Dr. Mary Shelly s Frankentein And The 1994 Adaptation...

Kaila Mines Professor Star Mary Shelly vs Baranagh Mary Shelly’s â€Å"Frankentein† and the 1994 adaptation of the novel have many similarities and also many differences. Differences focus mainly on death and the similarities focus on the plot structure. The similarities override the differences because the overall plot structure stayed the same. The changes of how people died is one major difference that Branagh had taken away from the original novel. In the book, Victors mother dies from scarlet fever that she has gotten from Elizabeth. As quoted from the book, â€Å"She died calmly, and her countenance expressed affection even in death. I need not describe the feelings of those whose dearest ties are rent by that most irreparable evil, the void that presents itself to the soul, and the despair that is exhibited on the countenance.† In the movie, Victor’s mother dies from childbirth. Victor is far less affected by the death of his mother in the novel than the movie. In the movie he creates Frankenstei n as one of the results of the death of his mother. This is one major difference that is displayed. Within the movie version, another major difference regarding the death of a character is involving Elizabeth, who he then turned into a monster to be a friend for the original creature that Victor had created. When Elizabeth discovered that she was not alive anymore, and how horrendous she thought she portrayed herself and the monster, she killed herself. In the novel, the

The Battle Against Yankee Invaders - 1734 Words

The Battle Against Yankee Invaders Yankee invaders between 1877-1850 subjugated the Southern way of life. The degeneration of liberty begun with the North’s ideology of abolishment of slavery, the election of Abraham Lincoln, the disapproval of sovereign succession, the invasion of the Confederate States of America, and the torment of military districts. Laws unjustly created to suppress the white Southerners. These condemnations lasted for over twenty years. This essay will highlight all of these atrocities, and finally will demonstrate that through all this pain and suffering Southern patriotic dignity remained intact. The war between Mexico was a very easy victory that ended in 1848. After the Mexican-American War, there was an†¦show more content†¦How could Taylor assume where slavery is suitable? In 1850, Henry Clay offered a set of compromises, that included, (1) the admission of California as a free state; (2) the division of the remainder of the Mexican cession into two territories, New Mexico and Utah (formerly Deseret), without federal restrictions on slavery; (3) the settlement of Texas-New Mexico boundary dispute on terms favorable to New Mexico;(4) as an incentive for Texas, an agreement that the federal government would assume the considerable public debt of Texas;(5) the continuance of slavery in the district of Columbia but the abolition of the slave trade there; and (6) a more effective fugitive law (TEV 399). Clay was not able to pursue many individuals to consent with his compromise. Zachary Taylor soon died, and his vice president, Millard Fillmore took office. Fillmore supported Clay’s compromise, and Stephen A. Douglas took over Clay’s position and broke the compromise down to distinct bills. Congress then passed the compromise of 1850, which gave New Mexico and Utah autonomy to choose between free soil and s lavery. California acquired statehood, the disputed boundary between New Mexico and Texas was resolved, and a new slave law that allowed Southerners the right to pursue fugitive slaves in Northern states was passed. The fugitive slave acts performed well until unpatriotic Northerners implemented personal-liberty laws that forbade the use of state jails to

Impacts of Inter-Organizational Collaboration

Questions: 1. Describe the scope of your report (Strategic Fit Analysis of Tesco UK). Give a very brief introduction to the company (outline of history, current market position and strategy. 2. Task A Market Environment Analysis (1000 words): Using appropriate analytical tools, evaluate conditions in the market environment that Tesco occupies. The market environment comprises a combination of the industry itself (the micro environment) and the wider macro environment in which Tesco operates. You should highlight what you consider to be the market environments critical success factors. 3. Task B Resource and Capability Analysis (1000 words): Using appropriate analytical tools, evaluate the internal environment of Tesco, highlighting its Threshold and unique resources, and its core capabilities/competencies. 4. Task C Strategic Fit Analysis (700 words): Using the analysis completed in Tasks A and B, evaluate the strategic fit of Tesco, highlighting how Tescos strengths and weaknesses fit the opportunities and threats in its market environment. ? Answers: Introduction The report shall be critically analyzing the strategic fit of the retailer from UK, the Tesco Plc. Tesco is the largest multi retail brand of UK. The business started in 1919 while the first store was acquired in 1929 at Barnet. Since then the business have grown in volume and its operation complexities have increased too. Across the Globe there are nearly 6750 plus stores that the firm runs and have a manpower of 50, 000 as on March 2014. Today the volume of business has brought 63.5 billion Pounds revenue in 2014 alone. However this volume is comparatively lower to its pre 2011 period foot-fall. This has made the existence tough and competition fierce among the various multi-retail brands of the UK (Tesco plc, 2015). Factors like dis-satisfied customers, little engagement with stakeholders to understand and reciprocate, maintenance of cost leadership strategies are few those have been those are the reasons for the steep decline in volume of Tescos market share while other factors l ike global economic recession, growing consumer awareness and product literacy via Internet are few to name that have hugely contributed in the decline of Tescos market share reduction. The TESCO Market Share Pie Diagram (Source: TheGrocer.co.uk, 2014) The report would venture into the strategies that they are adopting with changes that the business have seen since last five years and devise a strategic fit for the same in the UK market for the coming days. Strategic fit can be explained as the strategy to align organizational and market to keep up the market share it had (Nearly 30%) and be the largest retailer well ahead of its competitors. However, in an oligopolistic market the consumers have the choice to buy from any retailer they wand where the switching cost is low. Tesco competes with Sainsbury, Asda, Adli and Lidl etc. Interestingly the latter brand has increased its market share by 9 % since 2012 with effective use of economy of scale and discount pricing in the UK supermarket retail segment. Furthermore the product offerings of the Tescos shelves would also be taken into account along with consumers perspectives to analyze the way forward. Nevertheless, the market share is still the largest in UK, but the threat comes f rom the growing competition as well as the shift in the e-commerce age retail tendencies among consumers (TheGrocer.co.uk, 2014). Task A: Market Environment Analysis A business operates in a market that is prone to various causes which have direct or indirect effect on the business. These macro-environmental factors of business are dependent on various factors. Likewise the businesses internal operational, interpersonal or mechanical issues would be their micro environments which again have a direct effect on the business and its output. Thus a careful strategizing that is suitable for its viability in both micro and macro environment for sustenance and growth. Stewart (1999) observes, the analysis is a strategic tool for all managers to decide upon their future plans to counter those barriers. The PESTLE study is an important tool in such a measurement of external environment that have direct effect on market conditions and thus the business. PESTEL Analysis: The Macro View Political: The bran of Tesco is also present in other nations out of UK where the up-heal in political ideologies gives a big barrier in those markets. The Geo-Political aspect of the business and its expanse would have an impact on the performance. Again, tax rates, changes in legislation, economic crisis are few political factors along with ease of entry, support from Authorities, stability of the government etc are few Political decision or changes that changes the firms performance. Tesco in the UK market is a stable business in terms of Political stability. Being a democratic nation the long term strategies in keeping in mind the domestic dispositions the strategies can be well forecasted for future strategies of growth of market. Economic: The condition of economy that projects the income of consumer for a particular market is the economic condition of the market and thus the viability of a product in such a market. The future directions, stability are few determinants of the business, those are very much attached with the direction that the business has to progress for its Goal achievements. The market share of nearly 30% of the UK market and is heavily dependent on UK market alone to a large extend. The change of tax rules, cost increase, inflation, accessibility of finance from banking in the market, buying power of consumers are few of those factors that effects the business. It is imperative to understand that the loyalty for a retail brand is much of quality, quantity price dependent. Therefore, the UK market where Tesco operates needs to be taken into account for further business development in UK, while foreign exchange rates for international operations may have a direct impact. The reaction of Tesco towards such external economic activity has made it to focus upon the product value aspect for the consumers. Thus the brand has put its efforts to attract a larger mass by going for Value advertising over priced luxuries items where the motive is to develop campaigns those are economical by using Social media to attract consumers by propagating the value of the goods to people that boosts sales (BBC News, 2015). Social: The social effects on the product value and perception. The culture, beliefs, likes etc of a market shows its social factor, which the business needs to keep in mind for that particular market. If the product or service is not socially acceptable the business is bound to fail in such market. Therefore the changing social beliefs, associations and thus the social outlook for the consumers for the market, targeted. The changing social stance on global warming, healthy food, lesser cholesterol in food, fresh and reliability from products as well as value added services and effective is the key in such social trend management. The organic food, training for people development, consumer- employee scopes, feedback collection etc are being made part of their operations in Tesco. Further in market where the business has to expand it needs to keep the local choices so as to see that the venture adopts all the social aspect in its promotions where the consumers have all the choice to t ake one of those a product of choice. Thus Tesco has to incorporate various items for the multitude of cultural that the brand wishes to attract with product diversification, advisements, culture friendly products that makes the brand go for more diversification, packaging, pricing, flavor etc to attract the larger audience in their future strategies. Technological: The use of technology have changed the way the business is conducted nowadays like the use of internet, e-commerce, robotics, better comfort etc have been well adopted by the retail business. The use of integration have made product tagging, stock maintenance, supply chain, sales integration complete for a more comprehensive managerial control. Again, e-commerce channels are posing challenges too as the producer can reach consumers without intervention of the retailers. Thus the new operation processes are being developed where e-commerce, capacity management, control, purchase, sales are all integrated together. Newer designs via Architecture have been a great addition in consumers shopping experience enhancement. Self help counters too have the same advantage that has helped in reducing manpower cost. The lowering of carbon footprint in the long term as a goal had been a fruitful venture for the business with the aid of technology that too have reduced the cost as we ll as helped the business increase its social appeal (Sundaraman, 2005). Tesco too have adopted them in time to be at par with other competitors. Environmental: The increasing carbon footprint of business is a social concern as well a concern for the business so the objective is to incorporate those processes those yield least labor cost. Thus the decision of Tesco is to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% within 2020. Legal: The legal aspect is the legislative changes in the government. For an example the Food Retailing Commission of UK has given a model code of practice for all retailers so that it helps both consumers about getting a information like change in prices in advance as well as facilitate the business to take necessary steps to implement such changes. The quality standards as well as pricing and value for product are been segregated to ensure that people gets the best of the value for money they pay. The micro and macro business environment of TESCO has been elaborated to access the spaces that business needs to work upon. Task B: Resource and Capacity analysis The resources of a business can be further sub divided into its experience of manpower, financial strength, brand value, recognition, expanse like assets that it uses to be viable and sustainable in a particular market. Nevertheless, the resources are planned with a capacity projection, generally in the planning phase of business. This capacity is the quantum of quality output that the business looks forth to achieve with the maximum utilization of its resources. The capacity is been elaborated as the maximum output that the business can generate with its resources (Loo and Loewen, 2003). The measure of capacity is generally denoted in numerical and units. Packalen (2009) argues that the capacity is dependent upon the efficiency of manpower and machines too where the maintenance of standards and operational excellence enhance the capacity. Thus the capacity management gives the managers a framework of time based output where manpower planning, raw materials, process efficiency are ta ken into account prior to production to achieve the targeted capacity. The capacity and resource planning is thus an integral part of business and the strategies of sales and distribution, raw material planning, shifts are being developed keeping the frame work and its objectivities in mind. However, Hughes (1995) argues that the capacity needs to keep the seasonal demands in mind and prepare likewise. Tesco being a retailer depends upon various sources for its capacity like suppliers, distributors, supply-chain management, sales tracking etc. The business have used the personalized software for its operations developed specifically to integrate all the business departments with each other to have a control and integration among various departments as a part of the operational excellence that they aim to achieve (Wong and Ma, 2013). Hence it is imperative for the business to identify the consumers needs and future demands to effectively measure its competencies and lacunas to further strengthen the strengths while reducing the weaknesses and mitigate the threats, if any. Nevertheless, the process is a managerial exercise where all needs to participate keeping the customer focus. The aspirations of consumers, competitors strategies, trends and the pace of change are few elements those the business takes upon to be competent and stable in a market. Furthermore, Elsom (1999) suggests that the gaps are found in such an exercise which is further mitigated by the management with training and knowledge development and product development, better price, better service delivery to consumers. Since the switching cost is low so the frequency of consumer visiting repeatedly is dependent upon the satisfaction and value that they get from Tesco while shopping. Tesco have employee strength of 500,000 with its 6700 plus stores across the globe. Again, the products sold are of diverse range that caters various income groups thus the prediction is important so is the future demands to build the needed capacity for future deliveries. They have launched Club-cards and discount offers to pull consumers while have also increased consumer focus for feedbacks to do things that generates the best of attraction to build consumer loyalty. The idea of pilling and selling cheap to have economy of scale is now followed by all retailers which the Tesco pioneered (Ketil-Arnulf, 2012). Further the environment is suitably developed to support the operational objectives. Therefore, what to buy, when to buy, at what price and quantity of goods to buy, is forecasted in the process of capacity management. Thus the resource to cater the vast chain, best price identification, quality controls, packaging are all considered in the capacity management with adequate st affing, Standard operating processes, shelf planning, goods storage and display are all part of the resource planning where the base of such calculations are based upon dependent on demand forecast. Product innovation, delivery and distribution with a good pricing strategy with quality guarantee would be the way forward for Tesco to develop its capacity management policies and thus future requirements to cater the consumers and generate value to their purchase experience. The forte for such activity is there in Tesco due to its presence for such a long period. In the words of the management the Clubcard has been introduced to have a steady flow of consumers where the mutual benefits are that consumers gets the best price while the business gets an idea of the inventory that they need to store. The changing business channels like web media, business to consumer direct contact is a concept that the business needs to integrate with. The changing management shall be consumer feedback dependent. Task C: Strategic Fit Analysis The micro environment would need a SWOT analysis that would let the manager identify their strengths and weaknesses and also to identify future opportunities and threats. The vulnerability in the ever changing world, integration of new, molding is the key where SWOT plays a vital role. The integration needs a mutually agreed development where the leaders of change shall defreeze, change and thus freeze the standards of operations. Better services, better experience, and generation of value thus earn loyalty, the singular focus for the brand to keep and further increase its UK market share. Strengths: The strength of Tesco is its expanse all over the nation and its strong brand knowledge among fellow retailers. The economy of scale that the brand can generate is thus many times more than their competitors. Further the huge market share that it enjoys is far larger than its competitors. The economy of scale that the huge retail chain generates is its other strength and likewise its financial performance over others. Weaknesses: The year 2010 on the business has seen the recall of many of its products so that has harmed the brand image. Further the business brands its own products giving the choices to select limited among the consumers. Nevertheless, the diversified or the expanse of the business carries another threat as the control issues due to large distribution have posed challenges those Tesco needs to handle well. The decreasing number of footfall along with UK concentrated strength maybe considered its weaknesses. SWOT Matrix for Tesco in UK market Source: Cityam.com (2012) Opportunities: The focus on Global expansion the brand has launched its e-commerce medium. These have reduced the overall cost resulting in better margins. Again, entering new markets with local joint ventures is what the brand is opting for in the longer run. Threats: The increasing oligopoly and competitiveness of the market have made the threats more strong. The global recession has reduced the disposable income of consumers reducing the buying capacity of the consumers. So the retail as a sector has been in deep muddy waters for some time that is estimated 2.4% of UK economy contraction in 2009 alone. The product recall may be a threat to the image which needs supervision to see such loss of face do not happen. These threats are to be kept in mind for futuristic strategy formulation. Tactical logistics supply chain with innovation and employee development is what that the business needs to manage. A strong foothold in the home market would thus eventually act as an anchor to establish the business as Global. Training needs would be identified; leaders would be developed innovation expression space, using social media as employee voice (Barnes, 2011). The core of Tescos competence lays economy of scales and in its expanse in UK. However, the local players along with other competitors are going pan UK in expanse. Therefore, the people are to be developed along with integrating and innovation. Cost competence has to be the focus as the margin way has kept least space for the business to be idle in terms of a strict monitoring and execution. The training and motivational strategy that keeps the employees be the trust for consumers choices. Push sales, pull sales discounts, below the line benefits on other products for being card holders and loyal. Thus remuneration, work life balance, praise and rewards along with continuous learning team and recommended. The weakness of consumer employee communication gaps, operation standards and policies needs to be very clear to the people working there. The consumer focus and satisfaction is the future while the business would try to get there attraction by customizing and thus retaining them. T he market share maintenance along with increment in volume is the Strategic approach that Tesco has started and to support it all components are been equipped with job related data. Empowering employees, more flexible supervision till it served the business need. Employee voice along with grievance management, career path clarity, security of job, benefits for family are few components that an employee seeks in their employment (AbouAssi and Jo, 2014). Conclusions The business of Tesco has made a strong foothold prior to its European expansion. This has helped the business to utilize its experience in economy of scale where the competition of price becomes major. However, the changing inter-phase of retail transition have made the brand rethink about its strategies from resource point of view. The innovation and e-commerce induction in business are well integrated with training and feedback wise reforms. The threats are being converted to opportunity where the consumer to business relationships are more prominent and close than ever before. Further social media use for promo as well as a platform for employee voice platform is suitably used. However, the threats from local and other multi brand retail is obvious to occur in open economy where the maximum utilization of resources as well as cost control and inventory management have brought in pioneering results. The employee consumer relation is trust based which again is a tool for priority s etting for business. The threats in international market can be mitigated if only Tesco builds its domestic stronghold, strategies and execution for the best of the brand, in the long run, innovation are needed. List of references AbouAssi, K. and Jo, S. (2014). Impacts of Inter-Organizational Collaboration on Nonprofit Human Resource Capacity. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2014(1), pp.17074-17074. Anderson Strachan, P. (1996). Managing transformational change: the learning organization and teamworking. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 2(2), pp.32-40. Barnes, R. (2011). The great Tesco beauty gamble (the Tesco supermarket chains marketing strategy for breaking into the UK beauty services market). Strategic Direction, 27(7). Bates, T. and Sangra, A. (2011). Managing technology in higher education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. BBC News, (2015). Tesco turns stale as competitors freshen up ideas - BBC News. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29310445 [Accessed 2 Jul. 2015]. Cityam.com, (2014). Tesco loses market share. [online] Available at: https://www.cityam.com/1409129242/tesco-loses-market-share-aldi-and-lidl-continue-uk-assault [Accessed 2 Jul. 2015]. Elsom, D. (1999). Development and Implementation of Strategic Frameworks for Air Quality Management in the UK and the European Community. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 42(1), pp.103-121. Sundaraman, M,N. (2005) Executive summary: Strategic intent in the management of the green environment within SMEs: an analysis of the UK screen-printing sector. Long Range Planning, 38(2), p.119. Hughes, W. (1995) Valuing Information in Decision Making Under Uncertainty. Australian Journal of Management, 20(1), pp.105-114. Ketil Arnulf, J. (2012) Organizational change capacity and composition of management teams. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 18(7/8), pp.433-454. Lengnick-Hall, C., Beck, T. and Lengnick-Hall, M. (2011) Developing a capacity for organizational resilience through strategic human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 21(3), pp.243-255. Loo, R. and Loewen, P. (2003) The typology of self managed teams based upon team climate: examining stability and change in typologies. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 9(3/4), pp.59-68. Packalen, M. (2009). Market Share Exclusion. 12(2) SSRN Journal. Stewart, J. (1999) Some Things Never Change: It Takes a Team. Design Management Journal (Former Series), 10(3), pp.25-29. Strategic planning and management. (1992). Long Range Planning, 25(2), p.127. Tesco plc, (2015). Tesco plc. [online] Available at: https://www.tescoplc.com/index.asp?pageid=656 [Accessed 2 Jul. 2015]. TheGrocer.co.uk, (2014). Tesco to face further competition for market share. [online] Available at: https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/channels/supermarkets/tesco/tesco-to-face-further-competition-for-market-share/356637.article [Accessed 2 Jul. 2015]. Thomas, H., O'Neal, D. and Kelly, J. (1995). Strategic renaissance and business transformation. Chichester, England: J. Wiley. Wong, W. and Ma, T. (2013). Emerging technologies for information systems, computing, and management. New York, NY: Springer

The National Youth Service Corps Schemes in Nigeria

Introduction The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which requires companies to treat all their stakeholders in an ethical and socially responsible manner has gained primacy all over the world in the course of the last two decades. Today, companies are expected to behave responsibly and the number of CSR initiatives has risen significantly as companies seek to become more competitive and foster greater social cohesion.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The National Youth Service Corps Schemes in Nigeria specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Emphasize on CSR has been due to the realization that corporate responsibility is necessary if a corporation wants to increase its chances of succeeding. A less known concept is that of National Social Responsibility (NSR) which explores how a nation treats its stakeholders (citizens) in a responsible manner. Jawahir and Hopkins (2008) lament that while CSR has been imp lemented aggressively in many countries; most nation states lack social responsibility programs for their citizens who are the key stakeholders of the state. In spite of the poor results in NSR by many states, there have been some NSR programs which have shown great success. An example of this is the National Youth Service Corps Schemes (NYSC) which is a Nigerian national youth programme that lasts for one year. While the NYSC was originally created as a Peace Keeping initiative, the program has become an instrument of making the youth more socially responsible. This paper will set out to illustrate the similarities between CSR and the national youth service initiative in Nigeria so as to demonstrate that the NYSC is a successful model of how corporate social responsibility can go national. Snapshot of Nigeria Nigeria is a developing country in Africa and it is ranked as the most populous nation in the continent. Elaigwu (2008) documents that â€Å"Nigeria has a total area of 932,7 68 square kilometers and boasts of a population of about 130 million people, as well as a population growth rate of 2.6 percent† (p.1). It is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse countries (with over 300 identifiable ethnic groups and over 400 lingo-cultural groups) and this communal heterogeneity makes governance a complex affair. The official language of the country is English but the languages of the three large ethno linguistic groups; the Hausa, Yoruba, and the Igbo, make up the major languages of the Nigerian people.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are three major religions in Nigeria: Islam, Christianity and African Traditional Religion. Of the three religions, the African Traditional Religion is the oldest one and it is also the religion that has suffered the greatest loss of followers as Nigerians move to the other two predominant religions. An important feature of Nigeria is that it is a federation of a number of states. This federation was established by the British colonial rulers in 1954 and it has survived intact up to date. Elaigwu (2008) notes that this federation of previously independent states was not the result of voluntary union or contract between the states but rather an imposition by the British colonial rulers. While the federal system was introduced in 1954, the various states maintained a lot of autonomy and this only increased after independence due to the mutual suspicions and fears that existed among ethnic groups (Elaigwu, 2008). Nigeria has had a turbulent history after it attained independence from Britain. The country gained its independence from Britain in 1960 and a government was formed with Nnamdi Azikiwe being the first president of the country. The post of president was largely ceremonial and the real power was wielded by the prime minister who was Abubakar Tafawa. While most other African co untries had years of relative peace following independence from their respective colonial masters, Nigeria’s independence was followed by civil wars which were sparked by a number of reasons. From the onset, there existed rivalry and suspicion among the major ethnic groups: Hausa-Fulani in the north, the Yoruba in the west and the Ibo in the east. Abubakar’s rule was marred by great corruption and inefficiency in delivery of services to the county’s population. Opposition to this corrupt and ineffective government led to a coup in 1966 which resulted in the ousting of the first president of Nigeria. A counter-coup closely followed this and Colonel Yakuba Gowon took leadership. Due to the huge militarization of the country that followed these coups, there was a secession attempt by the Eastern Nigeria region and this sparked a civil war in 1967. The war ended in 1970 having caused the death of up to 3 million people and greatly damaged the infrastructure of the y oung nation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The National Youth Service Corps Schemes in Nigeria specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even though the federal government of Nigeria won the war, it realized that for peace to prevail in the multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, unity had to be achieved among the various constituent parts of the state. Achieving nationwide unity in Nigeria was going to be hard since the country has many ethnic groups (estimated to be around 375) and there is no common ancestry upon which loyalty for the land could be based. It was therefore recognized that the desired unity and true feelings of loyalty for the state were not going to come about naturally but they could only be achieved through a deliberate social process. National Youth Service Corp. Program The National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) was started in 1973 under the leadership of the military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon. Agumagu, Adesope and Njoku (2006) note that the core objective of the scheme is to instill in the Nigerian youth â€Å"the spirit of selfless service to the community, and emphasize the spirit of oneness and brotherhood of all Nigerians irrespective of cultural or social background† (p.70). The initiative also has unity as a central point to the entire scheme. Agumagu et al. (2006) point out that as a result of the turbulent history experienced by Nigeria since her independence, there is need for unity among the people. The NYSC program is compulsory for all graduates in Nigeria since if it were voluntary in nature, only a few youths would be willing to engage in it and this would hurt the vital goal of enhancing national unity in the highest number of people. The NYSC scheme encourages the youth to serve their nation in whatever capacity they have professional training in (Agumagu, et al., 2006). All corps members are expected to make positive contributions to the com munities where they are serving. The reason why the youth were targeted by the state as agents of change is because this group is uniquely placed to influence the society. The youth are a unique group who possess potent energies that can be channeled into meaningful activities for the purpose of national development.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Obadare (2005) notes that the potency of youth as a social category in African has been trivialized and over-simplified due to the negative connotation attached to the term â€Å"youth† in Africa. The term African youth has come to be a metaphor for violence, crime, and struggling in the continent. This overgeneralization overshadows the reality that the youth can be engaged in peaceful social processes and serve important roles in advancing the prosperity of a nation. The scheme is made up of four phases which are undertaken in a sequential manner. The first phase is mobilization where the corps members are posted to the various stations where they will serve. In order to achieve the objective of forging unity and inter-ethnic understanding, members of the NYSC are required to serve in states far away from their own home state so that they can learn the ways of life of culturally different Nigerians. Being posted in other states also helps to get rid of stereotypical views t hat the individual might have had concerning other ethnic groups and a more liberal outlook is adopted by the corps member (Agumagu et al., 2006). The oriental phase takes two-weeks during which the corps members are initiated into the details of the program. The orientation phase is designed to provide the new corps members with a proper understanding of the goals of the program as well as the ideals that are held by the NYSC. The first part of the orientation consists of citizenship and leadership training during which the corps members engage in drill and non-drill activities (Agumagu et al., 2006). The non-drill activities include a series of lectures on history, politics, and administration and the activities are aimed at increasing knowledge of the corps members in their national heritage. The drill activities are conducted by Army officials and they include survival techniques, parading, uniform, and discipline. The third phase consists of primary assignments and each of the corps members is required to perform his national service in the area where he/she has been deployed. The service provided is normally of a specialized nature and the corps member is placed in a field relevant to his academic qualification. The final stage consists of winding up activities (both the primary assignments and community development services) and a final passing out parade during which corps members are awarded with certificates (Agumagu et al., 2006). A graduate in Nigeria is only eligible for legal employment after they have acquired this certificate which acts as proof that they have successfully completed the NYSC program. While the need for the NYSC was acknowledged by the political leaders and the youths of Nigeria, the initial reaction to the NYSC scheme was not favorable and there was widespread opposition to the program by many students. This opposition which mostly emerged from the university students was because the students had not been involved in the develo pment of the program and there was little attempt by the government to promote the ideals of the scheme to the population. However, the scheme came to be accepted by the youth and it has been running successfully for the past 29 years. Literature Review From its conception, the NYSC had political motivations and the government of Nigeria hoped to advance some values using the program. The government had witnessed a breakdown in relations between people of differing ethnic groups and a civil war which led to immense losses for many Nigerians. For the nation to succeed in future, plans had to be put in place to foster reconciliation and promote peace and unity in the country and the NYSC purported to fulfill this objectives (Agumagu et al., 2006). In a similar manner, CSR acknowledges the political realities in the environment the company exists and stays in tune with sociopolitical movements for social equity and justice. As such, CSR is influenced by the political environment and so me of the activities implemented are politically motivated. In establishing the NYSC, the government was admitting that it needed the input of the youth so as to fulfill the goals of development and unity (Agumagu et al., 2006). This admission is based on the reality that the state has an intimate connection with its citizens and the manner in which it carries out its activities will influence the actions of these stakeholders. Similarly, CSR is emphasized upon due to the interdependence between corporations and the society and from the acknowledgement that the organization’s activities will have an impact which may lead to positive or negative consequences within the community. A core goal of the NYSC is to encourage self-reliance in the Nigerian youths. NYSC aims to foster the spirit of entrepreneurship in corps members and therefore enable them to become self-employed once they are through with the program. This deemphasize on dependency on public service employment is cru cial in Nigeria where the number of employment candidates far outweighs the employment opportunities provided by the government and the private sector. CSR initiatives aim to achieve the same results for the community. Kent, Cheney, and Roper (2007) reveal that some CSR programs target unemployed members of the community and help to make them self-reliant and establish their own income generating activities. NSR requires the state to be committed to maintaining a good overall quality of life for its citizens. This requires that resources be dedicated to communities which are poor in order to promote a rise in the living standards. In Nigeria communities, especially in the rural areas, suffer from a dire lack of skilled labor which is needed to achieve optimal results in food production and industry. The NYSC program helps to alleviate this problem by sending skilled candidates to these areas (Agumagu et al., 2006). The knowledge and skills of these skilled members of the corps is ha rnessed and used to achieve favorable outcomes such as food production, economic recovery and industry development in impoverished regions. Some of the CSR strategies implemented by companies also aim to improve the lives of the community members. Kent et al. (2007) reveals that in some rural areas, companies implement water and sanitation programs that program help to deliver clean water to the community therefore improving their quality of life. CSR promotes cultural awareness which is a necessity for many companies as they serve increasingly diverse cultural groups. The NYSC promotes cultural integration through the youth. This is achieved since the program requires that each corps member serve in a state different from his/her state of origin. The youth are therefore exposed to cultures and traditions that may be significantly different from their own. This exposure to different cultures leads to an appreciation for the other people’s ways of life. Without exposure to oth er cultures, a person may see their culture as the only â€Å"right one† and the rigid stance will lead to poor relationships. The NYSC forces individuals to experience other cultures and this leads to an accommodative outlook since the individual appreciates that different people have different ways of doing things. The NYSC scheme does not only influence the opinion of the corps members but also their immediate relations. Obadare (2005) points out that the parents and relations of corps members acquire an interest about the specific area where their kin is posted. This forces the relatives to â€Å"think national† and therefore fosters a national consciousness and integration. A key positive outcome of many CSR programs is to empower community members. This empowerment may be achieved through training and seminars where individuals are equipped with knowledge and life skills that help them to become productive members of the society. The NYSC has also achieved this g oal of empowering corps members and the community at large. Agumagu et al. (2006) asserts that corps members develop a high level of self confidence as a result of their engagement in the program. The community members are also empowered through the teaching services that are provided by corps members. In addition to this, the national service increases the awareness of the participants of the needs of others. NYSC gives the state an opportunity to add value to its citizens by instilling professional knowledge to the youths. As has been noted, the programme is meant for graduates of tertiary institutions and a majority of these graduates possess little or no work experience. Agumagu et al. (2006) reveal that NYSC provides on-the-job training and experience for corps members therefore increasing their professional value. Individuals who have gone through the program gain important work experience which makes it easier for them to get gainful employment after they have completed their year of service. The NYSC scheme leads to a formation of a positive attitude towards community development service as the members engage with the community. The NYSC promotes the kind of service described by Sherraden (2001) as â€Å"an organized period of substantial engagement and contribution to the local, national, or world community, recognized and valued by society, with minima; monetary compensation to the participant† (p.2). This service provided by the youth meets certain human needs and promotes the development of the community. Agumagu et al. (2006) states that as corps members attend various community development service sessions, individual members see the need to be more committed. The members are enthusiastic as they share ideas and discuss how they should act in order to bring about progress in the community they are serving. CSR also promotes community service since the companies are expected to engage in community development projects without any compensati on. NSR can be used to obtain a positive influence on citizenship. This is the case with the NYSC where some explicit ideals are instilled in the members of the corps during their service. An objective of the program is to impart a right attitude, good values, and enhance the development of good qualities in the youths of Nigeria. The service that the youth are obligated to support promotes good citizenship which helps in the development of the nation. This is similar to CSR which aims to present the company in a positive light to the public. Kent et al. (2007) reveal that while CSR has emerged as a strategic process that is beneficial to the society, the primary concern of this strategic process is managing the image of corporations and countering any real or potential criticism of the social impacts of profit-driven businesses on the lives and values of people. The companies therefore undertake image management through a guided philanthropy which is quickly publicized to the commu nity that counts therefore raising the standing of the company. The same can be said for NYSC which was entrenched in the constitution of the country as a â€Å"national interest† as perceived by the military regime of the time. CSR aims to address the particular social problem of social exclusion which is where some individuals or groups lack access to rights and benefits that are fundamental to other members of the community. CSR helps to alleviate this problem though implementations of programs which help enhance the social inclusion. Companies can also take up greater advocacy for sufficient social changes so as to foster social inclusion and therefore benefit the previously marginalized groups (Agumagu et al., 2006). The NYSC also promotes social inclusion through the interaction among corps members and with the communities. Through interaction among the corps members, graduates hailing from varied ethno-cultural groups are able to appreciate the similarities existing be tween their cultures. Interaction with the communities leads to a reduction in ethnic chauvinism and the graduates are able to develop healthy attitudes towards groups that were otherwise excluded. A key goal of all corporate social responsibility initiatives is to bring about positive changes to the communities that the company interacts with. Arguably the most frequently mentioned vision statement in the corporate social responsibility plan of many organizations is to give back to society. CSR therefore involves giving to the community without expecting any repayment for the services rendered. The NYSC also applies the same philosophy since the corps members are expected to offer services to their nation without expecting repayments for the actions. The then Nigerian Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, best articulated the mandate of the NYSC at the formal inauguration of the NYSC Directorate in June 1973 as; mobilizing the youths and preparing them to â€Å"offer willingly and without asking for return, their best in the service of their nation at all times† (Obadare, 2005, p.14). The corps members are supposed to learn about the higher ideals of service to the community beyond the thought of reward as they serve their nation for no payment. Most CSR efforts have a number of tangible contributions to the society. For example, some companies build social facilities such as hospitals, schools, and roads for the community that they interact with. Others contribute labor to health care facilities or even homeless shelters. These physical contributions improve the lives of the society and also increase the wellbeing of the community members. The NYSC scheme also brings about some tangible benefits to the various stations where the corps members are deployed. These contributions are mostly in the form of skilled manpower supply and in the education sector where a majority of the corps members serve in (Agumagu et al., 2006). The program members also make a contribution to the rural infrastructure and health care delivery therefore greatly benefiting members of the community. While most urban areas have the necessary skilled labor force, the rural areas suffer from a shortage of skilled workers. The NYSC assists in tackling this skilled manpower issue since the graduates who possess technical knowledge are posted in the areas where the skilled manpower is needed but lacking. A significant outcome of NYSC is that it has served as the main source of teachers and doctors in rural communities therefore contributing to the welfare of people in these areas. The NYSC stresses on sustainability and it teaches the corps members to protect the nation’s environment and natural resources. This is because sustainable development is critical to the overall long-term well being of the society and it is a core objective for many governments (Sherraden, 2001). For any development to be regarded as sustainable, it has to meet the needs of the p resent without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. CSR initiatives take this into consideration and all possible measures are made to use resources in a responsible manner. Criticism of NYSC While the NYSC has achieved many successes in its role as a national social responsibility strategy, the program is criticized for a number of reasons. To begin with, the success of NYSC in achieving its core goals of promoting unity, patriotism and citizenship values has been questioned considering the high levels of ethno-religious intolerance and uncivil behavior that has been carried out by the youth and the rest of the population in Nigeria. The effectiveness of some of the stages of the scheme is also below standard. Corps members reveal that the community development initiative of the NYSC which is aimed at enhancing community service and instilling values of selfless service to the nation is mostly a failure. This is because the initiative suffers from inadequate funding which makes it impossible for the corps members to carry out non-trivial projects in service to the community. Further compounding the problem is the fact that there lacks adequate supervision by the NYSC officials which has made the community development day for many corps members â€Å"a weekly holiday, another day for meetings and socialization by corps members†(Obadare, 2005, p.36). Another criticism to the program is that it fails to sustain the values of selflessness and an emphasis on unity in the corps members. Research on the success of the NYSC revealed that a while a significantly high number of serving corps members had a positive opinion about the scheme (86.7%), the proportion of former corps members who had positive opinions about the program was lower (70%) (Obadare, 2005). From these findings, it would appear that while the program instilled values in the corps members, the same values are easily eroded. However, this might not be a proble m with the NYSC scheme but rather with the overall society which makes it hard for the former corps members to live by the ideals inculcated during their year of service. Discussion Social responsibility has become an indispensable component for both corporations and nation states since it has not only social but economic consequences. This paper has provided a discussion of the NYSC in Nigeria and how it serves as a National Social Responsibility program. The National Youth Service Corps has been in operation since 1973 and the scheme has been instrumental in promoting service to the nation by the youths. The need for unity in Nigeria cannot be over emphasized considering the upsurge in inter-faith clashes that the country has experienced in the previous years. As a result of being exposed to this program, corps members are actively involved in the community development services and have a positive attitude towards community service. The whole community has benefited since the yout h are more willing to play their part in national development. As with many other national service programs in the continent, the NYSC was designed to mobilize young people for national development and foster peace and unity in Nigeria. The program has been able to bridge the gap that exists between the different peoples of the nation and therefore enhance unity and peaceful co-existence in Nigeria. The NYSC as a National Social Responsibility has some major advantages over CSR. Kent et al. (2007) states that CSR sometimes fails to work as well as it could due to the voluntary nature of CSR. The CSR targets set by companies are therefore not always met since there is no binding obligation for the company to achieve these objectives. The regulations set to govern the CSR can also be changed as the company deems appropriate and not all companies will be willing to incur extra expenses in the name of CSR. In contrast to this, the NYSC program is compulsory for all graduates in Nigeria and the graduates cannot be legally employed until they have served they have completed their one year of service and have a certificate to attest to this. The scheme is therefore able to meet its targets since there is a binding obligation for the corps members to engage in the activities assigned to them. In spite of the criticism that the NYSC has faced, a majority of serving corps members and alumni of the program argue for the continued existence of the program. These points to the relevance of the program in promoting advancing its core objectives of national integration and peace as well as acting as a platform for national social responsibility. Just like CSR strategies give companies competitive advantages, NSR can give a nation advantages by promoting innovation and economic growth by the nations citizens. Conclusion This paper set out to demonstrate how the NYSC scheme in Nigeria acts as a CSR program on a national level. The paper has demonstrated that while CSR is often associated with businesses, NSR emulates some of the philosophies of CSR albeit at a national level. This paper has underscored the importance of the NYSC scheme in Nigeria and the role that this scheme has played in fostering unity and also bringing about community development. The program has had significant success in promoting national integration in the multi-ethnic nation of Nigeria. Moreover, the scheme has inculcated civic ethos and improved the standard of living for a significant number of communities in the rural areas of Nigeria. The NYSC has served as an essential pillar of nation building and how its relevance in the country is still strong even after 29 years of existence. This paper has noted that there are many attributes of the NYSC which are similar to Corporate Social Responsibility. It can therefore be suggested that the NYSC scheme takes CSR to a national level since the program is implemented through the entire country. The NYSC has gone beyond inculcating th e spirit of service and patriotism in the nation’s youth; it has proved to be an adept tool for national social service with many positive results being reaped by the communities and the nation as a whole. References Agumagu, A.C., Adesope, O.M. Njoku, M.C. (2006). Attitude of youth corpers towards the community development service of NYSC in Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture and Social Research, 6(1), 70-75. Elaigwu, J.I. (2008). The Federal Republic of Nigeria. NY: International Association of Centers for federal Studies. Jawahir, A. Hopkins, M. (2008). National social responsibility (NSR) and nation states. Web. Kent, S., Cheney, G., Roper, J. (2007). The Debate over corporate social responsibility. Cambridge: Oxford University Press. Obadare, E. (2005). Statism, Youth and the Civic Imagination: A Critical Study of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Programme in Nigeria. St Louis: Center for Social Development. Sherraden, Michael (2001). Civic Service: Issues, Outloo k, Institution Building (CSD Perspective). St Louis, Center for Social Development. This essay on The National Youth Service Corps Schemes in Nigeria was written and submitted by user Cailyn Lee to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.