Marks and Spencer Group Plc The WritePass Journal

Marks and Spencer Group Plc Introduction Marks and Spencer Group Plc IntroductionGenderManagementOrganisational CultureConclusions and RecommendationsReferencesRelated Introduction The objective of this paper is to provide an analysis of how three important organisational theories are applied in practice at Marks and Spencer Group Plc, herein referred to as â€Å"Marks and Spencer†. The organisation is U.K giant retailer of clothing, apparel and food items. Its shares are traded on major stock exchanges across the world and it is a member of the FTSE 100 Index. The paper looks at specifically how gender, organisational control theory and management theory are applied in practice at Marks and Spencer. The rest of the paper is organised as follows: section 2 provides a discussion of gender theory and how it is applied at Marks and Spencer; section 3 looks at Management and its application at Marks and Spencer; section 4 looks at Organisational culture and its application at Marks and Spencer; and section 5 provides conclusions and recommendations. Gender In the earlier years, the work force of many organisations was dominated by men. However, recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the labour force participation rate of women (Campo et al., 2004). Wagener et al. (1997) observes that the labour force participation rate of women has increased by 173 per cent since 1950. Despite the increase in the number of women in the labour force, evidence suggests that differences continue to exist between the experiences encountered by men and women at work (Reskin and Padavic, 1994; Valian, 1998). Many organisations are said to be characterised by gender inequality where women and men are treated differently. The main forms of gender inequality at work include differences in the types of jobs occupied by men and women, differences in pay between men and women and differences in leadership roles between men and women (Campo et al., 2004). The foregoing suggests that many organisations continue to practice gender segregation, which is defined as â€Å"the process whereby men and women work in different types of jobs and further that hobs where women predominate tend to be devalued† (Campo et al., 2004: 586). Most often women tend to have different experiences with respect to pay, promotion and decision making even in situations where women and men have the same job title (Messing et al., 1994). Women with the same education, job training and experience are offered less pay (Valian, 1998). In addition, most leadership positions are occupied by men (Wright, 1997). Catalyst (1998) provides evidence that 90 per cent of executive positions in top 500 firms are occupied by men. Despite the increase in the participation rate of women in the work force, most of the benefits associated with working accrue to men with a very limited amount of benefits accruing to women. Theory seems to suggest that women and men are treated differently in organisations. This paper provides an evaluation of gender inequalities at Marks and Spencer. At Marks and Spencer, job recruitment policies are the same for both males and females. There is no gender segregation with regards to who is qualified to apply for a job. In addition, Marks and Spencer does not segregate with respect to pay rates between males and females. All workers are treated the same when it comes to pay regardless of whether they are male or female.   Consequently, the gender segregation theory proposed above appears not to be applicable at Marks and Spencer at least with respect to recruitment, training, selection, induction and pay. There however, seems to be some level of segregation when it comes to leadership roles. At Marks and Spencer, most executive positions are occupied by Men with very limited number of executive positions occupied by women. Secondly, the board of directors is dominated by men. This suggests that while Marks and Spencer does not segregate with respect to lower level roles, there is some level of gender segregation when it comes to high level positions such as being a CEO and chairman of the board of directors. Management Management is employed in organisations as a means of bringing people together and ensuring that they work to accomplish the objectives of the organisation through an effective and efficient utilisation of the organisational resources. Management has a number of functions which include: planning, organising, leading, staffing, controlling and directing. In order to effectively carry out these functions, most organisations have three principal levels of management. These include top level managers, middle-level managers; and lower level managers (Juneja et al., 2011). Top level managers are made up of the board of directors (BoD), the Board chairman, the vice chairman and the CEO. Top-level managers are responsible for determining the goals and objectives of the organisation as well as designing and appropriate strategy to achieve those goals and objectives. Top level managers also design company policies, as well as make decisions with regards to the direction of the business. Top level managers are also responsible for securing access to funds necessary for executing the strategic plans of the organisation (Juneja et al., 2011). Top level managers report to shareholders and are also accountable to the general public. Top level managers must have a detailed comprehension of the impact of competition, global economies, politics and sociological changes on the organisation’s effectiveness (Kleiman, 2010). Knowledge of these issues enables them to adapt the strategy of the organisation to changes occurring within and outside the environment. Middle level managers are usually regarded as general managers, branch managers and heads of departments. Middle level managers are responsible for making tactical decisions. They are the ones who execute the strategies set by top level managers. They are also responsible for transmitting information from top level managers to lower level managers so as to ensure that they are working towards the common goals of the organisation. Middle level managers report to top-level managers. Lower (first) level managers are responsible for operational decisions. They are made up of supervisors, team leaders and foremen. Members of this level of management are primarily concerned with controlling and directing other employees. Their main responsibilities include the assignment of tasks to employees, guidance and supervision of employees, ensure that quality and quantity of production is achieved, recommend and suggest changes with regards to employees and production to middle level managers for subsequent transmission to top-level managers. Marks and Spencer has all three levels of management. The company has a board of directors made up of executive and non-executive directors. The non-executive arm of the board is headed by the chairman who is also the chairman of the entire board. The CEO who is also a member of the board is in charge of the executive directors. The Board of Directors of Marks and Spencer are responsible for setting the strategic plans and monitoring and devising strategies to manage risks. Marks and Spencer operates a number of divisions such as clothing, food, and apparel. Each division is headed by a middle level manager. In addition, Marks and Spencer operates across different regions. These different regions are headed by branch or regional managers who can be regarded as middle level managers. These managers are responsible for making tactical decisions. Marks and Spencer also has first or lower level managers who usually operate as store managers. They are responsible for supervising and direc ting employees on a day-to-day basis. These managers report to the divisional and regional managers who in turn report to the top level managers. It can be observed that management at Marks and Spencer is consistent with the description of the different levels of management discussed earlier. Organisational Culture Organisational culture has been defined in a variety of ways. One of the most commonly cited definitions is found in Baumgartner and Zielowski (2007: 1323) who describes organisational culture as a concept that is â€Å"holistic, historically influenced, related to anthropological concepts, socially constructed, soft, and relatively stable†. A more comprehensive definition is found in Johnson et al. (2008: 189) who state that organisational culture is â€Å"the basic assumptions and beliefs shared by members of the an organisation, that operate unconsciously and define in a basic taken-for-granted fashion an organisation’s view of itself and its environment†. Lundberg (1990: 20) suggests that organisational culture can be regarded as what an organisation teaches and reinforces to its members as proper ways of perceiving, thinking, feeling and acting when carrying out organisational tasks as well as when faced with crises in the organisation. Organisational cultur e is a direct result of the internal and external environment in which the organisation operates (Baumgartner and Zielowski, 2007). An organisation’s emerging patterns of success are important foundations for its culture. Emerging patterns of success can be regarded as those actions and processes that have enabled the organisation to be successful (Baumgartner and Zielowski, 2007). Organisational culture is critical for the design and implementation of corporate and business level strategies. Organisation culture shapes the procedures of the organisation (Yilmaz and Ergun, 2008). Organisational culture enables an organisation to group its core competencies into a single group of competencies thereby enabling the organisation to better serve its customers (Yilmaz and Ergun, 2008). Strategy formulation and design depend on organisation culture in that factors such as creativity, innovation and organisational structure depend in part on the culture of the organisation (Judge et al., 1997; Martins and Terblanche, 2003). Any organisation that wants to remain competitive must be creative and innovative. These two components must be incorporated into the corporate strategy of the organisation. The organisational culture has a critical role to play in determining whether the organisation will be creative and innovative. In other words an organisational culture that promotes creativity and innovation is required if the organisation is to remain competitive. However, a culture that discourages creativity and innovation will result to poor performance (Martins and Terblanche, 2003). An organisation that wants to succeed must therefore adopt an organisational culture that encourages employees to be creative and innovative rather than a culture that discourages them from being creative and innovative. Organisational culture also impacts on strategy formulation in that it promotes internal integration and coordination. Internal coordination encourages new employees to socialise with existing employees. It also creates the boundaries of the organisations and a feeling of identity among members of the organisation (Martins and Terblanche, 2003). In order to successfully formulate and implement strategies, the organisation must conduct a cultural audit. This enables the organisation to understand its culture and thus assess its impact on the future strategy of the organisation. By so doing, the organisation can decide whether to change or continue with its existing culture (Johnson et al., 2008). An understanding of organisational culture also facilitates the ability of the organisation to successfully manage strategic change. The organisational culture of Marks and Spencer has the following characteristics: Paradigm: Marks and Spencer states that it is the best, sets the best standards, knows bests, occupies the middle ground, synonymous with high quality, and respects its customers. Power: the organisation is very powerful with deference to a male dominated top management. Organisation: the organisation is a mechanistic, bureaucratic, top-down and hierarchical organisation. control: top-down control in detail both of the stores and of suppliers; insistence on conformity. Rituals and Routines: There are a number of rituals and routines where every employee knows his or her place, the store layout and the atmosphere is like a familiar to everybody. Story: the company has build a legacy which can based on its history. For example Simon Marks. These legacy has enabled it to gain power over suppliers. Moreover, top management have authority over lower level staff. Symbols: Marks and Spencer has a number of brands (e.g., the St Michael Brand) which and symbolic to it. In addition Simon Marks and CEOs appear as father figures. Finally, all its stores are identical in appearance. It can be observed from above that Marks and Spencer has a traditional and formal way of doing things as reflected in its organisation culture. The organisation is characterised by a huge amount of self-confidence. The system is an internalised one where everybody knows his/her place and role in the organisation. The advantage with this type of organisational culture is that in times of success, the organisation will continue to deliver high quality products to customers as well as success to employees, shareholders, and other stakeholders. However, by maintaining such a traditional and formal way of doing things, the organisation runs the risk of not being able to respond to changes in the environment which may be required to turn things around during a downturn. Moreover, in addition to making it difficult to respond to changes in the environment, such a culture may prevent the firm from seeing an emerging change in the environment thereby making it impossible to respond to the cha nge. Conclusions and Recommendations The objective of this paper was to understand how Marks and Spencer deals with gender, management and organisational culture. With regards to gender, much of the theory suggests that there are more women in employment today and argue that organisations continue to practice gender segregation where women and men tend to have different experiences at work. However, a review of the practices of Marks and Spencer suggest that Marks and Spencer provides equal opportunities for both male and female employees. The only area which seems to comply with theory is the fact that Marks and Spencer’s top level managers are predominantly male which goes to show that Marks and Spencer practices some form of gender segregation when it comes to organisational leadership. As regards management, Marks and Spencer has three levels of management as suggested by theory. Top level managers are responsible for strategic decisions; middle level managers are responsible for tactical decision while lower level managers are responsible for operational decisions. With regards to culture, Marks and Spencer has a very rigid organisational culture which derives mainly from its history. The culture has enabled Marks and Spencer to be successful. However, given the rigid nature of the culture, the organisation may find it difficult to manage an imminent change if things start to go wrong. In order to reduce its gender bias especially with regards to leadership, the organisation needs to relax rules that govern selection of members of the board as well as other top level positions so as to make it easier for women to occupy these positions. With regards to its culture, the organisation needs to make things a little flexible so as to make it possible for the organisation to respond quickly to changes within its environment. References Baumgartner, R. J., Zielowski, C. (2007), â€Å"Analyzing zero emission strategies regarding impact on organizational culture and contribution to sustainable development†, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 15, pp. 1321-1327. Campo, P. O., Eaton, W. W., Muntaner, C. (2004) Labor market experience, work organization, gender inequalities and health status: results from a prospective analysis of US employed women  Ã‚   Social Science Medicine, vol. 58, Issue 3, Pages 585-594 Catalyst (1998). The 1998 Catalyst Census of Women Board Directors of the Fortune 500: Fact Sheet. Catalyst, 120 Wall Street, New York, USA. Johnson, J., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. (2008), Exploring Corporate Strategy, Texts and Cases†, 8th Edition, Prentice Hall, Financial Times. Judge, W. Q., Fryxell, G.E. Dooley, R. S. (1997), â€Å"The new task of RD Management: Creating goal-directed communities for innovation†, California Management Review, vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 72-85. Juneja, H. J. , First, H., and Prachi J.. (2011) Management. Management Study Guide. WebCraft Pvt Ltd, Kleiman, L. S. (2010) MANAGEMENT AND EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT Encyclopedia of Business Martins, E. C., Terblanche, F. (2003), â€Å"Building Organisational Culture that stimulates Creativity and Innovation†, European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 64-74. Messing, K., Dumais, L., Courville, J., Seifert, A. M., Boucher, M. (1994). Evaluation of exposure data from men and women with the same job title. Occupational and Enviornmental Medicine, 36(8), 913–917. Reskin, B., Padavic, I. (1994). Women and men and work. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. Valian, V. (1998). Why so slow? The advancement of women. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Wagener, D., Walstedt, J., Jenkins, L., Burnett, C., Lalich, N., Fingerhut, M. (1997) Women, work and health. Vital, Health Statistics, 3(31). Wright, E. O. (1997). Class counts, comparative studies in class analysis. Cambridge: University Press. Yilmaz, C., Ergun, E. (2008), â€Å"Organizational culture and firm effectiveness: An examination of relative effects of culture traits and the balanced culture hypothesis in an emerging economy†, Journal of World Business, vol.   43, pp. 290–306

Effectiveness of the Department of Homeland Security Research Paper

Effectiveness of the Department of Homeland Security - Research Paper Example Reflecting on what happened on that fateful day; one is left wondering how it happened and where the security agents were at the time. However, what is clear is that the intelligence agencies failed in their mandate to protect the country from such catastrophes. A reflection of the incidence show the Pentagon being raced down by planes hijacked by terrorists. In fact, many people were taken aback by the incident including the security agents. Therefore, to prevent such attacks in the future and to ensure that America becomes a secure country to live in and do business, George Walker Bush, undertook a proactive move that led to the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security. The move to establish the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was informed by the need to protect the U.S. against terrorism, according to Ball (2005). DHS had 22 different federal agencies charge with different roles aimed at ensuring that the country is safeguarded from terrorist threats. The fact th at DHS had 22 different federal departments made it the third largest Federal department in the country. An overview of the Department of Homeland Security's responsibilities in prevention and emergency response The responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security as far as prevention and emergency response are concerned are four folds. The first major responsibility of DHS is safeguarding the United States by preventing terrorism and enhancing national security (Charvat, 2012). According to Charvat (2012), safeguarding the U.S. and its citizens from terrorism was the cornerstone for its formation, following the 9/11 incident. The 9/11 incident exposed the country’s vulnerability to terrorism of whatever kind. Therefore, in response to the incident, the then president, George Walker Bush found it necessary to form an independent department responsible for safeguarding the country from terrorist threats. It is reported that DHS works in collaboration with other federal Departments and agencies to ensure that the country remain safe and secure to live in and do business. In fulfilling its mandate of safeguarding the country against terrorism, DHS also focuses on the prevention of unauthorized importation, acquisition, or use of nuclear, biological, and chemical materials and capabilities within the country’s borders. In addition, DHS focuses on reducing vulnerability of key leadership, crucial infrastructure, and events to terrorist attacks and other catastrophes (Ball, 2005). Indeed many agree that the safety of the United States have increased tremendously since the formation of the Department of Homeland Security. So far, the country has not suffered a major incidence of terrorism (Charvat, 2012). In addition, with the help of the DHS, the President Obama administration have been able to kill Osama, the mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. However, this is not to say that the U.S. is absolutely safe from terrorism. This is because th e country recently witnessed an incident of terrorism during the Boston marathon, which left some people dead and scores injured. The incidence show that the DHS still needs to do more to safeguard the country and citizens from terrorism.

Women and Work in Preindustrial Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Women and Work in Preindustrial Europe - Essay Example Yet, with the importance of their work and the need that it filled, it was most often relegated to a lower status and was maintained servile to the power structure that it served. Most women during this period worked in occupations that were done at or near the home. The need to maintain a family life often kept them oscillating between short periods of employment and the duties of motherhood. Out of convenience and necessity, a woman's choice of occupations was limited from birth. As Hanawalt observes, "The division of labor by sex was set early in a child's life" (8). A woman's dowry would be the initial contribution that women would make to the economy. It was most often used to set up the household, and then used to keep it running (Hanawalt 17). The tilling of soil was a solely male domain, while women became the bakers, cooks, tailors, and thread makers. This was done to support the home life and generate supplemental income. The brewing of ale, to be used in the home, was a typical example of a steady outside income, as was spinning thread (Hanawalt 11). While the woman's dowry and marriage became a pooled resource to support a family, slavery was an institution that supported the manors and generated a source of unskilled labor. Though oppressive, slavery was, as Sturad remarks, "... an acceptable alternative to for the organization of unskilled labor through the medieval period" (39). The slave system provided the labor for processing goods for export, as governesses, and wet nurses. Women were given special respect based on a complex system that was defined by skill and rank. Caring for children was a valued skill and the ability to provide breastmilk to newborns was economically rewarded. The system of slavery, while filling a societal need with efficiency, was overwhelmingly populated by women. In Ragusa during the years 1280-1284, the ranks of the slaves were as high as 90% female (Stuard 44). A woman's contribution to the economy was often hidden behind the most visible signs of commerce and the layers of male dominance. However, there were professions that enabled women to climb in status through occupational work. Nursing was especially valued. The 4 year apprenticeship required for nurses and the bonuses given to accept apprentices relate the importance that the beginning 16th century placed on the skill. The occupation was wide in scope demanding nurses to perform as back up medical assistants during plague epidemics (Weisner 105). While the occupations that were very gender specific were often rewarding for women, often women were excluded from the normal channels of commerce. The crafts were generally maintained as a male dominion as was membership in most guilds. Though not legally barred from entering crafts, a woman would most likely enter the field through her family's or husband's business. The same was true of the status gained by entering a trade, as it would be lower than the male membership. Where wealthier men had even greater dominance, such as Exeter, organizations were formed that effectively barred women's participation by excluding them from select groups. Markets and commerce were not banned by law, but the prejudice of tradition as Kowaleski observed, "...effectively blocked any real chance of commercial success" (155). Single women and wives could rarely escape the lower status granted to them unless they married into a status.

Balloon Economy Essay Example for Free

Balloon Economy Essay I have always wondered why our country cannot just make lots of money to pay all of its debts and to distribute to all Filipinos. I was thinking that this way we won’t have to deal with poverty anymore. This way we will have enough money to pay everything. After researching and thinking about it, I realized how naive I was. The government cannot just print out more money for it will drastically affect the balloon economy. For me to further elaborate my point, let us imagine a balloon. Not an inflated one, but a new one that you just bought from a store. This deflated balloon is still so small that I cannot appreciate its beauty as a balloon. So I put more air in it and it grows to a considerable size. Imagine that the balloon is the economy, and the air inside it is the money circulating in the economy. If we put more money in the economy (through making debts or printing more money), there will be more air, and the balloon will get bigger. When there is an abundant supply of something, its value tends to decrease. This also applies to money. As the number of circulating money increases, the value of money decreases. Now, what does this mean? It means that the purchasing capacity of money decreases, and so the prices tend to increase. This phenomenon is something we are all familiar with – inflation. There are many causes of inflation but all of them have the same effect – an increase in price of commodities. As the balloon economy gets bigger, the prices also increase. We all know that if we keep on pumping air into the balloon, sooner or later it will burst. So to prevent this, we must let air out by loosening our grip on the end of the balloon. This is what we call deflation. After inflation, deflation usually follows. Since the prices of goods are too high, consumers tend to purchase less. So the supply tends to be higher than the demand. There is a surplus of goods and services. And as I discussed earlier, a surplus of something makes its value decrease. So if this surplus continues, there will be deflation, or a decrease in price of commodities. From here we can see that the economy is indeed comparable to a balloon. It can inflate, deflate and ever burst. Knowing that the economy is like this, the government should be careful not to make the balloon pop. They should pump in just the right amount of air, and if they realize that they have pumped in too much, they must know how to loosen their grip so as to release some air from the balloon.

The Most Appropriate Pricing Technique for Cadbury Essay -- Business M

The Most Appropriate Pricing Technique for Cadbury There are 7 different pricing techniques that are available to Cadbury. 1. First pricing technique is skimming pricing. With skimming pricing, these prices are set very high to take advantage of some peoples desire for a new product or design at any price. Skimming is most effective if demand is inelastic. For e.g. Cadbury put their prices at the same as most of their competitors and at the price their customers are able to pay. 2. Cost plus pricing Pricing methods which are based on the cost structure of Cadbury that are favoured by accountants because they are supposedly more accurate and reliable. Cadbury is trying to maximise it profits. This method works successfully because all costs need to be accurately accounted. In many firms this is a very difficult process which is why the simpler mark-up procedure is used. Cost plus pricing tends to ignore the demand for the product and the competition. 3. Positioning pricing Cadbury uses this method to position prices that are set which reflect the consumers view of the chocolate bean. 4. Demand based pricing Cadbury set their prices based on what they think the consumer is prepared to pay. If they don’t then they wont sell as good as they thought. If they do sell at the customer’s price they will have a good reputation and an output of more customers. 5. Competitive pricing In this situation Cadbury set a price roughly in line with their competitors. This will depend on the type of competition that exists for the chocolate bean. It is particularly the number of seller and the number of buyers. This process works reasonably well if the cost structures of the companies are roughly similar. 6. Discount pricing Cadbury is a competitive market which buyers should be able to obtain goods for less than the advertised price. Many firms can be forced into price-cutting if they are short of cash or need to increase sales quickly. 7. Different pricing Cadbury may change different prices sometimes for the same product at different times. Its prices will be based on the elasticity of demand for the chocolate bean. Which is the most appropriate for this market type? The most appropriate strategy for Cadbury is Cost Plus pricing and Demand based pricing. Cost plus pricing is appropriate because the information is more accurate and reliable which is good... ...ghtly difficult but they have managed due to good marketing strategies. It has distributed its products in many ways even if they have failed in some but they always try to find the right way to distribute their product so their customers stay satisfied. PRODUCER WHOLESALER RETAILER COMSUMER When there are a large number of retailers, Cadbury (the manufactures) will usually deal with a wholesaler who buys in bulk, stores the products and sells them on to the retailer in smaller quantities. A small grocer will usually go to the wholesaler. This is mainly done regularly to avoid the small space. Advantages of long channels - Retailer gains convenience and minimises storage costs - Consumers are able to buy in small quantities from retailers - Goods are available close to where they are needed - Wholesalers provide valuable retailer support services - Transport costs are lower because the producer does not have to make as many deliveries. Disadvantages of long channels - Prices tend to be higher when goods change hands many times; compare prices in the corner shop with those in supermarkets - Producers have less control over the way in which goods are stored and sold

Conservative dominance in the years 1951 to 1964 Essay

The main reason for conservative dominance in the years 1951 to 1964 was labour disunity?† Access the validity of this view I agree with this statement as the labour party leaders were ageing. The labour leaders were from the pre-war era therefore it meant that they were not in touch with the population. This led to labour disunity throughout the years as it caused Attlee to retire, he found that he couldn’t understand what the young wanted. For the public they left their trust with the labour party and put it in the conservatives as they felt that labour had failed to create the consumer revolution that everyone had hoped for. By 1951 the public were also fed up with the rationing that they still had to endure even though the war had ended 6 years ago therefore this helped the conservative dominance in those years. Another reason as to why labour disunity was to blame for labour dominance was the growing split in the party caused by the Bevanites and Gaitskillites. The split in the party was due to Gaitskell introducing prescription and dentistry charges. Bevan supported the left wing of the party whereas Gaitskell supported the right wing of the party and followed Attlee in becoming the next leader of labour government. The split led to disunity as Gaitskell didn’t have the full support of the party; his ideas were always going to be argued against. Another reason why the split caused disunity in the labour party was to do with the trade unions. The trade unions were supporting the left wing of the party; this was a problem particularly during the Scarborough conference in 1960. Frank Cousins was the leader of the one of the most powerful unions, TGWU (transport and general workers) and was an extreme left wing. He led fierce opposition to Gaitskell over Britain’s nuclear weapons. Gaitskell wanted Britain to have nuclear weapons because of the looming threat of Russia, during the cold war; they could wipe out countries at any time. At the party conference in Scarborough Frank Cousins opposed Gaitskell’s leadership over the labour party and in particular nuclear weapons. He challenged Gaitskell over his decision not to refect unilateral disarmament. This caused disunity in the party because it showed to the public how weak the labour party was if a trade union leader, who had no power within the party was able to dictate what they did. It showed to them that someone who was a small minority was able to gather a lot of power. It was humiliation for Gaitskell because it showed he wasn’t able to control what was happening to the party. Alsoà ‚  disunity in the party was due to the fact that the left wing of the party was closely associated with CND (campaign for nuclear disarmament). The left wing side of the labour party were in favour of nuclear disarmament and being connected with nuclear disarmament scared many labour supporters. Many people were not in favour of nuclear disarmament as it was at the height of the cold war and they were scared of a nuclear war happening; this link between the CND and the labour party could have led to many voters turning away from the labour party in the 1959 election. Another reason which could have turned people away from voting for the labour party in the 1959 election was the association of CND being anti-government. Their ‘unilateralism’ became a powerful magnet for anti-government protest in some ways it almost was seen as a substitute for opposition in government. With many labour left-wingers associated with one of the most powerful pressure groups in Britain it made people question the ideas that the labour government had and their ability to run the country. The final reason for a split in labour disunity was clause four. Clause four was the commitment to nationalisation of everything which was a step towards socialism and communism. Gaitskell put forward the idea to abolish this clause and labours commitment to nationalisation to nationalisation. He was impressed with the way Germany had dumped their commitments to Marxist ideas in their party conference in 1959. Many people including the left wing of labour opposed this ide a and Gaitskell had to back down from his idea. With events happening in the world connected with socialism and communism, the abolishment of clause four was linked to the ideas of radical socialism which scared people as it was too close to communism for their liking. However it wasn’t just the labour disunity that caused the conservative party to remain dominant. The conservatives had strengths of their own that they used to the best of their ability. When conservatives came into power in 1951 it marked the end of the austerity era and the start of the post war boom. From 1952 most economic indicators pointed upwards with the boom in car ownership, home ownership increased, helped by the easy access to cheap mortgages and food rationing ended completely in 1954. Harold Macmillan who was then the housing minister fulfilled the election pledge of getting new homes constructed above 300,000 per year. The age of affluence helped keep the conservatives dominant in politics as it meant the public saw that party  as the ones who could make a change. Also the conservatives keeping their promises meant the public would respect them. In the run up to the 1955 election Butler was able to boost conservative election prospects with a ‘give-away’ budget. This meant for people in the middle classes would be provided with  £134 million in tax cuts. For these middle classes it meant an overwhelming support in favour of the conservatives because of the classes that might not have been able to afford the consumer goods were given a chance to. For the conservatives in the 1955 general election the public mood was what was described as a ‘feel good’ factor. They wanted the continuation of the consumer goods and therefore they would continue to vote for the conservatives as they saw them as the party who would be able to offer them it. Another reason for conservative dominance was that the national press was overwhelmingly in favour with the conservatives. During the 1955 election this helped win support and it also helped during Macmillan’s time as prime minister. Macmillan seemed to have the media in the palm of his hand using the new political opportunities that were provided by the television. With the conservative party gaining wide spread coverage throughout the country and labour not, it meant people knew more about the conservative party. With the national press focusing on the conservatives it gave them enough attention to win the elections crushing labour in every defeat. An important reason for the conservative dominance was the personalities that led the party. Winston Churchill gained his reputation for leading Britain to victory during the war. However during his post war leadership he was very much absent and Anthony Eden the acting prime minister led the conservatives. Eden was the first prime minister that the public felt they could understand what they wanted. Anthony Eden was said to have ‘represented contemporary manhood.’ This led the public to believe that for the first time after the war they would receive the benefits that they wanted. Eden has also many progressive ideas in domestic affairs however in the end this was his downfall. The Suez crisis split the conservative party and for the first time it looked like they would be weakened and labour would take power however it didn’t. Eden was resigned in 1957 and Harold Macmillan who led the campaign to abort the Suez crisis emerged as prime minister. He restored the party unity and in the 1959 led the conservatives to another win in the election. Macmillan from 1957 showed  his aura of confidence and political mastery. This showed to the public that the politicians and leaders in the party were strong willed and would do anything in their power to protect their country. This gave the conservatives the respect that they needed to go on and win the elections. Overall I think that although the labour party were weak, and this weakness led to the conservatives dominating politics and government; conservative dominance was due to the power that the leaders had. The people saw that this party was able to give them everything they wanted with the age of affluence. Also conservatives made sure that labour supporters would change sides as they gave respect to the labour’s post war consensus. With keeping with the post war consensus it showed to the people they were leaders who knew what they party wanted and not the ageing leader s in the labour party.

Kant s Categorical Imperative Essay - 1454 Words

In this paper, I will explain the concept of Kant’s Categorical Imperative, and show how he used it to justify why it is wrong to lie to an inquiring murderer. I will note how he arrived at this conclusion, and why I consider it to be the correct moral answer. According to Kant, the Categorical Imperative is the supreme law of morality by which a particular rule that an individual takes as a maxim must be accepted by all rational beings. This universal acceptance is what judges an action to be always good, provided that the agent’s impartiality and independence are maintained over self interest. Therefore, the Categorical Imperative is the only valid criterion by which to decide whether an action is permissible. It is an unconditional and absolute obligation (duty), which even desire (inclination) cannot override. Duty derives from reason, which only humans possess, and thus they are the only beings capable of judging right from wrong. Kant’s Categorical Imperative is a pure a priori form, that is, one that is based on theoretical as opposed to empirical deduction. It is a rational, voluntary choice derived from finality, instead of causality, where interests are put aside and moral duty is enforced. Take, for example, the challenge Benjamin Constant presented to the Categorical Imperative in the journal France for 1797, Part VI, No. 1, pages 123 124, in which he affirmed that Kant would not lie to a murderer if the latter asks you whether your friend, whom he isShow MoreRelatedKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1246 Words   |  5 Pagesutilitarianism, Kant was more focused on intent and action itself. This leads into one of Kantian ethics main ideals; you mustn’t treat another human being as a means to an end. Kant’s Categorical Imperative (CI) is a deontological theory, which relied heavily on his belief that humans are all capable of reason in the same manner, on the same level (A Brief Summary of Kant s Categorical Imperative, 2012). Kant recognized 2 kinds of moral ‘imperatives’, a hypothetical imperative (what must be doneRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1190 Words   |  5 PagesIn section I of Immanuel Kant’s categorical im perative, Kant argues that every human being alive is subject to the categorical imperative. Kant came to this conclusion by arguing that the only thing that is good without needing qualification is a good will. Throughout this paper I will discuss Kant’s good will and his three propositions. A good will is an act done from duty and motivated by respect. If a person manifests a good will in action, the respect for duty determines that I do the actionRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay2239 Words   |  9 PagesKant’s Categorical Imperative An imperative is the linguistic form of a ‘command of reason’. In section II of the Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals, German philosopher Immanuel Kant writes, â€Å"the conception of an objective principle, in so far as it is obligatory for a will, is called a command (of reason), and the formula of the command is called an imperative.† It is a rule telling us what we ought to do. He distinguishes between two types of imperatives: hypothetical and categoricalRead MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay1448 Words   |  6 PagesKant’s categorical imperative is a natural conclusion of reason when searching for a moral guideline that does not depend on previous expense but reason alone. The categorical imperative can be explained in many different ways. Kant offers five formulations in his work groundwork of the metaphysics of morals. The formulations of Kant’s categorical imperative can be considered a test. If your maxim passes th e test then your actions under that maxim will be good. The formulations that Kant offers,Read MoreKant s Categorical Imperative Essay983 Words   |  4 PagesImmanuel Kant is known for his absolute and idealistic approach to answering this question, with which he provides us a medium to answer it. Kant calls this his categorical imperative. Throughout this paper I will break down Kant’s view on ethics, explain one formulation of his categorical imperative, and evaluate his theory on an existential level. Kant was a firm believer that there are two different worlds. He called them the â€Å"World of Phenomena,† and the â€Å"World of the Noumena.† Kant describesRead MoreEssay about Kant ´s Theory: Categorical Imperative and its Rules827 Words   |  4 Pageswill benefit them at the end. The purpose of Kantianism is to tell us that morality is not to make us happy but the whole purpose is to do the right thing just for the sake of doing it. Eventually doing the right thing will lead us to our happiness. Kant said that we are determined to know what’s good or what’s bad through self- law and using ourselves as our own guidance’s. We as individuals will determine our own behavior than having someone telling us how we should act because of their expectationsRead MoreKant And The Moral Law1451 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction: Kant argues that mere conformity with the moral law is not sufficient for moral goodness. I will argue that Kant is right. In this essay I will explain why Kant distinguishes between conforming with the moral law and acting for the sake of the moral law, and what that distinction means to Kant, before arguing why Kant was right. 2) Meaning of Kant’s Statement Why: According to Kant, we can control the will and meaning behind our actions. The morality of an action should be assessedRead MoreKant s Philosophy On Moral Philosophy Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesAlthough Kant s philosophy, outlined in The Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals, has some value as a moral guide, it alone is not always sufficient. After analysing Kant s objective moral imperative, I will show that implementing his philosophy has the potential to permit what is considered to be immoral. This is due to its rigid conditions, which are formed on the basis that he believes in the existence of a perfect morality that always holds true. However, I will argue that there is notRead MoreKant And Mill On Animal Ethics Essay1365 Words   |  6 PagesIn this essay I will begin by explaining the overall views of Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill, then compare and contrast the ideas and philosophies of Kant and Mill on Animal Ethics. I believe that Kant, the deontologist, will not care as much about the duty/responsibility between humans and animals as Mill, the utilitarian, who will see the extreme importance of animal ethics. After studying and explaining the views and teachings of these two philosophers I will see if my thesis was correct,Read MoreThe Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas by Ursula Le Guin1424 Words   |  6 Pagesgreatest number of people. On the contrary, Kant would argue that using the child as a mere means is wrong and argue that the living conditions of the child are not universalizable. The citizens of Omelas must face this moral dilemma for all of their lives or instead choose to silently escape the city altogether. My central thesis is that Kant would give the child’s life inherent value and advocate that Omelas’ citizens abandon their practices. In this essay I aim to examine the story of Omelas through