Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Business Ethics - Essay Example It may be argued that the business professional is not solely responsible for proper business conduct, but the organization can assist ethical behavior of a business person by laying code of conduct which may be used for immediate reference when the individual is unsure of the step ahead. Business ethics does not have a typical definition because the rightness or wrongness of a behavior in business is not agreed by all as morally right or wrong, ethical or unethical, good or bad. Ethics has evolved from ancient tradition based on cultural, religious and philosophical beliefs. Business ethics is an argumentative subject with disagreements erupting due to its dynamism, complexity and interdependence in business. Business operations usually involve compromise. There are two basic viewpoints about business ethics: (a) business ethics is inseparable from personal or other ethics and (b) business will not be more ethical than the people who conduct business. There are certain assumptions that form the basis for business ethical and unethical business conduct. It is assumed that profit is not the only motive of business, competition leads individuals to ignore ethics, pressure to compromise ethics occurs often at lower and middle management levels, a person who act ethically has a proper personal code, ethics is highest among youngest and those in the final stages of their careers, individuals with ethical superior tend to behave ethically, workplace pressures to exhibit performance can lead to unethical behavior and more managers and employees identify their ethical behavior with the policies of their organization(Lewis, P.V. 1985 p.377-383). Some scholars define ethics as an inquiry into the grounds and nature of morality where morality is considered as standards, moral judgements and rules of conduct. The confusion in understanding ethics is due to the inability to determine precisely the various factors of business ethics and

The Issue of Female Identity in the Novel The Trick Essay Example for Free

The Issue of Female Identity in the Novel The Trick Essay This paper examines the issues of gender within Janice Galloway’s novel, The Trick is to Keep Breathing. The paper considers the identity crisis that the character of Joy Stone in the novel faces and discloses how this crisis is triggered as a result of social oppression. The Trick is to Keep Breathing is primarily a story about the mental health of an individual and tells of how she has suffered to such an extent that she has been plummeted into depression, self-loathing and anorexia. One of the key themes in the book is that of alienation. The main character, Joy, is suffering from a loss, a loss that is not recognized in the eyes of society; she is the mistress of a dead man. Whilst the family of the man are able to openly grieve and be acknowledged for their position in her lover’s life, she is forced to hide her feelings away, together with her knowledge of her lover’s feelings for her, in her own secret prison. Her position as a mistress leaves her with no place to grieve and the social constraints of society entail she is restrained from mourning. Social institutions mean that she has no justifiable relationship with Michael and therefore is without purpose, she has no existence. She is thus socially oppressed and such oppression acts as means by which Joy’s identity and place in the world is stripped from her. Joy has no real control over her life. . She is thus trying to grief alone and quietly but her inability to publicly release her feelings and gain recognition for how significant she was in her lover life mean that loses all self respect and she subsequently endures a lifestyle that is devoid of any significance. She completes her daily chores with very little feeling and her future stretches before her in a daunting and formidable fashion. Even time is meaningless to her. Joy’s depressed and emptiness plays out on both a psychological and a physical level. She is obsessed with her own image and allows her self perception to be negatively impacted by the magazines she reads and the inferior way in which they make her feel. The only way in which she seems capable of having some control over her feelings is through denying herself food. She attempts to rid herself of her sense of loss and her frustration with the way in which society treats her by starving herself and thus intertwines her identity crisis with her physical body. But the physical manifestations of her oppression only serve to enhance her feelings of loss, â€Å"Empty space. I had nothing inside me† (147). She is increasingly becoming separated from the world in which she lives, the people who surround her and even her own body. Gender is of extremely relevance within the novel and her relationships with various male figures such as the doctors, an ex boyfriend and her boss form an important element of the story. All of the men she encounters are dominant, overpowering characters who, in their own ways, wish Joy to submit to their wishes. Her memories of her ex-lover control her, the doctors think they know what is best for her and wish for her to do as she is told and other characters simply want to seduce her. However, Joy has lost all ability to adhere to the men’s wishes and she suffers a form of breakdown; one which rebels against what is socially expected of her and strives for freedom from the entrapment of the male gaze and their endless orders. She learns to create meaning for herself, not by adhering to what society deems meaningful but by defining this for herself. By stripping things of the meaning attributed to them by society she is able to rid herself of her oppression and see life in a new light. She learns that she is happier if she doesn’t live by society’s rules and, whilst this may her appear chaotic to an outside audience, it frees her from her personal prison.

Hardys Jude the Obscure :: Religion Religion Jude Hardy Essays

Hardy's Jude the Obscure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Hardy's Jude the Obscure, Hardy shows his views on religion and commitment to the Church which were said to have declined in the latter years of his life. (Ingham, xxvii) Throughout the book Hardy displays his feeling that religion is something that people use in order to satisfy themselves by giving their lives meaning. One instance in which Hardy clearly displays this is when he writes, "It had been the yearning of his heart to find something to anchor on, to cling to." (Ingham, 94) In order to bring out this point Hardy chooses to create Jude as an orphan and has him come from obscure origins. By doing this he creates a character who is looking for something to give him an identity. As a result of his relationship with Mr. Phillotson (who leaves for Christminster in order to become ordained), he finds religion and feels that he can use it to help him gain an identity. Hardy feels that people should shy away from their old ways of thinking and begin to form new opinions of their own. He feels that people should not just blindly follow religion without deciding for themselves that this is what they want. People should not be as Jude who becomes obsessed with religion simply because his mentor Phillotson felt this way. One of the major reasons that causes Hardy to have these views is that he feels religion leads to hypocrisy. He feels that man has many desires that go against the laws of religion, and these desires lead man to feel very hypocritical. These feelings of hypocrisy then cause man to have many inner conflicts that lead to many problems. This negativity towards religion is seen both through symbols in the book and in the plot itself. The symbols that convey this message are the name Jude, which is an allusion to Judas Iscariot who was a traitor to Jesus. The name Jude can also be a reference to the wandering Jew. The second symbol is Christminster. Christminster symbolizes a world in which Jude sees how remarkable the Church is, but it is a place that exists only in Jude's imagination. Another symbol that we encounter is that of Samson who is symbolic of man going after women that are forbidden to him. We also encounter a reference to Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, which is used to question God by asking why the righteous suffer. Finally, the job Jude chooses is also symbolic of the anti-religious attitude that is shown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The negativity towards religion is first revealed in the name Jude.

Electronic Health Records Essay

Implementing a new electronic health records (EHR) system to replace manual records is an extremely complicated task. EHRs use complex algorithms to exchange patient data among different physicians and departments such as a pharmacy and laboratory. EHRs are becoming popular because employees and patients can access records anytime and anywhere. Patient drug alerts are also part of the system to warn emergency room and intensive care nurses about potential drug reactions. A needs assessment is a systematic procedure to determine what components are required for EHR implementation to prevent failure of the highly costly investment. Although EHR systems have been shown to dramatically reduce human error, proper assessment before undergoing the implementation process is critical or errors and costs could actually increase. An EHR assessment must be completed before the software packages can be selected to ensure it is conformed perfectly to the specialized needs of the hospital. According to the California Medical Association the assessment has two steps: 1.) Readiness Assessment; and 2.) Work Flow Analysis (Ginsberg et al., n.d.). The assessment should be done by a seasoned group of engineers, physicians, lab workers, billing staff, pharmacists, and nurses to collaborate so that each department increases patient safety and efficient care. The assessment should include a web-based demonstration that allows all stakeholders to identify gaps that would hinder their job responsibilities. Once the needs assessment has been done and vendors chosen as potential suppliers, the readiness assessment should begin. One of the most important data to collect is financial resources. Are more physicians going to be  hired that will increase training costs? Can the organization truly afford the upstart investment and ongoing computer support? Space considerations are also critical to evaluate because most closets are too small for the new EHR platforms that have huge servers. High-speed internet capabilities are a must for EHR data exchange between stakeholders. Moreover, are existing medical records planned to be thinned to put the data into the new system? If so, data needs to be destroyed according to HIPP protocol to protect patient confidentiality. The work flow analysis portion of the needs assessment looks at step-by-step procedures. Examples are scheduling, diagnostic tests, and reviewing tests, prescribing medication, clinical notes, and billing data (Ginsberg et al., n.d.). Other data to be analyzed for the EHR system should be medical history forms, lists of current medications vital signs, insurance, and referrals. The flow of steps in this planning process involves network upgrades, expanding server room space, a Medicare fraud plan, selection of three EHR vendors, visiting other hospitals using the systems, negotiating, and finally select the model that is best suited to all stakeholders. A 10-year study done by the Canada Health Info way about who should be consulted during adoption of an EHR system looked at 29 key stakeholders involved in establishing policy (Rozenblum et al., 2001). They found that stakeholders should be consulted from a bottom-up, clinical needs approach first because they will be the heaviest users of the system. This means physicians, nurses, certified nursing assistants, billers, lab workers, and pharmacy employees need to have significant input into selecting what aspects are most important. The number one reason for implementation failure is inadequate involvement of line-worker clinicians (Rozenblum et al., 2001). Therefore, the informatics team must work very closely with these stakeholders. Other critical stakeholders to consult are the finance department to ensure how much funding is available. Patients are also important stakeholders because no one wants their health information linked to a huge system that is insecure and prone to hacking confidential medical records. Policy makers at the executive organizational and governmental level also have powerful sway over which EHR is chosen. Lack of  collaboration among these diverse groups can delay implementation of the system for decades. Appropriate needs assessment provides relevant feedback to upper management. This helps these higher-ups make wise decisions based on financial resources, training needs for staff, vendor choice, and whether or not EHR is even necessary (Hartzler et al, 2013). Upper management is also provided with the ability to analyze which employees should have access to the system (or what parts of the system) to complete their designated tasks. Gaps between â€Å"wants† and â€Å"needs† can also be identified so that valuable resources are analyzed in cost-benefit analysis. Training needs or additional hiring of employees can also be anticipated to prevent glitches in the system due to human error. EHR systems can increase profit margins and protect patients from human error if assessed closely prior to purchase and implementation. References Ginsberg, D. (n.d.). Successful preparation and implementation of an electronic health records system. Best Practices: A guide for improving the efficiency and quality of your practice. Retrieved December 26, 2014 at https://www.cmanet.org/files/pdf/ehr/best-practices-7.pdf. Hartzler, A. et al. (2013). Stakeholder engagement: A key component of integrating genomic information into electronic health records. Genetics in Medicine, 15, 792-801. Rozenblum, R. (2001). A qualitative study of Canada’s experience with the implementation of electronic health information technology. CMAJ, 183(5), E281-E288.

Marketing James Patterson Books Essay

Over the last decade James Patterson has published an unprecedented number of best-selling books, cemented a powerful brand image amongst a loyal following, and redefined the process by which authors create content to meet reader demand. From November 2000 through June 2003, Patterson had cumulative sales of over six million dollars, trailing only John Grisham during that time frame. He has generated the majority of his sales through a loyal readership that consistently lines up to buy his next installment. Keenly aware of this dedicated following, Patterson successfully sought to augment the proliferation of his titles with co-authors familiar with his brand that could share the workload, creating a virtual assembly-line of best-sellers. Despite this enormous success, the Patterson brand still has a sizeable opportunity for growth. Patterson cites a need to broaden his, relative to other best-selling authors, narrow reader base to capture a greater percentage of the â€Å"omnivorous† readers, amongst whom his brand penetration was much lower. There are two possibilities for Patterson to consider, both involving his relationship with book clubs. The book clubs provide an excellent source of individualized customer information, but have not themselves yielded an enormous amount of profitability for already-established authors such as Patterson. The first option would be to negotiate higher club royalties with the existing book club partnerships. Patterson himself has advocated this approach, citing that the clubs often erode profits from bookstore store sales, and the clubs need him more than he needs the clubs. The second possibility is for Patterson to embrace the book club marketing model, using the club’s customer information to market directly to the customer. Patterson could identify on an individual and international basis the â€Å"omnivorous† reader that has not yet embraced his books. He could then tailor a marketing campaign centered around the promotion of his titles directly to these readers. Recommendation: The first option would not really address the concern about Patterson’s narrow reader base. While it may be true that the club needs Patterson more than he needs the club, it is still a means to reach a broader audience. It seems more likely that Patterson has merely under-used the club channel, which is why the second option would provide a better opportunity for  Patterson to reach a larger target audience. He mentions that he has not yet become a â€Å"badge† author, meaning that he has not been able to break out of his genre and create a â€Å"buzz† across a wide range of readers. He does not yet have the name recognition as some of his best-selling counterparts, and without this name recognition he needs to seek other means to create a buzz for his next title. I would advocate allowing book club members exclusive access to his next release before it is released in book stores or other retail channels. Clubs, with exclusive rights to the pre-released book, would now have incentive to push Patterson as its preeminent selection. This would help create the powerful, and international, word-of-mouth campaign that he is seeking. First, those already loyal to the brand would now have the opportunity to create anticipation amongst other non-club Patterson loyalists, driving demand for its eventual release in stores. Secondly, and more importantly, club members not loyal to the brand would now have an added incentive to sample a Patterson novel. Being granted exclusive access to what promises to be a best-seller might be the impetus necessary to finally penetrate more of the omnivorous readers. Now Patterson would have a broad spectrum of readers across the globe discussing his novel and creating a buzz before it even reaches a mass audience. This is a similar model to the one employed in the movie industry, where movies are pre-released to create a word-of-mouth campaign before its larger release. Patterson notes that the book industry is generally â€Å"unimaginative†, essentially waiting to retroactively replicate the success of the next blockbuster hit. With an exclusive pre-release to a carefully pre-determined list of customers, Patterson would instead be proactively creating a buzz, and potentially, a blockbuster. In terms of channel management, this pre-release should satisfy all members of the channel. Certainly, the book clubs would embrace the idea of being able to market an exclusive release of a Patterson novel, and with exclusive rights, should be able to retain club members for longer commitments. More importantly, this would not have to come at the expense of the retail chains because club members generally would buy books through the club channel anyways. The retail stores, instead, could benefit from the buzz created by club members, as non-club members may now be clamoring to buy the book their friends have already been talking about as soon as it is released in stores. A true blockbuster would increase the size of the â€Å"pie† for all channel members. Channel (2001): Strategic Resources: Patterson: ?Brand name: dominant in crime fiction genre ?Many titles: 3 per year vs. 1 for Clancy, Cornwell ?Cliffhanger endings leave Patterson readers eager for next installment ? Marketing Expertise: Patterson former Chairman of J. Walter Thompson â€Å"Badge† Authors: ?Name recognition: 90% and 84% for Grisham and Clancy (Patterson 54%) ? Broader range of readers ?Books as a status symbols: read these authors to impress others Book Clubs: ?Individualized customer information ?Name-brand authors ?Capable of tracking all book sales and buying behavior Problems: Resources: ?Patterson name not as well known as his book titles ?Relatively narrow range of readers: mainly â€Å"crime fiction addicts† ? Not as much status in reading a Patterson novel ?Relatively small international readership Incentives: ?Book Clubs push authors with highest name recognition? Patterson books might not be promoted as heavily as books from â€Å"badge† authors ? Deals with clubs risk eroding bookstores’ profits ?Club members often terminate contract after commitment is over Coordination: ?Retail stores can only track purchase behavior through surveys Recommendation: ?Pre-release next best-seller prospect with book club members oPre-release gives book, as well as club members, premium status oGenerates a â€Å"buzz† before retail release in domestic and international markets with Patterson loyalists and â€Å"omnivorous† best-seller readers oCreates anticipation to drive demand for purchases at retail stores.

As the World Rots Essays

As the World Rots Essays As the World Rots Paper As the World Rots Paper The experiment conducted was aimed towards assessing the capabilities of both bacteria and fungi to decompose food samples in acidic conditions. In this sense, four variables were tested in relation to the rotting process, using both pickled and non-pickled cucumber samples in tap water, bottled water, vinegar, and no liquid setups. The resulting setups were observed for the growth of microorganisms at regular intervals for five weeks. The hypothesis considered through the experiment was that pickled cucumbers will have a slower rate of microbial decomposition compared to non-pickled cucumbers. Basing on the results, wherein non-pickled cucumber samples were identified to have acquired greater microbial growth development through time for all substrates, then the hypothesis was evidently supported. In addition, it is quite notable that microbial growth was not observed in pickled samples throughout the five week period for every setup used. As for the non-pickled cucumber samples in tap water and bottled water setups, bacterial growth characterized by brown spots began during the fourth week of observation, and decay progressed through the fifth week. Contrary to what is expected though, even though vinegar being acidic has intrinsic antimicrobial properties, microbial growth should have been observed. However, from the results, neither bacteria nor fungi were able to grow in vinegar based setups. Theoretically, the fungi are expected to exhibit better growth since the fungi are generally more acid tolerant than the bacteria; hence common spoilage bacterial colonies will benefit more from more less acidic conditions (Lund, Parker, and Gould, 2000). Unfortunately though, fungal growth was not observed in the course of the experiment as pointed out. In conclusion, although the experiment was generally successful and the hypothesis was confirmed, changes to the general procedure may be done in succeeding trials especially in consideration of fungal growth. For one, the commercially produced pickles must no longer be used since the heat and saline processing involved in its production may already have rid of most of the fungi as well as other spoilage bacteria. Also, the use of completely sterile or aseptic procedures may be utilized in sample procurement, preparation, storage, and observation so as to increase the reliability of the results.

Free Essays on Human Right

Human Rights The article â€Å"Human Rights as a Common Concern† by Charles R. Beitz a professor of government at Bowdoin College published in â€Å"American Political Science† review. As shown by the title of the article it is about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the human rights of everyone in individual nation-states. â€Å"The global human rights regime is almost certainly more influential today then at any time since World War I† (Beitz 269). The rights have been influential in the U.S. the most in the last few weeks. Beitz points out international human rights as partisan standards. His fist thought is what the international recognized human rights and the five separated categories. â€Å"The rights of the person refer to life, liberty, and the security or the person; rights associated with the rule of law include equal recognition; political rights encompass freedom of expression; economic and social rights refer to and adequate standard of living; rights of communities include self-determination and protection of minority cultures† (Beitz 271). As you look at these rights that are recognized by the nation-states they look very similar to the United States Bill of Rights. After the five categories Beitz tells about the rights of the individual nation-state gives to its people, for example, the FGM in Sahelian African. The following section, Beitz discusses neutrality and paternalism. â€Å" The evident partisanship of international human rights doctrine has led some philosophers to suggest that we should distinguish between the full set of values recognized as human rights in international law and or human rights proper† (Beitz 272). He also illustrates moral codes, different moralities and global moral pluralism. He gives the example of R.J. Vincent and his book about the â€Å"core of basic rights that is common to all cultures despite the apparently divergent theories.† Beitz also gives several other exa... Free Essays on Human Right Free Essays on Human Right Human Rights The article â€Å"Human Rights as a Common Concern† by Charles R. Beitz a professor of government at Bowdoin College published in â€Å"American Political Science† review. As shown by the title of the article it is about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the human rights of everyone in individual nation-states. â€Å"The global human rights regime is almost certainly more influential today then at any time since World War I† (Beitz 269). The rights have been influential in the U.S. the most in the last few weeks. Beitz points out international human rights as partisan standards. His fist thought is what the international recognized human rights and the five separated categories. â€Å"The rights of the person refer to life, liberty, and the security or the person; rights associated with the rule of law include equal recognition; political rights encompass freedom of expression; economic and social rights refer to and adequate standard of living; rights of communities include self-determination and protection of minority cultures† (Beitz 271). As you look at these rights that are recognized by the nation-states they look very similar to the United States Bill of Rights. After the five categories Beitz tells about the rights of the individual nation-state gives to its people, for example, the FGM in Sahelian African. The following section, Beitz discusses neutrality and paternalism. â€Å" The evident partisanship of international human rights doctrine has led some philosophers to suggest that we should distinguish between the full set of values recognized as human rights in international law and or human rights proper† (Beitz 272). He also illustrates moral codes, different moralities and global moral pluralism. He gives the example of R.J. Vincent and his book about the â€Å"core of basic rights that is common to all cultures despite the apparently divergent theories.† Beitz also gives several other exa...