Caring in a technological world Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Caring in a technological world - Assignment Example Accurate documentation and integration of medical treatments and confidentiality is a pre requisite for the nursing staff as it endeavors to promote effective communication. Informatics plays a major role in communication in health care today. Use of cell phones and internet as tools for communication between physicians and patients is useful. It makes the patients to make informed decisions and focus on questions that they seek to ask their physicians because they provide written texts. They are also efficient because they provide a mode of communication though both parties may not be present at the same time (Ball, 2000). Research in the last decade showed that nearly 100,000 people die annually in the U.S.A due to medical errors (Ball, 2000). The introduction of medical informatics has led to the steep decline of these numbers. The technology can be used in diagnoses and treatments of patients. The invention of the COSTAR (Computer Stored Ambulatory Record) shows improvement in cases of misdiagnosis as this application software has an electronic patient that reminds clinicians and physicians about the guidelines of medical practice (Ball, 2000). There are also computerized programs that assist the physicians on the line of proper antibiotics to be prescribed. Processing prescriptions through this system ensure that the possibility of errors is reduced by over 45% (Ball, 2000). Managing knowledge involves proper dissemination of intrinsic and valued information after its acquisition. This information can be patient specific or evidence based. Examples of such information include electronic medical records and administrative (Ball, 2000). The ability to put into use the knowledge derived from informatics is the determinant of success of these systems. Health care information should be managed to promote confidentiality and the integrity of such data. These data should only be accessible to the appropriate individuals.

Decision Analysis Essay Example for Free

Decision Analysis Essay In business today, many decision-making situations occur under conditions of uncertainty. The demand for a product can be one number this week and double that number next week or vice versa. There are several decision-making techniques to aid the decision maker in dealing with these types of uncertainties. There are two classes of decision situations, situations where probabilities can be assigned to future occurrences and probabilities that cannot be assigned. A decision-making situation includes several components, the decision itself and the actual events that can occur in the future, we refer to those as states of nature. The states of nature can be good and bad economic conditions, cold or warm weather, and an accident or no accident. The state of nature that does occur will determine the outcome of the decision, but the decision maker has no control over which state occurs. Payoff tables are organized so that the decision situations can be analyzed. Using a payoff table is a means of organizing a decision situation, including the payoffs from different decisions, given the various states of nature. Each decision will result in a specific outcome corresponding to the particular state of nature that occurs in the future. Payoffs are usually expressed as revenues or costs, but the can be expressed in a variety of values. Once a payoff table has been organized, there are several criteria available for making the actual decision. One of those is the maximax criterion. The maximax criterion results in the maximum of the maximum payoffs. The decision maker would be very optimistic. They would assume the most favorable state of nature would occur. When considering profit, the decision maker would pick the state of nature that gains the highest revenue. When considering cost, the decision maker would select the minimum of the minimum of costs, which is also referred to as the minimin criterion. The maximin criterion is another criteria that can be used. The maximin criterion results in the maximum of the minimum payoff. This is a pessimistic criterion. The decision maker assumes that the minimum payoff will occur. Of those minimum payoffs, the maximum is selected. If the decision maker were to consider costs instead of profits as the payoff, the conservative approach would to select the maximum cost for each decision. Then they would select the minimum of those costs. The minimax regret criterion minimizes the maximum regret. Regret is the difference between the payoff from the best decision and all other decision payoffs. With this criterion, the decision maker attempts to avoid regret by selecting the decision alternative that minimizes the maximum regret. To use this criterion, the decision maker selects the maximum pay off under each state of nature and then subtracts the other payoffs from those amounts. The Hurwicz criterion is a compromise between the maximax and maximin criteria. The decision maker is not totally optimistic not totally pessimistic. With this criterion, the payoffs are weighted by a cofficient of optimism, which is a measure of the decision maker’s optimism. The coefficient of optimism must be determined by the decision maker, which is a limitation. It can be difficult for a decision maker to accurately determine his or her degree of optimism. This is a completely subjective decision making criterion. The equal likelihood criterion is done in the same way. The equal likelihood criterion multiplies the decision payoff for each state of nature by an equal weight. In conclusion, decision making analysis is a key component to maximizing profit and minimizing cost. There are several different decision-making criteria. Which criteria is used would be based on the decision makers outlook on the future.

The Main Man in Macbeth :: Free Macbeth Essays

The Main Man in Macbeth      Ã‚   Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth teaches many lessons through the character of Macbeth, whom this essay will consider in detail.    In Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack shows how Macbeth complements his wife:    Her fall is instantaneous, even eager, like Eve's in Paradise Lost; his is gradual and reluctant, like Adam's. She needs only her husband's letter about the weyard sisters' prophecy to precipitate her resolve to kill Duncan. Within an instant she is inviting murderous spirits to unsex her, fill her with cruelty, thicken her blood, convert her mother's milk to gall, and darken the world "That my keen knife see not the wound it makes" (1.5.50). Macbeth, in contrast, vacillates. The images of the deed that possess him simultaneously repel him (1.3.130, 1.7.1) When she proposes Duncan's murder, he temporizes: "We will speak further" (1.5.69). (189)    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, explores the workings of Macbeth's mind as he plots the destruction of Banquo and son :    If the witches have spoken as truly to Banquo as to him, Macbeth sees that he wears a "fruitless crown" and carries a "barren sceptre" in his hand; he has indeed given peace and immortality to make the race of Banquo kings. And he proceeds to his interview with the murderers, plotting what he dare not do openly, for the fear that comes when we are rivals for a thing and cannot both have it makes it seem to Macbeth:    That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near'st of life;    and he will kill his fear by having Banquo and Fleance both put to death.(224)    In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson tells how the audience is inclined to identify with such a rogue as Macbeth:    That such a man should sacrifice all the wealth of his human spirit - his kindness, his love, his very soul - to become a victim to continual fears, a tyrant ruthlessly murdering in the vain attempt to feel safe, finally to be killed like a foul beast of prey - this is terrible, and pitiful, too. Shakespeare has here achieved for us most poignantly the ambivalence of the tragic effect Aristotle described. We see the necessity of Macbeth's destruction; we acquiesce in his punishment unreservedly; and yet we would find whatever excuses for him we can, because we admire the Promethean quality of his courage, because we recognize his conscience as like our own, and because we share his guilt. The Main Man in Macbeth :: Free Macbeth Essays The Main Man in Macbeth      Ã‚   Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth teaches many lessons through the character of Macbeth, whom this essay will consider in detail.    In Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies, Maynard Mack shows how Macbeth complements his wife:    Her fall is instantaneous, even eager, like Eve's in Paradise Lost; his is gradual and reluctant, like Adam's. She needs only her husband's letter about the weyard sisters' prophecy to precipitate her resolve to kill Duncan. Within an instant she is inviting murderous spirits to unsex her, fill her with cruelty, thicken her blood, convert her mother's milk to gall, and darken the world "That my keen knife see not the wound it makes" (1.5.50). Macbeth, in contrast, vacillates. The images of the deed that possess him simultaneously repel him (1.3.130, 1.7.1) When she proposes Duncan's murder, he temporizes: "We will speak further" (1.5.69). (189)    Lily B. Campbell in her volume of criticism, Shakespeare's Tragic Heroes: Slaves of Passion, explores the workings of Macbeth's mind as he plots the destruction of Banquo and son :    If the witches have spoken as truly to Banquo as to him, Macbeth sees that he wears a "fruitless crown" and carries a "barren sceptre" in his hand; he has indeed given peace and immortality to make the race of Banquo kings. And he proceeds to his interview with the murderers, plotting what he dare not do openly, for the fear that comes when we are rivals for a thing and cannot both have it makes it seem to Macbeth:    That every minute of his being thrusts Against my near'st of life;    and he will kill his fear by having Banquo and Fleance both put to death.(224)    In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson tells how the audience is inclined to identify with such a rogue as Macbeth:    That such a man should sacrifice all the wealth of his human spirit - his kindness, his love, his very soul - to become a victim to continual fears, a tyrant ruthlessly murdering in the vain attempt to feel safe, finally to be killed like a foul beast of prey - this is terrible, and pitiful, too. Shakespeare has here achieved for us most poignantly the ambivalence of the tragic effect Aristotle described. We see the necessity of Macbeth's destruction; we acquiesce in his punishment unreservedly; and yet we would find whatever excuses for him we can, because we admire the Promethean quality of his courage, because we recognize his conscience as like our own, and because we share his guilt.

Julias Caesar :: essays research papers

cripay dividends for the remainder of his career, Cromwell demanded that both officers and men meet the highest standards of moral character and honesty. He expected instant responsiveness to commands and forbade looting, swearing, or an Despite his age, Cromwell, at forty-three, raised a cavalry troop, his first military command. Following criteria that would pay dividends for the remainder of his career, Cromwell demanded that both officers and men meD or was born in the year 100 BC into a patrian family who claimed decendancy from the kings of Alba Langa and through them, Aeneas of Troy whose mother was the goddess Venus. Caesar's name Julius comes from Iulius, the family name. This comes from Iulus, the name of Venus' son. At the time of his birth, Rome was still a republic and the empire was only really beginning. The senators ruled, motivated by the greed of power in the hope of becoming either a consul or a praetor, the two senior posts which carried imperium, the legal right to command an army. From these posts it was possible to, with the help of the army at your command, conquer new territories and so gain a triumph and the pleasure of knowing that your name would be remembered forever in statues and inscribed monuments, paid for by the spoils of the war. et the The most used method of transport the romans used was the horse and the chariot. Simply because they did not have much other ways to travel. When people traveled they also could have walked but it is tiring and that would of affected the way they would of fought performance wise. When they wanted to travel they used a sailing ship or a row boat. This was also used by the Roman Army because it was powerful and affective. ghest standards of moral character and honesty. He expected instant responsiveness to comma From early times right down to the 3rd century A.D, the Roman army was based on its legions. A legion varied in strength from 4,000 to 6,000 men, and was subdivided onto ten cohorts. Its leader used the title of legatus. His staff officers were called tribuni. Senior non-commissioned officers were called centurions, who varied greatly in rank. The soldiers of the legion were specifically picked men. They were all Roman citizens and received a higher pay than the auxillary troop s - that is, foreigners who serve with the Roman army.

My Lai †Culpability of Guilt

Series Vietnam: A Television History.   The solider was describing the reasons why the American soldiers turned on the civilians whom they were sent to protect during the Vietnam War. The same soldier would start sobbing uncontrollably as he would go on to state, â€Å"You don’t remember the enemy that you shot and killed. But you always remember the 58 year old woman you shot and killed because she was running away. And she was running away because you were threatening to shoot her.† The Vietnam War was no more ugly than any other war in history, but it was the first war that had aired uncensored on American television. This time, there would be no illusory tales of grandeur that would put mythic heroics onto the exploits after they war came to a close. The blood of the Vietnam War had been captured for eternity. â€Å"Although popular sentiment among the lower classes for the [North Vietnamese Army] was not strong, there was still a great desire for independence.† (Morrison 17) This is not to say there were no noble intentions or heroic actions. Many Americans served their country honorably and in a noble manner. Their deeds, however, would forever be overshadowed by the atrocities committed by American soldiers who assaulted a free fire zone in the town of My Lai, a town that was primarily occupied by civilian women and children. The soldiers that went to Vietnam were normal, everyday young adults. Some were volunteers and some were conscripted, but none were murderers before they went to Vietnam. Even under the conditions of war, they did not easily crack or lose their humanity, yet, for some reason they snapped under pressure and followed orders that resulted in the death of many innocent civilians. Were they entirely guilty for their actions or were their actions justifiable under the conditions of war? Did the directives of their superiors absolve them of guilt? Was the stress they were under a driving force behind their decisions? Or had the military’s policy of dehumanizing the enemy play the vital role in their decisions? Most of all, would these factors absolve them of guilt? In order to understand the culpability of guilt, one needs to clearly understand what actually occurred in the village of My Lai on the day of the incident. March 16th, 1968: A company of the 23rd Infantry Division commanded by Lt. William Calley slaughters 347 unarmed civilians (including a dozen babies as young as one month of age) at the hamlet of Song My (My Lai 4) in Vietnam’s southern zone. Although Calley’s superiors observe the massacre from helicopters and its true nature known to higher ups, it is falsely cast as an intense firefight in which 128 â€Å"enemy soldiers† were killed. Only when a former soldier forces the incident into public view a year later is an extremely limited official investigation initiated. (Churchill 141) Needless to say, this description hardly sounds as if there is a lack of guilt on the part of the soldiers. This description of the incident also points the finger at the higher ups in the military and places blame on those who were knowledgeable about the incident, as they not only did nothing to punish those who took part in the incident, but so  casually ignored the massacre, that it would appear that such an incident may not have been entirely out of the ordinary. What is it that would lead the soldiers to launch such a massive offensive against the civilians? What reduced the moral qualms about taking such violent action against noncombatants? Part of the reason is a issue that is endemic to all military conflicts. Throughout the history of warfare throughout the world, there needs to be a certain instillation of a psychological attitude into a soldier in order to make the soldier acceptable to taking part in such wide-scale slaughter. This psychological instillation involves the dehumanization of the enemy in the eyes of the soldier. That is, the enemy is never portrayed as a human being. Rather, the enemy is always presented in a derogatory manner so as to appear less than human. After all, it is much easier to kill someone who is not seen as â€Å"someone†, but rather seen as â€Å"something†. In Vietnam, the soldiers were generally referred to under the derogatory term as â€Å"gook†. (Davis) As such, they are not presented as a real person, but rather as an object of a subhuman animal. For years, this was considered necessary or the troops may have not taken full action when in a combat situation. However, such derogatory attitudes also remove a great deal of the moral qualms that soldiers may have during situations where moral qualms might be necessary in order to make the judgment calls that would be required in a situation that needs restraint. Further complicating the matter is the fact that as the Vietnam War dragged on, many of the members of the military were drafted. They were not â€Å"real† soldiers so they were far more prone to cracking under the pressure of the highly brutal Vietnam conflict. It was an ugly war and many â€Å"average† people off the street were rushed through boot-camp and then off to the jungles of Southeast Asia. Such inexperience and reservations to combat combined with an out of control war have all the elements for mental breakdowns and psychological behavior. â€Å"A complete lack of understanding of the terrain and the culture of the people who inhabited contributed to the chaos.†Ã‚   (Windrow 55) This, of course, leads to the very important question, â€Å"Does this absolve the individuals who committed the atrocities of guilt?† Under the letter of the law, the answer is absolutely not. The random slaughter of civilians is not justifiable under any circumstances. There simple is no â€Å"good excuse† or a deliberate act of genocide. This guilt, however, does not mean that one should not examine the reasons behind the creation of the environment that lead to the deliberate massacre. Military and international law (drawing from precedents derived from the Nuremberg trials) clearly states that â€Å"following orders† is not an acceptable defense for a war crime. Much of the problems with the war in Vietnam were directly related to the American populace’s total misunderstanding of Vietnam and its history. Vietnam had fought several centuries long war of independence with the Chinese. It also fought a hundred years war with French colonialists and also occupying Japanese forces. The country’s goals were to free itself from foreign rule. While the United States saw itself as liberating the nation from communism, the general population simply wanted self determination. While the communist regimes that ended up controlling Vietnam were as brutal, if not worse, than the foreign occupying forces, at the time, the â€Å"hearts and minds† of the people were not with the American forces so the war quickly became a situation that was not winnable for the US troops. As such, the war trudged on without any clear  goal or end in sight. Only two viable options existed to end US involvement: withdraw and surrender; or drop an atomic bomb of Hanoi. The third option, perpetual aerial and ground war, simply dragged on forever costing an incalculable number of lives on both sides. This aerial assault also included large amounts of napalm bombs that made the landscape of war even more vicious. (Franklin)   From this, the entire landscape of the Vietnam War was one of mayhem that led to unspeakable acts on both sides. Ultimately, however, no one truly faced punishment from the massacre at My Lai. Lt. Calley saw a mere 3  ½ years of house arrest before President Nixon pardoned him. The deaths of those civilians have never been justly punished. So, was there ever a lesson that comes from these deaths? There were many lessons that were learned from the Vietnam War, particularly lessons derived from the horror of the My Lai massacre. If anything, the My Lai massacre shows what will result from the evils of dehumanizing the enemy and not instilling a sense of clear moral guidelines in soldiers so they understand the difference between an act of war and an act of genocide. Clearly, the military brass and the officials in the government must realize that they are culpable for such actions and must be held accountable to the public. The United States never truly recovered from the disaster of the Vietnam War as its specter hangs over the military to this very day. Perhaps, it is haunted by the ghosts of My Lai. Works Cited The American Experience. Vietnam: A Television History. PBS DVD. 1983. Churchill, Ward. On The Justice of Roosting Chickens. Oakland: AK Press, 2004. Davis, Peter. Hearts and Minds. Criterion Collection DVD. 1974 Franklin, H. Bruce. Vietnam and other American Fantasies. Boston: University of Massachusetts Press, 2000. Morrison, Wilbur H. The Elephant & the Tiger: The Full Story of the Vietnam War. New York: Hippocrene, 1990. Windrow, Martin. The Last Valley. Cambridge: De Capo Press, 2005.      

Mccaskey Case Essays

Mccaskey Case Essays Mccaskey Case Paper Mccaskey Case Paper Analysis: Martha McCaskey Harvard Business Review The Issue: This case focuses on Martha McCaskey. McCaskey is a relatively recent Harvard B-School grad on the fast track at Seleris Associates. She is a consultant who specializes in competitive analysis for corporations. McCaskey has been assigned as lead on project Silicon 6. She has a strong track record for delivering quality on her projects, which is why she was chosen as lead for this project. The focus of the project is to reverse engineer cost structure and manufacturing processes for the competitor of a key client of Seleris. This unnamed client is responsible for 20% of the revenue for this division. Therefore, the head of the division is invested in making this customer happy. The top managers promised McCaskey a promotion if she could successfully complete the project to the satisfaction of the client. McCaskey is extremely resourceful, but in the case of Silicon 6, she was having trouble gaining access to the required information. That is, until she tripped across an ex-employee of the competitor company who was eager to share proprietary information. McCaskey found this unethical. McCaskey brought the situation to the attention of her management. The managers, eager to please the clients, have encouraged McCaskey to â€Å"pay off† the ex-employee in exchange for the necessary information. Management has challenged her to come up with an action plan for the project and to meet with the head of the division to review the plan. Analysis and Opinion: McCaskey is faced with an ethical dilemma. In this case, she must decide whether to accept proprietary information, which will result in a satisfied lient and a promotion or follow her moral compass and attain the information using ethically acceptable industry standards. This is a clear case of an organization with a questionable ethical climate. An organization with high ethical standards encourages and shapes the behavior of its employees through policies, procedures and behavior. It is the responsibility of the management staff to build an environment with low tolerance for an y activities that can be deemed unethical. Management must focus on the means as well as the outcomes to ensure that they are operating not only within legal boundaries, but socially acceptable and responsible boundaries as well. Malone, McCaskey’s superior, is heavily directing her approach. When McCaskey went into the presentation with the clients, Malone was the one to make the promises to deliver through access from the ex-employee. Malone also authorized the increase in â€Å"pay† to the ex-employee. McCaskey cannot look to her immediate management to resolve ethical issues. The saving grace for McCaskey is, hopefully, Richardson, Malone’s manager. Senior associates often discuss case status directly with Malone and Richardson. McCaskey should use this to her advantage to go directly to Richardson with this dilemma to gain his buy-in to resolve the issues in a more ethical manner. In the past, Richardson has communicated his ethical expectations to the staff via lunchtime talks. Therefore, McCaskey may find a worthwhile advocate in Richardson. It is not clear if Richardson really believes in building an ethical culture as he has given direct management responsibilities to Malone. Richardson has to be aware of Malone’s practices, but has not taken a firm stand on stating and shaping the organization’s values and conduct by providing visible role models who exhibit ethical behavior. However, Kaufmann, an associate who publicly acknowledges unethical behavior, is not being rewarded, as he is one of the lowest paid associates. This leads the reader to believe that Richardson does not support Kaufmann’s actions. At the same time, however, Richardson has turned a blind eye to his practices and has reaped the benefits from his questionable behavior. McCaskey, to this point, has done everything correct. She has operated within ethical boundaries and has raised issues to her management. The true failure is with Richardson who has not fostered a culture rooted in prioritizing and rewarding ethical behavior. Unfortunately, he is McCaskey’s only hope to resolve this issue. McCaskey’s next steps are to raise the situation to Richardson in hopes he can direct her to move forward in a more ethical manner. With so much at stake, including fines and personal imprisonment, McCaskey should not do anything that could endanger the company or her personal well being.

SWOT and Porter Five Forces Analysis of Royal Dutch Shell The WritePass Journal

SWOT and Porter Five Forces Analysis of Royal Dutch Shell Abstract SWOT and Porter Five Forces Analysis of Royal Dutch Shell . The company’s major strength includes a global presence with globally recognized brands, growing financial strength, significant manufacturing and technological capabilities and diversified portfolio of products. The global operations of the company are associated with difficulties of standardising quality due to varied operational conditions. Furthermore, the company is faced with stiff competition from the leading suppliers in the industry including Exxon Mobil Corporation, Total S.A. and BP Plc. However, the company can use differentiation strategy capitalizing on its globally recognized brands to establish a competitive edge over the competitors. In addition, the company can expand its global presence through striking strategic partnerships with local small companies in foreign markets to enhance penetration in the markets. Introduction Royal Dutch Shell plc commonly known as Shell is an independent company with its registered office located in LondonUK and headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands operating in the oil and gas industry globally (Reuters, 2012). The operations of the company are divided into three main segments including; Downstream, Upstream and Projects and Technology. The Upstream segment combines activities involved in the search for and recovery, liquefaction and transportation of oils and natural gas and wind energy. The Downstream segment is engaged in the activities of manufacturing, distributing and marketing of chemicals and oil products. Finally, the Projects and Technology segment includes all the critical support functions of the company’s core business in the Upstream and Downstream segments (Shell Plc, 2012). In 2011, the company had revenues of 470,171million US Dollars and based on these revenues, the company is ranked as the second largest company worldwide (Bloomberg, 2012). A s at the close of business on Tuesday 11th December 2012, the company was ranked as number one on the FTSE100 Index with a market capitalization of 135,511.7million US Dollars (Stock Challenge, 2012). Â  Shell SWOT Analysis The company has a number of strengths. Firstly, Royal Dutch Shell Plc is a leading company globally in the Oil and Gas industry with global presence in many countries. Consequently, the company derives its strength in this global image in the industry. Secondly, the company has recorded growing financial performance since the 2008/2009 economic downturn. It therefore has a strong capital base for competing in the competitive industry. Thirdly, the company has established strong brands recognized globally like Shell V-Power and the Shell FuelSave. Finally, the company has strong exploration and technological capability as an internal strength coupled with a diversified portfolio of products in the upstream and downstream segments of the company (Shell Plc, 2012). The size and scale of the global operations of company may be a weakness due to the difficulties of the company to control quality and standards of its products since the operational conditions of different refinery sites differ. This also impacts negatively on the administrative efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s management. Exposure to different regulatory regimes through the global presence of the company presents difficulties in formulating uniform policies applicable to the global operations of the company (Shell Plc, 2012). There is increasing awareness and concern for environmental sanity where reduced carbon emission is a necessary consideration for most oil-related products. Consequently, there is increasing demand for liquefied natural gas as a source of clean energy. This is likely to increase the company’s revenues from liquefied natural gas. There are also opportunities for the company to expand to the emerging economies like China through joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions like acquisition of Neste Oil Oyj in Poland (Reuters, 2012b). The economic slowdown in the US and European Union due to the debt crises involving member countries presents a threat to the company’s profitability. Terrorism activities threaten the company’s global functions by increasing related business operational expenses. Increasing strict environmental regulations is also a threat to the current and future operations of the company which will require more efficient and environment friendly exploration and manufacturing technologies. Fluctuating interest rates and the war in the Middle East countries is also a threat to the company due to its global operations. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis of Shell Porter (2008, p.80) identifies five forces that can be used to analyse the competitiveness of a company’s industry of operation. The forces include the threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers and buyers and rivalry among existing competitors. Royal Dutch Shell Plc has established large scale operations in more than 80countries enjoying economies of scale, global image with established strong brands which makes it hard for new entrants. Therefore the threat of new entrants is low due to the high capital requirements to set up operations. Threats of substitutes are high for the company. This is because oil-related products, chemicals and natural gas produced by different companies are highly substitutable. Major competitor products can be used as substitutes for the company’s products. Therefore, the threat of substitutes for the company is high. Royal Dutch Shell Plc has embraced a vertical integration growth strategy which involves acquiring and merging with companies at different levels of operation and therefore it has significant influence on its supply chain. Furthermore, the company has enhanced its technological capacity through the projects and technology segment of its business (Reuters, 2012). Therefore, the bargaining power of suppliers is low. Oil and gas are essential products in any economy. Economic production processes in an economy make use of oil. This explains why in some developing countries oil supply is under state agencies. Furthermore, the oil industry is characterized by companies coming together to form cartels that would enable them control the market (Bloomberg, 2012). Furthermore, most of the buyers of oil products buy in bulk and therefore loss of one buyer would significantly affect the company’s revenue. Consequently, the bargaining power of buyers is medium. The major competitors of the company include Exxon Mobil Corporation, Total S.A. and BP Plc which have also established global presence in the oil and gas industry (Hoovers, 2012). Rivalry with these companies is high due to branding and differentiation strategies applied by the companies in their operations globally. The companies have established brands recognized globally and major clientele which makes rivalry in the industry high. Conclusion Royal Dutch Shell Plc has established strong brands recognized globally enhancing its image in the global market. Despite the complexities and risks that are associated with the global operations of the company, there are opportunities for the company to expand and grow its operations in the emerging markets. The company can use a differentiation strategy to position its products globally as superior using its brand names. To deal with the risks of globalized operations, it is advisable that the company use strategic partnerships with the local operators in the new markets to enhance its penetration in the markets. Furthermore, the company can establish its competitive advantage increasing its control over the supply chain through more vertical integration mergers and acquisitions. Lastly, to increase efficiency of the company’s operations, there is need for re-engineering of the production process and adoption of new efficiency technologies. References Bloomberg, (2012) Royal Dutch Shell Plc Financial Statements, available at http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/financials/financials.asp?ticker=RDSA:LN accessed on 14th December, 2012. Hoovers, (2012) Top Competitors for Royal Dutch Shell Plc, available at hoovers.com/company-information/cs/competition.Royal_Dutch_Shell_plc.01e84f5552dabef3.html accessed on 14th December, 2012. Porter M. E. (2008) The Five Forces that Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review, pp.79-94. Reuters, (2012) Royal Dutch Shell PLC: Company Overview, available at reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=RDSa.L accessed on 14th December, 2012. Reuters, (2012b) Royal Dutch Shell PLC: Latest Key Developments, available at reuters.com/finance/stocks/RDSa.L/key-developments accessed on 14th December, 2012. Shell Plc, (2012) Our Business: Shell is Organised into: Upstream, Downstream and Projects and Technology, available at shell.com/home/content/aboutshell/our_business/ accessed on 14th December, 2012. Stock Challenge, (2012) FTSE All-Share Index Ranking as at Close on Tuesday, 11th December 2012, available at stockchallenge.co.uk/ftse.php accessed on 12th December, 2012.

A Biography of Richard the Lionheart

A Biography of Richard the Lionheart Richard the Lionheart was born on September 8, 1157, in Oxford, England. He was generally considered to be his mothers favorite son, and has been described as spoiled and vain because of it. Richard was also known to let his temper get the better of him. Nevertheless, he could be shrewd in matters of politics and was famously skilled on the battlefield. He was also highly cultured and well-educated, and wrote poems and songs. Through most of his life he enjoyed the support and affection of his people, and for centuries after his death, Richard the Lionheart was one of the most popular kings in English history. Early Years Richard the Lionheart was the third son of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and although his eldest brother died young, the next in line, Henry, was named heir. Thus, Richard grew up with little realistic expectations of achieving the English throne. In any case, he was more interested in the familys French holdings than he was in England; he spoke little English, and he was made duke of the lands his mother had brought to her marriage when he was quite young: Aquitaine in 1168, and Poitiers three years later. In 1169, King Henry and King Louis VII of France agreed that Richard should be wed to Louiss daughter Alice. This engagement was to last for some time, although Richard never showed any interest in her; Alice was sent from her home to live with the court in England, while Richard stayed with his holdings in France. Brought up among the people he was to govern, Richard soon learned how to deal with the aristocracy. But his relationship with his father had some serious problems. In 1173, encouraged by his mother, Richard joined his brothers Henry and Geoffrey in rebelling against the king. The rebellion ultimately failied, Eleanor was imprisoned, and Richard found it necessary to submit to his father and receive a pardon for his transgressions. From Duke to King Richard In the early 1180s, Richard faced baronial revolts in his own lands. He displayed considerable military skill and earned a reputation for courage (the quality that led to his nickname of Richard the Lionheart), but he dealt so harshly with the rebels that they called on his brothers to help drive him from Aquitaine. Now his father interceded on his behalf, fearing the fragmentation of the empire he had built (the Angevin Empire, after Henrys lands of Anjou). However, no sooner had King Henry gathered his continental armies together than the younger Henry unexpectedly died, and the rebellion crumpled. As the oldest surviving son, Richard the Lionheart was now heir to England, Normandy, and Anjou. In light of his extensive holdings, his father wanted him to cede Aquitaine to his brother John, who had never had any territory to govern and was known as Lackland. But Richard had a deep attachment to the duchy. Rather than give it up, he turned to the king of France, Louiss son Philip II, with whom Richard had developed a firm political and personal friendship. In November of 1188 Richard paid homage to Philip for all his holdings in France, then joined forces with him to drive his father into submission. They forced Henry- who had indicated a willingness to name John his heir- to acknowledge Richard as heir to the English throne before he died in July 1189. The Crusader King Richard the Lionheart had become King of England; but his heart wasnt in the sceptred isle. Ever since Saladin had captured Jerusalem in 1187, Richards greatest ambition was to go to the Holy Land and take it back. His father had agreed to engage in the Crusades along with Philip, and a Saladin Tithe had been levied in England and France to raise funds for the endeavor. Now Richard took full advantage of the Saladin Tithe and the military apparatus that had been formed; he drew heavily from the royal treasury and sold anything that might bring him funds- offices, castles, lands, towns, lordships. In less than a year after his accession to the throne, Richard the Lionheart raised a substantial fleet and an impressive army to take on Crusade. Philip and Richard agreed to go to the Holy Land together, but not all was well between them. The French king wanted some of the lands that Henry had held, and that were now in Richards hands, which he believed rightfully belonged to France. Richard was not about to relinquish any of his holdings; in fact, he shored up the defenses of these lands and prepared for conflict. But neither king really wanted war with each other, especially with a Crusade awaiting their attention. In fact, the crusading spirit was strong in Europe at this time. Although there were always nobles who wouldnt put up a farthing for the effort, the vast majority of the European nobility were devout believers of the virtue and necessity of Crusade. Most of those who didnt take up arms themselves still supported the Crusading movement any way that they could. And right now, both Richard and Philip were being shown up by the septuagenarian German emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, who had already pulled together an army and set off for the Holy Land. In the face of public opinion, continuing their quarrel was not really feasible for either of the kings, but especially not for Philip, since Richard the Lionheart had worked so hard to fund his part in the Crusade. The French king chose to accept the promises that Richard made, probably against his better judgment. Among these pledges was Richards agreement to marry Philips sister Alice, who still languished in England, even though it appeared he had been negotiating for the hand of Berengaria of Navarre. Alliance with the King of Sicily In July of 1190 the Crusaders set off. They stopped at Messina, Sicily, in part because it served as an excellent point of departure from Europe to the Holy Land, but also because Richard had business with King Tancred. The new monarch had refused to hand over the bequest the late king had left to Richards father, and was witholding the dower owed to his predecessors widow and keeping her in close confinement. This was of special concern to Richard the Lionheart, because the widow was his favorite sister, Joan. To complicate matters, the Crusaders were clashing with the citizens of Messina. Richard resolved these problems in a matter of days. He demanded (and got) Joans release, but when her dower was not forthcoming he began taking control of strategic fortifications. When the unrest between the Crusaders and the townfolk flared into a riot, he personally quelled it with his own troops. Before Tancred knew it, Richard had taken hostages to secure the peace and begun constructing a wooden castle overlooking the city. Tancred was forced to make concessions to Richard the Lionheart or risk losing his throne. The agreement between Richard the Lionheart and Tancred ultimately benefited the king of Sicily, for it included an alliance against Tancreds rival, the new German emperor, Henry VI. Philip, on the other hand, was unwilling to jeopardize his friendship with Henry and was irritated at Richards virtual takeover of the island. He was mollified somewhat when Richard agreed to share the monies Tancred paid, but he soon had cause for further irritation. Richards mother Eleanor arrived in Sicily with her sons bride, and it was not Philips sister. Alice had been passed over in favor of Berengaria of Navarre, and Philip wasnt in either a financial or military position to address the insult. His relationship with Richard the Lionheart further deteriorated, and they would never recover their original affability. Richard couldnt marry Berengaria quite yet, because it was Lent; but now that shed arrived in Sicily he was ready to leave the island where he had tarried for several months. In April of 1191 he set sail for the Holy Land with his sister and fiancà © in a massive fleet of over 200 vessels. Invasion of Cyprus and Marriage Three days out of Messina, Richard the Lionheart and his fleet ran into a terrible storm. When it was over, about 25 ships were missing, including the one carrying Berengaria and Joan. In fact the missing ships had been blown further on, and three of them (though not the one Richards family were on) had been driven aground in Cyprus. Some of the crews and passengers had drowned; the ships had been plundered and the survivors were imprisoned. All of this had occurred under the governance of Isaac Ducas Comnenus, the Greek tyrant of Cyprus, who had at one point entered into an agreement with Saladin to protect the government hed set up in opposition to the ruling Angelus family of Constantinople. After having rendezvoused with Berengaria and secured her and Joans safety, Richard demanded restoration of the plundered goods and the release of those prisoners who hadnt already escaped. Isaac refused, rudely it was said, apparently confident in Richards disadvantage. To Isaacs chagrin, Richard the Lionheart successfully invaded the island, then attacked against the odds, and won. The Cypriots surrendered, Isaac submitted, and Richard took possession of Cyprus for England. This was of great strategic value, since Cyprus would prove to be an important part of the supply line of goods and troops from Europe to the Holy Land. Before Richard the Lionheart left Cyprus, he married Berengaria of Navarre on May 12, 1191. A Truce  in the Holy Land Richards first success in the Holy Land, after having sunk an enormous supply ship encountered on the way, was the capture of Acre. The city had been under siege by Crusaders for two years, and the work Philip had done upon his arrival to mine and sap the walls contributed to its fall. However, Richard not only brought an overwhelming force, he spent considerable time examining the situation and planning his attack before he even got there. It was almost inevitable that Acre should fall to Richard the Lionheart, and indeed, the city surrendered mere weeks after the king arrived. Shortly afterward, Philip returned to France. His departure was not without rancor, and Richard was probably glad to see him go. Although Richard the Lionheart scored a surprising and masterful victory at Arsuf, he was unable to press his advantage. Saladin had decided to destroy Ascalon, a logical fortification for Richard to capture. Taking and rebuilding Ascalon in order to more securely establish a supply line made good strategic sense, but few of his followers were interested in anything but moving on to Jerusalem. And fewer still were willing to stay on once, theroretically, Jerusalem was captured. Matters were complicated by quarrels among the various contingents and Richards own high-handed style of diplomacy. After considerable political wrangling, Richard came to the unavoidable conclusion that the conquest of Jerusalem would be far too difficult with the lack of military strategy hed encountered from his allies; furthermore, it would be virtually impossible to keep the Holy City should by some miracle he manage to take it. He negotiated a truce with  Saladin  that allowed the Crusaders to keep Acre and a strip of coast that gave Christian pilgrims access to sites of sacred significance, then headed back to Europe. Captive in Vienna The tension had grown so bad between the kings of England and France that Richard chose to go home by way of the Adriatic Sea in order to avoid Philips territory. Once again the weather played a part: a storm swept Richards ship ashore near Venice. Although he disguised himself to avoid the notice of Duke Leopold of Austria, with whom he had clashed after his victory at Acre, he was discovered in Vienna and imprisoned in the Dukes castle at Dà ¼rnstein, on the Danube. Leopold handed Richard the Lionheart over to the German emperor, Henry VI, who was no more fond of him than Leopold, thanks to Richards actions in Sicily. Henry kept Richard at various imperial castles as events unfolded and he gauged his next step. Legend has it that a minstrel called Blondel went from castle to castle in Germany seeking Richard, singing a song he had composed with the king. When Richard heard the song from within his prison walls, he sang a verse known only to himself and Blondel, and the minstrel knew he had found the Lionheart. However, the story is just a story. Henry had no reason to hide Richards whereabouts; in fact, it suited his purposes to let everyone know that he had captured one of the most powerful men in Christendom. The story cannot be traced back any earlier than the 13th century, and Blondel probably never even existed, although it made for good press for minstrels of the day. Henry threatened to turn Richard the Lionheart over to Philip unless he paid 150,000 marks and surrendered his kingdom, which he would receive back from the emperor as a fief. Richard agreed, and one of the most remarkable fund-raising efforts began.  John  was not eager to help his brother come home, but  Eleanor  did everything in her power to see her favorite son return safely. The people of England were heavily taxed, Churches were forced to give up valuables, monasteries were made to turn over a seasons wool harvest. In less than a year nearly all of the exhorbitant ransom had been raised. Richard was released in February, 1194, and hurried back to England, where he was crowned again to demonstrate that he was still in charge of an independent kingdom. The Death of Richard the Lionheart Almost immediately after his coronation, Richard the Lionheart left England for what would be the last time. He headed directly to France to engage in warfare with Philip, who had captured some of Richards lands. These skirmishes, which were occasionally interrupted by truces, lasted for the next five years. By March of 1199, Richard was involved in a siege of the castle at Chalus-Chabrol, which belonged to the Viscount of Limoges. There was some rumor of a treasure having been found on his lands, and Richard was reputed to have demanded the treasure be turned over to him; when it was not, he supposedly attacked. However, this is little more than a rumor; it was enough that the viscount had allied with Philip for Richard to move against him. On the evening of March 26, Richard was shot in the arm by a crossbow bolt while observing the progress of the siege. Although the bolt was removed and the wound was treated, infection set in, and Richard fell ill. He kept to his tent and limited visitors to keep the news from getting out, but he knew what was happening. Richard the Lionheart died on April 6, 1199. Richard was buried according to his instructions. Crowned and clothed in royal regalia, his body was entombed at Fontevraud, at the feet of his father; his heart was buried at Rouen, with his brother Henry; and his brain and entrails went to an abbey at Charroux, on the border of Poitous and Limousin. Even before he was laid to rest, rumors and legends sprang up that would follow Richard the Lionheart into history. Understanding the Real Richard Over the centuries, the view of Richard the Lionheart held by historians has undergone some notable changes. Once considered one of Englands greatest kings by virtue of his deeds in the Holy Land and his chivalrous reputation, in recent years Richard has been criticized for his absence from his kingdom and his incessant engagement in warfare. This change is more a reflection of modern sensibilities than it is of any new evidence uncovered about the man. Richard spent little time in England, it is true; but his English subjects admired his efforts in the east and his warrior ethic. He didnt speak much, if any, English; but then, neither had any monarch of England since the Norman Conquest. Its also important to remember that Richard was more than the king of England; he had lands in France and political interests elsewhere in Europe. His actions reflected these diverse interests, and, though he didnt always succeed, he usually attempted to do what was best for all his concerns, not just England. He did what he could to leave the country in good hands, and while things sometimes went awry, for the most part, England flourished during his reign. There remain some things we dont know about Richard the Lionheart, beginning with what he really looked like. The popular description of him as elegantly built, with long, supple, straight limbs and hair a color between red and gold, was first written nearly twenty years after Richards death, when the late king had already been lionized. The only contemporary description that exists indicates that he was taller than average. Because he displayed such prowess with the sword, he could have been muscular, but by the time of his death he may have put on weight, since the removal of the crossbow bolt was reportedly complicated by fat. Then theres the question of Richards sexuality. This complex issue boils down to one salient point: there is no  irrefutable  proof to support or contradict the assertion that Richard was a homosexual. Each piece of evidence can be, and has been, interpreted in more than one way, so every scholar can feel free to draw whatever conclusion suits him. Whichever Richards preference was, it apparently had no bearing on his ability as a military leader or a king. There are some things we  do  know about Richard. He was very fond of music, though he never played an instrument himself, and he wrote songs as well as poems. He reportedly displayed a quick wit and a playful sense of humor. He saw the value of tournaments as preparation for war, and although he rarely participated himself, he designated five sites in England as official tournament locations, and appointed a director of tournaments and a collector of fees. This was in opposition to numerous decrees of the Church; but Richard was a devout Christian, and diligently attended mass, evidently enjoying it. Richard made many enemies, especially through his actions in the Holy Land, where he insulted and quarreled with his allies even more than his foes. Yet he apparently had a great deal of personal charisma, and could inspire intense loyalty. Though renowned for his chivalry, as a man of his times he did not extend that chivalry to the lower classes; but he was at ease with his servants and followers. Although he was talented at acquiring funds and valuables, in keeping with the tenets of chivalry he was also notably generous. He could be hot-tempered, arrogant, self-centered and impatient, but there are many stories of his kindness, insight and goodheartedness. In the final analysis, Richards reputation as an extraordinary general endures, and his stature as an international figure stands tall. While he cannot measure up to the heroic character early admirers depicted him as, few people could. Once we view Richard as a real person, with real foibles and quirks, real strengths and weaknesses, he may be less admirable, but he is more complex, more human, and much more interesting.

Digital forensic Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Digital forensic - Coursework Example So, digital forensic has become very essential and in fact a part of the overall security perspective of any computer based industry, in spite of various challenges associated with the digital forensic investigation process. The increased use of Skype is resulting in increased number of cyber crimes as the users take advantage of the anonymity associated with its use. But with the aid of apt digital forensic tools, valuable evidences can be retrieved and it can reveal the defendant’s activities. This report will discuss about the various available tools that will aid the digital forensic investigation process, document the steps involved in the investigation process along with the challenges that has to be faced during the course of the investigation process. The artifacts collected from a Skype conversation can be analysed with the help of several investigation tools like ‘Skype chat carver’, ‘Belkasoft Evidence Center’, ‘Chat Examiner’, ‘Epilog’, ‘Forensic Assistant’, ‘Internet Evidence Finder’, ‘Skype Extractor’, ‘SkypeAlyzer’, ‘SkypeLogview’, and others (Mikhaylov 2013). It is very important to know where and how to recover the evidences like calls, messages, contacts, file transfers, and voicemails from a user’s accounts in order to utilize the above mentioned tools in the forensic analysis process. The steps stated below will help in the evidence recovery process. There are four users who use Skype application in this example. The file named ‘shared’ is a XML file which contains the main configuration information like time of usage, IP address, and other useful information. Exploring the ‘shared’ file one can retrieve the Unix style time stamp information (Shaw 2014). Here comes the first challenge. This Unix style time stamp information is displayed in a coded format as a string of numbers, which has to be converted to

What is a 'conceptual scheme' Do different people have different ones Essay

What is a 'conceptual scheme' Do different people have different ones If so, can they understand each other - Essay Example The moment that one starts discussing ‘conceptual schemes,’ one knows that one is to be dealing with ‘concepts.’ But what are concepts? Philosophers, since perhaps the time of Ancient Philosophy, have tried to understand what concept is. And one of the more common definitions of the term ‘concept’ is that it is the innate, intrinsic ability of man to formulate ideas inside his mind. It presents the idea that the moment that we try to clarify the term ‘concept’ itself it implies that one is going to look into the deep recesses of man’s thoughts, private thoughts. Because that is what concepts are all about, it is how man appreciates things that he perceives. But then, the problem with this is that it is something internal meaning that whatever maybe presents in one’s thoughts may not necessarily be what it is. Why? For the simple reason that concepts are part of man’s internal world. And as such, under this valua tion of concept, it can thus be considered that concepts do not possess any truth-value at all. It can only be considered as right or wrong the moment that concepts are no longer working within boundaries of one’s mind but is now being given an external representation through the utilization of language. The general use of speech, is to transfer Mentall Discourse into Verbal; or the Trayne our Thoughts, into a Trayneof words; and that for two commodities; whereof one is the Registering of the Consequences of our Thoughts; which being apt to slip out of our memory, and put us to a new labour, may gain be recalled by such words as they were marked by. So the first use of names is to serve for Markes or Notes of remembrance. Another is when many use he same words, to signifie (by their connexion and order,) one to another what conceive, or think of the matter;and also what hey desire, feare, or have any other passion for. And for this use they are called Signes.1 Thus, Hobbes looks at language as

Organizational Behavior and Communication Essay

Organizational Behavior and Communication - Essay Example Some of the popular applications are; Google Maps which is an application to view maps of towns and cities along with satellite view, Google Chrome is a web browser produced by Google, Google Finance provides customized information regarding the stock prices and financial facts and figures of the companies, Google Translate is an application that can translate so many languages inter se along with the feature of translating whole web pages. Such additional services have made Google one of the biggest companies with most innovative web applications. The success of the organization can be traced to its organizational culture and values. The mission of the company is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful (Google, 2011). The philosophy of the company is clearly apparent from the mission statement of the company which is to provide right information to the people who seek for it. This mission and philosophy has driven the company to be in novative in designing its strategies, therefore the company has become a dynamic organization which keeps changing and expanding. This continuous change and innovation is keeping Google in the spotlight among the users. Innovation is apparent from every aspect of the organization. From the layout of the workplace to the organizational structure, everything represents innovation. Employees are free to communicate to anyone at any level of the organization because it is the belief of the organization that each employee is an important contributor to the success of the organization. Employees are provided an environment where they can work comfortably and playfully. There are a number of facilities like; gyms, gourmet cafes etc. for the employees (Google, 2011). One of the main reasons behind the success of the organization is its belief in its employees. Apart from working for the organization, each employee is allowed a specific number of hours from the normal work hours to utilize o n their individual projects. In this manner each employee puts his individual input to the innovation of the organization which is appreciated by the personnel at higher levels of the organization. Each employee is free to present his ideas to the higher levels of management. Therefore, it can be said that the culture of an organization plays an important role in the effectiveness of communication that

Government Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Government Analysis - Essay Example They can enact this right in the voting booth, in the court of public opinion, through the judicial system, and via a host of other avenues. In the end, laws and rules are designed for the better good of society, which means that some will almost certainly disagree and strive to have a rule amended or changed. As the government has grown in size, the bureaucracy has remained in force to handle many such proposed rule changes. From Health and Human Services, to issues of the economy, to science and technology among others, the Federal Register has been designed to keep the public informed of any new or impending changes to policy. In this age of increasing technology, such changes are readily accessible via the Internet, and comments are encouraged. This epitomizes our functioning democratic form of law. It is important that individual citizens have the right and the avenue to make their voices heard in an easily accessible manner. Not everyone can travel to Washington D.C. to argue a proposed rule, but nearly everyone can write or email interested parties. This paper will examine a current rule that is being proposed by the Food and Drug Administration, analyze its rationale, discuss recent comments made, and propose a recommendation as to its feasibility. Proposed Final Rule For quite some time, the Food and Drug Administration has been grappling with a proposal to allow certain parts of cattle to be used in dietary supplements, food, and cosmetics, provided a certain procedure was followed. This rule was actually adopted in 2005, as an amendment to an earlier rule that prohibited such use. Now, the rule is back up for debate, as new research studies have been published that seem to contradict earlier findings establishing that the cattle parts were safe in the proposed food and drug items, provided the set procedure was followed. The docket number of this rule change is FDS-2004-N-0188, and the title of the rule amendment is â€Å"Use of Materials Derived fr om Cattle in Human Food and Cosmetics†, with the comment period ending May 3, 2013 (Federal Register 14012). In summary, rule 69 FR 42256, adopted back on July 14, 2004, established that the use of certain parts of a cow in food and cosmetics was to be prohibited. This was due to studies that revealed there was potential risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in human food (Federal Register 14012). This also applied to dietary supplements and cosmetics. After a revised comment period, and the publishing of further studies, the Federal Register opted to amend the rule back on September 7, 2005. This amended final rule allowed for the use of the small intestine of cattle in human food and cosmetics, provided an approved removal technique was used (Federal Register 14012). The small intestine, being deemed acceptable for use in cosmetics and certain food products, including dietary supplements, has now been permitted since that rule amendment in 2005. The new rule has sin ce allowed the intestine to be utilized provided it was removed by a procedure approved by the FDA, or if an organization could provide an equally effective alternative procedure that was deemed safe and reliable (Federal Register 14012). While this procedure has continued largely unchecked for the last seven years, interested parties began to conduct and publish their own studies. These studies have created enough reasonable doubt as to the safety of the small intestine, as presently being used, that the Food and Drug Administration has decided to revisit the rule. In recent years, scientific studies, most of which have been peer-reviewed, have demonstrated that there is the possibility that the colon of cattle can be infected with matter that can be harmful to humans. In

Dynamics of Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dynamics of Terrorism - Essay Example Nassar presents an in depth picture on the real and historic causes behind terrorism. For him, as it were, every global citizen and leader in Parliament are, among others, responsible for the current and widespread menace of terrorism. That is why Nassar says: Recently, a former student of mine wrote me one of those rare but special notes that teachers occasionally receive. Lynn Weddle of the class of 1985 wrote, "I often am reminded of the many things I learned while in your class and how some of the things you mentioned became truly prophetic." My former student went on to remind me of a statement I had made in class arguing that the Soviet Union was not the enemy we needed to fear but rather "a Third World country that we would never expect to wreak havoc on the US." The events of September 11, 2001, reminded her of that statement. While the events of that dreadful day were a wake-up call to most Americans, terror has been a normal way of life for a long time to many people around the world. It certainly has been a part of my life since birth (Nassar i-iv). Terrorism is and terrorist incidents are on the increase in Asia and Middle-East and West Asia while they are on a decreasing trend in Europe and America. Terrorist violence and incidents have led to thousands of death every year from 700 to about 6000 in the world (Sengupta and Cockburn 27 March 2007). International Terrorist Incidences 1968 to 2004 Source: Graph from MIPT database, http://www.tkb.org/Home.jsp This menace of terrorists' violent and fatal incidents is beyond human description and definition. Various dictionaries and encyclopedias define terrorism mainly in terms of acts of fatal violence and attacks against established and recognized institutions of State and its citizens and forces. Academics and experts do not fully agree with such simplistic meanings and definitions. For Jimmy Carter, Palestinian people have always suffered at the hands of the Israel's policy of "Apartheid" against them (Carter 176). If this so then what about Palestine's' sustained terrorists attacks not only aimed at Israel but also the different countries of the entire world. For Nassar Jamal, terrorism is use of excessive force, fatal attacks with the intention to create terror and panic in order to secure calculated political demands. He, however, finds - quite like Bjorgo (First Chapter) - institution of State more responsible for present-day terrorism. Gurr and Cole believe that there are different levels of terrorist attacks and violence - the conventional and non-conventional. Terrorist groups are not gun-trotting armatures. They have there aims and purposes. As such there main objective is to accomplish their political aims through effective means of massive violence. They even use weapons of mass destruction especially nuclear, biological and chemical weapons [NBCs] (1-22). Defining terrorism leads also to a major question. Are terrorists normal human beings Are they primarily pathological cases Yes, even terrorists of today are normal beings and their global system and networking is

Government Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Government Analysis - Essay Example They can enact this right in the voting booth, in the court of public opinion, through the judicial system, and via a host of other avenues. In the end, laws and rules are designed for the better good of society, which means that some will almost certainly disagree and strive to have a rule amended or changed. As the government has grown in size, the bureaucracy has remained in force to handle many such proposed rule changes. From Health and Human Services, to issues of the economy, to science and technology among others, the Federal Register has been designed to keep the public informed of any new or impending changes to policy. In this age of increasing technology, such changes are readily accessible via the Internet, and comments are encouraged. This epitomizes our functioning democratic form of law. It is important that individual citizens have the right and the avenue to make their voices heard in an easily accessible manner. Not everyone can travel to Washington D.C. to argue a proposed rule, but nearly everyone can write or email interested parties. This paper will examine a current rule that is being proposed by the Food and Drug Administration, analyze its rationale, discuss recent comments made, and propose a recommendation as to its feasibility. Proposed Final Rule For quite some time, the Food and Drug Administration has been grappling with a proposal to allow certain parts of cattle to be used in dietary supplements, food, and cosmetics, provided a certain procedure was followed. This rule was actually adopted in 2005, as an amendment to an earlier rule that prohibited such use. Now, the rule is back up for debate, as new research studies have been published that seem to contradict earlier findings establishing that the cattle parts were safe in the proposed food and drug items, provided the set procedure was followed. The docket number of this rule change is FDS-2004-N-0188, and the title of the rule amendment is â€Å"Use of Materials Derived fr om Cattle in Human Food and Cosmetics†, with the comment period ending May 3, 2013 (Federal Register 14012). In summary, rule 69 FR 42256, adopted back on July 14, 2004, established that the use of certain parts of a cow in food and cosmetics was to be prohibited. This was due to studies that revealed there was potential risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in human food (Federal Register 14012). This also applied to dietary supplements and cosmetics. After a revised comment period, and the publishing of further studies, the Federal Register opted to amend the rule back on September 7, 2005. This amended final rule allowed for the use of the small intestine of cattle in human food and cosmetics, provided an approved removal technique was used (Federal Register 14012). The small intestine, being deemed acceptable for use in cosmetics and certain food products, including dietary supplements, has now been permitted since that rule amendment in 2005. The new rule has sin ce allowed the intestine to be utilized provided it was removed by a procedure approved by the FDA, or if an organization could provide an equally effective alternative procedure that was deemed safe and reliable (Federal Register 14012). While this procedure has continued largely unchecked for the last seven years, interested parties began to conduct and publish their own studies. These studies have created enough reasonable doubt as to the safety of the small intestine, as presently being used, that the Food and Drug Administration has decided to revisit the rule. In recent years, scientific studies, most of which have been peer-reviewed, have demonstrated that there is the possibility that the colon of cattle can be infected with matter that can be harmful to humans. In

Internatoinal business mangement 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internatoinal business mangement 3 - Assignment Example Hence, a prudent thing to do is to expand the market internationally in the effort to increase profitability and survival at the same time (Hill, 2012). Expanding internationally has many benefits, which increase chances of survival. An organization is able to boost its reputation and boost the staff morale. In addition, the existing products are introduced to new markets, especially if they have become less popular in the domestic markets. The firm’s overreliance on the domestic markets reduces and the risks, though hard to do away with can be spread. The great sales volume as well translate into higher profits However, in establishing a business internationally, it requires coordinated effort as well as sustained management effort. This practically implies management talent. This is easily attained by just setting up an economic model. Such a model is meant for solving problems as it offers a structured solution to the dilemma under review. Global industries are those industries whose firms must compete in all world markets. These industries have the characteristic of gaining economies of scale across markets. These companies pursue a global strategy whereby they compete in all markets and they provide the same product for each market. They identify customer needs and wants in the international borders. Global industries are also characterized by high development and recurrent costs, thus requiring more than one market to recover the costs. The following firms are categorized in the global firms’ category as they have those features. Movie making, bulk chemicals, pharmaceuticals, branded food products, television manufacturing, personal computers and airline travel (Hill, 2012). Multidomestic industries on the other hand, are those industries with a strategy of producing products and services, which are commonly tailored to individual countries. Innovation comes locally and managers decentralize decision-making as well as encourage local sourcing. They

Nowadays, Food Has Become Easier to Prepare Essay Example for Free

Nowadays, Food Has Become Easier to Prepare Essay Nowadays, Food Has Become Easier to Prepare. Has This Change Improved the Way People Live? Use Specific Reasons and Examples to Support Your Answer. By annicat Man, through the ages, has undergone many changes, from a period when he hunted for his food to the present era when man is dependent on preprocessed foods. During this period not only has man changed his mode of eating but his whole lifestyle as well. In pursuit of more in this competitive world, man no longer has time as he once had. He is caught in a race against the clock. A person who finishes more n lesser time is considered more efficient. This pressure to do more in less time has affected his eating habits as well and, as a result, man no longer has time to cook food. Early mans only objective was to seek food to sustain him and his family. Nowadays finding food has taken a back seat to other priorities, such as career and education. Food is no longer of that importance. This is not an encouraging trend. People are too dependent on preprocessed or precooked food, which no longer has the freshness it once had. Such foods loose their mineral and vitamin content and re not as healthy as fresh food. That is why the number of diseases is also rising. People have also shifted to high calorie content food like French fries, pizzas, and ice cream, etc. , which is causing obesity, fatigue, etc. As man is becoming busy and too involved in his busy schedule, he has no time even to take care of his own personal needs. Furthermore, cooking is an art which is dying out. People once enjoyed cooking . It was a means of eliminating stress and tension. People were once able to relax during this time and reflect on their lives. People may tend to argue that by sing precooked and preprocessed food they are efficiently using time and can use this precious time saved for other purposes. But is it really worth it? This is a question whose answer can invite much speculation about whether by saving this little time we are inviting lots of other problems, which could easily be avoided. It is actually making our lives not simpler but more complicated. We have lost many of the simpler things in our lives, like the simple acts of selecting our evening meal, preparing it, and enjoying it with our loved ones, and we are worse off for it.

Ethical Issues In Marketing Vulnerable Customer Groups

Ethical Issues In Marketing Vulnerable Customer Groups Ethics are defined as the set of principles which guide a persons conduct towards being morally right. When a person is faced with some moral dilemma, the choice that the person makes largely depends upon the values and ethical principles that person holds. It is over and above just being legal. Due to being dependent upon the personal values and principles a person holds, ethical code of conduct cannot be described in absolute terms. Like in all the disciplines of life, recognizing and quantifying what is ethical in marketing and what is not is difficult. In a broader sense, ethics in marketing mean implementing standards of moral rights and wrongs and of fairness in the marketing practices of an organization. The main objective of any business is said to be shareholders wealth maximization. In order to achieve this objective, the organization has to perform better than its competitors and create a competitive advantage for itself. This competitive advantage is mainly dependent upon the perception the customers hold of the products or services of the organization. An organization can create competitive advantage by means of its marketing decisions, behavior and practices. This includes aligning its marketing mix as per the customers requirements. The organization will gain competitive advantage only when the customer will perceive the marketing mix i.e. product, price, place and promotion to be of value. The focus has increased towards being ethical in marketing practices mainly due to two reasons. First, when an organization works ethically, the customers tend to develop more positive perception and attitude towards its products and services and the organization as a whole. This leads to long-term positive relationship with the customers. When the marketing practices of an organization depart from being ethical and the standards that are considered to be acceptable by the society are not followed, the organization taints its own image. It may lead to bad publicity for the firm, dissatisfied customers, lost business, lack of trust, and in some case even a legal action. Second, ethical abuses lead to pressure from either the society or the government for the firms to be more responsible. Since such ethical abuses do occur, people tend to believe that such marketing practices abound. As a result of this, consumer interest groups and some professional associations exert influence on marketing practices and keep them checked. An indicator of this is several regulations that have been designed just to protect the consumers rights. However, in order to be good to some stakeholders the organizations may sometimes make decisions which are not good for other stakeholders and effectively turn against those stakeholders interests. The ethical issues may not be only in terms of consumer, but they may also be for other stakeholders like the suppliers, employees, distribution chain etc. Categorizing Ethical Issues in Marketing Ethical issues in marketing can be categorized as follows: Unethical Product and Distribution Practices Several product-related issues, especially regarding the quality of products and services raise questions about ethical conduct in marketing. The most frequent complaints are voiced regarding the products which are of unsafe nature. Other than this, the problems are regarding poor quality of product or service, product/service not containing what is promoted or the product/service becoming obsolete or going out of style before they are used. The company which is making products that is of poor quality or is potentially unsafe for its consumers may jeopardize its image and develop a reputation for poor quality products or services. It may also put itself in situation of product claims or legal actions. Sometimes, however, the changes in an industry itself occur and the products become obsolete so fast that the consumers may misinterpret it as planned obsolescence e.g. in computer industry. Ethical issues may arise in the distribution process as well. Since the marketing personnel and sales representatives are evaluated mostly on the basis of sales performance, they may face performance pressure and this pressure may lead to ethical dilemmas. This may lead to unethical practices like pushing sale for products with higher commission, exerting influence on vendors to reduce promotions for competitors products, or making false promises regarding shipment dates and quantities. Deceptive Marketing Practices Deception is making the customer believe in the value provided by the product/service which it actually doesnt provide. It may take the form of misrepresentation or omission of key facts or misleading practices. This may also involve omission of important terms and conditions of sale and bait-and-switch selling techniques in which a product/service is offered usually at a lower price and the customers are then encouraged to buy more expensive items. Selling the potentially hazardous products without disclosing the dangers is also considered as deceptive and unethical marketing practice. There may also be packaging deception which is mislabeling regarding the content, weight, size, or use information of the product. Offensive and Objectionable Materials and Marketing Practices The promotional materials, advertisements and publications that are perceived as objectionable may create strong negative reactions for the organization. Such things may be perceived as objectionable or even offensive for some when they contain material which is related to certain stereotypical images, sex, or religious practices. Some things may carry different meanings in different locations and religions which may also be problematic if not handled properly. When people find the products or the promotion and advertising media as objectionable, they may force the vendors to stop carrying the product. So, it is in the interest of the company to screen such things and make them suitable so as to match to the tastes and preferences of their target market. Direct marketing also involves objectionable practices ranging from minor irritants like the frequency and timing of sales calls, letters or e-mails, to the ones that are even illegal. The practices that may raise ethical questions are persistent and annoying telemarketing calls, sales disguised as contests, use of mailing lists containing personal mail IDs, junk mails etc. However, there have been some steps and regulations to control these practices like Do not call registry to avoid telemarketing calls etc., but they are not sufficient and much needs to be done in this regard. Marketing Research and Benchmarking This is another area in which ethical questions may arise. Consumers and entities being benchmarked may consider it an invasion on their privacy. They are usually resistant on giving out personal information. However, in order to obtain correct and better data, researcher may act by unfair means. The same may happen in case of benchmarking. In some cases, the questions may be modified in a way to gain information which the respondent would not be willing to share otherwise. The organizations have to impose ethical standards for themselves in such instances. Ethical Issues in Marketing to Vulnerable Customer Groups The vulnerable customer groups include children, elderly, certain minorities, and religious groups. These customers may be influenced comparatively more easily as they have either less knowledge about these practices or they are vulnerable in terms of their minority or religion. Children have always been important marketing target for certain kind of products. However, in recent times more and more marketing efforts are being focused on children. Children have great influencing power while making any purchase decision. But, generally, their knowledge is less developed and limited about the products, media, advertisements, and the selling strategies adopted by the firms. Due to these reasons, they are more likely to be attracted to the strong images projected towards them and the psychological appeals directed towards them. Ethical questions arise in such environment when children are exposed to questionable practices e.g. advertisements attracting them towards products which are potentially harmful like alcohol and tobacco. The advent of Internet and direct marketing practices to market the products to children has become a major ethical issue in todays environment. There are very less, almost negligible, controls which can supervise the content which goes over the web sites. The marketers can present objectionable and misleading material to the minors without any regulation. Due to all these issues, there is increasing need to control the content being presented to children. It requires higher levels of regulations for marketing to children. Ethical Issues in International Marketing There is a relationship between the culture of a country and the perceived ethical perceptions of the citizens of that country. Due to globalization of the markets and hence the marketing practices, the marketers have to deal with the ethical issues arising in cross-cultural scenario. In this cross-cultural environment, the marketer may have to choose between entirely different set of ethical norms and values. A marketer may not wish to leave her own ethical values and adopt the cross-cultural values and this may pose the ethical dilemma. A practice which is generally accepted as being right in one country may be completely unacceptable in another. The situation gets more complex due to lack of clearly defined ethical standards and code of conduct. Major ethical problems in international marketing are as follows: Small or large scale bribery Bribery is mostly considered to be an unethical practice. However, in some countries it may be acceptable to get some work done or speed up the process. Gifts/Favors/Entertainment These include items like gifts, personal travels etc. which may be intended to get some job done. However, it may be considered just as a gift in some cultures, it may also be considered as being a source of influence in other cultures. Pricing The ethical issues regarding this include unfair price differentials, pricing to eliminate local competition by selling products at prices which are well below those in home country, or adopting pricing practices which are illegal in home country but are legal in host country like price fixing arrangements and forming cartels. Products/Technology This may involve ethical issue of selling the product/service which is banned in home country but not in the host country or which is inappropriate or unsuitable for people in host country to use. Questionable commissions to Channel partners This may include unethical practices like paying unreasonably high commissions to channel partners like dealers, distributors, sales personnel etc. to carry the products of this firm and restricting the products of competing firms. Involvement in political affairs This includes the issues of exertion of political influence by multinationals, or indulging in marketing practices in countries which are at war with the home country. Cultural differences There may be potential misunderstandings as some practices may be considered as right in one culture and immoral or even illegal in another. Reasons behind Ethical Issues in Marketing For any ethical issue arising in marketing, first we need to understand the reason of its emergence. Following are the reasons or ethical dilemmas or tensions due to which ethical issues arise: Consumer Autonomy vs. Marketing Effectiveness The consumer should be autonomous and should be allowed to make free choice about the product/service. At the same time, the marketing effort should be effective which means that it should help the organization to achieve the intended financial results and to do so affect the consumer behavior. Most of the times, the effectiveness criteria which can be described as achievement of sales goals takes preference over the consumer autonomy. The problems arising out of this type of tension may include misleading advertisements, concealment or misrepresentation of critical information etc. This can best be explained by the example of Amazon.com which offered different prices to different customers on the same day. The concept of differential pricing is perfectly in sync with the marketing effectiveness. However, it was against the concept of consumer autonomy. Consumer Choice vs. Consumer Protection Consumers should be given alternatives to choose from as per the consumer choice concept. Consumer protection says that the consumer should be protected from abuse. Consumers may not always choose the product which is good for them. This is especially true for consumers like children, elderly or poverty-stricken. Target marketing to such vulnerable consumers is an example where these two goals diverge. Target marketing is a core concept of marketing. However, when it involves vulnerable consumer segment, it may attract criticism. This raises a question that the product is serving the distinct needs of the segment or taking advantage of their vulnerability. Consumer Satisfaction vs. Revenue Growth Firms should increase their profits and they should also focus on delivering satisfaction to their customers. Most of the times these two objectives can go hand-in-hand. However, sometimes these objectives diverge because fulfilling the requirements and obligations of current customers may come in way of incremental revenue generation. E.g. If a firm discovers a fault in its product, should it recall it, offer free or discounted replacement or use the same resources for further revenue generation. If a recall is not done it may cause reduction in customer satisfaction. There have been several instances in which companies have forsaken their revenues for customer satisfaction. The latest example in this can be taken from Honda recalling almost 7 lakh Jazz and City cars globally due to a defect. However, there have also been the cases where companies chose not to act even after detecting the defect and the customers have suffered due to this. Customer Participation vs. Total System Efficiency As per the marketing theory, entire marketing process from product development to communication and distribution should be made as efficient as possible. It also says that the consumers should participate in the process. However, to gain more efficiency, the processes require standardization which may not be quite engaging for the customers. Customer Welfare vs. Price Discrimination In industries having high fixed costs and expiring capacities, like airlines, hotels etc., price discrimination is very important to maintain profitability. In such cases, the firms should try to capture the consumer surplus by exercising price discrimination. On the other hand, the firm should also contribute to consumer welfare and price discrimination is believed to reduce this consumer welfare as it results in increased price dispersion for the products/services. Ethical issues such as predatory pricing occur due to this reason. Predatory pricing initially offers lower prices to the customers, but subsequently it leads to reduced innovation, variety and increased prices. Selling branded goods at price premium is also considered as being an ethical issue due to this particular reason. Employee Satisfaction vs. Short-Term Profit Employee satisfaction has often been related to customer satisfaction which in turn leads to the success of an organization. If the organization maintains conditions such as ethical climate in the organization, then it may lead to improved employee satisfaction and service quality. However, this may come in conflict with the profit goal of the organization to maintain its competitive advantage. This may lead to situations where companies take advantage of their employees, avoid safety and health standards and go against labor unionization. There have been cases when companies have put the health and safety of their employees just in order to maintain their profits and earnings. Collaborative Supplier Relationships vs. Short-Term Cost Control Longer term relationships with suppliers enhance the firms results. The smaller the number of suppliers, i.e. the more collaboration a company has with its suppliers, the better the results of a firm are. However, the mass merchandisers take so much margin out of small suppliers that the small suppliers are forced to leave the business. Hence, such things lead to ethical issues. Changing Perception to Resolve the Ethical Issues in Marketing Ethical issues cannot be resolved easily due to the fact that there are no concrete guidelines regarding what is ethical and what it not. However, a marketer may try to resolve the ethical dilemmas she faces by applying some logics which are different from generally followed logics. Following are some of the ways that may help in resolving some of the ethical issues arising in marketing: Changing perception about the unit of exchange Changing perception about unit of exchange between the organization and consumer from just being a product or service to the benefit of than product or service may help a company make better ethical choice. Where a product focus makes a company think that since the product is intended for a particular segment, it will always provide benefit to the segment, a benefit focus makes the company think in terms of actual benefit that is being provided to its consumers. E.g. while marketing an alcoholic or tobacco product; the marketer may think that there is a good demand for the product, so the consumer should be provided with additional choice. However, when the focus is on benefit being provided to the consumer, the company may take responsible action like also providing information about the health hazard of such products. With this logic, a firm would not sell a potentially harmful product to its customers with conviction that they are do ing it for harmful purposes. Customer as a Co-Creator of Service Generally a customer is regarded as only a recipient of products or services. The marketer segments the customer, places its products, and distributes and promotes to the customers. However, if the marketer involves the customer and does things in interaction with the customer it may work to reduce two potential ethical dilemmas of consumer autonomy vs. marketing effectiveness and consumer participation vs. total system efficiency. When the customer is working in collaboration with the marketer, more transparency can be introduced which will further lead to marketing efficiency. E.g. in case of differential pricing, with collaborative actions more transparent discounting may be introduced which will further allow the customers to make informed choices. Such an approach makes sure that deception or any other type of manipulation with consumers judgment doesnt happen. When the consumer is co-creator of service, the perception of marketer will shift from making the process as efficient as possible to making it of more value to the customer. Value determination from producer to consumer Recognizing the fact that value is determined by the consumers may help the firms decide between societal benefits and mere profit maximization. This helps in resolving the ethical dilemmas of consumer welfare and price discrimination. The companies may look closely at the totality of their value proposition including all its consequences like social and environmental consequences. Instead of focusing on the product and its functional benefits, the value is determined from the perspective of consumer. Here, as long as the price discrimination is transparent, the choice made by the customers reflects the perceived value she attached with the choice. It reflects the notion of consumer welfare in the terms of customers perceived value of status, quality, convenience, innovation, variety and assurance. This logic also shows that the price premiums charged by companies are evidence of customers willingness to pay more for the trust inspired by the brand name. Firm-Customer Interaction As per this concept, the customers should be active participants instead of just being acted upon. This reduces the tension between the goals of satisfying current customers and working for incremental revenues. It also works to reduce the firm-supplier tension of collaborative relationships and profit maximization. These ethical dilemmas get diluted because the firm recognizes the value of customer relationships and this is willing to invest in the same. An example of this is the implied meaning of a brand as being a promise. There is a moral obligation for a company to deliver what a brand promises. Failure to deliver that value may harm the consumer perception and hence the firm-customer relationship. On the other hand, fulfillment of this leads to the strengthened relationship between the firm and the consumer. Recognizing the source of economic growth Traditionally, the firms consider the wealth to be the things which they own i.e. the resources which can be acted upon. However, the firms should consider that the main source of their economic growth is the skills and knowledge of the employees which act on these resources. This recognition may help in reducing the ethical dilemma of employee satisfaction vs. short-term profit. What an organization should do? Following are some guidelines that an organization may adopt in order to be ethical in its marketing practices: Take responsibility First and foremost, an organization should be able to take the responsibility of its actions. The organization should make sure that any marketing decisions and actions meet the customers needs and are able to satisfy them. In addition to this, these marketing decisions and actions should also cater to the broader needs of the society. The responsibility also extends to the employees and other organization that the firm deals with like suppliers or dealer agencies. The organization should not choose to encourage the unethical behavior in terms of any of these stakeholders. Recognize your customers rights Any organization has specific duties towards its customers: The customers should be able to expect that the products and services they intend to use are fit accordingly. The communication regarding the products or services should not be deceptive. The organization should intend to work in good faith. The organization should have appropriate policy to handle the grievances a customer might have. The organization should be considerate about the rights and interests of vulnerable groups and should not exploit them. Balance the Customer Interests with Marketing Needs Marketing has a number of objectives ranging from providing information about the product/service, stimulating the demand and boosting the sale, emphasizing the product value and differentiating the product from those of competitors. Hence, it may get difficult for an organization to strike a balance between these objectives of marketing with the ethical commitment to the consumer for providing honest, clear and unambiguous information. The situation may be aggravated if the business conditions are not good. However, the organization should focus on the long-term benefits in terms of better branding and customer loyalty while taking decisions on ethical issues. Recognize the inherent possibility of Ethical Issues Ethical issues arise when the interests and viewpoints of different stakeholders like the organization itself, customers, employees, and society etc. clash. Such issues are, however, very prominently inherent in certain industries or with certain kind of products e.g. tobacco and alcohol products. The organization should consider whether to advertise for them, to what extent to advertise and what the target customers for the advertisements should be. But, in such industry, no matter what decision an organization takes, it may have to bear the brunt of social ethicality merely be being in the particular industry. Be Environment-Friendly Green issues have come to prominence and have become major point of concern in recent times. Several organizations have made changes in their methods in order to be environment friendly. Some have even adopted special practices to give back to the environment. However, when the organizations try to improve the perception of their products/services by communicating these practices to the customers and other stakeholders they tend to get skeptical about the motives and claims of the organization. The organization should be able to promote such motives and claims so these are accurate and are able to be substantiated. Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility Conventionally, customers are primarily influenced by the product/service features, price and availability while making a choice about the product/service. However, with growing concerns about sustainable practices, environment-friendliness and social responsibility, there is one more dimension which has started influencing customer decisions. This dimension is of the policies a company adopts for its products and services. Customers are getting increasingly sensitive about the production processes, and the level of social responsibility with which organizations deal with their employees, invest their money, or indulge in other activities. Customers tend to prefer the products/services from a company which is relatively more socially responsible. Hence, it is a benefit for the organization to be ethically correct for its customers. In order to gauge the level of social responsibility of the organization, it should consider following factors: Are the products safe and being manufactured with sustainable materials, processes and under responsible conditions? Are the advertising practices being followed honest, clear and socially acceptable? Does the product provide value for money to the customers along with providing profits to the organization? Is the organization indulging in unethical selling practices? Does the organization ensure fair access to its products and services through its distribution channels? Is it easy for customers to get their issues resolved and does the organization meet customer requirements? Review all the aspects of marketing The organization should review all aspects of marketing including product design, pricing, distribution and promotion. Product Design and Development The organization needs to consider how the product will be produced i.e. the methods of manufacturing, materials and other resources to be used in the production. The company should assess whether the all these things including the production process are safe or they have any impacts on society or environment. The organization should also consider the potential use of the product/service. It needs to consider whether the product has the potential of being exploited and misused. The organization should take into consideration, the disposal of the product after it has been used. Pricing The prices of the products/services should provide value to the customers. It should not necessarily be the lowest price on the market. However, the company should be able to convey the value to the customers that they are getting for the price they pay. Packaging and Labeling Packaging has an important role in terms of brand identity and is very critical for sale. However, there are growing concerns with regards to packaging due to environmental impacts of the discarded packaging. The organization should also ensure that the labeling provides clear information regarding the use of the products. If there are some potential health or safety hazards associated with the product, they should be clearly brought to notice of the customer through means of labeling. Distribution In terms of distribution, the organization should make sure that the products are freely accessible to the customers without any discrimination e.g. of geographies. If the business is heavily dependent upon retailing, there may be another set of ethical issues that may arise. With growing concentration of retail business, retailers have gained considerable power to exert influence over the customers as well as the suppliers. The retailer may get involved in unethical practices like stocking products for only some of the companies who pay them more margins. All these issues should be tackled carefully and the power of influence should be divided carefully.