lot of business by Beveridge’s proposals. Their position was on the whole supported by the Tory right. The position of the Tory right was certainly more influential than that of the left, by virtue of the fact that they had a voice in parliament, but we should not overestimate the strength of their opposition in overall terms. Indeed, their position had little impact upon the outcome of the report. There was probably greater support for their position within government than was apparent, but political expediency led others to take a more liberal position. The most interesting ideological position was that of the feminist movement. Their position has been effectively laid out by Sheila Blackburn: â€Å"Socialist feminists maintain that, despite women’s sterling war effort, Beveridge deliberately reduced married women, with regard to social security, to second class citizens. This, they insist, Beveridge achieved via three means. First, Beveridge specified that married working women should pay reduced national insurance contributions and, as a result, they received lower benefits. Second, socialist feminists discuss how Beveridge made arrangements for married working women. Third and most importantly, feminists criticise Beveridge for assuming that the majority of married/co-habiting women would abandon paid work to be financially supported by a male bread winner.†(8) We must be careful at this stage to avoid moving away from the question we are looking at; that is opposition at the time to Beveridge. The feminist debate upon Beveridge continues to this day, and we must avoid using current arguments and imposing them upon feminists in 1942. But there is a strong body of evidence to suggest that these arguments formed part of the feminist opposition at the time. This has been reflected by Leaper in looking at the demands of the Woman’s Freedom League. They demanded: â€Å"that men and women should in marriage not be treated as a team but as individuals each paying equal contributions and receive equal benefits; and that in every case men and women should pay the same and receive the same benefits.†(9) He has also quoted the following extract from Abbott and Bompass who published a fierce feminist critique of the report in 1943: â€Å"It is where the plan falls short of being really mutual in character, where it shuts out or exempts from all direct participation over nine million adult women, where it imposes financial burdens on men alone, instead of spreading them equitably over all, that it fails and is open to criticism.†(10) The importance of the feminist lobby should not be overstated. Whilst there was extensive feminist opposition to Beveridge, he also gained much support, as Blackburn has pointed out: â€Å"Beveridge’s views were largely in accord with those of the majority of the organised women’s movement in Britain in the 1930’s and 1940’s; and it seems futile and somewhat patronising to berate both him and them for failing to think what they ought to have thought from the vantage point of the 1990’s.†(11) I would summarise that the feminist position was important in 1942, but had little impact upon the implementation of the Beveridge proposals. The importance of the feminist position has been in the ways in which the welfare state has been altered, taking on board many of the feminist arguments. I would be my argument therefore, that the feminist argument has gained in strength and credibility over time, and is now highly influential in the shape of the welfare state. The Beveridge report was without doubt a monumental document, which gained public acclaim to an extent which we are unlikely to ever see again. One should not underestimate the role of Beveridge himself in gaining this support. In many respects, Beveridge was a very modern politician. He manipulated the media very effectively, building up substantial support for his report before it was published. As a result, the opposition was limited. As I have mentioned, the most important opposition came from the Treasury, and this opposition did impact upon the way Beveridge was implemented. But on the whole, the support was far too extensive for it to be ignored, and the spirit, if not all the detail became the foundation of the welfare state. FOOTNOTES: Time: Monday, December 14th, 1942 Bartholemew, J : The Welfare State Were In (Politico, London, 2004) page 56 Mass Observation Archive: Topic Collections on Social Welfare and the Beveridge Report, 1939-1949 Ibid Thane, P : The Foundation of the Welfare State (Logman, Harlow, 1998) page 236 Website: www.worldsocilaism.org Website: www.davidwilletts.org.uk Woman’s History Review Vol 4, No 3, 1995: Article By Sheila Blackburn page 371 Social Policy and Administration Vol 25, No 1, March 1991: Article By Leaper, R page 18 Ibid page 18 Prev Cite Blackburn page 376 BIBLIOGRAPHY: Titmuss, R : Essays on the Welfare State (Unwin University Books, London, 1963) Political Quarterly Vol 14, No 2 : Before and After Beveridge Journal of Social Policy Vol 27, No 1 : Article By Jim Tomlinson The Economic Journal Vol 53, April 1943 : Article By Owen, ADK Historical Journal Vol 35, No 3, 1992 : Article By Fielding, S Review of Economic Studies, Vol 11, No 1, 1943 : Article By Hicks, JR