Friday, September 28, 2012

It's Not Acceptable to Produce Potentially Dangerous Goods!

I totally disagree with a production of potentially dangerous goods. Just because nobody found it out yet, it doesn't mean it is okay. The goods that are harmful  which means they have in some way a bad impact on people's health should not be produced. Nowadays, we have many kinds of diseases in the world and some of them have still unfamiliar background, we don't know where these diseases come from. The reason why some children have a terrible disease might be fault of your business.What kind of people are we when we prefer more our businesses and profits than our own health?
Few years ago, there was an issue with Chinese manufactures. They were accused of producing potentially dangerous children's toys. An example was the toy giant Mattel that contained unsafe levels of lead and loose magnets.What European Union should have done immediately was to forbid importing Chinese toys to the EU because otherwise many children's lives would be risked. The issue was that on the other hand, if the EU forbids the import of Chinese toys, it will harm the welfare of Chinese families.What is acceptable then? The risk of children's lives or the unemployed Chinese families? In my opinion health is more important.




Thursday, September 27, 2012

Children and Teens As Victims of Marketing







Advertisements are all around us: on TV commercials, magazines, or on the Internet. It has happened to me many times that I was watching some very popular family TV show, where the family was having breakfast and they were eating for example a yogurt of a particular brand. I didn't really pay attention to it until I watched the next episode of this TV show, and I saw that they are eating the yogurt of the exact same brand as they did before. .What I later found out was that everybody from that TV show has actually always eaten a product of the same brand. I bet it wasn't a coincidence. That's the way how advertisements drive our attention. They want us to persuade that we need the products or services they offer. The truth is the opposite, we don't! The biggest victims of the marketing are children and teenagers. Marketers have found out that the best way how to make lots of money is to target children. Marketers know that parents spend more money on their children because they believe it makes them happy, so they tempt kids and assume that parents will buy them the particular product and eventually marketers make a profit from it. For example: The only reason why there are story book characters and heroes on the cover of the cereal box is that it serves as a temptation for kids. Marketers put the commercials of the coolest and newest toys always at the time when children programs are on TV so it drives the attention of the kids. Suddenly every kid wants to have "that toy from the commercial" because their friends are going to have it soon and they beg their parents until they finally buy them the wished-for toy. This "must-have toy" is just one of the many things that will  toss in the trash, because another even "cooler" toy will come and replace the old one. My question is "Where do these cool trends come from? and Who make them up?" Marketers also assume that the most important thing that teenagers care about is sex, which is in my opinion an absolute nonsense. Therefore they have decided to place the appearance and sex on literally everything. You can find it in TV shows, Music programs and etc..Marketing also makes young girls feel insecure. Girls can see the skinny models with long legs and a perfect face in every music video or TV show they watch, and they want to look exactly like "the sexy models from magazines" do. These naive young girls don't realize it is all just a photo-shop and they would do anything to look like the models. They think that's how women should look like. Girls are on diets, and buy products that are supposed to make them skinnier. Eventually they become anorexic and bulimic, or both. I understand that advertisements make money, but where are the boundaries? Do we really care just about the profit? It seems to me like we put wealth and money on the first place and mental and physical health of children and teenagers is totally unimportant.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Corporate Social Responsibility



1. What does it mean?

Corporate Social Responsibility is a company's sense of responsibility towards the community and environment in which it operates. This concept applies to those businesses that consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their decisions and activities on customers employees, communities and the environmnet.

2. Why is it a common objective in business?

The reasons why objectives that focus on social responsibility are very important and common for business organizations are that they maximaze short-term sales revenue and shareholder value. Maximasing short-term sales revenue = managers and stuff benefit when salaries depend on sales revenue levels. Maximasing shareholder value = Interests of shareholders are above those of other stakeholders.

3. Positive example. 

-less unemployment
-customers can choose from more services and products, bigger choice

For example: Recycling


 




4. Negative example. 

- pollutions, destroying the environment 
- if increased sales are achieved by reducing prices, the actual profits of the business might fall.
- McDonalds