[straipsnis lietuvių kalba] Straipsnyje aptariama Alberto Camus kūrybos bruožai ir jo esė „Sizifo mitas“. Teigiama, kad pagrindinė šio kūrinio tema yra absurdas ir su juo susijusios sąvokos: maištas, laisvė, aistra ir panašiai. Absurdas yra pasaulio dėsnis, o kartu proto maištingas pasipiktinimas, nes proto įstatymas yra išmintingas motyvavimas, - absurdas ir išmintis negali būti kartu. Absurdas yra santykis tarp pasaulio ir žmogaus. Absurdą reikia suprasti, įsisąmoninti ir paniekinti. Žmogus, išsirinkdamas gyvenimą per laisvę ir maištą, neigia absurdą, nors jo nesunaikina. Patyręs absurdą (...) ir pasirinkęs gyvenimą, o ne savižudybę, žmogus iš naujo įvertina kiekvieną būties akimirką. Daroma išvada, kad pradėjęs nuo svarstymų apie mirtį ir savižudybę, A. Camus savo samprotavimus baigia gyvenimo teigimu, džiaugsmo troškimu stoiškos ir sąmoningos būties akimirkos sąlygomis. (shrink)

The accuracy of corporate mission statements has not been well explored. In this study, the authors investigate the relationship between mission statement content and stakeholder management actions. Findings indicate that although social issues such as the environment and diversity are less frequently included, their mention in mission statements is significantly associated with behaviors regarding these issues. The study found no relationship between firms with mission statements that mention specific stakeholder groups (employees, customers, and community) and behaviors regarding these stakeholders. This (...) suggests that the inclusion of specific stakeholder groups in missions is likely the result of institutional pressures, while specifying social issues in missions is related to policy decisions. (shrink)

This study investigates financial correlates of corporate philanthropy in Fortune 1000 companies using structural equation modeling. The results suggest that cash flow (one of the most discretionary types of organizational slack) has a significant impact on a firm’s cash donations to charitable causes, but monetary donations do not affect firm financial performance. These findings support the accepted view of corporate philanthropy as a discretionary social responsibility and the traditional thinking about firm giving in the business and society literature—that doing well (...) enables doing good. Contrary to some contemporary thinking, the findings imply no significant effect on profits from corporate generosity. (shrink)

In a departure from the traditional studies of corporate philanthropy that focus on board composition, advertising, and social networks, the authors investigate the financial correlates of corporate philanthropy. The research design controls for firm size and industry while observing firms from a variety of industries. The sample contains matched pairs of generous and less generous corporate givers. The authors find, as hypothesized, a positive relationship between a firm''s cash resources available and cash donations, but no significant relationship between corporate philanthropy (...) and firm financial performance, regardless of whether corporate philanthropy is measured as cash payouts or the aggregate contributions that charities actually receive, and regardless of whether financial performance is gauged using accounting measures or market measures. Whereas the link between available resources and corporate philanthropy is well accepted in the literature on corporate social responsibility, it has been rarely tested and never so definitively found as in this research. (shrink)