Corporate Governance in a Globalizing World Samples for Students

Question: Discuss the Corporate Governance Issues raised using Corporate Governance Theories to Illustrate the Importance of these Issues. Why are these Issues of Importance to business and the general public? Answer: Introduction Corporate Governance is one of the most important aspects for the global businesses all across the world. It is important for most of the global multinational organisations to make sure corporate governance is rightly implemented in the organisations which would help to understand the key loopholes in the market. Corporate Governance is conundrum for most of the small and medium scale companies but the bigger organisations have been able to manage their corporate governance effectively. There are number of organisations in the global world that have gone up the ladder in corporate governance like Tesco and Wal-Mart, Apple Inc have had quintessential hold over Corporate governance. On this note it is important to discuss the meaning of corporate governance which would help to go further in the study and understand its impact on business and general public (Erkens et al., 2012). Corporate Governance could be defined as the set of rules and regulations and practices and processes by whi ch a company is directed and handled. The main focus of corporate governance is to balance over the different stakeholders involved in an organisation and also to ensure their interest is met properly which would help the organisations to keep their interest intact and also have their involvement in the organisation. In the globalised world effective corporate governance has become indispensable than ever as the stakeholders of the different organisations are spread all around the world. In this scenario handling the stakeholders like consumers, governments, media, suppliers, investors and community. It is contemplated that the future of global governance is complicated as there are number of factors that affect the practice of corporate governance in this highly technology influenced market. The organisations and government should be focused on addressing the corporate governance issues effectively for the smooth operation of the business and moreover, for the effective handling of the stakeholders and general public. It is important for the organisations to make sure that corporate governance is implemented effectively by the organisation which would help to communicate effectively with the stakeholders of the organisation. In a globalised world there are number of issues that needs to be handl ed properly. Stakeholder rights and shareholder rights, Corporate Social responsibility are some of the key issues which are involved in overall corporate governance (Tricker and Tricker, 2015). There have been significant discussions regarding the role and impact of corporate governance that has provided insights to practice corporate governance in a globalised world. One of the contemporary issues that emerged as important for the organisations is to consider the role of the employees in corporate governance. The employees play an important role in the effective application of the corporate governance (Davis et al., 2012) . It could be said that the application of corporate governance involves number of aspects of employee management. The present study will take into account the aspect of diversity management of employee which clearly shows that the global organisations should emphasise highly on developing its diversity management so that all the different sections of people are properly considered for opportunities and career development which would help the organisation to manage their business mechanism effectively (Davis, 2012). The present study will analyse the conc ept of corporate governance effectively which would be done with the help of secondary research mainly done on magazine or newspaper article. In this article has been chosen as it discusses one of the key aspects of corporate governance. Clean up your act on diversity, government tells FTSE companies: Allen K (The Guardian) Corporate governance is not only focused on understanding the different needs and wants of the stakeholders and accordingly developing a strong strategy to make sure they are properly addressed but it also concerns with the maintaining a proper balance among the stakeholders which would help to not only address the different needs and wants of the stakeholders but it will also help to make sure they are with the organisations. From the global perspective corporate governance entails the practice of managing the stakeholders and making sure they are satisfied and in this scenario the employees become one of the key stakeholders to be maintained properly. Employee management is one of the key aspects that the organisations will have to maintain properly. In a recent article published in The Guardian exactly highlights the perspective of the Business ministry of UK regarding diversity (Allen, 2017). Diversity has been a subject that the managements of top class organisations in the list ed in London Stock Exchange have had to address due to the extreme pressure of the Business Ministry of UK. The Business Minister of UK has written to all the top listed multinational organisations of UK to develop their diversity management in business and provide opportunity to the different castes and ethnic groups. The government has also emphasised on saying that these businesses will have to publish a proper breakdown of their workforce by race and pay band. The issue of diversity not only prevails in UK but it is a global corporate problem now because most of the organisations have failed to maintain diversity in their workforce and in case there are certain companies who have tried to bring diversity in the workforce it has faced number of issues like discrimination, bullying and other problems. The article mainly emphasised on promoting the careers of the black people as well as other backward races through better career opportunities and better pay. It is also emphasised that board of the FTSE-350 companies should also have diversity in its board which would help to understand the key issues of the different races working in the company and from a broader perspective it will also help the organisation to make sure it facilitates general people as well. In a recent review backed by the UK government showed that supporting the black minorities at the workplace could definitely impact on the overall economy positively and hence the gove rnment of UK has been much focused on advising the FTSE 350 companies to address their diversity issues. The UK government has set a benchmark for all the governments all across the world to take a positive initiative in influencing the organisations especially the multinational organisations to develop their diversity management in order to provide effective opportunities to the different races and ethnic groups to improve the workforce as well as the economic condition of a country (Brammer et al., 2012). The review organised by the government which has been published through The Guardian shows that the managers have often been seen as prejudiced in terms of recruitment as well as for promotions which has not only affected the productivity of the organisations but it has also affected the overall liberalism of the country. As per the Agency theory of Corporate Governance it is stated that the different entities involved in the company take agency or the ownership of the organisational work and also sees the relationship between the different entities involved in the organisational operation like the company executives and the managers, the shareholders and the agents of the organisation (Berndt, 2013). The better the relationship better the productivity of the organisation. Effective performance is important for an organisation as it not only contributes to the overall performance of the organisation but it also contributes to the overall economic development of an organisation and he nce it is important for an organisation to make sure all the different stakeholders are involved in the operations. The agency theory strongly develops a bonding among the different stakeholders which would help the organisation to make sure to have proper bonding and relationship (Clarke and Branson, 2012). The agency theory also highlights the importance of taking responsibilities for the organisational works that would definitely contribute to the overall development of the organisation. In this scenario poor diversity management in the multinational companies will affect the agency or the responsibilities of the stakeholders. The agency theory mainly indicates to involve every level of employee. This has been indicated by the ministry of Business in UK that the involvement of the different black and ethnic groups which means that the poor diversity management in organisations will affect agency of the organisations. In the globalised state of affairs diversity becomes extremely important as multinational companies will have to operate in different states with different employees who are of different race, caste and creed and religion. In this scenario the agency theory will have to be implemented (McNulty et al., 2013). Diversity should be there in different levels of the organisation even in the board which would help the board members to understand grievances of the different employees regarding working in a diversified environment. With poor diversity at the workplace employees will not be satisfied and it is also likely to create conflict at the workplace creating a complete unrest in the organisation. Effective diversity management by an organisation boosts the overall corporate governance in fact global corporate governance of the organisation. Effective diversity in a globalised business promotes communal harmony and also sets the organisation as an epitome of setting up communal harmony as a business operation (Gereffi and Lee, 2016). The stakeholder theory defines corporate governance as a collective practice where different stakeholders who are directly or indirectly affected by the organisation. As per this theory employees are considered as one of the key stakeholders in a business and hence it is important for the organisation to make sure all the employees are properly involved in decision making in order to get the best possible decision for an organisation. The stakeholder theory relates highly with diversity management for an multinational organisation as in a globalised set up it is important for the organisation to maintain effective balance in its workforce through expatriates and local people and is also important to make there are ample scope for different races to get involved at work which would not only set an example for other organisations but it will also help the organisation to have a positive impact on the general people. The general people or the communities are mostly focused on analysing the role of the organisations through its contribution to the community. In this article the report developed have highlighted that the inclusion of backward classes and the black people will largely boost their morale as well as their communities which will increase their faith in equality and justice and they will tend to cooperate not only with the organisations but also with the government which will contribute to the overall economic development of the organisation. The study states that it is important for the governments and the global employers to involve people from different background which will increase communalism and harmony among the different sections of people and will also influence their performance in the organisations and in global business setting. The stakeholder theory effectively highlights the importance of engaging people from all the levels in the organisation which will not only help to manage diversity at the workplace effectively but also helps to implement effective corporate governance practice in a globalised setting (Hermalin and Weisbach, 2012). The issue of diversity is important for the organisation as well as the common public because effective diversity management helps an organisation to have communal environment in an organisation which influences the productivity of the organisation and it also influences the community by setting an effective example of communal harmony which conducts within an organisation. The corporate social responsibility theory of Corporate Governance highlights the fact that organisations should be connected with the communities and hence through effective diversity management the organisation is not only able to manage its organisational activities properly but it also able to connect with the bigger mass of people who are influenced by effective practice of the organisation and try to practice the same in the society (Allen, 2017). Conclusion The present article from The Guardian states that operating in a globalised environment requires help from all the different races and castes and enabling the involvement of them is effective not only for the development of the organisation but also the society as elimination of ethnic issues and race issues will help the society to conduct positive energy important for the overall development of the countries in a global environment. References ALLEN, K. Clean up your act on diversity, government tells FTSE companies In-text:(Allen, 2017) Your Bibliography:Allen, K. (2017).Clean up your act on diversity, government tells FTSE companies. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/28/ftse-350-companies-government-letter-diversity [Accessed 1 Apr. 2017]. Barak, M.E.M., 2016.Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications. Berndt, M., 2013.Global differences in corporate governance systems: theory and implications for reforms. Springer-Verlag. Brammer, S., Jackson, G. and Matten, D., 2012. Corporate social responsibility and institutional theory: New perspectives on private governance.Socio-economic review,10(1), pp.3-28. Clarke, T. and Branson, D.M., 2012.The SAGE handbook of corporate governance. Sage Publications. Crane, A. and Matten, D., 2016.Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press. Davis, K., 2012.Governance by indicators: global power through classification and rankings. Oxford University Press. Davis, K.E., Kingsbury, B. and Merry, S.E., 2012. Indicators as a technology of global governance.Law Society Review,46(1), pp.71-104. Erkens, D.H., Hung, M. and Matos, P., 2012. Corporate governance in the 20072008 financial crisis: Evidence from financial institutions worldwide.Journal of Corporate Finance,18(2), pp.389-411. Gereffi, G. and Lee, J., 2016. Economic and social upgrading in global value chains and industrial clusters: Why governance matters.Journal of Business Ethics,133(1), pp.25-38. Harvey, C.P. and Allard, M., 2015.Understanding and managing diversity. Pearson. Hermalin, B.E. and Weisbach, M.S., 2012. Information disclosure and corporate governance.The Journal of Finance,67(1), pp.195-233. Kirton, G. and Greene, A.M., 2015.The dynamics of managing diversity: A critical approach. Routledge. Larcker, D. and Tayan, B., 2015.Corporate governance matters: A closer look at organizational choices and their consequences. Pearson Education. McNulty, T., Zattoni, A. and Douglas, T., 2013. Developing corporate governance research through qualitative methods: A review of previous studies.Corporate Governance: An International Review,21(2), pp.183-198. Tricker, R.B. and Tricker, R.I., 2015.Corporate governance: Principles, policies, and practices. Oxford University Press, USA.

Radio Show free essay sample

You almost forgot me there! Anyways, today we bring to you some mind-blowing items ranging from news to jokes and music to speech. Akanksha: And do not forget our â€Å"meet the star† show where we have two special and important personalities. And we shall start the show with the national song played on the Casio by Parv Saxena. Akanksha: And now to continue with our show, we have Shantanu and Dinesh with the news. Harash: Well, that’s that. Now we will enjoy some light-hearted comedy by Suriender. Akanksha: Well, speaking of jokes I remember an incident. I was talking with my dad and he asked me â€Å"what is attention deficit hyperactive disorder? † I had no clue I said â€Å"Jimbalakadi Bambalu†. He asked â€Å"what? Sorry, I didn’t understand you†. I told him â€Å"same here dad†. Harash: Well that was great there. Now for some rapid-fire-cricket update. New Zealand is to an awful start with 5/2 in 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Radio Show or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 0 overs. Now back to our show. Today call contest question- How many bronze medals did Australia win? To answer this question, call 43999999 and tell them your answer. You have a chance to win Reebok merchandise. Akanksha: And for today’s thought- Never make your friend feel alone until you’re alive. Continuing with the show, I invite Musaib to tell his views on â€Å"Young Generation of India† Harash: Now I invite Rahul to say some words about the environment. Akanksha: We will need a short commercial break, so stay tuned to 99. 9 FM AIM radio, All India Masters radio. Harash: Welcome back, you are listening to 99. 9 FM AIM radio, All India Masters radio. This is Harash and Hari here. To continue, let us invite Deepak to tell us about Tigers.

11 Easy Ways to Save (and Make) Money in College

College life ain’t cheap. Here’s some tried and true ways to save a buck (or two). 1.Food doesn’t have to be expensive. Buy in bulk. Go shopping with your token Mom Gave Me A Costco Card† buddy and stock up on essentials like rice, veggies, and meats (if that’s the way you roll, man). Set a dollar limit for how much you can buy. $50 can go a long way, especially if you freeze the stuff you can’t use right away. And remember, don’t shop when you’re hungry. 2. Look for ways around buying pricey textbooks. Why pay $200 for your Chemistry textbook when you can buy it on Thriftbooks or Amazon for half the price? For many of your classes, professors will have textbooks available on reserve in the library to check out. And even better yet, more and more texts are becoming available online! Do a little research before you drop hundreds on books you may never need after graduation. When you do buy them, make sure to keep them in decent condition and sell them back at the end of the quarter/semester. 3. Trade your clothes! Places like Crossroads, Buffalo Exchange and others will offer to pay for your used clothes. Use the cash to buy yourself a new sweatshirt, or stash it for later. To sell successfully just use the right strategy. Bring stuff people would actually want to wear. Sell your old sweaters just before winter comes around, save your shorts for spring. 4. Share costs, whenever possible. Opt for housing with other people. Sure, you’ll have less privacy, but you’ll also save bucket loads on rent and utilities. Also, without being a mooch, talk to friends about going in for bigger price tag items together. Couches, Netflix, and gym memberships are meant to be shared! 5. Craigslist is your friend. For cheap furniture and houseware items, this is the way to go. It’s not the sketchy, weird place TV shows make it out to be. I’ve purchased couches, shelves, speakers, mattresses, lamps and more from Craigslist with no issues. Selling is easy too, if you’re smart and friendly about it. Emails and postings should be specific and clear. An example: â€Å"Hi there! I’d like to buy your Hello Kitty Waffle Maker. If it’s still available, I can pick it up tomorrow at noon. Feel free to call/text me any time at __-__-___, thanks!† 6. Wait to get a pet. We know - who doesnt want a puppy? But unless you’ve got a bunch of extra cash lying around, the cost of feeding an animal every day can take a toll on your wallet - and that’s in addition to pricey veterinary bills! Besides, between classes, work, and extracurriculars, you won’t have the time your little poofball deserves. Instead, consider walking dogs. Surprisingly you can make bank doing this. Apps like â€Å"Wag† make finding business super easy. (Or, if you simply love animals, donate your time to an animal shelter). 7. Get a job at a pizza place. You’ll essentially get paid to eat pizza. Work is generally laid back, and you can find pretty flexible shifts. Cha-ching. (Technically this one applies to any kind of restaurant, but there’s probably a superfluous number of pizza places in your college town. And there’s always leftover pizza, that’s just fact.) 8. Test out of classes. Look at course requirements and options for testing out of certain classes. Why spend time and money on material you could easily test out of? This trick is most often applied to language courses, but can be used for lower division math, science, and English courses as well. 9. Walk, bike, or use public transportation. Seems like a no brainer, but chances are you could be getting around for a lot cheaper. Walking or biking may take longer, but ultimately you’ll save big on gas and insurance. Take advantage of discounts offered to students by your local public transportation services - all you’ll need is your Student ID. 10. When holidays and birthdays come around, ask for gift cards. Don’t be pushy about it, but do drop hints to family and friends. Yeah, you could tell grandma you want a hoverboard for your 20th. But you could also ask for a Safeway gift card and avoid having to pay for groceries the next two months. Imagine the luxury of buying an avocado without a second thought! 11. Take advantage of FAFSA. It’s a pain to fill out, but the payoff can be huge. Even if you apply Freshman year and don’t receive any big scholarship, try again each year. The government likes to invest in students their 3rd and 4th years.

SCHIZOPHRENIA1 essays

SCHIZOPHRENIA1 essays Schizophrenia, from the Greek word meaning split mind, is a mental disorder that causes complete fragmentation in the processes of the mind. Contrary to common belief, schizophrenia does not refer to a person with a split personality or multiple personalities, but rather to a condition which affects the persons movement, language, and thinking skills. The question of whether schizophrenia is a disease or collection of socially learned actions is still a question in people mind. People who are suffering from schizophrenia think and act in their own the world and put themselves in a way that is totally different from the rest of society. In other words, they have lost in touch with the reality. Most schizophrenics accept the fact that they have this disorder and are willing to receive necessary treatment and listen to, if not follow, professional advice. However there are cases where patients have lost insight and do not acknowledge the fact that they suffer from a mental disorder. As a result, these people do not have the treatment normally patients with schizophrenia do. To observers, schizophrenia may seem like a disease or madness because people who have this disorder behave differently to the people that are considered normal. It impairs a person from doing work, going to school, taking care of his/herself or having a social relationship with others. Yet, by looking at some of the symptoms, it is sometimes hard to classify schizophrenia as a disease because it enables those inflicted with it to develop new ways of communication intellectually and creatively, as well as enhancing artistic abilities. A disease is usually some kind of sickness that will lead to death or under heavy medication. However, this is not the case. For now, there is no cure but only treatment to help people with schizophrenia to live more productive lives. Generally, schizophrenia carries enormous threats to ...

Building Sector and Energy Consumption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Building Sector and Energy Consumption - Essay Example From this essay it is clear tha the ‘average’ building implements materials with relatively low embodied energy and a limited amount of HVAC equipment. The energy ‘efficient’ building achieves an 80% reduction in heating energy demand and 40% reduction in cooling energy demand. The LCA shows how, even with a very significant reduction in operating energy consumption, the energy ‘efficient’ building may consume more energy than the ‘average’ one in relatively short life times if no care is taken about its embodied energy.This paper stresses that the effect of transportation energy requirement becomes also evident in this case, being the highest energy contribution for the ‘average’ building, and the second one, after the embodied energy, for the energy ‘efficient’ building. From a building energy point of view, these distributed urbanization schemes offer more chances for energy efficiency measures and appli cation of renewable energy technologies than centralized urbanization schemes. It is just through transportation energy requirements that sustainable building considerations interact with the higher structure sustainable urbanization approach.  Building energy assessment, extended to its design, construction, and useful life, allows for a proper quantification of the building's energy implications, and hence provides the basis for appropriate planning in the sector.  Energy regulation has a perceptive character, and its objective should be to establish and limit the upper bound for the buildings energy consumption.... ows how, even with a long analysis period (100 years), the energy 'efficient' building may consume more energy than the 'average' one if care is not taken about its EE. Evolution of accumulated energy consumption for two 150 m2 dwellings, an average one and another with pretensions of energy efficiency on basis of its reduced operating energy demand. (Laustsen, 2003) The results presented in Fig. 1 assumed a rather low increase in operational energy efficiency, but even with higher energy efficiency improvements we may find similar results with lower life cycle periods. The 'average' building implements materials with relatively low embodied energy and a limited amount of HVAC equipment. The energy 'efficient' building achieves an 80% reduction in heating energy demand and 40% reduction in cooling energy demand. The LCA shows how, even with a very significant reduction in operating energy consumption, the energy 'efficient' building may consume more energy than the 'average' one in relatively short life times if no care is taken about its embodied energy. Life cycle analysis for two 150 m2 dwellings, an average one and another with pretensions of energy efficiency on basis of its reduced operating energy demand, for a life time of 30 years. (Addis, 2002) The effect of transportation energy requirement becomes also evident in this case, being the highest energy contribution for the 'average' building, and the second one, after the embodied energy, for the energy 'efficient' building. From a building energy point of view, these distributed urbanization schemes offer more chances for energy efficiency measures and application of renewable energy technologies than centralized urbanization schemes. It is just through transportation energy requirements that sustainable

An Employee Refusal to Work Overtime Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

An Employee Refusal to Work Overtime - Case Study Example In this case a company has increased the number of working hours of an employee named Gryzmisk to six hours and he has refused to accept the increase in hours and in turn the supervisor has sanctioned him to a 1 day suspension. The acceptance and rejection of the offer of increase in hours of work is dependent on mutual agreement between the employer and the employee. The employee has obtained assistance from the union and the union is backing him up in this case. During the negotiations between the union and the company the company has said that the increase in number of hours cannot be changed because it is for a specific period of time. As an arbitrator I would have provided a solution that is best in the interest of the company as well as the employee. First I would have negotiated with the employee that the extra hours are essential for the growth of the company and in turn it would even benefit the employee in the long run as these extra hours would add to the productivity of the organization and would help in the growth of the organization which will eventually help the employee. On the other hand I would have negotiated with the employers for additional benefits in the short run and in the long run for the employee. In the short run I would have asked the employers to not only pay the per hour rate to the employee, I would have asked the employer to increase the per hour rate for each extra hour worked by the employee. Secondly, I would have asked the employers to provide him certain bonus or promotion.

Scope Of Study And Limitations English Language Essay

Scope Of Study And Limitations English Language Essay At the mention of the term chick lit, it is unavoidable to assume that it is a colloquial form of chick literature or something more elaborate. Campbell (2006) puts it aptly when she says that we should acknowledge that the very term is demeaning and probably peppered with a tinge of sexism. Chick is a derogatory term for the presumably empty-headed girls or young women who are both the characters and the readers; lit is an ironic reference to the assumed lack of quality writing in the form (p. 487). Most definitions of chick lit outline its characteristics; highlight the general plot, the illustrations on the cover and its target audience which do not quite explain the genre as a whole or do it any justice. This study therefore will use the definition describing the genre as heroine-centred narratives written by women that focus on the trials and tribulations of their individual protagonists, to appeal to other women (Kent, 2007 Smith, 2008). Chick lit has been at the brunt of a lot of criticism. According to Razdan (2004), it is wildly successful and that is where the problem lies. Most critics cannot seem to get past the covers in pink or fluorescent green, highlighted with flirty, fashionable accessories like purses or high heels (Ferriss Young, 2006b). However, it does not end there. The major attack is due to it reflecting postfeminist values through its protagonists, themes and plots. The characters in chick lit are young women with newly found independence dealing with careers and the demands of urban pop culture (Campbell, 2006). Ferris Young (2006b) describe them as women who commit errors at the workplace, drink excessively at times, are hopeless when it comes to cooking, or are attracted to unsuitable men quite unlike the flawless women of romance fiction. In short, these characters generally embrace or portray postfeminist values, acknowledging that feminism has taken place and won them equality but all the same, they do not want to be called feminists because of the indulgences feminism has rejected in the past like romance. When it comes to the themes, despite their timelessness and universality, they seem to be rubbing people the wrong way probably because the lifestyle choices this novels centre around are seen as a betrayal of feminism and its call for equality (Davis-Kahl, 2008). Unfortunately for those who hold this view, the themes addressed in chick lit are claimed to be the representation of sociological truths about womens lives today (Knowles, 2004). Although this might seem unsettling, Ferriss and Young (2006b) put forward that chick lit focuses on the issues dear to cultural critics heart. It appears that some just refuse to acknowledge that times are a changing. Looking at the plot, Knowles (2004) claims that many variations can be found in the genre itself but the fundamental structure of the main character looking for satisfaction in a romance-consumer-comedic vein usually characterizes writing in these texts. The inevitable fact for this genre is its broader focus on relationships (Davis-Kahl, 2008, p. 5). Almost every novel has a protagonist pining for a man, dealing with issues like weight, self-image, career burnout and other things along the way once again reflecting these post-feminist values. In her paper, Glasburgh (2006) puts forward five postfeminist characteristics defined by Faludi (1991): 1) negative reaction to second wave feminism, 2) focus on the individual instead of a collective sisterhood, 3) desire for more traditional femininity through domesticity, consumerism, romance, and motherhood, 4) female identity crisis causing fears of a man shortage, a loudly ticking biological clock, and career burnout, and 5) feelings of anxiety over ability to make the correct future decisions. Based on content analysis on ten chick lit books, she concluded that the protagonists generally did reflect characteristics of postfeminism (Glasburgh, 2006, p. 76). These postfeminist characteristics are what critics are debating about. Some feel that chick lit should be taken seriously because it is about the current generation of women while others feel chick lit is force-feeding the current generation with postfeminist values. This study attempts to explore students perspectives on this matter. 1.2 Statement of Problem Even before the existence of chick lit, womens writing has suffered a long history of scoffing (Davis-Kahl, 2008). They have been described as frothy, prosy, pious, pedantic (Eliot, 1856, p. 35) and women writers have been referred to as a damned mob of scribbling women (Ticknor, 1913, p. 141). On the 23rd of August, Beryl Bainbridge, then Booker Prize favourite, called Bridget Joness Diary a froth sort of thing (Davies, 2001), echoing George Elliots words two centuries before. At that point, chick lit had become the new form of womens writing which was under attack. This intentional sidelining of womens fiction has been said to stem from sexism. Both men and women place value on different things such as men on sports and women on fashion and as a result, all things associated with men have been viewed as important while women pursuits have been considered trivial, transcending even into the value placed on books (Woolf, 1929). Chick lit has now been subject to bashing by critics for more than a decade. The most popular claim is that chick lit is force-feeding society with postfeminism values while supporters of the genre claim that chick lit is merely reflecting todays culture. Whether or not chick lit has been affecting culture or the other way round is yet to be seen as not much research has been done in that area. Most certainly, chick lit is a force to be reckoned with based on its soaring popularity. One thing that must be noted in light of this situation is that there has been very little research on the area of chick lit in the academic field. Even in the small number of researches that have been conducted, the majority of it focuses on content analysis from romance, feminist and postfeminist perspectives. This study will focus on the students perspectives towards chick lit from a postfeminist approach as opposed to stand alone text analysis. In their courses on classic womens fiction and chick lit, Ferris and Young (2006b) have concluded that students were certain that despite the fascinating cultural issues raised by chick lit novels, they could not quite contend with the work of Jane Austen, the Brontà «s, Virginia Woolf and Zora Neale Hurston but were unable to state why. This study attempts to go a step further in trying to uncover the issues in which students can relate to and understand the reasons behind it. 1.3 Purpose of Study This study aims to:- Find out the perspectives of students towards chick lit in relation to post-feminism. Uncover the reasons behind these perspectives. 1.4 Research Questions 1. What are the perspectives of students towards chick lit in relation to post-feminism? 2. What are the reasons behind these perspectives? 1.5 Significance of Study The results of this study will reflect the reception of undergraduate students towards chick lit from a postfeminist point of view. It will also explore the reasons behind these perspectives. These results will help to determine whether chick lit should be incorporated into the syllabus to be considered as part of a genre of literature like classic womens fiction. If the reception towards chick lit in light of postfeminism is found to be good, even on a micro-level, it opens up a very viable premise for chick lit to be used as a foundation for teaching literature. Allowing students to utilize materials which they can relate to as a basis of their exploration and providing them with the ability to clarify the plus points as well as shortcomings of a book or a genre is powerful (Davis-Kahl, 2008). Characteristics of postfeminism have been found to be present in chick lit novels to a certain extent. Therefore, chick lit has been claimed to be the document of a new generation quite unlike the era in which writers like Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters lived in. While it is important to note that cultural, social and geographical factors counts for something, the ability of students to relate to a piece of work does a lot to help discuss its literary value. In fact, these novels have the potential to be used in the classroom to explore the generational differences in feminism, uncover the reasons why classic fiction stand the test of time, and to develop an appreciation for the intricate plots, subtle characterizations, memorable language of such works (Ferriss Young, 2006b). Chick lit can be used as a basis for discussions as to the reasons for the significance of womens writing, the changes it has undergone, and the opinions of women in fiction, be it popular or literary. This evolution that fiction in general and womens fiction has gone through is an area worthy of study especially due to its popularity, ease of access and representation of issues that modern women face (Davis-Kahl, 2008, p. 8). Furthermore, chick lit will be viewed as an important representation of modern womens writing, doing this new area of popular womens writing some justice (Ferriss Young, 2006b). This establishment of chick lit as a learning tool or viable area of study in the academic sphere will eventually lead to it being readily available in academic libraries allowing students with interest to gain access to them. 1.6 Scope of Study and Limitations Participants involved in this research are Year 3 Trimester 2 Bachelor of Arts (Hons) English Language students selected through purposive sampling. This study has a number of limitations. First, the sample may not accurately reflect the opinions of students in general towards chick lit. Secondly, the sample does not contain an equal mix of genders to accurately reflect views towards chick lit. Thirdly, some participants may be unfamiliar with the genre itself and therefore incapable of providing their perspectives towards it. However, a brief set of definitions are provided in the questionnaire to help respondents to familiarize themselves with the subject area. 1.7 Definition of Key Terms Chick lit : heroine-centred narratives written by women that focus on the trials and tribulations of their individual protagonists, to appeal to other women (Kent, 2007 Smith, 2008). Feminism: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the belief in the social, political, and economical equality of the sexes (Rowe-Finkbeiner, 2004) Post-feminism : A shift away from the feminist idea of needing to right the wrongs of a patriarchal society with regard to women (Faludi, 1991). Post-feminist Backlash Theory: The claim that popular culture has been the direct cause of a backlash on feminism, understood as postfeminism, by attempting to blame it for the supposed misery of women today and calling for a return to a more traditional femininity (Faludi, 1991). 1.8 Organization of the Thesis This study consists of a total of five chapters; Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Findings Analysis, and Discussion Conclusion. The first chapter which is the Introduction addresses the background of study, statement of problem, purpose of study, research questions, significance of study, scope of study and limitations, the definition of key terms and the organization of the thesis. The second chapter, Literature Review will outline the history of chick lit, the history of post-feminism, address the five post-feminist characteristics used in this study as well as discuss past researchers study. The third chapter, Methodology will explain the research design, sampling, instruments used for data gathering, the pilot study, procedures as well as the data analysis. The fourth and fifth chapter will present the findings and discuss its significance in relation to the study as well as provide recommendations for further research respectively.