Business Ethics and Rules Essay

Personally, I agree that Solomon’s ethical fundamentals are a good moral foundation for a business. â€Å"Business ethics is the study of what constitutes right and wrong (or good and bad) human conduct in a business context. † (p25) From the lecture, we know that ethics matters because â€Å"how organizations behave have important implications for how they fulfill their social and economic roles† and â€Å"their success as well as the success of their employees, customers, etc. † Thus, running a business ethically is good for business. Applying Solomon’s three C’s of business ethics and the eight rules of thinking ethics in business make good sense. The three C’s of business ethics include compliance, contributions and consequences. The first C is â€Å"the need for compliance with the rules, including the laws of the land†¦and such general concerns as fairness. †(p36) As a saying goes, â€Å"Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards. † Rules in business are intended to assert business structure or to control or influence the behavior of the business. Let’s take EU-Rent for example. EU-Rent is a car rental company owned by EU-Corporation. EU-Rent sets up rules about rentals, returns, servicing and customers. For example, â€Å"EU-Rent keeps records of customers, their rentals, and bad experiences. This information is used to decide whether to approve a rental. † If EU-Rent doesn’t comply with these rules, it may not organize well. The second C is â€Å"the contributions business can make to society, through the values and quality of one’s products or services†¦and usefulness of one’s activities to the surrounding community. † (p36) For instance, economists conventionally assume that organization’s primary goal is to maximize profits. Many successful organizations are gradually aware of the important relationship between profits and contributions to society. Starbucks has seen its profits rise as it has increased its investment in social issues. Those organizations who are making profits and don’t contribute to society may receive criticism from the public. As the article â€Å"The Sichuan Earthquake and the Changing Landscape of CSR in China†, which was written by Ariel McGinnis, James Pellegrin, Yin Shum, Jason Teo, and Judy Wu (University of Pennsylvania), mentioned, â€Å" In the days and weeks following the Sichuan earthquake, many multinational corporations(MNCs) pursued a global CSR (corporate social responsibility) policy in line with their international standard. While some multinationals pledged cash, many others pledged a combination of cash, equipment and services. Domestic firms, by all accounts, out-donated multinationals†¦The popular perception was that international firms’ relief contributions not only did not match those of local Chinese companies in terms of scale or timeliness, but also were not commensurate with their presence in the Chinese market. Chinese consumers quickly seized upon this disparity by openly attacking major MNCs, calling for a boycott of their products †¦ The Chinese public soon gave these affected MNCs the nickname of ‘international iron roosters. The term refers to a bird that never gives up a single feather, and its usage highlights the perceived stinginess of these international firms†¦Despite their additional donations,’ iron-rooster’ MNCs continued to face angry consumers throughout China, resulting in severe public backlash, including protests at several McDonaldà ¢â‚¬â„¢s and blockades at KFCs throughout Sichuan province and the rest of China. † From this example, we can see how important the contributions that organizations should make to the society are. The third C is â€Å"the consequence of business activity†¦including the reputation of one’s own company and industry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p36) Why the consequences of business activity are so important? Let’s have a look at the following example. Once, Sanlu was one of the oldest and most popular brands of infant formula in China. It went into bankruptcy after the â€Å"Sanlu milk scandal†. Based on the media, â€Å"By November 2008 China reported an estimated 300,000 victims, six infants dying from kidney stones and other kidney damage, and a further 860 babies hospitalized. Since the Sanlu Group didn’t solve the problem and recall the products in time, it leaded to a horrible incident. Doubtlessly, what did organizations do may affect their development and even the well-being of the public. Organizations should not blindly pursue for profits only but also be responsive to society. To become successful, a business needs to be driven by strong ethical va lues. If a corporation fails to adopt ethical values and cannot be responsive to society, it will fail, just like the Sanlu Group. Besides the three C’s of business ethics, Solomon also stated the eight rules of thinking ethics in business, which are also good moral foundations for a business. The eight rules include â€Å"consider other people’s well-being, including the well-being of nonparticipants; think as a member of the business community and not as an isolated individual; obey, but do not depend solely on, the law; think of yourself—and your company—as part of society; obey moral rules; think objectively; ask the question ‘What sort of person would do such a thing? and respect the customs of others, but not at the expense of your own ethics. †(p40, 41) Based on the above statements, it is obvious to see that they are mainly about the concept of three C’s. According to the text, thinking ethically means â€Å"thinking in terms of compliance with the rules, implicit as well as explicit, thinking in terms of the contributions one can make as well as oneâ€⠄¢s own possible gains, thinking in terms of avoiding harmful consequences to others as well as to oneself. (p40) In the case of â€Å"Sanlu milk scandal†, one of the main reasons behind

Explore the techniques used by pre-twentieth century Essay

Explore the techniques used by pre-twentieth century authors to build fear and tension for the reader in three or four short stories. You must refer to the historical context. â€Å"The Black Cat,† by Edgar Allan Poe, â€Å"The Blind Man,† by Kate Chopin† and â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† by Edgar Allan Poe. Usually, a black cat is an animal associated with witchcraft and black magic. And in Edgar Allan Poe’s nineteenth century short story, this is no different. They are viewed as mythical, demonic objects; objects of evil. The author’s cat is called Pluto. This name itself suggests that maybe it is a secretive animal, hidden and unknown, like the ninth planet it’s named after; nobody knows much about it. We soon learn that the cat is â€Å"entirely black, sagacious to an astonishing degree.† Much like the writer, this cat is portrayed as being wise and astute. Yet within what appears to be no time at all, the writer is fiercely describing the feline as being a â€Å"monster,† summoning hellish images into the mind of the reader. â€Å"The fury of a demon instantly possessed me† is a quotation which shows the writer’s abstract impulsiveness towards the cat. The writer abruptly grabs the â€Å"poor beat by the throat.† This kind of behavior is not associated with pets. It seems like the writer and subconsciously personified the beast, as he grabs it by the throat, instead of kicking it away like someone would expect. Once strangling the cat, Edgar Allan Poe â€Å"deliberately cut out one of its eyes.† This is extremely irrational behavior and happens so quickly. This conjures a lot of fear in the reader, and this man has suddenly taken part in a brutal, cold-blooded slaughter. The language used is very provocative and emotive throughout the story, and this is couple by a detached tone. The immediate shift from being ‘normal’ to suddenly growing mad and irrational is complex and acute. At the beginning of the next paragraph, he describes himself to be having a â€Å"feeble and equivocal feeling,† showing that he perhaps doesn’t realise what he has just done. This arouses suspicion in the reader, as we do not know what to think. Edgar Allan Poe continually tries to befriend the reader, yet he is horrific. We start to feel sympathetic towards him, and pathos is created. The man continued to present the reader with explanations and excuses for his â€Å"evil deed.† The feeling of witchcraft is echoed when he â€Å"was aroused from sleep by the cry of fire.† His house is alight, and after the blaze, people gather around. In the only wall that is left standing, an apparition of a gigantic cat. He then remembers, â€Å"that the cat had been hung in a garden adjacent to the house.† This brings the reader to try and piece together the pieces of this puzzle, but we cannot, for it is too complex. This scene creates a lot of tension in the reader. Once again, we see that this cat, from beyond the grave has managed to produce itself. It summons terror in the reader and insecurity fills Poe. One night, as the write stood, â€Å"absolutely stupefied,† he sees a black object, and it turns out to be a large black cat, almost identical to the former animal, with the exception of a large white patch. Within time, the writer starts to feel hatred towards the cat, the only thing preventing him form physically hurting it being â€Å"the remembrance of my former deed of cruelty.† Again, impulsively, the man commits a terrible act of gruesome, murderous hatred. He kills his wife, horrifically. After this, the cat seems to have vanished. Even though the man manages to conceal the body in the wall, he is overcome with fear, just as the reader, and beings to make excuses and become petrified himself. This is shown as madness, and this makes the story intense and full of tension. Allan Poe describes the police party as being â€Å"an assassination.† This instantly shows us that something bad is going to happen, as an assassination is a planned killing. The arrogance of the killer annoys the reader, yet we still feel a subconscious sympathy towards him, for he is lost within himself; â€Å"I know myself no longer.† The writer builds up a lot of tension at the end. The whole plot has been leading up to an intense crescendo, and when the writer is at the height of confidence, a â€Å"continuous scream, utterly anomalous† was heard, â€Å"only out of hell.† The re-appearance of the animal definitely doesn’t seem lie ka coincidence. We have no ide a where it is, and then, suddenly, it foils the old, murderous villain. In the nineteenth century, people believed in witchcraft. They believed in ghosts and all superstitious theories. The writer uses this to extract terror from the reader. â€Å"My original soul seemed at once, to take it’s flight from my body; and a more than fiendish malevolence, gin-nurtured, thrilled every fibre of my frame.† This quotation exploits the reader and emphasizes the views of society. The writer’s wife believed in the â€Å"ancient popular notion which regarded all black cats as witches in disguise.† It is a story of a butchering; a cold-blooded, violent execution. Throughout, the reader is tense and fearful. Tension is built up with evocative language and sudden switches of mood and tempo. In â€Å"The Blind Man,† by Kate Chopin is a confusing story. It is extremely mysterious, with perception playing a big part in what is real, and what the reader imagines. The principal character of â€Å"The Blind Man,† is represented as being wise. The fact that he â€Å"walked slowly down the street,† and he wore â€Å"an old straw hat and faded garments† does not produce an image of poorness; yet summons an illustration or superiority. In the first sentence of the story, the reader is told that he was â€Å"carrying a small red box in one hand.† This is, at first, very mysterious and we are intrigued to learn of it’s contents. The reader is also told that he is walking on â€Å"the blistering asphalt pavement,† even though there is plenty of shade on the other side of the road â€Å"where the trees where thick.† As we do not yet know that the man is blind, the reader feels insecure and suspicious about the man’s posit ion. When we find out the man is blind, the reader feels a sense of understanding, and empathizes with the old man, even though â€Å"he was not old.† The writer personifies the man’s feelings. â€Å"Hunger, with sharp fangs was gnawing at his stomach.† This seems unusual and eerie; the setting does not produce an image of fear, yet this powerful phrase ‘wakes up’ the reader and creates a tension and slight hope that something will happen. When the group of boys try and take his box away from him, he acts like anyone would. He shouts at them, and tries to get it back. The reader thinks, that when a policeman came round the corner, he would get his box back and the boys would get in trouble. However, upon â€Å"seeing that he was the centre of a disturbance, jerked him violently† and took him aside. This scared the reader as it is totally unexpected, and is preparing us for another unexpected event, yet to come. â€Å"Then, something happened.† Before we even learn the details, suspense has already been built, as the reader is told than something has happened. It doesn’t matter at this stage what it is – all that matters is that we are on the edge of our seat, waiting. Emotions run wild as we learn that whatever has happened made â€Å"the strongest men who saw it grow sick and dizzy.† This is a phrase which emphasized the brutality of the collision. Even the â€Å"superhuman effort† that the man used to try and stop his car failed. By now, the reader is unhappily excited, the action that has taken place gives an adrenaline rush and provides the reader with tense desire to find out more. As the truth is revealed, there is a complete anticlimax. It is not as we expected; it is not the blind man in the road. Even though this is a big surprise, there is no real shock. â€Å"The blind man did not know what the commotion was all about. He had crossed the street.† This final sentence of the story is unexplained and devious. It seems supernatural, as if he is acting suspicious. Edgar Allan Poe’s, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† is an evocative and extremely intensifying story, filled with twists and shock. In the first sentence, suspense is built up and the writer is snappy and precise with his words. â€Å"The disease had sharpened my senses, not destroyed,† is powerful yet confusing, as usually, a disease would not improve senses or physical attributes. As this is an inexplicable statement, the reader becomes wary and suspicious of this character almost immediately, thus setting the scene for a horror story. â€Å"Passion there was none. I loved the old man.† The fact that ‘loved’ is past tense, immediately shows that something either isn’t right, or has changed. The writer proceeds to say, â€Å"Madmen know nothing. You should have seen me,† really emphasizing how scary he is. And the reader is nervous – they are completely unaware and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve. But even this madman has fears. And this makes is scarier for the reader, and we soon find out that a pale blue eye that â€Å"resembled that of a vulture,† made the writers â€Å"blood run cold.† This language creates a lot of anxiety and trepidation, for there is another character, powerful enough to trigger terror amongst the writer and the reader. Other phrases used, such as â€Å"I heard many things in hell† are demonic and hellish, showing that this story is likely to be dangerously horrid. The image that we have of this man being mad and out of control is shattered on the second page of the book, when he describes how it took him â€Å"an hour to place my whole head within the opening† of the door. This continues – it takes him an hour to put the lantern in until, eventually; he is standing in the doorway. This really does build tension, very slowly, because all of a sudden, the â€Å"old man sprung up in bed, crying out – â€Å"Who’s there?† This is slightly baffling, as the writer didn’t make any sounds – he â€Å"could feel the extent of my powers – of my sagacity.† Again, Edgar Allan Poe stands and waits for an hour. The old man groans, and it is a groan â€Å"of mortal terror.† The word ‘mortal’ prompts the reader to think about death and dying, also triggering the imagination – we want and need something to happen. The author then uses metaphors to add tension to the piece. â€Å"A single dim ray, like the thread of a spider† show the amount of precision; the perfection. Again, the writer refers to the eyes as being a â€Å"vulture.† Before the writer commits the sin he hears a sound. It is like a â€Å"watch makes when enveloped in cotton.† This makes us think about what this simile means. Poe stands by the mans door again, but this time for a number of minutes. The time has shortened, showing impatience and eagerness. The reader shivers with anticipation until eventually he â€Å"threw open the lantern and leaped into the room.† There is a total loss of the wit; the planning. However, it is a criminal calculation; perfectly planned. When the man is dead, the killer †dismembered the corpse.† This is a particularly provocative verb and sparks a gruesome image to enter the reader’s head. The writer believes himself to be perfect, and his audacity is arrogant. More suspense is built when the police enter. This is a great technique as the reader then feels that there is still more action to come. Again, the write is confident; â€Å"my manner convinced them. I was singularly at ease.† His head starts aching as he â€Å"fancies a ringing in my ears.† This produces confusion, and this confusing rapidly turns into excitement. â€Å"The ringing became more distinct†¦no doubt I grew very pale.† Edgar Allan Poe is hearing a noise; a familiar noise; â€Å"a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton.† a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton.† This repetition is extreme and the reader is overcome with anxiety. In one sense, we actually want the assassin to get away with his dastardly crime, as it will be more exciting. The fretfulness and unease continues to grow and the noise persists in booming in the ears of the poor fellow, until he lets out a roar of confession, shouting, â€Å"Villains! ‘dissemble no more! I admit the deed!† This quickfire of shouted remarks is out of desperation and guilt. The final line of the story is, â€Å"it is the beating of his hideous heart! This refers to the old, dead man. But this is also extremely ironic, and the sound that was ringing in Poe’s ears was out of guilt, and subconsciously it was his own heart. It is human nature to have fears. Lots of people have claustrophobia, and many more would hate to be buried alive. In † The Tell-Tale Heart† and â€Å"The Black Cat,† there are incarcerations and live burials. This is extremely disturbing and people in the nineteenth century would be extremely disturbed to see or hear of such events. The shock horror at the end of all three stories is graphic: the imagery produced is sensitive and detailed. Edgar Allan Poe and Kate Chopin use many different techniques and methods to build up tension and suspense. Use of effective, redolent language, and the reader’s imagination combine to force painful settings and events into the story. Nineteenth century society was brutal – there were gruesome executions and murders, and suspicious activity and witchcraft were looked down upon and punished. Conflict between logic and instinct in characters puts strain and pressure on the reader. Confusion and unexpected twists in the complex plots produce fear and total anxiety in the reader.

Strengths and Weaknesses as a Writer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Strengths and Weaknesses as a Writer - Essay Example I learned how to revise my work thoroughly before submission and can meet deadlines since I submitted all my papers on the specified time. Another thing that shows my responsibility is my ability to write without plagiarizing by accrediting all the sources of my writing and summarizing all the sources in my words. I also observe all the MLA style of formatting when presenting my work. I also welcome any critics from my peers and readers of my essays to enable me work on my weaknesses and enhance my strengths. Another strength I have noticed since I enrolled for the course is strong communication skills in my arguments especially in persuasive writing. I have the ability to bring up an argument and support it with convincing evidence by use of examples and demonstration. I can arrange my work with goo paragraphs and well-connected ideas to provide the transition from one issue to the next. My grammar has improved as I can use perfect American English and observe all its rules to build strong sentences free of grammatical errors. By looking at the reviews from my peers and my tutor, there is a lot of improvement in the usage of grammar in my essays as the semester progressed. My choice of words during writing is great as demonstrated in the essay Facebook Making us Lonely. I also have the ability to use the appropriate styles such as the tone of the writing depending on the mood of the essay. I have improved my skills in forming goo sentences using the formal language while avoiding colloquialism.

Misinterpretation of James Mill Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Misinterpretation of James Mill - Research Paper Example Understanding Mill's advocacy of commerce as a response to the specific conditions of nineteenth-century Britain underscores important aspects of his work that are often overlooked. Mill's assessment of the social benefits of the market is considerably more cautious and skeptical than is often understood in "economic" interpretations of his utilitarianism. He is often mistaken for a theorist who thought that social sentiments were irrelevant to human happiness. Mill negatively assessed social sentiments because in this context the predominant social sentiments were aimed at maintaining deference to ascribed social status. He also believed that if social sentiments were egalitarian, they contributed positively to human happiness. Indeed, what is most often overlooked is that Mill was critical of an excessive preoccupation with interests. He believed that the esteem of others was a critical part of human happiness and that it was undesirable to pursue interests to the exception of cult ivating affective ties. From a contemporary perspective, it is important to understand that Mill's theory in favor of the market had a specific historical reference to the conditions of nineteenth-century Europe. For that reason, his theory does not provide a normative basis for economic liberalization today in any straightforward way. We ought to understand the early history of capitalism as a specific ideological response to the shortcomings of traditional societies-not just in economics but in basic social and political values.

Role of high frequency trading in modern financial markets Essay

Role of high frequency trading in modern financial markets - Essay Example High Frequency Trading or HFT used propriety trading strategies which allow traders and firms to conclude transactions within the micro-seconds. With the help of sophisticated computer algorithms as well as other tools positions can be easily taken and closed within seconds or less than a second to take advantage of the smallest movements in the prices of the securities. HFT firms are not only market makers but they offer critical liquidity to the market also. In 2000, the overall volume of HFT was relatively low however, during the recent years, it witnessed an explosive growth. Firms are increasingly relying on HFT to gain required advantage as well as to remain ahead of the competition. The closely guarded algorithms process large volume of data at really rapid speed and offer cost advantage while having smaller portfolio holding periods. Though the overall number of firms using HFT is relatively low however, the overall volume of trade showed erratic trends with rapid increase as well as decrease in the overall trading activity. This paper will discuss and describe what High Frequency Trading is and will further elaborate on the role of HFT in modern financial markets. Modern financial Markets Financial Markets are still under the stress of financial meltdown which started during 2007-2008. With massive breakdown of banks and other financial institutions, the crisis exposed the overall vulnerable nature of the modern financial markets and created an uncertainty over the ability of modern markets to function properly and effectively. Though the major impact of the financial crisis is over however, financial markets are still under the stress. In such an environment, regulatory bodies have developed rules and regulations which did not allow firms to take on the speculative positions and implement proper risk management systems in place. The importance of new parameters of risk became significant specially in the wake of the recent financial crisis wherein reg ulatory bodies became relatively more conscious in terms of erratic behavior of financial services firms. (Aldridge, 24) It is also critical to note that the financial markets have grown more complicated over the period of time. The sheer size and volume of the transactions, the use of information technology as well as development of sophisticated trading and valuation models added more complexity to the overall markets. Despite the fact that the markets operate on the basis of the perfect market hypothesis and all the subsequent theory has been developed on this promise, it is still important to note that many imperfections exist in markets allowing market makers and investors to take advantage of such opportunities. There has been a relentless improvement and development of modern technology which will continue to dominate the present and future of the financial markets at the global level. The development of new technologies has actually created new opportunities which human trad ers may not be able to spot as well as execute. As such, modern financial institutions tend to focus on combining the power of human insight with the speed and efficiency of the modern

What Is The Most Important Thing In Socialism Assignment

What Is The Most Important Thing In Socialism - Assignment Example Socialism also at the time revolutionary in nature as most of the socialist society tends to be dynamic. In revolutionary socialism, a socialist society comes up with new ways of doing things and improving on the existing ones while ensuring that the common good stands. In modern society, there is false consciousness about socialism as many societies use democracy to imply socialism (Steger, 80). In socialism, there is the idea of common ownership and the issue of sharing properties, but in democracy, capitalism sets in and it is only a few influential personalities who own properties. The influential people normally sway the masses and at the end of the day, it looks like the common good are prevailing. In reality, the few individuals get their way. This is the false consciousness that modern society holds on socialism.Politically, one of the leading fathers of socialism is Karl Marx. In his argument, Karl Marx believed that capitalism was responsible for the exploitation of the var ious workers and citizens around the world. He was of the idea that a social revolution was the way out when it comes to dealing with capitalism. Marx saw the class system in society as a factor leading to alienation and hindering the freedom of citizens (Marx and Friedrich 89). He believed that a social-political system where the political power rested with the community and private ownership of properties existed was all that a society needed to realize the freedom from capitalism. However, this argument of a revolution does not hold always as some agents and parties normally take advantage and in the presence of championing the common good revolt for their own personal interests (Nicholls 79). Therefore, in as much as revolutionary socialism is effective in political liberation, caution must be taken when implementing it. The two major stages according to Marx is where the class is retained, but then the goods are commonly owned and the second stage is where the class is fully ab olished and the state becomes unnecessary leading to a utopian society. This may lead to anarchy and lawlessness in the end (Kropotkin et al. 102).

Will special programs for reconvicts reduce recidivism Essay

Will special programs for reconvicts reduce recidivism - Essay Example The study will focus on the area covered by the Metropolitan Police force and the State of Colorado in the U. S. A. it will compare and contrast the statistics relevant to the study. The convicts who have been reconvicted and those who have not been will also be compared and contrasted to study whether there is a class of persons more likely to reoffend than others. The histories of both the classes of convicts will be studied to determine the necessary steps to be taken for the prevention of recidivism. The results of this study will be utilized to identify the most representative of reconvicts will be formed. Experimental groups of the classes will be identified. The experimental groups will be given correctional lectures, incentives for good behavior including the shortening of the period of notification and a role in social aid for police forces (volunteering for traffic police duties etc.) apart from psychotherapy and counseling. Persons in each group will be selected randomly. The study will be done with the aid of secondary data in the form of the records maintained in the form of Violent and Sexual Crimes Register, Offenders Index and the National Police Register in the United Kingdom and the similar records in the U. S. A.