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Social Opportunities (social + opportunity)
Selected AbstractsA ,business opportunity' model of corporate social responsibility for small- and medium-sized enterprisesBUSINESS ETHICS: A EUROPEAN REVIEW, Issue 1 2009Heledd Jenkins In their book ,Corporate Social Opportunity', Grayson and Hodges maintain that ,the driver for business success is entrepreneurialism, a competitive instinct and a willingness to look for innovation from non-traditional areas such as those increasingly found within the corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda'. Such opportunities are described as ,commercially viable activities which also advance environmental and social sustainability'. There are three dimensions to corporate social opportunity (CSO) , innovation in products and services, serving unserved markets and building new business models. While small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have traditionally been presented as non-entrepreneurial in this area, this paper demonstrates how SMEs can take advantage of the opportunities presented by CSR. Using data from 24 detailed case studies of UK SMEs from a range of sectors, the paper explores the numerous CSR opportunities that present themselves to SMEs, such as developing innovative products and services and exploiting niche markets. There are inevitable challenges for SMEs undertaking CSR, but by their very nature they have many characteristics that can aid the adoption of CSR; the paper explores these characteristics and how the utilisation of positive qualities will help SMEs make the most of CSOs. Integrating CSR into the core of a company is crucial to its success. Using the case studies to illustrate key points, the paper suggests how CSR can be built into a company's systems and become ,just the way we do things'. There are a number of factors that characterise the CSO ,mentality' in an organisation, and Grayson and Hodges's book describes seven steps that will move a company in the direction of a ,want to do' CSO mentality. This paper adapts these steps for SMEs, and by transferring and building on knowledge from the 24 detailed case studies, it develops a ,business opportunity' model of CSR for SMEs. [source] Starting a New Job: The Social and Emotional Experience of People with Intellectual DisabilitiesJOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 5 2009Andrew Jahoda Background, Employment is viewed by policy makers as both a human right and as a means of changing the marginalized status of people with intellectual disabilities, with important social and emotional benefits. However, there has been little longitudinal research examining the experience of people with intellectual disabilities in the workplace. Methods, Thirty-five individuals with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities participated in this study. They were recruited from supported employment agencies in Scotland. A longitudinal approach was adopted, with the participants being interviewed around the time of starting their jobs, and again 9,12 months later. Results, The content analyses of the semi-structured interviews indicated that the participants perceived continuing benefits from entering mainstream employment, including more purposeful lives and increased social status. However, over the follow-up period the participants reported few social opportunities that extended beyond the workplace, and an anxiety about their competence to meet employers' demands remained a concern for some. Conclusions, The discussion addresses the importance of understanding work in relation to the participants' wider lives, along with the longer-term role for supported employment agencies to help people achieve their social and emotional goals in a vocational context. [source] Walter Cronkite High School: A Culture of Freedom and ResponsibilityLEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 3 2006Catherine Cobb Morocco Walter Cronkite High School is a comprehensive high school of nearly 4,000 students, located in New York City. The population of students with disabilities includes many students with severe and low-incidence disabilities, including 70 students with visual or hearing impairments and 20 students with orthopedic impairments. Cronkite High School's academic program reflects the belief that if students with disabilities can choose among a motivating set of intellectual options, receive appropriate academic support, and assume responsibility for their learning, they will be successful. The school puts that belief into practice through an "assembled puzzle" of academic opportunities, academic supports, and social opportunities designed to respond to highly varied student interests and academic needs. We describe "how the school works" through case studies of three students with learning disabilities and through an analysis of the high school transcripts of 36 students with disabilities who are recent graduates. [source] Middletown High School: Equal Opportunity for Academic AchievementLEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 3 2006Cynthia Mata Aguilar Middletown High School is a comprehensive high school with 1,970 students, located in the environs of Washington, DC. It is distinguished by an open enrollment policy for all courses; a strong emphasis on inclusion of students with learning disabilities (LD) in general education classrooms; block scheduling that allows for more in-depth and meaningful study of important concepts and ideas; and team teaching in English, mathematics, science, and social studies. In a schoolwide 30-minute daily Learning Seminar, all students learn study skills, do homework, take tests, or go to the library, and teachers have opportunities for departmental meetings and problem solving. A visual representation of a "percolator" frames the school's system of opportunities and supports. Through case studies of two students with LD and analyses of 55 transcripts of recent graduates, we describe the academic and social opportunities, support structures, and strategies that make Middletown a "good high school" for students with disabilities. [source] Responding to the crisis: RALLY's developmental and relational approachNEW DIRECTIONS FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, Issue 120 2008Gil G. Noam The authors introduce the RALLY (Responsive Advocacy for Life and Learning in Youth) approach. RALLY is a school- and afterschool-based approach addressing academic success, youth development, and mental health for youth. Based on developmental and relational principles, RALLY's main goals are to promote students' resiliency, development, and academic functioning, as well as to reduce the typical adolescent's risks. By implementing a new professional role of RALLY practitioners, who are developmental specialists and interconnect the different social worlds of students, RALLY creates the resources to provide social opportunities and quality practices to meet students' needs and facilitate their growth. A three-tiered system helps to implement mental health and educational practice, thus providing differential support for students with different needs. Early identification of risks and resiliencies helps to avoid chronicity and pinpoint adequate treatments as soon as possible. [source] A ,business opportunity' model of corporate social responsibility for small- and medium-sized enterprisesBUSINESS ETHICS: A EUROPEAN REVIEW, Issue 1 2009Heledd Jenkins In their book ,Corporate Social Opportunity', Grayson and Hodges maintain that ,the driver for business success is entrepreneurialism, a competitive instinct and a willingness to look for innovation from non-traditional areas such as those increasingly found within the corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda'. Such opportunities are described as ,commercially viable activities which also advance environmental and social sustainability'. There are three dimensions to corporate social opportunity (CSO) , innovation in products and services, serving unserved markets and building new business models. While small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have traditionally been presented as non-entrepreneurial in this area, this paper demonstrates how SMEs can take advantage of the opportunities presented by CSR. Using data from 24 detailed case studies of UK SMEs from a range of sectors, the paper explores the numerous CSR opportunities that present themselves to SMEs, such as developing innovative products and services and exploiting niche markets. There are inevitable challenges for SMEs undertaking CSR, but by their very nature they have many characteristics that can aid the adoption of CSR; the paper explores these characteristics and how the utilisation of positive qualities will help SMEs make the most of CSOs. Integrating CSR into the core of a company is crucial to its success. Using the case studies to illustrate key points, the paper suggests how CSR can be built into a company's systems and become ,just the way we do things'. There are a number of factors that characterise the CSO ,mentality' in an organisation, and Grayson and Hodges's book describes seven steps that will move a company in the direction of a ,want to do' CSO mentality. This paper adapts these steps for SMEs, and by transferring and building on knowledge from the 24 detailed case studies, it develops a ,business opportunity' model of CSR for SMEs. [source] | ||||||||||