title: Corporate Social Responsibility Indexes: Measure for Measure

authors: Timperley, Stephen

subjects: CSR

abstract: This thesis investigates criteria used by research agencies that publish ratings of business organisations in respect of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance and the relationship of these criteria to underlying ethical principles.  

Companies are rated according to CSR criteria.  Observation of different rating agencies' results for the same, or similar organisations, shows a significant variation in results.  Variations in rating must result either from different criteria being applied or from criteria addressing similar topics being assessed in a different way.  Criteria from different rating agencies are found to be comparable.  Thus if rating criteria are derived from an ethical view of the responsibilities of business organisations, then inconsistent results may be explained by variations in the ethical basis of corporate social responsibility used by agencies.

Subject companies are rated under broad categories such as corporate governance, human rights and the environment.  These categories contain specific criteria.  My investigation compares the criteria used by major rating agencies and identifies the ethical basis, if any, that can be attributed to each criterion.

The study finds that there are clearly identifiable links between a number of criteria used by each rating agency and the ethical theories selected for evaluation.  Further, there is sufficient difference between the agencies to characterise each in relation to one or more of the ethical theories selected.  There is inconsistency, however, within each agency's basis of principles as well as between agencies, which indicates an unsatisfactory lack of explicit relationship between the general, and reasonably consistent, definition of corporate social responsibility and application of coherent ethical principles.

In practical terms around 10% of all investments in the United States, representing 2.3 trillion dollars, are invested in ethical or screened funds that rely on these and similar rating agencies results to determine CSR performance of firms.  The large variation in results demonstrated in my thesis suggests that very significant financial decisions are based, at least in part, on inconsistent data.   I suggest in my conclusion that if agencies were to consider, justify and clearly state the ethical basis from which their criteria derive, then investment managers and their clients could be more certain that their CSR principles were being upheld.

text: Corporate Social Responsibility Indexes: Measure for Measure This thesis investigates criteria used by research agencies that publish ratings of business organisations in respect of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance and the relationship of these criteria to underlying ethical principles.  

Companies are rated according to CSR criteria.  Observation of different rating agencies' results for the same, or similar organisations, shows a significant variation in results.  Variations in rating must result either from different criteria being applied or from criteria addressing similar topics being assessed in a different way.  Criteria from different rating agencies are found to be comparable.  Thus if rating criteria are derived from an ethical view of the responsibilities of business organisations, then inconsistent results may be explained by variations in the ethical basis of corporate social responsibility used by agencies.

Subject companies are rated under broad categories such as corporate governance, human rights and the environment.  These categories contain specific criteria.  My investigation compares the criteria used by major rating agencies and identifies the ethical basis, if any, that can be attributed to each criterion.

The study finds that there are clearly identifiable links between a number of criteria used by each rating agency and the ethical theories selected for evaluation.  Further, there is sufficient difference between the agencies to characterise each in relation to one or more of the ethical theories selected.  There is inconsistency, however, within each agency's basis of principles as well as between agencies, which indicates an unsatisfactory lack of explicit relationship between the general, and reasonably consistent, definition of corporate social responsibility and application of coherent ethical principles.

In practical terms around 10% of all investments in the United States, representing 2.3 trillion dollars, are invested in ethical or screened funds that rely on these and similar rating agencies results to determine CSR performance of firms.  The large variation in results demonstrated in my thesis suggests that very significant financial decisions are based, at least in part, on inconsistent data.   I suggest in my conclusion that if agencies were to consider, justify and clearly state the ethical basis from which their criteria derive, then investment managers and their clients could be more certain that their CSR principles were being upheld.

year: 2008

title: Student and expert perceptions of the role of mathematics within physics

authors: Wilson, Marcus T.

subjects: physics

abstract: Students’ perceptions of the role of mathematics within physics were examined. I propose that the identification of physics as a science based ultimately on experiment is a threshold concept: transformation from a naïve view that physics is based upon mathematics to an expert view that physics is based on experiment is difficult for students. Seven students taking first-year university physics were interviewed in two focus groups; nine practising physicists from academia and industry (considered as experts) were interviewed as six individuals plus one focus group of three participants. Of particular interest was the ‘expert’ view emphasizing the conceptual nature of physics. This was a threshold in understanding that had not been crossed by students. Rather, students viewed mathematics and physics as being more strongly connected than did practising physicists; specifically that “maths explains physics”. Experts consider this view as holding back a student’s understanding of the subject and preventing them from becoming effective physicists. It is troublesome to students because they are less able to identify the relevant concepts before trying to tackle a problem with mathematics, making their approach less likely to be effective, however, both groups (physicists and students) identified physics as belonging to ‘the real world’ and that mathematics shows how physical entities can be combined or related, indicating student responses are not completely naïve. Opinions on how best to teach mathematical concepts in physics varied considerably across participants.

text: Student and expert perceptions of the role of mathematics within physics Students’ perceptions of the role of mathematics within physics were examined. I propose that the identification of physics as a science based ultimately on experiment is a threshold concept: transformation from a naïve view that physics is based upon mathematics to an expert view that physics is based on experiment is difficult for students. Seven students taking first-year university physics were interviewed in two focus groups; nine practising physicists from academia and industry (considered as experts) were interviewed as six individuals plus one focus group of three participants. Of particular interest was the ‘expert’ view emphasizing the conceptual nature of physics. This was a threshold in understanding that had not been crossed by students. Rather, students viewed mathematics and physics as being more strongly connected than did practising physicists; specifically that “maths explains physics”. Experts consider this view as holding back a student’s understanding of the subject and preventing them from becoming effective physicists. It is troublesome to students because they are less able to identify the relevant concepts before trying to tackle a problem with mathematics, making their approach less likely to be effective, however, both groups (physicists and students) identified physics as belonging to ‘the real world’ and that mathematics shows how physical entities can be combined or related, indicating student responses are not completely naïve. Opinions on how best to teach mathematical concepts in physics varied considerably across participants.

year: 2014

title: The Rangatahi court

authors: Dickson, Matiu

abstract: It has become popular to use the marae setting as an alternative to the mainstream courts in dealing with young Māori offenders. The rationale is that taking young Māori offenders back to the marae to be dealt with in the youth justice system, encourages them to face up to their responsibilities and aids their rehabilitation back into the community. The expectation is that whānau will be present to support the young person and to help resolve his or her offending and bad behaviour. I supported this innovation when it was introduced but now I have second thoughts having seen that a marae that piloted this scheme was vandalised with graffiti painted on the marae buildings. In my view, when this happened the scheme to use marae should have ceased and an opportunity taken to rethink their use in this way. For a Māori the vandalism of their marae is like a physical assault on the person of their tupuna. This paper looks at the traditional role of marae in the Māori community and questions the use of marae as judicial settings. It suggests what needs to be done first to make this setting tika or appropriate.

text: The Rangatahi court It has become popular to use the marae setting as an alternative to the mainstream courts in dealing with young Māori offenders. The rationale is that taking young Māori offenders back to the marae to be dealt with in the youth justice system, encourages them to face up to their responsibilities and aids their rehabilitation back into the community. The expectation is that whānau will be present to support the young person and to help resolve his or her offending and bad behaviour. I supported this innovation when it was introduced but now I have second thoughts having seen that a marae that piloted this scheme was vandalised with graffiti painted on the marae buildings. In my view, when this happened the scheme to use marae should have ceased and an opportunity taken to rethink their use in this way. For a Māori the vandalism of their marae is like a physical assault on the person of their tupuna. This paper looks at the traditional role of marae in the Māori community and questions the use of marae as judicial settings. It suggests what needs to be done first to make this setting tika or appropriate.

year: 2011