Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Research Report: The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers fc
Research Report: The Great Gatsby à à à à à In ââ¬Å"The Great Gatsby: A Criticism of American Society,â⬠author Ned Mack discusses how F. Scott Fitzgerald criticizes the American Society in the 1920ââ¬â¢s for its trend to waste, advertise, encourage superficial relationships, and an obsession with appearances. All four of these things are very evident in the novel, and Mack just breaks each of them down individually. Mack talks about how the Valley of Ashes is an example of people being wasteful in the 1920ââ¬â¢s. People in America use what they want and when they want and leave the remains or waste, you might call it, behind for the un-wealthy to clean up. ââ¬Å"The valley of ashes was once a flourishing town, but was used until it was no longer valuable and was thus abandoned.â⬠(qtd. In Mack) This is very true the rich people in the novel were by no means conservationist. They would not think twice about using things in excess and then discarding them how they please. Advertising plays a huge role in this novel. Mack says, ââ¬Å"The billboard in the Valley of Ashes is held above the rest of the town and represents society worshipping advertisingâ⬠(2). This is evident in the novel not only are businessââ¬â¢ advertised but in a way people are always advertising themselves. By talking about their own businessââ¬â¢ or even worse putting themselves on display and advertising themselves, but not as people, but more like objects and how wealthy they are. An example of this is when Mr. And Mrs. Mckee are at Myrtleââ¬â¢s party and the narrator Nick is talking about the Mckees and he says referring to Mrs. Mckee, ââ¬Å"She told me with pride her husband had photographed her a hundred and twenty-seven times since they had been marriedâ⬠(qtd. In Mack) Subconsciously, Mrs. Mckee is advertising her husband and that he is a photographer. Mack goes on to talk about the American obsession with appearance that is shown throughout the novel. An example of this would be that Gatsby has a huge library filled with books that have never been opened. Gatsby is just trying to be someone that he is not in order to fit a certain image. Another character obsessed with her appearance and how people perceive her is Myrtle. At her party, she pretends that she has a kitchen full of servants who are waiting on herâ⬠¦when in reality she doesnââ¬â¢t. Research Report: The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers fc Research Report: The Great Gatsby à à à à à In ââ¬Å"The Great Gatsby: A Criticism of American Society,â⬠author Ned Mack discusses how F. Scott Fitzgerald criticizes the American Society in the 1920ââ¬â¢s for its trend to waste, advertise, encourage superficial relationships, and an obsession with appearances. All four of these things are very evident in the novel, and Mack just breaks each of them down individually. Mack talks about how the Valley of Ashes is an example of people being wasteful in the 1920ââ¬â¢s. People in America use what they want and when they want and leave the remains or waste, you might call it, behind for the un-wealthy to clean up. ââ¬Å"The valley of ashes was once a flourishing town, but was used until it was no longer valuable and was thus abandoned.â⬠(qtd. In Mack) This is very true the rich people in the novel were by no means conservationist. They would not think twice about using things in excess and then discarding them how they please. Advertising plays a huge role in this novel. Mack says, ââ¬Å"The billboard in the Valley of Ashes is held above the rest of the town and represents society worshipping advertisingâ⬠(2). This is evident in the novel not only are businessââ¬â¢ advertised but in a way people are always advertising themselves. By talking about their own businessââ¬â¢ or even worse putting themselves on display and advertising themselves, but not as people, but more like objects and how wealthy they are. An example of this is when Mr. And Mrs. Mckee are at Myrtleââ¬â¢s party and the narrator Nick is talking about the Mckees and he says referring to Mrs. Mckee, ââ¬Å"She told me with pride her husband had photographed her a hundred and twenty-seven times since they had been marriedâ⬠(qtd. In Mack) Subconsciously, Mrs. Mckee is advertising her husband and that he is a photographer. Mack goes on to talk about the American obsession with appearance that is shown throughout the novel. An example of this would be that Gatsby has a huge library filled with books that have never been opened. Gatsby is just trying to be someone that he is not in order to fit a certain image. Another character obsessed with her appearance and how people perceive her is Myrtle. At her party, she pretends that she has a kitchen full of servants who are waiting on herâ⬠¦when in reality she doesnââ¬â¢t.
Mobile Shoppers
The entire digital marketing world is quickly converging on mobile as a favorite shopping partner. Thanks to the increasing purchases and usage of smartphones, approximately 50% of adults aged 18-64 in the U. S. are mobile shopping. With all of these technologically advanced phones in pockets and purses, the way people shop is changing. Mobile shopping is not one activity ââ¬â Mobile-shopping behaviors include using one's phone to facilitate any part of the shopping experience ââ¬â from comparing products, evaluating prices, and selecting where to buy, to sharing product photos, tweeting price details, and actually completing the transaction.The mobile shopping experience can also include activities post-purchase, such as returning or servicing a product. Arc Worldwide conducted a nationwide quantitative survey of 1,800 mobile-phone owners, followed by qualitative research using webcams, Flip video cameras, and shop-alongs as shoppers utilized their phones in the shopping exp erience. Two key findings cast a light on who is mobile shopping and how, and what it means for the future. Lights shall inherit the future -Mobile shoppers fall into two groups.Heavy mobile shoppers comprise about 20% of all mobile shoppers and drive 80% of the activity volume. Light mobile shoppers comprise the rest. Heavies love their phones, using them to share photos, download music, and check the news. They also love any form of shopping, whether it be at home, on a computer, or in the store. It's not surprising that they really enjoy the nexus ââ¬â indexing 10 times higher than lights in mobile shopping. Heavy mobile shoppers know and use mobile as a specialized tool for shopping.Light mobile shoppers have a much narrower outlook toward mobile with regard to shopping. They see it primarily as an inferior portable computer, and therefore primarily use it in the car and on the go. Sixty-two percent of light mobile shoppers told us it was just easier to go online from a comp uter vs. shopping on their phone. While heavies have driven the growth of mobile shopping thus far, our research indicates that future growth will come from a small group of lights with the greatest potential to become heavies. We call them high potential mobile shoppers.They love their mobile phones and shopping in the way heavies do, but haven't yet converted their shopping activities onto their phones. Smartphone shopping apps are helping consumers buy more online, and theyââ¬â¢re getting people better deals on the street. Two new data points from online auctioneer eBay and price comparison app Scanbuy help drive that home, and more importantly, suggest where things are ultimately headed: Deal-hungry users are increasingly going to put pressure on retailers, both online and offline, to change prices in real time to satisfy these more savvy buyers.Ex. EBay said Wednesday that global mobile sales brought in almost $2 billion in 2010, up from $600 million in 2009. In the U. S. , eBay mobile sales grew almost 175 percent, generating nearly $850 million in gross merchandise value in 2010. What this confirms is that consumers are wielding their smartphones as shopping tools, arming themselves with data thatââ¬â¢s informing their choices. In some cases, itââ¬â¢s pushing people to buy online. In other cases, theyââ¬â¢re searching for better deals nearby.But as users get more access to pricing data wherever they are at all times, itââ¬â¢s going to force retailers to have to react more in real time with their pricing. If users can see there are deals to be found elsewhere, retailers are going to have learn how to respond quickly with counter offers. This is good news for consumers, who can leverage this data more for in-store discounts and bargaining. Flash an online price of a product at a Best Buy employee, and see if the price can be matched or beaten. Itââ¬â¢s going to put more pressure on retailers to monitor these pricing schemes and devise qu ick strategies.Itââ¬â¢s not enough to just offer check-in coupons and offers; theyââ¬â¢re going to have to be aware of the competing offers available to consumers as they hunt for bargains. 1. Extend online brand reputation to mobile with seller ratings ââ¬â Having a great online reputation is essential to driving online conversions, per Google. With seller ratings on mobile, brands and retailers can extend their online reputation from desktop to mobile devices and leverage the power of the mobile platform to drive conversions on the Web. The seller ratings extension lets mobile searchers to see merchants who are highly recommended by other shoppers.By showcasing relevant and useful rating information for a business, the extension can help differentiate that brand from its competition and guide potential customers to purchase from its site. In recent studies, campaigns with mobile seller ratings saw a 7. 5 percent increase in click through rates when compared to campaigns without this extension. Seller ratings are aggregated from merchant review sites all around the Web and the extension will only show when a merchantââ¬â¢s online store has a rating of four or more stars and at least 30 reviews. . Take customers directly to the desired conversion path with mobile ad site links ââ¬â Ad site links enable direct navigation to specific pages of a Web site. Since navigating on the mobile Web can still be difficult, site links for mobile can be especially useful in taking customers directly to the desired conversion path on a site, per Google. For example, with site links brands can quickly guide customers to the best selling products on their site or to an online store locator.Mobile users find this format particularly helpful and on average campaigns with mobile site links see a 30 percent increase in click through rates when compared to campaigns without site links. Right now a maximum of two site links can appear on mobile devices with ads displ aying two links across one line or stacked vertically on two lines. One-line site links can show with the click-to-call phone extension and will display one link to the Web site alongside the brandââ¬â¢s phone number. One-line site links can also show with the seller ratings extension and will display the companyââ¬â¢s online store rating as well as two links to its Web site.The quality of a brandââ¬â¢s ad will determine which variation of mobile ad site links will show. Two-line site links typically show for higher quality ads. 3. Drive customers in-store with offer ads ââ¬â Running an in-store promotion? Brands can get the word out and incentivize customers to visit their store by placing a coupon right into their AdWords ads. Mobile ads with offers enable advertisers to include special deals in their mobile search ads, allowing users to store coupons via email or SMS.Ads also display the brandââ¬â¢s phone number or business location on a Google Map for Mobile so t hat customers have everything they need to go to the store, redeem the offer and make a purchase. 4. Click-to-call ads for easier contact ââ¬â Ensure that customers can easily connect with customer service by including a business phone number in mobile search ads. Since users who make a call are showing interest in a brandââ¬â¢s product or service, they are more likely to make a purchase. With a call costing the same as a click to an ad, this is a very cost-effective ad format for driving quality leads and conversions for a business.
Monday, September 30, 2019
At I essentially am not in madness Essay
ââ¬Å"That I essentially am not in madness, But mad in Craftâ⬠Consider the importance of pretence and acting in Hamlet. Do you entirely agree with Hamletââ¬â¢s claim? The idea of a character feigning madness is commonplace in great literary works; many authors use it to show the sanity of a character. Shakespeare has used this idea throughout the play, Hamlet. In this masterpiece, there is much debate around the protagonist, Hamlet, and whether his madness was real or feigned: literary scholars have debated this for more than four hundred years. Shakespeare uses a theme of madness in this play to illustrate how one must use deception in order to deceive others to reach the truth. Thus, in this play, the tragic hero contemplates his own moral judgements and in the process is considered mad. Hamlet claims to feign his madness, as he says to Horatio and Marcellus in Act 1 Scene 5, ââ¬Å"How strange or odd someââ¬â¢er I bear myself- As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To Put an antic disposition on. â⬠This quote illustrates how Hamlet intends to pretend to be mad in order to reach the truth within this court, which Hamlet describes as, ââ¬Å"out of joint,â⬠which once again highlights the disordered state of affairs. However, society has an even greater effect on Hamlet because his madness could be a sign of his inability to determine between right and wrong and to make appropriate decisions in the context of his society. Towards the opening of the play, in Act 1 Scene 2, Hamlet says to his mother, Gertrude, ââ¬Å"Nay it is. I know not what ââ¬Ëseemsââ¬â¢. â⬠Thus, Hamlet is saying he does not what it is to pretend because he only knows what it is to be. This quotation is ironic because it is the crux of the scholarly dispute: if Hamlet only knows what it is to be, then his madness must be genuine. In Shakespearian society, it was commonly believed that when an individual told a lie they ended up believing it so strongly that they eventually started to live that lie. In this way, Hamlet is a young man who has suffered a series of unfortunate circumstances that could have propagated a descent into madness. Initially his attempt to feign madness could be considered as a method by which he can camouflage his inability to find an emotional catalyst to thrust him into a frenzied state of revenge: his response to the ghostââ¬â¢s revelation is relatively passive considering the repercussions it will have within the court. Thus, it would seem that perhaps his feigning of madness actually manifests itself in reality, as Hamlet struggles to distinguish between all the lies he is forced to tell and enters the spiralling mendacity within the court. In contrast to Hamlet, Ophelia subsequently develops a certainly genuine sanity due to the death of her father. Throughout the play, Ophelia is manipulated by Shakespeare, as a symbol of innocence because she is not part of the scheming, manipulative court; thus, her madness illustrates the effect on the innocent by those manipulating power. Ophelia herself says, ââ¬Å"I was the more deceived,â⬠talking with Hamlet of their love. Her madness may also be, to some degree, a product of her seemingly unrequited love for Hamlet. In Act 3 Scene 1, the parted lovers each illustrate their frustrations with the world and their argument may be responsible for sending both further into madness. Ophelia says, ââ¬Å"O, what a noble mind is here oââ¬â¢erthrown,â⬠which alludes to Hamletââ¬â¢s emotional unbalance that has been poignantly reflected via Shakespeareââ¬â¢s change from his regular verse for Hamletââ¬â¢s preceding tirade. This could be demonstrative of a whirlwind within Hamletââ¬â¢s mind that causes him to abandon all rhyme and reason both mentally and in his expression of his thoughts. His rudeness and the confused emotions, which he presents before Ophelia may also lead to her later insanity and therefore, Hamlet may feel some guilt that further enhances his own mental instability. Hamletââ¬â¢s claim in Act 3 Scene 4 to his mother, ââ¬Å"That I essentially am not in madness, But mad in Craft,â⬠would suggest that Hamlet still retains his purpose and motivation and has not started to live his lie. However, it could also be the ramblings of a lost and confused man, caught up in a spiral of emotions. The use of the word ââ¬Å"craftâ⬠implies Hamletââ¬â¢s cunningness in his approach to revenge. He appears to think he has manipulated himself so that he retains the upper hand: this can be reinforced by Shakespeareââ¬â¢s use of a play within a play in Act 3 Scene 2. The concept of a play within a play reinforces the idea of pretence and seeming. Hamletââ¬â¢s directions to the players serve to illustrate the subtle balance acting and being. Hamlet feels that the ââ¬Å"purpose of playingâ⬠is ââ¬Å"to hold as ââ¬â¢twere the mirror up to nature: to show virtue her feature. â⬠Therefore, acting in Hamletââ¬â¢s eyes would be replicating emotions exactly, as though they were real. This is where Shakespeare manipulates the audience because Hamletââ¬â¢s definition of successful playing may, also, therefore, be reflected in his pretence of madness. In order to feign madness, he must reflect nature exactly and it is here where the distinction becomes blurred because Hamlet himself is treading a fine line, as he attempts to sustain a pretence and thus, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether or not he is in fact still pretending as the play progresses. Shakespeareââ¬â¢s choice to make Hamlet conduct his own play is clearly an attempt to demonstrate Hamletââ¬â¢s manipulative abilities and to a certain degree to still suggests that he has retained his sanity because it allows him to gauge the response of King Claudius before engaging in revenge. Therefore, this would suggest that Hamlet is a sly and slightly devious character, perhaps as much so as the rest of the court: however, fundamentally, it might indicate that he is acting logically and methodically via the theatre as his chosen medium. This innate subtly of his manipulation would suggest there is a certain ââ¬Å"craftâ⬠to his revenge that is carefully calculated and thus, it is only his method which may seem extreme and it is not a reflection of his sanity. A defining scene that stimulates much scholarly dispute is Act 3 Scene 4, where the ghost reappears to Hamlet in the presence of his mother. The source of the dispute lies in whether on this occasion the ghost is real or simply a figment of Hamletââ¬â¢s imagination because it is evident that Gertrude cannot see the ghost, ââ¬Å"This is the very coinage of your brain. This bodiless creation ecstasy Is very cunning in. â⬠Shakespeare could here be using Gertrude as a mouth piece, to lead the audience into believing Hamlet is now no longer feigning his madness. However, an important contrast with Opheliaââ¬â¢s madness is that she rambles and appears to have no rhyme or reason in the words she utters, whereas Hamlet maintains purpose and retains his factors of motivation, such as his resentment towards his mother and women in general. This scene is poignant in leading the audience towards their interpretation of Hamletââ¬â¢s mental disposition and it is important to recognise that this can also be manipulated by the actors themselves and the way they perform this scene. It is a very emotionally charged scene and the use of dramatics and theatrical stage devices will have a certain influence on how Hamletââ¬â¢s madness is perceived. In conclusion, Hamlet is an unbalanced individual thrown into a state of turmoil, as he has had his fears confirmed by the appearance of his fatherââ¬â¢s ghost. However, it would seem that Shakespeare, perhaps intentionally, has left a large degree of the interpretation of Hamletââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"antic dispositionâ⬠to the audience and to the artistic licence of the actors. Whilst this may not have been Shakespeareââ¬â¢s intention, as he is renowned for his perfectionism and influence on the performances of his plays, it has created a play that is still subject to much literary discussion and intense analysis, in order to settle one of literatureââ¬â¢s greatest disputes: one that is likely never to be settled. However, by studying the text it seems that Hamlet is feigning his madness throughout the play but his exuberance and authenticity progresses along with the play. It is an insight in a mind filled with a whirlwind of emotions and Hamletââ¬â¢s use of a play would appear to simply reflect his preference to use words rather than actions, as can be seen my many of the play on words he uses in his speech. Hamlet himself says that acting must be an accurate reflection of nature and therefore, Opheliaââ¬â¢s insanity may have provided inspiration, rather than sending him even further into his own madness. The most influential aspect of the play that has lead to this personal response is the contrast between Hamlet and Opheliaââ¬â¢s madness. Throughout the play he maintains a high level of thought and emotional complexity and responds to all the actions of those around him, which would suggest that he is not in a world of his own created by insanity. Instead he is continually able to refute allegations of insanity when he wants be listened and adhered to, ââ¬Å"My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time, And makes as healthful music. It is not madness That I have utterââ¬â¢d. â⬠Thus, it is difficult to reach a resounding decision on his ââ¬Å"antic dispositionâ⬠due to Shakespeareââ¬â¢s accurate portrayal of a complex web of emotions; however, ultimately, it would seem he desired to reflect the potential for confusion of emotions whilst maintaining the coherency of his tragic hero. Bibliography ââ¬Å"Hamletâ⬠by Shakespeare, edited by Roma Gill, M. A. Cantab. , B. Litt. Oxon. Published by Oxford University Press, 2002. Aniela Baseley 13Fo English Coursework 2005/6.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Reflection Management Style Essay
Yes, my definition of a manager has changed based on this weeks readings. At the beginning of the course I held the definition of a manager as a person who is in charge of a certain organization or firm. Based on this weeks reading, my definition of a manager has changed to a qualified person with specific qualities who is able to organize the resources in a firm during both the boom and the lean seasons in the business so as to ensure that the firm or organization is profitable. A manager should not only lead a firm but also be in a position to organize the factors of production in the organization in which he is a leader to ensure smooth running of the organization as well as high productivity (Cardy, 2008). I still agree with the good qualities of a manager originally identified. Some of the good qualities of a leader originally identified include the qualities that relate to personal characteristics as well as the business related characteristics. Some of the personal characteristics of a good manager originally identified include integrity. Unless a manager has integrity, an organization cannot run well. A good manager needs to have integrity so that he may be able to lead by example. This is by following rules and maintaining the virtues that help the organization to run well. Other qualities of a good manager identified originally include communication, reliability as well as motivation (Melinda, 2010). The business related qualities include the knowledge of the legal procedures, financial management skills, delegation skills among others. I would add qualities of a good leader such as flexibility. A good manager should be flexible so as to accommodate the many changes he might come across in course of management. These may include a change in the work environment. I do still agree with the poor qualities originally identified.Ã There are managers who portray very poor management qualities as identified originally. Some of the poor qualities of a leader identified include failure to communicate, dictatorship, disrespect as well as discrimination amongst employees. A poor manager will display qualities of poor management by showing discriminating among his employees. This means that the manager favours some of the employees. The discrimination brings about division in the organization hence no good team work (Jillyan, 2013). There are additional qualities that are portrayed by poorleaders. Some of these poor qualities include poor motivation habits where the manager does not reward his employees after any achievement. The lack of motivation is a great drawback to any organization and only the managers can correct by motivating their employees. The qualities of a manager change depending on the different situations they are in. For instance, the home environment of a manager could change the personal qualities of a good manager. For instance if a manager observes integrity in his leadership and in his home environment everybody is corrupt, he will be influenced by his people and stop observing integrity (Cardy, 2008). The results for the management quiz were not very successful but after going through the course reading the results are very promising. The results would change greatly as we learn more about management in this course. The course allows one to contemplate on the qualities portrayed by most managers and make him or her critical on these characteristics. References Cardy,R.(2008)Management : people, performance, change. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Jillyan, S. (2013). Qualities A Manager Should Have. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Melinda, H. (2010). Characteristics and Attributes of a Good Manager. Cincinnati: Wooster Press.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Internship report Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Internship report - Term Paper Example My role was just to check the billing details and enter the data correctly into the computer but when I saw some ambiguity in the record, I told my supervisor about that. When he checked the record, he made out that the customer has not made full payment and the sale was closed by mistake. Knowing the mistake in record, the supervisor unclosed the sale and called the customer to make the remaining payment. He also appreciated my effort in clearing the mistake. From this event, I learned that a person should work with full devotion in order to eliminate the chances of errors. The objectives, which I had set for the past 3 weeks of the internship period, were to understand all types of financial issues related to the mortgage company, to understand the decision-making style of the managers, and to understand the type of communication that takes place between the members of the work teams. I met my objectives by paying full concentration towards the roles, which were assigned to me. For example, I worked in the billing department, which provided me with a great chance to understand different financial issues of the company. I also worked with a team to write a professional blog about the market situation, which provided me with the chance to examine the type of communication that takes place between the group members. My objectives for the next three weeks include working as a team leader and closing maximum number of loans for the company. I think the way I am working for the company; my manager will surely provide me with the opportunity to work as a team leader in the finance department of the company. I can also meet the goal of closing maximum number of loans if I work with full dedication and interest as a team leader. I will measure my achievements by viewing my performance record maintained by the company. So, these were some of those objectives that I have set for the next
Friday, September 27, 2019
The Massachusetts experience with universal health coverage Term Paper
The Massachusetts experience with universal health coverage - Term Paper Example In fact, the Affordable Care Act on Obamacare universal insurance is based largely on the Massachusetts universal health care coverage (Kessler 1). Universal Health Care has an impact on the individuals of a society and implementing it guarantees better health of the people and productivity. Universal Health Care Universal health care is a system of health insurance in which the objective is to ensure that all individuals in the society or any jurisdiction have access to good health care. In most countries, health care is expensive to especially those who are considered below the poverty line - they are unable to access healthcare facilities as they cannot afford. The universal health-care plan promises to change all that by providing insurance to even the very poor. This healthcare is based on several principles, as discussed below. Provision to all Universal care is based on the fact that all people should have access to healthcare. This is regardless of whether they are rich, poor or are in the middle class. The plan has to be such that no person is unable to pay for healthcare services. The cost of the services is spread across all the people using the plan to ensure that all people can be able to make payment regardless of their social class. This is through several options provided to the individuals. Reduced direct spending: Direct payments made by individuals seeking healthcare services to providers are reduced. In this case, the individuals have to cost share the cost with the providers. This can be through co-payments, in which the individuals subscribe to be paying a specified fee per month, deductibles in which the individual is deducted a certain amount of money after a certain period like monthly, quarterly or half yearly depending on their specifications, coinsurance in which insurance is spread across several parties and unofficial payments to the provider at the time when seeking healthcare services (Universal health coverage 3). Prepayment Hea lth care has to be financed by some individuals at some point. In the case of universal health care, individuals who can afford to make contributions every now and then are encouraged to continue making contributions. The payments are made before hand, and it is not necessarily that a person is seeking healthcare services to make the payment. Contributions are made through taxes, payroll deductions, contribution premiums and donor contributions. The contributions can be organized in different ways depending on the jurisdiction (Universal health coverage 4). Risk Pooling: Universal healthcare is based on sharing the cost of healthcare facilities and services. In this case, the cost incurred by any individual when seeking health care services is spread across all individuals that have subscribed to the universal health care services. For the system to be more effective, more people are required to subscribe and make payments. This reduces the chances of fluctuations when services are being provided. When few people subscribe, there are times when the facilities may lack funds, especially when many people are seeking medical interventions at the same time (Universal health coverage 5). Considerations for universal healthcare success Universal healthcare has to be well considered for it to work out properly. The political landscape of the country is
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Application of Ethical Theory to a Case Study Vignette Essay
Application of Ethical Theory to a Case Study Vignette - Essay Example The essay begins with that most ethical decisions possess enough clarity for individuals to decide on their course of action rather easily. This is because most of these issues often pit wrong against right. Deciding on whether to embezzle company money, for example, is not a real ethical dilemma since this is stealing. However, things can become murky when there is more than one vital responsibility, right, or value. In this case, one has to choose one unpleasant alternative. This can be defined as an ethical dilemma, where more than one value can be defined as right, thus causing a conflict. The firm, in response to a difficult economic climate, has taken a decision to restructure, which will involve selling off one less profitable operation and streamlining most of its support functions. Inevitably, this will cause compulsory layoffs at the firm. As part of the team working on this plan, Jagdeep knows that the plan is a top secret because it is price sensitive. Hannah is a colleag ue of his who also happens to be a former college-mate, and they often have drinks after work. Hannah, in charge of a five-member team, is eager to hear about the restructuring progress from Jagdeep over drinks one day, wanting to know if her team will be affected. This is of particular importance to her since she is very concerned for her employees and knows of their personal plans, such as two members who plan to take substantial new mortgages. Jagdeep finds himself in a dilemma, as he knows that two of her members are on the redundancy list. Jagdeep faces a real ethical dilemma. Two right values creating a conflict for Jagdeep in making this decision are loyalty and truthfulness. As the case shows, telling a friend the truth would show disloyalty to the firm that pays his perks and treats him well. The paper explores theoretical approaches to making ethical decisions. The approaches are not perfect and may lead to differing conclusions. Using various approaches will help Jagdeep think comprehensively and carefully about various dilemmas and to prevent him from coming to accident-prone conclusions. At the least, Jagdeep can have a degree of satisfaction from thinking thoroughly about the issue and analyzing it from all possible angles. Jagdeep can also explain the process of decision making if asked by both parties in the future. Consequentialist Theory The consequatialist theory can also be referred to as the teleological theory (Banks, 2011: p34). When Jagdeep is attempting to decide on whether telling Hannah is wrong o r right, the theory puts more focus on the consequence of the action or decision. One the best-known Consequentialist theory is utilitarianism. According to utilitarianism, ethical decisions need to maximize societal benefits, as well as minimize any harm it may cause. In this theory, what is of importance is the net balance the good consequences over those that are bad, overall. The utilitarian approach to Jagdeepââ¬â¢s dilemma would involve the identification of all affected stakeholders in the situation and seeking alternative action and the consequences, benefits and harms, for each stakeholder. A stakeholder is understandably any individual or group of individuals that have a stake with the restructuring plan at Jagdeepââ¬â¢s firm. In Jagdeepââ¬â¢s situation, this includes his friend Hannah, Hannahââ¬â¢s colleagues, his boss, Jagdeep himself, other co-workers, and the firm. The list is quite long, making the consequences even far-reaching, whether he told Hannah abo ut the laying off, of her team members or not. The Consequentialist approach needs Jagdeep to perform a mental calculation of all benefits and harms of the resulting consequences, considering each stakeholder individually (Griseri & Seppala, 2010: p46). What would be the consequence of Jagdeep telling Hannah what he knows of the lay-off? What
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