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WritePass - Essay Writing - Dissertation Topics [TOC]

When analysing an individual in terms of management and leadership, it becomes hard to differentiate the two aspects since a good manager must exhibit good leadership skills. Furthermore, good leadership encompasses autocratism, democratism and Laissez-fairism applied concurrently by an individual depending on the situation. Management styles on the other hand are mainly two, autocratic and permissive. They are key in determining the leadership style to be applied. For instance, it is very hard for democratic leadership style to be applied in permissive management style. Therefore, the leadership style selected by an effective manager in most cases depends on the situation

An exemplary and visionary leader who not only enforces his vision among his employees but also makes them feel important to the organization by directly involving them in development of important decisions in the organization. His success is basically founded on his ability to complement effective leadership, as well as management styles. His leadership approach is based on sustained pressure that comes from a hybrid style developed by combining the three main leadership styles. His is also unrelenting even after being recognized among the world's richest persons, he still runs his company as if it is new.

He is one of the greatest and yet controversial managers and leaders in the business world. He successfully managed to revive a dying company into one of the most profitable organizations globally through his leadership and management styles that defy most of the business believes in leadership approach in management. His toughness seems to be unsupportive to employee motivation, but in his case, it worked successfully through inspiring trust. His strength was founded in his strong passion for the organizational as well as employee success.

From the analysis, it is evident that both the two leaders shared similar strategies in management but Jobs was stricter as compared to Bezos. The most important aspect of the management styles applied by the two is their clear vision that was entrenched into the organization's management and corporate strategies.

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Leadership and motivational styles of Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs - The WritePass Journal

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WritePass - Essay Writing - Dissertation Topics [TOC]IntroductionJeff BezosSteve JobsConclusionRelated Introduction When analysing an individual in terms of management and leadership, it becomes hard to differentiate the two aspects since a good manager must exhibit good leadership skills. Furthermore, good leadership encompasses autocratism, democratism and Laissez-fairism applied concurrently by an individual depending on the situation.

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Marriott and Netflix

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Marriott hotels testing Netflix service integration

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https://hbr.org/2012/12/todays-best-companies-are-hori

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Pixar's profits make it a tasty target for bigger firms like Disney

Walt Disney has agreed a $7.4bn (£4.1bn) deal to buy Pixar, the animation firm behind films including Toy Story and The Incredibles.
The all-share deal will see Pixar chief executive Steve Jobs join Disney's board of directors.

Under the agreement, 2.3 Disney shares will be issued for each Pixar share.

Disney's distribution deal with Pixar was due to end this year, and it seemed the two would split after failing to agree on how to divide future profits.

However, Disney's new boss Robert Iger has been working to revive relations between the two companies.

Embrace Pixar

We welcome and embrace Pixar's unique culture, which for two decades has fostered some of the most innovative and successful films in history

Robert Iger,
Disney chief executive

The deal is a turnaround for Mr Jobs, who fell out with former Disney boss Michael Eisner and said he would walk away from the current distribution deal when it expired this year, following the release of new movie Cars.

Mr Jobs, who is also the boss of Apple Computer, controls more than half of Pixar's stock.

"Disney and Pixar can now collaborate without the barriers that come from two different companies with two different sets of shareholders," Mr Jobs said.

The loss of Pixar would have been a blow for Disney, as demand for the company's films, as well as DVDs, videos and merchandise, has proved to be very strong.

"With this transaction, we welcome and embrace Pixar's unique culture, which for two decades has fostered some of the most innovative and successful films in history," Mr Iger said.

"The addition of Pixar significantly enhances Disney animation, which is a critical creative engine for driving growth across our businesses."

Creative force

Disney's earnings from Pixar's six films are estimated to be about $3.2bn.

However, analysts said that the real value to Disney was the talent the deal would bring in-house, especially Pixar executive vice-president John Lasseter, the man credited as being the creative driving force at the firm.

Under the deal, Mr Lasseter will become chief creative officer of the combined animation studios as well as principal creative adviser at Walt Disney Imagineering, the company behind Disney's theme parks.

Disney is seen to have fallen behind other animators, and its latest cinema releases have failed to set the box office alight.

"The price tag is a little more than people were expecting," said Dennis McAlpine, an analyst at McAlpine Associates.

Both sides expect the deal to be completed by the end of summer this year.

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BBC NEWS | Business | Disney buys Pixar in $7.4bn deal

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Pixar's profits make it a tasty target for bigger firms like Disney Walt Disney has agreed a $7.4bn (£4.1bn) deal to buy Pixar, the animation firm behind films including Toy Story and The Incredibles. The all-share deal will see Pixar chief executive Steve Jobs join Disney's board of directors.

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Integration

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You are here:

Dixons Carphone Currys PC World Warehouse opens after £3.8 billion merger

Dixons Carphone is celebrating its first day as a newly merged company following the deal between Dixons and Carphone Warehouse. Extravagant ribbon-cutting was in evidence at the new Dixons Carphone Currys PC World Warehouse on Oxford Street in London this morning, with six other 'store-in-stores' also opening. A further 23 Dixons Carphone stores will open before Christmas.

The £3.8 billion merger, one of the largest in UK retail history. Along with a new company on the London Stock Exchange (DC, stock fans) the merger will also see some big changes on the high street.

The oddly named 'store-in-stores' will see Currys and PC World appearing in Carphone Warehouse and vice-versa. That means you'll be able to pick up a phone in branches of Currys and PC World. Plans are afoot to use Carphone Warehouse shops as click and collect locations for Currys and PC World orders.

The merger will lead to some job losses in the respective head offices but it isn't yet clear what will happen to Carphone Warehouse stores and Currys and PC World sites up and down the UK.

All three brands will continue to be big names on the high street with Currys, PC World and Carphone Warehouse all being kept on. Dixons Carphone is the corporate name of the new merged company that owns the retailers.

This isn't the first time Carphone Warehouse has jumped into bed with an electrical retail giant. Last year its ill-fated merger with US store Best Buy collapsed.

The seven store-in-stores opening today are Currys and PC World on Oxford Street in London, Currys on Lower High Street in Watford, Currys and PC World at World: Aylesbury Shopping Park in Aylesbury, Currys and PC World at Cross Retail Park in Banbury, Currys and PC World in Shire Gare Retail Park in Leamington Spa, Currys and PC World at the Meteor Centre in Derby and Currys and PC World at the Capital Centre in Preston.

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Dixons Carphone Currys PC World Warehouse opens after £3.8 billion merger

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Dixons Carphone is celebrating its first day as a newly merged company following the deal between Dixons and Carphone Warehouse. Extravagant ribbon-cutting was in evidence at the new Dixons Carphone Currys PC World Warehouse on Oxford Street in London this morning, with six other 'store-in-stores' also opening.

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Become an FT Subscriber. Gain a global perspective on the US and go beyond with curated news and analysis from 600 journalists in 50+ countries covering politics, business, innovation, trends and more. Choose the subscription that is right for you Not sure which package to choose?

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A hardware store in San Jose has a new star employee. It can speak English and Spanish, recognise any part at sight, and knows what the shop has in stock on a second by second basis.

And it's also a robot.

OSHbot, as it is called, measures roughly 5ft, and boasts a 3D scanner and touchscreen.

"It's not just robots for robots' sake, or a marketing gimmick," insists Kyl Nel, executive director of Lowe's Innovation Labs.

Lowe's is an American DIY chain, and the robot's ultimate employer.

A store associate, no matter how talented, couldn't know the real-time location and current stock levels of all of a shop's wares, according to Mr Nel.

The 3D scanner connects with a database of thousands of small screws and hinges.

Typical customers entering the store with a small part, he says, "don't know what it's called - all they know is they need 20 of them."

Much of this could be done with a smartphone, although the scanner is more powerful than a mobile phone camera.

But it is more natural to have someone to ask.

"It's another barrier if you have to download something. If you come into a store you're there for a reason, and you typically want it right away," Mr Nel says.

At the moment there are only two of the robots, with variations being field tested.

This includes whether the robots' voices should be male or female, electronic or human; whether they should have a face or not; and how fast they should move.

"But we didn't go to all that trouble to do one store in the Bay area," adds Mr Nel.

Plays well with others

OSHbot is "a great example of where robotics are today in terms of their usefulness," says Rob Nail, chief executive of Singularity University, located in Nasa's Silicon Valley research park.

They are built to perform very specific, fairly limited tasks.

The key to a robot-to-human interface is that it is embodied, suggests Philip Solis, a robotics expert at ABI Research. "You're moving towards something you can interact with more - you can ask it information, and it can respond to you."

As an example he points to Jibo, which is being developed by MIT professor Cynthia Breazeal, and billed as the "world's first family robot".

Jibo does not move around, but can swivel, answer questions, read stories, and take group photographs.

"It's another form of user interface to the internet," says Mr Solis.

Human interaction is likely to prove the most difficult thing to do well, argues Mr Nail, "since we haven't had a lot of robots interacting with consumers."

OSHbot costs roughly $150,000 (£95,319, €120,200), Mr Solis estimates, though this unit cost would decrease as the market matures. By contrast, Jibo will enter the marketplace at the end of 2015 for $499 (£317, €400).

Robotics components are becoming cheaper, and instead of the full onboard computer previously required to provide processing speed, personal robots now "really just need smartphone guts", says Mr Solis.

The cost of robotics has moved from accessible only to big business, to affordable for small enterprise, meaning much more experimentation will take place, says Andra Keay, head of Silicon Valley Robotics, a non-profit industry group.

She predicts gradual improvements to things we already have based on robotics technology.

Help with the heavy lifting

In this way Budgee, a robotic shopping trolley developed by Five Elements Robotics, might just become what we expect every shopping trolley to do.

This robot is purely functional. Rather than replicating a human shop assistant, it follows shoppers with their goods in tow - particularly helpful for the elderly or those with limited mobility.

On similar lines are the K5 and K10 robotic security guards being field tested by Knightscope - and in passing, possibly resembling a Dalek.

They use similar technology to the Google self-driving car, can read 300 vehicle registration plates a minute, and summon police or security guards when they encounter evidence of intruders.

Much of the biggest retail impact of robotics technologies will in fact be out of customers' eye.

Amazon purchased Kiva Systems - which makes warehouse robots - in March 2012 for $775 million (£493 million, €620 million), and is using them in its warehouses. They're not alone - robotic pickers and packers are becoming a common sight in retail distribution centres.

It's a very different approach to that of Aldebaran Robotics. Their humanoid Pepper robot was created for Japanese company Softbank, and it's more like the robot companions of science fiction.

Pepper is designed to recognise human emotions, and to react to its environment based on information held in a continually evolving cloud database. It will go on sale in Japan in February 2015 for ¥198,000 ($1,900, £1,064, €1,434).

Miss Keay thinks this is a difficult price point for its makers to pull off.

"When we're going for robots that are cheaper than $20,000-$50,000 (£12,700-31,777, €16,000-40,050), you're going to have a lot of tradeoffs in either durability, size, or functionality."

This is droid you're looking for

How a robot looks could guide how we interact with technology in coming years.

"A voice in a headset saying turn left, now turn right feels a little too intimate, I think," says Mr Nail.

"But," he adds, "it's not going to be humanoid, really it's not - when people try to make them look too human, it kind of creeps us out."

We're more likely to see robots like Jibo at the moment, thinks Miss Keay.

"You've basically taken out all the hardware problems, and made a physically embodied social interaction in a not very difficult piece of hardware," she says,

"Whereas producing a small humanoid that was affordable, it's just a little too complex for where we're at."

"I really hope the novelty of the robot wears off quickly," says Singularity University's Rob Nail.

He thinks robots with access to customer databases could recreate a time "when the shopkeeper would know your name and preferences, and you'd have a tab with him."

In other words, rather than the sterile high tech environment often seen in science fiction, robots on the shop floor could bring back the personal service while shopping we associate more with the past, than the future.

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A hardware store in San Jose has a new star employee. It can speak English and Spanish, recognise any part at sight, and knows what the shop has in stock on a second by second basis. And it's also a robot. OSHbot, as it is called, measures roughly 5ft, and boasts a 3D scanner and touchscreen.

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Remember when, in 17somethingorother, Napoleon described England as a nation of shopkeepers? Of course you don't, you didn't exist, and it any case he nicked the phrase from Adam Smith's 1776 magnum opus The Wealth of Nations, but the point is that the man was wrong. Unsurprising when you consider that Napoleon was wrong about lots of things, such as being really tall, invading Russia and speaking clearly on his deathbed so that those in the vicinity could make an accurate note of his comments for posterity, but in this case he was dreadfully, spectacularly wrong. Here's the hard truth: we are not a nation of shopkeepers, but a nation of shoplifters.

A survey conducted by discount vouchers peddlers VoucherCodesPro has revealed that one in five people admit to stealing items at supermarket self-service checkouts, adding up to £1.6bn worth of items every year, so frustrated are they with the ineptitude of their surrogate machine slaves. This has, naturally, been picked up by the press and featured in newspaper reports that pleasingly contain such archaic terms as pilfering (say it with me, folks: pilfering, isn't it nice?) but then again, we're threatening to prosecute people for "vagrancy" now, so why restrict our pre-industrial revolution nostalgia to language? We might as well go full-on medieval and chop these thieves' hands off. After all, £1.6bn does add up to a lot of unexpected items in a lot of bagging areas.

I should, by rights, have produced a 300-word listicle containing trite, observational humour about self-service checkouts, but disappointingly, Buzzfeed got there first. So instead I thought I'd theorise ponderously - as one Daily Mail commenter did yesterday - about capitalism's relentless ambition to "remove human endeavour from the labour process" (I have to say that the increased global visibility and access of their website is doing wonders for their comment threads).

As my colleague Stuart Heritage pointed out beautifully last weekend, we face a future wherein all technological objects will be connected in " an internet of things", and it is a connectivity that will lead to them all, eventually, conspiring to murder us. In the words of the late great Frank Zappa: "The future is scary ... you think of the future. And secretly you piddle your pants." But supermarket self-checkouts are so inefficient that they wouldn't ever succeed in doing that. They'd aim for murder, of course, but they'd have to settle for temporary incandescence, enraging us as they do beyond all proportion for a mere five minutes ("leave it mate, he's not worth it") as we try to cackhandedly scan our Marks and Spencer gastro fish pies* like the chimps that we are, before giving ourselves a five-finger discount and going home. See? I can do observational too. Well, ish.

Despite coming from a long line of pillaging sheep stealers, I've never actually nicked something from a supermarket self-service checkout. I know, what a goody two shoes. I do know someone who used to do it as an impoverished student, though actually, on reflection, I'm not sure to what extent money came into it. This is someone who once stole a three-bedroom house's worth of furniture from Ikea by bypassing the checkouts but still arranged to have it all delivered by them, personally, to her door.

Then again, my innocence in respect of this particular crime probably has more to do with the fact that I rarely use self-service checkouts any more because when I do, I inevitably live to regret it. When the Sainsbury's queue fascist approaches with the intention of chivvying me into the robot pen, I simply say, politely, "No thank you", and stay put. You should all try it sometime. It not only prevents you from stealing things out of frustration, but might even save you from the gallows one day. And, if you're lucky, they might just pop you on an island somewhere and leave you to die, quietly.

* As a side note, if you buy these pies, then you're a mug. They cost £20. Twenty pounds! For a fish pie! I'm not saying you should pinch them by "forgetting to scan them" or anything, but that is silly money.
Topics

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The machines have turned Britain into a nation of shoplifters | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

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Remember when, in 17somethingorother, Napoleon described England as a nation of shopkeepers? Of course you don't, you didn't exist, and it any case he nicked the phrase from Adam Smith's 1776 magnum opus The Wealth of Nations, but the point is that the man was wrong.

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CSRHub - Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsiblity (CSR) ratings on over 18,019 of the world's largest public and private companies.

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CSR information for Hewlett-Packard Company (HP)

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HP is a technology company that operates in more than 170 countries around the world. The company provides infrastructure and business offerings that span from handheld devices to supercomputer installations. HP offers consumers a wide range of products and services from digital photography to digital entertainment and from computing to home printing.

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Company introduces goals and measurable plan to create shared value for its business and society.

OAK BROOK, Ill., Apr. 30 /CSRwire/ - McDonald's Corp. today announced its first Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability Framework that is designed to position the company for the future, while generating measurable, positive impacts for society.

McDonald's released the Framework in conjunction with the Company's 2012-2013 CSR & Sustainability Report. In creating the framework, McDonald's continued its historically collaborative approach by consulting with suppliers, franchisees, customers and more than a dozen sustainability experts, NGOs and socially responsible investment organizations.

McDonald's 2020 CSR & Sustainability Framework aspirational goals include:

Supporting sustainable beef production by collaborating to develop global principles and criteria, and committing to begin purchasing a portion of beef from verified sustainable sources in 2016

Sourcing 100 percent of coffee, palm oil and fish that is verified to support sustainable production

Procuring 100 percent of fiber-based packaging from certified or recycled sources

Serving 100 percent more fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy or whole grains in nine of its top markets

Increasing in-restaurant recycling to 50 percent and minimizing waste in nine of its top markets

Increasing energy efficiency in company-owned restaurants by 20 percent in seven of its top markets

"In our new framework, we are focusing on the areas that are core to our business and that can make a real difference," said J.C. Gonzalez-Mendez, senior vice president of McDonald's Global Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability and Philanthropy. "For instance, we are breaking new ground with our collaborative effort to source sustainable beef. We will continue to work with multiple stakeholders to develop practical solutions to increase recycling in our restaurants and across the industry. We will continue to meet our customers' needs for choice and balanced menu options, including fruits and vegetables."

"McDonald's is a company with the power to help transform the global food marketplace and to lead its industry towards sustainability," said Suzanne Apple, SVP, Private Sector Engagement, World Wildlife Fund. "While this is a journey and requires a long-term vision, these sustainability goals are a great step forward in addressing issues that are key to McDonald's business and value chain."

"We're on our way to mainstreaming sustainability," said Bob Langert, McDonald's vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability. "Sustainability doesn't fully happen until the consumer is engaged and connected. In addition to catapulting momentum on key social and environmental issues, the difference McDonald's can make is bringing sustainability to the masses, making it part of our everyday business life and the lives of our customers."

The theme of the 2012-2013 CSR & Sustainability Report is, "Our Journey Together. For Good." Highlights from the report include:

Committing to the Clinton Global Initiative in collaboration with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to make nutritious choices and nutrition education a bigger part of the McDonald's experience

Offering fruits, vegetables, or low-fat dairy in Happy Meals in more than 95% of our restaurants around the world

Sourcing 100% of whitefish from fisheries that are verified sustainable

Installing approximately 300,000 pieces of more energy efficient kitchen and building equipment in restaurants worldwide since 2010

Of the more than 34,000 restaurants surveyed in 2013, about 90% reported recycling used cooking oil and about 77% reported recycling corrugated cardboard

McDonald's Bob Langert will host a one-hour Twitter chat on Wednesday, May 7, 2014, starting at 1 p.m. EDT at the Twitter handle, @McDonaldsCorp.

About McDonald's
McDonald's is the world's leading global food service retailer with more than 35,000 locations serving approximately 70 million customers in more than 100 countries each day. More than 80% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business men and women. To learn more about the company, please visit: www.aboutmcdonalds.com and follow us on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/mcdonaldscorp) and Twitter ( http://twitter.com/McDonaldsCorp).

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McDonald's Announces 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Plans

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OAK BROOK, Ill., Apr. 30 /CSRwire/ - McDonald's Corp. today announced its first Corporate Social Responsibility Sustainability Framework that is designed to position the company for the future, while generating measurable, positive impacts for society. McDonalds released the Framework in conjunction with the...

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IKEA Group reports strong progress on renewable energy, wood and cotton sourcing
The IKEA Group Sustainability Report FY12 shows progress towards the company's sustainability goals -supporting business growth and benefiting people and the environment.
" Sustainability goes very well with our business model to offer good quality products at affordable prices. As a low cost company, we create more from less and use resources carefully. What's good for people and the planet is also good for us in the long run," said Mikael Ohlsson, President and CEO, IKEA Group.

" Through products that use less energy and water and reduce waste, we are enabling millions of people to save time and money at home. In our own operations, we're continuing to invest in renewable energy and to source more materials from preferred sources. Through our new People & Planet Positive strategy we will push ourselves to do even more," said Steve Howard, Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA Group.
Highlights for IKEA Group from FY12:

Committed to invest €1.5 billion in renewable energy and produced renewable energy equivalent to 34% of total energy used in IKEA Group buildings. At the end of FY12 there were 250,000 solar panels and 83 wind turbines in operation.

All wood was sourced from suppliers that meet the IKEA forestry standard. Wood sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests increased to 22.6% (FY11: 16.2%).

Sourced34% (FY11: 24%) of cotton from preferred sources, including Better Cotton.

Launched new products that enable customers to save energy and water and reduce waste, and committed to convert all the lighting IKEA sells to energy efficient LED.

Total donations from the IKEA Foundation increased to €82 million in 2012 (2011: €65 million) to create opportunities for children living in the developing world.

The IKEA Sustainability Report FY12, as well as the IKEA Sustainability Summary FY12, are available at on each country site (under About IKEA, People & Planet, Find out more).

*The fiscal year (FY) 2012 of IKEA runs from September 1 2011 to August 31 2012.

The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. There are currently 300 IKEA Group stores in 26 countries. IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943. The IKEA Group employs 139,000 co-workers and had 690 million visitors during FY12. For more information, please visit www.IKEA.com

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IKEA Group reports strong progress on renewable energy, wood and cotton sourcing The IKEA Group Sustainability Report FY12 shows progress towards the company's sustainability goals -supporting business growth and benefiting people and the environment. " Sustainability goes very well with our business model to offer good quality products at affordable prices.

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Corporate social responsibility - Our company - Waitrose.com

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At Waitrose, we combine the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop. Above all we take pride in the freshness and quality of our food.

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this does not work...TJH

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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Kellogg Company ( K) , the iconic cereal and snack food purveyor from Battle Creek, Mich., is winning accolades for its corporate ethics and social integrity. Shareholders and consumers are applauding and taking notice in more ways than one.

Kellogg's is a pure-play food company with a 100-year plus legacy of maintaining integrity in the way it operates its business, serves its customers, and creates value for investors. I've been following the company for the past two years and the more I've learned about it the more I like it.

For shareholders and ethical investors looking for a publicly traded company that puts its conscience in synch with its corporate objectives, Kellogg's is one of the best. In fact, once again it's been recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute, an independent research center promoting best practices in corporate ethics and governance. In fact, Kellogg has been recognized six times.

One example: When Kellogg was hit by a shareholder proposal filed by the Green Century Equity Fund, the company decided to commit to only purchase deforestation-free palm oil by Dec. 31, 2015. Kellogg's uses palm oil in its snack food products and came under scrutiny over its joint venture with Wilmar, the world's largest palm oil trader with a high-profile track record of controversial environmental practices.

Lucia von Reusner, Shareholder Advocate at Green Century Capital Management, confirmed via email that "By raising the bar, Kellogg's palm oil commitment should encourage other companies to step up and support the development of transparent and responsible palm oil supply chains."

An investor who aims to be socially responsible finds this kind of ethical corporate effort encouraging. Like me, you can follow Kellogg's and monitor its sustainable and environmentally sensitive practices.

The other side of my enthusiasm for Kellogg's is it's business model and products. Not only is it the world's leading cereal company, it's also the second largest producer of cookies, crackers and savory snacks and a leading North American frozen foods company.

With 2013 sales of $14.8 billion and more than 1,600 food products it's little wonder that besides General Mills ( GIS), Kellogg's is one of the most popular food stocks among investors. Average daily volume is about 2 million shares and its current market cap, according to Yahoo! Finance is $22.38 billion.

The stock's dividend yields 3% at a share price of $61.30 a share. This represents a sustainable payout ratio of 36% and leaves room for dividend increases in the year ahead.

As the one-year chart below illustrates the stock rebounded from an early 2014 swoon and is nearly 2% higher than where it started the year.

K data by YCharts

Along with TheStreet Quant Ratings I rate Kellogg's as a buy. From the chart above you'll see two reasons. It's trailing 12-month (TTM) Return on Equity (ROE) of 64% significantly exceeds both the industry average and the S&P 500. Its TTM operating margin of nearly 20% is also exceptional.

Another impressive number is the company's net income which grew by 2,656.3% from the year-ago quarter rising from -$32 million to $818 million. In fact, according to TheStreet it exceeded that of the S&P 500.

Along with the improvements in net income, the net profit margin of 23.36% is significantly better than the industry average.

No company is perfect, and Kellogg's net operating cash flow increased by only 9.13% to $418.00 million from the year-ago quarter. This is much lower than the industry average growth rate of 53.43%. Plus, according to Yahoo! Finance, Kellogg's most recent quarterly long-term debt was a daunting $7.36 billion.

My firm conclusion is that the many strengths of Kellogg's, like its ability to generate exceptional earnings and its outstanding ROE outweigh its generally high debt management risk.

With its extensive lineup of famous brands, outstanding net income and it's stellar reputation for ethics and integrity, Kellogg's is a comfortable fit for socially responsible and proactive investors.
At the time of publication the author had no positions in K or GIS. Follow @m8a2r1 This article represents the opinion of a contributor and not necessarily that of TheStreet or its editorial staff.

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Kellogg's Recipe of Ethics, Social Responsibility Feeds Profits

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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Kellogg Company ( K) , the iconic cereal and snack food purveyor from Battle Creek, Mich., is winning accolades for its corporate ethics and social integrity. Shareholders and consumers are applauding and taking notice in more ways than one.

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Many companies around the world have made huge strides to make sure that their operations are kinder to the planet. We're not just talking the usual, "Please think before printing this email" message - we're talking some of the world's biggest companies and brands' going that extra mile to ensure that everything they do is considerate of the environment.

With that in mind, here are a list of the twelve most eco-friendly companies around:
1. Munich Reinsurance Group
Way back in 1974, Munich Re undertook its own research into the effects of climate change, long before most companies had even heard of the phrase. Since then, it has continued to strive towards green policy and implementation and in 2009, it achieved complete carbon neutrality at its German headquarters.

In other areas, the organisation also recycles up to 75% of its waste paper.
2. IBM
Depending on which source you read, IBM and Munich Re are interchangeable at the top of the list. In fact, IBM has been working towards a greener future since 1971 and is generally recognised as the corporate forerunners.

Between 1990 and 2000, the organisation cut its electricity consumption by 5.1 billion kilowatt hours - enough to power a whole town - and in the present day, it is working to reduce traffic congestion in major cities right across the world.
3. Ikea
The giant furniture manufacturer will naturally need to call on the use of vast quantities of timber every year. However, unlike others in the industry, IKEA have been working with sustainable practices for many years now.

Sustainable forestry techniques aside, IKEA were the first major retailer to switch off incandescent lights in its stores and currently only sells energy efficient lighting.
4. British Telecom
BT is the leader when it comes to eco-friendly companies in the UK and it has set itself some ambitious targets. By 2016, the organisation aims to cut carbon emissions by up to 80% and global carbon intensity is also set to be cut by the same figure prior to 2021.

BT is also investing heavily in wind farm technology and has introduced flexible working and video conferencing in an effort to reduce employee travel.
5. Hewlett Packard
When Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard founded the company in 1939, their philosophy was that technology could improve society as a whole and that vision included the impact of organisations on the environment.

In 2008, HP became the first hi-tec organisation to report on greenhouse gasses in its supply chain and it is striving to recycle and replace its own products with up to date energy efficient models. In turn, that could eventually save up to $10.4 billion in energy costs each year.
6. Philips Electronics
The Dutch based manufacturer sets itself strict green goals but it keeps its promises. In 2006, 15% of its revenues were derived from green products and it aims to double that figure to 30% by the end of 2012.

Under its in-house policy known as EcoVision4, Philips is also looking to increase its investment in green innovations by 100% to one billion euros and it will also aim to lift its own operational energy efficiency by 25%.
7. Johnson and Johnson
Back in January 2011, Johnson and Johnson announced their aim to become the most socially responsible organisation in the world by 2015. The measures being introduced however, simply build on the company's good work over the last twenty years.

J&J are the second largest user of solar power in the US and over half of its energy is derived from solar, wind and biomass sources.
8. Nike
Nike has introduced many green measures in recent years but it has worked tirelessly to tackle the difficult issues of ensuring environmentally friendly practises in its supply chain. As a result, it performs stringent checks on carbon and water use and chemical toxicity.

At its headquarters in the Netherlands, underground energy storage is used together with recycled aluminium frames in the construction of the building itself.
9. Yahoo
Internet giant Yahoo actively looks to encourage its 600 million global users to try all they can to go green and Its own 'green' site is widely acknowledged as the best for finding eco-friendly lifestyle tips.

Yahoo practise what they preach however and its new date centre in Lockport, New York uses 95% less water and 40% less energy overall than the majority of buildings of its type.
10. National Australian Bank
Most organisations suggest that with the exception of Munich Re, the NAB is the greenest company outside of the US. It achieved carbon neutrality in 2011 and now purchases its energy from the country's wind farms.

In addition, it has recently spent $20 million on energy efficient products and operations and thereby saved around 59,200 tons of greenhouse gases.
11. Earth Tec
This clothing manufacturer shows recycling in action and uses plastic bottles, amongst other items, in its production process. The organisation claims that for every Earth Tec garment you buy, 12 of those bottles have been saved from the landfill.

However, it also uses corn and coffee beans as well as sustainable wool and cotton in its innovative and eco-friendly range.
12. Dell
Once again, this is another company who come top of many of the 'green lists' that are out there. In 2008 the organisation announced that it would reduce its total emissions by 40% at the end of 2015 and it seems certain to achieve that goal.

Dell also use recycled plastic in their product production process and it will take back any old equipment for free.

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The post was written by Paul Smith, Commercial Director of Ecocleen Cleaning Services Ltd.

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Meet The 12 Most Eco-Friendly Companies on the Planet

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Many companies around the world have made huge strides to make sure that their operations are kinder to the planet. We're not just talking the usual, "Please think before printing this email" message - we're talking some of the world's biggest companies and brands' going that extra mile to ensure that everything they do is considerate of the environment.

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Premier Foods, one of the UK's biggest manufacturers, has been asking its suppliers for payments to continue doing business with the firm.

One supplier said the practice - known as pay and stay - was like "blackmail".

Newsnight understands the struggling company has received millions of pounds from its suppliers in this way.

Premier Foods said it was confident the scheme did not break any rules under competition law. The government said it was "concerned by recent reports".

The company, which owns brands like Mr Kipling, Ambrosia, Bisto and Oxo, demanded the payments from suppliers across the country.

Newsnight has seen a letter sent by chief executive Gavin Darby, dated 18 November.

'Nominated for de-list'

He wrote: "We are aiming to work with a smaller number of strategic suppliers in the future that can better support and invest in our growth ideas."

He added: "We will now require you to make an investment payment to support our growth.

"I understand that this approach may lead to some questions.

"However, it is important that we take the right steps now to support our future growth."

We are concerned by recent reports, and are consulting to assess the evidence so we can establish what more we can do
Government spokesperson

But when a supplier raised questions in an email about the annual payments, another member of Premier's staff replied.

"We are looking to obtain an investment payment from our entire supply base and unfortunately those who do not participate will be nominated for de-list."

One of the company's more than 1,000 suppliers, Bob Horsley, said he had been "taken aback" to receive the letter.

Scared to speak out

Mr Horsley, who has had a maintenance contract with Ambrosia in Devon for more than 10 years, said: "I think it's like blackmail.

"What they are saying is, 'Unless you pay this money, you can't do the work.'"

He has decided not to pay and risk losing the contract.

"I'm just a layman, but I can't see how that is right."

Another businessman said Premier had previously asked for more than £70,000.

"They know you can't afford solicitors to fight them. I'd never pay anyone for work."

Another said: "It's like a gun held to your head."

Many businesses are scared to speak out for fear of losing their contracts.

'Unjust'

Premier Foods has reduced its number of suppliers dramatically in the last 12 months.

In 2013, it made a similar approach to some of its suppliers.

The practice of "pay to stay" is not unheard of in manufacturing and retail.

After a competition inquiry, tighter rules were issued for the supermarkets under the Groceries' Code.

But that applies to the relationship between supermarkets and suppliers, not manufacturers.

Liesl Smith, from the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "This is the first time that we have ever seen anything so blatant... in this very direct way before.

"We think it is unjust, it is not competitive and it is not helping the supply chain.

"Premier Foods certainly don't value their suppliers, it's crippling small businesses.

"It's not just going to affect the business owners, it will affect staff as well."

Julie Palmer, retail expert at Begbies Traynor, said: "With suppliers under constant pressure to slash prices further while accepting unreasonably elongated payment terms, the UK's largest food manufacturers and retailers need to find a better way of balancing prices with profits, without pushing their suppliers off a cliff."

The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, said on Friday small firms should not be charged to be on a company's supplier lists.

In a tweet, Mr Cable said: "It's wrong for small firms to be charged to remain on supplier lists. I'm writing to CMA to express my concern on the issue."

'Support crucial'

Premier Foods told Newsnight: "We launched our 'invest for growth' programme in July last year as part of a broader initiative to reduce complexity in support of plans to help turnaround the business.

"This included a commitment to halve the number of our suppliers and develop more strategic partnerships focused on mutual growth.

"The programme requires our suppliers to make an annual investment to help fund our growth plans.

"In return, our suppliers benefit from opportunities to secure a larger slice of our current business.

"They also stand to gain as our business grows in the future."

It added: "In the current challenging environment, the support of all of our suppliers is crucial.

"We have had a positive response from many who are actively engaging in building a new partnership with us, including many small companies."

Newsnight understands many suppliers have paid a total in the low millions so far.

Competition law states that in some cases, pay to stay can be against the law.

But there is no specific code of practice for manufacturers, so there is nothing to stop Premier operating its pay and stay scheme.

Premier Foods is confident its scheme is within the rules.

Labour bid

But concerns about the wider problem have been raised with the regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority, and this week with the government.

Labour tried to amend the law recently to make the practice explicitly illegal.

Toby Perkins, the shadow business minister, said: "Labour pushed to outlaw companies charging to stay on their supplier list.

"But, alongside steps to prevent customer late payment, they were rejected by the government.

"Building a stronger economy relies on free and fair markets, but where unfair practices emerge, government should be willing to take action as today's revelations appear to expose."

A spokesperson for the Department of Business Innovation and Skills said it was a "hugely important issue" that ministers were taking "very seriously".

"We are concerned by recent reports, and are consulting to assess the evidence so we can establish what more we can do.

"We are also consulting on whether the biggest companies should be required to report publicly on whether businesses need to pay to be on their supplier lists."

Newsnight understands that the regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority, is reluctant to commit resources to an investigation unless more businesses are willing to come forward.

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Premier Foods, one of the UK's biggest manufacturers, has been asking its suppliers for payments to continue doing business with the firm. One supplier said the practice - known as pay and stay - was like "blackmail". Newsnight understands the struggling company has received millions of pounds from its suppliers in this way.

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Amazon has launched Amazon Elements, a line of premium products that are only available to Prime subscription members (membership costs $99 per year and includes free two-day shipping on tons of items as well as music, TV, and movie streaming).

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The four English locations picked to test driverless cars have been named.

Greenwich, in south-east London, and Bristol will each host a project of their own, while Coventry and Milton Keynes will share a third.

The decision was announced by the quango Innovate UK, after George Osborne's Autumn Statement.

The chancellor also announced an additional £9m in funding for the work, adding to the £10m that had been announced in July.

The businesses involved will add further funds.

Bristol will host the Venturer consortium, which aims to investigate whether driverless cars can reduce congestion and make roads safer.

Its members include the insurance group Axa, and much of its focus will be on the public's reaction to the tech as well as the legal and insurance implications of its introduction.

Greenwich is set to run the Gateway scheme. This will be led by the Transport Research Laboratory consultancy and also involves General Motors, and the AA and RAC motoring associations. It plans to carry out tests of automated passenger shuttle vehicles as well as autonomous valet parking for adapted cars.

In addition, a self-drive car simulator will make use of a photorealistic 3D model of the area to study how people react to sharing the driving of a vehicle with its computer.

"The combination of TRL's independent expertise; robust, reliable testing protocols and driving simulation facilities alongside the diverse and high calibre qualities of our consortium means we can safely demonstrate automated vehicles to build acceptance and trust in this revolutionary technology," said the firm's chief executive Rob Wallis.

Milton Keynes and Coventry will host the UK Autodrive programme.

This involves Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and the engineering consultancy Arup among others, and will test both self-drive cars on the road as well as self-driving pods designed for pedestrianised areas.

Part of this group's work will be to develop the technologies that will need to be built into roads and the surrounding infrastructure to aid vehicle navigation.

"Our plan with the practical demonstration phases is to start testing with single vehicles on closed roads, and to build up to a point where all road users, as well as legislators, the police and insurance companies, are confident about how driverless pods and fully and partially autonomous cars can operate safely on UK roads," said Tim Armitage from Arup.

The tests will last from between 18 to 36 months and begin on 1 January.

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The four English locations picked to test driverless cars have been named. Greenwich, in south-east London, and Bristol will each host a project of their own, while Coventry and Milton Keynes will share a third. The decision was announced by the quango Innovate UK, after George Osborne's Autumn Statement.

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Autumn Statement posted by Mr Holgate

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George Osborne has said stamp duty will be cut for 98% of homebuyers in his Autumn Statement to the Commons.

The chancellor said that from midnight the current system, where the amount owed jumps at certain price levels, would be replaced by a graduated rate, working in a similar way to income tax.

He admitted borrowing would be higher than forecast but claimed the UK would be "into the black" by 2019/20.

Labour said his deficit reduction targets were "all in tatters".

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the headline announcements were "real electioneering" by the Conservative chancellor.

The new rates will apply in Scotland until 1 April next year, when the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax replaces stamp duty there.

The Autumn Statement - which was called the pre-Budget report under the previous Labour government - is a chance to flag future tax and spending plans as well as set out the state of the nation's finances.

In other measures:

A 25% "diverted profits" tax - often called a "Google tax" - would be aimed at multinational companies

Air Passenger Duty for children under 12 would be abolished next year, and under-16s from the following year

Bank profits which can be offset by losses for tax purposes would be limited to 50%

An extra £2bn would be put into health services across the UK

VAT for hospices and air ambulances would be refunded

Fuel duty would be frozen

The UK would play a "lead role" in a European mission to Mars

Investment in businesses, academies, research and culture to create a "northern powerhouse" in England

There would be a review of business rates to help High Street stores take on internet firms

People will be able to pass on their tax-free ISA allowances to spouses when they die

There would be a new £90,000 charge for people who are non-domiciled in the UK for tax purposes but have lived there for 17 of the past 20 years

The higher rate income tax threshold would rise to £42,385 next year

In its report accompanying the statement, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said the government's overall plan was to reduce public spending from £5,650 per head in 2009-10 to £3,880 in 2019-20.

Some 60% of this reduction was still to come in the next parliament, it said.

OBR chairman Robert Chote predicted a "very sharp squeeze" on public service spending in the next parliament based on the figures available.

The new stamp duty rates at different band levels will only apply to the part of the property price that falls within that band, so there will no longer be a huge jump in stamp duty, for instance, on a property costing £500,001.

Under the new rules, no tax will be paid on the first £125,000 of a property, followed by 2% on the portion up to £250,000, 5% on the portion between £250,000 and £925,000, 10% on the next bit up to £1.5 million and 12% on everything over that.

People currently in the process of purchasing a home could choose which regime to operate under, Mr Osborne said.

The Treasury said someone buying a property at the average family home price of £275,000 would save £4,500, while a £2.1m purchase would carry £18,750 more stamp duty compared with the old system.

Mr Chote said the reform could put up house prices in some areas, predicting prices would rise where the tax had fallen, and fall where it had risen.

Mr Osborne said the tax cut, which is UK-wide until April when stamp duty is devolved to Scotland, was worth £800m a year.
Analysis: By Nick Robinson, BBC political editor
In all but name this was a pre-election Budget.
Read more from Nick In quotes: A round-up of reaction to the Autumn Statement
From his first to his last sentence - from boasting about Britain's growth to unveiling the Coalition's version of the mansion tax - Chancellor George Osborne delivered his Autumn Statement with not just one eye but both fixed firmly on polling day.

Earlier, MPs were told UK growth was set to be 3% this year, higher than Germany, but falling to 2.3% by 2019.

The chancellor said the measures he was announcing in the statement were "not a giveaway", saying overall they would tighten the public finances but warning "substantial savings" in public spending were still needed.

Mr Osborne said the government had inherited an economy "on the brink" but said the deficit was half what the government had taken on.

Government borrowing is forecast at £91.3bn this year, then £75.9bn, MPs were told. In March the forecast for this year was for borrowing of almost £87bn.

"The deficit is falling this year and every year," Mr Osborne said, although he added that "warning lights are flashing over the global economy".

Labour said the chancellor had failed to keep his 2010 general election promise to balance the books.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the increase in borrowing was in "black and white, hard evidence", saying Mr Osborne had questions to answer about living standards, wages and tax receipts.

He said: "People are worse off and the fact is he has failed to balance the books in this parliament".

Only Labour could "balance the books in a fair way", he added.

Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was absent from the Commons for the Autumn Statement, as he was on a regional visit to Cornwall.

Sources close to Mr Clegg have dismissed suggestions he missed it because he no longer wants to be seen sitting next to David Cameron or George Osborne in Parliament.
'A different view'
A Lib Dem Treasury source said it was "nonsense", saying the deputy prime minister was "out in the country, meeting people who will benefit from the Autumn Statement".

Although the measures announced in the Autumn Statement are coalition government policy, it emerged that Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable had written to the OBR expressing "growing concern" that the difference between forecasts based on coalition policies and projections for future years - where spending decisions had not yet been made - was not being made clear.

In its response to the letter, the OBR said the distinction was made "very clear", saying it based its forecasts on current government policy.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Cable said he had no reservations about the Autumn Statement but emphasised that the Lib Dems had a "different approach" from that of their Conservative coalition colleagues on how to proceed with deficit reduction in the next parliament.

"They are making claims about tax cuts we have said are simply not realisable. There will be an argument about the different mix of public spending and taxation," he said.

He added: "It's very difficult to see how the Conservatives can achieve their objectives of protecting those core services and their policies on tax. They don't add up, there is a different view and we should be expressing it."

The Lib Dem business secretary has told his officials not to engage "at this stage in rounds of negotiation on public spending cuts which are the proper responsibility of the next government".

Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander told the BBC's Daily Politics borrowing was falling "less fast than expected in March", putting this down to "weaker than expected tax receipts".

However, he said the UK was doing "far, far better" than almost any other major economy.

The Institute of Directors said it was a "disciplined, long-term" statement from Mr Osborne, while the CBI said "real challenges" lay ahead to reduce public spending.

UKIP economic spokesman Patrick O'Flynn said: "The brutal truth is that the government has comprehensively failed in its central mission to wipe out the deficit."

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett said Mr Osborne was "continuing the demonstrably false claim that our deficit problems can be blamed on government spending and welfare".

The Scottish National Party's deputy leader Stewart Hosie said the statement was the "continuation of a failed austerity programme", adding: "We saw today the consequences of London taking economic decisions for Scotland."

Plaid Cymru's Treasury spokesperson, Jonathan Edwards, welcomed agreement to devolve control over business rates to the Welsh government, but said there was "little here on offer to our nation".

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George Osborne has said stamp duty will be cut for 98% of homebuyers in his Autumn Statement to the Commons. The chancellor said that from midnight the current system, where the amount owed jumps at certain price levels, would be replaced by a graduated rate, working in a similar way to income tax.