Friday, January 24, 2020
Global Education and Local Communities :: Teaching Learning Schooling Papers
Global Education and Local Communities Let me begin with a summary of what I am going to say. Cyberspace is a new kind of reality, in some crucial respects less real, but in some respects more real, than the space of face-to-face encounters and of physical documents. Signs in cyberspace might be quite unconnected to any real-life states of affairs, they might be quite abstract, but often they are much less abstract than, say, signs in a printed book. As I will endeavour to show, communication in the world of printed books is, characteristically, the communication of abstract meanings among members of an abstract society, such as a modern nation. The communication of knowledge in an interactive audiovisual medium is less dependent on an extended process of education in some national - i.e. literary - language than was the communication of abstract, typographical knowledge in earlier ages. Successful navigation in cyberspace does however presuppose some specific training leading to appropriate combinations of technical skil ls and literary skills, the latter normally encompassing both a rudimentary English and one's mother tongue. Working out how in fact such a combination of skills can be taught and acquired, and exploring the ways in which local communities can form a suitable learning environment, are the goals of an ongoing research program in Hungary; I conclude by sketching some essentials of this program. The Ontology of Cyberspace In some crucial respects cyberspace is, obviously, less real than the space of face-to-face connections. One should recall here GÃ ©rard Raulet's profound study "The New Utopia", written in the 1980s, pointing to the spurious idea of "supplanting places by spaces", and to the gap separating symbolic "interactivity" from actual social interaction.[1] And one should recall the essentially consistent findings of an impressive array of empirical investigations showing that telecommunications, however dense and multidimensional the networks, do not have the effectiveness, let alone the emotional impact, of face-to-face encounters. Until the late seventies, such investigations focused, understandably, on the effects of the telephone. What they found was that although telephone contacts did of course make a difference when no other contacts were available, [2] the former, as contrasted with face-to-face contacts, had no great propensity to create new linkages. Telephone contacts are effect ive if they can rely on background information from earlier personal meetings, and if they are regularly reinforced by such.[3] The same pattern still holds when e-mail and teleconferencing enter.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
How Material Things Contribute Towards Differences on a Street Essay
Taking into consideration that ââ¬Ëdifference is not the same as inequalityââ¬â¢ (Blakeley et al., 2009, p. 24), this essay intends to look at KÃâ" and outline how the material things contribute towards differences with reference to City Road; deriving from the premise that the material assets of a street can generate either an inclusive or exclusive interaction, favouring some and not others. Kà ¶nigsalle, known by its nickname, ââ¬Å"Kà ¶, is the most beloved upscale commercial street in Germany (Welt online, 2010). On one side of the street we have stores from the most expensive brands in the world and on the other, a mix of baroque buildings which host a different number of businesses. Being seen walking along or visiting its stores is denotative of a unique social status. Everything along the Kà ¶ is designed to be in accordance to and promote an upscale social lifestyle. The material things on City Road, while performing a more literal function, also contribute to tangible objective differences when favouring, for example, pedestrians over drivers (e.g. the red tarmac offers pedestrians an extra safety measure when crossing, while taking away space from the drivers); parking is also a critical matter, generating therefore, economic consequences for the local shops (ââ¬ËMaterial Livesââ¬â¢, 2009, scene 1). Another relevant point is the fact that, City Road social appearance, along with its material assets usage, changes considerably throughout the day, making it almost a different street by nightfall (e.g. from a busy commercial street during the day to a ââ¬Ëparty havenââ¬â¢ at night, when it is taken over by young adults) (ââ¬ËMaking social lives on City Roadââ¬â¢, 2009, Scene 8). Such an absolute change does not occur on the Kà ¶. On the Kà ¶, the very same material things, should not only perform the most frugal of the functions, but also be in accordance to what the street stands for, thus, being an active part of the process of creating objective tangible differences -like in City Road, as well as, subjective ones. Kà ¶ supports its image by providing the necessary visible and invisible infrastructure to sustain a busy, high-octane upscale atmosphere: The street signage is visible; there are several crossing points; clearly marked sidewalks, tarmacs and lanes favour the mobility of handicapped individuals as well as bicycles and pedestrians without deterring traffic; it is well lit; the buildings and facades are well taken care of; litter bins are everywhere and one will, for example, find plenty of parking possibilities, which as a result, allows the individual to visit the stores and restaurants and feel safe. Altogether, the material things are in perfect apparent symbiosis with its users. Separately, each material asset on the Kà ¶ objectively indicates them as being part of a regular commercial street just like City Road. When looking at them altogether, the ensemble creates a striking subjective difference. To better illustrate how the material things on both streets subjectively enforces a certain type of behaviour and attitude, take the example of an individual walking down the street wearing shorts, tank-top and flip-flops. On City Road, this individual would most likely not even be noticed. The same individual walking down the Kà ¶, would be regarded as conspicuous. The same can be applied to the type of cars circulating on the Kà ¶ or City Road, a Ferrari on the Kà ¶ would be taken for granted while on City Road it would probably stand out. Another example to consider is parking. Though there are many parking slots and options, the prices around the Kà ¶ are up to 80% more expensive than other streets in Dà ¼sseldorf (RP Online, 2011), hence, favouring the visit of the more affluent layer of the community over the lesser one. There is no sign on the Kà ¶ telling who is welcomed or not; objectively speaking everyone is welcomed, but its material things are invested with such a subjective meaning, that they set the pace and shape of the local social life, creating therefore, an alluring environment which itself dictates a whole gamut of social patterns that are absorbed and followed by the local community, consequently contributing towards differences. While City Road reveals a more inclusive image, Kà ¶ conversely manifests a more exclusive one. As we can see, each street is similar in various aspects and are designed and structured to cater and favour a specific type of person, business or activity and its material things corroborate such a process by subjectively or objectively embedding certain social patterns which will then be adopted by their users.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Ethical Dilemmas In Book My Sisters Keeper - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1776 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/05/18 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Ethical Dilemma Essay Did you like this example? ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN MY SISTERS KEEPER My sisters keeper is a novel written by Jodi Picoult first published in 2004. It is a story about a family almost torn apart by illness of one daughter and the intended medical emancipation of another daughter who is tired of being a donor to her sick sister. This book therefore presents several ethical dilemmas. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ethical Dilemmas In Book My Sisters Keeper" essay for you Create order It presents to the reader to distinguish between what is wrong or right or what is legal or not. It is about un endless love a mother has for her child and what lengths she would go to save her dying daughter. Was it ethical for the doctor to suggest genetically engineering a baby for the purpose of donating? Critics of genetic engineering do not support it because they feel like this is playing God. They believe it is morally impermissible to interfere with human nature.Many people believe it is unethical to create embryos and then destroy them in order to harvest the stem cells. As for Sarahs case, they had to destroy embryos that were not a genetic match to Kate ad only implant that which was a perfect match. Human rights activists believe embryos are human beings and as such have the full moral right of an individual, and therefore they feel like destroying incompatible embryos as murder. Looking at the moral framework, ethicists believe that it is morally justified to genetically engineer a child if the intention was good. As seen in the case of Anna, the intention was to save her sister Kate who is dying of leukaemia and thus the intention was good. Drawing back to the utilitarianism theory, Anna was genetically engineered to save her sister so that she can in the end provide happiness to the greater majority that is her parents, her brother and her dying sister. Was it ethical for Sarah and Brian to conceive a child(Anna) for the purpose of saving another childs life(Kate)? Most people have a child without thinking about why. People who are in support of having a child for the sole purpose of organ donation will argue that if a woman can have a child with no particular reason but as a result probably a fun night coupled with alcohol intoxication, then why not have a child with a purpose of saving another in the notion of altruism. People who are against the notion of having a child for the sole purpose will argue that this is against the notion that people are to be treated as an end and never merely as a means to an end. When Sarah and Brian decided to have Anna for the sole purpose of organ donation, it seems that the Fitzgeralds were using Anna as a means to an end which raises an ethical issue. Was it ethical for the parents to force Anna to donate to her dying sister? Anna being a live donor to Kate violates the traditional rule of medicine that is primum non nocere (above all, do no harm) because it involves the removal of a healthy organ from one person for implantation into another person. The pain Anna had to go through while they harvested lymphocytes, bone marrow and other cell types clearly showed Anna was being subjected to harm and so some people will argue that it is only morally right and ethical to harvest tissues and organs from a donor who is already dead to avoid causing harm to them. Anna being a child below 13 years of age, her parents had to consent for her to be organ/ tissue donor but the ethical dilemma here is, can we really know if the decisions made by Sarah and Brian to let Anna donate was in the best interest of Anna or not or they did it for their own benefit or for Kates benefit. Anna was less than two years when she started donating tissues and cells to her sister. Her parents were consenting for her but still this goes against her autonomy, the right of self-determination.Even though she is young, at 13 she can either decline or accept any medical procedure to be performed on her and so it is seen as though her parents were going against her autonomy to choose what she would want to be done to her body by trying to force her to donate a kidney to her sister Kate. Even if Anna was to willingly donate to her sister Kate, we cannot determine if her willingness was not out of coercion and out of being the feeling of being trapped because if she did not do as her mother wished, it would jeopardise her relationship with her mother. Many hospitals and doctors believe that there is a conflict when a parent consents to an organ donation between two siblings, because it is hard for the parents to be impartial and make the best decision for the donor child(Mathew,2008). The critics argue that the parents are so concerned with the sick child that they are willing to sacrifice a well-child to get the sick child better. Opponents of minor sibling donations believe that the long term effects of a child donating an organ to another is never taken as of great importance. They believe that there is a chance that the donor sibling might need the donated tissue or organ for their own use and it will not be available to them later in life because of a decision to donate made by their parents when they were younger(Mathews,2008). In Annas case, if she donated a kidney to Kate, she may never be able to play soccer and do all the other things she had always wanted to do in life. Even though some critics believe that the parents are not in the best position to consent to sibling donors, courts have consistently allowed parents to make decisions concerning sibling donors. Lastly but not least, Kate was terminally ill and even if Anna was to give her a kidney, her chances of surviving was still very minimal and so we ask, was it really beneficial to let Anna loose a kidney to a dying person who will never recover anyway? What is the cost verses the benefit? Secondly what would the consequences be if Anna donated to her sister or not. What would the consequences be to Anna, Kate, her parents and family at large? Supporters of child organ donors believe if a sibling donated an organ to another and saved their lives, this will bring psychological satisfaction and more happiness to both the donor and her family as well. Basing on the concept of beneficence, Anna donating tissues and organs to her sister was a pure act of beneficence that is the act of showing mercy, kindness and charity for the love of humanity. Was it ethical for Sarah to keep Kate alive against her will? Kate wanted to die, she was tired of being sick and having all these medical procedures performed on her and so she asked her donor, Anna to stop donating to her. The challenge was their mother Sarah would not accept this decision by Kate and thus Kate and Anna came up with a plan to sue her parents for medical emancipation. John Stuart Mill advanced the principle that ?the only purpose for which power can be rightly exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. A terminally ill person is not harming anyone in the society and so why not let them exercise their will to withdraw treatment or refuse treatment and die just like in Kates scenario. To deny terminally ill patients the right to deny treatment and thus quicken death is to condemn them to a miserable existence, contrary to their wishes. Issues as personal as ones own life and death are very personal decisions that an individual should make and to deny someone this decision is go against a persons autonomy and democracy and thus Sarah should have respected Kates decision to die. For Sarah, it was hard for her to allow her daughter Kate to die without her intervening. She felt it was her duty as a mother to keep her daughter alive using all means possible (deontology). Nothing was going to come her way to stop her from keeping Kate alive. Was it ethical for Sarah and Brian to switch off the life support machine for Anna? People against life support point to situations where it is clear that there are no chances of recovery and life support only prolongs the dying process. that it is morally wrong to keep someone alive without their consent, possibly prolonging their suffering. This group compared the cost verses the benefit of keeping someone on life support and cost outweighed the benefit. This group will argue that it morally justifiable and ethical for Annas parents to turn off the life support machine since she was already declared brain dead.The other group of people who are in support of life support say that it is morally wrong to let someone die, that no one has a right to take a life and so turning off life support machine is violating the right to life. CONCLUSION My Sisters Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Sarah felt like whatever she did to save Kates life was morally right even if it meant putting Annas life at risk and causing harm to Anna. Anna knew her purpose in life was to save her sister Kate but when Kate asked her to stop donating, she respected her sisters wish and thus fought for medical emancipation from her parents, to her she felt this was the right thing to do. Kate was dying of renal failure but she did not want to have her sisters kidney, she was tired of living and undergoing lots of treatments and procedure and so when she asked her sister to let her, would it be wrong or right to grant her wishes? This book presents you with a lot of ethical dilemmas that you would only find right answers to by applying ethical theories and principles. Depending on the different situations being presented in the book and with the application of the different theories of ethics, I would either agree or disagree with the authors position. REFERENCES https://www.smatthewliao.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/liaoselectchildren.pdf https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/04/health/more-babies-being https://www.academia.edu/4736885/The_Ethics_on_Genetically_Engineering_Bg-born https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4646954/
Monday, December 30, 2019
Leadership, The, And Situational Approach - 954 Words
Leadership can be defined in many different ways depending on how it is looked at. Some people can define leadership as stepping forward to take lead of a task just to get it done, while others can see it as someone who starts a movement to make a change. Overall, leadership is the action of leading a group of people or an organization. In my opinion, the style of leadership does not matter as long as it is used in a positive manor. Some of the main styles that contribute to successful leadership are the transactional, servant, transformational, or situational approach. One of the most common types of leaders people tend to become is a servant leader. This style of leadership is set on enriching the lives of individuals, building better organizations and giving their all to create a more caring world. Servant leaders model after being able to listen and communicate with other leaders. They show empathy when needed, offer healing to others, and are aware to their surroundings and othe rs emotions. The ultimate goal of a servant leader is to build a better community. (Northouse, 2013, pp. 225-230) The phrase ââ¬Å"servant leadershipâ⬠was created by Robert K. Greenleaf in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay, Greenleaf said: ââ¬Å"The servant-leader is servant firstâ⬠¦ It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who isShow MoreRelatedThe Situational Approach Of Leadership1967 Words à |à 8 PagesThe word leadership has a lot of meanings, but its meaning is unique to the person who is giving the definition. Leadership is the ability to guide, direct, and motivate others to accomplish a mission or task. It is the ability to make subordinates see their own potential in their abilities and supervisors recognize and respect it. Leaders are entrusted with building up those they lead to ensure the individual can one day assume the responsibility of leading others. It is for this reason thatRead MoreThe Situational Approach And Contingency Theories Of Leadership830 Words à |à 4 Pagesanalyze the situational approach and contingency theories of leadership. As looked through va rious theories, I found the situational approach theory and the contingency theory to be particularly interesting. As the eldest sibling, I have always thought of myself as some type of ââ¬Å"leaderâ⬠, often making decisions and taking the initiative. As I grew older, I realized that there were situations where there were people better prepared for various challenges. Consequently, I found myself in leadership positionsRead MoreSituational Approach Theory Is A Leadership Model814 Words à |à 4 PagesSituational Approach Theory is a leadership model that was developed by Hersey and Blanchard in 1969 based on Reddinââ¬â¢s (1967) management model (Northouse, 2015). The model focuses on various leadership styles based upon the situation at that time. Leadership is viewed as being composed of directive and supportive dimensions that is applied according to the situation (Northouse, 2015). The leadership styles include: Directing (high directive-low supportive), Coaching (high directive-high supportive)Read MoreEffective Leadership Patterns Taking A Situational Approach1159 Words à |à 5 PagesTannenbaum and Schmidt s Leadership Pattern: They used a contingency framework to discuss effective leadership patterns taking a situational approach. They suggested that the use of authority by the manager which is a boss centered leadership style or the area of freedom given to subordinates is a function of the following factors such as i) forces in the manager ââ¬â These factors include value system, feelings of security and insecurity, confidence in subordinates, leadership predispositions etc. Read MoreApplication Of Situational Approach For Teaching Leadership Style1923 Words à |à 8 PagesApplication Situational Approach This theory is one of my favorites, especially in regards to my challenge of bringing individuals together. The luxury of the situational approach and the flexibility of being able to adapt my leadership style to various situations are instrumental in the success of the group. The practicality of this approach, and ease of use, makes this style of leadership invaluable in the application of directive or supportive roles towards group members in diverse situationsRead MoreA.I.M. - a Cultural Contingency Approach to Situational Leadership8214 Words à |à 33 PagesTable of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 2 2. HERSEYââ¬â¢S AND BLANCHARDââ¬â¢S SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP MODEL ........... 3 3. SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP HOFSTEDEââ¬â¢S CULTURAL DIMENSIONS ........ 4 A.I.M. A Cultural Contingency Approach to Situational Leadership 3.1. Power Distance...............................................................................................................4 3.2. Individualism ........Read MoreLeadership And Ethics Of Leadership1448 Words à |à 6 PagesLeadership and Ethics Leadership styles and approaches vary from situation to situation, including the personality, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the leader and the followers. Employees teach the leader how to lead them. Their competence, ability, and willingness to complete a task are indicators, which assist the direction of leadership the leader takes. Keeping all of this in mind, we will describe and analyze the Situational and Style leadership approaches. Situational Leadership Read MoreThe Situational Approach And Contingency Theory1617 Words à |à 7 PagesThere are many dissimilar leadership approaches leaders can employ when working toward meeting goals and in situations. But the two approaches, I will be discussing are the situational approach and contingency theory. These two approaches are the same, but yet they are dissimilar. According to Hanks (n.d), ââ¬Å"the situational approach and contingency theory describes how different approaches to leadership can help owners and managers reach their goals.â⬠The situational approach was developed in 1969 byRead MoreThe Leadership Theory And Transformational Theory1482 Words à |à 6 Pagesexecutive, it is important to know these traits and leadership styles in order to be successful in the business and medical world. There are a number of different leadership theories, models, and styles that could be useful towards becoming a successful leader. The situational theory, contingency theory, and transformational theory are the three leadership theories that stand out the most to me. As a future healthcare executive, shadowing these leadership approaches will help me become the successfulRead MoreLeadership Theories Of Situational Leadership866 Words à |à 4 Pagestalked about leadership theories: Situational Leadership. The model, which celebrates a multitude of leadership styles instead of a single solution, has been considered a transformative and essential new way to manage and to lead. But what does it mean to be a situational leader? Is it always beneficial to change your approach to leading the troops? In this guide, weââ¬â¢ll examine the development of situational leadership, study its core elements and discover the qualities a situational leader must
Sunday, December 22, 2019
The Role Of Regional Integration Essay - 1476 Words
Global Business as pertaining to our topic describes changes in our worlds economy that result from dramatically increased internationational trade and cultural exchange. This paper will analyze the role of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) in promoting global business. Besides NAFTA, regional integrations such as: EU, APEC, ASEAN, CAFTA, or others may be discussed for the purpose of comparing advantages and disadvantages of regional integration. Also discussed will be the economic development stages of countries within NAFTA (United States, Canada, and Mexico) and any ramifications of NAFTA development for global business. NAFTA NAFTA is an agreement between Canada, the US, and Mexico that took effect on January 1, 1994,â⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦It represents more restricted trade to the extent that it results in trade diversion by shifting of production from an efficient nonmember country to a less efficient member country and promotes global business in this way. NAFTA was destined to recast the economic landscape of North America. For over a century, the U.S. economy had been shaped by growth along an east-west axis. NAFTA was going to be responsible for a sea of change in North American economic and transportation patterns. The business growth along the north-south axis would probably exceed that along the east-west axis in U.S and that NAFTA would be the engine propelling change. Advantages and disadvantages NAFTA Of course the obvious point of regional integration is to benefit all involved. Under most circumstances the advantages of integration out way the disadvantages. NAFTA is voluntary as are many other regional integrations. Some reasons countries band together are: CostÃâ"sharing on regional projects, a stable financial region, Pooling of technical expertise, Joint representation at international conferences and meetings, and having a stable financial region. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) creates a single, North American market of nearly 400 million consumers larger than the 12 countries of the European Community and a combined GDP of $11 trillion. United States, Mexico, and Canada areShow MoreRelatedThe Role of Regional Integration in Promoting Global Business.1157 Words à |à 5 PagesThe Role of Regional Integration in Promoting Global Business. Regional integration is growing as a means for economic growth for many countries. Throughout this paper we will discuss the promoting of regional integration into the Northern South America region. In addition, the paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of regional integration as it relates to (NAFTA, EU, APEC, ASEAN, CAFTA). Regional Overview The Northern South America region contains two countries Columbia and VenezuelaRead MoreInternational Trade Has Brought Huge Gains On A Number Of Countries Around The World1472 Words à |à 6 Pagesfor the period 1950-2007 shows that export increased by 2.7 percent faster than gross domestic product (GDP). Obviously, regional economic integrations played a vital role in promoting world trade in terms of both quantity and quality of goods and services traded. In light of persistent political and economic problems in Africa, regional economic communities can play a major role in solving some of the basic economic and political challenges that Africa is facing right now. When economies of countriesRead MoreThe Asean And The Private Sector1455 Words à |à 6 PagesThe ASEAN and the Private Sector The presence and influence of the private sector in Southeast Asia have never been strongly felt in the present time since the market collapse in the early 2000s. Governments and regional associations scurried in saving their economies by providing massive interventions in spending and funding. Much of the crises became the woe of the public and the private sector became more averse to business. Rohde (2011) posited that ââ¬Å"restoring of financial confidence led toRead MoreWhat Is The Role Of Chinas Role In South Asia?1417 Words à |à 6 Pages1. China shares the regional interest of stability, economic growth and end of insurgency in South Asia. Peace and stability in South Asia is as much a requirement for the region as for China. The region should thus engage with China to form a common view on the issues related to the Democracy, Military dominance and development. Countries of South Asia should also seek to bring India and China on multilateral commitments on peace and secur ity to bring stability in the region. 2. Since China is inRead MoreAsia Southeast Asian Nations ( Asean )852 Words à |à 4 Pagestime; yet it is a region without a strong regional institution. There are several regional organizations in Asia starting with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) established in 1967 (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), ASEAN plus three (China, Japan, South Korea) in 1997, ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), etc. Despite the numerous regional institutions within Asia, there has notRead MoreEssay on Brazil: Embracing Globalization?1519 Words à |à 7 Pageschange of the economic model following the debt crisis of the 1980s. At the time of the case Brazilian officials are deciding whether regional integration or globalization offer the best route to economic prosperity and development. This case illustrates the challenges that developing countries face in defining trade policy. It also introduces the role of regional trade blocks as an alternative to globalization. At the current time regionalism seems to be very much in vogue and seems to be muchRead MoreThe Pattern And Content Of East Asian Economic Integration783 Words à |à 4 Pages4.1.1. The Pattern and Content of East Asian Economic Integration The most representative regional economic organization in East Asia is ASEAN, which was established in Bangkok and formed by five founding members, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia also joined successively to form the ten countries of ASEAN. ASEAN is abbreviated by Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which was built to contain the Communist forces with the purposeRead MoreAnalysis of the European Unionââ¬â¢s Role as a Model Intergovernmental Organization1627 Words à |à 7 Pagesinternational situation between neighborhoods. According to Kegley (2009), a global trend in world politics is the spectacular growth of IGOs. The European Union, as an example of IGOs, is the globeââ¬â¢s best success story among the other regional IGOs playing global roles (Kegley, 2009). It created by the merger of the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Atomic Energy Community, and the European Economic Community (called the European Community until 1993) that has since expanded geographicallyRead MoreAn Approach to the Regional Neoliberal Governance in Southern Africa from a Critical Perspective1177 Words à |à 5 PagesAn approach to the regional neoliberal governance in Southern Africa from a critical perspective. In order to examine the possible implications of neoliberalism in contemporary Africa, an analysis based on a regional dimension is important. The multiplicity of strategies and methods of governance in a specific regional context can appear merging, mingling or even clashing, since regions can be understood as political and social projects, where different actors act in favour of the maintenanceRead MoreSouth Cooperation : A Bright Blueprint For The Future Of Underdeveloped Countries1646 Words à |à 7 Pageseconomic background and the functions of these unions also undergo the mission of development. It is an inevitable result of todayââ¬â¢s economic trend: the rapid growth rates of developed countries, the prevalence of economic globalisation and regional economic integration. For one thing, suffering from economic crisis, most developed countries experience the period of sluggish growth rates and inactive trade prospects Together with the wave of economic globalisation motiva tes the cross-border trade among
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Tibet Through Chinese Eyes Free Essays
Tibet through Chinese Eyes You must have heard about all sorts of tales about Chinese invasion of Tibet or the sympathy towards Tibetââ¬â¢s independent movement spread in western media. The pro-Tibet separatists act radically under the shielding of hostile westerners who even donââ¬â¢t know where Tibet is located geographically, not to say the long aged Chinese sovereignty of Tibet, the strenuous efforts of Chinese government made on developing it and the profound improvements of the Tibetan living standard. Chinese Sovereignty of Tibet The pro-Tibet groups, claiming ââ¬Å"Free Tibetâ⬠and behaving out of control, accuse that China has intruded Tibet through armed aggression. We will write a custom essay sample on Tibet Through Chinese Eyes or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, the matter of fact is that the Chinese sovereignty on Tibet has lasted for 700 years. Why did Chinese army invade China? For those aggressive pro-Tibet advocators, please read the history before jumping to a misleading conclusion. Since Yuan Dynasty, Tibet has been an autonomous of China. In 1904, Britain sent out a formal instruction classifying Tibet as ââ¬Å"a province of Chinese Empireâ⬠. In 1911, Republic of China was founded. The first provisional constitution of the new government stipulated that Tibet was part of Chinaââ¬â¢s territory. After that, the prime minister of Indian delivered a speech in 1954, saying ââ¬Å"Over the past several hundred years, as far as I know, at no time has any foreign country denied Chinaââ¬â¢s sovereignty over Tibet. â⬠Up till now, all historical documents and enacted laws recognize that Tibet is a legal territory of China. To put it simple, Tibet to China is like what California to America. If someday Arnold Schwarzenegger stirred up a war to free California, would the U. S government renounce its sovereignty over California regardless of its meticulous care devoted to developing this state? The answer will be no, since the issue of sovereignty is beyond negotiation, not to mention a territory belonging to a country who has taken care of it for 700 years. Chinese Governmentââ¬â¢s Endeavors Before the democratic reform, Tibet was in a serf system. People there were dishonorably exploited and laid heavy burden on. Serf-ownersââ¬â¢ revolt triggers a revolution conducted by the Chinese government to liberate the serfs by abolishing serfdom. Under the redoubled efforts of Chinese government, including agriculture development, religion preservation, tourism exploitation and educational popularization, Tibet experiences never-ending changes and improvements. According to national statistical service, the Tibetan population has doubled to 2. 6 million in the end of 2000 compared with only 1. 2 million in 1952; much of this being attributed to the improved sensational condition and living style since the reforms at the beginning under the Chinese governance, which also contributes to a decrease in infant mortality rate from 430/1000 in 1951 to 35. /1000 in 2000 and a longer average life expectancy of 65 years in 2001 while 35 years when Tibet was still in serfdom. The statistics above, reflecting an increasingly better live of Tibetans, terminate those rumors claiming that Chinese government has interfered with Tibetââ¬â¢s development. Instead, the strenuous efforts and advancing achievements demonstrate that our governme nt is concerning about Tibet and is able to bring Tibetans prosperous life. Even if Tibet attained its independence, people there would not lead a life as affluent as current status. The secrets are as follows. Conspiracy behind Tibet Freedom Before the revolution taken by the Chinese government, Dalai Lama was the aristocrat while the ordinary and innocent Tibetans were serfs. Land was granted by the aristocrat to the peasant, on condition that he paid a service (or feudal duty) to his superior, which means Dalai Lama had the right to idle his life while earned a living by exploiting serfs. To change this lagging policy, the Chinese government started a campaign of agrarian reform, including land recovery back to peasants for agricultural usage. Hence, the privilege of Dalai was disfranchised and then his ambitions drove him to rebellion, attempting vainly to be a lord again. However, the Chinese government has not compromised in the least on this matter. We do not allow any attempts to set Tibet back to serfdom. With the sovereignty of Tibet, China has the power and responsibility to help innocent Tibetans out of miserable backward life. As is known to all, China is a country with 56 different nationalities. What we are striving for is to develop harmoniously as a unit. The goal of the Chinese government, while a struggle, is in no way to shackle Tibet in all diversity, but to head forward side by side like a family. With the accredited sovereignty, the unremitting endeavors and the powerful national strength, China has adopted an uncompromising posture on the Tibet issue, for after all we are reluctant to witness the life deterioration of Tibetans who have been our countrymen for 700 years and will be so forever. How to cite Tibet Through Chinese Eyes, Papers
Friday, December 6, 2019
Leadership and Decision Making
Question: Discuss about the Ethics, Leaderdhip and Decision Making ? Answer : Introduction Nowadays, changes in the business environment have resulted in the occurrence of different situations in the organization that poses ethical dilemma. The company faces different types of ethical dilemmas such as dilemmas related to technology, health and safety of employees, transparency of different business operations and existence of fair working conditions. There is an occurrence of many accounting scandals by the companies as they do not disclose the material information to its stakeholders. It is requisite for the companies to provide accurate and complete reporting of the financial information in the accounting reports (Collins, 2009). It is essential for the businesses to communicate the information in a transparent manner without misrepresenting the information. Avoidance of the full representation of the information has a negative impact on the business operations of the company (Johnson, 2015). This report emphasizes on the accounting scandal of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International. Besides this, it also emphasizes on the ethical theories relevant to the scandal of Valeant Pharmaceuticals. In addition to this, it also provides information related to the existence of the relationship between ethics and leadership. It also emphasizes on the measures that can be adopted by the organization to overcome the situation of ethical dilemma. Ethical Dilemma in Valeant Pharmaceuticals The company has appointed a new leader Michael Pearson in the year 2008 in order to implement a new strategy for the purpose of accelerating the growth of the company. For this purpose, the company has made aggressive acquisitions of different companies which resulted in an increase in the debt of the company (Law 360, 2016). Besides this, the company has also increase the prices of the drugs offered by it for the purpose of increasing its revenue in order to improve its financial performance and position in the market. It has been done by the company in order to reduce the cost incurred in the research and development programs that are used by the pharmaceutical companies in the past (Trevino Nelson, 2010). This is the reason that the company is facing various investigations carried out by different governmental authorities such as US Attorneys Office, the SEC and Congress. In the year 2016, the company has recorded incorrect revenue of $58 million due to its relationship with Phil idor Pharmaceuticals which is not disclosed by the company (Law 360, 2016). It had recorded the revenue prior to the sale has to be done by the Philidor pharmaceuticals. In addition to this, in earlier years the company has omitted the record of integration cost and other basic expenses incurred in acquiring the companies such as Bausch and Lomb. The other ethical issue faced by the company is that the company has recorded sales from controlled and related companies of Valeant . For the purpose of representing increase in the purchases, the company has shown providing large discounts to wholesalers and customers which is regarded as channel stuffing (Champoux, 2010). The company has shown an increase in the prices of two drugs which are used to treat heart ailments namely Nitropress and Isuprel of 525% and 212% in a respective manner (Law 360, 2016). By performing such activities the company is considered failed in terms of corporate governance practices. The accounting staff and the CEO of the company has omitted various accounting requirements for the purpose of increasing the revenues and profitability through its acquisitions which results in increasing in the value of debt for the company. The company has not considered different ways that can lead it up to attain sustainable growth. For the purpose of increasing the revenues and profitability of the company, the CEO of the company has find rapid solutions to difficult issues by the way of omission of the events that has taken place and has a significant impact on the financial performance and position of the company (Daft Marcic, 2006). Ethical Theories Ethical theories are the basic need to attain solutions to difficult problems and situations faced by people in their life. There are different ethical theories which help in getting solutions to the problems faced by the people such as Kantianism, contract theory, utilitarianism and virtue ethics. In context to Valeant Pharmaceuticals, utilitarianism theory is applicable. This theory gives emphasis on the delivering happiness and suffering to people through the actions of a person. There is a need to act in an appropriate manner for the purpose of maximizing the amount of happiness and minimizing the suffering caused to an individual or a group. For the purpose of attainment of maximization of the amount of happiness and minimizing the amount of sufferings, there can be a possibility that the individual or a group break the traditional method of performing different actions (LaFollette Persson,2013). As per this theory, an action of an individual is considered right in a moral terms if it results in providing happiness to large number of people in the society. In addition to this, the outcomes and actions are dependent on the circumstances. There is no moral principle which is considered right and necessary under this theory. This theory proposes that an action of an individual is carried out in such a way that it would result in producing good results for the large number of people. Besides this, this theory bases the right and wrong of the actions on the outcomes of making a choice between the action and policy over other actions and policies (Robinson Moulton, 2005). This theory postulates that the action is considered right if it results in the production of the benefits for the people that have a stake in it. If the people achieve benefits from the actions pursued by a group or individual then the theory does not consider the actions performed by the individual as wrong in case of lies, coercion and manipulation. This type of moral reasoning is used in day to day life in which the benefits from the performance of the actions is provided by the individual along with the prevention of the harms by carrying out such type of action. All the people such as business analysts, scientists and legislators analyze the benefits and harms of policies for the purpose of taking appropriate decisions (Broad, 2014). In context to Valeant Pharmaceuticals, this theory is suitable as the professionals of the company have made fraudulent accounting errors for the purpose of increasing the profits of the company. Besides this, the CEO of the company has increased the prices of drugs for the purpose of increasing the revenues of the company. This helps in increasing the profits of the company which is beneficial for the company as well as for its stakeholders. This is because; increase in the sales and profits of the company results in increasing the return on the investments by the company. Along with this, employees also get benefit from such actions in the form of increase in their pay (Landau, 2012). The principle of least harm which postulates that the decision maker make a choice of those actions which results in producing least harm for the people. This principle stated that the decision maker make a choice of those actions, which provide harm to few people which is beneficial for large group of people. The decision maker should not perform those tasks which provide harm to the concerned people. Under this principle, the different choices of actions do not appear beneficial wherein the decision maker choose those actions which provide least harm to few people. In context to Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the CEO of the company has made a choice of increasing the revenues of the company by increasing the prices of the drugs which provide harm to least people such as customers. In addition to this, the company has also made errors in the accounting process for the purpose of improving its financial position (Copp, 2005). The other theory is virtue ethics which stated that the judgment is done by the character of the person rather than by their actions that is different from his normal behavior. When a person is performing unusual and unethical behavior, the consideration is given to the morals, motivation and reputation. In context to Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the CEO has a good reputation and is highly motivated but the actions of the CEO results in providing harm to the stakeholders of the company. It has come into notice due to sudden change from morel to immoral behavior and results in the occurrence of significant amount of evidence against him (Birsch, 2013). Interrelationship between ethics, leadership and decision making Application of ethical principles in the organization results in broadening of the priorities of corporate and individual ahead of profit and shareholder enrichment. It is essential for the leaders to have the responsibility to perform ethical behavior for the purpose of making sound decisions. Adoption and implementation of the ethical behavior by the employees and leaders results in aligning of the behavior with the personal values and values of the business (Zimmerli, Richter Holzinger,2007). Effective implementation of the ethical behavior in the organization results in an increase in the productivity and well coordinated teamwork among the employees. In addition tro this, it is essential for the leaders to specify the acceptable behavior from the employees during their recruitment and selection. There is a requirement of high level of dedication towards different jobs by the employees of the organization. A leader is considered ethical if they consider positive and negative views of all the people involved in the activity. In addition to this, it also takes into consideration that the decisions made by the leader is ethical and the members included in the decision making are accountable (Bennis, Goleman O'Toole, 2010). The occurrence of the ethical actions by the people results in enhancing the integrity and credibility of the leader and helps in creating trust among the employees in the organization. This helps in improving the performance and productivity of the employees of the organization. Employees of the organization are able to create faith among them regarding their leaders due to the performance of activities by the leader in an ethical manner. This helps in improving the overall productivity of the organization. Employees consider the actions of the leaders as ethical when a leader shows kind, courteous and respectful behavior towards others. The ethical behavior of the leader is characterized by their attitudes and behaviors towards the employees and other people in the organization. An ethical leader respond to the queries of all the people associated with it in order to provide an opportunity to different employees to take decisions in a quick manner (LaFollette Persson, 2013). In addition to this, an ethical leader helps in developing the skills and abilities among the employees in a proper manner which results in increasing the operational efficiency of the organization. It is essential for the leaders to communicate relevant an important information among the employees for the purpose of taking effective and efficient decisions. This helps in creation of the learning organization as it helps in developing a communication platform in the organization through which different employees to share their experiences with other employees which helps in making effective decisions by them. If the leader admit their mistakes in front of employees then the employees are free to make mistakes and ask questions from the leader which results in providing safe working environment to the employees (Barbera, 2014). This also helps in improving the performance of the employees in the organization. The ethical leader helps in bringing all the employees together in order to build cohesion and coordination between them so that they can achieve the common goal of the business in an effective manner. It is required by the company to perform different business operations in an ethical manner such as selection of talented people, promoting the qualified people to a next level in terms of expertise in technology, culture of commitment and so on. This results in bringing transparency in the operations of the organization. This in turn results in attracting more number of employees in the organization. This is because implementation of ethical leadership in the organization helps in increasing the commitment level of the employees in the organization. It is requisite for the ethical leader to provide reasonable and justifiable pay to its employees which helps in increasing the performance level of the emp loyees (Day, 2014). It is required by the leader to take into consideration the personal needs of the employees which helps in increasing the loyalty of the employees towards the organization. If the employees are paid justified pay as per their knowledge and expertise then there is a possibility that employees provide best possible work as per their capabilities which helps in increasing their productivity in the organization. It is essential for the leader to provide freedom to its employees and encourage them to develop their knowledge and skills to perform different tasks in the organization in an effective and efficient manner. It is requisite for the employees to consult with other employees before taking further actions that has a significant impact on the reputation of the business in a marketplace. In todays world, the leaders adheres with the ethics which help them to make ethical decision making (Lawton, Rayner Lasthuizen, 2013). Ethics is defined as the integration of different components such as principles, virtues values and morals that provide guidance to the people to perform the task. It is essential for the employees to understand the value system of the organization which facilitates in understanding of the different operations carried out in the business which has a significant impact on the overall performance of the organization. Leaders are required to provide full information regarding different procedures, policies and programs carried out in the organization for the purpose of attainment of the common goal of the business (Ferrell Ferrell, 2009). In addition to this, the leaders who adhere with the strong corporate codes of ethics may achieve sustainable growth in the future. The main reason behind it is that it shows the dedication of the company towards its employees, customers and society. It also results in improving the reputation of the company in the market. In the presence of highly competitive environment, there is a pressure on the leaders to become profitable and provide high returns to the shareholders of the company by exhibiting ethical behavior in the organization. There is a requirement of adoption of the ethical decision making process in the organization as it helps in increasing the productivity of the company and help in achieving sustainable competitive advantage in the market (Nevarez Wood,2010). Measures taken by Valeant Pharmaceuticals to make ethical decisions It is recommended that the CEO of the company should communicate relevant information related to different business operations to its stakeholders in order to bring transparency into the business operations. This helps the decision makers such as investors and other stakeholders to make appropriate decisions. It is essential for the company to prepare code of ethics and circulate it in the organization in order to spread information regarding the values, policies and procedures to be carried out in the organization in an ethical manner. It is requisite for the company to monitor the performance of the organization in a regular manner in order to check whether the information is not omitted by the company as it has a significant impact on the decision making process of the company (Kiel, 2015). Besides this, the company should adhere with rules and regulations established by different regulatory authorities in the country in order to sell its products in the market. The company should make proper investment in the research and development and provide innovative products to the customers for which it can charge high prices from the customers. The CEO of the company should engage the employees and other stakeholders in the decision making process by considering their view points and make effective decisions which are beneficial for the company as well as the society. In addition to this, there is also a need for the company to reduce the cost of the products by increasing the operational efficiency of the company (Condrey, 2005). It is necessary for the company to provide training to the employees to upgrade their skills in order to increase their productivity. This helps in reducing the overall cost of the company and creation of the value for the customers. The company should organize different meetings to discuss the issues faced by the employees of the organization in order to provide them solutions which helps in increasing their commitment level towards the organization. There is a requirement of establishing a common communication platform where employees can share their experiences with other employees and make effective and quick decisions (Cremer, 2009). This helps in improving the overall productivity of the employees in the organization. It is required by the CEO of the company to delegate the authority and responsibility to the employees so that employees can make effective decisions by regularly supervising the actions taken by other employees for the purpose of achieving the common goal of the business. Besides this, it also helps in reducing the wastage of the resources done by the company. This facilitates in reducing the cost of the products and creates value for the customers (Daft, Marcic, 2006). Conclusion It can be concluded that there is an occurrence of the ethical scandal in Valeant Pharmaceuticals where the CEO of the company has increased the prices of two drugs which are used in heart ailments. Besides this, the company has also omitted some of the information from the book of accounts in order to increase its revenues and profits. Besides this, it can also be concluded that there are two theories of ethics which are suitable for the company such as utilitarianism and virtue ethics. In addition to this, the company should establish common communication platform where employees can share their views and opinions with each other and make effective decisions which results in improving their performance in the organization. References Barbera, K.M. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Climate and Culture. Oxford University Press. Bennis, W., Goleman, D. O'Toole, J. (2010). Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor. John Wiley Sons. Birsch, D. (2013). Introduction to Ethical Theories: A Procedural Approach. Waveland Press. Broad, C.D. (2014). Five Types of Ethical Theory. Routledge. Champoux, J.E. (2010). Organizational Behavior: Integrating Individuals, Groups, and Organizations. Routledge. Collins, D. (2009). Essentials of Business Ethics: Creating an Organization of High Integrity and Superior Performance. John Wiley Sons. Condrey, S.E. (2005). Handbook of Human Resources Management in Government. John Wiley Sons. Copp, D. (2005). The Oxford Handbook of Ethical Theory. Oxford University Press. Cremer, D.D. (2009). Psychological Perspectives on Ethical Behavior and Decision Making. IAP. Daft, R.L. Marcic, D. (2006). Understanding Management. Cengage Learning. Day, D. (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Leadership and Organizations. Oxford University Press. Ferrell, O.C. Ferrell, J.F. (2009). Business Ethics 2009 Update: Ethical Decision Making and Cases. Cengage Learning. Johnson, C.E. (2015). Organizational Ethics: A Practical Approach. SAGE Publications. Kerns, C.D. (2005). Value-centered Ethics: A Proactive System to Shape Ethical Behavior. Human Resource Development. Kiel, F. (2015). Return on Character: The Real Reason Leaders and Their Companies Win. Harvard Business Review Press. LaFollette, H. Persson, I. (2013). The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory. John Wiley Sons. Landau, R.S. (2012). Ethical Theory: An Anthology. John Wiley Sons. Law 360. 2016. Valeant A Case Study In Rotten Culture And Business Ethics. Retrieved 23 January 2017, from https://www.law360.com/articles/785665/valeant-a-case-study-in-rotten-culture-and-business-ethics Lawton, A., Rayner, J. Lasthuizen, K. (2013). Ethics and Management in the Public Sector. Routledge. Nevarez, C. Wood, J.L. (2010). Community College Leadership and Administration: Theory, Practice, and Change. Peter Lang. Robinson, G.M. Moulton, J. (2005). Ethical Problems in Higher Education. IUniverse. Trevino, L.K. Nelson, K.A. (2010). Managing Business Ethics. John Wiley Sons. Zerbe, W.J. et al. (2008). Emotions, Ethics and Decision-making. Emerald Group Publishing. Zimmerli, W.C., Richter, K. Holzinger, M. (2007). Corporate Ethics and Corporate Governance. Springer Science Business Media.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)