Abstract Modern organizations, particularly the state and corporate conglomerations, represent the historically unprecedented concentrations of power. This paper is about how people living in a supposed free society ended up legitimizing and giving approval to their own oppression and domination. Weber predicted that corporatepower would help facilitate this development. Chomsky demonstrated how the particulars work in connection to the mass media. In a nutshell, this is about the issue of capitalism. Producers and advertisers have an interest in reinforcing certain ideologies, because, in their world, minorities, women and the poor should be relegated to certain spheres. This is, therefore, a political battle -- it is a class war. Economic elites retain their power by shaping and moulding social reality through the means of mass media.
Tags: POLITICAL SCIENCE / STUDIES IN DEMOCRACY, LIBERALISM, corporatepower
Abstract The writer asserts that corporations give a significant amount of their money to politicians and spend an even greater amount of money trying to persuade these politicians to vote in a manner favorable to the corporation's cause. These contributions, Political Action Committees and personal influence, explains the author, are the avenues the paper presents for corporations to influence the government.
Table of Contents:
Review of Literature
Methodology and Theoretical Orientation
Corporate Influence on Congress
PACs and Campaign Contributions
The ?Good ?Ole Boy" System
Corporate Responsibility
A Study of 1998
Conclusions
From the Paper "Political Action Committees are one main source of corporate campaign contributions. In 1943, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) formed the CIO-PAC to collect and disperse voluntary political contributions from union members. It wasn?t until the 1970s that PACs were legitimized. Limits on campaign contributions from individual PACs caused the number of registered PACs to increase from 608 to 4200 by the end of the 1980s (Godwin 87). PACs use a number of methods to solicite funds from the public including union campaigns and direct mail techniques. They can then contribute to the campaigns of agreeable politicians. Corporate PACs contribute funds from one or several corporations, giving corporations another avenue with which to control the political arena. A survey conducted in 1984 showed that 68% of corporations that had their own lobbying force in D.C also contributed to Political Action Committees (Wright 418)."
Tags: influence, power, contributions, lobby, congress
Abstract This paper examines "Leading Without Power: Finding Hope in Serving Community" by Max De Pree, and explains how De Pree's lessons apply to modern society. The paper looks at De Pree's theory that non-profit organizations can be used as a model for corporation culture, and discusses the Soviet theory of input measurement, and how De Pree applies the theory to getting results in modern day corporations.
From the Paper "Max De Pree, author of Leading Without Power: Finding Hope in Serving Community, was the CEO of Herman Miller, the office furniture company, and had written two books before this one. This one explores an interesting anomaly in American culture: The fact that the nation with the most vibrant business sector on the planet also has a thriving non-profit sector, and it is that sector that provides most of the satisfaction individuals derive from their lifetime pursuits."
Abstract This is a review about the myth of the good corporate citizen. Dobbin (1998) discusses globalization and the nature of power held by transnational corporations, along with the impact of their power on Canada.
A discussion pn authority in the workplace, as per Chapter 8 of "Cracking the Corporate Code: The Revealing Success Stories of 32 African-American Executives" by Price Cobbs and Judith Turnock.
Abstract This paper discusses the issues of power, authority and influence over others within the confines of the workplace. It focuses on how these issues pertain to leadership. The paper emphasizes the discussion in Chapter 8 of "Cracking the Corporate Code: The Revealing Success Stories of 32 African-American Executives" by Price Cobbs and Judith Turnock, in which the paper discusses what Frank Fountain and Paula Banks do to acquire corporatepower and influence.
From the Paper "Paula Banks handled her rise to the top by refusal (Cobbs & Turnock, 2003). However, she still had to stop and rethink her career strategy. She was working to be a store manager, and was sidetracked into working with Human Resources (HR). She had been promised a store manager position very soon, but eventually she was told it would be at least 8 years before that could take place. However, if she did not want to wait that long, she could change her career path and become the head of HR for one of the catalog distribution sectors (Cobbs & Turnock, 2003). While she did not want HR, she also did not want to spend 8 long years working for a store manager position. Her refusal to insist on getting what she was originally promised was not accepted, and many believe that this is due to the fact of being female (Cobbs & Turnock, 2003)."
Abstract This paper discusses the ways to avoid having corporations gain too much power over the political process. The paper specifically focuses on the role of voting and its importance in helping to achieve the outcome that we desire. It also looks briefly at how actions at the micro level can change the structure of society and affect the political system.
From the Paper "John Rawls offered a revision of Kantian theory so it could be used as a grounding in ethical theory. Rawls states that he is concerned with social justice, and he says that the primary subject of justice is the basic structure of society, or "the way in which the major social institutions distribute fundamental rights and duties and determine the division of advantages from social cooperation" (Rawls, 1971, p. 7). The major institutions of society to which Rawls refers are pervasive and have profound effects on behavior and the distribution of benefits. These institutions embody deep-seated inequalities that may be inevitable in the basic structure of any society, and any principles of justice must apply to these inequalities (Rawls, 1971, p. 7)."
Abstract The paper offers an overview of corporate crime and the unclear reasons behind these types of crimes. The paper first discusses the difficulties in prosecuting wealthy business people who wield enormous power over politicians. The paper then shows the need for both criminologists and sociologists to understand the motivations behind corporate crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.
From the Paper "While there are people who feel that corporations are engaged in organized crime, this is really not the case, and organized crime and corporate crime are different entities. What they are and how they are treated, however, do have some similarities that are significant (Finney, 1982: 266). The purpose of this paper will be to talk about those similarities and differences to give a good understanding of corporate crime and to show how criminologists and sociologists explain and prevent them. This is important, because the prevention of these kinds of crimes as well as others has significance in today's fast-paced life where wrongdoings are sometimes easily covered up and too many people tend to look the other way when they are aware of something going on that should not be."
This paper is a personal book review of "Power Politics", a collection of non-fiction essays, by novelist Arundhati Roy that describes government corruption and corporate greed.
Abstract This paper reviews various essay topics such as nuclear armament and the economic repercussions of a river dam project in rural India but feels that "The Reincarnation of Rumpelstiltskin", is the heart of the book. The paper discusses Roy's dislike for American policy as she describes Rumpelstiltskin/America as having a ?bank account heart. The paper author feels that this book is well-argued and demonstrates that the lives of poor people are sacrificed to support the corporate interests of companies like Enron.
From the Paper "This complaint would be a major problem with this collection, were it not for Roy's sincerity. The last essay, On Citizens' Rights to Express Dissent, shows Roy practicing what she preached. She spent a night in jail in contempt of court because of her participation in an anti-dam demonstration outside India's Supreme Court. This essay, a reprint of her official reply to these accusations, shows Roy standing her ground. Its unexpected humor ? an attack on the accusers? understanding of democracy is followed by barbs about their spelling mistakes ? contrasts with the first chapter's earnest calls to activism, helping to dispel the image of the dour, frothing at the mouth activist."
Abstract Summary: In this paper I will explore how human society has been transformed, by the media, as well as by government and corporations, into a consumerist collective whose only purpose is ever-increasing consumption at the expense of all other values.
This paper explores whether the media in the United States, Canada and Mexico are effective in investigating government and sustaining democratic values in their societies.
Abstract The paper provides a comparison and contrast of the societies and political cultures of the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as the media operations in each culture. The paper argues that while the U.S. model is influential in both Canada and Mexico, the similarities are closest between the U.S. and Canada in that corporatepower blocks systemic media criticism of government. The paper contrasts this to Mexico where a more authoritarian political structure has historically resulted in more direct political control of media by government and political authority as opposed to corporate entities. The paper clearly shows how in neither of the three countries does the media - albeit in different respects - foster democratic values.
Outline:
Introduction
Media in the United States - Personality over Politics
Media in Canada - Politics and Culture
Media in Mexico - Absolute Convergence
Conclusion
From the Paper "Political and media critics in the United States have argued that one of the defining features of American media's representation of government is its tendency to focus on personality over politics. This can be seen most clearly in presidents, as the recent presidencies of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have revealed an extraordinary level of focus on one individual personality rather than the complex processes of government itself. In fact, this was a process that began with the era of television in the 1950s, when politicians became celebrities and their political power was closely intertwined with their media images (Schickel 201). Since that time, American political campaigns have been oriented towards television and the importance of the thirty second "sound bite" (Jackson et al. 129)."
Tags:corporate, power, political, control, television
Abstract This paper argues that multinational corporations in today's global economy have been a mixed blessing. The author points out that while these organizations have been rightly accused of debilitating local businesses, of exploiting workers in developing nations and of dangerous levels of political clout, which they wield in impoverished lands desperate for their patronage, they are also powerful engines for meaningful change with regards to such issues as affirmative action initiatives that might (belatedly) transform the work culture of certain nations. The author underscores that multinationals can serve as very effective organizations for improving the benefits and employment packages that people in developing lands receive. The paper concludes that multinationals are far from perfect, but strong and progressive leadership can make them efficacious tools for change.
From the Paper "The other negative with regards to multinational corporations (and this has actually been hinted at above) is the power they can wield over the governments of developing nations. For instance, developing lands are obviously eager to diversify their economies, to increase their tax receipts, and to overcome rampant unemployment. In a similar vein, these third-world states have a clear interest in forging ties with the developed world that will allow for greater business opportunities for their own entrepreneurs and business types."
Tags: clout, affirmative action, infrastructure power leadership
Abstract This paper evaluates the significance of corporate criminal activities, which are identified within organizations. The author points out that there are a number of actions, which are taken against companies, when corporate executives take advantage of their substantial power within the company. The paper relates that corporate corruption eventually causes irreversible damage to the organization as a whole.
Abstract The paper discusses how in American society corporations exert a great deal of influence and control, giving rise to complaints that big businesses, through lobbyists and other means, affect Congress to too great a degree and so make the concept of democracy meaningless. The paper provides a literature review on corporations and democracy as well as an economic analysis of capitalism and democracy. The paper also shows how preventing corporations from exerting detrimental effects on democracy will protect the basis of democracy itself.
From the Paper "The political system indeed perpetuates a number of social, political, and economic inequalities between classes, racial groups, and other social and economic divisions. American government and politics are not neutral and any government action produces winners and losers, those who get benefits and those who pay most of the costs of those benefits. The ideal of the American system, as embodied in the Constitution, is to limit the separation between winners and losers and to see that no one group is always to be found in either category. This is an ideal that is not always met, and the effort to achieve this ideal itself entails ethical concerns about the rights of the citizen in a democracy."
This paper reviews and analyzes "Culture Inc: The Corporate Takeover of Public Expression" written in 1989 by American media critic, author and sociologist Herbert Schiller.
Abstract This paper focuses on Schiller's views and opinions regarding the impact of expanded corporatepower in all areas of cultural activity. This paper examines Schiller's political-economic analysis of the negative influences and resulting impact of giant media corporations who reign over the cultural domain both in the U.S. and around the world.
From the Paper "In his book Culture Inc media scholar Herbert Schiller offers a political-economic analysis of the negative influences and consequences of giant corporation's domination of the media and the cultural domain in the U S and internationally. The subtitle of the book The Corporate Takeover of Public Expression expresses Schiller's passionate premise of the dangerous effects of years of corporate growth and mergers on American culture from the press to TV new technologies to movies performing arts centers public broadcasting stations museums and even shopping malls."
An analysis of the moral and ethical obligations, as well as normative theories, of corporations in modern society, focusing on the Ford Motor Company.
Abstract This essay debates the moral and ethical obligations of corporations in modern society. The paper shows that corporations do make decisions that appear to be based on the assumption that profit is so important that injury to (and even death of) innocent human beings is an acceptable cost. The paper then goes on to analyze these kinds of behaviors by applying normative theories to them. It specifically focuses on the case of the Ford Motor Company.
Table of Contents:
Normative Theories
Strategic Considerations
From the Paper "If the law was extended in this way, it would become possible for corporations to be prosecuted in a way that was compatible with acceptable morality. For example, in the Ford Pinto case, the engineers who conducted the risk analysis and recommended that no recall should be done, would all be charged with manslaughter. They would most likely end up in prison for a very long time. If this kind of thing happened, it is likely that corporations would stop treating people as means to an end (the end being profit). This does not mean that they would suddenly grow consciences. However, for a corporation to make a decision and carry out actions, individual human beings must play their part. If all of these human beings were aware that they could be imprisoned for their parts in such decisions, I believe they would not be prepared to play along."
