Business and Ethics Essay Example For Students

Business and Ethics Essay UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNEVAFB, CALIFORNIAECBU 346BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONFEBURARY 12, 1997BY DOUG RONINGFrom a business perspective, working under government contracts can bevery lucrative. In general, a steady stream of orders keep coming in, revenueincreases and the company continues to grow. There are a few obvious downfallsto working with government contracts; a higher quality is to be expected as wellas extensive research accompanied by accurate and complete documentation areusually required. If one part of the process fails to perform correctly it cancause minor flaws as well a problems that can carry some serious repercussions;For example the case of the failed computer chip at Company X. When both theemployee and company are found at fault, the question arises of how extensiveshould the repercussions be? Is the company as a whole liable or do you lookinto individual employees within that company? From an ethical perspective onewould have to look at the available information of bot h the employees and theirsuperiors along with the role of others in the situation. Next you would haveto analyze the final outcome from a corporate perspective and then examine thecorporate responsibility as a whole in order to find a resolution for cases suchas this. The first mitigating factor involved in the Company X case is theuncertainty, on the part of the employees, on their duties that they wereassigned. It is possible that during the testing procedure, an employeecouldnt distinguish between the parts they were to test under governmentstandards and commercial standards. In some cases they might have even beenmisinformed on the final product that they tested. In fact, ignorance on thepart of the employees would fully excuse them from any moral responsibility forany damage that may result from their work. Whether it is decided that anemployee is fully excused, or is given some moral responsibility, would have tobe looked at on an individual basis. The second mitigating factor is one of threats that an employee mightsuffer if they do not follow through with their assignment. After the bogustesting was completed in the Company X labs, the documentation department alsohad to falsify documents stating that the parts had more than met thegovernments testing standards. From a legal and ethical standpoint, both thetesters and the writers of the reports were merely acting as agents on directorders from upper management. The writers of the reports were well aware of thesituation yet they acted in this manner on the instruction of a supervisor. Acting in an ethical manner becomes a secondary priority in this type ofenvironment. As stated by Alan Reder, if they the employees feel they willsuffer retribution, if they report a problem, they arent too likely to opentheir mouths. (113). The workers knew that if the reports were not falsifiedthey would come under questioning and perhaps their job would be in jeopardy. Although working under these conditions does not fully excuse an employee frommoral fault, it does give a starting point to help narrow down the person ordepartment that issued the original request for the unethical acts. The third mitigating factor is one that perhaps encompasses the majorityof the employees in the Company X case. We have to balance the directinvolvement that each employee had with the defective parts. Thus, it has to bemade clear that many of the employees did not have direct involvement with thetesting departments or with the parts that eventually failed. Even employees,or sub-contractors that were directly involved with the production were notaware of the ignorance on the part of the testing department. For example, theelectrical engineer that designed the defective computer chip could have statedthat it was tested and it did indeed meet the required government tests. Also,for the employees that handled the part after the testing process, they weredealing with what they believed to be a piece of equipment that met governmentstandards. If the part was not tested properly, and did eventually fail, isntthe testing department more morally responsible than the designer or theassembly l ine worker that was in charge of installing the chip? In largecorporations there may be several testing departments and in some cases one maybe held more responsible than another depending on their involvement. A processlike this can serve as a dual purpose for finding irresponsible employees aswell as those that are morally excused. Greenspan EssayThe question that naturally arises, in debating corporate responsibility,is what types of checks and balances can be employed within a company to ensurethat a corporation and all of its agents act in an ethical manner. Taking theexample of the Company X case, one can notice many failures in moralresponsibility. Company X would have to review its employees, particularly thesupervisors, for basic ethical values such as honesty. For example, ultimatelyit was the widespread falsification of the testing documentation that caused thedownfall of Company X, not the integrity of its imployees. In the outline ofthe case it is never mentioned that the employees initiated this idea, it wouldseem that it was the supervisors that gave the order to falsify the documents. Through open communication, a company can resolve a variety of its ethicaldilemmas. As for the financial aspects of the corporation, it has to decidewhether the long term effects that a reprimand can have outweighs their bottomline. In other words, corporations have to start moving away from the thoughtof instant profit and start realizing both the long term effects and benefits. These long term benefits can include a stronger sense of ethics in the workforce as well as a better overall example to society. In conclusion, I agree with the use of mitigating factors in determiningmoral responsibility. A company, as defined by law, is only a name on a pieceof paper. The company acts and conducts itself according to the employees thatwork for it. I use the word employee because in ethical thinking there shouldbe no distinction of rank within a company. There are times when executives canbe held directly responsible and at the same time, there are cases whereemployees are acting unethically without the executives knowing. Neither titleof executive or employee are always morally perfect. Therefore, when a companyhas acted irresponsibly, its employees must be held liable in a proportionateamount. As for the future of ethics in business I would speculate that ifemployees started to think more in long term benefits and profits, many of theethical dilemmas that we face today would be greatly reduced. As mentionedbefore, businesses today uses the measuring stick of profitability. We need tostress the importance of placing ethical weight on all major business decisions. Opponents would argue that this is a long term plan that require toomany radical changes. Also, there is no way that an industry wide standard canbe set due to the vast differences in corporations. In response, I would argue that although there are no industry standardsthat are feasible, but it is possible for every company to examine theirpractices as well as the attitudes of their employees. There will be a numberof companies that will defend that are doing all they can to make sure theiremployees are aware of their moral values. Yet other companies will find thatthey do have areas that need improvement. It is steps like these that sparkchange in an organization. Once a few companies start to see the benefits, itcan help to encourage other companies to follow suit. After all, as seen in thecase of Company X, mistakes in one department can cause the deterioration of anentire corporation. When a corporation realizes the costs involved withdecisions such as this, the changes required to rectify are small in comparison. Works CitedPava, Moses. Corporate Responsibility and Financial Performance. Quorum Books, March 1995. Reder, Alan. In Pursuit of Principle and Profit. G.P. Putnams Sons Publishing, 1995. Sawyer, George. Business and Society: Managing Corporate Social Impact. Houghton Mifflin Publishing, Feburary 1993. Velazquez, Manuel. Business Ethics: Concepts and Cases. Category: Philosophy

Shakespeares Is One Of The Most Read Writers Ever And His Writing Was

Shakespeare's is one of the most read writers ever and his writing was so successful that not just one group of people liked it. He did this by relating to his audience using universal truths. . Human emotions are not something that change over time and they are also known as universal truths; love, hate, revenge, and envy are all examples of universal truths. This play was so successful that many other movies have copied the plot but changed the scenery. Over the past 400 years since this play was written the world has changed drastically, but the emotions and feelings in this play have withstood the test of time. This is why the movies, Romeo and Juliet (1996) and West Side Story (1961) were so successful. Shakespeare's play and the two movies modeled after it have many similarities and many differences, but one thing remains constant in all of them, They all use universal truths to relate to their audiences. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a timeless play that concentrates on many different human emotions and reactions. Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story are alike in many ways, they were both very successful in their day. West Side Story is essentially the same play that was revived in 1961. Like Romeo and Juliet, Tony and Maria are of opposite families, They fall in love and their love is forbidden. Maria is Puerto Rican and Tony is Irish. In West Side Story they don't get married but they do have a torrid love affair. The hate between the two groups was modernized to racism and not as many of the main characters die in West Side Story. One of the major differences is that Maria doesn't die, she is left alone. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet kills herself after she finds that Romeo has perished. Another major difference is that in Romeo and Juliet Romeo kills Paris who is supposed to marry Juliet then himself when he thinks that Juliet is dead. In West Side Story, Tony is killed by Chino (the equivalent of Paris) . Romeo and Juliet has a stronger sense of love and irony. Love is a universal truth that is portrayed similarly in both Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story. Two members of warring groups fall in love. Love is something that we can all relate to in one way or another and it will never change over time. In Romeo and Juliet both Romeo and Juliet have such a strong love for each other that they both commit suicide when the other dies. In West Side Story, Tony and Maria talk of running away and they have such a strong love that they believe that they can end the hatred with their love. Hate is another universal truth that has a strong influence in both of these plots. Everyone has felt hate at one time or another in their life. As it is in Romeo and Juliet with Mercutio and Tybalt, in West Side Story Maria's brother, Bernardo and Tony's best friend, Riff are the focus of hate. These characters could not see past their blind hatred and many others were killed. The original play Romeo and Juliet and the new movie are almost exactly alike in their script, but the interpretation of the dialogue is unique to the actors. One major difference is that at the end of the original play the two families end their feud but in the new movie that is not shown. Irony is when something ends up being the opposite of it's obvious and literal beginning and this change takes out the whole sense of irony that Friar Laurence achieved when he joined the two families. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was such a classic that today it is considered a standard. This story was so well written to please audiences that is was redone over 400 years later and it is still a success. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was also copied to make a musical for Broadway and today it is one of the most famous musicals ever. These were all so victorious because they utilized the universal truths of love and hate which are easily relatable and captivating yet timeless to all audiences

Sample of Reflective Essay on Insurance Coverage

Sample of Reflective Essay on Insurance CoverageA sample of reflective essay on insurance coverage provides students with the ability to write about several topics. When students write their reflections, they will be able to express their ideas in a more personal manner, which will provide insight into the student's overall views on the subject matter. Reflective essays provide students with the opportunity to explore different thoughts and create a style that represents their true opinions.The reflective writing process includes several steps that are essential to the unique aspect of this type of writing. Students begin by creating a theme for their essay. A specific theme is created because there is a universal meaning to each topic. This allows students to bring their unique perspective to the topic by using a theme.Primary categories are developed based on the types of things that are covered in an insurance policy. For example, an endorsement of risks may refer to the things th at students should avoid or that they may have a tendency to do. Topics like these include risks that a policyholder has the tendency to take.Following the definitions of risk and protective measures, students are given examples of coverage that is not necessarily guaranteed. These topics include minimum wage, workplace safety and other regulations that provide protection for employees. In addition, students will find items that are meant to protect the public when they purchase policies.Policyholders who make claims should also be researched. Policies that cover only a small portion of the damage can still be included in the discussion because some insurance companies cover claims against their policies. On the other hand, policies that cover all of the expenses will not be discussed.Policies that include recovery agents and attorneys are an important part of any insurance policy. When the claims process runs its course, students will find out the damages that are covered and the p ercentages that are owed. This information is vital in understanding the situations that students can find themselves in as their policy matures.Policies that cover teenagers may be included, but the class should discuss this further. Policyholders who purchase a policy that requires them to be at least 18 years old are subject to special considerations. Class discussions should ensure that students are aware of these guidelines so that they will be prepared if they require coverage.Abstracts, short stories and essays are needing to move forward with the learning process. All students must complete their reflections and have one prepared for the teacher. A sample of reflective essay on insurance coverage can provide students with a great deal of information about the topic.

Free Essays on Color Blue

Since the beginning of the universe, mankind has experienced more or less the power of colors, their relation to nature, their attribute and significance. Not only do colors characterize a society; they more importantly are at the essence of every thing. Color is a perception (from our eyes) that result from the complex characteristic of the light. Color is a significant element of our society but appears a complex notion to define because it is complicated to distinguish an object from its color and vice versa. The reason for which must be our poor knowledge in color terminology. Indeed, most of the early civilizations could not discern the lexical differences between an object and the color it was representing (This lexical issue drove some historians to wonder if certain civilizations were blind to specific colors). At the arising of the third millennium, both the perception and the definition of color seem an arduous task. Yet blue, as one of the primary color, illustrates from its history and its art representation how one color could be both so complex and meaningful. Blue is the color of fear for the painter Jacques Monory, the color of the coat of The Virgin Maria, the Levi-Strauss jean, the satellite images of earth. It is also the favorite color of European population. Blue embodies divers connotation in history. The history of the color Blue is very absorbing due to both its late beginning and its difficulty to master though it was very present in the nature (sky, sea, some flowers and animals). Some early civilizations did not have a name for the color blue but for an association of colors, which was including the color blue, that emphasizes the modest place blue took during the first centuries in most of the civilizations. For instance, numbers of philologers wonders if the Greek and the Romans could see the color blue because they did not have a word for it, they did not qualify the sea or the sky a... Free Essays on Color Blue Free Essays on Color Blue Since the beginning of the universe, mankind has experienced more or less the power of colors, their relation to nature, their attribute and significance. Not only do colors characterize a society; they more importantly are at the essence of every thing. Color is a perception (from our eyes) that result from the complex characteristic of the light. Color is a significant element of our society but appears a complex notion to define because it is complicated to distinguish an object from its color and vice versa. The reason for which must be our poor knowledge in color terminology. Indeed, most of the early civilizations could not discern the lexical differences between an object and the color it was representing (This lexical issue drove some historians to wonder if certain civilizations were blind to specific colors). At the arising of the third millennium, both the perception and the definition of color seem an arduous task. Yet blue, as one of the primary color, illustrates from its history and its art representation how one color could be both so complex and meaningful. Blue is the color of fear for the painter Jacques Monory, the color of the coat of The Virgin Maria, the Levi-Strauss jean, the satellite images of earth. It is also the favorite color of European population. Blue embodies divers connotation in history. The history of the color Blue is very absorbing due to both its late beginning and its difficulty to master though it was very present in the nature (sky, sea, some flowers and animals). Some early civilizations did not have a name for the color blue but for an association of colors, which was including the color blue, that emphasizes the modest place blue took during the first centuries in most of the civilizations. For instance, numbers of philologers wonders if the Greek and the Romans could see the color blue because they did not have a word for it, they did not qualify the sea or the sky a...

Biography of Malcolm Gladwell, Writer

Biography of Malcolm Gladwell, Writer English-born Canadian journalist, author, and speaker Malcolm Timothy  Gladwell is known for his articles and books that identify, approach and explain the unexpected implications of social science research. In addition to his writing work, he is the podcast host of  Revisionist History. Early Life Malcolm Gladwell was born on September 3, 1963, in  Fareham,  Hampshire, England  to a father who was a mathematics professor, Graham Gladwell, and his mother Joyce Gladwell, a Jamaican psychotherapist. Gladwell grew up in Elmira, Ontario, Canada. He studied at the University of Toronto and received his bachelors degree in History in 1984 before moving to the U.S. to become a journalist. He initially covered business and science at the Washington Post where he worked for nine years. He began freelancing at The New Yorker before being offered a position as a staff writer there in 1996.   Malcolm Gladwell’s Literary Work In 2000, Malcolm Gladwell took a phrase that had up until that point been most frequently associated with epidemiology and single-handedly realigned it in all of our minds as a social phenomenon. The phrase was tipping point, and Gladwells breakthrough pop-sociology book of the same name was about why and how some ideas spread like social epidemics. became a social epidemic itself and continues to be a bestseller. Gladwell followed with Blink (2005), another book in which he examined a social phenomenon by dissecting numerous examples to arrive at his conclusions. Like The Tipping Point, Blink claimed a  basis in research, but it was still written in a breezy and accessible voice that give Gladwells writing popular appeal. Blink is about the notion of rapid cognition - snap judgments and how and why people make them. The idea for the book came to Gladwell after he noticed that he was experiencing social repercussions as a result of growing out his afro (prior to that point, he had kept his hair close-cropped). Both The Tipping Point and Blink were phenomenal bestsellers and his third book, Outliers (2008), took the same bestselling track. In Outliers, Gladwell once again synthesizes the experiences of numerous individuals in order to move beyond those experiences to arrive at a social phenomenon that others hadnt noticed, or at least hadnt popularized in the way that Gladwell has proved adept at doing. In compelling narrative form, Outliers examines the role that environment and cultural background play in the unfolding of great success stories. Gladwells fourth book,  What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures (2009) gathers Gladwells favorite articles from  The New Yorker  from his time as a staff writer with the publication. The stories play with the common theme of perception as Gladwell tries to show the reader the world through the eyes of others - even if the point of view happens to be that of a dog. His most recent publication,  David and Goliath (2013), was inspired in part by an article that Gladwell penned for  The New Yorker  in 2009 called How David Beats Goliath. This fifth book from Gladwell focuses on the contrast of advantage and probability of success amongst the underdogs from varying situations, the most well-known story concerning the biblical David and Goliath. Although the book didnt receive intense critical acclaim, it was a bestseller and hit No. 4 on  The New York Times  hardcover non-fiction chart, and No. 5 on USA Todays best-selling books.

STRATEGICAL MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

STRATEGICAL MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Another measure of success is sales intensity per square metre. Economies of scale and higher sales density deliver lower unit costs and higher net margins potentially leading to a 'spiral of supermarket growth' Morrisons is now one of just four supermarket chains that dominate the full-size superstore market in the United Kingdom. In descending order of size the other three are Tesco, ASDA (owned by Wal-Mart), and Sainsbury's. Morrisons strategy is based on doing the basics efficiently, selling predominantly food at lower prices, and doing so only from large stores. This is a different approach from the other three big chains. Morrison's products are marketed under two slogans "More reasons to shop at Mossisons" and "Quality and Value". The more reasons campaign was backed up with separate adverts explaning numbered "reasons". There are usually a large range of special offers in each stor. Until recently the television advertising campaign for Morrisions had featured the voice of actor Sean Bean but recently this has changed to a middle class and southern English sounding womans voice. This has now once again changed. Morrisons announced that it will ditch its traditional branding and strapline in favour of a more modern brand image. CEO Marc Bolland announced: "Reflecting our nationwide presence and our many new customers, we will be making Morrisons the food specialist for everyone". The change will see the replacement of the current logo and the almost equally iconic "More reasons to shop at Morrisons" strapline, replaced with "fresh for you everyday" or "fresh choice for you" and "Food specialist for everyone". It will also involve the replacement of external signage, as well as changes to product packaging, point of sale, advertising, staff uniforms (replacing the old blue ties and bows to green ones) and distribution vehicles. The rationale behind the decision is the need for Morrisons to attract a wider national customer base, capitalising on its expanded geographical spread following the acquisition of Safeway. On 4 June 2007, Morrisons launched their recycling "recyclopedia" for Morrisons packaging which is a new on-pack labelling scheme to help recycle more. It aims to help increase awareness of what can be recycled and where. The scheme has been welcomed by the national recycling campaign, Recycle Now, and was launched during Recycle Now Week. Morrisons in- store advertising become markedly more aggressive towards competitors- throughout July 2007 sandwich boards comparing prices directly with those of named competitors have appeared which gave a favorable impression of Morrisons's price levels. All Morison's own- brand product packaging is being refreshed with the new logo. The Best's packaging has now changed in colour from black to a dark green, while the Bettabuy brand has been replaced with Morrison's value, with yellow and green packaging. Morrisons launched a three-year 'Optimisation Plan' aimed at cutting costs to ensure future profit recovery. This includes 60m worth of cost savings in distribution and support functions, as well as adapting the smaller 'Choice' format stores below 25,000 sq ft, representing 40% of the store estate, to fit with local demographic and cultures. Morrisons realizes that its brand

UK Courts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

UK Courts - Essay Example Some arguments specifically identify the choice to eliminate trial by jury in the most complex fraud cases, suggesting that such cases can be more appropriately heard by a panel of judge or judge and magistrates. Attorney General Lord Goldsmith states â€Å"it is about justice...making sure serious fraudsters are brought to trial" (BBC News, 2005). Kevin Martin, president of the Law Society is against the new proposal, as he suggests That the problem does not lie with juries, but with poor management of court cases. There is concern that doing away with juries will erode public confidence in the legal system. This is a legitimate concern. Lack of confidence in the legal system may lead to lack of cooperation with police and others who serve to uphold the law. Interviews with UK citizens indicate that while the jury system can be flawed, it should be maintained in all cases. A poll of UK citizens by News Online provides as with insight into public opinion. One UK citizen believes tha t the jury system should be upheld at all costs, as failing to do so would allow the state to relinquish its authority to the victims, in deciding punishment. Another feels that trial by â€Å"jury of one’s peers† is still the most fair, claiming that judges are made up of social elite, â€Å"deciding the fate of us, the common folk† (News Online Poll, 2001), which would lead to injustice.