Nonviolence: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Tich Nhat Hanh

Upon engaging the text of Martin Luther King, Jr. ‘s anti-war speech â€Å"Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,† one recognizes an undeniable continuity between King's thinking and that of his contemporary Thich Nhat Hanh. It is important to note, however, that King's reflections in this discourse are not entirely beholden to his Buddhist counterpart. The overarching concepts of â€Å"interbeing† and interrelation which drive the speech were evident in King's work and philosophy well before his correspondence with Nhat Hahn. The similarities regarding each man's approach to these notions should be expected given their respective spiritual vocations. Therefore, although King's reflections in this address – which encompass the broader considerations of nonviolence and exhibit a direct rebuke of the war effort – mirror almost identically those made in writings by Nhat Hanh, it is unclear how directly the latter may have influenced the former. Regardless, this speech does reflect elements of Nhat Hanh's nonviolent vision and does so specifically through considering the concept of mutuality in relation to addressing the roots of war, its effects and how to end it. In his address, King makes clear that humanity's failures and the origins of violence stem from the propagation of illusions and artificial perceptions. In particular, King asserts that â€Å"the war in Vietnam is but a symptom of a far deeper malady within the American spirit†¦ ,† whereby Americans suffer from false â€Å"comfort, complacency [and] a morbid fear of communism†¦ † (King). This assertion is clearly reflective of Nhat Hanh's observation that â€Å"thinking is at the base of everything [and that]†¦. ur thoughts can be misleading and create confusion, despair, anger or hatred,† and that â€Å"a civilization in which we kill and exploit others for our own aggrandizement is sick† (Nhat Hanh 68; 120). The societal illness both men perceive is rooted in a proliferation of fear and ignorance, or as King so forcefully asserts, â€Å"legions of half-truths, prejudices, and false facts† (King 14). The influence of these fallacies manifests itself most directly through manufactured notions about our enemies. By reducing our enemies to concepts that we can thoughtlessly abhor, we take no serious deliberation concerning our inherent reciprocity to them, and thus fail to realize the true extent our similarities. Though King had expressed similar sentiments previous to this speech, such as in his sermon â€Å"Loving your Enemies,† one cannot ignore the presence of a comparable position advocated by Nhat Hanh in his 1965 letter to King entitled â€Å"In Search of the Enemy of Man. † In that letter, Nhat Hanh professes that â€Å"[our] enemies are not man†¦ hey are intolerance, fanaticism, dictatorship, cupidity, hatred and [the]discrimination which lie in the heart of man† (Nhat Hanh). Nevertheless, it is clear that King recognizes this point, going so far as to declare: â€Å"We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation†¦ we must not engage in negative anti-communism [but]†¦ with positive action seek to remove those conditions of poverty, insecurity and injustice which are the fertile soil in which the seed of communism [as social strife] grows and develops† (King). As a result of this revelation, part of King's speech calls for peace through an attempt to understand the enemy and the effects war has had on the Vietnamese people. This call for mindfulness clearly resonates with Nhat Hanh's belief that â€Å"[a]ny nonviolent action requires a thorough understanding of the situation and the psychology of the people,† enemy and self alike (Nhat Hanh 40). King exhibits this understanding when stating that the Vietnamese â€Å"must see Americans as strange liberators† and begins a chronological account of the effects an American presence has had in Vietnam since 1945 (King). Speaking of the National Liberation Front, or what he deems in an ironic manner as â€Å"that strangely anonymous group we call VC or Communists†¦ ,† King asks â€Å"[w]hat must they think of us in America when they realize that we permitted the repression and cruelty of Diem which helped to bring them into being as a resistance group [in the first place]†¦ † (King). In essence, King is imploring Americans to put their view of â€Å"the enemy† into context, noting that U. S. actions have done little but imbed a â€Å"deep but understandable mistrust† in its enemies (King). Again, almost all of these deliberations are present in Nhat Hanh's work. Nhat Hanh's statement that â€Å"[e]very escalation of the war, every new contingent of U. S. troops†¦ wins new recruits to the Vietcong† reflects each man's belief that the U. S. is undermining is own efforts in Vietnam because it has implanted soldiers there that â€Å"[know] and [care] little about [Vietnamese] customs and practices and [who are] involved in destroying Vietnamese people and property† (Nhat Hanh 50-51). Moreover, King's optimistic position that the United States has the capability to transcend its obtuseness, reorganize its priorities and lead the cause for a peaceful end to war is a sentiment most certainly shared by Nhat Hanh. To this end, each man's suggestions for ending the war are strikingly similar. In Love in Action Nhat Hanh offers five components that he deems necessary toward a U. S. solution to the war: 1) A cessation of bombing in the north and south. 2) A limitation of all military operations by the U. S and South Vietnamese. 3) A clear demonstration of U. S. intent to withdraw from the country. 4) A declaration of American neutrality and support of a popular government. 5) Extensive aid in the reconstruction effort. (Nhat Hanh 55). Likewise, King calls for an end to all bombing, unilateral ceasefire, curtailing military buildup, an acceptance of the NLF's role in a future Vietnamese government, and a definitive U. S. withdrawal date. The proposals in King's address are almost identical as both men call for material support as well as ideological understanding by America toward its enemies. In addition to these provisions, King demands that the American public take into account the effects war has had on our own soldiers and that they take active steps toward ending it. King calls for a movement away from a † ‘thing oriented' society to a ‘person-oriented' society† where the â€Å"business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation's homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into veins of people, of sending men home†¦ physically and psychologically deranged†¦ † is deemed unacceptable and impermissible (King). This too echoes portions of Nhat Hanh's nonviolent vision, such as evidenced by his observation during the first Gulf War that â€Å"[s]oldiers live in hell day and night, even before they go into the battlefield, and even after they return home† (Nhat Hanh 75). Hoping that the American public can grasp these realities, King demands that â€Å"we must all protest† in order to awaken others to the fact that â€Å"the American course in Vietnam is an dishonorable and unjust one† (King). Again, although King's attitudes here are not surprising given his own previous writings in nonviolence, when referencing the afore mentioned letter from Nhat Hanh to King, one cannot help but wonder whether the former's description of a fellow monk's self-immolation aimed at â€Å"[calling] the attention of the world [to]†¦. he suffering caused by this unnecessary war† in turn caused King to declare – in reference to anti-war protest – that â€Å"these are the times for real choices and not false ones† (Nhat Hanh; King). On the whole, though it is clear that King's â€Å"Riverside Address† reflects both the large and small aspects of Thich Nhat Hanh's nonviolent vision, whether these parallels were intentio nal or not is unclear. By their very nature, philosophies of nonviolence concern themselves with discipline and awareness of the self, as well as with understanding and empathy for the other. As a result, it is not surprising that King and Nhat Hahn, two practitioners of such philosophies, would both express their concerns about Vietnam around the same theme of humanity's interrelated nature. Therefore, it is not so much important whether one's work or ideas may have influenced the other's as it is that both recognize a common bond between human beings and the supreme need to eliminate the conditions which threaten that inherent relationship.

Bridging the Gender Gap in Oil and Gas

1.0 Introduction For many countries, the extractive industry plays a major role as an economic driver, creating jobs, revenue and opportunities for development and growth. There are also social, economic and environmental risks associated with these industries which affect men and women differently. Research by the World Bank (2009) has indicated that men have the most access to the benefits of these industries, whilst women are more likely to suffer the consequences of the social and environmental harms associated therewith. The different experiences of men and women in these industries significantly affect the ability of women to contribute to active growth and development in their respective economies. The gender gap in the oil and gas industry exists in two separate forms, the first being the top-end employment discrimination where there is a lack of females at the higher end of the employment spectrum seeing very low numbers of female engineers, and science and technology employees (European Com mission, 2009). On the one hand this problem is a reflection of the imbalance of opportunities for adequate education, and on the other is what is referred to as the ‘leaky pipeline’ conundrum which describes the phenomenon of disproportionate numbers of women leaving these professions in each consecutive career stage in this industry. The second form of the gender gap is the very low numbers of female employees at the bottom end of the employment spectrum, that which requires lower education standards, but which may be more physically intensive. The World Bank reports (2009) that in most companies there is a female workforce of less than 10%, as these types of jobs are generally considered to be a ‘man’s job’. This is so because of the inherent physicality required in these work environments and the exposure to chemicals which presents a problem for female employees that are pregnant, meaning more time away from work and the inability to work if pre gnant. This research will consider the existence of the gender gap, the justifications therefore, the effects of the gap and recommendations for closing this gap in the industry in terms of ensuring that the opportunities for growth and development, both economic and social are equally accessible in modern oil and gas industry. 1.1 Background to Research 1.2 Significance of Research 1.3 Research Question & Research Objectives1.3.1 Research QuestionWhat is the extent of the gender gap in the oil and gas industry?1.3.2 Research ObjectivesTo determine the causes of the gender gap in the oil and gas industry. To determine the effect of the gender gap in the industry. To determine a succinct set of recommendations for companies in the industry, as well as regulatory authorities in order to close this gap moving towards equal employment opportunities in this industry. 1.4 Proposed Structure 2.0 Methodology The research is primarily a conceptual research dissertation that focuses on an extensive conceptualization, contextualization, evaluation, and analysis of the key issues relating to Corporate Social Responsibility in the oil and gas industry. A conceptual research employs an analytical framework that is based on â€Å"a set of broad theories and ideas that help the researcher to identify accurately the problem(s) they seek to address, frame their research questions appropriately, and locate appropriate literature on the research subject† (Smyth, 2004: 168). In using the conceptual research method, this research combines theoretical and analytical aspects in order to achieve its aims and objectives and provide pertinent answers to the research objectives. In light of the fact that conceptual research requires access to an extensive pool of resources, there is a great reliance on diverse sources of secondary materials for analysis. In this regard, some of the sources of seconda ry data for the research and analysis include electronic databases such as Questia, Jstor, Emerald Insight, and Google Scholar. Of specific interest are journals that focus on gender issues in extractive industries in general as these are analogous with the oil and gas sector, but particularly those that are based on the study and evolution of the gender gap in oil and gas companies, focusing on developing nations and the Gulf countries, as these represent compounded historical gender issues. 2.1 Qualitative Research 2.2 Content Analysis 2.3 Data Collection 2.4 Reliability and Validity of Research 2.5 Research Limitations 3.0 Literature Review 3.1 The Gender Gap in Developing versus Developed Countries3.1.1 Differences in Socio-economic problems3.1.2 The relevance of education in enforcing this gender gapIf one considers the vast differences in education priority placed in Gulf countries by comparison to African oil-economies such as Nigeria, one can see a very different picture of the relevance of education. On the one hand, Gulf countries are more likely to actively discriminate against female executive employees as there is a larger pool of adequately qualified female candidates, where in developing countries there are fewer qualified candidates, because of the lack of priority given to education and particularly education of females.3.1.3 The difference in the nature of the Gender Gap in different socio-economic conditions3.2 Cultural Sensitivities and Pragmatism In certain regions of oil and gas exploration, companies base their hiring discrimination on ‘cultural sensitivities’ where there is a concern for hiring women in higher-paying jobs would cause a backlash against women by their male colleagues (Musvoto, 2001). This has resulted in communities with soaring unemployment rates of up to 87% of women, despite the female demographic representing over half the local population. Particularly in developing countries, there is a trend towards rural-urban migration of the working population which often sees the breadwinner of a family leaving to work in an urban environment which perpetuates this gender gap by enforcing the role of the female as a caregiver rather than a breadwinner. In addition to these cultural sensitivities is a pragmatic approach taken by oil and gas companies which represents the bottom line in the sector in terms of cost implications. There is an argument to be made either way, with diversity goals becoming a secondary concern in favour of productivity and outcome. Male workers often have had greater educational opportunities and therefore less training and education is required, as well as less concern for factors of work-life balance. In the current economic climate, cost effective labour solutions are being of primary importance, particularly considering the growing importance of labour standards and quality of work environments which also present greater cost implications. On the other hand, studies have shown that in employment that is non-physical in nature women perform more productively and effectively, coupled with the barrier to private sector growth and development that employment discrimination breeds, increased female representation in the oil and gas sector may prove to be a more economical labour practice. Unfortunately however, despite evidence of long-term benefits of gender equality in the sector, companies choose short-term benefits which perpetuate and enforce this g ender gap.3.2.1 The broader socio-economic effect of the culturally enforced gender gapA theoretical expose on the broader socio-economic effects of the gender gap, e.g. continued lower education levels of women, perpetuated poverty for single parent households, lack of diversity in the workplace.3.2.2 The benefit of a diverse workplace3.2.3 Increased Issues with Work-Life Balance based on Gender3.3 Leaky Pipeline Anomaly and Evolution of Policy to Mitigate the Gender GapThere are a number of potential explanations for this anomalous situation of women in high end oil and gas jobs, one of which is the role of women in many societies as the primary caregiver of their families (United Nations, 2008). Therefore, as women progress through their careers there is a likelihood of their care responsibilities, as well as job responsibilities increasing proportionately and simultaneously, and as a result they are less able to meet the demands of higher level employment. Whilst certain industr y competitors have been recorded as saying that they attempt to incorporate individual career plans that take account of these increasingly personal responsibilities of employees (Al Tukmachy, 2012), the reality is a labyrinth of professional obstacles described as the ‘glass ceiling’ metaphor where female progression in the industry is limited due to concerns of increased need for consideration of factors of the work-life balance that are less present in their male counterparts (European Commission, 2009). As a result, women are often worked out of these executive and management positions, because companies offer incomprehensive policies that do not consider individual career and family outcomes (European Commission, 2009).3.3.1 Current Changes in Policy Direction to Increase Diversity and Retention of Female Staff – A corporate perspective 3.3.2 International Instruments Mandating Diversity in Oil and Gas MNEs4.0 Discussion 4.1 Analysis of the Gender Gap by Reg ion 4.2 Analysis of the Gender Gap by Employment Level4.2.1 Executive 4.2.2 Managerial 4.2.3 Non-managerial 4.2.4 Labour 4.2.5 Discussion 4.3 Current Examples of Corporate Policy for Non-Discriminatory Work Practices 4.3.1 Strengths 4.3.2 Weakness 4.4 Current Examples of Employment Schemes aimed at Female Inclusion in the Workplace 4.4.1 Strengths 4.4.2 Weaknesses5.0 Conclusion The gender gap in the oil and gas sector is very current and topical debate as gender equality in the workplace is becoming a diversity goal around the world. Careful understanding of the causes and effects thereof are imperative for the management of these companies and the greater macro-economic goals of development and growth. This research therefore aims to contribute to the current understanding of these goals in order to further the studies and make concrete recommendations in order to close this gap and further growth and development in the sector. 5.1 Recommendations 5.2 Conclusion References Al Munajjed, M. (2008) Women’s Employment in Saudi Arabia: A Major Challenge, Ideation Center Insight: Booz & Co Al Tukmachy, S. (2012) ‘Interview with Saba Al Tukmachy, Career Development Manager at ENOC’ Leaders of the Future Summit: Bridging the gap in oil and gas, 1 – 12 April 2012, Abu Dhabi: UAE Eftimie, A., Heller, K. & Strongman, J. (2009) Gender Dimensions of the Extractive Industries. The World Bank: Extractive Industries and Development Series European Commission (2009) Women in science and technology: Creating sustainable careers. EUR 23740 EN Musvoto, A. (2001) Gender and Mining: Community. Birnam Park: African Institute of Corporate Citizenship Smyth, R. (2004) â€Å"Exploring the usefulness of a conceptual framework as a research tool: A researcher’s reflection†, Issues in Educational Research, 14(2), 167-180. United Nations (2008) Equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men. United Nations Division for the Advanceme nt of Women. Expert Group Meeting, Geneva, 6-9 October, 2008

Analysis of Community Disadvantage Service

The health is the biggest asset for an individual. Every human being wants to live a long on this earth. However, the health-related issues majorly serve as the obstacles for their long existence on the earth. Even, the current condition of the internal health of the human being is not as per the expectation. Sometimes, serious problems occur due to the wrong treatment and wrong information about the health-related issues. The team of Human Longevity, Inc. helps persons to provide them necessary information regarding this. Human Longevity, Inc. was founded in 2013 (Humanlongevity.com, 2017). It is basically a fast growing company. The main concern of the associates of this company is to take care of the human health sincerely. In fact, the leaders associated with the genomics are the main figures to establish this company. However, Archibald & Rankin (2013) have stated that the fundamental target of this company regarding the human health is to provide data-based health intelligence. This company is duly associated with the healthcare and medicine industry. The customers of this company systematically go through the sequential medical test process in order to identify the primary symptoms of some critical issues like heart diseases cancers and Alzheimer’s. This public healthcare company is situated in San Diego in California. Due to this, the management of this company can able to get a huge range of people to be focused on for the successful execution of their functional purposes. This private company is basically a large business sector operating almost the entire US. As developed technologies are applied in the revolutionary practice of the medical genre, the outcomes of the research of this company have also been accepted by the majority of the audiences (Guy et al. 2015). Even, the management of this company has also able to understand the individual health condition along with the specific risk factors associated with that. It has been greatly observed that people are not well aware of the processes through which they can prevent the impact of aging on them. However, Piper et al. (2015) have also noticed that people have a natural tendency to hide their age through using different products. In fact, the major reason of their early, as well as normal aging is the impact of disease on them. Therefore, there is a huge audience and interested people to go through the database medical tests and information in order to fight against those diseases. On the other hand, the focus of this company is normally on the aged people and this segmentation of the customers has its impact on the market share and profit of this company. It has been clearly noticed that the management of Human Longevity, Inc. has investment around US$80 million in 2014 and US$220 million in 2016 (Humanlongevity.com, 2017). This huge development of the investment is, therefore, the identification of the financial success of the company throu gh positive customer responses. Table 1: Market share of Human Longevity in 2016 The above statistical data clearly shows the fact that the main competitors of Human Longevity, Inc. are the Slack Technologies, Clover Health, Cyclane and Thrive Market. However, among those, Slack Technologies is quite near to the Human Longevity, Inc. regarding the investment (Raule et al. 2014). The founders of this company, namely, Peter Diamondis and Craig Venter are quite happy in the success of the company in occupying the topmost position regarding the financial investment for the future activities of this company in the US market. Human Longevity, Inc. delivers the results of the health risks of an individual. However, Aviv, Kark & Susser (2015) have argued that the main functional role and responsibility of this company is embedded in helping them to have a deep insight into individual health condition. The overall improvement of the human health is the most influential outcome of the service and effort of the management and scientists within this company. The management of Human Longevity has been following the Growth Strategy throughout the execution of their functional activities. As per the concept of this business strategy, this company has been trying to provide a specialised healthcare service through database information process. Although some existing techniques were also there for helping people in their treatment, the development and implementation of these new strategies has proved itself as effective to impress the attention of the customers (Bharadwaj et al. 2013). Even through this, the understanding of genotype and phenotype has also satisfied the service users. As a result, the service by the management of Human Longevity has been increasing. In fact, this growth has been made possible through market research and customer expectation.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A huge positive customer response  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Presence of the specialised healthcare persons (Humanlongevity.com, 2017)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lacking among the people regarding the advantages of this database healthcare process to get treatment for cancer, heart diseases and Alzheimer’s  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lacking in the proper experience of the specialists regarding the suitable application of this database process  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Growing economy of the US industry  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interest of people to database information regarding genotypes and phenotypes  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disagreement of people with the proposed treatment process (Passtoors et al. 2013)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inexperience of the specialists may result in the customer dissatisfaction and their avoidance regarding the service process of this company Table 2: SWOT analysis of Human Longevity (Source: Passtoors et al. 2013, p.28)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The supporting nature of the US government to the healthcare organisations for the overall improvement of the public heath (Kim & Park,   2016)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The health related acts and regulations are also supportive of the development of this company  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The US economy is quite strong to provide necessary financial support at the primary stage of the incorporation of the service of Human Longevity, Inc. Figure 1: US annual GDP growth rate (Source: Tradingeconomics.com, 2017)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The above figure shows the fact that the final report of the annual GDP report of the US is quite progressive up to 2013 that is helpful in the development of any new business company in the US (Tradingeconomics.com, 2017)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Due to the growth of the serious diseases such as cancer and heart diseases, modern people has a developed concern to identify an alternative way to beat that diseases by discovering prevention processes that are supportive for Human Longevity, Inc.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interest among the healthcare specialists to help suffering people by database information and caring services in order to get the proper treatment  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on completely the scientific technology, this company has been applying phenotypic and genotypic database process in order to generate suitable healthcare knowledge   (Kuca et al. 2015)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through technological research, the management of Human Longevity, Inc. has been remodifying the previous healthcare treatment processes Table 3: PEST analysis of Human Longevity (Source: Tradingeconomics.com, 2017) From the above discussion of the nature and process of the functions of Human Longevity, it has been noticed that this company has started its services since 2013 and has occupied a satisfactory position among the audiences. Even in the operations through database information process regarding genotype and phenotype, this company has been achieving support from the US government that is helpful for the development of their future performances. Even, with the growth of the human consciousness regarding the necessity to prevent the effect of diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's and heart diseases, the requirement of the services of the healthcare specialists of this company have also been increasing significantly. Through the helpful information and services of this company, they have been enabling to go through necessary treatment processes from the very beginning. The approach towards the functional activities of the management of Human Longevity has some similarities to that of the Collective business model. According to the concept of this model, the entire business functions are designed based on the web services. The management of Human Longevity has been serving the customers through database information systems so that they can understand the process that will enable them to take the proper treatment process against serious heart diseases or cancer. The scientific treatment process allotted for the service users therefore goes through necessary innovation process. Based on the above detail discussion, some key points have been evaluated as follow: The functional operations of Human Longevity are data and web-based. The services of this company have been started since 2013 in the US. The US government and their economic status are helpful for the performance of this company. As this company applies different scientific technologies and approaches during their service, there is a satisfactory customer response regarding the availing of the service of this company. Even according to the market share, this company occupies the topmost position in comparison with Slack Technologies, Clover Health, Thrive Market and Cylance. The market segmentation has centralised the focus of this company majorly on people above 40 years and specifically on them having major heart diseases, Alzheimer’s and cancer. Although Human Longevity has currently been servicing as one of the most influential healthcare services for the US people through providing them database information and treatment processes, they have some lacking that are need to be eradicated in order to enhance their customer engagement. First, the number of the healthcare specialists is needed to be increased in order to take care of a huge number of service users. Second, in order to increase this new healthcare knowledge and its significance, the management of Human Longevity can organise healthcare camps in several parts of the country. This may help in increasing awareness among people. Even, the providence of low-cost services for the financially poor people by this company may also enrich the popularity and acceptance of their services. Finally, it can be stated that the healthcare companies like Human Longevity have implemented a revolutionary step regarding the application of new strategies for making the people aware of the current condition of their physical health through an improved database process relating genotype and phenotype. Even, there is a satisfactory response from the customers regarding the advantages of this process. Although lacking in the sufficient healthcare specialists in this company, the technologies and scientific process that this company has applied are impressive and beneficial. Archibald, M.E. & Rankin, C.P., 2013. A spatial analysis of community disadvantage and access to healthcare services in the US.  Social Science & Medicine,  90, 11-23 Aviv, A., Kark, J.D. & Susser, E., 2015. Telomeres, atherosclerosis, and human longevity: a causal hypothesis.  Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.),  26(3), 295 Bharadwaj, A., El Sawy, O.A., Pavlou, P.A. and Venkatraman, N.V., 2013. Digital business strategy: toward a next generation of insights Guy, G.P., Machlin, S.R., Ekwueme, D.U. & Yabroff, K.R., 2015. Prevalence and Costs of Skin Cancer Treatment in the US, 2002− 2006 and 2007− 2011.  American journal of preventive medicine,  48(2), 183-187 Humanlongevity.com (2017) HLI Available from: www.humanlongevity.com/ [Retrieved on 23 Mar 2017] Kim, M.J. & Park, S.K., 2016. Strategies to Improve Functional Competency and Effectively Respond to Environmental Changes of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Team in Companies.  Journal of the Korean Society of Safety,  31(2), 104-111 Kuca, K., Maresova, P., Penhaker, M. & Selamat, A., 2015. The potential of medical device industry in technological and economical context Passtoors, W.M., Beekman, M., Deelen, J., van der Breggen, R., Maier, A.B., Guigas, B., Derhovanessian, E., van Heemst, D., de Craen, A.J., Gunn, D.A. & Pawelec, G., 2013. Gene expression analysis of mTOR pathway: association with human longevity.  Aging Cell,  12(1), 24-31 Piper, M.A., Evans, C.V., Burda, B.U., Margolis, K.L., O'connor, E. & Whitlock, E.P., 2015. Diagnostic and predictive accuracy of blood pressure screening methods with consideration of rescreening intervals: a systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.  Annals of internal medicine,  162(3), 192-204 Raule, N., Sevini, F., Li, S., Barbieri, A., Tallaro, F., Lomartire, L., Vianello, D., Montesanto, A., Moilanen, J.S., Bezrukov, V. & Blanchà ©, H., 2014. The co?occurrence of mtDNA mutations on different oxidative phosphorylation subunits, not detected by haplogroup analysis, affects human longevity and is population specific.  Aging cell,  13(3), 401-407 Tradingeconomics.com (2017) United States GDP Growth Rate Available from: www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp-growth [Retrieved on 25 Mar 2017]

How can dissemination of legal information improved the society Essay

How can dissemination of legal information improved the society - Essay Example Individuals will get the concepts of legal rights of preservation, their personal rights and the public rights. For a long period of time people have been leading a miserable life with the main reason being that they do not the rights that they are entitled. This, therefore, led to the study of how dissemination legal information could improve the society. Through the dissemination of legal information, economic development of the society was realized because people got to know of their rights. Knowing of ones’ right equals empowerment. The study was done with the aim of showing the impact of dissemination of legal information in the society. Dissemination of legal information for understanding involves targeting groups that have little or no understanding of the legal information. This is because there is a notion that they can benefit from understanding the legal Information and it is here that they get to know of the rights that they are entitled to. It will be of great sig nificance that these groups have a deeper understanding of the legal information (Danner, 23). Dissemination of Legal Information for Action denotes a modification of practice subsequent from the adoption of merchandises, materials or methods offered by the Legal Information (Zubok & Chuprov, 72). These groups are of great importance as they are those that are in a great position to influence and bring about change in the dissemination of Legal Information. These are the audiences that will need to be well equipped with the proper skills, knowledge and understanding of the legal Information. Based on that, dissemination of legal information can improve the society by conservation all rights that entrusted by law, Contribution to society improvement, and Knowledge of the means that can be used for spread the legal information. To improve the society by disseminating of legal information, people need to know the concept of legal rights preservation. Public rights are the part of the  law  that rules relations between people and the government. Public rights belong to the people  but are justified by political bodies. Examples of public rights entail the public right to use highways and public rights of fishing and navigation (Pearson, 33). Through public rights the society gets improved in aspects such as better citizenship, better citizenship is realized through opportunities to contribute and support nature conservation activities and through education in getting to know the environment around us as a share of formal and informal education contributing to improved citizenship and respect to the environment. Another aspect is sustainable travel through the rights of way we get the safe travel to different places, free traffic routes for recreation and for travel to work or school, or to access services. This enables the improvement of the society, as we are able to move to various places to carry out our different livelihoods and conduct our businesses. T hrough the public rights we get to know of our rights of travel and navigation which immensely contributes to the improvement of the society as people have a right to go to different places to work or even carry out their business where they presume fit or depending on the market. This contributes to well-being of the society which translates to the improvement of the economy (Pearson, 34). Personal rights are legal rights persons have over their own bodies.

Systematic Health Program Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Systematic Health Program Evaluation - Essay Example A health program is â€Å"an organized response to reduce or eliminate one or more problems by achieving one or more objectives, with the ultimate goal of improving the health of society.† (Shortell & Richardson, 1978 as cited by Grembowski, 2001, p.3). Program evaluation, representing the techniques and concepts of social science, is the use of social research methods to systematically investigate the effectiveness of social intervention programs and is â€Å"intended to be useful for improving programs and informing social action aimed at ameliorating social problems.† (Rossi, Lipsey & Freeman, 2003, p.28). â€Å"Evaluation research can be defined as a type of study that uses standard social research methods for evaluative purposes, as a specific research methodology, and as an assessment process that employs special techniques unique to the evaluation of social programs† (Powell, 2006). Ever since the concept of value for money in health care was introduced there has been concerted effort to develop techniques that assist decision makers to bring a balance between benefits and costs associated with each option available before them and â€Å"the early application of cost-benefit analysis were undertaken in the United States during the 1930s in connection with flood control programs.† (Robinson, 1993). Policy analysis and evaluation research received fillip at the federal government level in the year 1965 with the introduction of ‘the War on Poverty-Great Society initiative and the Executive Order establishing the Planning-Programming-Budgeting system in the U.S. Both programs initiated scholars to examine the â€Å"efficiency with which public measures allocate resources.... ed scholars to examine the "efficiency with which public measures allocate resources, their impacts on individual behavior, their effectiveness in attaining the objectives for which they were designed, and their effects" in bridging the socio-economic divide. (Rossi, Lipsey & Freeman, 2003, p. 14). Program evaluation is defined as the use of social research methods to systematically investigate the effectiveness of social intervention programs in ways that are adapted to their political and organizational environments that are designed to inform social action in ways that improve social condition. The evaluation sponsors are the person, group, or organization that requests or requires the evaluation and provides the resources to conduct it. Stakeholders include individuals, groups, or organizations having a significant interest in how well a program functions, for instance, those with decision-making authority over the program, funders and sponsors, administrators and personnel, and clients or intended beneficiaries. The findings of an evaluation may be used by decision makers and other stake holders in their day-to-day management level or at broader funding or policy levels. The health promotion cycle consists of four stages, beginning with needs assessment, leading to program planning, implementation and then to evaluation. According to Hawe, Degeling, and Hall (1990) for health promotion, evaluation involves measurement and observation and comparison with some criterion or standard. An evaluation tries to answer the differences made with the introduction of a particular health promotion program and the changes in health status it has produced. Hence, an evaluation involves observing, documenting and measuring of the actual results of the programs in relation to the

Annotated Bibliography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Annotated Bibliography - Assignment Example In the report, it was recommended that the modification of the existing crosswalk would be practical due to various factors including low cost. Again, it was considered important to have two paths on each side of the bridge connect in order to enhance access to the crosswalk. This article by Christopher B. Burke is based on the Village of Algonquin. According to the author, the village has faced with a critical population growth rate as well as immense expansion within the last two decades. These two factors calls for safety considerations on Randall Road especially given that the road is wide due to its four to six lanes. Four major locations were studied, which include Bunker Hill Drive, Mid block between Bunker Hill and Harnish Drive, Harnish Drive, County Lane Road, and Longmeadow Parkway. The study established three major improvements that included enhancements of at-grade crossing, Overpass Bridge, and underpass tunnel. This report by Jacobs Engineering includes the works done by Jacobs Engineering, sub-consultants, and partners. Evaluation of the feasibility in constructing a new pedestrian crossing that connects Charles Circle to Esplanade parkland is done. Various alternatives are initiated. These alternatives were based on the need for constructing the new bridge and the study of the existing bridge. Images are used to give a clear picture of the existing bridge in order to provide way to the new bridge construction. A feasibility study is presented to examine any possibility of constructing the new pedestrian bridge. The new bridge is meant to either supplement the exiting one or to replace it. This report is about Pedestrian Safety manly on Camus Crosswalks within big ten universities. The report summarizes meeting and site visits reports based on the Big Ten Universities, which are initiated with a view of discussing crosswalk safety issues as well as corrective measures that could be implemented to enhance pedestrian

Managenent and Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managenent and Leadership - Assignment Example The essence of transience: Transience in a way is a continuation and chain of existence, without it everything would get into a stale mode with no change, no improvement, no replacement and hence no growth. All the technology and advancement that we see around us is the courtesy of transience and variability. What was not being achieved by the past generations has been done so by the present ones, and the chain and cycle would continue in coming ages. All the men of past, present, and future are equal men and human beings, no one is superiorly capable over another, yet it’s the transience, the process of evolution, change, progress that has resulted in all what we have today. In other words, transience is the name of life and this universe. Without it the mere existence would fall into jeopardy. Transience is the short lived interaction, short lived response or experience with one of these five elements namely an ordinary place, an individual, the working place, environment or any concept that is of some spark to the mind. Permanence is a transient phase which lasts only for a brief while. This concept is being advocated by many proponents of the field notably Edward Albee, Harold Clurman and various other people who have tried discovering the aspect of transience (Taylor, 1970). The incumbent concept is merely taken as elementary and goes unnoticed however the entire spectrum of human life and this universe revolves around the transience.... The incumbent concept is merely taken as elementary and goes unnoticed however the entire spectrum of human life and this universe revolves around the transience. With such a reach, it influences the manner in which relationships are taken, and their due tenures. The author is of the believe that with pacing change has resulted in the reduction of tenures of relationship between individuals. Relationships that would last longer in past are subject to various adverse factors due to the pace attained all over. Organizational relationship is one of those variables and it is equally undergone the transience in a fast paced manner. According to the author the pace of this phenomena has beefed up in recent times and as a result the variables that are subject to this phenomena are equally adapting themselves and hence pacing up the modes and means of operations and conductivity. Impact of transience on the organizations: The work place environments that are driven by the technology and stat e of the art tools, is largely reformed in comparison to its existence nearly a century ago. As a result the human behavior, the employees’ relationship, their approach, attitude and aptitude has seen a shift in its display. Long term customer and employee loyalty cannot be guaranteed any more. What runs and rules the industry is materialistic approach and achievements. The social relationships are reduced a great deal with modern design structures of the office work places. While the commitment to organizational loyalty lasted many years in past, they are merely limited to contracts and projects, all gifts of ever fast paced transience and technological

Merger Dilemma Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Merger Dilemma - Assignment Example One of the challenges that face merging business is conflict among employees. This is usually caused by differing cultures of the merged organizations. One effective strategy to manage organizational conflicts after merging includes involving employees in conflict management by asking them to give suggestion on how the conflicts can be solved. This will make them feel less insecure during the merging process. The other method includes addressing the conflicts as they occur. The strategy will prevent conflicts from becoming worse. The organizations can also prevent the conflicts by asking employees to state their concerns. In addition, defining acceptable behaviors and employees roles before the merging process will prevent conflicts because it will help them know what the organization expects of them. Employees stress level can be reduced through various morale boosting strategies. Employees and management team experience more stress when their level of motivation reduces. One of the methods to reduce their stress levels includes motivating them by introducing an effective recognition system. For instance, promoting them based on their performances will help in reducing their stress levels. In addition, creating a win-win situation by allowing employees to participate in decision making processes will also reduce their levels of anxiety. Stress can increase if some employees feel left out after the

Business law case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Business law case - Essay Example The quasi-contract in this case definitely means that there has been a contract which is implied. Jennings implied through his written letter that he was going to keep the car till October 9th if Wheeler wanted to purchase it. The next question, since we have already established the fact that Jennings and Wheeler had a contract, is whether Jennings was in breach. We know that when someone is in breach of contract, basically they are not fulfilling their contractual obligations. This means that Wheeler has the ability to legally sue Jennings on the grounds that he was in breach of contract. It is important to understand that, since Jennings sold the car without Wheeler’s permission, and since Jennings had given the first priority to Wheeler, technically he had automatically been in breach. What is important to remember is that Jennings and Wheeler were in a quasi-contract, which means it was an implied contract. However, implied contracts are no less valid than explicit contracts. It was decided that Jennings was in breach, thus he could legally be sued by Wheeler if Wheeler desired to do

Thinking About Rewards Essay Example for Free

Thinking About Rewards Essay From the article entitled Dump the Cash, Load On The Praise, why is salary alone not a motivator?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the article, while money has its merits and value, it is often not enough.   Studies show that employees have always valued other things more than money.   These other things include: verbal and non-verbal affirmations and praise of performance; the respect of colleagues and peers; feeling that one is making a contribution; having interesting work, and; getting involved in and being informed about whats happening within the company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article explains that recognition is vital in boosting an employees esteem, which would in turn improve his/her performance.   Recognition makes the employee do something special because he/she knows that someone will notice and someone will care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast, relying on money alone will get the work done.   But it is not necessary the employees best work.   It was also found that in this situation, employees often do their least, and do not go above and beyond expectations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addition to money, the article suggests a compendium of motivators praise, recognition, promotion and growth opportunities, and challenging work. After reading Nelsons top ten ways to motivate todays employees list, identify five suggestions from that list that would be effective strategies to use to motivate you as an employee. Explain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Be willing to take the time to meet with and listen to employeesas much as they need or want.   This is most important to me at my current job, because above all, I need to learn about the job.   Having regular discussions with my boss would not only help me in the learning process, it also gives me a chance to clarify some things, as well as, provide an indicator of my progress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Provide specific feedback about performance of the person, the department and the organization. Basically, for reasons the same as above.   Only this would also provide me with a glimpse of what values, attitudes and performance indicators are getting more weight.   It also helps me learn more about the company, the people and the dynamics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strive to create a work environment that is open, trusting and fun. Encourage new ideas and initiative.  Ã‚   I like to work in an environment where I dont feel the need to conform to everyone elses expectations.   And since I am new, I expect to contribute some systems that I have learned in the past.   I want to be able to try out these systems without any fear of making mistakes, the same mistakes that we all can learn from.   I would like to be able to express ideas and not be shot down without getting heard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Involve employees in decisions, especially when those decisions affect them. I think its only fair to involve me in decisions about things that would affect me, both on a personal and professional level.   That way, I can share my situation and opinions.   It would also make me feel like my inputs are important, while giving me an opportunity to better understand the issue from the managements perspective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Give people a chance to grow and learn new skills. Show them how you can help them meet their goals within the context of meeting the organizations goals. Create a partnership with each employee. Probably, the first thing that would make me leave is a sense of stagnation the feeling that I am no longer learning or the things Im doing is getting routine. From the Getting Happy with the Rewards King article, do you agree with Bob Nelson’s position that â€Å"while money is important to employees, thoughtful recognition motivates them to perform at higher levels?† Contrast Nelson’s perspective with that of Alfie Kohn in the For Best Results, Forget the Bonus article where he argues that rewards don’t work.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I agree with Nelson when he says that money is not everything, and that recognition motivates people to work at higher levels.   I have seen this happen many times at work, with myself, or with my colleagues.   Ive seen it happen in school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is also intuitive, and common sense.   You cant get anything from beating a dead donkey.   In the same manner that you cant get the best work out of a demoralized employee.   Recognition builds the employees self-esteem, and shows him/her what is important in the organization.   It helps him/her create positive relationships with colleagues and superiors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nelsons empirical ideas is backed by years of experience in human resources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kohn, on the other hand, drives home the point that the effect of rewards is, at most, temporary.   Kohn argues that rewards are more like punishment.   However, unlike Nelson, Kohns arguments are not rooted in research, or empirical observations.   In fact, Kohns ideas run contrary to what Ive seen and learned thus far.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sure, Kohn cites studies but fails to name them.   I feel that the conclusions derived from these studies (if they do, in fact, exist) are either limited, or erroneous.   Organizational behavior is a complex phenomenon that its difficult to weed out extraneous variables, even in most experimental settings.   Kohn relates the findings found at an unnamed Midwestern company, where an incentive system was taken out. At first, Kohn says, the production went down as expected, but in the long term, production rose to a level at par or higher than before.   Since the study was not actually named, we could only judge it from what Kohn wrote.   Firstly, it seems simplistic that an experience or result at one company should apply to the general population.   Secondly, Kohn failed to eliminate other causes, like the workers learning more about their processes or additional machinery acquired, and other things.   For me, Kohns cited studies seem largely unscientific and and their applications are profoundly limited.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, Kohn succeeds in explaining why recognition should work.   Ironically, by comparing recognition and punishment, Kohn showed us that recognition as a catalyst for behavioral change has the same impact as punishment.   We all report to work on time to avoid pay deduction, or a warning.   We dont smoke in areas were not supposed to, because of the company policy, or the indignant stares we get.   Like it or not, punishment works.   By equating recognition with punishment, Kohn undermines his statement that recognition do not and will not work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And since Kohn cites studies from social psychology, it would be interesting to know what Kohn thinks of conditioning theorists like Skinner who expoused the importance of positive reinforcement on behavior changes and learning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the end, all Kohn is arguing is the value of the reward involved, not the recognition system per se.   For Kohn, a reward of higher value would make recognitions impact more felt. Intuit is cited as among the Fortunes Best Companies (#33 on the 2007 list, up from #78 in 2004) to work for because they have a corporate culture that is always focused on employee recognition. Go to the Intuit website and review their rewards program for employees http://web.intuit.com/about_intuit/careers/rewards/ .   In light of our readings on rewards, what is your assessment of the Intuit rewards culture?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If I were to serve as a judge for Fortunes Best Companies to work for, Intuit would jump from #33 to at least the top 20.   For one, Intuit has an enviable benefits package, including medical, vision and dental plans, a flexible spending account benefit, stock plans, assistance and referral programs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While the Web site is largely silent on non-cash recognition, it can be inferred that the company cares for its employees.   Its disability insurance that pays up to 70% of the employees basic salary promotes a sense of security for its labor force, in the event that something bad happens to them.   The companys openness and assistance in their employees savings, as well as its assistance programs, also speaks about the companys concern. The company is also committed to help employees learn formally with a tuition assistance programs.   Furthermore, the company even pays for their employees gym memberships and fitness classes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   More than that, the company says on its Web site that employees are recognized through cash and non-cash incentives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Intuit is right up there on the list of best companies to work for because of all these.   They are right on target and on track with recognizing their employees, making them a company to be emulated by others. How does your organization stack up with respect to creative and fun work environments with respect to reward systems?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I have just been recently hired as a contact representative by the Social Security Administration.   Even though I am still in training, I find that my job is   fulfilling based on what my colleagues tell me and what I see from them.   First off, I have a supervisor who provides me regular feedback on my performance and how I am progressing, and even the things that I need to address or learn more.   I work at an office that specifically values respect among its workers and to its callers.   There is actually a written policy that says each employee must treat other employeesand customerswith respect, regardless of their race, gender, age, religion, etc.   My colleagues are actually very friendly and helpful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I also find that the very nature of my worktalking to a variety of people about their social security, their checks, and their benefitsis stimulating for me.   There is always a new case with new circumstances every single day.   I am grateful that my colleagues also find time to share their stories and their work.   At various points of the day, we share tips on how to handle irate callers, or how to best process a complaint, or what to do in a particular instance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even if the SSA is a very structured organization, I find that we have leeways in handling calls.   We actually can use our own methods in answering calls and getting the information to the callers.   Its not that stiff.   The quality of your work is based on how clearly youve communicated the information to the caller, and how you handled the caller.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Whats more, I work with people that puts a high value on camaraderie.   Just yesterday, a colleague celebrated her birthday, and everybody chipped in to buy her a big chocolate cake, while our department boss gave her a bouquet of flowers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I think Im going to like it there. In your experience, is employee recognition a scarce commodity in organizations? Why is that so?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No. I think I have been very lucky to be involved in organizations in the past that respected and valued diversity and initiative.   In a way, I have been praised for my work.   I have also been objectively reprimanded for lapses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am currently in an organization that strives to build relationships among its people.   The same organization that is very clear with what it aims to achieve, and rewards the people who makes it happen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Its not really just about commissions, or big fat incentives.   Recognition comes in various forms.   My personal criteria is that if it makes you feel warm all over, if it boosts your self-esteem, if it makes you want to repeat your behavior, then thats recognition. What is the most important lesson you took away from these readings and discussion?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   My most important lesson is that while recognition has profound positive effects on the employeesand ultimately, the organizationit doesnt have to be expensive.   Recognition could be as simple as a pat on the back, a good word, or singling out the employee/s who did good and thanking them.   Recognition does not have to be elaborate, it just have to be apparent.

Whistleblowing Ethics and Policies

Whistleblowing Ethics and Policies Whistleblowing occurs when an employee discloses information. However, according to Armstrong, 90 of whistleblowers suffer from dismissal or demotions, 27 faced legal actions, 26 were referred to medical treatment, 17 went homeless, and 8% bankrupted. Whistleblowers may suffer some kind of harassment, lower performance evaluations, punitive transfer or violence by their fellow colleagues and/or superiors if they remain working in the organisation (Dellaportas al., 2005). Therefore, whistleblower protection is important to encourage employees in uncovering any fraud, and ensure that channels are open for whistleblowing. Supporting effective protection for whistleblowers can have advantages such as promoting an open organisational culture where employees have confidence in the reporting procedures, preventing and disclosing bribery in commercial transactions, safeguarding integrity, enhancing accountability, and supporting a clean business environment (Organization for Economic Cooper ation and Development, 2012). One can adopt a normative strategy when facing tough ethical choices as it can help people to evaluate and think carefully so as to prevent them from making irrational decisions. Normative ethics provides several philosophical approaches for making sound ethical decisions and it can be categorized into three parts: (a) consequentialist, (b) deontological and (c) virtue theory (Trevino Nelson, 2004). The consequentialist theory focuses attention on the results or consequences of the decision or action (Trevino Nelson, 2004). It includes philosophical approaches like egoism and utilitarianism. Egoism promotes an individuals long-term interests while utilitarianism holds ethical actions as those done for the greatest good or to maximize total utility (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2000). On the contrary, the deontological theory focuses on the rights of individuals and on the intentions associated with a particular behavior rather than on its consequences (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2000) and it embraces philosophical approaches like Kantianism and justice. Kantianism revolve around duty, not end goals or emotions, and their actions are performed according to some underlying principle or maxim that are entirely different from one another (e.g. honesty, fairness and justice), while the philosophical view of justice is rooted in ones belief in moral equity and equitable treatment for everyone concerned with a questionable action. Lastly, the virtue ethics approach focuses more on the integrity of the moral actor than on the moral act itself (Trevino Nelson, 2004). The above-mentioned normative ethical theories can be applied to decide if employees should have a duty to blow the whistle on unethical/illegal acts or not. From the egoists point of view, it is rare that employees will face the dilemma of deciding whether to blow the whistle. Be it due to fear of being investigated by the authorities or fear of being reported to the authorities as a scapegoat for following the policies, employees will seldom face these problems if they adhere to the egoism approach (Clairmont, 2011). According to Clairmont (2011), well-known whistleblowers (e.g. Ellsberg, Manning and Deep Throat) will never even consider whistleblowing if they follow the egoism method of making ethical decisions. This is because the upcoming hassle/trouble that they will face after they blow the whistle will deter them from doing so. As such, egoist employees will feel that it is not a duty but rather a choice to blow the whistle on unethical or illegal acts. They will only blow the whistle if it is within their self-interest and if they are not negatively affected in any way. However, some argue that if one is to take the negative cons equences of whistleblowing into consideration, some degree of egoist traits appears to be acceptable (Clairmont, 2011). From a utilitarian perspective, the act of whistleblowing is seen as the calculation results of different foreseen consequences, and the impact of possible consequences on the conflicting loyalties (Padgett, 2009). The availability of alternatives and whether the benefits of whistleblowing outweigh the cost determine the choice of whether or not to blow the whistle. According to Bentham (1996), acts that create the most amount of happiness for the majority should be treated as morally obligatory acts. Moreover, unlike the egoism approach, the utilitarianism approach encourages one to treat others wellbeing as a heavily weighted factor when making an ethical decision. Hence, whistleblowing should be considered as a duty when it is known that the consequences of non-disclosure will result in extremely negative impacts on the public. John Stuart Mills utilitarian perspective can also be used to discuss whether whistleblowing should be a duty. His utilitarian principle of do no harm supports the idea that whistleblowing is a duty if a non-disclosure act should cause harm since this principle holds that ones actions should prevent harm to others. Harm in this case can take a variety of forms and it is not just limited to instances of physical injuries. The intensity and amount of harm that the problem can bring also determines whether whistleblowing should be an obligation. Mill also emphasizes that one should be accountable for others if his inaction happen to cause harm to them. If one sees a responsibility to prevent others from being harmed, then blowing the whistle on acts that may cause harm to others will appear to be at least partially justified based on Mills principle of do no harm (Padgett, 2009). From the Kantian perspective, employees should have a duty to blow the whistle on unethical or illegal acts because it is the right thing to do. They are morally responsible to inform the public and/or stakeholders about the wrongdoings because the motive of moral action is more important than the potential consequences of not whistleblowing. Such courage to go against all odds and the possibility of punishment from the employer is necessary if those who are privy to immoral business practices are to make a positive contribution to the respect of consumer rights the world over (Masaka, 2007). Kant did not clearly state that whistleblowing should be a duty in all circumstances. However, what is clear from him is that he expects truth telling and the good will of the moral agent. Hence, based on these principles, one can will that an employee should blow the whistle if he/she has information of others or the organizations intentional wrongdoings (Padgett, 2009). Ones response to implementing a justice perspective would be identical to using a deontological moral philosophy. From the viewpoint of justice, employees would feel obligated to blow the whistle internally about any unethical or illegal action within the organization as the employers have the rights to know the truth about the misconduct. Hence, it will be unfair to the employers if the involved employees do not disclose the wrongdoings to them. Based on justice approach, whistleblowing externally should also be a duty because it will be unfair to all the stakeholders if the involved employees choose not to blow the whistle. This is because these parties have the rights to know the truth about any misconduct that affects them. As mentioned above, consequentialism focuses on the consequences (outcomes) of the actions while deontology emphasizes on adhering to ethical duties. Virtue ethics differs in that the emphasis is based on being rather than doing. According to virtue theory, whistleblowing is the right thing to do because it requires one to tell the truth, to speak up/sound out and to emphasize with others, thus promoting positive virtues like honesty, courage and empathy. An employee who upholds any of these virtues will feel obliged to blow the whistle because it can improve ones integrity. However, some argue that whistleblowing disregards virtues in different ways. For instance, whistleblowing can be seen as putting peoples lives at risk, publishing stolen data and degrading loyalty, privacy and integrity of data (Backhaus Dodig Crnkovic, 2011). Hence, if we look from this point of view, whistleblowing should not be a duty. A common conflict with regards to whistleblowing is between the virtue of loyalty and honesty (Bowden, 2005). Many whistleblowers following this ethical approach will often face the dilemma of being truthful or remaining loyal to their organisation. Therefore, employees should weigh their priorities be tween these two virtues and choose a side; loyalty or honesty. All in all, most of the ethical theories provide substantial grounds for discussing whistleblowing as a moral duty. From the utilitarian perspective, the duty to blow the whistle would follow from the principle of doing no harm and recognition of the extent to which our actions or inactions have significant consequences for the lives of others. From the deontological perspective (includes Kantianism and justice), it would consist of a duty to disclose the wrongdoing of another person (or organization) in recognition of the obligation to be truthful (Padgett, 2009). The virtue theory however provides two sides of the story; whistleblowing should be a duty based on certain virtues (e.g. honesty) whereas whistleblowing should not be a duty based on other virtues (e.g. loyalty). When comparing honesty and loyalty which are the most crucial virtues with regards to whistleblowing, one can note that honesty will supplant loyalty if there is a conflict between the two, as honesty is consider ed as the most important part of any honor code (Fraschini, 2007). Hence, based on this, one can deduce that whistleblowing should be a duty from the virtue perspective. Egoism is the only ethical theory that does not support whistleblowing as a moral duty. If we critically analyse the traits of this theory, one can observe that ethical egoism provides no moral basis for the resolution of conflicts of interest that form the only vindication for a moral code (Baier, 1990). Moreover, according to Rachels (2008), the ethical egoist may object that he cannot admit a construct of morality whose aim is merely to forestall conflicts of interest. As such, the egoism theory cannot be a good measure to determine whether whistleblowing should be a duty. Hence, based on all the above considerations, one can conclude that employees should have a duty to blow the whistle on misconduct. Since whistleblowing should be a duty, it is crucial that whistleblowers are under legal protection and have clear guidance on reporting procedures in Singapore. The provision of whistleblower protection encourages an open organisational culture where employees are not only aware of how to report but also have the confidence in the reporting procedures. The protection of whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting in good faith suspected acts of corruption and other wrongdoing is therefore integral to efforts to combat corruption, promote public sector integrity and accountability, and support a clean business environment. Whistleblowing protection systems are widely implemented in the western countries. For instance, in Italy, proposed amendments to the Anti-Corruption Bill state that whistleblowers cannot be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢penalized, fired or submitted to any direct or indirect discrimination, which would have an impact on the working conditions directly or indirectly linked t o the report. Protection is also provided under the U.S. law, against less severe disciplinary actions, such as admonishments or reprimands (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2012). On the contrary, whistleblowing legislation in Asia is not as sophisticated or as robust as it is in the US (Lord Cole, 2012). The workplace cultures in Asian differ from those in the West. Family businesses promote a distinct sense of patronage within themselves that are incredibly collective. Foreign companies operating in Asia reveal that the staff is not only loyal to the company, but also to their bosses and line managers (Lord Cole, 2012). These cultural norms hinder whistleblowing to prosper. However in recent years, Asian countries take whistleblowing seriously and are aware of Dodd-Frank, for example. Singapore code of CG expanded the role of the Audit Committee (AC) in Guideline 12.4 of the 2012. There are some changes made to the whistle-blowing provisions in the 2012; companies should disclose in its annual report the existence of a whistle-blowing policy, and the procedures for raising whistle-blower should be publicly disclosed as appropriate (Ernst Young, 2012). These changes align Singapores corporate governance practice in this area closely with that of the UK and US. According to a Singapore Institute of Directors survey, 70% of the listed companies have a whistleblower policy compared to 20% five years ago. Another 8% said they did not have a policy but intended to introduce one, while 3% reported that they had no plans to introduce whistleblowing (Deloitte, 2011). Koreas ACRC Act also provides protection against financial or administrative disadvantages, such as the cancellation of a permit or license, or the revocation of a contract (Park , 2008). In conclusion, based on the philosophical approaches, employees should have a duty to blow the whistle. Therefore, whistleblowers need to under legal protection and have clear guidance on reporting procedures. Protecting whistleblowers from retaliation can (a) promote public sector accountability, (b) combat corruption, and (c) support a clean business environment. Whistleblowing protection policy has been widely implement in the Western countries. Recently, Asian countries also take whistleblowing seriously and reinforce their whistleblower policy.