Social Enterprise and Commercial Enterprise

Social Enterprise and Commercial Enterprise INTRODUCTION Social enterprises are businesses driven by a social or environmental mission (social enterprise coalition). They are businesses primarily set out for social purpose. Whose principal objective is to reinvest their surpluses mainly for social purpose in the business or community rather than maximise profit for shareholders and owners (The Cabinet Office. Office of the third sector). Commercial enterprises are business organisations that are set up mainly for profit. Their main objective is to maximise profit for their shareholders and owners. It could be Mobil unlimited or publicly owned companies like commercial banks or limited liability companies. Social enterprise transcends traditional non-profit sector and applies to health, environment, education and social welfare. It also applies to economic development or job creation programmes (Virtue Ventures, 2007). An example is Southampton social council that is geared towards providing quality education for the children in its communi ty. It is also involved in providing quality water for its citizens free from sodium, lead and impurities. It is also very proficient in its waste disposal by maintaining a clean environment. In order to achieve this, it organises a programme called enviro_champs where university staff and their students are involved. University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University are involved in this programme. Differences and Similarities between Social Enterprise and Commercial Enterprise Social enterprises are different from a standard charity because they use a businesslike approach to tackling social problems instead of relying on grants (Virtue Ventures, 2007). Social enterprise are designed to meet social needs and also to achieve commercial viability similar to the private sector (Virtue Ventures, 2007).Business plans and other research tools can be utilised to design social enterprise policy by analysing an organisations internal factors such as core competences, weaknesses and needs of its clients and external factors such as legal and regulatory environments, markets, demand and access to capital. Therefore social enterprise operational models are geared towards market realities, organisational capabilities and social needs (Virtue Ventures, 2007). The Environment Centre (tCE) which is an arm of energy saving trust. Its aim is to encourage and educate people about the benefit of sustainable alternative energy. The objective of tCE is to educate the people about the havoc caused by using fossil fuel for generating energy, and the pollution caused by the emission of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases. This is achieved by helping people to apply for grant from government. In doing this people are encouraged to use solar energy, wind turbines, bio fuels and hydro energy to generate electricity for their homes. Grants are also given for home insulation. This is purely a social service and not for profit (The Environment Centre, 2008). tCE obtain funding from European Union. Social enterprises raise standards for ethical business and corporate social responsibilities (Social Enterprise East Midlands). Social enterprise plays a larger role in delivering public services like provision of leisure services, recycling services health and social care for council(Cabinet Office: Office of the Third Sector) . Unlike social enterprise that are not for profit organisation. Commercial enterprises are not mainly into provision of public services; the few that are in these areas are very expensive, because they are principally for profit maximisation. Commercial enterprises raise their capital from individuals and stock markets while social enterprise raise their capital from non governmental organisations. Social enterprise can also benefit funds from the same sources as commercial enterprises. The only difference is in the range of finances available which may differ depending on the function and form of social enterprise. It could be in the form of grant, debt, equity, social venture capital or philanthropy capital (Anglia Ruskin University, 2009). Business enterprises and social enterprise s read from different bottom line, one purely financial while the other takes into account the social benefits derived from the enterprises operation. With these differences, they also share some similarities as follows, they are both ambitious, they both have the ability to look for resources in most remote places, they are creative in their solution to problems, and they also build something out of nothing (School for Social Entrepreneurs). The enterprise act 2002 which relates to competition law and the legislation for the protection of consumers (Enterprise Act Publication, 2002). The fair trade act 2003 all are legal laws regulating both commercial enterprise and social enterprise. Both commercial and social enterprises need to be legally registered according to the law of United Kingdom or anywhere in the world where they operate before they can start operations officially and legally. Commercial enterprise compete in the market place in order to maximise profit and also for t he share of the market which is geared towards growth while social enterprise only compete to make profit in order to improve their services for their environment and their community. Companies like Primark competes in the market place with organisations like Matalan, Georges, Marks and Spencers for the share of the market. Their main purpose is to maximise profit and for growth in order to be the market leader. They employ business tools and models to gain competitive advantage and to achieve sustainable leading edge. In recent time social enterprise is becoming an integral of commercial enterprise. Commercial enterprises are moving towards philanthropic activities (Porter and Kramer, 2002). They form sister companies which are basically not for profit organisations. These not for profit organisations aim is to give something back to the community where they operate. This is popularly known as corporate social responsibilities. It could be in the health sector by subsidising health bills of the people in the area where they operate. Some organisations focus on a particular area like heart diseases or cancer patients or leukaemia patients. While some are into recreation of the environment. An example is Primark which embarked on beautifying parks around Southampton (Primark Stores Ltd, 2009).Primark supports community projects across the UK and Ireland (Primark Stores Ltd, 2009). All these are in an attempt to gain competitive advantage. Philanthropy is used as a form of public relations or advertising. It is sometimes used to promote companies image or brand, through rigorous marketing or high profile sponsorship (Porter and Kramer, 2002). True strategic giving addresses both social and economic goals simultaneously unlike cause related marketing. They target areas of competitive context, where the company and society both benefit this is because the firm brings unique asset and expertise (Porter and Kramer, 2002). Organisations uses their philanthropic posture to enhance competitive advantage by aligning social and economic goals thereby bringing improvement in a companys long term business prospects. This gives rise to sustainable competitive advantage (Porter and Kramer, 2002). By addressing corporate social responsibility a company is not only giving back to the society but also leveraging its capabilities and relationship in support of charitable organisations. An example is Marks and Spencer start programme th at gives opportunity for work experience to a range of people including the young unemployed, the disabled, the homeless. Parents returning to work. Also for students who are the first in their families are encouraged to aim for higher education (Marks and Spencer CSR). Companies do not operate in isolation from the society around them. Their ability to compete depends on the circumstances of the location where they exist. Improving education is seen as a social issue. The educational level of the local work force greatly affects a companys potential competitiveness. The more a company is involved in corporate social responsibility the better it is positioned for economic benefits. Apple is a company that is positioned as an innovative organisation; therefore it develops its professionalism in its work place by developing and training its work force (Apple, 2009). Also by giving them sound health packages and housing benefits. This is because investment in the work force is paramoun t to productivity combined with finance and materials. This gives Apple a sustainable competitive advantage in the market against its competitors. Conclusion In conclusion the long run of social and economic goals are not conflicting, instead they are integrally connected. Competitiveness in recent time depends on how organisations can combine labour, capital and natural resources to produce high quality goods and services. Productivity depends on having workers who are educated, safe, healthy, decently housed and motivated by sense of opportunity (Porter and Kramer, 2002). My placement in Southampton city council as a volunteer has thought me a lot of important things I need to know about active community group. Basically what I have gained is not much because Im still doing a research, on how to know what the community wants from the council, which I believe it will be completed soon. Also, I went for a Conference in Birmingham about community engagement, which was unbelievable, m eeting up with different regions and met the Chief Executive,CDF. Nevertheless it was a tremendous meeting which they talk about several programms like Business case for community engagement, Working with the third sector and Take part etc.It was an excellent conference because everybody had to introduce themselves and their position in city council from different county.I would gain more idea from city council because I might stay with them till end of January 2010. Bibliography Anglian Ruskin University (2009). Creating Social Enterprises.  A guide to Social Enterprise for University Staff. Cambridge and Chelmsford.[online] Available:www.anglia.ac.uk/rdcs[accessed: 22 November 2009] Apple Store (2009). [online] Available : http://store.apple.com/uk?afid=p202%7CGOUKE100801461cid=OAS-EMEA-KWG- UK_General-UK [accessed: 20 November 2009] Cabinet Office, (2006). www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_Sector/Social_Enterprise/action_Plan Enterprise Act (2002). [online] Available: http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/enterprise_act/oft51 8.pd f [accessed: 22 November 2009] Funding For Collaboration( 2009).[online] Available: http://www.adventurecapitalfund.org/[accessed: 23 November 2009] J4b.Fit4funding.The Charities Information Bureau. [online] Available: http://www.j4b.co.uk/[accessed: 22 November 2009] Marks and Spencer-CSR. Social Inclusion and Job Experience. [online] Available: http://www.article13.com/A13_ContentList.asp?strAction=GetPublicationP NID= 1 344 [accessed: 24 November 2009] Social Enterprise Collision. Keeping it Legal [online] Available: http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/pages/about-social- enterprise.html[accessed 20 November 2009] Porter, M.E. and M. R. Kramer (2002).The Competitive Advantage of Corporate Philanthropy. Harvard Business Review. Boston: Harvard Business School Corporation. Primark Stores Limited (2009).Corporate Social Responsibility. Local Community Report. [online] Available : http://www.primark.co.uk/aboutus/CSR[ accesses 23 November 2009] The Environment Centre tCE (2008). Sustainable Planning Centre (SISCO) . [online] Available: http://www.environmentcentre.com/[accessed: 25 November 2009] Virtue Ventures (2007 ). [online]Available: http://www.virtueventures.com/setypology/index.php?id=INTROlm=1[access ed: 23 November 2009]

Tess of the d’Urberville :: Literary Analysis, Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles is a criticism on Victorian society. But the major, universal idea it criticizes is the existence of true love. Through the relationships Tess has been in, as well as the time era in which Hardy lived in, it has become evident that there will always be a flaw with romance. To begin with, Hardy wrote realist works of literature. In order to escape the â€Å"fantasy† of Romantic works realism was a response in which the true social characteristics of life were illustrated. This is evident in Tess of the d’Urbervilles as Tess is depicted as admitting to the condition of our planet, â€Å"a blighted one† (40). By admitting life and Earth to be a decaying one, Hardy has shown that things could be better, a major standpoint of other social writers of his day. But as well as being a novelist, Hardy was a poet and a renowned one at that as well. In his poem â€Å"Between Us Now† Hardy again demonstrates characteristics of a realist writer: â€Å"Let there be truth at last / Even if despair† (lines 7, 8) meaning that he will be acceptant of both the truth and its consequences. Therefore, Hardy is completely capable of describing social issues, and does so in Tess. Now, the first major relationship Tess is in is with Alec d’Urberville in which she is subjugated to mistreatment. One of the most evident examples of the way Alec treats Tess in the garden, in which he feeds her strawberries while she was â€Å"in a slight distress† and even smokes in front of her, although she claims that she minds â€Å"not at all† (52). Now the clearer example, the strawberry abuse, alludes to the rape which comes later on in the novel. She is forced to consume the strawberry although she would rather â€Å"take it in [her] own hand† (52), obviously showing refusal at a blunt state, In addition to this Alec unabashedly smoked around her, which is not only disrespectful but hazardous to her health. The â€Å"narcotic haze† (52), which permeated the rooms Alec and Tess were in, acted like enigmatic amnesiac clouds of death. They not only limited visibility but choked Tess and damaged her eventually later on. This is also parallel to her rape in that the damage done by Alec was invisible for a long time in both cases. Later on in the novel, Alec is very shortly converted into a devout Christian but is â€Å"tempted† by Tess, whom he calls a â€Å"dear damned witch of Babylon† (377).

Paying college football athletes Essay

The Coach of a football team is just as important as any player performing on the field. In fact his power over the team surpasses that of any one single player, the coach can determine whether an entire season is a victory or a loss. Perhaps this is why Colleges justify paying a coach millions of dollar a year, but the players who are out there beside him next to nothing. Although a lot of the players that perform on the field week by week do get scholarships to help their tuition fees, food, and housing, this pales in comparison to the millions of dollars that the schools will bring in every season of football. It is wrong for colleges to use athletes to make money and not pay them or allow them to earn money in anyway involving their sport. Any coach of a successful college football team makes somewhere between 900,000 dollars and 5 million dollars annually. These are the coach’s of the big 10, big 12, SEC, ACC and many other conferences. For our top two college football teams in Michigan alone we have some of the highest paid coach’s. Brad Hoke the coach of our Michigan wolverines made 3. 25 million in 2011 and was the eighth top paid coach in college football. Mark Dantonio, coach of the Michigan state Spartans, made 1. 9 million according to USA Today. This is a small portion of what the whole industry of college football will make for a single college every year. It is wrong to not pay the ones who are even making all of this entertainment possible. It is one thing that colleges do not provide contracts for these players that compete so hard for the slim possibility of glory making it to the National Football League, but these colleges students are not even allowed to sell their signature for a profit. Colleges have prohibited the right of players to sell anything with their signed name on it to make a small some of money to fill their pockets. Now this does not affect every player in the NCAA, but it certainly does to the superstars of the league. An athlete can also be disciplined for selling their tickets to someone on game day, yet how much money do the directors of the NCAA earn as a result of the efforts of the student athletes? The truth is that the college athletes pay for a large portion of the salaries of every person employed by the NCAA. It only further demonstrates how colleges are abusing their control and power over their football players and more importantly what goes into their wallets. Another exploit in college football is the sale of jerseys by colleges. The NCAA wont allow colleges to sell football jerseys with a players name on the back of it, so the colleges resorted to selling it with a players number on the back. The number of a superstar football player is easily recognized locally in a college town. The schools are allowed to sell these jerseys, while the player who has worked hard to earn the right to play the game with it on never seeing a single penny of the profits earned. This does in theory put an idea of how much a single player can earn a school annually, but does go further than that, because a star can pull hundreds of fans in to a stadium that might not have filled up the year before. The money a school will makes from selling tickets to games is minuscule though in comparison with the money they will earn every when football starts in the fall with television contracts. Colleges setup contracts with major television networks so the whole nation can keep up with their fantasy football teams or enjoy the weekend flipping back and forth between games on TV. These contracts that school write up with networks earn millions of dollars every year and between actually airtime and all the advertisement that goes into it. Schools will also earn millions of dollars from sports booster donations. It is true that there does need to be money to cover cost of traveling, hotels, staff and maybe the college would even expect to earn back the 15-25,000 dollar yearly scholarship’s that a lot of athletes receive, but when you compare the amount of revenue that student athletes generate for their colleges, what they receive in return is very small. Most people already think of colleges as being greedy for their outrageous tuition fees and everything else that goes along with needing to live on campus and attend classes. That they will hire students to teach classes so that professors do not have to, while the large majority of students who are attending these classes are paying thousands of dollars to be there. Their greed reaches beyond all that when it comes to college level sports at school that have competitive teams. These astonishing facts about the amount of money a season of college football produce yearly surprise and upset most fans. It’s the same as taking a test for someone only to let them turn it and receive an A on the exam, It is constantly debated about whether or not starting and back up players on college teams should get a yearly salary, considering the time and effort they put in does not always lead to a deal into the NFL. However it has not changed yet and does not seem to be heading that way anytime soon. It is corrupt, it is unjust, but most of all robs the hard working players who go out their every weekend to make everyone else Saturday that much more enjoyable.

How The NACW Fought Sexism and Racism in Jim Crow Era

How The NACW Fought Sexism and Racism in Jim Crow Era The National Association of Colored Women was established in July of 1896  after Southern journalist, James Jacks referred to African American women as â€Å"prostitutes, thieves and liars.† African American writer and suffragette, Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin believed that the best way to respond to racist and sexist attacks was through social-political activism. Arguing that developing positive images of African American womanhood was important to countering racist attacks, Ruffin said, Too long have we been silent under unjust and unholy charges; we cannot expect to have them removed until we disprove them through ourselves. With the help of other notable African American women, Ruffin initiated the merger of several African American women’s clubs including the National League of Colored Women and the National Federation of Afro-American Women to form the first African American national organization. The organizations name was changed in 1957 to the National Association of Colored Womens Clubs (NACWC). Notable Members Mary Church Terrell: first president of the NACWIda B. Wells-Barnett: publisher and journalistMary McLeod Bethune: educator, social leader and eighth president of NACWFrances Ellen Watkins Harper: feminist and poetMargaret Murray Washington: educator and served as the fifth president of the NACW Mission The NACW’s national motto, â€Å"Lifting as We Climb,† embodied the goals and initiatives established by the national organization and carried out by its local and regional chapters. On the organizations website, the NACW outlines nine objectives which included developing the economic, moral, religious and social welfare of women and children as well as enforcing the civil and political rights for all American citizens. Uplifting the Race and Providing Social Services One of the NACWs main focuses was developing resources that would help impoverished and disenfranchised African Americans. In 1902, the organizations first president, Mary Church Terrell, argued: Self-preservation demands that [black women] go among the lowly, illiterate, and even vicious, to whom they are bound to ties of race and sex...to reclaim them.   In Terrells first address as president of the NACW, she said, The work which we hope to accomplish can be done better, we believe, by the mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters of our race than by the fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons. Terrell charged members with the task of developing employment training and fair wages for women while establishing kindergarten programs for young children and recreational programs for older children. Suffrage Through various national, regional and local initiatives, the NACW fought for the voting rights of all Americans. Women of the NACW supported womens right to vote through their work on the local and national level. When the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, the NACW supported the establishment of citizenship schools. Georgia Nugent, chair of the NACW Executive Committee, told members, the ballot without intelligence in back of it is a menace instead of a blessing and I like to believe that women are accepting their recently granted citizenship with a sense of reverent responsibility. Standing Up To Racial Injustice The NACW vehemently opposed segregation and supported anti-lynching legislation. Using its publication, National Notes, the organization was able to discuss its opposition to racism and discrimination in society with a wider audience. Regional and local chapters of NACW launched various fundraising efforts after the Red Summer of 1919. All chapters  participated in nonviolent protests and boycotts of segregated public facilities. Todays Initiatives Now referred to as the National Association of Colored Womens Clubs (NACWC), the organization boasts regional and local chapters in 36 states. Members of these chapters sponsor various programs including college scholarships, teenage pregnancy,  and AIDS prevention. In 2010, Ebony magazine named the NACWC as one of the top ten non-profit organizations in the United States.

Cells essays

Cells essays Proteins made from ribosomes attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum enter the lumen of the ER and move to the smooth endoplasmic reticulum. A small vacuole (vesicle) pinches off the smooth ER and carries the protein to the Golgi apparatus, where it is further processed. Mitochondria are bounded by a double membrane. The inner membrane is folded to form little shelves, called cristae, which project into the matrix, an inner space filled with a gel-like fluid. A vacuole is a large membrane-enclosed sac that usually functions as a storage area. Plant vacuoles contain not only water, sugars, and salts but also pigments and toxic substances. The pigments are responsible for many of the red, blue, or purple colors of flowers and some leaves. The green pigment chlorophyll, found within the grana, makes chloroplasts and leaves green. Chlorophyll absorbs solar energy, and chloroplasts convert this energy into ATP molecules. Chloroplasts carry on the process of photosynthesis, in which light energy is used to produce food molecules, such as glucose. Chloroplasts take in carbon dioxide, water, and solar energy in order to produce glucose and oxygen. The energy-related organelles, chloroplasts and mitochondria, convert one form of energy into another. While chloroplasts are unique to plant cells, mitochondria are found in both plant and animal cells. Chloroplasts carry on photosynthesis, during which light energy (photo) is used to produce food molecules, like glucose (synthesis). Chloroplasts take in carbon dioxide, water, and solar energy in order to produce glucose and give off oxygen. Mitochondria are often called the powerhouses of the cell: just as a powerhouse burns fuel to produce electricity, the mitochondria convert the chemical energy of glucose products into the chemical energy of ATP molecules. Chromatin, a threadlike material, contains DNA and is found within the nucleus. At the time of cell division, chromatin conde...

Why Do We Garden Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Why Do We Garden - Research Paper Example Indeed, in America and by extension in the world, gardening is the most common hobby or personal activity. We can identify various gardens in America whose care is under people of distinct ages. In fact, it is amazing to realize that gardening is more popular than many major sporting activities in the U.S. Ideally, to get a clear understanding of gardening, it is necessary to study various books, follow given instructions, carryout research, and engage in practical gardening activities. Generally, gardening keeps our lives busy and satisfies our practical and emotional needs. However, the purpose of establishing a garden or gardening heavily relies on the gardener and most specifically their age. This paper defines a garden and establishes the fundamental reasons as to why we garden. In doing this, the paper addresses our need for botanical samples and defines the satisfaction we get from successful gardens and why we blame ourselves on failed gardens. In this context, the paper refe rs to English Garden, Organic Garden, and Zen Garden. Indeed, establishing a good garden is not an easy fete as there are numerous challenges relating to weeds among other factors. More so, the parents or guardians may tend to prevent their children from establishing gardens for fear of the health, physical, or even injurious risks involved. Notably, a garden may be a representation of our lives. Indeed, our lives may have several dimensions that define our mode of living depicting the several gardens that reflect our lives. Firstly, one of the gardens in our lives may involve our minds, which form part of our personal lives where we grow our aspirations, desires, and dreams. More so, the society may form a garden where the community grows and derives humanity. In addition, we can refer to our homes as another garden where we grow up and bring up our children. As such, a garden symbolizes a place of growing things and the art of growing things refer to gardening. However, in this co ntext, we will address a garden and gardening within the realms of agriculture and plants. We therefore focus on where we grow, what we grow, and how we grow it. Notably, there is a big difference between the traditional and modern gardens and ways of gardening. Indeed, in the traditional set up, gardening involved following wandering cow paths. We can actually trace the history of ornamental gardens to the Egyptian paintings of 1500 BCE, which manifested lotus ponds and rows of cultivated acacias and palms. However, this has changed over time and within cultures from Zen gardens to beautiful rose gardens, from the elegant English gardens to the rock gardens (Pollan 1-2) and from the greenhouse/organic gardens to the rudimentary cactus gardens located within a high building. As such, we can establish significant differences from traditional gardening and modern gardening. However, in most cases, a garden is generally in a secluded place, and its main purpose is to derive pleasure an d beauty. Ideally, gardens are synonymous in our lives and you can identify their uniqueness in appearance everywhere you go. Actually, different gardens bear unique characteristics, adopt distinct gardening techniques, and serve different purposes. Most, assuredly, the purposes of gardening are as unique as the gardener or the physical appearance of various gardens in the world. Furthermore, there is available information relating to gardens and gardening in various books and web sources. These sources enable different people in establishing successful gardens and carrying out gardening activities. A garden generally refers to an enclosed and privileged space out of doors where people of different ages grow various plants

Your objective is to understand how management (directors and his Essay

Your objective is to understand how management (directors and his team) of BP company, dealt with the oil spill in the gulf of Mexico - Essay Example They came up with approximation of ninety days and forty billion as the cost through seeking money from other companies. According to Bryant & Hunter (1-2), BP started by attempting to install a valve to shutoff one of the leaks that were underwater, though, it was a difficult process that they thought would not succeed. Two days later, they had managed to stop oil flow from one of the three leaking points on the riser in the Gulf of Mexico and the spoiled oil well. However, this effort did not solve the overall problem of leakage and they had to improvise another method to solve the problem completely. They came up with the idea of installing a cofferdam at the end of the riser, though; it was not successful because there was extra formation of hydrate crystals in the dome. This made them use the junk shot method to wad the leak that was undersea by pumping shredded materials into the well at an extremely high