Thursday, August 22, 2019
Being on time Essay Example for Free
Being on time Essay One of my pet peeves is people who arenââ¬â¢t on time for things. Just how much this upsets me was brought home to me twice today, and I decided it was time to rant about it. The first was a meeting I was supposed to have with the director of a local non-profit organization. The plan was that he would give me a call ââ¬Å"before noonâ⬠, to arrange a meeting shortly after noon. I was offering to put some scripts together on their website so they could post news more easily so people would know whatââ¬â¢s up with this organization. Off the top of my head, Iââ¬â¢d guess it was an offer of about a thousand dollar donation of services. He finally called at 12:30, calling my cell-phone (after Iââ¬â¢d given him my home number, saying that was the best way to reach me), leaving a message saying weââ¬â¢d have to reschedule. I left for lunch and a walk to clear my head at 12:45, and finally got the message at 2:45 when I got home and wondered if maybe heââ¬â¢d called the cell-phone. At this point, I donââ¬â¢t know if Iââ¬â¢m even going to bother trying again. Apparently my offer of services isnââ¬â¢t worth enough for him to call me when he said he was going to, which makes me wonder why I should bother helping out. The second was the president of a company for which we did some web design work. He was impressed with our work, and asked if we might want to put in a bid for some future work. The problem is that the person we had to work with at that company, ââ¬Å"marketing guyâ⬠, had blown off every single in-person meeting weââ¬â¢d scheduled during the previous project, and had been late for numerous phone calls weââ¬â¢d also scheduled (about a quarter of the final cost to the client was time we spent waiting for marketing guy, rather than doing productive work). I replied that weââ¬â¢d be interested in looking at the work, as long as marketing guy wasnââ¬â¢t involved. And Iââ¬â¢ll stick by that. I donââ¬â¢t think thereââ¬â¢s enough money to convince me to work with marketing guy again. The third event (a couple days ago) is a company Iââ¬â¢m contracting at. At this company, thereââ¬â¢s a regularly scheduled weekly meeting. It happens every week unless people decide there isnââ¬â¢t enough to talk about and we cancel the meeting. One of the team members has not been on time for the meeting that I can remember. It bugs me enough that even though this is the client providing most of my income at the moment, I think about simply walking away from the contract almost every day. So why do I feel this strongly about being on time? Well, most of it has to do with the saying ââ¬Å"A Manââ¬â¢s Word is His Bond.â⬠If you tell someone youââ¬â¢re going to do something, then you do it. If you donââ¬â¢t, youââ¬â¢d better give notice ahead of time, and have a pretty good reason. But another part of it is respect. When schedule a meeting, Iââ¬â¢m making a commitment to be there on time. When someone else is late to the meeting, I get the feeling that they figure theyââ¬â¢ve got something more important than my time. ââ¬Å"Sorry Iââ¬â¢m late, but traffic was brutalâ⬠is an excuse I hear all the time. Well, I had to get to the meeting through the same traffic, and I was on-time. If Iââ¬â¢ve got a meeting in the morning, Iââ¬â¢ll check the traffic reports or look out the window and make sure I leave early enough to get to the meeting. I respect the other people at the meeting enough that Iââ¬â¢m not going to waste their time by being late. I just realized that this also applies to monetary issues. Iââ¬â¢ve had clients who never pay on time. They agree in a contract to pay my invoices net-30 and then checks arrive like clockwork 45-60 days after the invoice. I wonââ¬â¢t work with that sort of client anymore. Iââ¬â¢ve got yet another job that I put in a bid on yesterday, but Iââ¬â¢ve heard through the grapevine that this client habitually pays late. When we meet to discuss terms, Iââ¬â¢m going to make it very clear that late payment on their part will be considered breach of contract. Fuck it. Itââ¬â¢s not worth my time to try and wheedle payment out of them, so if they donââ¬â¢t pay, work is stopping, and Iââ¬â¢ll hand the collections over to the lawyer. It may cost me the job, but at least itââ¬â¢ll keep me from getting upset with the client. And I think thatââ¬â¢s got to be my long-term approach. If a clientââ¬â¢s not willing to honor their commitments, whether itââ¬â¢s showing up on time for a meeting, or getting a check in the mail, Iââ¬â¢m not sure why I would want to work for them. I donââ¬â¢t need the headaches. Now I just have to figure out how to deal with the current client. Maybe changing the meeting to the afternoon will be the answer.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Mission & Vision Essay Example for Free
Mission Vision Essay The article speaks about how a mission should be written, so it will provide a clearer and well defined purpose. Itââ¬â¢s explained the advantages and limitations of having it. It also explore whether a standalone statement or a broader model should be a better mission statement. This is followed by proposing a new definition of a mission, demonstrating how it is rooted in good practice, and presenting its benefits and limitations. Some context of practical implication discussed as well. Findings The paper initially shows the inconsistent use of the concept of mission in the expanded list approach. It then proceeds to show similar inconsistencies in three of the most respected models of guiding statements in the literature. Vision Framework (Collins and Porras (1991, 1995, 1996, and 1997) Ashridge Mission Model (Campbell and Yeung (1991)) Model of organizational vision ââ¬âLiptons Model (Liptonââ¬â¢s (1996, 2003)) Mission Statements Approaches Check List Type: The article says that to get a well-defined mission statement, it has to have the checklist-type approach. Research shows that many times companies are only setting a single line of mission statement which does not constitute all the items in the checklist which makes it a poor mission statement. This is where suggestions are being made to the organizations to redefine the mission statementà by David and David (2003), They suggest the following comprehensive list of nine components that an effective mission statement should include: Customers (the target market) Products/services (offerings and value provided to customers) Geographic markets (where the firm seeks customers) Technology (the technology used to produce and market products) Concern for survival/growth/profits (the firmââ¬â¢s concern for financial soundness) Philosophy (the firmââ¬â¢s values, ethics, beliefs) Public image (contributions the firm makes to communities) Employees (the importance of managers and employees); Distinctive competence (how the firm is different or better than competitors). Compilation Logic: Variously referred to as statements of purpose, values statement, goals and strategies, corporate creed, corporate philosophy, and so on. (Leuthesser and Kohli (1997,). A mission statement is a clear definition of the mission and purpose of the organization, it may be referred to as the organization creed statement, statement of purpose, statement of general principles, statement of corporate intent or vision statement. â⬠(Strong (1997, p. 269)) Strategic Intent: ââ¬Å"Strategic intent captures the essence of winningâ⬠(Hamel and Prahalad, 1989, p. 64). An effective mission statement basically answers one question: How do we intend to win in this business? â⬠Welch and Welch (2005, p. 14). Brief on the Model Vision Framework: In vision framework, a well-conceived vision consist of 2 major parts. Those are core ideology and envisioned future. The core ideology speaks about the purpose of the organization. It consists of explaining the character of the organization, what it stands for and why it exists. The 2 parts of core ideology are core values and core purpose. Core values are the principals of the organization and core purpose is the fundamental reason of the organization existence. The envisioned future is what the organization would like to achieve. Ahihridge model: In Ashridge model, the mission statement should consist not only the purpose but also the strategy, values and standards of behavior. The purpose in this context reflects as to who the organization is on business for. The strategy part speaks about the business logic on saying which business brings the competitive advantage while the values speak of the emotional and moral logics which eventually motivate the employees. The standards of behavior will convert the strategy and values into policies and guidelines. Liptons Model: Liptonââ¬â¢s model speaks of 3 components. Those are mission, strategy and culture. The mission specifies the fundamental and unique purpose of the business. The strategy is about how the mission can be achieved while obtaining the competitive advantage of the business. The culture is the part which describes the values, standards of behavior and leadership style of the organization Differences of 3 Model The ââ¬Å"Ashridgeâ⬠model emphasizes the importance of a ââ¬Å"sense of missionâ⬠and Lipton talks about a ââ¬Å"sense of vision. In both models can see purpose, strategy, values, and standards of behaviors. However the vision model comprises of vision and mission elaborated both other 2 models. The contents of those elements, however, are not always the same. Proposed Definition The proposed definition of mission statement should consist of 3 things. Those are, commitment to reflect authenticity of the mission, a significant value which is exciting and inspiring and a worthy cause for the members of the organization to embrace on. This new definition aims to provide benefits are individual and organization level. Two benefits can be derived and those are to create a clear focus for the employees and it helps organizations to make strategic decision in regards to resources which help the success of the business. Strength Drawback Analysis The variety of organizationsââ¬â¢ mission statements is so wide that no single definition can possibly be exhaustive. There are authentic and fabricated mission statements, and not all existing varieties are necessarily authentic. This definition, by design, excludes all those varieties of mission statements that are not authentic, i. e.à that imply no particular choice. The proposed definition reverses the logic of compilation and synthesis in favor of a more focused approach. Evidently, a definition built on choice can never be exhaustive. Limitation Direction for future Research The paper, however, focusses mainly on content and does not thoroughly address the process of developing a mission and how this process relates to and influences the mission ââ¬â¢s content. This is a fruitful research opportunity. Observation Mission statement framework should include some components to measure the organizational outcomes.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Introduction To Social Media Plan Proposal Marketing Essay
Introduction To Social Media Plan Proposal Marketing Essay This plan includes the tactical objectives to be used to accomplish two primary goals of social media: 1. Increase unique traffic to Archello.com 2. Convert anonymous traffic to known visitors. 3. Improve search engine rankings Introduction The impact of media has changed. The Internet used almost all the traditional media such as radio, print, television and direct mail. Similarly, marketing its role has changed over the past few years. Social media enables everyone to generate their own content as a result marketers are no longer the only broadcasters. The rise of social media The Internet is growing critical to marketing, but its moving into social digital space (Weber, 2007à [1]à ). According to Weber, the social web will become the primary centre of activity in our lives. To put it differently people use the social web instead of the old media for all the services supplied. On top of that, social web brought a lot of new opportunities to exchange knowledge worldwide. According to the Internet World Statistic in June 2010 there were more than 1.96 billion people onlineà [2]à . Given this, it can be concluded that social web has great impact on the people. For instance people now interact and communicate as a society and use the web to extend existing relationships. Moreover, using the social web people can be seen as an influencer rather than a listener. Everybody can create and distribute their knowledge and content to an audience. In addition to that, social web offers unlimited possibilities to spread thoughts and opinions. An innovative technology called RSS (Really Simple Syndication) evolved the usage of social media. It increased the reach of blogs and given terrific push to social medias evolution (Mayfield, 2008à [3]à ). With RSS the audience can subscribe to content they are interested in, which means they do not have to search for it. What is social media, compared to traditional media, from the perspective of marketing? Traditional media and social media have the same purpose yet they differ from each other in terms of content distribution and reach. In contrast, from the perspective of marketing, the distinction with regards to content and communication with the audience is significant. The social media tools share five characteristics that drive participation, openness, conversation, community and connectedness. To put it differently, these tools speculate the differences between traditional and social media. When it concerns consumer recommendation, the traditional media hardly offers anything. Since the socialisation of the web, sharing opinions has never been so easy. The consumer influence channel has changed significantly since social media and its many tools. The table below shows the difference between both types of media. Consumer influence has become extremely important. Both Personal experience and personal recommendation is a strong tool to influence consumers. This is something that traditional media does not offer. Thus companies should start being active in social media for the increasing importance of social media. When it comes to sourcing information, low-involvement products and services are not the only categories that people research and review online. It is remarkable the number of people that research high-involvement products. Looking at the marketing angle, this reflects that consumer influence on the web is also impacting long-term marketing. Social Networks Companies make use of social networking to connect with their customers. Social networking sites are basically online communities where people can share personal information, opinions, share common interest and content information. These online communities offer entertaining services and help its members help to expand their networks. Blogs Weblog is an online journal where the most recent entries appear first. People can subscribe and even leave comments. Weblog covers a wide range of content. A successful blog updates and focuses its tone, topic, links and trackbacks, comments and subscription. These features make a blog interesting. Furthermore, there is a blog distinction between personal, political and business. In the context of this report, Archellos blog can be seen as a marketing opportunity. Micro-blogging Micro-blogging is a combination of social networking and instant messaging that people can create. It provides a quick way to communicate with a group of people the message can be posted on their profile. An example of micro blogging is Twitter. The content of micro blogging is limited. Target audience With help of Internet opinions and thoughts can be shared much easier than before. People have conversations outside their social network. The influence economy is compelling the people to become more open and social. Therefore having the right target audience will contribute to a more effective communication strategy. Archellos target audience is very broad. Its target audience are the architect, the contracting firm, the architect school, the building contractor, the service provider and junior designer. Each target audience needs to be approached differently. An architect firm makes use of micro-blogging like LinkedIn whereas a designer student will become a fan on facebook. Social Media Strategies: Blog 2 hours daily Goal: 1000 daily viewers by 1st of January 2011 Short-term objectives: Increase recognition 3 number of posts a day Add RSS button Link with different architecture websites such as www.news.architecture.sk Using SocialOomph Increase engagement Post tradeshows that Archello will participate in Run a photo contest on Archellos blog and flickr Make a poll for visitors for feedback and suggestions Post latest buzz and market trends on architecture Provide forum page on Archellos blog Key Metrics: Number of posts Audience growthà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã unique and returns Conversation rate Conversions Subscribers Social Networks 2 hours daily Goal: 10.000 likes by February 2011 Short-term objectives: Facebook fan page 3 number of posts a day Link the fan page with other informative web pages such as www.news.architecture.sk Participate in others groups like Archdaily Use facebook involver applications to enhance the fan page Use Facebook add badge to increase recognition Create a invite us button on Archello website for the exhibitions Archello members should start leaving a comment on fan page about a post Enhance the fan page Total budget: à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬700 euro per month Archello.com Post relevant and inspiring case studies focusing on the design process and start discussion board where architects can discuss how they would handle a project. Start using WordPress and LiveJournal to write small piece on the architecture industry and link it back to Archello.com Run a contest of top 10 photographs. Pictures will be uploaded on Flickr, Facebook and Archello.com. The following text will appear on Flickr for the contest: We are going to publish the best 10 photos from this pool every month on Archello.com. The photos will highlight the best Flickr talents on the architecture website. Once we pick our 10 favorite photos we are going to let the photographers know via Flickrmail to let them know we are going to publish the photos. You can also join us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Archellocom/130796890286255 LinkedIn Keep the Profile up to date Start a discussion on new projects and trends related to Archello Follow companies who already are users of Archello Participate in QA, this will built credibility Join other groups to extend the number of followers Key Metrics: Referrals from social networks Friends on Social Networks Micro blogging (Twitter) 2 hours weekly Goal: 3000 followers by 1st of February 2011 Short-term objectives: Adjust the key words on twitter to attract more followers Update company profile Post trade shows that Archello will be visiting Post exhibition videos of Archello Follow daily follow 90 to 110 new people Total budget Twitter: $29,95 Key Metrics: Friends/Followers 2ndà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã order followers (followers follower count) Pages ranking on key terms from micro blogging sites Widgets 1 hour per month Short-term objectives: Creation of widgets at widgetbox.com Distribution of widgets like chat rooms, Vimeo badge and social share badge on Archello.com Key Metrics Usage of widgets (by count) Posts/Mentions about social widgets offsite Bookmarking 2 hour daily Short-term objectives: Update and Post stories on the following sites: Delicious Sphinn Reddit Digg Stumbleupon: bookmark each story or project and use wordpress blog to increase exposure. Squidoo Flickr Add This Key Metrics: Referrals from bookmarking sites Pages ranking on key terms from bookmarketing sites Online Video 2 hours weekly Short-term objectives: Update videos on social video sites and link to Archello.com Youtube Use a friend adder program: Tube Blaster Pro Key Metrics: Referrals from social video sites Views of videos on social sites Pages ranking on key terms from Youtube Photo sharing 2 hours weekly Short-term objectives: Photos of the exhibition and Archello stand Share the photos with links back to blog and Archello.com Flickr Facebook Photo Gallery Archellos blog Key Metrics: Referrals from photo sharing sites Views of photos on social sites Pages ranking on key terms from photo sharing sites Marketing suggestions to increase recognition and exposure: Create a invite us button on Archello website for the exhibitions etc Updating the blog with the latest projects and ideas relating to sustainability, content updates Organize a party for moving to Amsterdam or having the best augmented reality Top 5 architecture tips every week and link this to facebook, twitter etc Start using WordPress and LiveJournal to write small piece on the architecture industry Try to link the website with CNN.com and BBC.com since they have a major online publications Make use of Ad banners on facebook to increase brand awareness Participate on tradshows: at least once a month Post once a day links on different architecture pages. These pages include: Architecture (Visual Artist) number of likes: 62,079 Architecture (page) number of likes: 249,181 Architecture Lab (webpage) number of likes: 5,248 ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN (page) number of likes: 127,885 ARCHITECTS ARE SEXY (page) number of likes: 59,164 Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Sample-Social-Media-Marketing-Planid=3176676 http://www.danielhoang.com/2009/03/08/social-media-strategic-plan/ http://www.icrossing.co.uk/fileadmin/uploads/eBooks/What_is_Social_Media_iCrossing_ebook.pdf http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm http://www.marketingtothesocialweb.com/files/Marketing_to_the_Social_Web_-_Chapter_1.pdf How To Write Your Social Media Plan In 8 Steps
Drug Use in Sports Essay example -- Athelets Drug Use Sports
Drugs in sports can cost a player his or her scholarship(s) and more seriously, their lives. Everyday athletes that you may not think are doing anabolic steroids or the human growth hormone are the athletes who are the big users. 1. There are three major performance enhancing drugs that are used by the super star athletes: anabolic steroids, amphetamine, and the human growth hormone pills. 2. These performance enhancing are found in just about all fifty states and the problem is rapidly growing. 3. In almost every type of sport there is one form or another of performance enhancing drugs. Some of the most common sports you will find them in are the power/strength sports and the endurance sports. 4. Athletes may come up with the strangest ways of using the drugs that can sometimes be a major threat to their lives. 5. Drug testing is a way for the sports officials to weed out the users and severally punish them by throwing them off the team and sometimes expelling them from school. Perf ormance enhancing drugs have a major impact on sports and athletes. The sports of today are experiencing more problems with performance enhancing drugs mainly because of the popularity of the three most common drugs: anabolic steroids, amphetamine, and the human growth hormone. Many of the so called jocks that play the rough and tough sports like football are the ones who are using anabolic steroids. There are different effects for men and women but all of the problems are very serious. Males are subject to hair loss, acne and liver cancer which can be a life threatening disease. Females are exposed to growth of body and facial hair and they are also liable to contract deepening of the voice. Gaining that little bit of competitiveness can lead to greater increases in performance. Steroids increase muscle mass and strength which helps athletes recover quicker from injuries. The most common sports where you would find the anabolic steroids are in body building, football, track & field power events and weightlifting. Another (1) performance enhancing drug is amphetamine. Amphetamine also has very serious side effects in the male and female body. Both males and females can experience feelings of anxiety and restlessness along with a rapid heartbeat and heavy breathing. Amphetamines, as with any other performance drug, can become addictive. Athletes use the drug amphetamine to boo... ...g for steroids on a random basis. Any player testing positive on the first offense is faced with suspension for a year and on the second (6) offense the player is handed a lifetime suspension from NCAA competition. At one time Stanford University was able to compete in sports with disregard to collegiate rules about the mandatory drug testing. Conrad Rushing a California judge said, "drug testing is invasion of the athletes privacy" (Worsnop, 528). I think that statement is very wrong because drug testing should be a mandatory event in every college whether or not it is an invasion of their privacy. It is a policy and every school should abide by the rules no matter what. Drugs in schools ruins the reputation of the school and if it continues, schools will have less kids applying and they will have no other options but to get rid of the problems of drugs. Sooner or later the drug problem will just keep growing and growing and all sports are going to lose attention. Most important , sports are going to lose the support of their fans which effect the finances of the players and organizations. Without enough financial support sports cannot survive and sports would be ruined forever.
Monday, August 19, 2019
Heroism in Lord Jim Essays -- Conrad Lord Jim Essays
Heroism in Lord Jim à In the heartfelt novel, Lord Jim, Joseph Conrad explores the concept of heroism through the conduct and emotions of Jim, a man who spends his life attempting to seek penance for an act of cowardice he committed as a young officer during the shipwreck of the Patna in the East. Through the eyes of the narrator, Marlowe, the reader sees Jim's internal struggle to repent for his sin as he "jumps" from job to job trying to escape his ominous legacy, eventually landing in the dangerous and isolated community in a native state, Patusan. There he lives contentedly detached and hidden from the Patna until civilization reenters his dome in the form of an evil man, Brown --unveiling Jim's repressed and remote secret by hitting his guilty conscience -- causing Jim's long awaited dark fated death, yet, ending his life with a trace of heroism. Throughout the novel, Jim internally aspires toward the significant and frequently occurring image, courage. From the very beginning he sees "himself saving people from sinking ships . . . an example of devotion to duty, and as unflinching as a hero in a book" (3). His thoughts would be full of valorous deeds: He loved these dreams and the success of his imaginary achievements. They had a gorgeous virility, the charm of vagueness, they passed before him with a heroic tread . . ." (12). Despite this heroic desire, while on the Patna, Jim and five others ironically betray the "savage" men who were "surrendered to the wisdom of white men and to their courage"(10) when they abandon the sinking ship to insure their own safety. Conrad explains this action to be human, a natural response, something any person would have done in his situation. When Marlowe first encounter... ...le of bravery. After two years, Marlowe visits the Patusan and meets, or rather upsets, Jim and his companions. Marlowe says that they "know him to be strong, true, wise, brave . . . he was all that . . . he was more . . . he was great -- invincible -- and the world did not want him, it had forgotten him, it would not even know him" (206). When Jim encounters Brown, a man "not afraid of death" (230), he convinces his friends that Brown is no harm to them because that's what Jim truly believes. Unfortunately, advised and guided by the sneaking Cornelius, Brown had plans to attack the Malays under Dain Waris, Doramin's son. After Dain Waris was killed, Jim understood. "He had retreated from one world, for a matter of an impulsive jump, and now the other, the work of his own hands, had fallen in ruins upon his head" (265). The Malays will never trust Jim again. Ã
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Adopting an Energy-Efficient Lifestyle Essay -- Environment Research P
Adopting an Energy-Efficient Lifestyle ââ¬Å"Energy is critical for economic growth, social development and human welfare,â⬠said the Honorable Shri Dilip Ray at the 1999 International Conference on Financing of Energy Sector in Developing Countries (Chaturvedi 29). However, it can also be detrimental to these necessary features of human life by affecting the environment we live in. The environment, comprising ââ¬Å"both social/economic and physical/environmental elements,â⬠is currently being damaged by the side effects of energy wastage (Cloke and Park 35). This damage to the environment, including biodiversity loss, ozone depletion, health problems, and decreasing abundance or degradation of natural resources, is primarily due to the immense requirement of energy needed to fuel electric power plants which supply home appliances such as electric lights and heating and air conditioning systems with energy. ââ¬Å"The total electric energy consumed in the United States annually is more than 20 trillion ki lowatt-hours. Electric motors consume about 58 percent of that, or 13 trillion kwhâ⬠(Qayoumi 1). If we did not require as much energy to sustain our lifestyles, or in other words, if we lived in more energy-efficient homes and used more energy-efficient products, environmental damage could be substantially reduced. We could then derive the added benefit of having a reduced monetary cost for energy usage. Not much is required to reduce both monetary cost and environmental damage. ââ¬Å"If the efficiency of every [electric] motor were improved by only 2 percent, and with an average electric cost of 6 cents per kwh, it would translate into annual savings of more than $1 billionâ⬠(Qayoumi 1). However, we cannot expect to help heal the wounds we ... ...Countries. New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing Company. Cloke, P. and Park, C. Rural Resource Management. New York: St. Martinââ¬â¢s Press, 1985. Earth Sheltered Home from Ecolution, the Eco-Home Network Newsletter. Eco-Home Network. 30 Sept. 1999 . Motors and Maintenance: Enhancing Energy Efficiency. Mohammad H. Qayoumi. 30 Oct. 1999 . ST-96-20R Estimates of Housing Units, Households, Households by Age of Householder, and Persons per Household: July 1, 1996. The U.S. Bureau of the Census. 30 Oct. 1999 . Sub-claim: Propose to show this with other examples of energy efficiency (passive solar heating, insulating homes, active solar heating, geothermal energy, hydropower, wind energy)
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Ethical Perspectives Essay
ABSTRACT: This paper will describe the four different types of ethical perspectives. We will start by describing my ethical perspective; which I found out to be ââ¬Å"characterâ⬠from my results on the Ethical Awareness Inventory Assessment. We will then evaluate the four types of ethical perspectives. Which include character/virtue, obligation/deontology, results/utilitarianism, and lastly, equity/relativism. Then we will conclude with a brief discussion on issues one is likely to encounter dealing with ethical dilemmas at Bank of America. The four ethical perspectives include character/virtue, obligation/deontology, results/utilitarianism, and equity/relativism; thus, making up CORE. These different ethical perspectives help to explain what drives an individualââ¬â¢s decision when faced with an ethical dilemma. It is easy for someone to say what they will do when faced with an example of an ethical dilemma; however, it is another thing to make that same decision when faced with an actual real-life dilemma. By understanding what perspective compels someone to make an ethical decision, it will be easier to make that decision when one really has to. I have found that my ethical perspective is character/virtue. I was not surprised when I got my results. I have always done my best to live a life of integrity, which is very important to me. The people in my life would agree. Character is a very, if not the most, important part of a persons make up. Without character you have no solid or clear foundation. Without character you most likely with not possess strong morals naturally. Character is the beginning building block of a successful and trustworthy person who is dependable and values integrity. Character/Virtue The properties of a virtue are very different from that of other moral concepts, such as value. Virtues are something that you possess only if you practice them. Values are what is important to people. I may value honesty, but not always tell the truth. I cannot possess the virtue of honesty without telling the truth (Ciulla, 2004). Aristotle once said, ââ¬Å"Virtues are good habits that we learn from society and our leaders.â⬠People must practice virtues while being fully conscious that what they are doingà is morally right. One thing about the Greek concept of virtue (aretà ©), which is also means excellence, is that it does not separate an individualââ¬â¢s ethics from oneââ¬â¢s occupational ability. Both Plato and Aristotle used many examples of doctors, musicians, coaches, rulers, etc. to talk about the relationship between moral and professional excellence. Aristotle wrote, ââ¬Å"Every excellence brings to good the thing to which it is the excellence and makes t he work of that thing be done well. . . . Therefore, if this is true in every case, the excellence of man also will be the state which makes man good and which makes him do his work well.â⬠(Ciulla, 2004) Obligation/Deontology Deontological ethics or deontology, which means obligation or duty in Greek, is an approach to ethics that focuses on the right or wrong of actions themselves, as opposed to the consequences of those actions. It is sometimes described as ââ¬Å"dutyâ⬠or ââ¬Å"obligationâ⬠based ethics, because deontologists believe that ethical rules ââ¬Å"bind you to your dutyâ⬠. Deontological ethics is commonly contrasted with consequentiality or teleological ethical theories, according to which the rightness of an action is determined by its consequences. Deontologists, such as W. D. Ross, hold that the consequences of an action, such as lying, may make lying the right thing to do (Ross, 2002). Many people feel obligated to do what is right just because of their ethical practices. I feel that no matter what, you should be ethical in everything that you do. Results/Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is the idea that the moral worth of an action is solely determined by its contribution to overall utility, that is, its contribution to happiness or pleasure as summed among all persons. It is therefore a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined by its outcome. Utility has been defined by various people as happiness or pleasure, though preference utilitarians, define it as the satisfaction of preferences. It may be described as a life stance with happiness or pleasure as ultimate importance (Wikipedia 2008). Utilitarianism can be contrasted with deontological ethics (which disregards the consequences of performing an act, when determining its moral worth) and virtue ethics (which focuses on character), as well as with other varieties of consequentialism. Supporters of these opposing views have extensivelyà criticized the utilitarian view; though utilitarians have been similarly critical of other types of ethical perspective. In general, use of the term utilitarian often refers to a somewhat narrow economic or pragmatic viewpoint (Broad, 1930). Equity/Relativism In philosophy, moral relativism is the position that moral or ethical propositions do not reflect objective and/or universal moral truths, but instead make claims relative to social, cultural, historical, or personal circumstances. Moral relativists hold that no universal standard exists by which to assess an ethical propositionââ¬â¢s truth; moral subjectivism is therefore the opposite of moral absolutism. Relativistic positions often see moral values as applicable only within certain cultural boundaries (cultural relativism), or in the context of individual preferences (moral subjectivism). An extreme relativist position might suggest that judging the moral or ethical judgments or acts of another person or group has no meaning. Though, most relativists advocate a more limited version of the theory. In moral relativism, there are no absolute rights and wrongs, only different situations (Wikipedia 2008). Some moral relativists hold that a personal and subjective moral core lies at the base of individualsââ¬â¢ moral acts. In this view, public morality reflects social convention, and only personal, subjective morality expresses true authenticity. Moral relativism differs from moral pluralism, which acknowledges the co-existence of opposing ideas and practices; but accepts limits to differences, such as when vital human needs are violated. Moral relativism, in contrast, grants the possibility of moral judgments that do not accept such limits (Wikipedia 2008). Working in a banking environment, I believe having the ethical perspective of character is very important. Naturally having a moral and ethical character places confidence and trust in my superiors that I will do what is ethically right in every situation. I do not see many issues arising in my organization because Bank of America places our Code of Ethics as a priority that each associate must abide by. Understanding character, we see that ethical decisions are made naturally because it is right. I do my best toà uphold Bank of Americaââ¬â¢s code in everything I do. In conclusion, there are many differences to the types of ethical perspectives with few related qualities. Individuals from diverse walks of life and belief systems come to their own ethical perspective conclusion in many different ways. My personal ethics perspective is character. I believe having good character is a vital part of oneââ¬â¢s life. It will not only lead to success, but earn peopleââ¬â¢s respect along the way. The admiration of others, and the trust and confidence they will feel from one that has great character is priceless. My father has always taught me that ââ¬Å"you can never be wrong doing the right thing.â⬠I live my life by this and encourage others to as well. References Broad, C. (1930). Five types of ethical theory. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co. Ciulla, J. (2004). Ethics, the heart of leadership. Connecticut: Praeger. Ross, W. D. (2002). The right and the good. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Wikipedia. (2008). Retrieved September 17, 2008 from http://www.wikipedia.org
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