Thursday, January 30, 2020

The society and community Essay Example for Free

The society and community Essay Once again, this reason leads the two characters to artificial creation and problems for society. The need for perfection shown by both Frankenstein and Swinton in the books is another reason that drives them to create artificial life. Frankenstein wants to rid the world of disease, and Swinton wishes to continue the illusion of a perfect world in order for his products to continue to sell. This need for perfection backfires considerably. For example, the creature in Frankenstein is far from physically perfect, therefore he gets shunned by society, which is one of the contributing factors to his murders: Am I to be thought the only criminal when all human kind sinned against me? Why do you not hate Felix who drove his friend from his door with contumely? Why do you not execrate the rustic who sought to destroy the saviour of his child? Nay, these are virtuous and immaculate beings! I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked and trampled on. Says the creature when considering his position. This shunning leads to the creature feeling jealous and angry, not to mention self-critical: accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? God, in pity made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours. Which in turn provokes him into the murders: when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification. Therefore, the need for perfection is a way in which science has negative affects on individuals in society. However, Frankensteins need for perfection is lost at some stages during the novel. For example, Frankensteins shunning of his creation is far from perfect. This is another way in which science has a negative effect on society. For example, the shunning of the creation leads the creation to the murders of Frankensteins nearest and dearest in order for retribution of his abandonment. For example: and what was I? Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant; but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property. This point is also apparent in Supertoys by the rejection of malfunctioning units. For example, the butler in the Swinton household breaks down and David says Throw it away, and well get a new one. This shows the need for perfection in the world and the throwaway attitude that is apparent. This has consequences in that it takes away peoples bare humanity. For example, David is thrown to the reject world ultimately although he was a person who could have been loved. A contributing factor that provokes the characters into furthering science is the families behind the characters. Frankensteins family encourages him to further his knowledge of alchemy, which is linked to artificial creation. Frankenstein also creates the monster because he wants a companion: No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs. which is linked into the loneliness of the world in Supertoys. In Supertoys, David, has no real family after his creation, this is another problem that is caused by science, and directly relevant to the creation of artificial intelligence that is not loved as though flesh and blood would be. This aspect is linked to the need for love shown by many characters in both stories. Frankenstein, his monster, David, Henry and certainly Monica all show how much they need love. For example: He loves you says Teddy regarding Davids affection for Monica. This need for love drives certain characters to create artificial life, to fill a void. This may be because of unfelt love from their families. For example, Frankenstein begins to feel disjointed from his family after moving to university. The consequence of the need for love is the creation of artificial life, which then in turn needs to be loved. However, in both novels, the artificial life form is not loved. This is what creates the negative affects on society. Another way in which science has a negative effect on individuals in society is the effect the creations have on the creators. For example, throughout Frankenstein, Frankenstein is afraid of his creation and what he might do. Frankenstein cannot care for his creation and spends his whole life in fear. For a large part of his life Frankenstein is forced to follow his creation, in a vain attempt to banish him from society due to the problems he is causing. This pursuit eventually kills him. This can be blamed on himself easily, for he is the one who used science irresponsibly and the consequences backfired upon him. However, this is still a negative effect on society caused by science. Similarly, Henry, eventually, labours to reacquaint himself with David. This comes about after his sense of guilt after abandoning his child. However, these psychological problems are not as important as the prejudices that the new technology brings forward, particularly in Supertoys. This can be explained further by saying that the humans in the artificial world are prejudiced towards the perfect world, and perfect people. What would happen if somebody came along who wasnt perfect? For example, David. David was imperfect in that he was an android and technically he was malfunctioning. Because of this, he was thrown on the scrap heap. This is a problem caused by technology, because it created the prejudices by creating a world where everything is perfect and seamless, nothing is real. Overall, the main scourges of the societies in both books are the artificial creatures and therefore, the creators of these monsters. The creation in Frankenstein shows how science can be used irresponsibly to have negative effects on individuals in society through tactical murder and destruction. The creations in Supertoys show how science can have a negative effect on society by creating social divides, a superficial, prejudiced, fake, lonely, ignorant, arrogant, selfish, inconsiderate, narrow-minded and insecure world in which nothing is solid. The books can be linked to Genesis and Paradise Lost in that they all involve creation, that was well intended but did not turn out as expected. In all four novels the creation was given a world, or habitat, but either they abused it, or inadvertently caused suffering for other members of the community. The authors use the characters of Frankensteins monster and David accompanied by the society and community by the two worlds of the two novels to show how science can be used irresponsibly to have negative effects on society and the individuals within it.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The Importance of Focus in the Business World Essay -- Business Admini

Let’s say in today’s competitive surroundings, marketers are attracting more global dynamic, and consumer determined. Consumers are requesting more choice, with enhanced worth and service According to Treasy and Wiesema (1995) page 68, companies will do well to consider four market disciples. There are four fundamental service theory based upon levels of focus (market focused, service focused, market and service focused and lastly unfocused. This is where focussed service operation comes in. in this essay going to define and talk about focused service operations , and point up how the aim can be practical to get enhanced understanding and also on how to improve performance in service operations. I will also talk about customer Retention and Intermediaries. When we say focus what does it exactly means in the business world? Focus can be explained as providing a fastidious part to consumers with a constricted choice of service to meet their needs. We come in contact with what we say service operations every day. We all are consumers or users of a broad choice of business and public services. Indeed numerous of us are liable for delivery services not only because of our jobs, in establishment such as firms, shops etc, other than also as routine of a daily like for people. Focused service operations are apprehensive through delivering services to the consumers or users of the service. It involves understanding the needs of your consumers; controlling the processes to delivering the services, and ensures your objectives are met adequately. Service then can be defined when the mixture of outcomes as well as experiences delivered to and receive by consumer. Customer thus judges the value of the service on understanding of th... ...de Coca-Cola a leader in the soft drink market. REFERENCES Derek R. Allen , T. R. N. Rao (1959) Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Data Phillip Kotler, Gary Armstong , Veronica Wong, John Saunders. Principles of Marketing ( 5th edition). Principles of Marketing (PAGE 385) Philip Kotler (EDITED Jan 2008) Principles of Marketing (PAGE 385) Steve Brown, Kate Blackmon, Paul Cousins, Harry Maylor. (2001) . Operation Management: Policy, Practise and Performance Improvement. Stuart. Ed, Crainer, Des. Dearlove Handbook of Management (3rd Edition 1995). Financial Times Series (PAGE 354) Timothy Keiningham and Terry Vavra (Edited 1 Sep 2001). The Customer Delight Principles: Exceeding Customer’s Expectations for Bottom- line Success (PAGE 78) Zemke, Ron Woods, John A. (Edition 1999). Best Practices in Customer Service (PAGE 38) The Importance of Focus in the Business World Essay -- Business Admini Let’s say in today’s competitive surroundings, marketers are attracting more global dynamic, and consumer determined. Consumers are requesting more choice, with enhanced worth and service According to Treasy and Wiesema (1995) page 68, companies will do well to consider four market disciples. There are four fundamental service theory based upon levels of focus (market focused, service focused, market and service focused and lastly unfocused. This is where focussed service operation comes in. in this essay going to define and talk about focused service operations , and point up how the aim can be practical to get enhanced understanding and also on how to improve performance in service operations. I will also talk about customer Retention and Intermediaries. When we say focus what does it exactly means in the business world? Focus can be explained as providing a fastidious part to consumers with a constricted choice of service to meet their needs. We come in contact with what we say service operations every day. We all are consumers or users of a broad choice of business and public services. Indeed numerous of us are liable for delivery services not only because of our jobs, in establishment such as firms, shops etc, other than also as routine of a daily like for people. Focused service operations are apprehensive through delivering services to the consumers or users of the service. It involves understanding the needs of your consumers; controlling the processes to delivering the services, and ensures your objectives are met adequately. Service then can be defined when the mixture of outcomes as well as experiences delivered to and receive by consumer. Customer thus judges the value of the service on understanding of th... ...de Coca-Cola a leader in the soft drink market. REFERENCES Derek R. Allen , T. R. N. Rao (1959) Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Data Phillip Kotler, Gary Armstong , Veronica Wong, John Saunders. Principles of Marketing ( 5th edition). Principles of Marketing (PAGE 385) Philip Kotler (EDITED Jan 2008) Principles of Marketing (PAGE 385) Steve Brown, Kate Blackmon, Paul Cousins, Harry Maylor. (2001) . Operation Management: Policy, Practise and Performance Improvement. Stuart. Ed, Crainer, Des. Dearlove Handbook of Management (3rd Edition 1995). Financial Times Series (PAGE 354) Timothy Keiningham and Terry Vavra (Edited 1 Sep 2001). The Customer Delight Principles: Exceeding Customer’s Expectations for Bottom- line Success (PAGE 78) Zemke, Ron Woods, John A. (Edition 1999). Best Practices in Customer Service (PAGE 38)

Monday, January 13, 2020

Ethics and Governance Essay

With reference to the Oxford English Dictionary (2012), ethics is described as the science of morals. It is also the agency of study with regards to the values of moral obligations of what is right or wrong. It also covers human behaviour. A company makes many decisions in a course of one day. It may include, launching new products, doing Public Relations, making sales, rewriting company policies and the recruitment or retrenchment of people, just to name a few. All business aims to do so ethically. To conduct business ethically, a business must first commit to adhering to laws and regulation (Timms, 2009). These are clearly defined, as they are in black and white. However, once the definition of what is ethical becomes contested, ethical dilemmas will arise. An ethical dilemma occurs when there is a situation which all alternate choices and behaviours have been deemed undesirable, and that there may be potential ethical consequences when one is unable to identify the right from the wrong. An example of an ethical dilemma is of follows, where one faces a conflict between his ethical code and his business aims. Cadbury, the chocolate producer, was offered a contract by Queen Victoria to send decorative tins of chocolates to every single one of her soldiers in the Anglo-Boer war in South Africa (Andrews, 1989). However, since he was against the war, which resulted in him deciding to resolve this conflict by completing the order without profit. According to Sir Adrian Cadbury (1987), his grandfather â€Å"made no profit out of what he saw as an unjust war. The additional work benefitted his employees, the royal presents consisting of tins of chocolates were sent to the soldiers, and it was a win-win situation. In a business, there are 3 levels of ethics: the ethics of the governing body, workplace ethics and individual ethics (Trevina & Nelson, 2011). A governing body usually is made up of a board of directors, whose aim in the company is to make good corporate practices easier and more available for employees. They too must drive and motivate employees to strive for good performance, conformance and results. Workplace ethics are important, as it ensures a conducive and supportive environment to work in. There must be equal treatment among and within subgroups, open communication between levels, and information must be transparent and readily available. Individual ethics is affected by four complementary elements. Individuals must be able to identify ethical issues; recognise the values and priorities through their grasping of principles, rules, norms and theories; developing their individual sets of reasoning and perception; and improving the strength of one to act upon such decisions (Trevina & Nelson, 2011). Before a difficult decision is made, the shareholder or the manager has to think a problem though. One way to do so is using Kidder’s Ethical Checkpoints (2006). He has 9 checkpoints which he feels will lead to an ethical decision being made. First, the manager needs to recognise that there is a moral issue. After determining the actor, he has to gather the relevant facts. Next, he tests for right-versus-wrong issues as well as paradigms. After applying resolution principles, he has to look for a third way before making the decision. After the decision is made, he has to revisit and reflect on the decision. After much research, I feel that Utilitarian approach is the most useful in guiding company decisions. I will explain why below. A decision is only ethical, according to the utilitarian principle, if it has the greatest net utility as compared to any other alternatives. As a decision maker, he must evaluate and weigh every option present to him. He must determine if there any positive or negative utilities arising from the option, before selecting the option that has the greatest net utility (Fuitzsche, 2005). It is very similar to the cost-benefit analysis used by stakeholders to consider the costs and benefits of a potential business decision. According to someone applying the utilitarian principle, a decision is only ethical if it has the greatest net utility and benefits the most people. An example of the utilitarian approach is when, during office hours, a company monitors their employee’s habits like tobacco consumption, as one man’s actions can affect the entire workplace. A prominent example is in Singapore, where there is the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act. This act aims to protect the public from the hazardous effects of second-hand smoke. (Smoking Prohibitions, 2012) By making sure that employees do not smoke around the office, there would potentially be less health problems, so lesser sick employees which mean improved productivity and greater yields. There are two types of utilitarianism, act and rule. Act utilitarianism targets problems in the short run while rule utilitarianism targets problems in the long run. While act utilitarianism looks at the total aftermath of a single act, rule utilitarianism looks at the repercussion over a series of acts (Fuitzsche, 2005). For example, bribing is frowned upon. An example of bribing occurred in NES China in 1998. NES’s government affairs co-ordinator proposed giving gifts to government officials to establish a working relationship to help get its application approved. The other members were horrified, as this was considered bribery and a criminal offence in their country (Joerg & Xin, 2009). Under act utilitarianism, if bribing means that the company will get the business contract, thus allowing the employees to keep their jobs, it is ethical. However, under rule utilitarianism, this is not the case. Bribing, thou it will work in the short run by generating business, however, in the long run, potential customers will question if you got the job through bribing or because of your superior products you are selling. Therefore bribing does not provide the greatest utility (Fuitzsche, 2005). However, the utilitarian approach does have several limitations. Therefore other ethical theories have to be used together with the utilitarian approach in making company decisions. Firstly, there will be some people who will be at a disadvantage. A decision, according to the utilitarian principle, is only ethical if it has the greatest net utility. However, increasing net utility sometimes causes serious issues and affects people negatively. One notable historic example was the construction of the Great Wall of China (Construction of the Great Wall of China, 2006). Three hundred thousand prisoners and peasants were reportedly conscripted to help construct the great wall. It is said that ‘for every block laid down, one labourer lost his life.’ In terms of utilitarianism, a significant positive net utility was creates, as the great wall restricted the nomads and protected China. The Chinese citizens were safe for many years to come, at the expense of these three hundred thousand prisoners. Secondly, it is challenging estimating the results or effects of a business decision made. Also, a unit of currency gives more benefits to a poor person than to a rich person (Fuitzsche, 2005). In April 2012, all national servicemen in Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Civil Defence Force and Singapore Police Force received a $60 p ay raise (Chua, 2012). A Recruit, who once earned $420, now earns $480, while a Lieutenant, who once earned $1120, now earns $1180. This increment would mean more to a recruit, who had a 12% pay increment, as compared to the Lieutenant, who had a 5% pay increment. It shows that it provides more utility to the poorer recruit. Therefore calculating if a decision maximises utility is difficult. Thirdly, not only are the consequences of a decision made hard to foresee, some decisions have consequences which are not easily or unable to be measured. In August, Apple manufacturer Foxconn improved on the working condition of its factory in China, such as introducing more breaks, lowering overtime, doubling wages and having better maintenance of safety equipment. (Rushe, 2012) Louis Woo, special assistant to the chief executive of Foxconn also released a statement, lamenting that reduction of overtime meant that they ‘needed to hire more people and implement more automation, more investment on robotic enginee ring’ (Yip, 2012). These costs to the company are easy to determine. However, the gains in utility from these implementations are difficult to tell. Would productivity increase? Will employees be more loyal? Will turnover rate be significantly lesser? Consequences like these are hard to measure. Lastly, utility gained from these business transactions mean different things to different people (Fuitzsche, 2005). Some managers gain utility from maximising their employee’s happiness. Some managers calculate utility as one which will increase their material wealth. Below I will compare utilitarian ethical theory with egoism and moral rights approach, to show that while utilitarianism has it flaws, it is still the more useful ethical theory. The utilitarian and egoism ethical theories are rather similar. Decisions made using egoism ethical theory will often provide the most favourable outcome to oneself, no matter how others around are affected (Fuitzsche, 2005). The other parties may not be harmed or disadvantages, but to the decision maker, it is of no concern. The decision maker using egoism thinks about how the proposition would involve him (Collins, 2009). If the proposition adds onto his interest, it is right. If it does not, it is wrong. However, the decision maker using utilitarianism thinks about how the preposition involves everyone affected by it. If the preposition done is advantageous to the most number of people, it is right. If it is harmful to the most number, it is wrong. Egoism is very similar to the philosophy of Adam Smith (1790). Egoism according to Smith is an excellent market allocating tool, which benefits society if one cares for their interests in the long run. Egoism usually views things in the short run, which is similar to act utilitarianism, which evaluates what happens in that one incident. However, while utilitarian considerers the total positive net utility, egoism only considers the decision maker’s se lf-interest. Thus decisions made using egoism would be deemed as unethical. The rights a principle gives you assured moral or human rights because you are a human being. The moral rights approach stresses that human beings have essential rights and power of choice that cannot be taken away by an individual’s action. Gerald Cavanagh (1990) explains six rights that he affirms are basic to business work. They include life & safety, honesty, privacy, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech and lastly private property. One example is regarding Firestone and their tires. In America, 1978, the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating the relation between Firestone’s Wilderness AT tires on Ford’s explore sport utility vehicle. The problem of Firestone’s tire separation was known internally at Firestone and by the automobile manufacturers; however, instead of recalling the tires, they kept it in the market, resulting in 150 preventable deaths and 500 injuries (Henn, 2009). As facts leaked out that were damaging to both companies, they became more aggressive in its defence. Firestone appeared to have violated several human rights. The firm knew that the tyres would create a hazard to humans. And by refusing to recall its products, it violated the right to truthfulness when the truth was extremely important. Even after the whole incident was resolved, public trust in Ford wavered. According to Henn (2009), a position of trust with the public that took many years and millions of dollars to build was severely damaged. According to the utilitarianism theory, an ethical decision is one that produces the most amounts of advantages to the majority of people (Trevina & Nelson, 2011). However, according to the moral rights approach, an ethical decision is one that does not breach on the rights of another. The utilitarian approach is best for countries with high collectivism while moral rights approach is best for countries with high individualism. According to Hofstede (2007), most Asian countries scored below average on Individualism. Singapore is no different, so the utilitarian approach is more applicable in companies here. According to Johnson (2007), there is the five ‘I’ format with regards to making decisions. A problem must first be ‘identified’, before it can be ‘investigated’. Next, one has to be ‘innovative’ in coming out with many solutions. After this, a solution has to be ‘isolated’ and then ‘implemented’. Making an ethical decision is easier when one applies an ethical theory. A decision made using the utilitarian theory is ethical if it provides the greatest net utility, and produces the greatest benefit for the largest amount of people. Rules developed under utilitarianism can become a moral code to be used throughout the company. Thou it has its limitations, as it is difficult to measure utility, or figure out the consequences of a decision, and that it might not benefit everyone, but it is still better as compared to egoism or moral rights approach. Utilitarian is the most useful theory in guiding company decisions, and when used together with moral rights and egoism, it shows what it means to be ethical.