The structural contradictions and constraints on corporate social responsibility: Challenges for corporate social irresponsibility

Purpose - This chapter engages critically with the ideas of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and irresponsibility (CSI) in order to examine their utility for the purposes of realizing more socially just and environmentally sustainable social and economic practices. Methodology/approach - The chapter develops Marx's understanding of the twin pressures of class struggle and inter-capitalist competition in setting the limits of agency for corporate actors. It is thus theoretical and discursive in nature. Findings - The findings of the chapter suggest that the scope for corporate agency in relation to responsibility/irresponsibility is severely limited by inter-capitalist competition and capitalist social relations. It therefore argues that those interested in social justice and environmental sustainability should focus on these structural pressures rather than theorizing corporate agency. Social implications - The research suggests that the focus of academic and government attention should be on resolving the contradictions and exploitative social relations inherent in capitalism. Without this emphasis activism, corporate agency and government action will not eradicate the types of problem that advocates of CSR/CSI are concerned about. Originality/value of paper - The value of the paper is that it contests and engages critically with the utility of the notion of CSR and the emergent concept of CSI. It asks proponents of these concepts to think seriously about the structural pressures and constraints within which business and policy makers act. Copyrightr © 2012 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Comparison of Raised and Flat-Seam Baseballs

The difference in seam-height between raised and flat-seam baseballs leads to different different drag and spin forces when the balls are thrown by a pitcher. The goal of this experiment is to measure the difference in vertical deflection of curveball pitches, caused by the different seam-heights

Pseudo-random number generator for the Sigma 5 computer

A technique is presented for developing a pseudo-random number generator based on the linear congruential form. The two numbers used for the generator are a prime number and a corresponding primitive root, where the prime is the largest prime number that can be accurately represented on a particular computer. The primitive root is selected by applying Marsaglia's lattice test. The technique presented was applied to write a random number program for the Sigma 5 computer. The new program, named S:RANDOM1, is judged to be superior to the older program named S:RANDOM. For applications requiring several independent random number generators, a table is included showing several acceptable primitive roots. The technique and programs described can be applied to any computer having word length different from that of the Sigma 5

Chern-Simons Modification of General Relativity

General relativity is extended by promoting the three-dimensional gravitational Chern-Simons term to four dimensions. This entails choosing an embedding coordinate v_\mu -- an external quantity, which we fix to be a non-vanishing constant in its time component. The theory is identical to one in which the embedding coordinate is itself a dynamical variable, rather than a fixed, external quantity. Consequently diffeomorphism symmetry breaking is hidden in the modified theory: the Schwarzschild metric is a solution; gravitational waves possess two polarizations, each traveling at the velocity of light; a conserved energy-momentum (pseudo-) tensor can be constructed. The modification is visible in the intensity of gravitational radiation: the two polarizations of a gravity wave carry intensities that are suppressed/enchanced by the extension.Comment: 19 pages, added references, an addition in section

What Do We Really Know About Cosmic Acceleration?

Essentially all of our knowledge of the acceleration history of the Universe - including the acceleration itself - is predicated upon the validity of general relativity. Without recourse to this assumption, we use SNeIa to analyze the expansion history and find (i) very strong (5 sigma) evidence for a period of acceleration, (ii) strong evidence that the acceleration has not been constant, (iii) evidence for an earlier period of deceleration and (iv) only weak evidence that the Universe has not been decelerating since z~0.3.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Variability in heart rate recovery measurements over 1 year in healthy, middle-aged adults.

This study assessed the longer-term (12-month) variability in post-exercise heart rate recovery following a submaximal exercise test. Longitudinal data was analysed for 97 healthy middle-aged adults (74 male, 23 female) from 2 occasions, 12 months apart. Participants were retrospectively selected if they had stable physical activity habits, submaximal treadmill fitness and anthropometric measurements between the 2 assessment visits. A submaximal Bruce treadmill test was performed to at least 85% age-predicted maximum heart rate. Absolute heart rate and Δ heart rate recovery (change from peak exercise heart rate) were recorded for 1 and 2 min post-exercise in an immediate supine position. Heart rate recovery at both time-points was shown to be reliable with intra-class correlation coefficient values ≥ 0.714. Absolute heart rate 1-min post-exercise showed the strongest agreement between repeat tests (r = 0.867, P < 0.001). Lower coefficient of variation (≤ 10.2%) and narrower limits of agreement were found for actual heart rate values rather than Δ heart rate recovery, and for 1-min rather than 2-min post-exercise recovery time points. Log-transformed values generated better variability with acceptable coefficient of variation for all measures (2.2-10%). Overall, 1 min post-exercise heart rate recovery data had least variability over the 12-month period in apparently healthy middle-aged adults

Rational Orbits around Charged Black Holes

We show that all eccentric timelike orbits in Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m spacetime can be classified using a taxonomy that draws upon an isomorphism between periodic orbits and the set of rational numbers. By virtue of the fact that the rationals are dense, the taxonomy can be used to approximate aperiodic orbits with periodic orbits. This may help reduce computational overhead for calculations in gravitational wave astronomy. Our dynamical systems approach enables us to study orbits for both charged and uncharged particles in spite of the fact that charged particle orbits around a charged black hole do not admit a simple one-dimensional effective potential description. Finally, we show that comparing periodic orbits in the RN and Schwarzschild geometries enables us to distinguish charged and uncharged spacetimes by looking only at the orbital dynamics.Comment: 16 pages, 21 figure

Stability Issues for w < -1 Dark Energy

Precision cosmological data hint that a dark energy with equation of state $w = P/\rho < -1$ and hence dubious stability is viable. Here we discuss for any $w$ nucleation from $\Lambda > 0$ to $\Lambda = 0$ in a first-order phase transition. The critical radius is argued to be at least of galactic size and the corresponding nucleation rate is glacial, thus underwriting the dark energy's stability and rendering remote any microscopic effect.Comment: 9 pages LaTeX. Significantly rewritten (including abstract

Precautionary saving and precautionary wealth

This is an entry for The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Ed. JEL Klassifikation: C61, D11, E2